Sinks and Secrets PV B. Quinn, H. Barrows Finished

Date: June 27th, 2025	Speech | Thoughts
Time: Morning	Interacting: @Harvey Barrows, @Brookline Quinn
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"I came across two legends tied to this room… that of Moaning Myrtle and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. There haven't been many reports of Moaning Myrtle lately, so perhaps she has moved on. I am not sure where the entrance to any chamber would be here, either, so this adventure may be a wash. We may as well see what the place is hiding, though," Luca said somewhat pointedly. He caught their uncertain expressions and quietly hoped his resolve would be enough to keep the group moving. Nevertheless, the Slytherin pressed forward and looked around the abandoned toilets.

The two wizards and one witch continued their exploration of the second-floor bathroom quietly, with nothing but the cold draft, dripping of water into standing puddles, and other creeks and groans of the castle to guide them. The adventure seemed lackluster so far, as nothing peculiar or spectacular had happened. In truth, Luca hadn’t formed a clear hypothesis about what they’d find. Still, he intended to treat the exploration as reconnaissance, and he was determined to explore somewhere new before ending his first year at Hogwarts. In his mind, the wizard was analyzing this room for any benefits he could take advantage of in later years.

Just as the trio had ventured deeper into the abandoned toilets, a very feminine, shrill voice suddenly came from behind them. Luca’s breath caught—but only for a heartbeat—and in his own cold, calculating manner, he turned sharply, wand lifted but angled—not threatening, just ready. Ghosts and poltergeists were commonplace in the Hogwarts castle, but being startled by a shrill voice behind you in a creepy, abandoned room of the castle was not. However, what greeted them was a sight they had never seen before—a translucent, ghostly ivory woman with a horrified look on her face.

She appeared to be wearing a spectral, Edwardian-style cleaning robe. Her hair was in tight, neat ringlets pinned into a severe updo held by a ghostly, slightly crooked bone-white comb. The ghost's face was sharp and angular, with a permanently worried brow. High cheekbones, faint stress lines, and a pointed chin. She appeared to be addressing Luca directly, as he had been reaching for a cabinet a moment ago.

"You, young man — yes, the tidy one—do NOT touch anything in here! Oh, Merlin preserve us, you're going to open that! Mind your hands, dear!" her shrill voice came crashing down on them like something that was knocked loose. The boy was unsure of what to make of this discovery in the toilets. His mind was analyzing the danger, but it presently saw none.

Harvey was next.

"OH SWEET CIRCE — a goblin! They live in tunnels! You're accustomed to filth, aren't you? You MUST know how dangerous it is in here!" the ghost spoke after noticing Harvey's long, slender fingers and pointed ears. Luca’s gaze flicked to Harvey, gauging his reaction, then back to the ghost—collecting data, not intervening.

Even Brookline’s cat drew the ghost’s outrage.

"A CREATURE! A FUR-SPREADER! A PURVEYOR OF ALLERGENS! GET IT AWAY!" the unknown entity yelled.

Suddenly, the ghost floated near Brookline and its feminine voice softened significantly, "Don't worry, dear. I won't let the grime swallow you. Come toward the door. Carefully. Don't breathe too deeply."

The Slytherin's eyes sharpened as he began to take in everything about this apparition: movement, temperature, clues about her purpose, cataloguing her behavior, as Professor Lécuyer had taught them to study magical entities. What caused her to haunt this specific space? Her attire… late 1800s? Early 1900s? Interesting, Luca thought quietly to himself as he lowered his wand. She showed no malice—only frantic fixation. A peculiar place to expect to be clean and likely even more infuriating that she could do nothing about it.

"We don't mean to intrude. Who are you? Are you… guarding this place?" Luca asked during a break in the apparitions words.

ℬrookline’s thin eyebrows knitted as she glanced around, her dark blue eyes cautious. She was on the tips of her toes, her black boots tapping pleasantly on the cracking, stone floor. Every so often, she would come across a dark puddle with water from only Merlin knows how old; gagging, Brookline stepped aside, and her thigh boots just barely skimming the liquid.

As Brookline hurried to catch up with the younger boys, Harvey rotated around to give her a modest smile, and she returned it, her cheeks hurting as she smiled. The part-goblin’s smile disappeared when his gaze narrowed in on Tigeress. He then answered the Welsh girl’s question, informing her that Tigeress should be fine. Brooklone exhaled quietly with pure solace. Although, with his hard glance, and his tone about her kitten, she did not have to think hard to guess that Harvey was not an animal lover at all.

Corrando explained himself, and Brookline felt little bit better as she followed Luca and Harvey, her chest spinning less and less knots. Instantaneously and unexpectedly, a ear-piercing and intrusive voice shrieked at Luca, once he had touched a cabinet. The Welsh Ravenclaw turned around to see the owner of the voice that literally shattered her ear drums, and she saw a pellucid outline of a transpicuous, slivery lady of which wore this fancy and noble robe that Brookline thought this ghost had lived and died in the late 18000s. She grabbed her wand from her satchel and gripped it as she wondered. The spirit caused Brookline to think of the Grey Lady, and once a image of the Ravenclaw’s ghost came to her mind, she shook her head, lightly as if saying, there was no resemblance or reminder of these two apparitions.

The unknown ghost turned to yell at Harvey, about his half nature. Brookline gritted her teeth, as the dead shouldn’t be blaming those who have earned their right as a citizen of the wizardry world and always should had a right. Then the spirit turned to screech at her graceful feline. Her mouth fell open as the ghost screamed “CREATURE” and “FUR-SPREADER”. Brookline fumed as she narrowed her eyes. She wanted to scream right back at this ghost who probably died a long time ago and tell her to go back where she came from. Of course, the Welsh girl would never say such a thing to even the dead.

Thereafter, the spirit drifted near her, and Brookline noticed her ghastly, ivory comb the ghost had in her hair, and the ghost’s piercing, cacophonous voice turned gentle and dulcet as she tried to baby and lead the Welsh witch out of the restroom. Brookline shook her head, her feet staying fixed on the cool floor as if her boots were glued to her the floor. Her blue eyes flamed as she thought hard of a rude comeback to say that might have a few curses embedded in the retort, yet she kept her mouth shut with her arms crossed over her chest.

Luca asked the spirit who she was and if she was guarding the Abandoned Toilets. Huh, good question, Brookline thought, as this ghost is screaming her head about filth and grime when this restroom was full of grunge and dirt. She twirled her wand as she pondered, her eyes squinted.

“Where you a student or professor at Hogwarts?” Brookline asked the transparent women, and she added, “Additionally, is there actually anything wrong with this restroom or is the rumors about this place true?” Of course Brookline knew about the Chamber of Secrets and everything that was rumoured about these toilets. She wanted to hear from the ghost’s point of view, and she wanted some answers. The witch was not going to leave this freaky place without anything useful!

occ note:

Harvey had questioned his newfound companion about finding anything of use in these abandoned toilets and the consensus of the group seemed to back his inquiry. All that was there for them so far was dirt and grime. However, he did listen intently as Luca spoke of Moaning Myrtle and the Chamber of Secrets. Two legends that any Hogwarts student would have heard of in their time at the institution. To think of an entire lair underneath the school was one thing, but it was the idea of ghosts that really intrigued the boy.

Of course anyone from the magical world would know that ghosts were in fact real and quite commonplace. Each house of Hogwarts had a residential one, not to mention the poltergeists that haunted many places across the U.K., however that did not stop it from being quite fascinating. This was old magic. Natural magic bound to souls of the living that refused to rest even after death. All scary things to think about at such a young age, but the sheer magical power behind it all was fascinating. While this room seemed void of such power the idea of it was still enough to keep Harvey in Luca's tow.

As if the mere mention of topic was enough to draw forth such a specter a shrill voice would echo through the room. Harvey soon on the spot, the hem of his robe fell from his hands as he instinctively went for his wand. What magic he was capable of was still elementary, but at least Hogwarts had instilled in him the good sense to be ready. Harvey's heart would hammer for a moment as the surprise faded and in its place a sense of wonder. It was rare that the boy got overly excited about anything as his demeanor rarely shifted from a calm coolness.

Perhaps many in the school had grown used to seeing ghosts about, but to witness something new like this when setting about for discovery was quite the treat. Harvey's eyes widened as he took a step towards it. Her clothes dated her for sure as no one had dressed like that in many, many years, but he listened closely as she spoke. Worried about the children getting dirty? Perhaps a caretaker of sorts? A cleaner? Harvey's look of intrigue would only shift slightly when she screeched at him for being part-goblin. "A lot had changed since your time I'm afraid." There was no reason to argue with it, but a hint of defiance would touch Harvey's tone.

It wouldn't be long until her attention moved on to the cat. Perhaps something they might actually agree on, but it was odd that it took to Brookline so quickly as her voice softened at the sight of the girl. Harvey listened as the others began to question. Who, what, when, where, why? He awaited every detail with eagerness and offered his own inquiry. "Were you a nurse here perhaps? But then why attached to a restroom of all places?"

Date: June 27th, 2025	Speech | Thoughts
Time: Morning	Interacting: @Harvey Barrows, @Brookline Quinn
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Prudence Plunkett was her name, though she was focused far more on catastrophizing every possible danger about the two young wizards and one young witch being in the abandoned lavatory than on making a formal introduction. The moment she saw all three of them turn to face her, drawing their wands, she let out a noise somewhere between a shriek and a deflating tea kettle. Throwing her ghostly hands up dramatically in further protest, she began to ramble once again, barely letting the trio get a word in edgewise before they even processed her arrival.

“OH — OH NO — PUT THOSE AWAY! WANDS MEAN SPARKS! SPARKS MEAN ASH! ASH FLOATS! IT GETS INTO EVERYTHING!” she shrieked before wizzing back away from them with surprising speed.

“YOU! The tidy one! Yes, YOU! Please tell your friends to lower their wands. Magic leaves RESIDUE. Do you know what residue DOES to tile grout?! …Also, you’ve far too nice a robe to risk singeing,” Prudence said after floating a little more calmly in Luca’s direction. She clearly favored him, but she genuinely appeared as if she was genuinely trying to help. Though she couldn’t read a room to save her ... well, never mind. She continued, floating back towards Brookline.

“Careful, careful! Please don’t drop it! If it hits the floor—oh dear no—this place hasn’t been cleaned since before your grandparents were BORN! And mind your little creature! Wands make them shed from the fright!” the ghost continued, hovering between Brookline and the floor, as if attempting to shield her from it, suddenly favoring Tigeress as well.

Next, she noticed Harvey holding his wand as well. “Oh sweet Circe above — YOU TOO?! I knew it! Children waving sticks around with combustion at the tips! You seem responsible! You iron things! Lower that wand before you scorch something and release spores that have been trapped in here since the 1890s!”

“Oh! Intruders, yes, but polite ones — thank heavens. Guarding? Guarding? I suppose you could call it that. Someone must preserve what’s left of this poor, tragically neglected lavatory… even if no one listens! And YOU, dear boy, were about to put your perfectly clean hands on a cabinet that has not been sanitized since—” She shudders violently, “Well. A very long time. Thank you for not touching it. I died here, you know. A dreadful accident. Slip — fall — SPLAT. Try not to repeat my mistakes.”

She then listened to Brookline’s questions. “A student? No. A cleaning maid — the premier cleaning maid of Hogwarts! The gold standard of sanitation! But, what rumors were you referring to, dear?” she asked, softening her voice for Brookline still.

“Oh! You ask sensible questions. A nurse? Heavens, no! Nurses dealt with injured students. I dealt with messy ones. You have the look of someone who appreciates ORDER. A boy who irons things! A boy who uses coasters! You would not BELIEVE the state this bathroom would fall into without me… even now. Even dead!” she spoke with more of an endearing tone towards Harvey now, having analyzed him a bit further.

Luca listened intently to all the answers and decided to ask the burning question on everyone’s mind. He had taken in all of the questions the others asked and the answers given by the spirit, categorizing them separately. Luca mentally sorted each answer into categories — danger, history, motive. However, he knew there was one reason this apparition was guarding, cleaning, or haunting this place: she likely died here. He wanted to know how.

“If you don't mind me asking... what is your name? How did you... come to remain here?” the Slytherin asked directly.

When it became clear that this ghost meant them no harm, Harvey had no problem lowering his wand. He listened closely to the specter’s words, but he found the whole thing a bit perplexing. It wasn’t unreasonable to think that some unfinished business may cause the soul to try and defy death. A wrong that still needed to be made right, a goal left unfulfilled, but worrying about the cleanliness of restroom? It was odd to say the least.

As she went on Harvey began to notice that she was not just concerned about dirt or grime, but the residue that magic can leave behind. Expelling energy in any form did not come without some kind of waste. The same could be said for spells, curses and hexes. He had seen the blast marks left behind in DADA and charms. No way in hell did he want to be the one that had to clean that up, but her fixation on that made him curious. A squib perhaps? Maybe resentful towards the students as she may have to physically scrub their mess away?

Harvey raised a brow when the ghost addressed him directly. Yes, he was quite tidy and who didn’t know how to iron? Was he to be one of those goons that went through the day with a wrinkled uniform? No, the boy had been raised properly. At least their manner seemed to ease a bit of her tension, but the frantic tone she kept was a little intense. The ghost confirmed that she had been the premier cleaning maid, so it began to make sense to why she was a bit obsessed with keeping this space clean. Yet why this spot specifically? Was it because she died here?

Harvey listened as Luca offered a few questions. Name and purpose. The first steps to solving any mystery really, but Harvey’s thought from before to lingered in his mind. “Ma’am, may I ask why you are so concerned about magical residue? Surely you could have kept it clean with a wave of your wand, yes? They abandoned this space many years ago, but I’m sure it was immaculate during your time.”

Date: June 27th, 2025	Speech | Thoughts
Time: Morning	Interacting: @Harvey Barrows
« Preceding | Following »

“Prudence Plunkett. Senior Lavatory Assistant,” the pale white visage now known as Prudence introduced herself as. She straightened up, showing a very proud stature about her title. Her face turned ashen, if one could even tell that as a ghost, as she started to regale the students with the tale of how she met her demise. "A student left an awful mess that I had the displeasure of cleaning up, and I was just doing my job when suddenly,” Prudence said with a tragic but comedic tone. Suddenly, she reenacted the slipping with a loud gasp, followed by a dramatic, sideways float down to the ground before them.

“You see, dear boy, wizards and witches leave magical score marks, fumes, and residue! Some of that has to be scrubbed BY HAND to be truly clean!” Prudence explained, getting slightly elevated in her explanation. “Some of these students never clean up after themselves!” she explained, clearly showing a resentment towards messy Hogwarts students. After explaining, Prudence started looking around again, losing focus on the students. Her facial expression turned horrid as she saw the state of the abandoned bathroom.

“THE DUST!” Prudence shrieked before rushing through the air at a piece of dust falling near a wall. Catching the dust, she was momentarily satisfied before completely phasing through a wall. After a moment of silence, the boys could hear the faint sound of scrubbings seemingly coming from the walls all around them.

Luca watched slowly as Prudence reenacted and explained how she died with his eyes slightly narrowed. The Slytherin boy cast a sideways, faint smirk with a raised eyebrow towards his counterpart as she explained it very dramatically. As she explained what filth magic left behind, the young boy started to glance around the room at the faint scorch marks or cracked sand, realizing that magic physically damages structures. Listening to the faint scrubbing from within the walls, Luca commented to Harvey, “I think we have overstayed our welcome here. Best not remain and get Ms. Plunkett in a tizzy.”

The boy made his way out of the lavatory, shook the half-Goblin's hand if he allowed it, and parted ways for the time being. He mentally logged Harvey as a fine new friend.

His story continues: Class of 2025 Graduation Ceremony

Prudence Plunkett. Harvey was used to it of course, but witches and wizards had really odd names. It was always the alliteration that piqued his interest the most. Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, the list went on and on. Though when he thought of his goblin relatives these magical names seemed rather ordinary. Harvey lined away the thought. It was unlike him to get sidetracked by such intrusive ideas.

The corners of the boy's mouth turned to a slight frown when Prudence spoke her untimely ending. To think that a powerful being such as a witch could meet their demise by a simple fall. Even life full of magic was still fragile. Such a sad thought, but he did do his best not to smile when the ghost offered a comical reenacting of her death. "I am sorry that that happened to you." Harvey wasn't the greatest when it came to condolences. Not that he was completely cold of heart, but his tone just had a way of sounding a bit flat most of the time.

His dark gaze would follow Prudence as the ghost looked around and spoke of the horrors of cleaning up after children. The current state of the toilets did nothing to help calm her down. Although this was quite an exceptional experience to see how magic can keep an echo of the soul still in existence, he very much hoped that he would not one day meet this fate. Ghosts were rare, but how in merlin's sake does the cleanliness of a toilet leave you unable to fully rest after dying. Harvey thought it best not to ask.

When Luca spoke, Harvey would have to tear his eyes away from where Prudence had disappeared to. The sounds of ghostly scrubbing making it clear that she had unfinished business to attend to. "Yes, I'm afraid you a right. Plus, my ears can't withstand another one of her shrieks. Goodness!" Harvey followed closely behind Luca as they made their exit. He would happily exchange handshakes with this newfound friend and left quite sure they would se each other again soon.

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