Disclaimer all characters, settings, etc, are the copyright of JK Rowling and Bloomsbury Publishing
The Return
Chapter 10 The mirror
The following day they were back in London, they left Diagon Alley and made for the nearest Muggle shopping centre. Hermione had them follow her to a public phone box and while they all stood waiting on the pavement she called her father, just two minutes later she had finished the call and was heading off at a brisk pace leading them away from the town centre.
"Just where are we off too?" Luna called as they all followed along behind.
"We need to find an out of town DIY store, dad says they are huge and sell eveything we could want," Hermione said a little breathlessly and slowing her pace.
She led the way through the streets till they came to a huge store; the signs offered everything from a light bulb to a fitted kitchen or bedroom, it did not take them long to find a mirror that Hermione thought was suitable. Having paid for it she and Luna led the way back to Diagon Alley while Harry and Ron followed on behind, the large mirror carried between them.
"Can't I just put a little spell on it, Hermione? The darn thing is getting heavy," pleaded Ron.
"No Ron, not with all these Muggle's around, you will just have to manage," Hermione whispered.
Harry thought slightly different and using his new found magic, he looked at the mirror and thought 'wingardium leviosa'.
Ron grinned and gave Harry a wink as the mirror suddenly became weightless.
"Ok, it was just an idea, we wizards are just not used to doing heavy work," Ron said just a little too cheerfully making Hermione and Luna turn around and look at them suspiciously.
Once safely inside the leaky cauldron they sent the mirror on to the Burrow, then they sat and had a cool butterbeer before disaparating to the Burrow and one of Molly's marvellous meals. As they ate Hermione outlined her ideas and plans, "I don't know why I did not think of it before, we can use Morgana's cruel and nasty little idea of letting Merlin see the outside world through reflections while still imprisoned," she said frowning.
"I have an idea that if we can take the mirror into Merlin's prison, then we should be able to negate that bit of magic that keeps Merlin trapped, all we need do is take the mirror to his side of the wards or what ever they are and leave through it bringing Merlin with us. no doubt that there will be some sort of problem in doing it, after all I can't see Morgana leaving such a gaping hole in her seals and wards, but having said that there were not so many mirrors then and it being a Muggle mirror, any enchantment against a magic mirror should not be effective."
Harry suggested they return to Pont tye and to enlist the assistance of Hugh and Mya. "That way we will be closer to Merlin, they have that large mirror where we first saw him and besides I really like the place and perhaps Merlin could stay with them while he gets used to his new freedom." so convinced was he that Hermione had solved the problem of freeing the ancient wizard, that it had not even entered his mind that they might fail.
Having made their minds up to spend a few more days in Wales they arranged to catch the knight bus to a little village called Ty-Nant on the A5; from there they could enjoy a walk to Pont tye farm, all this sorted they decided it was time to go to bed for the morrow would be a busy day.
They were up at five thirty the next morning and while Molly made them another of her huge breakfasts of bacon sausage eggs and toast, they discussed the possible problems they might encounter in getting the mirror into Merlin's forest prison.
"We might have to actually physically find the place," Luna said looking a little doubtful.
Harry and Hermione were convinced that they would be able to get there through the large mirror; while Ron was equally convinced it was not going to be quite so easy.
At six thirty they climbed aboard the knight bus and with a bang were heading for North Wales. The journey was a bit of a nightmare as the four friends struggled to keep the mirror safe against the violent swaying of the bus. After several witches and wizards were dropped off around the country they reached their destination. All four were glad to be off the bus and back on firm ground. Ron swore he would only ever use it in the future if it was the one and only way left to travel.
Harry looked around the tiny village they had arrived in; once he had got his bearings he led the way to Pont tye farm. Each one of them held a corner of the mirror as they walked along the quiet little winding lane that led them up the hill to their destination.
Hugh was just leaving the house when they arrived in the gateway; "You got any spare room's mister?" Harry called to him as he closed the door.
Hugh turned and on seeing them came rushing over to welcome them back. "Mya will be so pleased to see you again so soon," he said, as he shook hands vigorously with each of them.
Hermione told Hugh and Mya of their plans as they sat around the kitchen table enjoying a marvellous cup of tea made with mountain spring water.
"Let me get this right, you found Merlin here on your last visit and now you are going to try to set him free?" Hugh said
"That's right and we were hoping you might help, we don't yet know what effect if any being back in the normal world will have on him. The very least we will need is a meal and somewhere for him to stay," Hermione told them.
"If the greatest wizard who ever lived, present company excepted," Mya said looking at Harry, "needs a place to stay we would be so proud to have him stay here, in fact he can stay here as long as he likes".
Having finished drinking their tea Hugh led the way to the barn, followed by Ron and Harry with the mirror almost floating along between them and then the women a few steps behind having a discussion about the new fashion in robes. It was not long before they stood in front of the large mirror; Harry called to Merlin, who appeared looking as if he had just awoken.
"We have a large Muggle mirror we are going to try to bring to you, then we can hopefully use it to set you free. Hermione thinks there may be unforeseen problems like rapid aging and stuff if we do manage to free you so we need to know if you are willing to take the chance." Harry told him.
Merlin smiled "What would you do Harry, would you stay imprisoned if there were a slight chance of a little freedom? Besides I have been here long enough to know that even death would be a welcome release from this captivity."
"Well sir if you will just stand back, Harry once I charm the mirror you will need to pass through the mirror pulling this one with you," Hermione said as she waved her wand.
Harry grabbed the floating mirror and stepped through the mirror they used before, a violent bang flung him back out as the Muggle mirror touched the magic one.
"Well so much for using any magic to help us." Luna said.
"Ron you and Harry will have to carry it," Hermione told them while she removed the charm to levitatate the muggle mirror, she looked a little doubtful.
A quick try proved Hermione's doubts, they could not carry a full length mirror and hold hands at the same time and as Harry was the only one among them who could walk through mirrors they had to try some thing else.
"Luna why don't you walk through in the middle then you can hold Ron and Harry's hands?" Mya suggested.
This was when they realised that the mirror they were entering was not big enough for the three of them.
"Simple answer is to shrink the darn thing then enlarge it on the other side," offered Hugh hopefully.
Harry charmed the mirror to fit in his closed hand and went through to the other side, once there Harry was rather surprised he had been able to do it, but then he realised the two mirrors had not touched and that was how he was able to carry the magically shrunken mirror with him. Both he and Merlin tried in vain for quite some time to get the mirror back to its normal size.
"It seems dear Morgana thought of that one, large mirrors were very few and far between a thousand years ago. She will have done something to prevent enlarging things," Merlin said to Harry.
Harry returned to the other side again taking the offending mirror with him. Luna suggested that Harry go through then reach back out and we will lift it and pass it to you, it seemed a good idea till they tried it, but a full length mirror gets to be exceedingly bottom end heavy when you can only hold one end. They gave the idea up as the mirror dropped to the ground and broke in to several large and dangerous slivers.
A quick repair was done by Mya and they were back where they had started. They all spent the rest of the day trying to figure a way to get the mirror through but had no luck, they even tried to enlarge the magic mirror, a suggestion of Ron's but as soon as they touched it the magic one regained its usual size. By evening they had decided they definitely needed a much larger mirror than the one in the barn if they were to take the muggle mirror to Merlin.
Over the evening meal many suggestions were made but none that they had not tried already, slightly despondent they all decided to get some sleep and approach the problem afresh in the morning. It was two in the morning when Ron woke Harry, "Wake up Harry, I know what to do," he said as he shook his friend from his sleep. Harry sat up wondering what was going on, while Ron was busy waking up Luna and Hermione.
"What the hell is wrong with you Ron?" Hermione hissed at him, not enjoying him having woken her in the middle of a wonderful dream about Harry and children and decorating a home of their own.
"I know what to do, look," Ron was pointing at the large windows of the room.
Peering into the darkness all they could see were the dark shadows of some nearby trees hardly discernable against the black moonless sky.
"Are you cracking up Ron?" Hermione shouted at him as she stubbed her toe against the bedside cabinet, "why the hell are you wandering around ranting in the bloody dark?" she was furious with him as she hopped around clutching her toe, the others never having heard her swear before all looked into the dark to where her voice was coming from..
Harry could feel, more than see Hermione looking at him; he knew she would have the look on her face that said 'he's gone raving mad'.
"Get up you lot, think, what happens on a moonless night?" Ron said sounding exasperated that they did not see what he was getting at.
"It goes dark?" Harry ventured.
"Exactly," Ron said excitement in his voice, "it goes very dark, then when you turn on the light the window becomes a mirror." He walked over to the door and felt around the wall for a moment then finding the light switch he switched on the light and sure enough the window became like a huge mirror.
Harry got up and walked over to the window and tried to look out; he had to lean right up against it to see even the faintest sight of the outside world, "How high do you think we are?" he asked.
"What? What's that got to do with any thing?" Ron asked
"Well if we fall through the window I want to know how hard I am going to hit the ground," Harry grinned.
"You know Harry, I think Ron's right, I think it would work," Hermione sounded as enthusiastic as Ron had.
Luna still had doubts but she said "It must be worth a try Harry, anyway if you fall it won't hurt too much, the grass out there is rather long, and you should be used to landing on your butt after all that Quidditch and falling off broomes."
Harry looked again at the window and as he looked at the reflections of himself, Luna, Ron and Hermione he was convinced.
Harry stood at one end of the mirror, Ron at the other and the girls in the middle. Harry with one hand holding the mirror the other holding Hermione's hand, Hermione held Luna who took hold of Ron's free hand they picked up the mirror, with Harry leading the way they walked toward the window.
Harry's head hit the glass with a clunk; "Oop's," Harry said shaking his head.
"What do you mean oop's?" Hermione asked.
"Forgot to think of water," Harry said quietly.
On the second attempt they found themselves in pitch darkness, Hermione let go of Harry and took out her wand "lumos," she said rather forcefully, her wand tip lit up the trees in the glade that was Merlin's prison.
Ron and Harry placed the mirror up against a tree, then with all four wands illuminated they began to look around for Merlin. It took them several minutes to get their bearings in the dark and a couple more before they found the area where Merlin slept.
A few minutes later they were knocking on the farmhouse door; it took a while before Hugh poked his head from his bedroom window, wanting to know who the heck had woken him. "Oh its you, and I was just going to have another delicious pint of beer down at the goat inn too, ah well I'll get back to that dream later, wont be a moment." he said as he disapeared from view.
Hugh opened the kitchen door and invited them in. it was then he noticed Merlin, without a word he rushed off up the stairs to fetch Mya and they both returned to make a great fuss of the great legendary Welsh wizard. Minutes later they were all sat around the open fire in the huge farmhouse living room, Mya brought in a pot of freshly brewed tea. Merlin had his first taste of tea and declared it to be as refreshing as a good mead. Ron however said it was an arguable statement at best "A good mead like the one at Hogsmeade would take a lot of beating."
"Ah but you see Ron for a thousand years or more I have had only two things to drink, water from the stream or Meade from a barrel that never emptied, a fellow can get fed up with something you know," Merlin said.
Having finished his tea and been given a fresh mug full by Mya Merlin did an age test on himself. As the figures began to form 120 years seven months he looked on slightly amazed. "I seem to have aged but ten years since my incarceration," he declared to them as he let out a sigh. "I must admit I was a little worried, and I did tend to think Hermione may be correct about rapid aging."
Hermione sat thoughtful for a time before she spoke "I think what ever wards and shields Morgana used must have some how protected that area from the normal passage of time somehow slowing it down."
At four am Hermione said that they really should get back to bed and everyone except Merlin and Hugh agreed. When having wished everyone good night, Merlin and Hugh spent the rest of the night talking. Merlin had so many questions about the things he had seen through the reflections in his pool, he had watched as the passage of time had brought about so many changes to the world. Hugh did his best to answer them all.