Moaning Myrtle

[Melody <Malady579@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51427

Snuffles and Janet Anderson wrote that they found Moaning Myrtle
revolting and really disliked her.

Janet said:
>Moaning Myrtle is *icky,* always talking about toilets and spying on
>people taking baths. And she's randomly spiteful (like Peeves),
>always glad when something bad happens to someone (like Hermione and
>the Polyjuice Potion fiasco.) Furthermore, by her own word she used
>to be even nastier until the Ministry of Magic suppressed her
>("stalking" Olive Hornsby, even at her brother's wedding).


 Awww.  Poor Myrtle.  Normally, I stay fairly quiet about my pity for
her, since so many tend to hate her so much (and I must say the movie
did not help that trend), but I just cannot let her be completely
trampled upon.

I make no lie on the list about how melancholy I am in RL.  I am not
maniac, but I will say I know *exactly* what JKR meant by dementors.
Poor Myrtle is just a victim I tell you.  A victim of her
circumstances.  (and no I am not a defense lawyer.  <g>)

See - at first.  She was annoying.  She was "icky".  Love that word by
the way.  I mean, anyone that haunts the *inside* of a toilet must be
icky.  And not only that, she often times is flushed down into the
lake.  That is just more icky.  But to shift your mind from *that*
imagery, I do have much pity for Myrtle.

I wonder if ghosts *can* change or rather grow past the emotional
state they were when they dies.  Seems the whole reasoning behind
haunting is that a ghost can't.  They must relive their emotions of
when they died over and over until some sort of reprieve is found.

Myrtle dies sitting, hiding, on a toilet in a bathroom crying.  What
would of happened if Hermione was killed when she was too?  She may of
haunted Ron.  He was the one that last wronged her.  But I digress...

I do not remember what age Myrtle is or if it says...just checked, and
nope it doesn't.  So we have a presumed teenager that is being a
teenager.  I see no harm in that.  Funny thing is she is stuck being
that teenager for the rest of her undead life.  She cannot grow past
the wrong done to her like Hermione the living can.  Myrtle is stuck
in her *most* depressed state for eternity it seems.

Now depression is not a pretty thing.  Especially teenage depression.
 Girls can be very mean to other girls.  Same with boys too, I know,
but this is about Myrtle.  Seems Myrtle was a poor soul that was
picked on all her teenage life and this time she just was pushed too
far and had to run and cry somewhere.  Poor dear was in need of a
break from them.  And so it happened, while she was there, Tom came in
and a basilisk came out and poked his nose in her stall and <poof> she
is dead.  She did *nothing* to deserve that.

Then who comes and finds her but her nemesis, Olive.  Oh that rattled
her.  She broke then and haunted her.  The girl that had so tormented
her, she finally got her revenge like the teenager she is.  I will say
*most* bullied teenaged girl would do the say.  Of course, not any
listees here, but we are not *most*.  ;)

So Myrtle, stuck in this adolescence *hell*, is left to be a ghost
forever in that hell.  That is rough.  Her only pleasure in that mood
is seeing that she is not the lowest creature on the earth.  I know, a
sick form a pleasure I guess, but don't knock it until you've been
there.  The most refreshing thing you can tell someone who is in the
tears state of depression is that they are not the scum of the earth.
 They have worth.  They are loved.  Myrtle died in that state where
she needed to hear that constantly.  She died before she could start
climbing back up from her pit of despair.

That is why I pity her.  She is stuck down there deep where her tears
mix with the mud and there is no hope.  And now that she is dead and a
ghost there *definitely* is no hope.  She can't even do the one thing
(haunt Olive) that gave her pleasure in her twisted teenage mind.

Now on to her crush on Harry and Cedric.  Come now - she *is* human
and a girl.  She is supposed to crush on boys.  She is a sly little
thing.  I will say I did not really like her until she was in the
prefect's bathroom with Harry.

She so slyly said "He lay there talking to himself for ages about it.
 Ages and ages...nearly all the bubbles had gone..." (GoF, Ch 25)

Hehehe.  I am sorry.  I do like that quote.  So seemingly innocent yet
so girly.  Creepy maybe, but it is a teenage girl thing to do.

So coyly curious.  Good for her.

And her crush on Harry.  I see it innocent.  She does not haunt his
Gryffindor room or even follow him around.  She stays back and just
waits to see if he comes around.  For a depressed teenage girl that
gets such pleasure out of seeing him, that is very surprising.

So Myrtle, while I *kind of* identify...only with the depressed side
of the melancholy state, I cannot not help but laugh at her.  She is
just so pathetic and yet cute for her honesty.  yes I said honesty.
She is precisely what she is.  She is not hiding behind a bully mask,
or even trying to ignore what is wrong.  She was on that toilet
dealing with her pain the best and most private way she could at that
time.  And she still does.  She is not hiding her emotions even when
she is a ghost.  They are there for all to see, and even if they are
unflattering she is still honest with herself.  She lets herself be at
the bottom of that pit in all its tear soaked, stained hands,
miserable glory.

Hey I defend Barty Jr, are you that surprised I would Myrtle too?


Melody
who would like to say Myrtle is *not* the character she *most*
identifies with...just for the record.