"You found a strange mirror and it showed you your family?" Emrys asked him in the morning during breakfast.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"asked Ron slightly betrayed.
"I'm going back tonight that way you can show me your family too."
"I want to meet your family. But you can always meet mine when you come over during the summer." he said then looked over at Emrys who was frowning.
"I don't think you guys should go. I mean, a mirror that shows you the dead? Harry not all magic in the wizarding world is good and filled with life. There's magic that can hurt you too, it may disguise itself as something you want most and then hurt you."
"I want to see my parents again Emrys." Harry argued back and Emrys only huffed in frustration.
"Fine but I'm not going, besides, with three of us under the cloak it'll be hard to move about."
"Emrys-"
"I'm not going Ron." Emrys snapped and both boys decided not to pressure her. Instead all three of them changed topic and talked about quidditch instead. At night she watched Harry and Ron disappear under the invisiblity cloak and opened the portrait door.
"Go with them Merlin." she whispered over to her feline who mewed in response and follows them out while she went to one of the arm chairs by the fire, legs curled up to her chest and arms wrapped around them. She didn't know how long she'd been staring at the fire, all she knew was that one moment she was staring at the fire and then she felt someone carrying her up the boys staircase towards the third boys dormitory and being laid down on a bed and two warm bodies wrapping their arms around her on either side. She instantly cuddle up to the warmth with a sigh and a small smile.
The next time she woke up she found herself staring into the blue eyes of Fred. She blinked for a second before her eyes narrowed and tried to sit up but two pairs of arms wrapped around her before she felt George's nose nuzzle her hair.
"Good morning fair maiden." Fred grinned as she struggled to get out of their grip.
"How did I get here!"
"Well we saw you looking uncomfortable in that chair,"
"So we thought you'd be more comfortable with us."
"Just like when you were smaller." Emrys stopped struggling and looked at them with a pout. Their grins didn't fade as they stared at her and her frown started to fade away.
"Thanks." she mumbled as her lips spread into a smile. Then they started to mercilessly tickle her, making her laugh and squirm until she was breathless and gasping for breath. They sat up and ruffled her hair.
"Why were you downstairs?" Fred asked.
"I was waiting for Ron and Harry to come back."
"They were the ones who told us you were downstairs."
"You looked too cute asleep but we thought you'd be more comfortable here." said George.
"Thanks guys." she smiled, promising to see them at breakfast before leaving and heading to her dorm to change.
"Harry don't go back there. That mirror gave me a bad feeling." Ron told Harry. They had filled Emrys in on what happened in the room with the mirror. Ron had seen hiimself as headboy, holding the quidditch cup, and was even quidditch captain. Despite all this the mirror had given Ron a very bad feeling.
"I know it shows you what we want but Harry it can't be healthy to keep going to see them like that. Don't go back to that mirror." Ron insisted but Harry wouldn't have it, his mind was made up. That same night he ran down the boys staircase, about to throw the invisibility cloak over him before stopping in his tracks. Emrys was blocking the exit with hands on her waist, an exhasperated expression on her face as she saw he really had been read to go out again. Harry skid to a stop, eyes narrowing in surprise at her while she smirked.
"You really think I wasn't going to go with you?" she asked.
"I thought you didn't want to see the mirror?"
"I don't." she scoffed. "I just think it would be better if I joined you. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I had to live with the guilt that you would get caught."
Harry gave her a look before he gave her a smirk of his own.
"You just want to try on the cloak don't you?"
Emrys' hair began to turn pink and she huffed.
"Do you want to go see your parents or not?!" Harry merely chuckled before he threw the invisibiliy cloak over them. She was thrilled to see her and Harry's reflections disappear. She waved her hand and did't see it move before Harry quickly guided her out of the common room. It took them very little time to reach the room thought they would have gotten there much quicker if Emrys hadn't forced him to slowdown so they wouldn't make so much noise and get caught. They arrived at an abandoned class room, desk stacked high against the wall and a large mirror leaning against the front of the classroom. Emrys watched as Harry walked straight towards it and sat in front of the mirror. She watched him with a frown, slowly walking towards the mirror. She wasn't able to see anything except Harry and his reflection, he saw her out of the corner of his eye, next to his mom.
"You can only see them if you stand where I am." he eleborated and she didn't move closer. As Harry turned back to the mirror Emrys examined the frame. It was ancient that was a given, tall as the ceiling of the classroom, ane elaborate gold frame and standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription in golden letters across the top that read in a strange language.
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi
Emrys read the inscription and as she looked it over going the oppositie way she stopped at the last word with a frown. If she read that last word backwards she realized it read desire. Her eyes widened and was about to read it again before someone spoke, and that wasn't Harry.
"So-back again, Harry?" both of them whirled around and saw none other than the headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
"I-I didn't see you, sir." Harry stammered.
"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you?" said Dumbledore and to their relief he was smiling.
"So," Dumbledore said as he slid off the desk that he had been sitting on and sat beside Harry on the floor. "You, like many others, have discovered the delight of the Mirror of Erised.
"I didn't know it was called that sir." Harry responded.
"I would expect by now you realize what it does?"
Harry looked at the image of his parents who were smiling at him, his heart wrenching in longing.
"It shows us, what we want, anything we want."
"Yes, and no." Harry blinked and Dumbledore elaborated.
"The happiest man in the world, can look into this mirror and see nothing but himself."
At this Emrys gave a small gasp as if she had found the answer. Dumbledore looked over at her and his blue eyes twinkled.
" Miss Lupin, I believe you have an answer yes?" Harry watched as she looked at the inscirptions of the mirror and read them out loud.
"The inscriptions...I...show not...your face...but your...heart's desire." she looked at Dumbledore and he smiled. "The mirror showed Harry his parents because what he wished most in the world is to meet them. And Ron-"
"Grew up in the shadow of his older brothers and saw himself standing alone and best of them all." Dumbledore finished for her. "This mirror will soon be moved to a new home Harry, I ask that you do not look for it again. Many good men have wasted away before it, driven mad by the promise of something that seems possible but at the same time improvable. This is why if by chance you do come across it again you will be prepared. It does not do well to live on dreams and forget to live, remember that Harry. And Ambrose,"
Emrys looked up at Dumbledore with surprise as she saw a gentle look on his face.
"You would have been just as tempted to look into the mirror. Growing up without a father nor ever knowing anything about him would surely have made you curious." he said and Harry looked at her in surprise. Now that he thought about it Emrys never mentioned her father, always her mom and her uncle. Never had he once, thought to ask her about her father.
"I have asked my mum...but I notice how much hurt there's in her eyes, in my uncle's too. I don't know if he's dead or if he's alive...I just know that my mom will tell me when she's ready." she responded.
"So young, yet mature for someone your age." Dumbledore smiled. "Now, it is getting rather late so I suggest you two put that marvelous cloak of Harry's back on and off to bed." Harry stood up and grabbed his cloak as Emrys joined his side, her back to the mirror.
"Sir, Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you a question?"
"Obviously, you have just done so." Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."
"What do you see when you look in the mirror?" Harry asked.
"I? I see myself holding a new pair of woolen socks." Dumbledore replied. "Another Christmas has come and gone and not one single pair was given to me. People insist on giving me books." He replied. Harry and Emrys managed to make it back to the common room undetected, Emrys was silent the entire way and only managed to mumble a quick goodnight to Harry before going up to the girl's dormitory. When Harry arrived to his room he opened his trunk to put away his invicibility cloak when he saw the present Emrys had given him. He hadn't opened it after promising her to look at it after when he was alone. Placing his cloak in the trunk Harry took out the present and sat on the window cill with the moon light landing on the book. As quietly as he could ripped the paper and was surprised to see a small leather bound book. Curious, he opened it and his eyes widened when he saw his mother's green eyes staring right at him. It was a picture of his mother, long red hair down to her waist, warm green eyes, and she had her arms wrapped around another women who he instantly recognized as Emry's mother. He could see the same soft lips and cute button nose that Emrys had clearly inherited from her mother. Both women couldn't have been older than sixteen, smiling at the camera and even making funny faces. He flipped the page and saw his mother again, this time however she was being hugged from behind by a man who could have been the spitting image of Harry except for the mischevious brown eyes that belonged to his father, James Potter. They looked to be just around seventeen; fresh out of Hogwarts, standing on what looked like a pier with the ocean shinning from the beautiful orange sunset on the horizon. They were waving and laughing at the person who had taken the picture as in response a jet of water was thrown in their direction and they ducked out of the way. Harry could feel tears prickle in the back of his eyes, knowing that not even the mirror could have replicated the emotion he was seeing on these pictures. The next picture made his eyes narrow in surprise. The next picture had two small babies, one boy and one girl, both were fast asleep on the floor but cuddling on the side of a huge black dog whose head was nestled against the baby boy's back and also asleep. The caption on the bottom read Baby Harry and Ambrose Cuddling with Padfoot.
Emrys Harry thought. Their mothers had been best friends it was only obvious that they would grow up together. All this time he'd had pictures of his parents in his trunk and he hadn't even bother to open up the present Emrys had given him. His cheeks flamed up with shame, it made even more sense that Emrys was more upset about the mirror than Ron had been. She had realized that Harry hadn't opened the present because otherwise he would not have been so obsessed with seeing the mirror when he had real pictures of his family with him.
"Emrys!"
Said girl turned around as Harry ran down the corridor towards her the morning after Dumbledore had caught them out of bed. She watched as he skidd to a stop in front of her and catched his breath.
"What is it Harry?" she asked. He stood up and looked at her; he scratched the back of his neck, feeling awkward and a small blush dusting his cheeks.
"I uh...I...I wanted to apologize." he stammered. Emrys looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Why?"
"For the mirror...I should have listened to you. And also...because..." He looked down, feeling guilty. "Because I didn't open up the present you gave me until last night." He didn't need to see the hurt that flashed across her eyes he could see the tips of her hair turning grey which he could only guess meant she was upset. "It had pictures of my parents and of us when we were babies...we were going to grow up together...you knew more about my parents than I did and I should have trusted you instead of obsessing over the mirror. I'm sorry." he repeated, looking up from the ground and into her hazel eyes that were now a lighter hazel.
"You should have listened to me." she said and Harry nodded only to huff out in surprise as Emrys threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I forgive you Potter." she said and Harry quickly returned the hug. After a while they pulled away and then Emrys proceeded to punch his arm.
"Next time I tell you something magical is dangerous listen to me or else I'll hex you."
"Ok, I'll listen to you next time." Harry replied with a sheepish smile.
She grinned back and all was well again. Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the mirror again and his cloak of invisibility was now stashed at the very bottom of his trunk. However, ever since he had seen his parents in the mirror he had begun having nightmares. He kept dreaming of his parents disappearing behind a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.
"You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could have driven you more mad if you had kept looking for it." Ron said after Harry had told him and Emrys about the reacurring dream. Emrys didn't reply, but Harry knew she would be voicing the same thing though when he mentioned the flash of green light she had looked at him as if she knew what he was talking about. Hermione, who had come back the day before term started had not just been apalled that he had been out of bed three nights in a row ("You could have been caught!") but also disappointed they had not been able to find anything on Nicholas Flamel. Emrys of course hadn't been there for the verbal chew out of Harry as Draco had arrived first thing in the morning at the beginning of breakfast and had taken Emrys away from there table and hadn't seen her since. Harry had been worried Draco would have done something to her but Ron assured him that despite his utter dislike of Malfoy the git would never harm Emrys in any way that would ruin their friendship. He also reminded Harry that Emrys had told them she would spend the entire day before term started with Draco in order to patch up the friendship the twat had almost ruined and also to give him a hex or two for being an insuferable brat. True to her word Emrys had returned to the common room with a smile on her face, hands happily fiddling with her moonstone necklace Draco had given her which meant her day with Draco had gone well. Ron and the twins had been slightly disappointed by that fact but had only recieved an eyeroll from Emrys when they voiced their disappointment.
They had then spent the next few weeks looking for any clue on Nicholas Flamel until they finally found him. It had been during one of their more relaxed days, with Harry and Emrys watching Ron beat Hermione chess -which was something she wasn't too good at much to their delight- until the portrait hole opened and Neville tumbled through the portrait door with both of his legs stuck together as it tied and proceeded to fall on the floor. The entire common room erupted in laughter except for Hermione who lifted the spell and Emrys who helped Neville get up.
"Neville what happened?" Hermione asked as they helped him sit on one of the arm chairs by the fire.
"Malfoy," Neville mumbled and Emrys sighed. "He said he learned the locking leg jinx and wanted to practice on someone."
"Report him!" Hermione suggested. "Go to professor McGonagall!"
"I don't want any trouble." Neville muttered.
"Neville he already makes fun of everybody but you can't make it easier for him." Ron sighed while Emrys sent him a glare.
"I already know I'm a scardy cat and don't belong in Gryffindor you don't need to rub it in!" He replied, lip trembling and crestfallen look in his eyes. Thinking quickly Harry took out the last chocolatet frog in his pocket and gave it to Neville.
"You're worth twelve of him Neville. The sorting hat knew there is bravery in you so there's a reason the hat placed you here. And where's Malfoy? In stinkin Slytherin." Harry told him.
It seemed to cheer Neville up as a small grin lit up his face and opened the chocolate frog and taking a big bite out of its head. He gave the card to Harry who he knew collected the cards before announcing he was going to bed.
"Dumbledore again, he was the first card I ever-I FOUND HIM!" He exclaimed making all three of his other friends jump. "Albus Dumbledore is friends with the Alchemist Nicolas Flamel!" Hermione gasped as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her before she jumped to her feet and rushed up the girl's staircase. The three Gryffindors traded confused looks for a moment before Hermione rushed back down the stairs with a huge book almost as big as her torso. She slammed it down on the chess board which had been evacuated by the chess pieces when they realised where Hermione was about to place the book.
"I can't believe I forgot about this book, I checked it out of the library ages ago for a bit of light reading."
"This is light."said Ron in disbelief. Hermione gave him a brief glare before opening the book to the right page and quickly found the name.
"Here it is, Nicolas Flamel is a famous alchemist and owner of the Sorcerer's Stone!"
"The what?" the boys asked.
"Honestly don't you two read?" Hermione sighed in what could have almost been exhasperation while a look of recognition glazed over Emrys.
"I have heard of that name before!" Emrys whispered. "During the summer I overheard mum talking with my uncle about Flamel asking the ministry for more security about the Stone. Apparently many people had been trying to get their hands on it. I can't believe I didn't make the connection until now."
"It says here that not only can it make gold but it can also be used as an elixir to prolong someone's life. Nicolas Flamel holds the only stone in existance and is celebrating his 665th birthday,"
"Well no wonder we couldn't find him in books about recent famous wizards, he's not exactly recent is he?" said Ron.
"That's what Fluffy is guarding on the third floor. That's what Snape is after." Hermione whispered as she closed the book.
"What are we going to do then?" asked Emrys.
"Well it seems Dumbledore is in charge of keeping the stone safe so I believe it's protected for now." Hermione reasoned.
The next day was the match against Hufflepuff and to Harry and the Gryffindor's horror it was Snape who would be referring the match. Ron, Emrys, and Hermione even brought their wands to the match in order to hex Snape in case he tried anything against Harry. Emrys looked through the crowd before she gave an exclimation of relief when she saw Dumbleldore's poointed midnight blue hat. There was no way Snape would try and do something right under Dumbledore's nose. With a whistle the match began and Harry tried his hardest to try to find the snitch as fast as possible to end the game. Emrys's eyes followed Harry until a hufflepuff flew past her and a smirk was sent her way. Blinking, she followed the player again and laughed when she realized it was one of Cedric's friends holding the quaffle and heading towards Wood. Just as he was about to throw the quaffle it was knocked out of his hands by a bludger thrown by George. She cheered loudly for George who made sure to bow her way before heading in the opposite direction.
"The Weasley twin is quite good with that beater's bat." she looked to the side to see a Hufflepuff scarf, she glanced up and was greeted with Cedric's soft smile.
"That's George, he has a harder swing than Fred and doesn't try to maim you as much." she replied making Cedric chuckle as they saw Fred almost dismount a Hufflepuff with a bludger aimed at the head.
"Are you certain you guys will win?"
"Don't underestimate us Gryffindors," said Emrys with a cheeky smile. "We do more than just roar." It was only five minutes into the game when she suddenly saw Harry dive and saw the little golden snitch zigzagging and gave a huge cheer when Snape dodged last minute as Harry dived for the snitch right under him. There was a roar from the crowd as Harry held up the snitch, Emrys screamed and chanted Gryffindor's making her other piers follow her. Cedric sighed in defeat but couldn't help but smile at the way Emry's hazel eyes got brigther and her hair turned bright red and gold to match her house's colors.
Emrys got to Gryffindor tower with a smile on her face after Cedric walked her halfway to the tower before heading their own ways. Her smile however faded when she saw Hermione helping Ron with a bloody nose and Neville holding an ice bag to his eye.
"What in Merlin's pants happen?!" She asked as she headed to Neville to inspect his eye.
"You should have seen him Emrys, he punched Crabbe and Kicked Goyle while I gave Malfoy a bloody nose."
Emrys froze, staring at Ron before she shook her head.
"You really shouldn't let him get to you." she said.
"Yeah well, the day he finally makes you snap and you hex him I'll be sure to tell you the same thing." he scoffed.
"That black eye should be gone by tomorrow if I put that bruising cream my mom sent, stay here Neville."
By the time Emrys had applied the cream and Neville had joined Dean and Seamus when Harry came back, still in his Quidditch uniform looking pale. He practically dragged all three of them out the common room and into the nearest empty classroom he could find and told them he had followed Snape on his broom to the Forbidden Forest. He had overheard Snape intimidating Quirrel into telling him how to get to the stone.
"Wait, you mean as long as Quirrel doesn't crack to Snape the stone is safe?!" Harmione squeaked.
"We might as well just give up now." Emrys scoffed.
"If everything rest on Quirrel then the stone will be gone by the end of the week." Ron whined.
They were quite surprised in the weeks that followed, Quirrel had not managed to break. He was paler and thinner but he seemed to not be ready to crack just yet. Exams were almost upon them in just two months and both Hermione and Emrys were urging the boys to start their studying.
"But come on girls, exams are ages away."
"Ten weeks, you do know we need to pass these exams in order to be accepted next year." Hermione argued. The teachers seemed to be along the same train of thought as Hermione and Emrys. The teachers piled them so much homework they barely had time for anything else. They were once again in the library, studying when Harry spotted Hagrid browsing through a row of books with a very nervous look.
"Hagrid!" called Harry and Hagrid hastly placed the book he'd been holding back on the shelf. "What are you doing here in the library?"
"Jus" lookn'" He said shiftily. "What are you three doin' here." he suddenly looked at them with a suspicious look. "You're not trying to find out about Nicolas Flamel again are you?"
"Oh, we found out who he was ages ago. We know even know he created the Sorcerer's St-"
"Shhhh!" said Hagrid and looked around to see if anyone had heard. "Whas wrong with ya' you shouldn' be shoutin' about it."
"Well, there's a few things we do wanna ask though. Like what's guarding the stone apart from Fluffy-"
"SHHHH!" Hagrid shushed them again. "Okay fine, I don' promise to say anything but meet me at me house after classes and I might tell you a few things. No promises though." with that Hagrid looked around again before leaving.
"Wonder what he was doing in the library." Harry wondered.
"I'll go check the section was in." Said Ron, glad for any distraction to not study anymore. Few seconds later he came back with a stack of book's and placed them on the table. "Dragons! that's what he was researching. Look at these titles though."
He read them off one by one and Emrys groaned.
"Oh merlin don't tell me."
"Hagrid alway wanted a dragon, told me the first time he took me to Diagon Alley." said Harry and Emrys groaned again.
"But breeding and raising a dragon outside a captiviy area is illegal and that includes the wild ones too." Emrys sighed. "This is basic information every wizard knows."
"She's right, its a little hard to hide from Muggles if we have dragons in our backyard. Anyway, taming dragon's is next to impossible you should see the scars Charlie has from working with Dragon's in Romania." Ron continued.
"But there aren't any wild dragon in Britain?"" Harry asked
"Of course there are," said Ron "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry is always bustling about trying to hush it all up. They have to keep putting spells on muggles who've seen dragons to make them forget."
"So what is Hagrid up to then?"
"Mom once told me that Hagrid has a passion for wanting dangerous beasts as pets." said Emrys as she tapped her cheek with her index finger in thought. "I think she mentioned him trying to raise some sort of reptile when she was in school, Dumbledore had to convince Hagrid to send it to captivity before the Regulation of Magical Creatures found out. I hope this isn't one of those time again."
Little did Emrys know Hagrid's passion would get them into trouble in the next few years to come.
