Chapter 14: Buried in Glass and Loss

Harry enjoyed his Christmas, the cheery day climaxing with some very entertaining fireworks displays by the Weasley Twins. The various incindiary devices made festive forms and figures, causing Filch and Snape to grimace, but the rest of the Professors seemed to be quite charmed and entertained, particularly Dumbledore and Flitwick for their own reasons. Dumbledore was quite fond of the Twins, their jokes were quite imaginative. Flitwick, on the other hand, was surprised. The Twins' pranks and jokes used some magic that even their fifth and sixth years had trouble with, often times working their own new twists into it.

The day came to a close with a small, but grand feast for the remaining students. The usual almost thousand students were numbering just around a hundred. As Harry and his two friends walked in, they realized the Great Hall looked so much smaller than usual. It must have been resized for the amount of students somehow.

Most of the remaining students were from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, the Birds because they were trying to study and get a leg up on exams and schoolwork, while the Badgers didn't really have much planned, with a lot of the muggleborns being a bit worried as to how they'd return and the rest wanting to stay by their friends.

The spread was magnificent and they allowed the students to sit where ever they wanted, with the House Colors not flying over any of the tables. Harry led Daphne and Tracey to the Weasley Twins who were sitting with Gryffindor Quidditch team members Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell who eyed the three curiously.

"Uhh, can we help you, Lord Potter?" Angelina asked with a mocking tone and a smirk.

Harry glared and the girl who when slightly pale. Not many people experienced the piercing glare from Harry Potter, but he received an equally frigid glare from the blonde girl at his right. While both Gryffindor girls looked stunned, the Twins laughed, turning with a flourish to the Slytherins.

"Hello, my dear Tracey." Fred grinned

"Having a good holiday are we?" George asked with a raised eyebrow.

The girls frowned at the Twins, confused by the familiarity.

"Guys." Angelina said. "They're Slytherins. What gives?"

She received a smirk from Tracey while Harry and Daphne maintained an expressionless face that would make Snape proud.

"This one," Fred said as he and George pointed at Tracey.

"Is our new understudy." George finished, still pointing at the smirking Slytherin.

The girls looked at each other but nodded slowly, not trusting the group. Harry Potter or not, with the boy being sorted in the Slytherin house, the long-lived rumors of him being the next and new Dark Lord seemed not too off. His attitude fit the part as far as they cared.

The group sat together, making conversation however uneasily came. They talked about the Twins new ideas for jokes, particularly Tracey, and about their Christmas presents. The Twins had supplied all four of their Snakes with Zonko's products, while the three of them (Blaise had said something about giving gifts in person) had given the Weasley Twins some rather high end clothes, which had made them laugh as their brothers seemed very off put, given that they only received Weasley quality sweaters from their mother.

The conversations soon were being punctuated with sighs and yawns, and the Professors were calling it a night. With a farewell to the Twins and half-hearted waves to the Gryffindor girls, they took the trek down to the dungeons.

ooooo

The forgotten brown packet was still awaiting Harry at the table when they walked in, talking in hushed tones about Tracey's ideas for pranks without Snape overhearing them.

"Hey, Harry. You left this here." Tracey said with a chuckle as she handed Harry the unwrapped present.

Harry looked the the item in question with small amounts of confusion before undoing the frayed string around it. As he did, the brown paper fell open and out fell something shimmery, like a solid sheet of water from the packaging. Daphne and Tracey both gasped.

"Is that...?" Tracey asked in awe.

Daphne nodded, slack jawed. Harry frowned, not entirely sure what this weird fabric ball on the ground was.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

He frowned as the girls looked at him as if he just offended their great ancestors.

"Harry, wrap the thing around you. If it's what I think it is, it's extremely rare. And amazing." Daphne said, still looking surprised.

Harry shrugged and picked up the weird sheet. It was a cloak of some sorts, a semi transparent black colored one. He frowned and the odd color but wrapped the oversized piece of outerwear around him. The girls gasped, making him look at them in question before he got a look at himself.

"It is." Tracey almost whispered.

"It is what?" Harry asked with a frown.

Daphne sighed and walked to the boy, taking his head and making him look down at himself. Harry jumped and stumbled over for adult-sized cloak. His lower body was just...gone. he couldn't see the cloak or himself but felt both, and suddenly it clicked.

"Bloody...it's an invisibility cloak!" He said in surprise.

The three of them took turns trying the cloak on, and would have continued if Tracey hadn't begun to over-excitedly describe the pranks she could pull with the cloak.

"Wait. Harry, Tracey."

The two of them turned to Daphne who looked like she had a brilliant idea.

"The cloak. We can enter the restricted section of the library. We can see if we can find information on Nicholas Flamell!"

The three children stood in silence, the thoughts swirling around their heads. Finally they had a chance at getting the answers they needed, ever since Hagrid had let slip that whatever the three headed...Fluffy...was guarding, had something to do with this mysterious Flamell person.

"I'll go." Harry said finally.

the three of them nodded, and Daphne went to the wrapping paper and saw a folded piece of parchment inside.

"Harry, look." She handed him the parchment which he opened and read aloud.

"Your father left this in my possession before he died.

It is time it was returned to you.

use it well.

Have a happy Christmas."

"That's it? No name or anything?" Daphne asked.

Harry shook his head and looked the note over. He couldn't recognize the hand writing. He handed the note to Daphne who read it over with a frown.

"I want one now." Tracey whined, eyeing the cloak that was draped against the Common Room sofa.

Harry chuckled and picked up the cloak, feeling the watery fabric with fascination. He swung the cloak over himself, covering his face. Daphne and Tracey's looks of wonder and amazement made him laugh internally, realizing how they looked around as if he'd moved. He walked out of the Common Room, getting a hasty good luck from the girls as he exited into the dungeons.

He felt powerful, unstoppable even. With the cloak, the entire castle was at his whim, a thought that made him smirk. He tightened the cloak around him and set off towards the library in a brisk pace. No one would deny him that Restricted section anymore.

ooooo

He walked into the library and looked around, trying to adjust his sight to the near pitch blackness of the expansive room. He picked up a small gas lamp that was left on Madam Pince's large librarian desk, lighting it with the attached flint and steel. With the illumination the lamp gave him, he walked on, approaching the sealed off part of the library.

He stepped over the dividing rope, and lifted his lamp up, checking the book spines for answers he might need. This proved somewhat unhelpful as many of the spines were peeling and wasted with age, some looking more ragged than others. A few that were in better shape held odd words, possibly other languages that Harry couldn't recognize, which was saying something. Being heirs to powerful wizarding families, Cyrus and Victoria had instructed both Harry and Daphne in various language spoken in Europe.

A faint whispering sound made Harry feel very uneasy. He couldn't explain it, nor really did he want to, but it seemed like the books themselves were calling to him, beckoning him closer. They wanted him to read them and this made him very uncomfortable.

With a small sigh, he set the lamp down on one of the counters, deciding that this easy as good a place as any to start his search. He searched the lower shelves for any tomes that might help, a large and thick book caught his eyes. He pulled the book out cautiously, still a bit wary of the whispering books, and set it on the nearest desk. He looked around, picking up a few other books before returning to the desk. He set his selections down in order from whence he picked them, opening the large book first.

A loud, blood curdling scream shattered the night, making Harry yelp in fright. He looked around as the scream continued before quickly realizing it was the book itself. As he shut the book, it let out one last shrill cry, making Harry want to put it down faster, knocking the book into his lamp, which fell to the ground, going out. With no small amount of panic, he set his invisibility cloak on, fastening it tightly before turning out, slowing down as he heard Filch's shuffling coming to the book room. He maneuvered around the man, who with his uneven gait, walked past him.

He walked away quickly, looking over his shoulder constantly for any signs of people watching the halls at night. In his rush, he walked on, not watching his surroundings until he realized he was getting lost. He stopped by a large suit of armor that looked like it belonged to a younger, not so massive Hagrid, trying to find his bearings.

"Professor, someone was in the Restricted Section. I came to find you as soon as I could." Came Filch's voice.

Harry's heart dropped. The man must have known about one of the Weasley paths and came up without him noticing it. Even worse when Harry realized who Filch was talking to.

"The Restricted section? They can't be far, we'll find them." Came the cold voice of Severus Snape.

They rounded the corner ahead of him, walking in his direction. Cloak or not, he was still there, with two grown men walking side by side in a very narrow corridor. He pressed himself quietly as into the wall as he could, hoping they wouldn't touch him. As he tried to flatten himself, he felt a door to his left, and much to his surprise, it was slightly open. With out a single sound, he went inside, closing the door before Filch or Snape could see it.

He heard them walk straight past him, making him let out a long breath in relief. He slumped against the wall, letting out a silent laugh. With the adrenaline rush wearing down, he took a moment to inspect his surroundings, finding himself in some odd circular room. The room looked like it held an odd altar of sorts, or maybe some kind of study. There was a table in the center of the room which was either the aforementioned altar or maybe a large desk. But most particular about the room, there was a large object that looked so out of place.

Against the far wall, a large paned mirror sat serenely, with a large window on the opposite wall letting in a wide beam of moonlight into the mirror, which in turn gave the room an otherworldly glow.

The mirror stood on two large clawed legs, holding up a very ornate and still glinting golden frame, despite the cobwebbing making it look like it'd been there for years. There was an inscription carved into the top of the frame, the light of the room being just so that he could make out what the words were:

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on woshi.

Harry stepped closer to the mirror, very intrigued. It was so magnificent and so alluring, yet so out of place it was outlandish. Almost as if it was hidden there.

He walked closer, standing in front of the mirror and gasped, his hand clamping over his mouth. He wasn't alone in the mirror. He turned and checked around him, seeing not a soul in the room. He slowly turned back to the mirrior, his breath hitching up again.

An attractive looking woman with deep red hair was smiling at him proudly, tears falling from her joyful green eyes as she waved at him. Her eyes...my eyes? Harry thought. He turned once more, seeing he was alone before turning back to the mirror in question. A tall man walked besides the woman and wrapped an arm around her. His glasses glinting slightly as if he were really in the room. But more interesting was that this man looked almost exactly like Harry did, messy raven-black hair that seemed to do as it pleased, the easy smile, even the stance. Only his eyes were off, a striking blue.

"M-mom...dad?" Harry asked, nose to nose with his reflection. They nodded and just smiled, both looking so proud of something.

He looked into the reflection and realized the room wasn't the same. Next to his parents were Cyrus and Victoria, looking very pleased with him, looking over at his parents and nodding. It seemed to be a celebration of some sort, with Daphne walking up to Reflection Harry and taking his hand, smiling at real Harry.

His mind was at war with itself, both overjoyed but deeply saddened by what the image showed him. He walked away very slowly, almost unable to wall away from the odd mirror and its wonderful showings. He tripped over himself, his eyes finally snapping away from the mirror. Almost as if some spell had been broken, Harry turned to the door, wanting very much to show this to someone. It took a lot from him to not simply walk back around and stare into the wondrous item behind him.

Getting his bearings, he ran to the Slytherin chambers, desperate to find Daphne.

ooooo

"I don't believe this at all."

Harry frowned at Daphne, looking back into the mirror and seeing his family.

"I don't either, but I swear it, Daph. Look, there's your family," he said, pointing at the mirror," and there's mine."

Daphne frowned and shook her head.

"No, I'm at a wedding. And it looks like I'm the bride, and I'm holding hands with my husband." She said, pointing at the mirror in confusion.

"Wait...what?" He said, standing next to Daphne. He saw the same thing he'd seen earlier, with his parents next to Daphne's.

"Yeah, it looks like me, except older and um...fuller." She said with a nonchalant shurg.

"Fuller?"

"Don't ask."

Harry sighed, looking longingly at the family his reflection had.

"Do you think this mirror shows the future?" Daphne asked, blushing for some reason.

"What?" Harry asked plainly, looking at her.

"The future. Do you think it's what we're seeing?" She asked again.

Harry shook his head

"No, why are you blushing?" He asked her pointedly.

Daphne's blush grew, and she shook her head quickly.

"It's nothing." She lied.

He raised an eyebrow and the girl looked down, ignoring her reflection. What bad she seen? He wondered. Unbeknownst to the boy next to her, Daphne was unable to look at her friend and probably wouldn't be able to for a few days.

The reflection had shown her looking older, but not overly so, maybe around seventeen or eighteen, in a magnificent white dress. The man to her side had been unfocused, like someone in the back of a photograph, until Harry had walked by. The unfocused man had slowly become clearer, his raven hair and emerald green eyes and handsome smile still there, but around the same age as Mirror Daphne. And with the shining golden bands on their hands, she knew what was happening in the mirror.

Harry eyed his friend for a moment, knowing she wasn't saying something relevant to the mirror, but elected to answer her question.

"It can't be showing the future," he said, making his friend look up in question, before he finished, "because both of my parents are dead."

She blanched, her thoughts of embarrassment vanished at realizing what had happened. Of course it wasn't the future. His best friend's parents were murdered, she thought uneasily.

ooooo

Over the next few days, Harry had gone back to the mirror at nights and during his free time, making Daphne very worried. On more than one occasion, he'd almost been caught but refused to stop doing to the mirror. He stopped eating much at all, some days skipping meals all together.

It had been almost four days since he'd brought Daphne to the mirror. It was night and Harry was getting his cloak, ready to go.

"Harry."

He ignored the voice, fastening the cloak over himself.

"Harry, please." She said quietly, almost beggingly. "Don't go to the mirror tonight. Please, you've had one too many close calls. You're going to get caught and into big trouble."

Harry stared at Daphne for a second, looking at the young witch in the eyes, unsure of what to say. The concern in her face was palpable, and he couldn't understand why. Without a sound, he pulled the cloak over himself complete, disappearing from view completely.

He left the room quickly, walking faster than he usually had. He knew he was making more noise than was safe, but he didn't care for some reason. He just really needed that mirror.

Finding his way to the room quicker than usual, he opened the door and walked in, sitting himself in front of the mirror. He sat quietly for a while, smiling back at his family, nodding back and just staring into the depths, wishing he could join them within the flat surface.

"Back so soon, Harry?" Asked a familiar old man behind Harry.

The boy turned quickly and saw Albus Dumbledore, standing against the wall but very much in sight.

"Sorry, sir...I err...didn't see you." Harry said sheepishly.

"Strange how being invisible can make one so near sighted." The elder wizard said with a smile and his ever twinkling eyes that the light seemed to highlight.

Harry seemed more at ease with the wizard, realizing that he wasn't upset Dumbledore smiled kindly and walked to the boy, sitting extra to him on the floor.

"So, Harry." The Headmaster said. "You, like many others before you, have found the Mirror of Erised and its many wonders."

"I didn't know it was called that, sir." Harry said truthfully.

"But I assume you've discovered what it does?"

Harry shrugged.

"I'm not too sure, sir. What I see in the mirror isn't what...my friend sees." He said with a frown.

"What does Miss Greengrass see?" The old wizard asked.

"How did you know?" Harry asked uneasily, a bit worried.

"I do not require a cloak to become invisible, Harry." Dumbledore said with a twinkling smile. "Now, let me try to explain what it is this mirror does." The old man looked in thought for a short moment before continuing. "The happiest man on earth would be able to use this as a regular mirror, as in he would see himself as he is. Does that make sense?"

Harry thought about it before speaking.

"It shows us what we want, whatever it is." He related his conclusion.

"Yes, and also no." The Headmaster said, making Harry frown. "This mirror shows nothing more than out hearts deepest and most desperate desires. Many people have wasted their lives away, staring into this mirror, and many have wasted their lives chasing what it shows."

Harry looked at the mirror sadly, making the elder wizard look at his pupil in question. Sure, he could use legillamacy to probe his mind and get the answers he wanted, but Dumbledore cared for the boy and asked instead.

"Harry, what is it you see in the mirror?"

Harry stayed quiet for a moment, deliberating whether or not to tell the wizard who patiently awaited his response.

"It's me, sir. And my family. My parents, along with Daphne and hers."

"Harry, may I ask you a more...personal question?"

Harry looked at the elder man for a long moment before slowly nodding.

"Why is it that after eleven years, you are still so distant from the loving couple that has raised you as their own?" The Wizard asked.

Harry looked shocked, but swallowed it down, thinking of the answer, no, the excuse he'd been using his whole life.

"It's just...easier." He said.

"Easier?"

The boy nodded.

"My parents died because of me. If I keep distant, then they won't be targetted. They'll be safe."

ooooo

-A/N-

so there you have it! Chapter 14 of this odd story of mine. I'm sorry about the sporadic updates, I did want to keep up with my daily updates, but life is rarely so kind as to let a plan go unaltered. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I will see you next time!

Also yes, I don't own Harry Potter, blah blah blah.

see you soon!

-Vaine