This is a beautiful idea. I can very well imagine that they would find a way to exclude certain Muggles from the anti-Muggle-charms on Hogwarts (hey, they can do MAGIC!).

It's sad really, I mean, Mytle will see her Dad die someday, and he will never quite get over her death if he keeps on seeing her. But I totally understand taht he would visit her. Great idea for a fic.

Excellent story, but I wonder how Myrtle's parents got in, since they were presumably Muggles. (We don't know for sure, but Riddle's belief in the power of blood does seem real, not just a show to catch minions.)

I never thought about it, but this would have to be a horrid experience for a parent; to have your child die, but not really. I woudl have never thought of this.

Marvelous story. Perfectly realistic! Myrtle's poor muggle parents must have been horrified by her death - and so revieled to see that she was still among them, in a way. But of course that relief wouldn't last long either...

I like Myrtle, and I'm glad to see a fic that takes her seriously.

I only read you fic now, sorry!
But I like your idea; it's answering the old "What-have-all-these-side-characters-for-a-background?"-question for at least one person, even if we don't know the name.
It needed some time for me to realize that this man is, in fact, not Filch, I have no idea, why I had that thought in my head. ^^
I'm tired now. ;)
Good night!
Meta

A completely neglected but very valuable aspect of Myrtle. Amazing idea and extremely well written. Just like Nick tells Harry, becoming a ghost is certzainly not a blessing - and it makes letting go even harder for those left behind...

Everybody in the books is very offhand with poor Myrtle, but although she's rather an irritating girl she's a real (fictional) person and probably very lonely, unless she hangs out with the Mer people.

Nice! Very well done. I like that he still comes, even if he doesn't completely want to. Also, I like that you pointed out that Myrtle's brattiness is partially due to being a teenager for the last 50 years or so (maybe not fifty yet when this takes place). She never had the chance to mature; she's stuck in puberty forever.

Not something I can say I have ever given thought to. Very nice.

I suspect that Myrtle herself enjoys the drama of being a ghost but you're right about her family. A lot in a very short story. Well told.

Very good. Yes, Myrtle was a person who probably a family, maybe one just like this. (applause)

Truly touching...I've never given Myrtle or other minor characters a second thought, but this has left much to ponder upon. Kudos to a great piece :o)

The death of a child is great loss. At first sight one might think that Myrtle's survival in the form of a ghost might be a form of comfort to her parents, but, as your story so poignantly illustrates, it merely serves to perpetuate the loss. They cannot go through the normal stages of the grieving process and get on with their lives - they are forced into limbo too. As parents of teenagers we know what a stressful time those years are - to think of having a teenage child in perpetuity is a grim prospect.

Just a thought : if you re-titled the fic so that the name of Myrtle is not front-of-mind as we read, the ending would have greater impact.

You've done a marvelous job of capturing his regrets and sorrow for his lost child's life with this snapshot; of course I think you're able to do that with all your writing. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Beautifully done, and heartbreaking! This especially hit a nerve with me as I'm a parent with teenagers whom I HOPE are simply going through developmental phases ;-)

I first became aware of the pathos of Myrtle's plight when a friend of mine commented that "she never had a chance to outgrow her adolescent angst." Sad that JKR still thinks that Myrtle is basically funny.