Myrtle's Story

Myrtle's Story

'It was Tom,' I tried to say. But the words just couldn't come out of my mouth. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell her...it wasn't my subconscious holding me back, or whatever. I tried to say it, I really did, but it was like my mouth was forming the words but I had no way of saying them. Then I realised I was... dead.

It wasn't exactly a bad feeling. I discovered I could float up above the ground, walk on air. And I could scare Olive Hornby to her wit's end and she wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.

The only bad thing about being dead at that point was that I was still sort of in between dying and becoming a ghost. I guess that was why I couldn't talk. And another bad thing- knowing that Tom Riddle, the guy I had had a major crush on since, like, forever, was the one responsible for my death. He knew I fancied him, along with practically every other girl at Hogwarts. His amazing good looks- raven black, perfect hair, high cheekbones, a chiselled jaw- gave him a reputation as the school's resident hunk. Every girl fancied him and I was no exception. He was so hot.

I was in the same year at school as him, so I saw his complete change. Although he was a Slytherin, he was a well-mannered and good-natured person, always with a ready smile on his face, never putting anyone down. Now I kind of realise he must have just been covering up a hatred that was growing deeper inside him every day, poisoning him with its evil venom. I noticed the change as the years went by- everyone did. But he was still absolutely gorgeous, so everyone turned a blind eye to his rapidly changing personality.

It was about the second term of our second year that he started to change. He started hanging out with different people, for one thing- before, he had always had time for non-Slytherins, and had lots of friends all from different backgrounds and various houses. But in that second year, in the second term, he started going round with Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson- not Draco, Vincent, Gregory and Pansy, but their ancestors- grandfathers, or great-grandfathers, or something like that. Anyway, these boys had a reputation that was the complete opposite to Tom. They were sallow faced, ugly boys, widely regarded as the people who would keep black magic alive. I never understood what made Tom make friends with them. Knowing his former self, I would guess that he thought he might be able to change them, and put them on the right track, but instead of his personality rubbing off on them, their personalities rubbed off on him. He started using that stupid name- Lord Voldemort, he called himself, but I only knew that because I was the girl who took my crush slightly too far, and followed him, and found out everything I possibly could about him. I knew what he was turning into. I knew what he was planning, and I knew it would involve hurting Muggle-borns. I knew every step of his plan, and he knew I knew. Contrary to popular belief, I was not Muggle-born- I was a pureblood, but Tom had to get rid of me. I knew I should have stopped following him and listening to his conversations. I guess I knew what would happen to me. But somehow, I got a thrill out of the fact that of all the girls who fancied him, I was the one who knew the most about him. And it paid off for a while. Well, not a while, but for about one hour. The best hour of my life, and yet the hour that would certify my death.

We were in Hogsmeade, on the penultimate day of fifth year. I had been listening to his conversation in the Three Broomsticks, as usual, and as usual afterwards he approached me to swear me to secrecy about what I'd just heard. And as usual, even after hearing him plot terrible, evil plans, it made me feel so wonderful to see him walking up to me with a swagger, a confident little smirk on his face.

And although everything seemed to be the same, that day was different. This time, he took my hand, his touch sending a little shiver down my spine, and pulled me to my feet. 'Let's take a walk,' he said, and my knees went weak and I was speechless. I just nodded.

He took me to a little brook, which we could walk along peacefully and not be disturbed. After walking a little way in silence, we came to a part of the brook which had a few large stepping stones. Suddenly he grabbed me. All sorts of thoughts rushed through my head, but the most prominent was, 'He's going to kill me. He knows I know everything and he has to get rid of me.' But he merely lifted me up and carried me to a stepping stone, setting me down on one of the larger ones and then sitting down on another, smaller one. And there, he said simply, 'I am going to tell you everything.' And he did.

He poured out his heart to me. I knew all his plans already, of course, but there on the brook he told me his innermost feelings, anxieties, passions...and for the first time in my life, I felt really special. And when he leaned forward to kiss me, suddenly I was the luckiest girl in the world.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, he pulled back from me and reached into the pocket of his robes. He pulled out his wand, and in that instant I knew he was serious- he was going to kill me. I closed my eyes and braced myself. I knew Avada Kedavra didn't hurt the victim, but I wanted to be ready for death just the same. But then, I heard voices. Loud voices, getting closer. I opened my eyes cautiously and looked round. Tom was hastily stuffing his wand back into the pocket of his robes, and Olive Hornby and her friend Maggie Peterson were strolling towards us. Olive looked at me jealously, her eyes narrowed, then turned to Tom and pasted a sickly-sweet smile on her face. 'Hello, Tom,' she said, her voice dripping with honey. 'And Myrtle,' she added listlessly. She turned her attentions back to Tom. 'Haven't seen you around lately, Tom. Perhaps I could be your partner for the Potions assignment?' She fluttered her lashes at him, still with that disgusting 'smile' on her face. Tom looked at her blankly, then replied rather vacantly, 'Sorry, I'm working with Myrtle.'

I shot Olive one of the venomous looks that she was so famous for. I hoped I seemed calm and collected on the outside, but inside I was jumping up and down in rapture. Tom was mine!!! Yippee!!!

As it was, he killed me the next day. Or at least, he got his snake to kill me the next day. So I never did get to work with him on that Potions assignment. But I made sure Olive didn't get her hands on him.

The weird thing was...this guy had just killed me, and I still fancied him. Part of me still does. That's why I lied to Harry and his friends. I pretended I didn't know anything about Tom, or about how I died, or anything.

The things we do for infatuation, hey?