Always There

Chapter 15

Harry and Ron mounted the stairs and emerged. "I know Hermione's mental, but can you believe she falls for that smarmy nonsense of Lockhart's?" Olivia asked the two as she meet up with them.

They stopped and looked down. A great flood of water streaming from the Girls' Bathroom. From within, Myrtle can be heard moaning.

"Looks like Myrtle's flooded the bathroom." As Harry splashed off toward the bathroom, Ron stepped lightly.

"Yuck." Ron and Olivia said at the same time. Huge, wracking moans echoed off the dreary tile. Olivia frowned as she looked around the bathroom.

All the taps were running, streaming like tiny waterfalls. As Harry, Olivia, and Ron stepped to the last cubicle as Myrtle spun accusingly.

"Come to throw something else at me?" She asked and Olivia looked at her with a raised brow.

"Why would I throw something at you?" Olivia asked and Myrtle cried.

"Don't ask me. Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me..." Myrtle cried and Olivia was getting annoyed at her.

"But it can't hurt if someone throws something at you. I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?" Ron joked and Myrtle got angry.

"Oh sure! Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach. Fifty points if it goes through her head!" She cried and Olivia laughed lightly.

"Who threw it at you anyway?" Harry asked as Olivia started to hum a tune. 

"I don't know. I didn't see them. I was just sitting in the U-bend, thinking about death and it fell through the top of my head." Harry saw a small black book on the floor, he picked it up.

"Fifty points if you can get it through her nose." Olivia joked and Ron laughed.

"I HEARD THAT!" She yelled and the three dashed out. Harry examined the book as he, Olivia, and Ron walked.

"This is a diary. And it's old." Harry said as he examined the book.

"It's a diary, it's old... and was most recently in a toilet, Harry." Harry started to open it when Ron and Olivia grabbed his hand.

"Are you mad? That could be cursed. Dad once told me about a book the Ministry confiscated that burned the eyes out of anyone who tried to read it." Ron told him and Olivia pouted.

"I had opened one and it spit poison at me. I was in the hospital for two weeks!" Olivia told her brother and Ron nodded.

"I remember hearing about that. Your dad almost killed the wizard who cursed it." Olivia laughed and smiled at the memory.

"I'll take my chances..." Harry said as he opened the book.

"Ahhh! MY EYES! MY EYES!"  Ron froze in fear, as Olivia laughed when Harry grinned ending the ruse.

At the end of corridor, Ginny stood, looking from the diary to Harry utter terror on her face then dashed off.

"Ginny! I was only joking -- Brilliant. Even your sister thinks I'm the monster now." Harry muttered and Olivia patted his back.

"Who doesn't?" Ron frowns suddenly. On the first page on the diary, embossed letters spell out a name: TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE. "Tom Marvolo Riddle? Hang on. I know that name Of course! The night I had detention. My job was to polish the silver in the trophy room. 

"I remember because I kept burping slugs all over Tom Riddle's trophy. I must have wiped slime off his name for an hour." Harry fanned the pages and they were all empty.