room as Harry crept out past him。
It was awkward moving under the cloak tonight； because Harry had the heavy egg under one arm and the map held in front of his nose with the other。 However； the moonlit corridors were empty and silent； and by checking the map at strategic intervals； Harry was able to ensure that he wouldn't run into anyone he wanted to avoid。 When he reached the statue of Boris the Bewildered； a lost…looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands； he located the right door； leaned close to it； and muttered the password； 〃Pine fresh；〃 just as Cedric had told him。
The door creaked open。 Harry slipped inside； bolted the door behind him； and pulled off the Invisibility Cloak； looking around。
His immediate reaction was that it would be worth being a prefect just to be able to use this bathroom。 It was softly lit by a splendid candle…filled chandelier； and everything was made of white marble； including what looked like an empty； rectangular swimming pool sunk into the middle of the floor。 About a hundred golden taps stood all around the pools edges； each with a differently colored Jewel set into its handle。 There was also a diving board。 Long white linen curtains hung at the windows； a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner； and there was a single golden…framed painting on the wall。 It featured a blonde mermaid who
was fast asleep on a rock； her long hair over her face。 It fluttered every time she snored。
Harry moved forward； looking around； his footsteps echoing off the walls。 Magnificent though the bathroom was…and quite keen though he was to try out a few of those taps…now he was here he couldn't quite suppress the feeling that Cedric might have been having him on。 How on earth was this supposed to help solve the mystery of the egg？ Nevertheless； he put one of the Huffy towels； the cloak； the map； and the egg at the side of the swimming…pool…sized bath； then knelt down and turned on a few of the taps。
He could tell at once that they carried different sorts of bubble bath mixed with the water； though it wasn't bubble bath as Harry had ever experienced it。 One tap gushed pink and blue bubbles the size of footballs； another poured ice…white foam so thick that Harry thought it would have supported his weight if he'd cared to test it； a third sent heavily perfumed purple clouds hovering over the surface of the water。 Harry amused himself for awhile turning the taps on and off； particularly enjoying the effect of one whose jet bounced off the surface of the water in large arcs。 Then； when the deep pool was full of hot water； foam； and bubbles； which took a very short time considering its size； Harry turned off all the taps； pulled off his pajamas； slippers； and dressing gown； and slid into the water。
It was so deep that his feet barely touched the bottom； and he actually did a couple of lengths before swimming back to the side and treading water； staring at the egg。 Highly enjoyable though it was to swim in hot and foamy water with clouds of different…colored steam wafting all around him； no stroke of brilliance came to him； no sudden burst of understanding。
Harry stretched out his arms； lifted the egg in his wet hands； and opened it。 The wailing； screeching sound filled the bathroom； echoing and reverberating off the marble walls； but it sounded just as inprehensible as ever； if not more so with all the echoes。 He snapped it shut again； worried that the sound would attract Filch； wondering whether that hadn't been Cedric's plan…and then； making him jump so badly that he dropped the egg； which clattered away across the bathroom floor； someone spoke。
〃I'd try putting it in the water； if I were you。〃
Harry had swallowed a considerable amount of bubbles in shock。 He stood up； sputtering； and saw the ghost of a very glum…looking girl sitting cross…legged on top of one of the taps。 It was Moaning Myrtle； who was usually to be heard sobbing in the S…bend of a toilet three floors below。
〃Myrtle！〃 Harry said in outrage； 〃I'm…I'm not wearing anything！〃
The foam was so dense that this hardly mattered； but he had a nasty feeling that Myrtle had been spying on him from out of one of the taps ever since he had arrived。
〃I closed my eyes when you got in；〃 she said； blinking at him through her thick spectacles。 〃You haven't been to see me for ages。〃
〃Yeah。。。 well。。。〃 said Harry； bending his knees slightly； just to make absolutely sure Myrtle couldn't see anything but his head； 〃I'm not supposed to e into your bathroom； am I？ It's a girls' one。〃
〃You didn't used to care；〃 said Myrtle miserably。 〃You used to be in there all the time。〃
This was true； though only because Harry； Ron； and Hermione had found Myrtle's out…of…order toilets a convenient place to brew Polyjuice Potion in secret…a forbidden potion that had turned him and Ron into living replicas of Crabbe and Goyle for an hour； so that they could sneak into the Slytherin mon room。
〃I got told off for going in there。〃 said Harry； which was half…true； Percy had once caught him ing out of Myrtles bathroom。 〃I thought I'd better not e back after that。〃
〃Oh 。。。I see 。。。〃 said Myrtle； picking at a spot on her chin in a morose sort of way。 〃Well。。。 anyway。。。 I'd try the egg in the water。 That's what Cedric Diggory did。〃
〃Have you been spying on him too？〃 said Harry indignantly。 〃What d'you do； sneak up here in the evenings to watch the prefects take baths？〃
〃Sometimes；〃 said Myrtle； rather slyly； 〃but I've never e out to speak to anyone before。〃
〃I'm honored；〃 said Harry darkly。 〃You keep your eyes shut！〃
He made sure Myrtle had her glasses well covered before hoisting himself out of the bath； wrapping the towel firmly around his waist； and going to retrieve the egg。 Once he was back in the water； Myrtle peered through her fingers and said； 〃Go on； then。。。 open it under the water！〃
Harry lowered the egg beneath the foamy surface and opened it。。。 and this time； it did not wail。 A gurgling song was ing out of it； a song whose words he couldnt distinguish through the water。
〃You need to put your head under too；〃 said Myrtle； who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying bossing him around。 〃Go on！〃
Harry took a great breath and slid under the surface…and now； sitting on the marble bottom of the bubble…filled bath； he heard a chorus of eerie voices singing to him from the open egg in his hands：
〃e seek us where our voices sound；
We cannot sing above the ground；
And while you re searching； ponder this：
Wove taken what you'll sorely miss；
An hour long you'll have to look；
And to recover what we took；
But past an hourthe prospect's black；
Too late； it's gone； it wont e back〃
Harry let himself float back upward and broke the bubbly surface； shaking his hair out of his eyes。
〃Hear it？〃 said Myrtle。
〃Yeah 。。。'e seek us where our voices sound。。。 ' and if I need persuading 。。。hang on； I need to listen again。。。〃
He sank back beneath the water。 It took three more underwater renditions of the egg's song before Harry had it memorized； then he trod water for a while； thinking hard； while Myrtle sat and watched him。
〃I've got to go and look for people who can't use their voices above the ground。。。〃 he said slowly。 〃Er。。。 who could that be？〃
〃Slow； aren't you？〃
He had never seen Moaning Myrtle so cheerful； apart from the day when a dose of PolyJuice Potion had given Hermione the hairy face and tail of a cat。 Harry stared around the bathroom； thinking 。。。if the voices could only be heard underwater； then it made sense for them to belong to underwater creatures。 He ran this theory past Myrtle； who smirked at him。
〃Well； thats what Diggory thought；〃 she said。 〃He lay there talking to himself for ages about it。 Ages and ages。。。 nearly all the bubbles had gone。。。〃
〃Underwater 。。。〃 Harry said slowly。 〃Myrtle。。。 what lives in the lake； apart from the giant squid？〃
〃Oh all sorts；〃 she said。 〃I sometimes go down there。。。 sometimes don't have any choice； if someone flushes my toilet when I'm not expecting it。。。〃
Trying not to think about Moaning Myrtle zooming down a pipe to the lake with the contents of a toilet。 Harry said； 〃Well； d