bioinnovel Chapter 121 Girls' Washroom
Chapter 121 Girls' Washroom
Chapter 121 Girls' Washroom
Belvina sat down in the empty armchair, crossed her legs, and looked out the window.
An abandoned girls' restroom, a weeping Moaning Myrtle, puddles of water, and the petrified Lady Noel Meurice—what could Moaning Myrtle possibly know?
Just as Belvina's thoughts were becoming increasingly chaotic, the cat-shaped guardian spirit returned, accompanied by Bassheda.
"Darling, what are you doing sitting here?" Bassheda asked suspiciously. "Are you pretending to be Mr. Filch? Coincidentally, you also have a cat."
The silver-white cat-shaped guardian glided lightly onto Belvina's shoulder, affectionately nuzzled her cheek, then stepped on Belvina's head and leaped back onto the ceiling, disappearing from sight.
"I've also invited Professor Dumbledore," Belvina said. "I'm planning to give this centenarian a tour of the school's girls' restrooms. How about that, exciting enough?"
Basilda took a half step back and said, "Darling, can you tell me how you—well—came so creative? This idea is absolutely terrible."
"I'm planning to talk to Myrtle and ask her if she has any clues about the attack on Halloween Eve," Belvina said. "But you know, Myrtle is difficult to communicate with and doesn't like people trespassing on her territory."
"So you've come to me to bolster your courage?" Bassheda waved her hands repeatedly. "No, absolutely not. No way. I don't want to deal with Mommy Queen, and I don't want to hear her crying."
Basilda made a gesture of farewell, which was very disloyal. In front of the weeping Myrtle, the ship of their friendship capsized.
"That's Myrtle! I'd rather discuss with Barrow the Blood Man how he got all that blood than take a single step near Myrtle," Bassheda reiterated her firm refusal.
Hogwarts has many ghosts, who are usually very principled and adhere to the line between life and death, but Moaning Myrtle is an exception.
The weeping Granny was always throwing tantrums, making a mess of sewage everywhere, yelling at everyone who entered the washroom, and occasionally peeping at the boys showering in the bathroom.
Seeing that Bassheda was really about to leave, Belvina quickly got up and grabbed Bassheda's sleeve, like a silly girl whose heart had been betrayed by a heartless man.
"Don't go! Don't leave me to face Myrtle alone!" Belvina cried out plaintively. "Don't abandon me."
"You also have Professor Dumbledore, how can you be the same person!" Bassheda still refused, "Listen to me,"
"Leave Myrtle to Professor Dumbledore, and you'd better get out of here too!"
The two were struggling in the dimly lit corridor, one determined to leave, the other refusing to let go.
Just then, Professor Dumbledore arrived, dressed in a flamboyant purple robe, looking like an eggplant come to life.
"What are you two doing here, pretending to be Filch?" Dumbledore said gently. "But Filch isn't as tidy as you two. He's always doing cleaning work and often gets himself all dusty."
“Only Belvina is impersonating Mr. Filch, not me,” Bassheda said. “I don’t want to talk to Myrtle at all; I’ll be too depressed to eat dinner because of her tragic past!”
Myrtle Elizabeth Warren, a Muggle-born witch, was once a student at Ravenclaw.
During her time at Hogwarts, Moaning Myrtle failed to make a single friend and was frequently ridiculed and insulted for her appearance.
"Your friendship is truly enviable," Dumbledore said. "If Myrtle had had such a friendship, she might not have died."
Belvina and Bassheda simultaneously released their grip, ceasing their pulling, and Bassheda no longer seemed to be about to leave.
"Fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets was opened, and a girl died," Dumbledore continued. "That girl was Myrtle, and at that time her name was Myrtle Warren."
Belvina was stunned. She had only wanted to ask if Mommy Herring knew anything, never expecting that Mommy Herring was the girl who died fifty years ago. Orion's diary didn't mention this; he only said that a Mudblood had died.
Bassheda was also unaware of this matter. The complex and obscure ancient runes were already a headache enough for her. She had no interest in playing detective games and had never even considered investigating the cause of Mominger's death.
Death is generally not a pleasant experience, so asking a ghost how it died is somewhat impolite.
"On the last day of her life, Myrtle was mocked by another girl, as usual, who said she looked ridiculous with her glasses on," Dumbledore said quietly. "Myrtle was very sad, and she went to this bathroom all by herself."
"She died here," Belvina said, glancing at the bright red writing on the wall and then at the closed door of the girls' restroom.
"Yes, unfortunately," Dumbledore said. "Professor Dippet sent the girl to look for Myrtle, who had been missing for several hours. She searched many places and finally came into this girls' washroom, where she saw Myrtle's cold, lifeless body."
What a coincidence! The last attack fifty years ago happened to be right next to the first attack fifty years later. The coincidence is so striking that it's hard to believe.
Just minutes before, Belvina was smugly believing she was getting closer to the truth; a few minutes later, she was told that the truth was right in front of her, within reach.
"What a coincidence, the last time fifty years ago and the first time fifty years later are separated by only a wall," Belvina said.
"I should have thought of that earlier."
"I don't think so, Belvina," Dumbledore said gently. "It's not too late to think about it now, and it might even be just the right time. We can definitely prevent an attack that hasn't happened yet."
Basilda frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Professor, didn't anyone ask Myrtle about this fifty years ago?"
Dumbledore remained silent, neither shifting the blame to Professor Deppet, the then-headmaster, nor passing the buck to the Ministry of Magic.
"Shall we go in now?" Belvina asked, no longer dwelling on what had happened fifty years ago. She continued, "Perhaps we can learn more about the secret chamber from Myrtle."
"Will Myrtle tell us? It's not exactly a pleasant experience," Basilda said. "But we should try, just in case!"
Dumbledore didn't speak; instead, he raised his arm in a gesture of invitation.
At Hogwarts, girls can freely enter the boys' dormitories, but boys cannot; they are subject to magical restrictions. Staircases might become slippery topics, and doorknobs might be as hot as red-hot irons.
Belvina stepped forward, grasped the spherical brass doorknob, and pushed the door open with a little force, ignoring the sign on the door that read "Out of order".
Even just standing at the door, you can still feel the gloom and oppressive atmosphere of this washroom. The large mirror is cracked and stained, and the smooth surface of the stone sink has long since peeled away, revealing the roughness inside.
"Welcome, welcome to the women's restroom," Belvina said, feigning nonchalance. "I hope we have a pleasant time with Myrtle."
Stepping into the girls' restroom, all I could see were old, dilapidated wooden doors, their hinges detached and swaying precariously.
It makes eerie "aiga aiga" sounds.
The floor was wet, reflecting the dim light cast by the candle stubs, creating an eerie atmosphere. This girls' restroom was a genuine "haunted house."
Short and plump, Myrtle Warren floated above the innermost cubicle, wearing thick glasses and with long, straight hair. The girl who had mocked her years before—Olive Honbey—had ridiculed her for looking like a four-eyed dog.
Myrtle waved dismissively at Dumbledore; she disliked the elderly headmaster and preferred the young, handsome students.
When Belvina and Bassheda walked in, Myrtle immediately widened her eyes and looked at them warily.
"I just heard someone mention my name," Mommy said in a strange tone, which sounded like a sob or a laugh.
"You must be talking badly about me," Myrtle continued. "Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Crying Myrtle! I'm dead, why won't you leave me alone!"
As Madam Myrtle spoke, she became more and more agitated, her voice growing louder and louder. She suddenly kicked upwards and then plunged headfirst into the toilet in the cubicle, splashing dirty water everywhere.
Belvina and Bassheda looked at each other in silence; the conversation had ended before they were even ready to communicate.