Hogwarts Study Panel.

Chapter 299 299: Innocent

The girls' washroom on the second floor.

This is a dark and gloomy place.

Beneath a large, stained, and cracked mirror was a row of stone pools with peeling surfaces. The floor was damp, and a few candle stubs burned dimly on their holders, casting a sinister glow on the floor.

The paint on the wooden doors of each individual room was peeling off and covered with scratches; the hinges of one door had come loose, and it hung there swaying precariously.

The curfew has ended, and the place is deserted.

There were only two strange sounds.

"Someone's coming! Oh dear, you're about to be discovered. Once you're discovered, he'll definitely start gossiping about you."

Sheen knew it was Peeves' voice, and soon he saw a ghost cautiously peek out.

She was a short, plump girl. Her face was melancholy and gloomy, half of which was hidden by her straight, long hair and thick, pearl-colored glasses.

After peeking out, she shrank back like a startled ostrich.

Sheen heard Peeves say slyly:

"He saw you! Oh dear, I bet he's talking about you! Remember what they were saying?"

"Are you talking about me?"

Myrtle popped out and sniffed.

"No..."

Sheen's words were quickly interrupted.

Don't lie to me.

"I can't breathe," Mom said, tears streaming down her face. Behind her, Mischief chuckled merrily.

"Do you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Queen Myrtle! Ugly Queen Myrtle! Poor, weeping, sullen Queen Myrtle!"

"You forgot to mention 'a face full of acne'."

Pipi Ghost whispered in her ear.

Suddenly, the weeping Princess Myrtle began to sob sadly.

Mischievous Ghost threw small stones at her and shouted:

"My face is covered in acne! My face is covered in acne!"

Things changed quickly; when Sheen quietly watched Peeves, Peeves' annoying face froze.

"Oh my god—how could it be you—"

Mischievous Ghost fled like a shot, shouting as he ran:

"My lord, I didn't see it."

The washroom finally quieted down.

Only the weeping Myrtle floated in the toilet tank.

Sheen didn't speak, but waited quietly.

The weeping Myrtle was the first student at Hogwarts to be killed by Tom.

She suffered many unfair treatments during her life, and she did not find peace even in death.

"The mischievous ghost won't be coming back."

"When Myrtle has calmed down," Sheehan said.

"Maybe, maybe it would be best... But this is a girls' restroom, and you're not a girl."

Myrtle looked at Sheen with a suspicious gaze, her eyes trembling with sobs.

"I'm here to ask you some questions. How did you die?"

Sheehan said he knew this question would make Myrtle happier.

Myrtle's entire demeanor changed instantly.

It seems that no one has ever asked her such an honorable question.

"Oh dear, that's terrible!"

She said with great relish,

"That's where it happened. I died in this single room, I remember it very clearly. At the time, Oliver Humbell mocked me for wearing glasses and looking like a four-eyed dog, so I came here to hide."

I locked the door and cried inside when I suddenly heard someone come in. They were speaking a funny language; I figured it must be another language. But what annoyed me most was hearing a boy's voice, so I opened the door, yelled at him to go to his own boys' restroom, and then—"

Myrtle puffed out her chest, radiant with pride.

"I'm going to die."

The washroom fell silent for a while.

At the end of September, a light drizzle fell from the gloomy sky. The rain was not heavy enough to make the windows rattle, but it was not light either, enough to soak the entire sleeping castle.

"Who is the murderer?"

Sheen asked.

"have no idea,"

Myrtle lowered her voice mysteriously and said...

"I only remember seeing a pair of terrifyingly large yellow eyes. My whole body felt like it was being grabbed, and then I floated away..."

She stared at Sheen, her expression dazed.

"Then I came back, you know, I was determined to settle scores with Oliver Humbell. Oh, she used to make fun of me for wearing glasses."

"She was probably startled?"

Sheen asked.

"Of course! Of course! You have no idea what her expression was like when she saw me. She was so regretful... So, so, I let her go."

Myrtle's mood grew increasingly cheerful.

"I know you've come with a purpose; nobody wants to listen to a whining, sullen ghost. But what you said makes me happy. Go ahead and tell me; if you have any questions, I'll answer them."

Sheen fell silent again.

Teacher Ma is right; the innocent are always the first to be harmed, and this has been the case for thousands of years.

"Would you be happier if the murderer were found and punished?"

Sheen asked.

"What's the problem—ah, ah—but all I can do is cry. My life here has no joy, only sorrow. Now I'm dead, and people still haven't let me go."

I just hope people won't talk about me behind my back. I have feelings too, you know, even though I'm dead.

"It's heartbreaking," Mommy said.

"I'll help."

Sheen said.

"Oh dear, oh dear, I've rarely seen someone like you. But you can't help me, but I'll tell you a secret—a person's mouth can't be shut!"

Myrtle was quite proud.

"Oh, by the way, what's your name?"

She asked.

"Sheen Green".

Sheen said softly.

"Ah—you're that Sheehan Green! Good heavens!"

Myrtle covered her mouth.

"What?"

Sheen didn't quite understand.

"You're quite famous, throughout the entire castle: the house-elves call you a knight; the paintings praise you to the skies; and I know many witches talk about you—in a good way..."

Myrtle spoke at once, and she seemed a little shy.

"I'd be happy to tell you that someone like you... if you're looking for those eyes, they're pretty much right there."

"Myrtle said, pointing vaguely to the pool in front of her."

Sheen went over to investigate. The pool looked ordinary, but when Sheen lowered his head slightly, he saw it:

On the side of a bronze dragon head, a small snake is engraved.

Sheen knew he had found the entrance.

Next, all he needed to do was find Harry. Unfortunately, at this point, Harry didn't seem to have realized that he was a Parseltongue.

It wasn't until Harry discovered he had Parseltongue that Headmaster Dumbledore first began to suspect that Harry was a Horcrux.

(End of this chapter)