Moaning Myrtle

Myrtle Elizabeth Warren haunts the second-floor girls’ lavatory at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she met her tragic end as a fourteen-year-old Ravenclaw student in 1943. Born to Muggle parents between 1928 and 1929, she earned her nickname through her constant wailing and complaining, which echoes throughout the abandoned bathroom she calls home. Her death came at the hands of the basilisk released from the Chamber of Secrets, making her both a victim and an unwitting witness to one of Hogwarts’ darkest periods.

As a ghost, Myrtle possesses a volatile temperament that swings between desperate loneliness and explosive rage. She floods the bathroom when upset, throws tantrums that can be heard floors away, and has an unfortunate habit of spying on students through plumbing systems. Despite her irritating behaviour, she proves surprisingly helpful to those who treat her with kindness, particularly Harry Potter, whom she assists during the Triwizard Tournament by providing crucial information about the second task.

Her ethereal appearance reflects her emotional state—she manifests as a translucent teenage girl with lank hair and thick glasses, often glowing silver when calm but capable of appearing more solid when agitated. Myrtle’s existence serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers lurking within Hogwarts’ walls, whilst her interactions with living students reveal the complex emotions that bind spirits to the mortal world long after death.