"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream" - C.S. Lewis


Hermione stumbled through the castle, tripping over rubble, climbing over destroyed furniture and navigating herself around the bodies of beasts, all while sliding through piles of blood as she followed the harps sound; determined to find where the haunting music was coming from.

Where were everyone else, she wondered as surely others could also here the tune vibrating through the building, surely, they'd want to investigate what was causing it, who was producing it. It sounded unlike any music Hermione had ever heard, other worldly in fact. She followed it; the chords acting like a siren's song to her.

The sound carried her to a familiar corridor, one she'd been in that very evening, before Fred had died. The Seventh-Floor corridor, outside the Room of Requirements; a room that had been engulfed in magical flames mere hours ago. It was crazy to want to go back into the room, by all accounts it should still be aflame, Fiendfyre was wild, untamed, could burn for weeks before it burned out. For some reason beyond her better judgement Hermione found herself pacing in front of the blank wall, wishing to see the place where the melody was coming from.

The wall shuddered after her third walk pass, clanging loudly as it formed a simple wooden door for her to open. Hermione opened it with caution, half expecting flaming serpentine heads to come at her; to claim her, reuniting her with Freddie.

Nothing came out of the room though, Hermione wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or disappointed, that she wasn't engulfed in flames, the fire having dissipated, the only evidence of it ever been there been the scent of smoke and the thick pile of ash that caked the floor of the come and go room; blanketing the Ashwinder eggs that the magical fire had produced. The flames should have destroyed everything, nothing should have been able to withstand them, to remain unblemished yet two items stood prominent in the room, neither of them damaged in any way.

"How is this possible," she asked the room quietly as she took in the magical golden harp, invisible hands strumming its chords and an ornate mirror, Harry and Ron had once told her about after discovering it in their first year. Nobody responded, of course she was alone in the room that had once held the memories of generations of students, all of it wiped away by a single curse.

The music played hauntingly as Hermione took a tentative step towards the Mirror of Erised, afraid of what she might see. People had waisted away in front of this very mirror, living with the memory of their loved ones instead of living a real life. Hermione could feel the pull of it, inviting her to see her heart's desire, a life with Fred, the man she loved. She took a deep breath and stepped towards the mirror, her eyes widening as she saw him as he had been that very evening when he had stepped through the portrait into the Room of Requirement.

"Fred," she breathed, her eyes widening as she reached out to touch the glass.

"Hello love," the image of Fred responded, raising his hand to press against hers. He looked so real, like the glass of the mirror was nothing more than a window separating them both from touching each other, Hermione let out a choked sob.

"Why did you leave me, why," she cried. Fred smiled sadly but didn't respond.

"I want you back, I need you," she spoke brokenly. The image of Fred dissipated, swirling into nothingness before golden letters appeared on the mirrors surface.

"Fred," she choked, wanting him to return to her, she allowed her eyes to scan the words that had appeared, they were Latin, a spell unlike any she had ever seen. Her hearts desire was to have Fred back, and the mirror had given her a spell that would allow her to do just that, or at least she hoped it had.

With a shuddering breath, she raised her wand and read the words aloud, fuelling her spell with love and magic; "vi amoris, magiae, animae et sanguinis; coniunge me quem amo. Diis ego iudiciis participem reddam, si haec aerumna vincam, munus optandum est reditura, quem amo ad mortalia regna; ubi ambo vixerimus," she spoke confidently, half expecting nothing to happen. She repeated the spell aloud in English next; for good measure, "by the power of my love, magic, soul and blood; reunite me with the one I love. I'll partake in the trials the gods decide, if I win these trials, the boon I wish for is to return the one I love to the mortal realm; where we both shall live." The surface of the mirror rippled, the writing disappearing as a bright light emitted from the suddenly liquid like surface. Hermione reached out to touch the glass, her hand slipping through, causing her to let out a gasp as she tried to pull her hand back to no avail.

"Come on through child," an echoing voice spoke from beyond the mirror, Hermione felt herself been pulled through, unable to prevent the magic taking hold of her as she was pulled into the portal unsure of where she was been taken.