Harry nodded earnestly and then a conspiratorial look crossed his face, and he made a point of taking out his wand and casting a silencing spell at the entrance door to the bathroom, and then added a repelling charm just to be safe. Then Harry made a show of checking all of the stalls to make sure no one was in the bathroom, though he knew from experience that no one ever came in here. Once he was satisfied, he turned back to to look at Myrtle. "I was wondering how good you were at keeping secrets." Myrtle looked intrigued at this, "I can keep secrets."
Harry nodded agreeably, before a conspiratorial look crossed his face again. "You know about the secret entrance in here?"
Myrtle looked startled for a moment before an exaggerated look of sneakiness crossed her face. "I know all about it. It's why I died!"
Harry nodded in agreement. "That's what I heard. And since then, you've been here, occasionally pestered by people who want you to haunt others as a prank." Harry managed to inject disgust for other people into his tone.
Myrtle looked thoughtful as if considering that, but didn't seem to come to a conclusion., instead returned to looking at Harry suspiciously. "You haven't said what you want from me."
Harry nodded, "I was actually hoping for two things. First I was hoping you'd keep an eye on anyone else who might try to use the secret entrance in your bathroom."
Myrtle looked surprised, "My bathroom?"
Harry nodded politely, "Of course, this is your bathroom. Who better to know the coming and goings?"
A frown crossed Myrtle's face as she spent several moments considering that statement, before a pleased smile crossed her face at the idea of the bathroom being hers, before a suspicious look crossed her face again"Even if it is my bathroom I don't control the secret entrance. Are you going to try to open it and hurt people?" An affronted expression crossed Harry's face, "Of course not. I would open it and make sure that no other monsters came through!" When he saw he had her entire attention. Harry continued. "I was hoping that if we made sure that there are no more monsters down there that you would not tell anyone we were using it."
Myrtle looked surprised at that statement, "Iris Potter already killed the monster! That's what the Headmaster said when he came by a few days after she went down! Before he cast some spells on the sink." Her tone sounded accusing that Harry was trying to deceive her.
Harry shook his head, "Well I'm sure Miss Potter did get the beast that got you... But did they check and make sure there weren't any more monsters down there?"
Myrtle looked startled at that and a bit frightened, as if another beast might somehow be worse for her than dying. She looked around nervously, "You think there are more down there?"
Harry shrugged and then belatedly remembered to put on an expression of concern,, "I don't know but... did Dumbledore actually go down into the Chamber and check?" Harry was gambling here, but figured it was worth the risk.
Myrtle looked surprised and concerned. "No... he cast some spells and told me Iris Potter killed the beast. But he didn't go down..."
Harry frowned and nodded, "Exactly. So I'll give you my oath to make sure there is going to be no danger from other monsters that may be down there, if you'll give me your oath to keep our secret and let us know of anyone else who may come in here for any other reason beyond the normal." Myrtle looked thoughtful at that before she nodded slowly "Okay! You have a deal!" She looked at Harry seriously.
Harry wasn't sure whether it was his argument or simply him expressing interest in her that made Myrtle respond positively. Truth be told he didn't much care. "I give you my oath to make sure there is no direct danger to you from monsters within that Chamber of Secrets." Harry made sure to make his oath specific. No one had ever accused Myrtle of being a genius.
Myrtle straightened a bit and was almost eager as she replied, "Then i give you my oath to keep your secrets and keep guard over the bathroom!"
There was a slight shimmer in her form but no other effect. However Harry nodded solemnly at her before he turned back to the area of the sink. Draco just looked back and forth between he and Myrtle with a bemused expression on his face, though he chose not to say anything. A warning glance from Harry told him that he had chosen wisely.
Harry pulled out his wand and began to cast diagnostic spells at the sink. It took him less than 20 seconds to discover that Dumbledore had indeed cast wards on the sink. "Interesting," he murmured quietly.
Draco frowned, "What is it?"
"Dumbledore has linked three wards to the sink." Harry responded thoughtfully after a full minute and a half of diagnostic spells.
Draco frowned, "Based on what I saw this morning, you're good with wards, What's the big deal? Did he do something complicated or obscure? I mean he isDumbledore." Harry frowned and shook his head, "Not at all. it's actually rather simple. It's the nature of them that makes things difficult." Harry saw Draco's puzzled expression so he continued, "With wards, generally you set them up to have a specific response to a specific action. Like the way Gringotts wards it's vaults. You try and break in, and the ward tries to suck you into the vault, leaving you unable to escape."
"Yes but you said you broke into several Gringotts vaults." Draco countered.
Harry nodded a little bit, still eyeing the sink thoughtfully. "Yes, but that's my point. Those are more… passive ward schemes. Or rather than saying passive, I'll say they are responsive ward schemes, rather than alert wards. Alert wards send an alert off to a predetermined place or person. This is a combination of two alert wards and a responsive ward scheme."
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