Cho Chang and Myrtle Warren

The Ravenclaw common room is in one of the castle's towers and is wide and circular. You have to climb a tight spiral staircase to get there. It has graceful arched windows, and the walls are hung with blue and bronze silks.

The domed ceiling is painted with the night sky, which is echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. Tables, chairs, and bookcases cover the expanse of the floor, and a white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sits next to the door that leads to the dormitories above. To enter, a logical riddle given by a bronze eagle-shaped knocker must be answered.

It was late into the evening and everyone had long gone to bed. Though Cotton sat in the common room across from the Grey Lady, the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw, as she watched with interested eyes. Cotton's comprehension and memory were well beyond anyone else's thanks to the Bodhi seed he once ate and the Bodhi necklace he kept wrapped around his right forearm.

Cotton peeled through the Ravenclaw library like no one's business. He reasoned that the school library should be off-limits until a student had finished their house library. If not, how could a student milk the school of its full wealth of knowledge?

So that's exactly what he strived for. He read, remembered, comprehended, and notated for further contemplation later. The Grey Lady thought of him as an efficient scholar after an hour of watching him work.

By morning, Ravenclaw students had started coming down one by one and leaving. They all looked at Cotton deeply engrossed in the text as pillars of books surrounded him and the Grey Lady watched.

Many of the students whispered amongst themselves while some of them felt their academic territory being encroached upon. One of the last people to come down was Cho Chang. She waved her friends off and took a quiet seat next to Cotton. He didn't mind the ghost, but Cho's presence began to bother him.

He shut his book loudly and said, "You have questions. Ask, please."

"U-umm. Do you play quidditch?" she asked. It's completely not what Cotton expected her to ask.

"No. Do you play?" he asked.

"Yes and none of my friends do, at least not in my house. I wanted someone to try out with. First and second years usually don't get picked up but it's a fun experience."

Cotton looked at her for a moment, then said, "I'll do it."

Cotton thought of his late wife and simply couldn't say no to her sister at the moment. Especially for a request as harmless as flying a broom. He knew that he was projecting his feelings. But even that couldn't stop him.

"Really?" she asked. "I thought you would say no. Despite the sword, you appeared to be a bit of a bookworm."

"I do like books, but exercise helps clear the mind. But I don't know how to fly." He said.

Cho was shocked again. "But, you're Cotton Hollow. I heard a few of our classmates talking about your family. Barony of Godric's Hollow and Viscounty of Thetford. I mean, it doesn't get more magical than that."

"So you think I should know how to fly? That's reasonable. But, instead of being shocked, you should over me some lessons. How else will I be able to try out with you?"

"Good point." Cho tittered, "For now, do you want to eat breakfast?"

"Sure," he replied.

On their way to breakfast, Cotton used a fishing technique to pull knowledge from here. With a few well-placed questions, he got Cho Chang to open and spill her guts. The best part was that he didn't have to listen to everything because he didn't want information from her, but for her just to feel like she had someone that she could share things with.

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It was around lunch and Cotton stood next to Cho on the quidditch pitch. She was teaching him the basic mechanics of flying on a broom. Cotton picked it up quickly as the control of his magic was never something he had a problem with.

"Look at that, you're a natural." Cho sang as she joined him in the sky.

"It's kind of fun," said Cotton.

"I figured you would pick it up quickly. Even I didn't have your skill with magic a year ago." Cho spoke as she hovered next to him.

Cotton wore a confused face.

"What you did to the Weasley boy. The spell was silent and the motion quick and concise. Not many students can do what you did. Let alone first years. I was impressed." she explained.

"Ahh. It's actually simpler than you think."

"Then maybe you can teach me..."

"Sure. Payment for teaching me to fly." He told her.

Cho smiled and took off. She looked over her shoulder once and Cotton was already on her tail. And once again she felt that this mysterious boy understood her with little to no effort. Cho was chased around the quidditch pitch as they pushed their training broom to the limit.

When Cotton finally caught her, she laughed for a while then told him, "I should teach you the rules of the game."

"It should be easy. Through ball in one of three hoops," said Cotton.

Cho laughed again. "Almost, Lord Hollow. let's go done and I'll start from the top, ehh?"

"Sounds good," he replied.

When dinner came, Hermione, Cho, and Cotton sat at the Ravenclaw table as Hermione went on about the school and Cho enabled her by telling her of spots to check out. Cotton then asked her if she was enjoyed the experience or did she behave like usual.

Hermione admitted that she was talkative and spoke of facts rather than enjoying the moment. Cotton told her that it was fine to let loose. As he was actually planning on joining the quidditch team. Hermione was shocked and then encouraged him. Cho also was encouraged and got excited now that she had someone to try out with her.

Hermione was working hard at the art of conversation and began to steer the topics away from school subjects. The ladies were both opposites in certain ways but meshed well together. As they continued to talk, Cotton finished his meal and then made his way to leave the great hall when two bodies appeared next to him to tag along.

In the Ravenclaw common room. Cotton explained that each pile of his books was sorted into basic stacks: Curses, jinxes, charms, transfiguration, potion, alchemy, enchantments, herbology, and ancient runes as those were the only books in the Ravenclaw library. Cho asked why he was reading so much and Hermione gave her two answers.

"First, to explore the black lake. Cotton think's there's something down there. Second, Cotton believes Hogwarts is a dangerous place. At any time a seventh year can come and steal us away. But if we study and gain power, we can protect ourselves."

"That makes sense." Cho hummed.

"And your family should be a hereditary knighthood correct?" Hermione asked.

Cho nodded at her.

"Do you have a sword, dagger, protective gear?" Hermione inquired.

"Oh no... My family doesn't have money for such things. Most of their attention and funds are spent on the political atmosphere." Cho Chang explained.

"Well Hollow's the only one that's rich so don't fill down. Any, the point is, the castle is dangerous and you should get your hands on something," said Hermione.

"I'm sure I can find something in the castle. I mean, there are rooms for everything in this place." Cho continued, "So when are you going to the black lake? Can I come? I heard it was cursed."

"Cursed? No way. Full of man-eating creatures, definitely. And in two weeks, I plan to head out and start my first adventure." Cotton replied, " The only problem is learning the history of the lake. I just can't shake the feeling that something is off about it."

"Merpeople city." said Cho, " Or the giant squid."

"No, it's something else. I could feel it when we crossed the lake to get to the castle." said Cotton.

"Then we can only ask one person.." Said Cho.

Cotton raised an eyebrow.

"Moan Myrtle. It's not a thing that little ghost doesn't know. And she knows the bottom of that leaked as well as she knows the pipes of the castle." Cho explained.

"Then we asked her. Where is she?" Hermione asked.

Cho smirked, "Everywhere."

Meanwhile, the resident ghost of Ravenclaw House narrowed her gaze at Cotton then vanished. Never alerting the trio to her presence.

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Days passed and the group fell into a quaint routine. Besides their classes, they would study together, Hermione would watch as Cho and Cotton flew together. She had no talent for flying. The three would practice spells in the dueling room as a dueling club had no members. They would also use the place to exercise. When the night came, Cotton and Cho would visit Hermione at Gryffindor tower or she would go to their common room. The three quickly became known as a tight-knit clique.

When Cotton finished a good chunk of the books in the Ravenclaw library, he had a craving for a different taste, so he ventured into the Gryffindor library instead of the school library. When he had free time, he visited professor Snape for extra tutoring and eventually talked him into pointing the way to the recipe for the Drought of the Water Hag. It allowed the wizard to breathe underwater for three hours but left the wizard with an insatiable hunger and throbbing hangover.

But there was no need for the potion without knowing the true dangers of the lake. So on this night, in particular, the trio had found Moaning Myrtle in the girls' lavatory on the second floor.

When Cotton entered the lavatory, he observed the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom he had encountered in this new life. Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.

"Moaning My--"

"Silence, girl..." Cotton hissed at Cho, "Nicknames stick, but that doesn't mean that holder enjoys them. Have you even read up on her history?"

"No." Cho shook her head.

"Well, she has a name. Moaning Myrtle is what her bully called her. I doubt that she actually enjoys hearing the name for an eternity." He explained.

"How do you know all of this?" Hermione asked.

"She was sorted into Ravenclaw, muggle-born like you. As the times changed, a student recorded her story and shelved it in the Ravenclaw library."

"I've never seen it," said Cho, confused.

"Well, it's there. Unmarked, bound in moleskin. Opening the book, the first page is inscribed 'Haunting of Ravenclaw'." Cotton answered.

Cotton walked a bit further into the lavatory as he called out, "Ms. Warren! Myrtle Warren?"

"Ooo." a small voice resounded as the top of the ghost's head poked out of the stall as if she was too shy to appear. "You...you know my name."

"Yes, I do. Is it alright if I just call you Myrtle?" Cotton asked.

"Hmm, you're a handsome boy, why not?" she replied, finally revealing herself, visibly swooning.

"Well, Myrtle, I'm Cotton Hollow. These are my friends Cho Chang and Hermione Granger...Wait a moment, please... Do you live here often?"

"Y-yes," Myrtle replied.

"Good," Cotton spoke as his wand appeared in his hand. He pointed at the ceiling and his voice rumbled, " Plena restitutio!"

A massive blue light illuminated from his wand and shrouded the entire lavatory. After a few minutes, the light dimmed and the gasps of ladies filled the room.

"You fixed it. You fixed everything." Said Myrtle. "The stall doors, mirrors, leaking floor, the cruddy sinks. It's all fixed."

"Now you can live better, Myrtle." Cotton replied with a brilliant smirk, "Now, these are my friends and we have come to ask you about something."

"Anything, Cotton Hollow. You can ask me anything," she replied.

"I would like to know about the bottom of the blake lake." Said Cotton.

"Oh, that's it?" asked Myrtle, "Well, nothing really, Merpeople city, Grindylow, the giant squid, water snakes, mundane water animals, and... And..."

"And what, Myrtle?"

"Blimey, I can't remember. There's a pipe that usually spits me out at the edge of the field cluttered with Buckthorn and tall water weeds. It sits at the edge of an abyss that has... That has..."

Myrtle then went loopy.

"Cotton, she's been confounded. I've read about it in the library. Its..."

"Hermione, I know what it is. I'm quiet because I find myself in bewilderment," said Cotton.

"Me too," Cho added, "Who would confound a ghost?"

"Professors. Ghosts have free reign. She probably found something that she wasn't supposed to. Do you guys trust me?" Cotton asked.

"Of course we do," they answered.

"Then leave the bathroom," said Cotton.

They were a bit hesitant at first, but in a few moments, Cotton was alone with Moaning Myrtle.

"Myrtle? You're young. Why haven't you moved on? There shouldn't be much keeping you to this world." said Cotton.

Myrtle was still loopy.

"Myrtle, who did you did?" He asked.

A few moments passed and Myrtle was back to usual as the question she could answer cleared her mind.

"Olive Hornby..." Myrtle growled, "The little bitch bullied me into the bathroom. I was balling my eyes and then heard a boy. I wanted to be alone, so stepped out of the stall and before I could shout, I saw yellow and dropped dead. Bit if a relief actually, my life wasn't all that glamourous."

Cotton was extremely confused now. 'Why was Myrtle still here? Here to be teased by the students and life in a rundown bathroom that even the students refused to use.' he thought.

"Myrtle Warren, you poor sweet girl. I'm going to try something because I think you are a prisoner here." Cotton holster his methuselah wand and called for his wand made of bodhi wooden with a core of phoenix feather and thunderbird tail feather.

He appointed his wand at Myrtle and although something told her to run, something else told her that she could trust the handsome boy who knew her name and fixed her lavatory.

Cotton slowly twists his wand clockwise as he chants, "Inveni quod amiseris. Placida cor. Purgare mentem. Lucidus!"

A white light flashed and Myrtle's eyes widen as her mind opened. The castle then began to shake as a tunnel of light descended from the sky. At the same time, the professors awakened and rushed to the source of immense magic.

When the counter charm was over, Myrtle wept and she tried to hung Cotton. She then wept some more because she couldn't.

"You freed me. You freed me this place. You asked me what was at the bottom of the lake, a ship where the buckthorn field meets the ridge." Said Myrtle still weeping. As the light tunnel finally capture and euphoria drenched her face.

"You asked me why I was still here. Because the old man confunded me. I saw who killed me that day. After the death of Olive Hornby, I wanted one other to die. I just couldn't remember who." said Myrtle.

"Who was it, Myrtle. Who killed you?" Cotton asked with urgency. The castle quaked enough to wake the student body and he wanted Mytlre to move on before anyone could stop her again.

"I remember, everything. I saw it all. The dark lord came from Hogwarts and Dumbledore brought him."

"Who?"

"He opened that sink over there and released a basilisk that killed me."

"Says his name, Myrtle."

"Voldemort!" She roared with anger, " At the time he was the prefect of Slytherin House. His name was Tom Riddle! And now he's dead too! Hahaha!"

Myrtle smiled and threw her hands to the sky as the light took her to the heavens.

"Mr.Hollow, what is going...Merlin's beard." Professor McGonagall looked up at Myrtle. Her hands covered her mouth as her eyes watered.

"It's about time, Ms. Warren." Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House, spoke when he entered the room. More staff entered and caught the end of Myrtle's long-awaited departure. But only one man wore a sour look.

By this time, Cotton's wand from Amos was holstered and the methuselah wand was in his hand.

"Mr.Hollow? What happened here?" Professor Flitwick asked.

"Well, I was in the common room reading about Myrtle's story so I snuck out with Cho. And she thought Hermione was up reading so we stopped at Gryffindor tower to get her. Finally, we came here and wanted to see if I could get the power ghost to move on." Cotton lied.

"It seems you have done just that. How?" Dumbledore asked.

"I called her by her name and fixed her bathroom. It turns out that all the bullied girl needed was care." Cotton replied.

Flitwick clapped happily. "100 points to Ravenclaw for helping a lost soul over to the next plane. Congratulations, Mr. Hollow."

The staff clapped but Dumbledore said, "Mr.Hollow, please hand over your wand."

Cotton smiled internally, he knew one of these teachers was crafty and that's why he switched his wand to help Myrtle. When she was lucid and told him about Dumbledore, he expected the old man to find fault with him. when the time came.

Cotton handed over his wand and Dumbled cast a reverse spell to reveal Cotton's last spell.

"To perform a full restoration spell at such a young age," said Snape.

"It's B-b-brilliant. " Professor Quirrell, the stuttering Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, added.

"Hmm. 50 points from Ravenclaw for breaking curfew. Next time, Mr.Hollow, work in the light of day. I thought the castle was under attack." Said Dumbledore.

"Of course, Headmaster. May I have my wand back."