Petrified (Fred Weasley Love Story)

Chapter 3 - Astronomy Tower

Chapter 3

I heard footsteps through my crying and tried to hold my breath, but it was too late, they'd already found me. I watched the doorknob turn slowly and heard the terrifying creek of the door hinges as the cupboard door was slowly pulled open...

"Charlotte" a dark voice whispered.

I cowered lower, trying to hide myself as much as I could. My breathing was haggard and it felt like I couldn't get enough air into my lungs.

The dull lighting crept its ominous hands into the cupboard, causing my small body to shake violently.

A chilling feeling crawled along my back, making me to shiver. I finally couldn't take it anymore and looked up to find a tall dark figure standing in the doorway and I recognised the being, sending every fear in my body into overdrive...

I jolted upright in bed, cold sweat covering my body. I shook my head, chasing the disturbing images away. I took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly before taking in my surroundings. I was still in my bed, the covers on the floor in a messy heap.

Roze lay still in her bed, except for the slow rise and fall of her chest, breathing evenly as she slept.

I looked to the old style pocket watch I always had on my side table and the time read as five thirty-seven in the morning. The glow of the early morning sun was just peaking into the window as I swung my feet over the side of my bed.

I looked out and saw only a sliver was glimpsing over the mountain. No normal student would be awake by now, but normal is definitely not a word to describe me.

I grabbed my uniform for the day and went for the bathrooms. It's not often at all to get the whole girls bathroom to yourself, but I guess there is one plus of waking up too early.

Just as I began to remove my pyjama top, I heard a slight giggle from above me. I let the hem of the top fall back down as I looked around the old stonewalls for the only person I could think of it being.

"Myrtle, where are you?" I asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. There she sat, cross-legged and just floating in the air.

"What are you doing up so early?" she asked, a crease forming between her eyebrows and her infamous pout pulling her face into a most unattractive look.

"Bad dreams, Myrtle," I told her, shrugging. "I actually came in to have a shower so I could freshen up, get it out of my head."

"Well, shower away" she smiled, her high-pitched voice bouncing off the walls. She pushed off from where she was sitting, flying through the air at a quite quick speed, plunging straight through the wall.

I shook my head at the girl not so affectionately named Moaning Myrtle. She was a girl killed here at Hogwarts over 60 years ago, but she still haunts some of the bathrooms around the castle. Mostly the first-floor girl's bathroom, but sometimes others as well.

Before I started getting ready to shower, I heard "Have a good first day,  Charlie!" and then silence.

"That's not until tomorrow Myrtle!" I called after her, but I assumed she was long gone and probably already knew it too.

Myrtle's the only one in the world that shortens Charlotte to Charlie. I asked her not to one time in my second year, but she just burst into tears and wouldn't stop moaning until I gave up and let her do it the few times I saw her around.

But she did remind me that tomorrow was my first day at my 'internship' with the head of the Auror's department and I was scared out of my mind. I still didn't understand what any of it meant, but like I said when I first got back to Hogwarts, I'd just have to go with it if I wanted to find out.