Bad Week for Myrtle

“Miserable, moping Myrtle. I swear your glasses get bigger every year,” teased Olive Hornby.

“Leave me alone, Olive,” Myrtle replied, picking at her chin.

“Did I hurt your wittle feelings?” Olive continued.

“Stop it!” Myrtle screeched, walking away.

Olive took her wand out and said, “Petrificus Totalus!”

Myrtle fell flat on her face, and the group of people started laughing. Tears started glistening in her eyes, and then a door slammed down at the end of the hall, causing Olive to quickly mutter the counter curse and allowing Myrtle to get up. She pulled her wand out, and pointed it at Olive. Olive pasted on a shocked face, and Professor Smith came walking down the hallway.

“Miss Miller! What are you doing?” exclaimed the teacher.

“I was just walking down the hallway, and Myrtle pulled her wand out at me,” replied Olive, acting like she was hurt and Myrtle would do something like this.

“Oh, dear. I’m afraid that’s ten points from Hufflepuff, Miss Miller.”

The teacher walked off, and Olive was smirking at an awestruck Myrtle. Myrtle started to cry and ran off in the other direction. She eventually stopped on the fifth floor and sat on a bench and cried. She didn’t hear the young man walk up behind her.

“Hello, Myrtle.”

Myrtle looked up into the face of Tom Riddle and blushed. “Oh, hello, Tom.”

“Why are you crying?” he asked, sitting down next to her.

“Olive Hornby was making fun of me, and made me lose house points,” she sniffled.

“That’s not a very nice thing to do, now is it? What was she making fun of?” he inquired.

“She said my glasses get bigger every year and called me miserable, moping, Myrtle,” she said, avoiding his gaze.

“Well, I don’t think your glasses get bigger every year. I actually like them.”

“W-What?” she stammered, not believing what he was saying to her.

“I like them. I also think you are very pretty,” Tom said, putting on a charming smile.

“Thank you,” she replied, blushing deeply.

“You’re very welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to class,” he said, getting up and walking down the corridor.

Stupid Mudblood, thought Tom, I will rid the school of her soon enough.

***

“Hey, Myrtle,” came a voice.

“Hello, Rubeus,” Myrtle replied, looking up at the huge boy in front of her. She had been in the library working on an essay for Care of Magical Creatures.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just the usual. Olive Hornby.”

“Don’ worry 'bout her. She’s not worth it,” Rubeus said.

There is something about him. No wizard is that tall, Myrtle thought, going back to her homework.

“Are we still on for Hogsmeade this weekend?”

“Sure. I might have to cut it short, because I have to come back and work on my essay for Transfiguration.”

“Sounds good, I’ll see yeh around,” he replied, walking off.

After a few moments, Tom Riddle sat down in front of Myrtle.

“Hello, Myrtle.”

Myrtle glanced up and gasped. She thought she was dreaming before when he was talking to her, but here he was sitting in front of her again.

“Hello, Tom.”

“What are you doing Friday night?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Probably just doing homework. Why?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

“I’d like it if you would join me on my Head Boy hall patrol. I’d like to get to know you better.” He smiled.

“Me?” Why is he asking me? Me, of all people? she thought.

“Yes, you. You fascinate me.” He smiled even more.

“You can have any girl in this school, and you’re picking me?”

“There’s something about you." He paused, turning his gaze towards her. "So what do you say? Care to join me?”

“Er…sure, I guess. Where do you want to meet?”

“Second floor, next to the statue of Turin the Terrible, the one across from the girls' bathroom.”

“Okay,” she replied.

“See you then,” Tom said, taking her hand and kissing it. This is going to be so easy, he thought.

***


The next day, Myrtle was in the library when Rubeus came up to her.

“Myrtle, I’m afraid I have to cancel this weekend. I…um…have to do an essay for…Muggle Studies.”

“Are you okay, Rubeus?” He was acting nervous and was looking down at his hands, which he was fiddling with.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll see yeh later at lunch.”

“Bye, then,” she replied with an odd look on her face.

He walked out of the library, and Myrtle went back to her essay about giants for Defense Against the Dark Arts. She turned the page in her book and read:

Giants are soon becoming an endangered species among the wizarding world. Many have been banished from Britain and are now living in Eastern Europe. The only giants that are living in Britain are half-giants. Half-giants aren’t as big as full-blood giants, but are nevertheless very tall. Full-blood giants can be more than twenty feet tall, while half-bloods can only reach ten to thirteen feet.


Myrtle stopped reading. Half-blood? she thought. Why didn’t he tell me? I have to talk to him.

She shoved her books into her bag and left the library. She walked down the steps, turned, and ran into a big wall of Tom.

“Oh, Tom. I’m sorry,” she apologized, and tried to walk around him, but he blocked her.

“What’s the rush?” He smiled.

“I was going to lunch, and then I plan on talking to Rubeus.”

“About what?” he asked curiously.

“I found out something about him, and I just really need to talk to him.”

“Okay, take care,” he smiled, winking.

She blushed furiously and continued walking. Tom walked up to the library and saw where she was sitting. He glanced down at the books she was reading,
and noticed the book about giants.

Oh, Rubeus, he thought with a smile, are you in for a surprise.

***
“Hey, Rubeus. Wait up!” Myrtle called out.

“What’s up?” he replied, turning around.

Myrtle pulled Rubeus to the side, “I know.”

“Know what?” he asked, looking around nervously.

“About your… family heritage,” she replied.

“About my…oh. How did yeh…”

“I read about it in a book, and you fit the description.”

“Could you please not tell anyone else? I really don’t want anyone else to know," he said, looking somewhat relieved, which confused Myrtle a bit.

“No problem. I really wish, though, that you had told me.”

“Well, given the history of…my kind, I didn’t want to be thought of in that way.”

“I’m a Muggle-born, I wouldn’t have known. But I don’t care about what you are.”

Just then, Tom came from around the corner.

“Hello, Myrtle,” he smiled, and walked towards the Great Hall.

Rubeus scowled at Tom’s back, “What is he saying hello to you for?”

“I don’t know. He has been nice to me the past couple of days, and...well it’s been nice.”

“I’d really like it if you stayed away from him. He gives me the creeps.”

“Why would he do something bad? He’s Head Boy.”

“Yeah, but still. Listen, I have to um…attend to some business. I’ll talk to yeh later,” he said, and walked towards the dungeons.


***

“Miserable, moping, moaning Myrtle. What are you doing here? Do you like me teasing you?” yelled Olive.

“Leave me alone,” Myrtle cried.

“Oh, poor little Myrtle is going to cry now. Tell me, is the reason you have big glasses so you can see big things like that big
freak, Rubeus?”

“HE IS NOT A FREAK!” Myrtle screamed. People were now starting to stare, and Myrtle was getting angry.

“Ahh…so you like the huge freak. When’s the wedding date?” Olive teased.

“Sod off, Olive,” Myrtle replied coldly, and started to walk off.

“Not so fast, Myrtle,” laughed Olive, “Petrificus Totalus!”

Myrtle fell flat on her face. Olive came up to her and took her glasses off. She then put the glasses on and started acting like Myrtle. By this time the
corridor was filled with students.

“Oh, look at me! I’m Myrtle, and I always pick my chin and have huge glasses! I also hang out with freaks like Rubeus,” teased Olive.

“Give them back to me!” cried Myrtle, reaching blindly for her glasses.

“No, I think I might keep them as a souvenir. Maybe I can get some insight into how you’re such a freak,” laughed Olive.

“Accio!” shouted Myrtle, with tears glistening in her eyes. Her glasses came soaring through the air and right into her hand.

“Poor, little Myrtle couldn’t get her glasses back by hand, so she has to use magic. That’s really pathetic,” Olive sneered.

Myrtle let out a cry and ran in the other direction. She could hear the school behind her laughing. She ran into the girls' bathroom and locked herself in a
stall.

At least I can tell Tom tonight, and maybe he will do something about that awful Olive, she thought. Wait a minute, I’m in the girls'
bathroom that he wants to meet me in. I might as well stay here and wait for him.

She continued to sob for what seemed like days when she heard the bathroom door open.

Oh, great. Like I need an audience to hear me cry, she thought.

Then she heard it. A voice that was speaking a different language. It almost sounded like hissing, and she knew for sure it was a boy’s voice. It couldn’t be Tom, she thought. He’s Head Boy, and he wouldn’t come into the girls' bathroom.

“I see we have a visitor. Maybe if we keep talking, we can take care of her,” Tom hissed to the large basilisk in front of him.

“Certainly, master,” the snake hissed.

That is enough, Myrtle thought, I’m going to tell them to go away and leave me alone.

Then Myrtle opened the door and saw yellow eyes staring at her before she hit the floor dead. She didn’t see Tom standing the corner with an evil smile on his face.

My work is done, Tom thought.