The Ghosts

I'd just like to say hi. Well, hi!

The Ghosts

"Oh God, Lavender, must you put all that crud on your face?"

Hermione Granger stood staring at Lavender Brown, who was applying liberal amounts of mascara on her eyelashes.

"Yes, Hermione. I'm surprised you don't." Lavender gave Hermione the once-over with a superior look on her face.

"Hello all!"

Liberty gleefully skipped into the fifth year girl's dormitory. Perched on her head was a bathing suit, a pink one at that.

"Liberty, what on earth is wrong with you, child?" Hermione stopped fuming to stare at her sister.

"Oh everything, sister dearest." She danced around the room. "You should know that."

Hermione sighed and collapsed onto her bed, where she stuck her nose into a rather large book. Liberty wandered over to her.

"What is that?" she shrieked.

Hermione looked at her sister, one eyebrow raised. "A book, Liberty." She showed her the cover. "See?"

"You have a book that you never told me about?"

"Uhh . . . no. You see, this is Catherine, Called Birdy, love."

"Oh." Liberty's face fell. "Well, I best get going. I think Kiwi's trying to blow up the dorm." And with that she skipped out of the room.

"Well, that was a pleasant surprise," said Pavarti. "Next time, however, be sure to tell us that your screwy sister will be visiting us, Hermione."

Hermione scowled at Pavarti, who had joined Lavender in lathering foundation onto her face.

· * * * *

"All right, what the hell is this?"

Liberty, Kiwi and Leigh Anne had been wandering around the castle for their whole free day. They had just walked into a room filled with--

"Chamber pots, genius."

"And a whole lot of good that did, Ki."

Leigh Anne wandered through the endless rows of chamber pots, staring.

"Why in God's name would someone make a room full of bloody chamber pots?"

Kiwi turned to look at Liberty. "You think I know this because . . .?"

"Stop being stupid, Kiwi."

"It's not called stupidity, by the way. It's called being sarcastic."

"Where you come from it is."

"Well, Americans are way better informed than you lousy Brits are."

Leigh Anne ignored the remark about her heritage. "You're from America?"

"Born and bred hon."

Leigh Anne nodded. "I knew there was something wrong with your accent."

Meanwhile, Liberty had wandered over to the far end of the room, where the pots became more feminine. She spotted a purple box on a shelf on the wall.

"Ooo, what's this?" She picked up the box and cackled with delight. "Girls, come over here!" Leigh Anne and Kiwi walked over.

"Looky," she said as they reached her. Liberty showed them the box gleefully.

"Feminine Products," Leigh Anne read. The three burst into a fit of giggles.

"I'll bet you ten sickles I know what's in there," said Kiwi once she had caught her breath.

"Duh, stupid. Who would bet that?"

"I wouldn't, but I will bet you five Knuts that there's either Tylenol or Asprin in there." Leigh Anne glared at Kiwi, who was mimicking her.

Liberty looked up at them. Suddenly her face went white. "Not again," she murmured.

· * * * *

Lily Potter floated into a room filled with chamber pots. In the corner she saw three girls giggling over something. Curious, Lily glided over to them. A girl that looked surprisingly like her son's best friend, Hermione Granger, looked up. Her face went white and Lily heard her say 'not again.'

Surprised, Lily backed away. Then she remembered the child couldn't see her. Lily sighed with relief; she liked children, and she hated scaring them. But then, she thought to herself, why is she looking at me like that? Lily turned around. There was nothing out of the ordinary behind her.

"Lib, are you all right?" asked one girl with pink pigtails.

The girl, Liberty, tore her eyes away from Lily and smiled at the other girl. "Yeah. I'm fine, Kiwi."

Leigh Anne sighed. "Well, I'm going to the library. You guys wanna join me?"

Kiwi nodded but Liberty shook her head. "You guys go, I want to stay here."

"Okay," said Kiwi. They left Liberty alone in the room with Lily.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Liberty faced Lily again.

"Hello," she said.

Lily started. "You can see me?"

Liberty nodded.

"I guess that means you're a necromancer then."

Liberty frowned. "A what?"

"A necromancer, honey. A person who can see the dead."

"Oh. Well, if it's not too rude, may I ask who you are?"

Lily nodded. "Of course you can, dearie."

"Well, who are you?"

"I'm Lily Adelaide Potter."

"Potter? As in Harry Potter?"

"Yes. He's my son."

Liberty whistled. "He doesn't look a thing like you."

"I know," said Lily wistfully.

"You're very pretty, if you don't mind me saying."

Lily smiled. "Of course I don't mind. You're very pretty yourself."

Liberty wrinkled her nose. "No, I'm not. But keep those compliments coming!"

Lily laughed. This girl is very nice. Suddenly Lily got an idea. "Say, could you do me a favor?"

"Of course!"

"Could you be kind of like a middle-person?"

"Oh, I can see where this is going. You want me to deliver messages to Harry," Liberty stated. Lily nodded.

"Well, yeah girl! Why didn't you say so? Oh wait, you did. Strike that. So, when do you want me to tell Harry about this?" Liberty said quickly.

"The sooner, the better."

"Ok. I'll go do it now, then." Liberty walked out of the room.

Behind her, Lily smiled. It was time to tell James the good news.

· * * * *

"Uh, Harry, I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"Yeah, uh, well, you see, uh . . . you know your mom?"

"Uh, you could say that."

"Yeah, well, I saw her today."

Harry dropped the chest piece that had been in his hand.

"What?!?"

"Exactly what I said, Mr. Potter."

"Yeah, right. Gimme some proof."

Liberty fumed. "Fine. Fine. You want some proof, I'll give you some proof." She cleared her throat. "LILY!" she yelled.

A transparent woman floated through the wall.

"Yes, Liberty?"

"Your son," she shot a look at Harry, "won't believe me. He wants some proof."

Lily frowned. "Oh, I hadn't though that would happen. Well, ask him what kind of proof?"

"What kind of proof?"

Harry racked his brain. "I know! What's my middle name? No one else knows it."

"Lily, you heard the boy. What's the answer?"

"Well, tell him that his middle name is Bombadil."

"Bombadil?" Liberty asked.

Harry turned pale. "Yuh, uh, yeah," he said weakly.

"Lily, good news. You're right."

Lily smiled.

"What do you want to say to him?"

"Do you have any questions?"

"Harry, she wants to know if you have any questions."

"Well, yeah."

"Ok. Tell him to meet us tomorrow at seven pm in the girl's bathroom on the third floor."

"Meet us at seven p.m. in the girl's bathroom on the third floor."

"Why can't we –" Harry started.

"You guys," Liberty whispered, "people are staring."

"All right."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then." Liberty walked up to her dormitory, where Kiwi and Leigh Anne were waiting.

"Well, hello, Mistress of Mystery." Kiwi and Leigh Anne were perched on Liberty's empty bed.

"Hello, Bundle of Sunshine One and Bundle of Sunshine Two." Liberty collapsed onto her bed.

"Where were you?"

"Well, I was talking to ghosts."

"Ha, very funny."

"No, I'm serious. Seriously."

"Isn't that repetitive?"

"No, idiot."

"Anyway, why are you telling us bull?"

"I'm not. If you don't believe me, ask Harry."

"Fine, we will."

Leigh Anne and Kiwi walked into the Common Room, leaving Liberty alone, again. She stood up and grinned as Lily came into the room.

"Hello, Lily."

"Hello, Liberty. I was trying to find your dorm room, and I guess I was right in guessing that you're a first year."

"Well, Lily, I would rather not wait until tomorrow to find out about your life. Will you please tell me about yourself?"

Lily sighed. "Yes, Liberty, I will."

"Ok. So, shot."

"Well, I was born Lily Adelaide Evans in London. I had two sisters, Petunia and Dotty." Lily's voice broke and she put her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry, Liberty. My sister Dotty died when she was only thirteen. She was the sweetest girl anyone had ever met. She was a witch, too. But now I get to see Dotty every day. You can meet her too. I'm sure you'll like her. She played baseball, and still does, when she can find a ball and bat. Do you play baseball?"

Liberty nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes! I love baseball! I was on the girl's team for ages. Since I was five. I've been playing since I was about two, though. My dad would play catch with me all the time. And my older sister, Dana, would play with me, too. She's the other ball player in the family."

"Oh, wonderful! She'll love you then, Liberty."


"Good! Maybe I can meet her sometime. Well," she said eagerly, "tell me more."

"Well, I went to Hogwarts, of course. And on my first day I met two wonderfully hilarious and loving people, James Potter and Sirius Black. Then, later that week I met Remus Lupin, and then they introduced me to Peter Pettigrew. They became the Four Marauders. And then James and I went out from the fifth year on, and when we got older we married. Then we had Harry, and one night Voldemort came to our house and killed us. When we were dead we decided we had better keep an eye on Harry, so we've been watching him ever since. So, that's my life in a nutshell."

"Well. Uh, that was cool. I suppose you have a ton of stories of Hogwarts, right?"

"Oh, yes." Lily nodded.

"So, the Marauders, ehh? They sound like my kind of group."

"Mmm."

"Oh, well, I'll see you tomorrow then, Lily. Oh, one thing. Can I call you Lil?"

"Yes, you can, if I can call you Lib."

"Sure!"

· * * * *

"'Has anybody seen a dog died dark green. About two inches tall, with a strawberry blond fall. Sunglasses and a bonnet. Designer jeans, with appliqués in it.'"

Liberty was walking down the hall, singing one of her favorite songs. "'Quiche. Quiche Lorraine! Quiche, Quiche Lorraine!'"

"Good morning, Miss Granger."

Liberty whipped around. Behind her were Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Professor. Headmaster."

"Well, I didn't know you liked eighties muggle music, Miss Granger." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling.

"Oh, I do, Headmaster; especially the B52s. They're the best."

"I'll wager."

"Have you ever heard the B52s?"

"I don't know about Professor McGonagall, but I have. I don't really care for rock, though. I'm more of a string man, myself."

"Ooo, you mean strings like balls of string?"

"No, I mean strings, like violins."

"Oh. What about you, Professor?"

"I've never heard them in my life. I prefer country music."

"Country music?" Liberty spat. "Country music's like yesterday my dog died, today my girl left me for some bloke, and I can't wait to drink some beer."

"Oh, not wizard country music. You'd be surprised." And with that she left.

Liberty shook her head and turned to Dumbledore. "Headmaster, can I ask you something?"

"You already have."

Liberty looked confused. Then she smiled. "Oh, I get it! Well, can I ask you some more?"

"Of course."

"Well, my sister said she knows this spell that lets electric things work in school, and I brought along a DVD player and a VCR, and I'm sure I can get a TV somewhere, so . . .?"

"Of course, Miss Granger," said Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Yes! Thank you Headmaster!" Liberty looked as if she was going to kiss him, but thought better of it. Instead, she skipped to the Great Hall, still singing.

"'Can you name, na-ame, na-a-ame name them today!'"

· * * * *

"Guys, guess what!"

"The monkeys that you found on the Johnson's doorstep have come to kill us all?"

"No, something even better!"

"Oh, what could be better than that?" Kiwi mumbled from the couch.

"Professor Dumbledore said we could watch movies!"

Kiwi fell off the couch. "Really? Like, Evil Dead? And Psycho? And Children of the Corn?"

"Yuppers."

"Yes!"

"Uh, just one problem, genius. Where're the tapes? And the TV?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll manage something. With a little help from my fifth year friends, that is."

"Did I hear someone say 'fifth year friends'?" Harry, Ron and Hermione had just joined them in a corner of the common room.

"Yes, you did, my fine friend."

"Did your sister just call me fine?"

"No, stupid," said Liberty, answering for Hermione.

"Oh. That's a relief. Anyway, what do you want us to do?"

"Well, could you kinda transfigure a chair into a . . . TV?"

Harry and Ron went white, though Hermione appeared to be thinking. "Well, I suppose we could. I see no harm in doing so, anyway."

"Awesome! Late night movies, here I come! So, can we do it now?"

Hermione shrugged. "I guess."

"Herm, you rule!" Liberty hugged Hermione.

"I know," she said, her eyes twinkling.

· * * * *

The next day classes started, and, with the help of Harry, Ron and Hermione, Liberty, Leigh Anne and Kiwi found their way to most of them. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was, as Dumbledore had clearly stated the previous evening, Professor Catalina Dumbledore. The new teacher was, of course, the Headmaster's granddaughter, and one of the nicest teachers ever to grace the inside of Hogwarts castle.

"Can anyone tell me when you would be in need of Dragon's Wart?" Professor Dumbledore asked her class one morning.

Leigh Anne's hand shoot up.

"Yes, Miss Watson?"

"You would be in need of Dragon's Wart when cornered by a banshee."

"Correct Miss Watson. Five points to Gryffindor."

Leigh Anne smirked at Kiwi, who was sitting next to her. "Told ya I knew it," she whispered. Kiwi just leered at her.

Liberty smiled and looked back at the teacher. Professor Dumbledore was handing back the quizzes they had taken yesterday.

"Ebony, this was wonderful! Great essay answer." Ebony Thomas smiled at Professor Dumbledore.

"Leigh Anne, this is a masterpiece! Wonderful answers to all of the questions." The Professor handed Leigh Anne her A+ test.

"Liberty, you answered all the questions fully and in detail. Great job!"

"Kiwi, this was a wonderful test! I especially liked your essay question answer."

Dumbledore continued on, handing each person their own test, with a compliment for each person.

"You know, she reminds me of someone," said Liberty thoughtfully.

"Who, me?"

"No, me." Liberty glanced at Kiwi. "Kidding. She reminds me of someone, but I can't tell who."

"Talked to any ghosts lately?" Leigh Anne looked up from Kiwi's test to stare at Liberty.

"Yes, actually, I have. I talked to Lily this morning, and she said I'll get to meet James later."

"Ooo, goody. Meeting more dead people, how nice."

"Lily says he's very sweet, dimwad. I can't wait to meet him. Did you know Harry has an aunt named Dotty?"

"No, I didn't. I haven't talked to the Potter boy lately. In fact, I haven't seen him around much. Usually he's with Hermione and Ron, but now he's nowhere near them." Leigh Anne glanced at the clock. "Oh, class is almost over!"

"Thank God. I'm starving. I hope there's no homework; we got plenty from Snape."

"I'm going to need help on that. Potions isn't my strong point. Leigh Anne, Ki, will you guys help me with it?"

"Yeah, if you help me with Charms."

"Of course."

"Good."

"Well," said Professor Dumbledore, "there will be no homework tonight. I must go get some herbs from Professor Sprout now, so . . ."

The door burst open. Professor Severus Snape was standing there, his greasy hair standing on end and streaked with pink, green and yellow.

"GRANGER!" he bellowed, searching the room for Liberty. Leigh Anne and Kiwi pushed Liberty down below the table before he could see her.

"Great job, Lib," whispered Leigh Anne between giggles.

"What do you need, Professor Snape?" Professor Dumbledore, fighting back giggles, was staring at Snape's hair.

"GRANGER!"

"Well, Severus, Miss Granger doesn't appear to be gracing this classroom at this moment." Professor Dumbledore glanced at Liberty's vacant seat and winked slightly at a spot somewhere underneath the table.

Snape looked around the room, furious. "Professor Dumbledore, if I catch that student of yours, I will take away more points from Gryffindor!" he said, scowling furiously. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

"Well. Miss Granger, you can come out from under the table now."

Liberty scrambled out. "Thanks Professor," she said breathlessly.

"You're welcome."

· * * * *

". . . then the Professor told me I could come out. Oh, Lily, you should've been there!"

Lily chuckled. "Yes. I wish I had been." She glanced at the door. "Oh, he should've been here by now!"

"Don't worry, Lily. James is a ghost. Nothing can happen to him, right?" Liberty toyed with a lock of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail.

"Well, I suppose so. He'll be here soon, I'll wager." Lily sighed.

Liberty glanced up at her and smiled. She brushed a piece of lint off her pillow. "Lily, is James usually late for things?"

"Mmmmm?"

"I said," she said in a louder tone than usual, "is James usually late for things?"

"Yes, I am."

James floated toward them. "Who might you be?" he asked when he reached them, after laying a kiss on Lily's forehead.

"I'm Liberty Granger, Mr. Potter."

"Liberty Granger? As in Hermione Granger, our son's best friend?" James glanced at Lily.

"Guilty as charged."

"Oh. Oh, you poor, poor dear!"

Liberty chuckled and Lily hit James upside the head.

"I feel for you, child," he said mockingly.

"Oh thank you! I need all the sympathy (and hyperempaths) I can get."

"Ahhh. Well, if you need hyperempaths, I'm not the one to go to. Sharing feelings isn't exactly my strong point."

"James!" Lily hissed. "You're not supposed to talk about that," she said through gritted teeth.

"Sorry, Lil." James smiled apologetically at Lily, who sighed and moved her hand towards James's.

"What?" Liberty, always wanted to know what she shouldn't, scooted across the bed towards them. James opened his mouth, but Lily glared at him and he shut it. "Why can't we tell the lass?"

"James Potter! Don't you *dare* use that tone of voice with me! You know I don't like that stupid accent you use on me!" Lily glared at James and he shrank back into the covers, going so far down that he actually went through them.

"Sorry, Lil," he mumbled.

Lily relaxed a bit. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. But James, you know I hate it when you use that accent." Liberty raised her eyebrow.

"Ummmm . . .?"

Lily glanced at Liberty, startled. "Oh, sorry, dear. I forgot that you could hear us. Very sorry."

Liberty smiled. "It's ok," she said, waving her hands. She got up and paced the room, bored.

"Uhh, Liberty?"

Kiwi and Leigh Anne stepped into the room. "Who were you talking to?" Kiwi brushed a pink strand of hair from her face and stared into Liberty's pale blue eyes.

Liberty grinned. "Lily and James, of course. I told you I would be meeting them here tonight, didn't I?"

Leigh Anne rolled her eyes. "Kiwi, I can't believe we forgot! Well, hello, Mrs. Potter," she said, staring blankly around the room.

"She's on my bed," Liberty told her.

"Liberty, tell your friend I said hullo," Lily called. Liberty nodded and relayed the message to Leigh Anne, who smiled.

"You know, this is really cool. You being able to talk to ghosts, that is. Kiwi, I was wondering is you would tell me how on *earth* you came to Hogwarts when you're American."

Kiwi sighed. "I suppose. All righty then. My cousin," she glanced at Liberty, who shook her head, "is Cornelia Bandeta. She's twelve and lives in Scotland. Anyway, she," Kiwi coughed, "goes to Hogwarts now, and her mother, my aunt," she coughed again, "Peg told my mother that Hogwarts was a wonderful school and that I really should go. So, here I am." Kiwi motioned to the room and smiled. Liberty glared at her, and Kiwi began to laugh, then quickly turned her giggles into a cough.

"You really should brush up on your lies, Kiwi," Liberty whispered. Kiwi grinned at her. Then she tugged on her robe collar.

"Is it just me or is it really hot in here?"

Liberty smiled. "It's definitely not you."

Kiwi glared at her.

A/N: 'Ello 'ello! How are you all today? Well, it's time for my (getting shorter) reviewer section.

Rachel (um, it's about Liberty) and Trumildicus (hey! Unfortunately, LV is on hiatus. I think I'll call you . . . Rachel (less letters ^_^)) Please review if you read this story! I'd be so happy!

And thanks again to my beta readers, Seldes, Amber & Vicki. Ta ta!