Count the Lillies

by onion


I do not own Harry P -- blablabla, you know what ..

Please read and review. This is my very first Harry fic ... so be nice.


CHAPTER THREE

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Of course! Lily McKinney!" said Hermione. "I can't believe I didn't recognize her!"

Ron raised his left brow. "You .. you know her?"

Hermione flipped through the soft pages of the book Professor McKinney wrote. The title was Witch Life. It was roughly described as a fictional memoir, about a young gifted orphaned witch that lead a life of fame, stress, and loneliness. (Lily Potter's soul was sitting, again, on Seamus' hurricane of a bed.)

"I have read one of her other books. My parents adore her."

"Other books?" said Harry, with an astonished look on his face.

"How come I've never heard of her?" said Ron.

"Harry." said Hermione, ignoring Ron. "Do you mind me borrowing this book? I promise I'll give it back to you tomorrow."

"Not at all, Herm. And take your time, please."

Hermione flipped to the first chapter and started reading. "Lily McKinney was an orphan, too, you know. She has no idea who her parents are. Just like the main character of the story."

"Wow. Being an orphan sure works wonders! I mean, look at ol' Harry. He's famous and stuff .. OUCH!" said Ron, Hermione elbowed his rib.

* *

The whether this Saturday morning recieved was humid and Harry woke up early in the morning uneasily.

Harry was glad he got the book back so that he could have the chance to read it. Hermione did finish the six-hundred-something page book in one night (and the text was tiny). Harry knew it was going to be one of those sad and depressing books because Hermione was dabbing her red nose with a napkin when she gave the book back to him. "A real tear jerker, this book is, Harry."

"... I don't want to open it!" said a voice behind the door.

Seamus Finnigan and his best friend Dean Thomas entered the room.

"G'mornin', Harry." said Dean, waving his hand tightly. "Seamus got a howler from his mum! --- Dude! Open it!"

"Alright, alright, ALRIGHT!"

Seamus took a deep breath and opened the howler.

"SEAMUS FINNIGAN! YOU INSOLENT LITTLE FOOL! HOW DARE YOU SIT ON MY DOLL HOUSE! IT TOOK ME AGES TO BUILD IT! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF I DID THE SAME TO YOUR TRAIN SET! WHY YOU WOULD--"

Harry left the room, covering his ears, the book held tight under his arm. I can't concentrate with these two prats., thought Harry. I'll just go to the damn library.

Harry walked down the staircase, greeted the Fat Lady and her friend Violet, and walked down the hall. As he was walking with his nose stuck on the book, someone bumped him hard on the shoulder. "Excuse me .. Oh, hello Harry."

When will he ever stop hitting people in the halls?

"Hullo, Professor Dumbledore" said Harry, massaging his shoulder.

Just before Professor Dumbledore walked away, Harry called for him.

"What is it, Mr. Potter?" he asked kindly.

"Ah .. where is .. ah .." Harry read the back cover of the book. ".. Aberdeen School of Advanced Witchcraft? Is it in England?"

"Aberdeen .." Dumbledore's face lightened. "Oh, yes. It's a school for gifted witches. Very advanced. It is located in Hong Kong. I have been there. A wonderful school, it is. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious .." said Harry. He wanted to ask about Professor McKinney and Snape's sudden death, but no sound came out from his mouth.

"Well, I'd best be going now. Got books to read, and parchments to sign. Good day, my boy." said Dumbledore, walking away hastily.

* *

Harry slouched on his chair, reading Witch Life in peace. He sat far in the corner so that he wouldn't be bothered.

".. living in this silent, depressing, Muggle orphanage .." Harry spoke the lines quietly. ".. needed a lot of getting used to. .."

* *

Meanwhile, the soul of Lily Potter knelt down next to Harry. She strained her ears, listening to his voice reading the book. She raised her eyebrows or twitched every time she heard him saying nasty terms from the book.

"Well, this young lady is quite a potty-mouthed tick for a gifted 14 year old writer!" said Lily loudly, as no one could hear her anyway.

* *

Harry read the last few words from the book and closed it shut. He looked at young Professor Mckinney's picture on the back of the book again, winking at him every five seconds. She didn't look like the sulky orphan from the book. He wouldn't picture her like that. She probably was forced to put rubbish on her face at the photo shoot., thought Harry.

Transparent tears beamed down Lily Potter's transparent cheeks. She had liked the book. It was depressing and true. Then she heard a sniff.

Harry was crying. He cried for the first time in ages. "Mom .." he said, as quiet as he could. She remembered that the orphan from the book lost her mother when she was barely a year old. Just like Harry. In every of chapter of the book, she would write a monologue about how much she misses her mother and how she wished she knew her.

"Harry? Harry??" said Lily, as if Harry meant to call for her. He did mean to call for her, but he wouldn't believe that his mother was right beside him.

"Harry." she wanted so bad to be heard. "I love you so much!"

Harry suddenly rose his head with an alarmed look on his face. He just heard a woman's fading voice. It was moaning.

'Hello?" Harry silently whispered. He was afraid now.

Lily looked at his puzzled, frightened face. "Harry?? Can you hear me?"

He couldn't hear her. Instead of him searching for the owner of the fading voice, he stood up, took the book and left the library.

Lily Potter picked up her ghostly self and followed her dear son.

* *

"Harry?" said Hermione. "Where have you been?? We've been looking all over for you!"

Harry found Ron and Hermione cramming hard for a short quiz on Potions at a table in the corner of the Gryffindor common room.

"I've been inside the library for the whole day?" said Harry, looking at the common room clock.

"What have you been doing in there?" asked Ron.

Harry streched his arm at them, holding the book.

"So you finished the book?" said Hermione.

"I couldn't stop reading it."

"Really? That book is just brilliant. A real tear jerker. I wonder if every event of the story was based on what happened to Professor McKinney."

"I don't know. She doesn't look it." said Harry. "I don't know what I'm trying to say here, uh, but .. I don't know! She just isn't the person from ... the .. book ..?"

Hermione twisted a lock of her hair with her finger. "Hmpf. Yeah. But, you know, it's just a novel, Harry. Well, she probably was a bit like the main character ... and people change!"

"Alright." said Harry, not knowing what to say.

".. right." said an unsure Hermione.

Hermione and Harry exchanged awkward looks.

"I got to go. I have to meet Parvati at the library." And Hermione took off without a sign of a "good-bye" or "see you later".

"What just happened?" asked Ron.

"Another knocked-out-Hermione conversation .. don't know what the hell that means, but oh well."

END OF CHAPTER THREE

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uhhh... nothing much is going on on chapter 3... just wait for chapter 4. REALLY.
SOMETHING is going to happen. I PROMISE!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
........ you gotta trust me on this. Alright?
It's just that I don't have time ... school is a real pain in the ass 'n noggin ..
Understand that. Please. PLEASE!!! :P