Title: Five Wishes Perchance to Dream

Prologue: The First Wish

I have heard from several people that genies often grant wishes to those that rub the proverbial lamps. I've ever heard tell of the devil granting seven wishes in return for one's immortal soul. I've seen a lot of things in my (short) life that have to be seen to be believed. So when I came across the looking glass, I didn't believe at first. Even when Hermione told me the legend behind the 'sister' to the Mirror of Erised, I laughed.

Here in front of me stood the famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Mirror of Smaerd. This mirror is somewhat similar to the mirror I first encountered five years ago in that abandoned room. The Mirror of Erised showed me what I wanted most in the world. But the framed glass I stare into now is a little different. Imagine (if you can) someone combining a pensieve with the Mirror of Erised.

This 'new' mirror allows one to actually observe (live out) five wishes. None of the wishes become reality of course, but who wouldn't want to live five (very) different lives? Being Head Boy... Winning the World Quidditch Cup... Having a family... All very honorable wishes. So what did I wish for?

Kind of silly really. My first wish was meant to be one that would never come true. I wanted my family to love me. I know. I should be committed. But I wanted to see how Dudley and I would get along. And how Vernon would take me to Smeltings and show me off. And maybe even know what it would have been like for my mother's sister (Petunia) to be proud of what I can do.

Hermione started gagging at that point. Even I was beginnning to feel sick to my stomach. Ron was also looking a little green around the gills. One wish wasted. I really should be committed. I wanted my next wish to be something special. To be something big. So I wished that Voldemort had never existed.

Chapter 1: The Second Wish

Be careful what you wish for. That's my wisdom for the day. That or think carefully about what exactly it is that you hope to accomplish. If you don't want your bedroom walls to be blue, don't wish that the color blue had never been invented. Think of all the things you'd miss with the color blue. Hell! That kind of wishing could erase House Ravenclaw!

So you may wonder what went wrong with my second wish. Did you know that if Tom Riddle had never been born, Muggle-borns would have been sorted into Slytherin House? Hard to imagine I know. But in the world I wished for my mother was Slytherin. Ron could hardly believe it. The true shocker came when we got to see her husband and children.

That's right! Children! Four to be exact. And I wasn't even one of them. I didn't even look like them. Sure, three of them had her eyes and all of them had black hair. The problem lied in where they got that hair color from. It's hard enough to imagine the father of those children as married at all let alone to my mother.

So I watched the scenes play out because I was curious. Curious about my non-existant siblings and my odd step-father. Jorah and Jade were twins. They both had the deep emerald eyes that my mother was famous for. But it was their elder brother Saxon who bore the black eyes of their father. I wasn't as concerned with Alaric, the younger brother.

No. Saxon was the one who held my interest. He was the same age as myself. At times I could even see similarities in how we moved. Our bodies were almost doubles. The only true difference was in his height. At sixteen, Saxon appeared to be nearly six foot. His height rivaled Ron's.

But as I watched, I saw what I had been looking for. I wanted to see my mother happy. And in love. And alive. Here she was. All of those things. She had four beautiful children. What went wrong? That's right. I wasn't her son. I most likely didn't even exist. No. Instead of watching myself with my mother, I was watching my brothers and sisters with her. I saw them hug her and kiss her on the cheek. I saw them with their father.

I said earlier that I couldn't imagine this man as anyone's husband or father. I was wrong. He loved them with all of his heart. But he was different from the man I knew. Tom Riddle should die. For my parents... For Sirius... But most of all for Severus Snape. I saw the man I thought hated me with my mother, and she was happy. He was happy. He could smile. Maybe it's all about point of view. For me, this wish turned out kind of badly. But for Severus Snape (who probably still dreams of a time when he wasn't the greasiest git on the block), it would have been heaven.

Chapter 2: The Third Wish

So I learn from my mistakes. Sue me. As deeply enlightening as my second wish was, I thought I'd correct a few things. You know… The part about my parents being together. So I took a breath and took Hermione's hand in mine. I'll admit that I was scared. I felt my friends with me and I wished. I wished that my parents were alive.

Slowly a group appeared before us. I recognized three of them. Professor Lupin was sitting next to my mother. He looked so happy. He wasn't thin and old looking. He had his arm around my mother. My father was sitting on the floor smiling at someone that I couldn't see. But then I could. Sirius was waving his arms wildly at the group. He looked so different. Kind of like the pictures in the Gryffindor archives.

His hair was shoulder length. It wasn't stringy or limp. His eyes weren't haunted. And he smiled a lot. Then I noticed something. He was looking at the group, but it was like he was only seeing Professor Lupin. Hermione sighed then as we watched. It's like somehow she knew. It turns out that they were taking a picture.

So there they were if you can imagine it. Sirius and my father were seated on the floor with... with... Peter? I gasped in surprise. He looked innocent. As if he had never betrayed my parents. And behind them were my mother and Professor Lupin. My father suddenly got up and ran out of the room. It wasn't until Mione pointed the crying out to me that I noticed.

My father came back with me. I was sobbing and holding out my arms for my mother. But I didn't calm down for her. Instead I reached my pudgy arms out for Professor Lupin. He smiled sadly but wouldn't take me from my mother. I quieted down enough that Sirius continued with the picture taking. The scene changed as I grew older. Now I could see a picture on the wall in my bedroom of that day. I was still crying and reaching out for someone to hold me. Sirius had his arms wrapped around Peter and my father. Professor Lupin would occassionally look at me with tears in his eyes.

That wish had been a little better. Maybe I was biased or something because I got a little ill when I saw Peter in that vision. And I am biased. There's no denying that. I hate Peter. But for those few seconds I saw what must have caused my father to trust him (falsely). He was shy and quiet but he laughed a lot. So many victims. Snape, Neville's parents, my parents, and Peter. Nothing I can do now will ever change it. Peter will always be hated for what he did. Snape will always be feared. My parents will always be no more than a distant memory in my life. And Neville will be forced to live with parents who don't know him.

Gods. I hate this mirror.

Chapter 3: The Fourth and Fifth Wishes

My fourth wish was kind of stupid. I wished to be happy with a family of my own. Do you want to know what it showed me? I can tell you because Ron's not here right now. If he knew that I was telling you this... I wouldn't be the Boy Who Lived anymore. I be the Boy Who Died At The Hands Of His Bestfriend. You do remember my fan club. President Virginia Weasley and Vice President Colin Creevey? Well, I was married to one of them. Now see if you can guess which one.

Yeah. It seems that a thing for redheads runs in the Potter blood. And I'll give Ron some credit. If we had seen maybe a nice date, he wouldn't have a right to get angry. But no. This damn bloody mirror showed me with Ginny. With Ginny. In places I don't even want to think about. And foolishly, I tried to lighten the mood. I said something about freckles in places that shouldn't be named.

I wish I had kept my mouth shut. Mione had to smooth talk Ron out of killing me. I can understand his point of view. This mirror wasn't rated. If it had been, I'd have thought a little more carefully about this wish. Instead, I got treated to a sight that few will ever have. I got to see myself (without mirrors) making love to Virginia Weasley.

There. I said it. Ron will hunt me down and kill me. So... I quickly nixed that wish. I could tell that Mione thought it was funny, though. Now, I tell you these things so that you know what can happen if you're not careful. Ron did get a little better after realizing that Ginny and I had been wearing wedding rings. I may have gotten over the whole 'Ginny loves me' thing a while ago. It used to drive me nuts. But I think a confession is in order.

After that wish, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her. Her red hair spread over a pillow. My head on her stomach. My hands... I should stop now. Thanks. I forgot that there would be children reading this article. It's enough to say that I still dream about that wish. I could tell by the way I touched her that I loved her. It wasn't until the mirror had cleared that I looked at Mione. She was staring at my pants. And trying to force Ron to look anywhere but where she was looking.

Good thing, too. I didn't know how to explain that I had gotten a hard on while watching myself with Ron's sister. I don't think there is a way to explain that. Anyway, onto the fifth and final wish. Everything up to this point had been about me. My family, my parents, my happiness. Hold your breath. I wished for something a little less centered on me.

I saw something in the way that Sirius had looked at Professor Lupin that I was curious about. So I wished to know the story behind that look. Again, should have thought this one out. I didn't anticipate yet another shockingly detailed vision of two people in bed. While I had no problem with the... How would you put this? The people involved... I didn't need to see what I saw. I think (to this very day) that that mirror is perverted. But on the bright side, my initial problem (the one in my pants) did go away before Ron noticed. I think he was too busy trying not to stare at what was going on between my godfather and my ex-professor.

Chapter 4: Epilogue

So that's what happened. Five wishes... Two that should have been rated for no one younger than 18 and a truly frightening vision of Professor Snape. One that was so sugary sweet a diabetic would have gone into sugar shock and what I was hoping to find when I wished my very first wish. If only this mirror could change reality. It wouldn't be fair, I know. All I want is that one picture. That moving picture of my parents and their friends. I wanted to be able to see myself scream and cry for someone to hold me. And I wanted to see Professor Lupin hug my mother. And I wanted to see Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail all together talking about nothing.

I told you that this mirror was like the Mirror of Erised. It only works for five wishes and then never again for any one person. But it still haunts you. Just like the Mirror of Erised. I watched Dumbledore hide that mirror shortly thereafter. He must have known somehow that I had used it. Maybe he could still sense the awe that I felt in watching those short lives play out before me. Or maybe... Just maybe... He knew what it was like to wish for something and get it. Maybe he knew that you can't always get what you want.