Going back to Hogwarts was like having a knife being impaled into you, and then having to take it back out. It was a reminder of what I had lost. I despised the feeling, and somehow, I blamed the school for the his Diggory's death, to be specific.
Cedric was a Hufflepuff,and I was a Ravenclaw. We had begun dating during the Triwizard tournament, when he asked me to the Yule Ball. We hadn't even lasted a month when he was killed by You-Know-Who. It had shocked me to see his body on the grass when Harry had returned by Portkey. I had no idea what I was seeing. One second, everyone got up to cheer upon the return of Harry. The next second, people's expressions began to change to scared looks on their faces when they realized what was going on. They were seeing Cedric's corpse. Motionless and…. already gone. That moment has been haunting my mind for the longest time. Even seeing Harry in the halls or in class triggers my memory. I can't think about Harry because he reminds me of Cedric. And not in a good way.
Hearing Luna Lovegood's chilling voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Cho, are you alright?" She had a distant look on her face, but at the same time, she looked like she was paying all of her attention on me. I looked around my surroundings to check if I was still in reality. I felt the bumps of the carriage we were seated in. This is real then.
"I'm fine. Just back-to-school jitters, I guess," I lied. She looked unconvinced. She sighed.
"You can't lie to me. I know when you're okay and when you are troubled," she pressed.
I don't want to explain what I'm feeling. I like Luna, but I don't think she would understand. I'm too broke of a person for anyone to handle. I'm taking a chance though. I know Luna has gone through her mother's death, so she might very well understand.
"Truth is, my mind and heart has been thinking about last year. I can't get the thoughts out of my head. They're eating me up," I confessed. I spilled everything that I was conflicted about.
"I know it is hard to accept but you have to keep your chin raised. You can work through this, you are a Ravenclaw after all. We specialize in strategies," she smiled. After a while, she asked,"What do you wish for exactly?"
That's when everything was glued together. I wanted Cedric to be alive. But to be exact, just him is fine. The only problem that I have yet to solve is if I want Harry too. I like him, but I have mixed feelings. I don't want to blame him for what happened to Cedric, but I can't help it. On the other hand, he is very nice and caring. I really like him, but it's so wrong. It's like I'm betraying every memory of Cedric and whatever is left. Luna spoke once again, interrupting my debating thoughts. "Did you know that The Mirror of Erised can show someone's most wanted desire?"
I had a confused expression on my face. She had said that so casually. This might actually be the solution to my problem. "Do you know where I might be able to find this mirror?" I asked eagerly.
"Somewhere in Hogwarts," she answered. She went back to reading the Quibbler. I assume that means that it's all she can offer me. Lucky for me, it's all I need.
When we arrived at the castle, I immediately went straight to Ravenclaw tower. The next morning, I went to the library and begun to do research on the Mirror of Erised. All I found was that it showed what anyone's deepest desire is, and no one has knowledge of its whereabouts. The last anybody heard of it was when they built Hogwarts. I was at a dead end, which didn't have a way around it. Throughout the day, I kept thinking of possibilities where the mirror could be. Finally, when I was getting for bed, I suddenly thought of a location. The Room of Requirement. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I have to find this mirror if it's the last thing I do.
I dropped my uniform for the next day onto my bed and put on my robe. I silently tiptoed downstairs. I need to do this while no one would be outside of their dormitories. I opened the common room door as quietly as I could. When I managed to slip out, I realized I had no idea where the Room of Requirement might be. I thought back to when Luna might have been rambling on about it. Ah ha! I remember she said that it was somewhere blank. A wall that looked blank and out of place.
I started to walk in no particular direction. After what seemed like forever, I walked by an empty wall that seemed pretty normal. I kept walking, but then I retraced my steps to the wall. It seemed like such a good wall to use. Paintings could've been hung there. It was strange. I doubted it was the wall that Luna referred to, but something tugged me towards it. As I stood in front of the daunting size of the wall, I kept waiting for something to happen. I'm not sure if I am supposed to do something. "Oh, this is getting me nowhere-" mid-sentence there was a low rumbling noise made from the wall, then a door was formed. I was hesitant to open it, but I knew that the answer to my conflicts might be just behind the door in front of me. I took the handle and pushed. Inside, there were a million items stacked upon each other. It was like a maze. I fast walked to the back, where I figured the mirror might be, since no one would likely go to the back.
Sure enough, it was there, hidden behind some furniture and boxes. I moved them as quickly as I could. When I had finished, I took a good look at the mirror. Its appearance was sophisticated and actually quite frightening.
I stood in front of it, and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes as I exhaled. When I opened them, I didn't see anything. A wave of confusion swept over me. Why didn't the mirror work? But right as I said that, an image began to form in the mirror. It was indistinct at first, but a few seconds later, the image was clear. It was me, standing with Cedric. We were smiling, and Cedric had his arm around me. We looked older. And happy. I wanted that with him.
I smiled at the thought and reflection in front of me. Surprisingly, the reflection shifted to another. It was distorted at first again, but it began to take form. It was Harry. Alongside him was me. He was pulling me close to his side. We were laughing. The only difference is that we look as we do now, not older. I don't remember much, but I know that I ran as fast as I could back to the dorms.
Now, as I look back at it, I realized that the second image that I saw in the mirror was what I wanted at that time, when I was still young and didn't have anyone else. The reflection of Cedric and I was what I wanted since forever: for us to be together even when we're older.
I know that Mirror of Erised calmed some of my racing thoughts. But it did not erase them. Even for a bit of rest of some thoughts, I'm still grateful. I will never forget those reflections.
