Draco followed Harry and Caleb through the halls in silence. Eyes everywhere glared at the trio. Students moved when they sat down for lunch, they fled when the three entered a room. Draco had never seen so much fear before. Not even his father made everyone look at him with such respect. Of course it wasn't the respect you wanted to have. It was more that the rest of the school was slaves to them. Harry and Caleb didn't seem to notice, though.
They silently walked through the staircases, turned to the third floor and walked to the girl's bathroom.
"Will you tell me where we are going?" Draco whined for a third time.
"To see Myrtle," Harry and Caleb responded emotionlessly.
"And you aren't going to even tell me who she is?" Draco said, stuffing his shaking hands into his pockets.
They turned into the abandoned girls bathroom and paused. Ginny Weasley was standing in the bathroom staring into a puddle. She looked up at them and flinched back.
"Are you crazy?" Caleb growled, stepping forward.
"Cay," Harry commanded.
The taller boy stepped back and leaned on Draco's chest, but did not look happy about the situation. Draco's hand grazed his own and Caleb relaxed.
"Ginny," Harry said with a smile "How good to see you,"
"You stay away from me," she said, stepping back.
"Aw, come on now," Harry replied, looking at the auburn haired lass "is that anyway to talk to a friend?"
"You are not my friend," Ginny spat.
Harry frowned and thought for a moment nodding his head.
"You know," he said with a nod of the head "I think you're right about that,"
"What happened to you, Harry?" Ginny asked, looking at him with confusion "you were so nice last year."
"So weak you mean," Harry spat, stepping towards her.
"I meant nice!" Ginny countered, her nose turning red "you were kind! You were a-"
"A what?" Harry shouted, pulling his wand out "a hero?! A golden boy? A defeater of the dark lord?!"
"Yes," Ginny gasped, stepping back.
"Maybe I don't want to be a hero," Harry shouted, throwing his head back "Maybe I want to be the bad guy for once! Maybe I am sick of people pushing me around!"
"Who?!" Ginny shouted, just as angry "The only people I've seen push you around are standing behind you!"
Harry tensed and pointed his wand at the girl making her tense.
"Get. Out," he sneered.
"You're the one pushing us away!" Ginny yelled before storming out of the bathroom.
Harry growled as the door slammed shut before grabbing a bottle of meds from his pocket and taking a handful dry. His neck twitched and he stretched in order to stop it.
"Who's Myrtle?" Draco finally asked after a moment.
The three simultaneously turned their heads as a bathroom stall door creaked open and an opaque girl stepped out.
"That'd be me," she said softly.
Harry relaxed and smiled, putting his wand away.
"Ah, Myrtle," he greeted with a smile "We've been looking for you."
"Y-you have?" She asked, blushing "no one ever comes looking for me,"
Harry smiled and nodded.
"I know, Myrtle," he said softly "they've forgotten about you,"
"Everyone always forgets miserable, moping, moaning Myrtle," she said tears welling in her eyes.
She wiped her eyes, nudging her thick horn rimmed glasses out of the way.
"We haven't forgotten you," Harry reminded her, slowly taking a step forward "we remember all the lost children,"
"Who are you?" She asked, whimpering softly.
"Well my name is Harry Potter and these are my friends Caleb Scamander and Draco Malfoy. If you'd like," Harry said with a smile "they can be your friends too,"
"Y-you want to be friends with me?" Myrtle asked.
Caleb stepped forward and smiled.
"Of course we do," he said charmingly "we want to know the great Myrtle who's death single handedly saved Hogwarts,"
"It did?" She asked sniffling.
"Why of course it did! You know they were going to close down the school when they realized the basilisk had been released? There would have been no one to teach all these kids the last fifty years!" Harry stared at Caleb wondering how he knew that information "but you, Myrtle, your death stopped it. You made the man who was killing people get caught. You saved Hogwarts,"
Myrtle frowned and then slowly a smiled spread across her face.
"I was important?" Myrtle asked, finally drying her tears after fifty years and a smile splitting her face.
"You are important, Myrtle," Harry corrected.
He turned to give Draco a pointed look and the blonde jumped into attention.
"Oh yeah, loads important," Draco agreed "everyone knows your name. Myrtle the Magnificent they call you"
Myrtle smiled bigger, a genuine smile and lit up brightly.
"Magnificent," she sighed happily.
Harry stared at her light with bright eyes and felt his stomach twist with sorrow. She glowed brilliantly for a moment before disappearing with a bang.
Draco jumped and rubbed his eyes.
"She's gone," Harry said with a rub of the eyes.
"Passed over," Caleb agreed.
"One last suffering kid on this planet," Harry sighed, walking over to where she'd been standing.
The water on the floor began drying around them and Draco watched confused from behind. Harry knelt down and picked up a black book from the floor. It was engraved with a silver name on the front.
"Looks like she left behind a gift," Harry mumbled, wiping water off the leather binding.
"Will someone tell me what the bloody hell just happened?" Draco asked, leaning on a sink nearby.
Harry and Caleb smiled at eachother .
"No."
