"Harry, have you not packed yet?" Hermionie was levetating her suitcase behind her.
"No, I got a letter from dad, he's got extra work at the ministry, its something really important otherwise I know he'd blow it off and Remus is ill so I'll be staying at Hogwarts this year, or at least for part of the break." Harry shrugged.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not so bad, Ron will be here too."
"My parents and little sister are going to visit my brother Charlie in Romania. So we're all staying here."
"Well good then you can both keep looking for Nicholas Flamel in the library."
"We've looked a hundred times." Ron groaned.
"Not in the restricted section," Hermione whispered. "Happy Christmas."
Ron looked at Harry "I think we've been a bad influence on her."
Harry laughed.
"How are you feeling?" James had gone out after Remus had passed out earlier and brought back some food and tea knowing the man would be exhausted after the full moon.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For not being able to take care of Harry while you work."
"Don't be stupid Remus its not you're fault, besides Harry's not alone, Ron's with him and he seemed more than ok with spending Christmas at Hogwarts… I think he's still mad at me."
"And you tell me not to be stupid." Remus yawned as he ate. "He probably just didn't want you to feel bad."
"I sent him all his presents. And yours too." James smiled suddenly "Oh and I think the marauders got him something too."
"What? James what did you do?"
"Nothing, I had to give him the cloak." James smiled "But I'd only just told him off for sneaking around so I couldn't say it was from me."
Remus laughed "You think he got into trouble before this, honestly James."
"I couldn't help it, it was always meant to be his." James shrugged.
"You big softy."
"HARRY! HARRY WAKE UP!"
"What?" Groaned Harry
"IT'S CHRISTMAS WAKE UP!"
Harry bolted out of bed almost smacking into the door still half asleep. He pushed his glasses onto his face.
"Happy Christmas Ron."
"Happy Christmas."
"What are you wearing." Ron had on a large hand knitted maroon sweater with a large R on it.
"My mum made it, I thinkyou've got one too." He blushed and Harry grinned. "Sure enough Harry had one too in emerald green and no initial. He opened the rest of his presents as well. His dad always got him good stuff normally from Zonko's joke shop. With Remus it was always something hand made and normally enchanted with really clever charms. Remus always got very embarrassed but Harry tended to like his gifts the best.
"There's one more for you here Harry." Ron tossed him a parcel it was light and Harry tilted his head as he read the note.
Use it well
The Maruaders.
"Who are the marauders?" Ron asked
"I don't know."
"Well go on, open it!" Harry ripped open the present and held up the gift it was some kind of cloak he wrapped it around himself and Ron gaped.
"Wow," Harry said looking down at where his body should be.
"That's an invisibility cloak, those are really rare," Ron whispered
"I wish I knew who gave it to me."
"Who cares its bloody brilliant."
Harry spent the rest of christmas day with the Weasley brothers and it was wonderful though as the night drew to a close he really did find that he was missing his father. Harry sat up that night listening to Ron snore soundly in his sleep. He shuffled through his presents pulling free the invisibility cloak and wrapping it around himself quietly sneaking out of the room finally out of the common room. He could go anywhere he wanted to go, but for Harry the only place for him to go was the library. He was still intensely curious about Nicolas Flamel and Hermionie's whispered words about the restricted section stuck with him.
It didn't take Harry long to get into trouble, who knew that books from the restricted section screamed! And then as if that wasn't enough he'd ran into Snape again. It really cemented into his mind that Snape was trying to steal whatever it was fluffy was guarding as Harry watched him threaten poor Professor Quirrel.
Snape headed toward him as he stalked away from uirrel and Harry rushed backwards until he could safely hide in an old empty classroom. He listened until Snape's footsteps faded and sighed in relief. He couldn't wait to tell Ron and Hermionie. Harry turned around and was quite shocked to find a antique looking Mirror hidden inside. He pulled off his cloak and curiously made his way forward tilting his head a little to get a better look.
Harry gasped.
He was not alone in his reflection, there was a woman. She looked young, with bright red hair and a kind smile. Harry had seen her before in pictures that his father had shown him. He looked behind him but there was no one there, he was alone in the room. His mother existed only within the mirror. She smiled at him and Harry gavea small tentative smile back.
"Mom." She nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. Harry drank in the site of her. He sat there on the cold floor for hours until the sun began to rise and he finally tore himself away but not before promising to come back. For some reason Lily looked sad when he said he'd be back.
"RON RON!"
"Harry it's too early."
"Come on get up I've got to show you something." Harry pulled Ron out of his bed and through the halls dragging him into the room. "Look"
"I just see us?"
"Maybe you have to stand in front of it more." He moved letting Ron take his spot and frowning when he lost sight of his mother now only seeing himself and Ron.
"Wow." Run breathed out.
"Do you see her."
"No that's me. I'm head boy and bloody hell I'm quidditch captain too! I look good." Ron whispered, "Do you think this mirror shows the future?"
"How can it, my mother is dead." Harry said sadly "Let me have a look."
"You had it to yourself last night."
"Yeah but you can see yourself any old time, I want to see my mother."
"Don't push me!" A sudden sound made them both freeze before scrambling to pull on the cloak. "Come on Harry let's get out of here before we get in trouble." He pulled Harry from the room.
"Do you want to play in the snow?"
"Not really?"
"What about going to visit Hagrid we can thank him for our gifts."
"Maybe later."
"Harry, I know what you're thinking and I don't think you should go back there. That mirror's bad for you."
"You sound like Hermione."
"I'm serious Harry. Don't go back there." But Harry wanted to see his Mother again and not even Ron would stop him.
"That night he went back and just sat there staring at his mother, talking to her, telling her stories about himself and his dad.
"Back again Harry."
Harry Jumped and turned on his heal "Professor Dumbledore. I didn't see you, sir."
"So you like so many others before you have discovered the delights of the mirror of Erised."
"I didn't know it was called that sir."
"But I'm sure by now that you realize what it does." Harry shook his head. "Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself exactly as he is."
"Then it shows us what we want whatever we want?"
"Yes, and no. It shows us no more and no less then the deepest and most desperate desires of our heart. You Harry have never known you're mother, you see her standing beside you. But remember this Harry this mirror gives us neither truth nor knowledge. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. That is why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home." Dumbledore said and Harry looked at him " I must ask that you not go looking for it again. It doesn not do to dwell on dreams Harry and forget to live." Dumbledore smiled "Now then I think you're father is looking for you."
"My dad?"
"Yes he flooed here earlier and is very keen on picking you up and taking you home for the rest of the holidays." Harry's eyes brightened.
Dumbledore escorted the boy back to his office and James pulled him into his arms. Harry hugged him back tightly tears in his eyes.
The old man smiled at the two and excused himself giving James free use of his floo.
"Harry what's wrong, why are you crying."
"I saw mom."
"What?" James looked confused.
"There's this mirror, I found it on Christmas. When I looked into it she was there, she was smiling at me." James hugged Harry close to him as his son cried. He'd gotten a letter from ron telling him Harry was acting strangely and he was sure this was why. "It's alright Harry, I'm sorry for leaving you alone." When Harry didn't respon he looked down and realized the child had fallen asleep, He flooed them both home and put Harry to bed.
He didn't leave his son's side for the rest of the night. He wished Lily was here, She'd know what to do, though if she were here than this wouldn't be happening they'd likely be a normal family and Harry would never have to feel such pain.
He looked out the window and up at the stars. "Lily you would have done so much better than me if I could switch places with you I would." He whispered.
It was the first time in a long time that Harry had cried over his mother, but it was also the first time she'd felt so close to him. As if she could just reach out and touch her. For a moment he'd even imagined being able to have her back in his life, to see his dad not look so sad and to have a mother to love him like only a mother can.
It wasn't that he loved his father any less, not at all. Harry could not imagine his life without James being there, his father was everything to him, but there would always be a part of him that wished for his mother.
