The Next Generation Book One: The Ghost of Ackron (Complete) [WATTY AWARDS 2011]

Chapter Eight: The Murder's Plan

Chapter Eight: The Murder's Plan

James walked quickly through the common room, trying to get around all of the people who were tightly wedged into the room. He sprinted up the stairs and reached the door that said First Years.

Once he was inside the room, he walked over to his bed and sat down. What had happened back there? Who was she? Definatly a ghost of some sort... but her name might have helped. Should he call her somehow and ask? Or was that not possible, since he didn't know her name?

James frowned at the ceiling. Now what? He thought. If I can't contact her, I'll have to find her.

But the castle was to large and she could easily move around to rooms he'd already checked, right? What if he just went up to the owlery again? Would she be there?

"Would you," said a faint voice, "Just try and call me? It's pretty simple, considering the fact that I'm a ghost and all."

"What the...?" James looked at the ghost, "You can hear my thoughts?!"

"No," she said quietly, "I can sense when a person within the castle thinks about me."

"Okay. So, what do you need me for, exactly?"

She stopped twirling her hair with her fingers and looked down at her long nails, "I went to Hogwarts all seven years- almost. In my seventh year, I'd decided to go pack because Christmas was nearing and I couldn't go home empty handed now, could I? But the thought slipped from my mind and I fell asleep in the common room. I remember waking up, but not completely. My eyes were still closed, so I never saw who my attacker was. All I know is that I was stabbed to death."

James didn't say anything for a moment. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Wait!" she said, "I'm not finished! As I said, I never saw who my attacker was, all I know is that they were Slytherin, not Gryffindor."

"Okay, but how did a Slytherin get in to our common room?"

"I suspect poly juice potion and a simple matter of pretending to forget the password, making someone tell them."

"Sure," James said. "Do you have an idea of who it was?"

"A boy in my year. It could've been Lucius Malfoy."

James was about to respond when they heard footsteps. "Wait! What's you name?"

"Maylayia!" she called, and then disappeared.

"Who were you talking to?" Trey asked.

James furrowed his eyebrows, "No one."