Harry Potter · Character

Moaning Myrtle

Also known as Myrtle Elizabeth Warren

Minor
First seen · Book 2 · Ch. 7

Moaning Myrtle is a minor character in Harry Potter (Book 2).

Gender: female
Age: teen (ghost)
First appears: Book 2 · Ch. 7
Books: 2

Moaning Myrtle, the weepy ghost who haunts the second-floor girls' bathroom at Hogwarts, begins as a sulky nuisance but proves to be an unexpectedly crucial witness in the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, her own death revealing the location of its hidden entrance. By the Triwizard Tournament she has become a peculiar ally to Harry, nudging him toward solving the golden egg's riddle and guiding him through the lake during the second task. Throughout, her melodrama, loneliness, and comic self-absorption remain intact, yet each act of help deepens her bond with the Boy Who Lived.

Description

A pearly-white, slightly transparent ghost girl with a slender, ethereal build, evoking 1940s schoolgirl fashion in her spectral uniform. Lank dark hair partially veils her glummest face, swollen with silver tears, framed by thick pearly spectacles. She floats with dramatic flair, often hovering above a toilet tank, chin-picking or vaguely pointing. Myrtle appears as a glum-looking girl ghost in school robes, her form hazy and pale with the translucence of a spirit. Thick, pearly spectacles dominate her face, and her expression is habitually morose. She carries herself with a hovering, fretful presence, while her youthful appearance contrasts with the persistent melancholy of her manner.

Connections

Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals

Harry Potterconflicting source relationships
Initially a gloomy, easily offended presence Harry stumbles upon during the Chamber investigation, Myrtle becomes a key source who helps him find the Chamber's entrance. By the Triwizard Tournament she is a fond, somewhat clingy acquaintance who helps decode the egg's clue and guides him underwater to the hostages, hoping he will come to visit her.

Story so far

BOOK 2Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Haunts the out-of-order girls' bathroom where Harry, Ron, and Hermione secretly brew Polyjuice Potion
- Moans and floods the bathroom over her misery, drawing the trio's attention to her tragic past
- Reveals she died in the bathroom after seeing a pair of great yellow eyes by the sinks
- Her account helps Harry and Ron identify the bathroom as the hidden entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and the basilisk's path
BOOK 4Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Appears in the prefects' bathroom while Harry studies the golden egg
- Recalls Cedric's attempt and suggests Harry open the egg underwater, revealing the merpeople's song
- Encounters Harry in the lake during the second task and directs him toward the merpeople village
- Expresses hope that Harry will visit her again, revealing her loneliness