It was another quiet Friday evening. Harry had finished his reading assignments, and was taking a well-deserved break from his studies. There was a paper due on Monday, but he could easily finish it in a few hours. Harry's performance had begun to slip again from overwork, and Professor McGonagall once again insisted that Harry make some time for himself. Luna had invited Harry to walk with her in the courtyard, an appropriate name for a place where other young couples like to spend their Friday evenings. The weather was slightly warm, and it was nearly Spring now. And they had eaten a quick dinner so that they could watch the sun set.
Hogwarts was supposed to be a highly disciplined learning environment, absolutely necessary for studying magic. Managing a school filled with hormonally challenged rabbits would have been impossible, so the rules of propriety kept the students' romantic activities within reasonable limits. The Hogwarts professors wanted to spend time teaching magic, not dealing with the aftermath of social interactions and students' feelings towards one another. The usual daytime dramas that upper class students typically went through would have to be dealt with on their own time, and outside of Hogwarts. This wasn't a Muggle school, after all. The recent troubles with Myrtle had resulted in some unusual shifts in the students' behavior, causing the professors to become unusually strict.
Harry and Luna walked along a path near the cliffs, where the setting sunlight reflected in interesting ways off of the lake. Ron and Hermione joined them for a bit, until the sun dropped below the horizon. The four of them were often seen together nowadays. They had joined up as a 'foursome' at The Three Broomsticks on Valentine's Day, and spent a good portion of that afternoon touring Hogsmeade together.
During lunch at The Three Broomsticks, Luna finally 'let the information out' about her birthday. Harry had been the first student at Hogwarts to ask Luna about her birthday. It was no great secret, but her birthday had just passed, and Luna didn't want to create any unnecessary tension over it. So she skillfully evaded the question. And during lunch on Valentine's day she casually mentioned it as if it were some kind of 'interesting fact.' After all, Luna's birthday was astrologically opposed to Harry's birthday, to the very day. It was something that Luna found intriguing. Professor Trelawney had recently been going over the use of astrological birth charts in Luna's Diviniation class, and had taken the time to privately point this fact out to Luna, predicting the usual doom if she spent any more time with Harry Potter.
Luna wasn't big a fan of Divination class, though she usually managed to avoid any unnecessary attention from Professor Trelawney. But the astrological position of their birthdays intrigued Luna enough that she did a little digging, and found some interesting facts. Luna gave the appearance of being rather detached about this 'matter of fact,' and never gave anyone any impression to the contrary. But Harry was pretty sure that there was more to it than Luna had let on. Luna was evading something again. Ron joked that Professor Trelawney considered everything a 'bad omen,' and they all had a laugh over it. Still, Luna knew exactly what it meant. It meant that she was Harry's 'compliment.'
After learning about Luna's birthday, Harry bought her a special 'belated birthday present,' a gold chain with a magical heart-shaped locket on it. Luna had seen it in the window of a magical jewelry shop and had stopped to gaze at it for a moment. It was one of those ''typical Valentine's Day gifts'' that so many other wizards would give to their 'significant other' at some point. And it had a special significance that Harry didn't know about, but of course Luna knew. It let the wearer re-live a special moment.
Luna was wearing her birthday present again tonight, as they toured the castle grounds in the twilight of the setting sun. Whenever she wore it, the locket would store up her feelings and the memory of her experiences. So she chose those times that she spent with Harry to be stored in the locket.
When it began to grow too dark to see properly, Ron and Hermione returned to the castle, leaving Harry and Luna by themselves again. They continued their slow pace, heading away from the castle. The nearly full moon soon began rise in the eastern sky over the height of the forbidden forest, casting eerie patterns of light over the lake. Harry recalled Luna's story about how she got her name. "It IS nice to be together like this, under the moonlight," he said.
"You would get along great with my father," Luna replied. Of all the things that Luna could say! Why would she say something like this? Harry knew all too well about the cryptic meaning that was so often behind Luna's words, and suddenly dreaded the list of implications that were entering his mind. And she had meant it exactly the way Harry had most feared. His obvious reaction let Luna know that the message had clearly been delivered.
A cool wind started blowing across the lake, and Luna began to shiver slightly. Harry began to look around for a place that would be somewhat sheltered from the wind. Then Myrtle showed up.
Myrtle wasn't angry anymore, having learned her lesson when Professor Dumbledore's had persuaded her to behave herself, for she feared the business end of his wand, and it was pointed in her direction. Professor Dumbledore had been one of Myrtle's favorite instructors at Hogwarts, but had also been involved in the Ministry's last dealings with Myrtle. He could be stern, as well as understanding. And Myrtle's memory of prior events had shaken her back to sanity. She immediately ran back to familiar ground, spending quite a bit of time sulking in the U-bend. Now, nearly a month and a half later, Myrtle had come out to meet with Harry on the grounds.
Myrtle had been working up the courage to apologize for days. With her head and eyes lowered, Myrtle quietly floated over to Harry. "I'm so sorry for the problems I caused for you, Harry," Myrtle said. She still wasn't openly acknowledging Luna's presence, but this was a lot better than before.
"It's ok, Myrtle." Harry tried not to make a big deal out of it. "We can still be friends, like before." Myrtle didn't say anything, so Harry and Luna kept walking. Myrtle quietly followed them for a bit.
"Can I just stay with you for a while?" Myrtle asked. She looked up at Harry now, and had a hungry look on her face. It was as if she wanted something desperately but knew she couldn't have it, or didn't know how to ask for it.
Harry didn't want to make the situation any worse with Myrtle. He looked over at Luna, who seemed to indicate that she didn't mind. So Harry agreed. Spring hadn't quite arrived yet, but the flowers and leaf buds were already starting to appear, and there was no snow on the ground. The moonlight reflecting off of the lake cast unusual shadows on everything around them. Myrtle quietly floated along behind Harry and Luna.
"I always dreamed I could walk in the courtyard with someone," Myrtle said. "It seems so romantic, walking in the moonlight."
"Maybe you can, Myrtle. Is there another ghost here at Hogwarts you'd like to spend time with?" Harry was hoping he might encourage Myrtle to find another love interest.
"Oh, no," Myrtle said, rather embarassed by the idea. "I couldn't do that." Then she started giggling.
Harry and Luna resumed their slow pace, holding hands. Luna walked as close as she could to Harry, in an attempt to stay warm, letting his body shield her from the cold wind from the lake. They tried their best not to look like they were ignoring Myrtle, not wanting to provoke any kind of outburst. Myrtle quietly followed behind them. But nobody else seemed to notice that Myrtle was there. Only Harry and Luna could really see her at the moment. The fading light, along with Myrtle's intent, kept Myrtle invisible from everyone else. They came to an outcropping of stones that provided a nice viewpoint over the lake, and a shelter from the wind. Harry and Luna sat down on one of the larger, flatter stones. Now they had an excellent view of the lake, and Luna snuggled up to Harry a bit to keep warm.
Professor McGonagall had always believed that a little relaxation would help your mind to better digest the material you were learning in school. And she had insisted that Harry take more time off to relax. Luna's affect on Harry was obvious. His attitude was improving along with his performance in class, and the sense of urgency that had plagued him all year was gone. Professor McGonagall didn't need to point it out to him, that without Quidditch as a helpful distraction, Harry had been slowly turning into a workaholic. Now Luna was giving Harry the kind of helpful distraction that he needed to keep him balanced, without tipping the scales too far the other way. She truly was Harry's compliment, a balancing force that made him stronger.
Mer-people had surfaced and were singing an unusual song. A unicorn was taking a drink from the edge of the lake, having ventured there from the Forbidden Forest. They could hear Grawp making noise in the distance. He stood up above the trees at one point, and the moonlight shone behind him and made him visible for miles around. Then he broke a few of the trees and went back to whatever he was doing before. Luna nudged up a little closer to Harry, no longer just trying to keep warm. But it made a nice excuse, if anyone asked.
Myrtle sat down behind Harry and Luna, far enough away that her presence was nearly forgotten, but close enough that she could easily sense their emotions. She was contemplating her next move, unsure how to go about it. She didn't want to upset Harry, and was willing to at least tolerate Luna. Myrtle began to think of ways in which she might wedge herself between them somehow, both literally and figuratively. If they were going to be together, it would have to be a threesome, at least for now. But Harry and Luna were sitting so close! Myrtle missed being alive, more than a little envious of the couples out walking in the light of the rising moon. She still hadn't gotten over her infatuation with Harry. And she was desperate for the kind of love that Harry and Luna so obviously had for one another. Myrtle's death came at the worst possible age, and like an abused child she had never really 'grown up.' She slowly floated towards Harry, thinking about how much she wanted to be Luna right now.
Without any warning, Malfoy showed up. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind him. Malfoy began by uttering his usual obnoxious commentary. "Look, it's 'the Pottys!' Did you bring your pet ghost with you this time, Potty?" They couldn't see that Myrtle was standing next to them in the shadow of a nearby tree, nor could they see how angry she appeared at the moment.
Myrtle jumped directly between Harry and Malfoy. Malfoy jumped back, looking a bit shocked. An uncomfortable silence passed. "What do YOU want?" Malfoy said, with an unusually arrogant tone. It made Harry realize that there must have been some past dealings between them.
"I want you to leave us alone, Draco," Myrtle said. She didn't even sound angry. She just said it.
"What do you mean, 'us?'" Draco inquired, with a snyde look on his face. "Is there some threesome thing you're all into now?" Crabbe and Goyle started laughing. They obviously thought this was quite funny. Draco turned and cupped his hand to his mouth, yelling "Hey, look, it's Potty and his two looney lovers!" A few students looked in their general direction for a moment. "You know something Potty? I just can't figure out how you can, you know, DO it with a ghost. Why don't you take a picture for us next time?" Crabbe and Goyle were now laughing hysterically.
Harry had mostly kept his back towards Malfoy, but now turned and looked straight into Malfoy's face. "You don't know when to quit, do you Malfoy?"
"You don't know when to speak, do you Potty?" Malfoy thought he had the upper hand at the moment, and there were three of them, and only one Harry Potter. Malfoy didn't believe that Luna was worth being concerned about, even though she was a member of the DA, and had once faced his father and the other Death Eaters. Like so many others, he believed she was just 'looney' and therefore an unworthy opponent. Both Crabbe and Goyle already had their wands out, though they tried to hide that fact by keeping their hands cupped behind their legs. Draco could quickly reach his own wand at any time, like a kind of 'quick draw' contest between gunfighters. Harry was still sitting with his back turned, not a good position for attacking or defending with a wand. It would be easy to take Harry Potter this time! Or, so he thought.
Obvious that Malfoy wasn't going to go away any time soon, Harry began reaching for his wand. He was more than confident that he could manage to jynx the three of them without even speaking a word. Dumbledore's wand work against Voldemort had impressed Harry so much that he had been studying 'wordless magic' on his own time. "Their next spell will backfire right in their faces," he thought. But Luna had already pressed her body against Harry, covering his wand like before. She had done this so carefully that Harry didn't even notice until his hand touched her shoulder. To Malfoy and the others, it looked a bit like she was trying to take cover behind Harry, as if she were afraid. But Harry clearly understood her message.
"This will be fun," Malfoy thought. He still wanted to get even for Harry's role in sending his father to Azkaban. He poised himself with his open hand to one side like a gunfighter, imagining his glorious victory.
But Myrtle wasn't going to allow Malfoy to stand there and say such things about her Harry! Her color suddenly changed to the familiar greenish purple. Her head and body swelled, her teeth grew even larger than before, and greenish smoke rhythmically blasted from between her teeth and out of her nostrils. She charged at Malfoy like a raging bull. Malfoy jumped back as Myrtle rushed him, obviously scared out of his wits. He nearly fell backwards over Crabbe and Goyle, who couldn't back up fast enough to get out of Malfoy's way. Smoke and stench blasted forth as Myrtle rushed towards them. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle turned and ran like frightened squirrels towards the castle, smelling a bit worse than Myrtle's characteristic sewer-smell. They had apparently created a smell of their own.
This time it was Harry and Luna's turn to laugh, and they did so, rather loudly. Luna hung onto her stomach, and fell onto her back at one point. Harry thought she might be concealing something in her hand. "That was excellent, Myrtle. Thanks!" said Harry, honestly complimenting her. Myrtle returned to her normal self, a bit surprised at Harry's reaction.
"Did you really like that?" Myrtle asked. She became quite pleased with herself, forgetting everything that she had been thinking about earlier. Harry was happy with her now! And that made Myrtle happy. Myrtle soon forgot about her other plans. Making Harry happy was better than all of them.
"You gave those 3 bullies a taste of their own potion," Luna remarked, "and rather brilliantly. Nice form!"
Myrtle's attitude towards Luna changed that day. Seeing Harry happy made Myrtle happy. From now on, she would only do things that made Harry happy. Myrtle smiled, hummed to herself, and returned to the castle, quite pleased with how things had turned out.
"Luna, how did you know?" Harry asked, after a prolonged silence. Harry saw Luna put something into a hidden pocket in her wizard's robe, and correctly guessed what it was.
"I had a feeling, that's all," Luna replied. "Ravenclaw isn't known for fighting skills like Gryffindor, but makes up for it with knowledge and intuition. I know you could have easily dealt with Draco Malfoy and the others, and they would have been very sorry for it. Even all three of them together are no match for you, especially from all of the studying and practicing you do." Her opinion of Harry's ability was obviously very high. "Like all bullies, Draco and the others are nothing more than cowards. Myrtle knew, and proved it the best way she knew how."
Just how much had Luna known beforehand? Harry marveled at Luna's keen insight and ability to remain cool in difficult situations. Because of Luna, everything had worked out quite well. Luna had somehow 'saved the day.' It was certain that Harry and Luna hadn't seen the last of Draco Malfoy and his entourage. But after witnessing that last scene, it didn't matter any more. And for some unknown reason, Luna had brought her miniature camera with her that evening, and had put it to good use.
"Angry Ghost Chases Death Eaters' Sons," read the headline in the following issue of 'The Quibbler.' It became one of the more popular issues among Hogwarts students. Along with the photograph was an article about Moaning Myrtle and how she died, and how the Dark Lord, aka Tom Riddle, had been involved. The article also mentioned Harry's involvement with the Chamber of Secrets, and the clearing of Hagrid's name. It ended with Myrtle finally leaving the U-bend and dealing with curcumstances surrounding her death. Myrtle's surviving family members even received a number of sympathetic letters, for the article revealed Myrtle's real name. And Myrtle had really been a member of Slytherin, not Ravenclaw, like everyone had once thought. And the article made it sound as though she were chasing the sons of Death Eaters as a way of avenging her death, for Myrtle never liked Draco Malfoy or any of the other Slytherins whose parents were Death Eaters. And there was never any doubt about who wrote the article, for Luna's name was in the byline.
Harry's unofficial Hogwarts 'fan girl club' kept following him as before, only now they were getting a bit voyeurish. For some reason, a rumor began to circulate that Harry and Luna were engaged to be married. It gave Harry's 'fan girl club' something to swoon over whenever he and Luna were seen expressing any kind of romantic familiarity towards one another. They even spent some of their time in Hogsmeade at the Hog's Head with their hoods up, to avoid being seen. And Harry was never sure who might have started that rumor. He suspected that it was Luna. Was it her way of 'dropping a hint' on him? But at least the worst of the gossip and the malicious pranks had finally stopped. Anything else would simply be 'normal.'
Harry and Luna often teamed up with Ron and Hermione, and they adopted the name 'Junior Marauders' and gained a reputation worthy of the original four. At Snape's insistence, Draco Malfoy left them alone, particularly after Malfoy had spent half a day in the Hospital Wing being cured of no less than a dozen different curses. Several DA members saw him trying to curse the 'Junior Marauders' behind their backs, and had taken the opportunity to test their new skills in a rapid-fire demonstration. Before Malfoy knew what hit him, he was coughing up slugs, breaking out in boils, growing hair all over his face, shaking uncontrollably, and his eyelids were swollen shut from a triple-dose of conjunctivitis. Of course, none of the other students had 'seen anything' and so there was no blame, and only Professor Snape was in any way upset by it. And Myrtle had been seen floating around the area, apparently pleased with herself for some reason.
Luna became very familiar with the Marauder's map, occasionally keeping it in her posession for days at a time. Harry could never say no to her, so Luna would often take advantage of him, borrowing his things or taking him on side trips around the castle. The Marauder's Map's ability to hide itself intrigued Luna very much. She often studied it, trying to discover its secrets, and more than once attempted to create something like it on her own. On one occasion, Luna managed to borrow Harry's invisibility cloak while Harry was studying for his end of term exams. She was supposed to be studying for her N.E.W.T.s. Instead, she carefully ran some extendible ears from the Main Entry Hall into the Slytherin Common Room. They provided excellent entertainment for a number of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students until Professor Snape found them and had them removed. Harry didn't ask where she had gotten them, either.
Malfoy never lived down having his photograph in 'The Quibbler,' and now hated Luna Lovegood as much as he hated Harry Potter. At that time Myrtle had taken an extra special 'liking' to Draco Malfoy, frequently exploding the toilet beneath him, or raining some foul-smelling liquid on his head when he was taking a shower. Malfoy's remaining time at Hogwarts would be regularly plagued with this sort of thing unless he apologized and stopped harassing Harry. Myrtle often went into the prefect's bathroom, forcing Malfoy to use the bathroom in the Slytherin dormitory to avoid her. But Crabbe and Goyle often received the same kind of 'special attention' as Malfoy did, so the Slytherin dormitory bathroom was no safer for Malfoy. When Peeves had misbehaved while Umbridge ran Hogwarts, the professors had a tendency to overlook it. Now they overlooked Myrtle's misbehavior when it came to Draco Malfoy and his goon squad.
Malfoy had annoyed Snape to the point where Snape would no longer stand up for him. Crabbe and Goyle were already on academic probation, and would get kicked out of Hogwarts after their sixth year if they didn't shape up. Snape simply told Malfoy that he would have to learn how to deal with Myrtle on his own. Malfoy would have to stop relying on other people to do his 'dirty work' for him. It was Professor Snape's opinion that Malfoy had exhibited the worst qualities of Slytherin, while Myrtle had exhibited the best. And Myrtle wasn't really doing anything worse than Peeves at the moment, so there was no need for Snape (or anyone else) to get involved. Nor did Myrtle need another counseling session from Professor McGonagall. Professor Snape had grown to like Myrtle's style, her way of remaining hidden in the shadows, and manipulating things in her own favor.
It seemed to everyone that Myrtle had finally gotten over the trauma surrounding her death. She stopped her endless sulking and even spent some time with the other ghosts. A new rumor said that Myrtle and Peeves had often been seen together, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was an unlikely match to be sure. Peeves had never been alive, so he wasn't really a ghost. But both Peeves and Myrtle enjoyed annoying Malfoy together, so they formed an interesting partnership that kept them together more often than not.
Everything at Hogwarts was finally returning to normal, the continuing war against the Death Eaters notwithstanding. The end of the term soon came, and Harry and Luna promised to write frequently and meet at The Burrow as soon as Harry could get away from the Dursleys. Harry's seventeenth birthday was approaching, and he would be able to get his Apparition license, and do magic unsupervised. He and Luna would spend a lot of time together this summer! And the Dursleys might even have to entertain some 'special guests' until Harry could finally move into the house on Grimmauld Place.
But Myrtle would still be waiting for Harry, hiding among the rafters at Hogwarts, listening inside the walls, standing behind closed doors. She had not entirely given up on him. She would continue patrolling the Gryffindor tower, watching, waiting, hoping that her Harry might someday change his mind. And there was still plenty of room for both of them in the U-bend, which she still considered to be her home. She would always remain at Hogwarts, and wait for Harry.