Where is Moaning Mrytle's bathroom?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 71195

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "michaelkgidlow"
<Veritas771 at h...> wrote:
> ... Hermione says that Moaning Mrytle's  bathroom is on the first 
> floor. ... they go to the second floor where they find the writting 
> which is next to Moaning Mrytle's bathroom. ... when Harry and Ron
> hide Crabbe and Goyle in the closet in the entrance hall ... they go 
> up the staircase to the first floor and then go into the 
> bathroom.... ... When they lead Lockhart from his office (on the 
> third floor), they lead him down one floor to the bathroom. 
>
> So, is Moaning Mrytle's bathroom on the first or second floor?
> 
> Michael Gidlow


bboy_mn:

You are right, this is very confusing. One of the problems is that the
first floor in the USA is not the first floor in the UK. And I think
confusion, mostly on the part of the publisher, but possibly even on
the part of JKR has crept into the story.

I think Moaning Myrtle's bathroom is intended to be on the seocnd
level, one floor up from the ground floor. That would be the floor
that we call the Second Floor in the USA and they call they call the
First Floor in the UK.

Someone explained why the UK uses this designation. It seem that when
castles were build the kitchens, storage and utility areas of the
castle which actually had an earthen floor were roughly on ground
level. To get to the first floor, that is the first living floor where
the castle owners functionally lived, you went up a short flight of
outdoor front steps and entered the building. So, they use the
designations ground floor, first floor, second floor, etc...

Just a thought.

bboy_mn