Hiro Hamada snuck out of his Ravenclaw house past midnight. He couldn't sleep. Wearing his blue pyjamas and robe, and he strolled down the empty dark halls, with let torches as the source of light. Mochi purred by his side.
Exams were around the corner, but he wasn't stressed about it. It wasn't the reason why he was up.
In fact, knew he would pass with flying colors. Again. He had skipped 2 years ahead of his year, and knew History of Magic at the back of his hand, and he's very confident in getting a perfect score in his favorite subject, Defense against the Dark Arts. He has help from Wasabi, Gogo, Honey and Fred in Herbiology, Transfiguration, Potions and Care for Magical creatures. He knows he had got it all covered.
Walking absentmindedly, he didn't realize his legs carried him to the entrance of the Hufflepuff House until he saw yellow banners with badgermoles on them, and recognized the lady in the portrait. His heart stopped.
"Password?" the lady asked.
Hiro opened his mouth, but no voice came out.
Mochi was meowing and pawing the bottom of the picture frame, hoping to be let in to see his other master.
Even though his legs had carried him there, they couldn't take a step forward.
He used to go there everyday, probably every free time he had, but not anymore.
After minutes of silence, and the lady getting impatient, Hiro took a deep breath.
He turned around and walked away, ignoring Mochi's mewls of distress.
He can't go beck there. No. Not after what had happened. The memories were too painful.
Tadashi was gone. He wasn't coming back.
There had been a terrible accident. Dementors had attacked the school. And Hiro had almost fell victim if it weren't for his brother, who saved him from a Dementor's kiss. Tadashi and the older students had fought hard to drive them back with their Patronus.
Everyone came back alive. Except two.
"Ow!" Hiro snatched his right hand out of his pocket. A small white creature fell out of his pocket, and scampered across the hallway.
Mochi chased the small white rodent in delight.
"Baymax!" the young boy gasped, and ran after his pets.
Unbelievable, he thought. As a prodigy, he had already skipped 2 years, and a possibility he would skip another. However, being a prodigy doesn't always mean he's always a good example.
Summoning his light charm, he chased his pets down the halls, waking up the portraits and alarming the ghosts, and almost getting caught by the caretaker. He was too well known for the caretaker's liking. Well, he and Fred.
"Baymax, Mochi! Come back!" he hissed loudly, gnashing his teeth. He wonders why he has to keep two of them. The rat and cat have a complicated relationship- they could be best friends, and the next minute, Baymax would disappear in the cat's mouth and it's tail would be dangling out.
It didn't take long to find the Japanese bobtail pawing at a wooden door, meowing.
"Once we get back, I'm going to turn you into a rat," Hiro mumbled as he pushed the cat aside- finding the door had a hole. Baymax was on the other side. Great, he thought as he pulled at the door. It was locked. "You two are in so much trouble when we get back,"
Hiro was puzzled. He doesn't remember or recognize this part of the castle. He, Tadashi and Fred knew the castle at the back of their hands, and had explored every inch of it. But after all, it's Hogwarts.
"Alohamora," he muttered.
There was a blue glow at the tip of his wand, and a sound of a click from the inside. The boy pushed the door open and was greeted with darkness and cobwebs. Clutching his wand , which had a white light glowing from it's tip, he timidly crept in.
The room was empty. It looked like it was once a classroom, but all the tables and chairs were taken away. And in the middle of the room was a big mirror with a golden frame and arc. Directly in front of it was his pet rat, looking straight at it, unmoving.
Mochi, to Hiro's surprise, walked up to the mirror and sat next to the white rat, and stared into the mirror. The boy began to inspect the mirror as he walked towards it and his pets. He was curious and yet frightened. He read the wordings on the golden arch, puzzled with the writing.
"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."
It was some sort of foreign writing. He had never read or heard about this object in any of his history books. Perhaps it's just a piece of junk. But what would a piece of ordinary junk be doing in an empty classroom? And what's so great about it that made Mochi and Byamax obsessed in it.
He looked at his reflection. Yep, it's skinny him alright, in his blue robe, and messy hair. He peered at it closer and then-
He saw Tadashi behind him.
He gasped and quickly looked over his shoulder. No one was there. He looked back at the mirror. Tadashi was there, smiling at him. Tadashi was wearing his black shirt and olive green jacket and pants. The outfit in which Hiro had last seen him. The only difference was the smile. The last time Hiro had seen him, Tadashi had a terrified look on his face.
"Hiro, get out of here!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
"That's not an excuse. Get back to the dorms. We'll handle this. Go!"
And now Tadashi had a smile on his face. The What's up bonehead? smile.
Bile rose up to Hiro's throat. His whole body was shaking. This has got to be some kind of sick joke, right? It-it couldn't be, right?
Tadashi is gone.
But it looked too real.
Tadashi was staring back at him!
"Ta-tadashi?" he croaked, and whispered "Nii-san?" Tadashi smiled and nodded. Two figures seem to be appearing next to the older Hamada. An Asian couple in their mid thirties, a few inches shorter than Tadashi. The lady was wearing a simple purple dress and the man in a suit. Hiro recognized them from the old pictures.
"Mom?" he whispered, looking at the lady. The lady's smile widened. He looked at the man. "Dad?" The older man gave a small nod.
Hiro looked back at his own reflection. There was his mom, dad, and his older brother , all looking at him with warm smiles.
He reached out his right hand towards the mirror, and touch it. If only..
Nothing happened. His right arm slumped back down to his side, disappointed. He sighed.
Who was he kidding? And what was he expecting? The mirror to be some kind of portal to go through into ?
At least he was hoping it would. His family was over there. And he was…alone.
Here. In reality. Alone.
He sees Tadashi's smile fall, and see's his brother put his hand on his shoulder. Instinctively, Hiro's hand shot up to where Tadashi had placed his hand, only to realize that it wasn't there. He couldn't do anything. All he could do was stare at the mirror, at his family. It looked perfect and complete, with Mochi and Baymax sitting at his (or their) feet.
But it was something that was impossible and couldn't have.