Late December, 1991

I didn't blame Harry for sneaking out to see that mirror again. When I'd seen him trying to sneak down from the dormitory while I had been working on an extra credit essay—not that I needed it—, I had decided to join him after hearing so much about it.

So, we had come to the mirror, hidden from others beneath the Invisibility Cloak.

I stared at the mirror. Like Harry, I was not alone in the mirror's reflection. Just over my shoulder were two people, who I assumed to be my parents.

My mother did not appear malicious or violent or mad in any way. Instead, she appeared calm and loving and kind…if only it were the truth, I lamented. Studying her beautiful face, I decided McGonagall and Ollivander were right. I did look a lot like her. She had long, thick, curly, glossy ebony black locks that were styled in an elegant hairdo: half was up in a bun atop her head, curls spilling down from it, the rest hanging down framing her face. I'd gotten a slight curl to my hair from her, and the dark hued hair. She had a strong jaw, thin nose, and a slightly thin face. She had a tall, curvy, slim physique, adding to her beauty. Dark eyes—much darker than my own—seemed to sparkle proudly as she smiled softly to me.

Beside her, my father had slightly messy brown hair with the slightest curl to it. He, too, had dark eyes, though not quite as dark as my mother's. He had a tall, lean frame, but underlying muscles present. He had a thin face, too, with a short beard growing and sharp features.

There was no sign of malice on his face, as there had been none upon my mother's face, but I knew it would not—could not—be so in reality.

They were both cold blooded murderers. They would never be the loving parents I wished they would be. Never. If anything, they would most certainly kill me if they found me.

"So—back again, Harry? Bella?" a voice said from behind Harry and I.

I spun and saw Dumbledore literally appear out of thin air, sitting on a desk by the opposite wall.

"A Disillusionment Charm, correct?" I asked curiously, before I could stop myself.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Harry roll his eyes. He knew of my insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Dumbledore chuckled. "As always, correct Miss Swan. How do you even know of the charm?" I blinked, then explained about how it had been in a thick, ancient-looking volume from the library that I'd read a few weeks ago.

He smiled, amused, and said, "I'm surprised. That is normally a spell you would learn about in seventh year. But then again, it is you. I should have expected you—as well as Miss Granger—to know about them," he chuckled, his piercing eyes twinkling amusedly. "Five points to Gryffindor."

There was a moment of silence, until Dumbledore said, "So, you two, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"We didn't know it was called that, sir," Harry replied. My eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as my eyes were drawn to the inscription on the top of the mirror…then gasped in realization.

"The Mirror of Erised…the Mirror of Desire…" I murmured, then read the inscription, backwards. "I show not your face but your heart's desire…"

"Very good, Miss Swan." Dumbledore said, nodding. "It shows what we desire the most in the world—our heart's truest desires. You both, who have never known a true family, see just that. You see your parents and family, Harry. And you, Bella, see your parents."

"But in the mirror they aren't Voldemort's followers, I see," I added, gazing sadly at the enchanted glass.

"And it shows your friend, Ronald, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, standing alone, the best of them all. But the mirror gives us neither knowledge nor truth. Many have wasted away before it, entranced by what they see." He explained. "The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, Bella, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it again, you will be prepared. Now, I think it best for you both to go back to bed."

We both nodded. As Harry picked up the Invisibility Cloak, I paused, then said, "Professor, may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What do you see when you look in the Mirror?"

Dumbledore paused before looking to the Mirror. "I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."

Both Harry and I stared.

"One can never have enough socks," he replied. I raised an eyebrow, suspecting he wasn't quite telling the truth. "Another Christmas come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People insist on giving me books…."

As he walked out of the room, I blinked and said to Harry, "You know, Ron might just be right; he may very well be off his rocker."