Passing the Blame

Splash!

Splash!

Water suddenly splashed inside the cubicle with the faulty hinges. Ron grabbed Harry and Luo Bin and hurried toward the door. He had no intention of being mistaken for a peeping Tom.

"Don't run! It's Moaning Myrtle!"

Hermione sounded exasperated.

Moaning Myrtle floated out of the cubicle, tears clinging to her face, and eyed the three boys at the door suspiciously. "They're not girls!"

The implication was clear: they had no business being in the girls' bathroom!

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Yes, I wanted to bring them... for a tour of the girls' bathroom. You know how people are. They're always curious about unfamiliar things!"

Hermione passed the blame for their apparent voyeurism to them with remarkable flair. Sure enough, Myrtle turned a contemptuous, disdainful, scrutinizing gaze on the three boys.

"Yes, Hermione's right. In a bit, we're taking her on a tour of the boys' bathroom too!"

Hermione whipped her head around and glared furiously at Ron for throwing the blame back at her!

Myrtle adjusted her glasses and accused them tearfully, "You're... making fun of me!"

"No. We came to ask whether you heard any strange noises on Halloween night. Or saw anything strange? You know, a gray cat was petrified by some unknown creature right outside the girls' bathroom!"

Luo Bin bluntly explained why they were there, rendering all the words Harry had prepared... useless!

At that, Myrtle cried even harder, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed for a good while before slowly saying, "I... I didn't notice. Peeves was so horrible that night. He chased after me, shouting all sorts of nasty nicknames. Crying, fat pig, spotty-faced Myrtle. Boo-hoo! I hid in the toilet, and he still wouldn't leave me alone. Boo-hoo!"

"I wanted to drown myself in the toilet, but... I'm already