"Yes, I believe that would be best, before the students find a way to get back to us again," Nick said. "The student level has reached a frenzy, and it's virtually impossible to escape their attention. We must work quickly, now that we finally have the chance."

The Grey Lady nodded. "I'll meet everyone there," she said and floated through the wall.

"Yes, see you there," Nick agreed, floating off a few moments after the Grey Lady had exited the room.

"Now wait a minute! Who made you boss?" The Baron floated after the Grey Lady still yelling for her to listen to him. Typical bloody woman.

The Grey Lady floated into the room and waited for the others to arrive. A death at Hogwarts! Something had to be done.....

Myrtle had heard rumours, dangerous, delicious, dark rumours about a death in the school. And naturally, this being her area of expertise, she had to snoop around and figure out if the student had been Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, or Slytherin.

It was with a sly smirk on her face that she floated into the Spirit Room. Right away she saw the Grey Lady and floated forward to taunt her.

"Helena, Helena," Myrtle cooed, tugging at a bit of fabric on the older ghost's dress. "How are things in Ravenclaw Tower?" she suggested, innocently twirling one pigtail. "Are all your students still breaaatthing?" Myrtle giggled and bounced a little ways away from the Ravenclaw's reach - just in case she didn't like the little pun.

Nick floated into the Spirit Room, having heard a rumor that his fellow ghosts had some iimportant issues they wished to discuss. He could only imagine what these issues were, but knew he would be expected to be present at this meeting, as well. "Hello, ladies," he greeted the Grey Lady and Myrtle. "You're both looking lovely tonight."

Now if Peeves were a ghost, where would he go? The Astronomy Tower? No. The Dungeons? Nah. Professor Kazimeriz's office? HECK NO!

Aha! The Spirit Room!

Peeves galloped into the Spirit Room, riding his pink thestral (which he had affectionally named 'Four-Eyes').

"Ghosties! Ghosties!" he exclaimed, attempting to reign in Four-Eyes. "Woah boy!" The thestral reared back and then came to a stop.

"No-Head, Tubby, Emo Girl, Pimples!...Baron, sir. The Headmaster hath sent me," he explained in his best John Wayne voice. "A student has died! Myrtle, you may just have a friend now!" He clapped. "Myrtle and dead boy sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love! Then comes marriage! Then comes a ghostie baby in a baby carriage!!!!"

WEEE!!!

"So," he said, resting his elbows on an invisible table, and his face in his hands, "What do we know? Tell me ALLLL the gossip.

"Oyah. Ghosties of Hogwarts," he added, motioning toward his pink thestral. "This is Four-Eyes. Don't get her confused with Pimples over there." He motioned toward Myrtle and then began stroking the thestral's fur. "Beaut, ain't she? The thestral; again, not Pimples."

Myrtle eyed Nearly Headless Nick when he floated in. "How are things in Gryffindor Tower?" she asked innocently. "Do all your students still...have their heads?"

Oh that was a good one, very very punny. Myrtle was proud of herself. "Teeeeheeeheeeheee," she giggled, floating upside-down past Nick and Helena toward the door. Myrtle was about to peep into the corridor to see if any other ghosts were coming when, like the nightmare that never ended, in came the worstest, ugliest, meanest, stupidest, hideousest, annoyingest, obnoxiousest ghost who ever existed.

"PEEEEEEVESSSSSS! You---you PICKLE-HEADED PRUNE!" Poor Myrtle promptly burst into tears when the poltergeist started insulting her. She covered her face with her pearly hands and floated quickly to hide behind a tall, covered piece of furniture. "Booo hooo hooooo...hooo bwwoooo hooo hooo...." her moans echoed all around the room, permeating every corner and assaulting the eardrums of all who heard.

She paused briefly in her wailings, however, as her brain just now absorbed Peeves' words. "A boyyy? Was he handsome? How old was he? How did he die? Does he still have his head?" No offence to Nick, of course.

"The deceased child was a member of Hufflepuff House and he met his untimely demise in the library," Helena said solemnly. "That should answer your question if the students of Ravenclaw are still breathing, Myrtle."

"A child from Hufflepuff has died in the library, oh my!", Nick exclaimed. "Thank Merlin it wasn't a Gryffindor. But how - how did this innocent child reach his untimely demise?"

"That I know not except that a dark presence was felt by all," she answered thoughtfully. "The students were disturbed by the dark presence and for a moment, I assumed it was the Baron lurking behind the wall or Peeves preparing a prank."

Oh. ONSD! "Who are you calling a pickle-headed prune, you lint licker?!" Peeves shrieked.

What? What? Peeves heard his name. "No, Your Greyness," he said, saluting. "I was in the potions lesson substituting for the Headmaster. He was late, you know. I oughtta take points for that."

Bah. These ghosts were so boring.

Peeves turned back to his thestral and tended to her mane. Pretty thing. Not at all like Myrtle.

"I was not aware that you acquired the talent to instruct a proper lesson," Helena retorted in response to Peeves. "The Headmaster has always struggled with remembering the time, and must be forgiven since he is the head of the school."

"I'm not a lint-licker, you biscuit eating bulldog!" Myrtle wailed from her hiding spot. "And your bow-tie is crooked." She stuck out her tongue for emphasis on the insult, knowing full well that he couldn't even see her in the corner.

Myrtle's ghosty little ears perked up, however, when half the identity of the student was revealed at last. "A Hufflepuff?" she paused, thinking it over, then grinned with glee. "Exxxcellent. He will be a hardworking, loyal ghost that I can easily put all the blame on for when I flood the bathrooms. Is he still in the library? Can I see him?"

This was assuming, of course, that the boy was coming back as a ghost. Myrtle and her questions might have been considered morbid by most - and insensitive by all - but she did get mighty lonely during the holidays.