Chapter 10

Hello everyone! Hope you enjoy

Christmas time was coming. Amy signed her name down for those remaining in school for the holidays. She was so happy that she wouldn't be with the Dusleys this Christmas but also sad she didn't have a family to come home to.

It didn't help as Draco took to taunting her any moment he got for her not having a family. She just ignored him but it did get to her. She was glad Jen was going to be with her.

Amy got a catalogue and began ordering for presents for Jen, Hermione, Parvati, Lavender, Fred, Gorge, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.

On the closing date, Amy and Jen escorted Hermione to the horse less carriages. "I can't wait to go home. I really missed mum and dad despite the letters." gushed Hermione almost bouncing as they went to the carriages.

"Did you say you grandparents will be there too?"

"Yes and I can't wait to see them too. We always have a get together Christmas time." said Hermione. "Everyone brings some food and wine and we have a huge buffet…" Hermione trailed off when the carriages came into view.

"Are those horseless carriages?" said Hermione stunned.

"Um, maybe the horses are going to come?" said Jen shrugging.

"The carriages look ready to go. Maybe they are invisible horses." Said Amy and Hermione gasped. "Could it be…I will have to research that."

"Well you can research later. No you need to get in the carriage." said Jen. Hermione got in the carriage and they were indeed invisible as the carriages rode out.

xxx

Since there were not many people in the castle, Amy and Jen took to exploring the castle getting lost numerous times but having fun and plotting ways of having Malfoy expelled.

"Well if we can't get him expelled then we need to prank them." said Amy.

"Definitely. We need to brainstorm." said Jen and they xame up with outrageous ideas amidst laughter.

Jen started teaching Amy wizard chess in between doing their holiday work all the time wishing Hermione was there to help them. Chess was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Jen was really good at chess, excellent in fact and Amy couldn't beat her at one game.

Amy also continued her lessons with professor Dumbledore. Her magic was improving steadily. After learning meditation which she did almost every night, it made her get in touch with her magic and be able to feel it. Now she was reading and getting to understand what magic was. this opened her eyes a lot. Spell casting was now easier. Even though the lessons were still mostly theory, Amy enjoyed them a lot and looked forward to them.

On Christmas Eve, Amy went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all. She was used to having none.

Christmas day and the mirror 25 December

Amy was woken up early in the morning by an excited Jen. "Amy wake up! Come on wake up! it's Christmas and it means presents!"

"Jen! I want to sleep." whined Amy but Jen was having none of it so Amy woke sleepily and wore a night gown before she was dragged down stairs to a tree in the common room where they were piles of gifts.

"Come on. There is your pile." said Jen.

"I have presents too?" said Amy in surprise.

"Of course you do. Why shouldn't you?" said Jen turning to her own pile, which was a lot bigger than Amy's.

Amy was awed. Her first pile of Christmas presents! She picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Amy, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Amy grinned and blew it — it sounded a bit like an owl.

A second, very small parcel contained a note. We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. FromUncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.

"That's friendly," said Amy. Jen looked at the money fascinated and Amy gave it to her for keepsake.

The next one was from Hermione who got her a book on quidditch.

'Hey Amy.

I know you don't know much about quidditch (same as me!) so I got you this. It's got great moves by seekers (not that I know them) and it updates if there is another new move. Just don't get hurt.

Merry Christmas."

Amy was so touched and glad. It was a really thoughtful gift. She got a beautiful leather journal from Jen.

'Amy.

I know that there is a lot that you can't say out loud about you and your life but you can write it down. No one else except you can open this and if lost, it automatically returns to you.

Lots of love Jen.'

Jen got a huge hug from Amy. She got a box of candy and chocolates from Lavender, a scarf from Parvati… There were also some sweets and chocolates from other students that Amy had always wanted to eat.

"I think I know who that one's from," said Jen when Amy picked a brown lumpy package, turning a bit pink. "My mom. I told her you didn't expect any presents." Amy opened it touched Jen's mum would send her something.

"She's made you a Weasley sweater." Amy was holding out a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green a match to her eyes and a large box of homemade fudge. "Every year she makes us a sweater," said Jen, unwrapping her own which was blue her favorite color.

"That's really nice of her," said Amy, trying the fudge, which was very tasty. She wore the jumper and though slightly bigger than her it was comfy and soft.

This only left one parcel. Amy picked it up and felt it. It was very light. She unwrapped it. Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Jen gasped.

"I've heard of those," she said in a hushed voice. "If that's what I think it is — they're really rare, and really valuable."

"What is it?" Amy picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak," said Jen, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is — try it on."

Amy threw the cloak around her shoulders and Jen gasp. "It is! Look down!"

Amy looked down at her feet, but they were gone. She dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, her reflection looked back at her, just her head suspended in midair, her body completely invisible. She pulled the cloak over her head and her reflection vanished completely.

"There's a note!" said Jen suddenly. "Read it!"

Amy pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing she had never seen before were the following words:

Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is a family heirloom, It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Merry Christmas to you.

There was no signature. Amy stared at the note.

Jen was admiring the cloak. "I'd give anything for one of these," she said. "Anything." Jen saw she was not ok and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," said Amy. She felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to her father? Before she could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Amy stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. She didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.

"Merry Christmas!" "Hey, look — Amy's got a Weasley sweater, too!" Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G. "Amy's is better than ours, though," said Fred, looking at it. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."

xxx

To Amy this was her best Christmas ever. She played with the Weasleys playing in the snow. They build a snow man and snow woman… had a snow ball fight, Percy was buried in the snow when the twins dumped it on him…

Dumbledore gave her mail from her fans across the wizard world with presents for her too (they arrived to him since he was her guardian and he checked them for anything harmful)… she was stunned so many people would take time to write and wish her a merry Christmas. "Duh you are the girl who livef aren't you? You are famous." Jen had said in a 'you should know this' voice. Dumbledore helped her draft a standard thank you note.

Christmas dinner was the best part. There was lots of amazing food. There were also wizard crackers that gave you presents and she left with a lot of nice presents including a nice chess set which she gave to Jen earning herself a large bone crushing hug.

xxx

After dinner they went to bed and after talking and goofing around and having a pillow fight, Jen fell asleep. Amy lay wide awake not at all sleepy. She was so excited. This had been her best day ever and she didn't want it to end.

She wondered what to do with all the energy she still had then she remembered the cloak! Awesome. She could walk around the castle without being seen! She got out of bed excited and took out her cloak and wore it then she left the dorms and tower.

She had explored with Jen a lot and they knew most corridors so it was easier for her to walk around. As she walked she came across a door. She didn't remember ever coming across it with Jen. She decided to investigate hoping she wouldn't find yet another 3 headed dog or some fearsome creature.

It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket — but propped against the wall facing her was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way. It was a mirror! It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet.

There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. She studied the words on and then it clicked. It was written backwards. She made out the words, "I show not your face but you heart's desire! Neat."

Amy moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at herself but see no reflection again. She stepped in front of it.

She stood and looked into the mirror. She saw herself only she was different. She was taller than she was now and she had no scar. She looked very happy her green eyes twinkling. Her parents. There were her grandparents and there was Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Diana looking lovingly at her and beside her mum. It was her family.

Her greatest wish was to have had a normal family. She had a powerful kind of ache inside her, half joy, half terrible sadness. She tried to talk to them like the portraits but couldn't. How long she stood there, she didn't know.

The reflections did not fade and she looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to her senses. She couldn't stay here, she had to find her way back to bed. She tore her eyes away from her mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.

xxx 26 December

"You could have woken me up," said Jen, crossly after Amy told her what had happened the next day. "I cannot believe you went to explore alone! You could have been found or got lost or even eaten by some giant dog!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "You sound like Hermione."

Jen's eyes widened with horror and Amy laughed. "You can come tonight. I'm going back to see them again."

"I'd like to see your mom and dad," Jen said eagerly.

"You won't be able to see them in the mirror."

"Why not?" asked Jen perplexed.

"The mirror shows your heart's desire. Mine is…is for my parents to be alive, to have a family that loves me and not to have the scar on my face. (Amy was silent) I wish I had that you know. A family that cares and loves me…" said Amy sadly furiously wiping the tears falling from her eyes.

Jen came and hugged her. "You do have family Amy. You have me, my family, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Hermione…we are all your family."

"Thanks Jen." said Amy smiling.

"Ok now about the mirror."

"Ok. Ok. We will go tonight." said Amy.

At breakfast Amy saw the prophet headline while Percy was reading. "MALFOY'S ALL WHITE MAGNIFICENT BALL'

"Percy can i see that?" asked Amy looking at the picture of what seemed to be Draco's parents dressed in white robes standing before a magnificent manor. "Oh the Malfoys...they throw a Christmas bash every year." said Percy nonchalantly.

"Wow..." said Amy. Seeing the pictures, Amy now knew why Draco walked around like he was a prince. Living like that...well Potter manor was much nicer she thought... The article talked about the guests who were many purebloods and prominent people including the minister of France and Britain, the food and well everything in between.

Jen saw herself as a successful rich someone having transformed her family from being poor.

27 DECEMBER

The next day, Amy was quiet and Jen caught her with her parents' album. She sighed. She didn't know how to lift Amy's spirit.

Amy went back again to the mirror and sat down seeing them. She was seeing her parents and her grandparents and they loved her. She didn't want to let that go.

"So back again, Amy?" Amy felt as though her insides had turned to ice. She looked behind her. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Amy must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror she hadn't noticed him.

"I — I didn't see you, sir."

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Amy was relieved to see that he was smiling.

"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Amy, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."Amy was silent.

"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"

"It shows my heart's desire."

"Of course. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Jennifer Weasley, who is from a poor family sees herself as the way out of poverty and the one to shine and lead her family…"

"How did you know Jen was here?"

"I was here as well only I don't need an invisibility cloak to be invisible. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Amy, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"

Amy stood up. "Sir — Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?" "I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks." Amy stared not believing him.

"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

xxx

After Christmas and being caught by Dumbledore the only exciting things that had happened was New Years day where there was a feast that lasted to midnight where there was a countdown and even fireworks. Wizard fireworks were awesome!

She and Jen had taken to use the cloak to explore the castle. They got to find out where the other house entrances were by following the other housemates. They had lots of fun discovering some hidden rooms and they even discovered a secret entrance though they were scared to follow it through.

There it is. I hope you enjoyed!