Hagrid was out walking the grounds. It was Saturday, and it was one of his duties as a Professor at Hogwarts. Harry was walking with him, and they had been talking about things in general. Ron had begged Hermione for more help with Advanced Transfiguration, and they were both in the library, surrounded by a neck-deep pile of books. And Luna got up early that morning and borrowed one of the classrooms for a 'top secret project.' She was quite good at getting Professor Flitwick's permission for just about anything. And today was no exception. But if anyone asked Luna what she was working on, it was always 'top secret,' or else she would just smile and hum to herself. But Harry had wanted to spend at least part of the day with Luna. He was a little ahead in his studies now, and Professor McGonagall had suggested that he take some time off once in a while.
Harry understood Luna rather well now, and her need to be creative. This kind of thing was very important to her, so Harry left her to complete her project. Luna's mother had always loved to experiment, and it seemed Luna had inherited that quality. Harry didn't want to even imagine what her 'top secret project' might possibly be, and rightly guessed that it was probably for him, so he was sure to find out soon enough. "With Luna, ANYTHING is possible," he thought. And his birthday present had been no exception.
Since Luna would be busy for most of the day on her project, Harry decided to take advantage of an opportunity to speak with Hagrid, alone. Hagrid had known Myrtle when she was at Hogwarts, and had even been blamed for Myrtle's death, until Harry succeeded in uncovering the truth. Harry wasn't sure he wanted to bring up such a painful subject again, but Hagrid's insight would be too valuable for him to pass up the opportunity.
"Hagrid," Harry asked. "I've been having a lot of trouble with Moaning Myrtle. I think she's seriously jealous of Luna, and she is really starting to bother me, more than before, even trying to get into my dreams. Did you know her well when she was alive?"
"Myrtle? She was killed by, 'you know who', wern't she?"
"Of a sort, yes. The Basilisk."
"Ah, yeah. Tragic, that was. Poor girl." Hagrid shook his head, looked down, stopped for a moment, then picked up his pace again. "I remember Myrtle. Th' others wouldn' leave her alone, not fer a moment. Kept callin' her ''Mopin' Moanin' Myrtle,'' wouldn' give 'er no chance to get away, 'cept in the upstairs bathroom. I tried talkin' to 'er once, but all she did was cry, 'cause o' me stature and all. And..." Hagrid stopped.
Harry realized what Hagrid was thinking of at the moment. "She was afraid of you?" he asked, trying to steer the subject away from Hagrid's part in that whole unfortunate incident.
"I reckon she was, yeah, consid'rin how she behaved around me and all. She acted like was afraid o' most folk, now that I think of it, and fer no reason most o' the time." Then Hagrid got quieter. "Poor girl had somethin' traumatic happ'n to 'er, ev'n before she came to 'ogwarts. Wouldn' say what. 'Er appearance 'n all, that'd be part of it. It's like she made 'erself look that way, as 'omely as she could. I tried to talk to 'er, even told 'er she was pretty once, but she wouldn' have nothin' to do with the likes of me."
"Nobody ever said what it was that happened to her?"
"Nope. Y' know, it's strange how Myrtle chose that partic'lar bathroom to do her cryin' in, what with the Chamber o' Secrets 'n all. It was almost like 'you know who' planned it." Then Hagrid stopped again, "Or maybe... maybe she went there 'cause she WANTED to die."
Harry wasn't sure what to think at this point. Myrtle had been an emotional basket case from the day she arrived at Hogwarts, and kept hiding out in the same bathroom that had the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in it. And at the moment she died, Myrtle had wanted to get back at the girl who had teased her the most, and so she haunted the girl after her death. Since being dead would give her the advantage, could she have wanted to die to make it easier to get even? And did the presence of Dark Magic from the Chamber of Secrets draw Myrtle to that very place, where she eventually died? Myrtle might actually be psychotic! But that's how Myrtle's behavior had been lately. Harry couldn't think of anything about Myrtle that wasn't disturbing.
"Hagrid do you know of any way to keep a ghost like Myrtle from getting inside my head? The Occlumency that Professor Snape has been teaching me might not be enough."
"That'd be a question for Professor Snape." Hagrid didn't even hesitate in his reply. And he seemed all too glad to divert responsibility from a somewhat painful subject.
So Harry had no choice but to ask Snape about it. Thanking Hagrid for his time, Harry left and went inside Hogwarts Castle. He headed towards Professor Snape's office. The door was open, and Snape was inside, working with some complex potion that appeared to be very important. Harry knocked on the door, but Snape didn't deviate from his work.
"Excuse me, Professor Snape?" Harry asked, cautiously remaining in the doorway.
"What is it, Potter, I'm busy." Snape's voice was unusually cold.
"Is there a way to keep a ghost from invading your dreams?"
"Is that all you need to know, Mr. Potter?"
Harry had no intention of angering Snape any further. He thought he'd try being more polite. "Well, sir, it seems to be related to Occlumency."
Snape turned away from his work, and looked at Harry for a moment. Snape's answer was all too predictable, and not very helpful. "Then you'll just have to do your nightly exercises properly, won't you Mr. Potter?" And Snape quickly went back to his work, nonverbally communicating an obvious "stay away" to Harry.
"That was a lot of help," Harry muttered sarcastically, as he left Snape's office. But for a moment, he thought he heard a noise like the sound of breaking glass, followed by a yell. It came from the direction of Snape's office. And there was now a faint smell, like a sewer. Harry dared not investigate, fearing that Snape would involve him, somehow.
Most of the afternoon Harry spent in the Gryffindor Common Room, listening to other people's conversations, and thinking about recent events. Mostly he thought about Luna. He couldn't help himself. Many members of the unofficial 'Harry Potter Fan Girl Club' tried to engage him in a number of activities, sometimes in groups of two or three, but he thanked them kindly and remained as he was, sitting quietly. He was inexplicably moonstruck over Luna Lovegood, and it was obvious to everyone.
Harry went to dinner a little early, a bit anxious about seeing Luna. "It's the first Saturday I spend relaxing in a long time, and Luna's busy all day," he thought. "I hope her project is worth the wait." He tried not to show it, but Harry was getting a bit of a butterfly sensation. He still had some difficulty dealing with girls, and now Luna was keeping him waiting. Harry knew that she wasn't just playing some manipulative game with him, but it didn't make things any easier. Feelings of anticipation and dread remained. He felt anticipation because he wanted to spend the evening with Luna, and dread because he was afraid of what her 'secret project' might actually be.
When Harry arrived in the Great Hall, Luna was already there, waiting for him. "I have a surprise for you," she said, in a rather inviting manner, almost suggestive. And her voice had a hint of anticipation in it. A fourth year Ravenclaw girl overheard, and quickly whispered to two of her friends. All three began to giggle and gave sly looks at Harry. Luna didn't seem to notice, and began telling Harry about her intended plans for the evening. "It's almost finished, but I'll have to wait to show it to you until later tonight. The sky is supposed to be clear tonight, and that would be perfect. Meet me at the observatory at 9, ok?"
Of course, Harry agreed. He had been waiting for an opportunity to spend time with her all day. And it seemed that Luna could not have picked a better time to show him what her project was. Harry tried asking Luna about her project, but she wouldn't give up any secrets. She'd just smile at Harry and not say anything. "She's keeping me guessing," he thought. And he was right. Luna knew the value of a good surprise.
As soon as they were done with dinner, Luna returned to her dormitory to 'take care of some last minute details' on her project, and Harry returned to the Gryffindor Common Room. He sat by himself for a while, just relaxing, while other Gryffindors passed through on their way to and from dinner. Neville came through once, asking if Harry had seen his 'remembrall' recently. Ron and Hermione passed through a little later, on their way to Hagrid's. Harry stayed in the Common Room, thinking to himself, appearing a bit distant to everyone who passed through.
The weather had been excellent that day, and there would be a new moon tonight, and a cloudless sky. It would be an excellent time for stargazing. But on a clear winter night, it would also be very cold. So very few people would be taking advantage of the opportunity, except for a few romantically inclined couples looking for an excuse to 'keep each other warm.' "I wonder what she has in store for me?" Harry thought. He recalled the birthday present Luna had given him, which Dean thought looked like a large phallus. "I can't even imagine what it might be," he thought. Then Harry realized that he didn't know when Luna's birthday was! "I need to find out!" he told himself, as a wave of desperation overtook him for a moment, and transformed into a feeling of guilt. He cleared his mind a bit, and told himself, "I'll just wait until this evening, and ask then. If I missed her birthday I'll get her something special when we go to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day."
Then Harry thought about what kind of birthday gift he might give to Luna. She wouldn't be embarassed at all if it were expensive, nor would she be unimpressed if it weren't. He pondered for a while, thinking about what to give her, still hoping that her birthday had not already passed by. And he thought about the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade trip, and where they might go. Unlike Cho, Luna wouldn't want to go to Madam Puddifoot's. Perhaps they would spend time at The Three Broomsticks with Hermione and Ron? Harry considered sending Hedwig to ask for reservations, but decided to ask Luna first.
Several members of the unofficial 'Harry Potter fan girl club' took notice of Harry's uncharacteristically distant behavior, and assumed the obvious. They kept the rumor mill running at full capacity, occasionally whispering to each other in front of Harry, and it seemed as though they wanted Harry to overhear what they were saying. Of course Myrtle got wind of everything that was going on. She had been hiding among the rafters, listening in on the girls' conversations. She even passed through the Common Room a couple of times when nobody was looking. At first she just sulked, sobbing quietly. But after a while she grew angry. "How dare that trampy little vixen steal my Harry away!" she thought, crying quietly until people began to notice the smell. Then she moved on, her sobs barely audible within the background of normal activity.
With nothing else planned that evening, Harry decided to clean himself up early. Shaving one's beard by use of a wand was much easier than with a blade, but Harry only needed to shave his scanty facial hair a couple of times per week. Still, he shaved anyway, took an early shower, and put on some of his nicer clothes. He grabbed his best wizard robe, which had been inexplicably cleaned and laid out for him while he was in the shower. "The house-elves are amazing," he thought. "I'll have to thank Dobby personally. I bet it was him." It was now shortly after eight o'clock, so Harry spent a little time going over his notes again, until it was almost nine. Then he walked over to the observatory to meet Luna, arriving a little early. Thankfully, nobody else was there. It would be much better this way. He felt a little cold from a breeze that was coming from across the lake. As expected, there were no clouds, and the stars shone brightly against the dark background of the cold night sky. A meteor streaked across the sky. It was a beautiful night.
Then Luna arrived. She came up the stairs so quietly that Harry didn't notice until he turned around to see if she was coming up, and it made him jump slightly. Harry had only been standing by himself for a few minutes, and had spent most of that looking up at the various constellations. Luna was wearing a very nice mid-calf evening dress, and a full length coat that resembled a regular wizard's robe, but much heavier. In her left hand was a large black bag with something round inside. Harry thought she had overdressed a bit for the occasion. "She looks quite nice," he thought. Harry kept thinking of how he might tell Luna how nice she looked, but kept fumbling over the right words.
But Luna wasted no time, and immediately began telling Harry about her day-long project. "I read about it during one of the lessons on ghosts and werewolves, when we had to turn in papers. It seems that on the night of a full moon, there are many magical creatures affected by the moonlight. It seems that a few of these creatures could actually pose a danger to ghosts, though I never found out exactly what that danger was." Harry looked a little glazed over, like he wasn't following. Did she have some magical creature in the bag? Luna continued, "So I figured that the light of a full moon might help to drive ghosts away."
"But there's no moon tonight," Harry said, nearly interrupting her.
"That's what THIS is for," Luna added. She opened up the bag she was carrying, and pulled out what could only be described as an 'artificial moon.' "I used a special light spell to duplicate moonlight. See?" And she held it up over their heads, and the light looked just like moonlight. "So all you have to do is hang this over your bed, when you're sleeping, and Myrtle should stop bothering you."
"How did you know she was bothering me when I was asleep?" Harry asked. "I never mentioned it to anyone until today, and you've been busy since before I said anything to anyone about it."
"Myrtle told me yesterday. She said that you had been having 'lots of fun in your dreams together.' I think she was trying to make me jealous. She had that look on her face again, like she had that night when I slept in the Room of Requirement." This was the first time that Luna ever gave Harry any hint of what Myrtle had done that night.
"Well, obviously she was lying," Harry replied, hoping to change the subject. He couldn't stand the thought of Myrtle's intrusion into his dreams. Not only did he want to avoid the subject, he wanted to leave no doubt in Luna's mind that Myrtle's attempt at dream invasion had thoroughly disgusted him. "I had hoped my Occlumency lessons with Snape would help me to keep her out of my head, and I think I succeeded last night. I will be spending a lot more time doing the exercises from now on."
"So, she didn't exactly lie about it then, or at least, not from her point of view." Luna's insight on the matter was frighteningly accurate. "I should have expected something like that from her." Harry hoped she wouldn't ask him any detail, and was quite relieved when she seemed to drop the subject, obviously satisfied with her own insight on the matter.
Luna was difficult to surprise about anything, despite the 'surprised look' she always seemed to have. And she always knew a lot more than she let on. That's what Harry liked about Luna most of all. But now he wondered exactly what it was that Myrtle had told her. He dared not ask, but his curiosity still remained. Just how much embarassing detail did Myrtle disclose? Harry didn't even want to think about it. The mental picture of Myrtle discussing her version of the 'intimate details' of their dream encounter was far too embarassing to entertain. Harry wanted to be able to enjoy their time alone, under the clear night sky. And the light from the artificial moon added an element of mystery and intrigue. Harry considered suspending it above their heads for a while with a Levitation Spell.
Harry was about to ask Luna to hold up her artificial moon, so he could levitate it. Suddenly, Myrtle showed up, ruining the moment. She was visibly angry, tears streaming from her eyes, and green vapor blowing from her nostrils. Her face had changed color to a disgusting greenish purple, and huge hairy warts continually popped out at random all over her face and arms. Her eyes bulged out of her head, and her teeth slowly became large and yellow, with hints of tooth decay.
"YOU CAN'T DRIVE ME AWAY WITH THAT THING YOU LITTLE HUSSY!" Myrtle screamed, as loud as a foghorn at close range, green smoke billowing from between her yellowed teeth. The wind from Myrtle's voice blew Luna's hair backwards like a flag in a hurricane, and she nearly lost grip on her artificial moon. Her black bag went flying, landing on the roof of the castle below them. And the stench of a sewer permeated the air around them, and even got into their clothes. Several people on the ground looked up to see what the noise was all about. And the light of the artificial moon fixed their gaze upon the events taking place at the observatory.
Myrtle grabbed the artificial moon and tried to yank it out of Luna's hands, screaming and crying and yelling the most obnoxious of insults at her. But Luna wouldn't let go of the project that she had spent all day working on, and wrapped her arms tightly around it. Luna had made it for Harry, and wasn't about to let Myrtle take it away! Myrtle and Luna continued their tug of war, until Myrtle began lifting Luna into the sky, while Luna gripped the artificial moon tightly to her chest, both arms wrapped around it. She was hanging on for her life.
"I'm going to have Harry all to myself," Myrtle screeched, in a very nasty and cruel way. She began to drag Luna towards the edge of the observatory tower, and Luna hooked her feet around the wall that surrounded the observatory. Harry instinctively grabbed onto Luna's feet, before she cleared the wall.
Harry yelled at Myrtle. "STOP IT, MYRTLE, YOU'LL MAKE HER FALL!" He was looking up, both arms wrapped around Luna's legs. A wind began to whip around the tower, and Luna's skirt was now flapping about. Then suddenly the wind flipped Luna's skirt over Harry's head. He turned bright red, for he could clearly see that Luna wasn't wearing any underwear! The light from the artificial moon was illuminating Luna's body through her clothing. Harry uncontrollably froze up for a second as Luna's skirt flapped around his head. Then he quickly looked at the ground, his face beet red, hoping she hadn't noticed. But the recent vision was now burned into his psyche and was unlikely to ever be forgotten. "What was she THINKING?" he thought to himself, too embarassed at the moment to think of anything else. But he couldn't blame Luna for his own reaction, nor for what Myrtle had done. And Harry thought his nose might have started to bleed a little.
Myrtle kept yanking on the artificial moon, and Harry's feet quickly started to lift off of the ground! Myrtle was lifting both of them up and over the wall that surrounded the observatory. Luna kept her grip on the artificial moon, and Harry kept his grip on Luna, fearing the worst if he dared to let go. Myrtle suspended them in midair above the walkway that led into the Great Hall. It was a very long drop. But if Harry were to let go, Myrtle would surely let Luna fall to her death.
Myrtle didn't even seem to care if Harry died. In fact, she wanted it! "If I let go, my Harry will be with me," she said, in a nasty tone. Then she started screaming directly into Luna's face. "We'll just stay in the Gryffindor tower together, or maybe we'll share the U-bend. And YOU aren't invited!"
Harry would have laughed at Myrtle's unintentional pun, had the situation not been so serious. Myrtle was actually trying to kill them! And they were quickly gaining altitude, more than a hundred feet above the ground. A fall of that distance, onto a hard walkway, would surely have killed them both. A crowd was forming on the walkway below, for it was a spectacular sight. Myrtle was grasping the artificial moon from above, Luna was desperately hugging it from underneath, and Harry was dangling by Luna's legs, trying hard to keep his head out of Luna's skirt. The light from the artificial moon shone brightly, making them visible for at least a mile in every direction. A few people in Hogsmeade had mounted their rooftop telescopes for viewing the night sky, and now they were all trained on Harry and Luna.
But Luna was beginning to lose her grip, for she was much smaller than Harry and now had both of their weight on her arms. It was time to act. Harry let go of Luna with one hand, grabbed his wand, and summoned his broom. "Accio Firebolt," he yelled, and his Firebolt quickly reached him, as it had during the Triwizard Tournament. He released his grip on Luna and grabbed onto his approaching Firebolt with his free hand, and swung onto his broom in a spectacular move that brought cheers from the crowd below. He stuffed his wand into his pocket so he wouldn't accidentally poke Luna's eye out with it, then rose up quickly, before Myrtle realized what had just happened. Years of Quidditch had made him very skilled at handling a broom. He grabbed Luna with his wand hand, swinging Luna onto the broom in front of him, and quickly regained control of the situation. Then Luna let go of her artificial moon, causing Myrtle to fly upwards at an incredible rate, still holding onto Luna's project. Completely frustrated, Myrtle let the artificial moon drop to the ground. It nearly hit one of the onlookers when it fell, shattering into an indeterminable number of pieces on impact with the ground. The moonlight quickly faded. Only the light from the stars and from Hogwarts Castle could be seen in the clear night sky.
"Luna, are you ok?" Harry asked?
"I'm fine, thanks," she replied, a bit out of breath. "But my moon-orb didn't work."
Now that the confusion was over, Harry suddenly realized that he had been holding one of Luna's breasts in his hand. He VERY quickly shifted its position, hoping that Luna hadn't noticed. There was really no worry, for Luna was busy thinking about her artificial moon (and wouldn't have minded anyway). She wasn't unhappy about the loss of her project, nor about her 'near-death experience' with Harry. The fact that the artificial moon didn't work was bothering her. She had spent the entire day making it, only to discover that her efforts had been wasted. She regretted not spending the afternoon with Harry, but tried not to show it.
"The moon-orb must not have been enough. I guess moonlight alone isn't enough to drive Myrtle away. I'm sorry, Harry, I think I just made things worse for you." Luna didn't seem to be at all shaken by Myrtle's attempt to kill her. Quite disappointed, she leaned back against Harry and sighed. Then she gently wrapped both of her hands around his, as they slowly flew away from the castle.
"It was a very nice moon-orb. I'm sure it would have worked, if Myrtle hadn't broken it. And I know how hard you worked on it. I really did like it. Thanks for trying." Harry didn't want Luna to feel like she'd wasted her time working on it. It was a very impressive project, after all.
Still flying slowly, Harry dropped his altitude and made a made a low, slow pass through the Quidditch Pitch. Luna quietly sat on the broom in front of him, intentionally leaning her body against his. She occasionally turned her head to look at him, smiling. They both felt very comfortable riding Harry's broom on a nice evening like this one. Luna's eyes were a bit wider than usual, and she had a permanent smile engraved on her face. Harry kept a tight grip on Luna, even though he really didn't need to. They circled once around the inside perimeter of the stands that surrounded the Quidditch Pitch, just above level of the goal rings.
"I miss Quidditch, terribly," Harry said. "It was the best thing I was ever able to do at Hogwarts." He paused for a moment. Realizing what he had just said, he added, "But this is nice, too. Maybe even better."
Luna was being characteristically dreamy as they left the Quidditch Pitch, and flew back towards the castle, still flying slowly. "A rose, by another name..." she said, softly. She looked up at Harry again, still smiling from ear to ear. Harry actually understood what she meant. He had already grown accustomed to Luna's poetic nature and her frequent use of cryptic metaphors.
Myrtle kept a close watch on Harry and Luna as they flew away from the castle and towards the Quidditch Pitch. She saw how Luna was snuggling up to Harry, and how he responded. They were obviously taking their sweet time getting back! As they left the Quidditch Pitch, she quietly flew up behind them. Myrtle began tailing them so that she could see and hear everything that was going on. And now her anger became an inferno! Myrtle suddenly flew above them, then came down hard, aiming directly at Luna like a bludger. But in her zeal she knocked both Harry and Luna off of the broom. If Harry hadn't been flying just a few feet from the ground, they might have been seriously injured. Instead, Harry landed on a soft patch of grass, and then Luna landed right on top of him, causing Harry to nearly lose bladder control. But they were both ok, even though the wind was knocked out of them a bit. Harry was used to that sort of thing from Quidditch practice in his previous years at Hogwarts. And his Firebolt obediently fell to his side, bouncing only once. It was undamaged. Unlike his Nimbus, the Firebolt would always stay with the rider if he ever fell off. There was no danger of his broom getting caught in the Womping Willow, like before.
Laying on the grass was almost as nice as flying. Harry kept both arms around Luna for a moment, catching his breath. Then they started laughing, while Myrtle floated above them and scowled. Luna rolled off of Harry and onto the grass. Then she suddenly jumped on top of him, knocking the wind out of Harry's lungs a second time. Luna's face was now an inch from his, as she supported herself by her elbows and Harry's chest. And Luna's hair formed a tent around Harry's face. He stared up at Luna's huge grin, unable to see anything else. Myrtle fumed, and smoke repeatedly blew from her nostrils.
Harry and Luna stayed on the grass for nearly a minute, just looking into each other's eyes in the dim evening light, until they could see a small crowd of people walking towards them. So they got up and walked back towards the castle. Harry held his broom over his shoulder with one hand and held Luna's hand in the other. Harry thought that they might retrieve Luna's black bag later. It would give them another excuse for taking a broom ride after breakfast.
Now Myrtle was absolutely furious. She bolted towards Harry and Luna, overtaking them, and barring their way. Myrtle stood there for a moment, visibly forming words with her mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say. So she just screamed, a long, loud wail. A few nearby students held their ears, and several others started laughing, for Luna's hair was streaming behind her head again. Then Myrtle saw them laughing at her, and a few new names like 'Madcap Myrtle' and 'Maleficent Myrtle' were overheard from the crowd. She angrily darted away from Hogwarts Castle towards the Forbidden Forest, screaming and crying the entire way.
"Poor Myrtle," Harry said. He felt a little sorry for her, though happy to see her gone.
"She really was trying to kill us, though," Luna observed.
"And not doing a very good job of it, thankfully," added Harry. Neither of them needed to mention the obvious fact that Myrtle had once again accomplished the opposite of what she had set out to do. She had brought Harry and Luna closer together than they had been before.
For a while they walked in silence, until they stood by the gate that led into the Great Hall. "Luna," Harry asked, "where did you get your name from?" He had imagined that she may have had a distant relative with that name, and the 'moon-orb' had prompted him to think of her name. After all, 'Luna' was an unusual name, even in the wizarding world. But it fit her perfectly.
"My mother and father liked to spend time together in the light of the full moon. So when I was born, they named me 'Luna' because I reminded them of their wonderful times together. That's what my father told me once, a long time ago, after my mother had died. It was a nice story, so I remembered it."
"When is your birthday, anyway?" Harry finally remembered to ask her! He considered himself lucky that Luna had already steered the conversation that way.
"Why, does it matter?" she evaded, with a hint of a smile.
"I didn't want to miss out giving you a birthday present. I keep yours next to my bed."
"I don't expect it would fit anywhere else." Luna had effectively evaded the question.
They both laughed, and Harry forgot to find out when Luna's birthday was. But Harry had already missed it, and Luna didn't want him to feel guilty about it. She would wait to tell him on Valentine's day. Luna had already made plans for them, and was only waiting for Harry to finally ask her. But she was happy to wait for as long as necessary. So they entered the castle, forgetting that both of them now smelled a little like a sewer. But a few of the students made faces and one of them held his nose as they walked by.
Eventually Myrtle returned to the attic of Gryffindor Tower, angry and wanting revenge. But Myrtle wanted Harry too. Myrtle had tried to kill Harry so that Harry would always be with Myrtle, but now Harry was angry with Myrtle. Myrtle was all alone, now. Myrtle sulked. Poor Myrtle. Her pitiful wails kept several students awake for most of the night, prompting a few of them to don the same kind of earmuffs that were often used when handling Mandrakes.