Chapter 15: Back to the Mirror
Before they knew it, Christmas Eve had arrived and everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow. Kay, Lexine and Erin sat together by the fire in the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron who were playing a game of wizard's chess. It was exactly like regular chess only the pieces moved by themselves. Erin curled up on one of the cushioned chairs reading HOGWARTS: A HISTORY that Hermione had lent her. Speaking of Hermione, she came down from the girls' dormitory with her trunk. When she approached Ron and Harry she stood and watched the chess game. "Knight to H5." Harry said loudly and his piece moved. Ron leaned his chin in his palm and looked at the board for a moment, thinking. "Pawn to H3." His piece moved and suddenly: SMASH! Hermione and Erin jumped at the noise. "That's totally barbaric!" Hermione cried. Ron grinned at her. "That's wizards' chess!" then he noticed her trunk. "I see you've packed!" Hermione frowned. "See you haven't!" Ron sighed. "Change of plans. Me Mum and me Dad are going to Romania to visit my brother Charlie." Hermione nodded. "Good! You can help Harry then. He's going to look in the library for more information on Nicholas Flamel and the Sorcerer's Stone." Ron groaned. "We've looked a HUNDRED times!" Hermione leaned towards him. "Not in the RESTRICTED section." She said winking. Then she headed back up to the girl's dormitory to make sure she didn't forget anything. When she was out of earshot, Ron looked at Harry. "I think we've had a bad influence on her." Kay snorted. "So are you guys still looking?" "Yeah. We want to know exactly what the stone has or does that's so important." Harry said. "Unless you want to tell us and make life easier," Ron added as he made his next move. "And for you Harry, checkmate." Harry nodded as Ron began packing the pieces up. Lexine sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you what the Stone does," she said. "We just can't tell you anymore than that." Erin turned to the next page in her book. "I've got to go," said Hermione as she came back downstairs. "Happy Christmas!" she waved as she dragged her trunk out into the corridor. When she was gone, Lexine looked at Erin and Kay who were watching her. "Well, the stone contains the Elixir of life. When the person who owns the stone drinks it he/she becomes Immortal." "Immortal!" Ron gasped. "It means you'll never die," said Erin. "I know what it means!" "Oh!" said Harry. "Can't you think of anyone who would want to remain immortal?" asked Lexine. Harry smiled. "Voldemort! Snape doesn't want the stone for himself!" "Ding ding ding!" said Kay and everyone looked at her irritated. "What?" she asked. Erin sighed and went back to her book. "What'cha reading, Er?" asked Lexine. "Hogwarts, A History. It's pretty wild, actually. Did you know that Hogwarts is protected by enchantments in which only wizards and witches can see it?" "Yeah." Said Harry. "Hermione told us a million times." "What does it look like to non-magic folk I wonder," said Ron. "It looks like an old abandoned broken-down building with a DANGER sign in front of it." Erin replied. "Oh." "So Nate couldn't see it if he came with you, right?" asked Kay. Erin shook her head. "Nope. He's a muggle." Kay sniggered. "Hee hee-a muggle." Erin gave her a warning look before continuing the read. The group eventually went to bed around eleven that night, but Erin gazed up at the ceiling for a while wondering what Nate was doing now and realized then how much she missed him.
Ron woke them all vaguely early the next morning. "I've got some presents!" gasped Harry once he reached the common room, followed by Kay, Erin and Lexine. Kay looked at Harry. "Didn't you ever get Christmas presents before?" she asked. Harry shook his head. "No. My Aunt and Uncle never gave me Christmas presents-or birthday presents either." Lexine frowned as she opened her first gift. Harry picked up a rather large, soft package and opened the letter that was attached. "Your father left this in my possession before he died. Use it well." He looked at Ron who shrugged. "Who's it from?" asked Erin. "It doesn't say." "Open it, then!" said Kay. Harry unwrapped the gift and realized it was a cloak of some sort. "What is this?" asked Harry, fingering the cloak. "It's really light." "Try it on." Ron encouraged. Harry did so and the others gasped. "Whoa!" said Ron. Harry looked down. "My body's gone!" "I know what that is!" Ron gasped as Harry turned around in a circle. "It's an invisibility cloak! That's so neat that your Dad has one! Or had one, I mean." Harry looked at Ron with surprise. "I'm invisible?" he asked. He took the cloak of and his body reappeared. "Can I see it?" asked Kay. "NO!" both Lexine and Erin cried in unison. "Meow!" Kay mewed as Harry chuckled and handed her the cloak. "Be careful with it." He warned. Kay covered her entire body with the cloak and scampered away. After a few moments, Harry looked around the room. "Where are you?" he asked. Kay snuck up behind Harry and POKE "ARGH!" Harry jumped and Kay only uncovered her head. "MWAHAHA." "Kay." Erin and Lexine moaned, watching as the psi-mage took the cloak off and tossed it to Harry.
The Christmas feast that evening was not all exciting as hardly any students were left at Hogwarts. Only about ten students besides teachers gathered in the great hall for supper. After dinner, everybody pretty much headed up for bed, too full and comfortable to actually do anything else.
That night, Harry woke unable to sleep. It just occurred to him that he had access to the entire school with the invisibility cloak. He climbed out of bed and quietly made his way to his trunk, opening it and taking the cloak out of its hiding place. He covered himself with it and made his way back to the room, in which the mirror was standing and peered into it. Once again, images of his mother and father appeared and they stood smiling gently at him. He sat down and gazed at the mirror for a while, until: "Back again, Harry?" Harry gasped and turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing behind him. Harry frowned as the headmaster moved towards him and he stood. "I trust by now that you know what this mirror shows. Mmm?" Harry looked down at the floor. "Let me give you a hint. The happiest man in the world would look into this mirror and see only himself." Harry looked back up again. "So it shows us what we want. Whenever we want!" Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, and no. It shows us the deepest desires of our hearts. You, Harry, have never seen your family. And in this mirror, you see them standing beside you. However, this mirror shows neither knowledge or truth." "But." "Men have wasted away in front of his mirror, Harry. Which is why it is going to be moved to a new home tomorrow. I would ask, though that you not go looking for it again."
Harry said good night after that and headed back to the Gryffindor tower.
Before they knew it, Christmas Eve had arrived and everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow. Kay, Lexine and Erin sat together by the fire in the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron who were playing a game of wizard's chess. It was exactly like regular chess only the pieces moved by themselves. Erin curled up on one of the cushioned chairs reading HOGWARTS: A HISTORY that Hermione had lent her. Speaking of Hermione, she came down from the girls' dormitory with her trunk. When she approached Ron and Harry she stood and watched the chess game. "Knight to H5." Harry said loudly and his piece moved. Ron leaned his chin in his palm and looked at the board for a moment, thinking. "Pawn to H3." His piece moved and suddenly: SMASH! Hermione and Erin jumped at the noise. "That's totally barbaric!" Hermione cried. Ron grinned at her. "That's wizards' chess!" then he noticed her trunk. "I see you've packed!" Hermione frowned. "See you haven't!" Ron sighed. "Change of plans. Me Mum and me Dad are going to Romania to visit my brother Charlie." Hermione nodded. "Good! You can help Harry then. He's going to look in the library for more information on Nicholas Flamel and the Sorcerer's Stone." Ron groaned. "We've looked a HUNDRED times!" Hermione leaned towards him. "Not in the RESTRICTED section." She said winking. Then she headed back up to the girl's dormitory to make sure she didn't forget anything. When she was out of earshot, Ron looked at Harry. "I think we've had a bad influence on her." Kay snorted. "So are you guys still looking?" "Yeah. We want to know exactly what the stone has or does that's so important." Harry said. "Unless you want to tell us and make life easier," Ron added as he made his next move. "And for you Harry, checkmate." Harry nodded as Ron began packing the pieces up. Lexine sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you what the Stone does," she said. "We just can't tell you anymore than that." Erin turned to the next page in her book. "I've got to go," said Hermione as she came back downstairs. "Happy Christmas!" she waved as she dragged her trunk out into the corridor. When she was gone, Lexine looked at Erin and Kay who were watching her. "Well, the stone contains the Elixir of life. When the person who owns the stone drinks it he/she becomes Immortal." "Immortal!" Ron gasped. "It means you'll never die," said Erin. "I know what it means!" "Oh!" said Harry. "Can't you think of anyone who would want to remain immortal?" asked Lexine. Harry smiled. "Voldemort! Snape doesn't want the stone for himself!" "Ding ding ding!" said Kay and everyone looked at her irritated. "What?" she asked. Erin sighed and went back to her book. "What'cha reading, Er?" asked Lexine. "Hogwarts, A History. It's pretty wild, actually. Did you know that Hogwarts is protected by enchantments in which only wizards and witches can see it?" "Yeah." Said Harry. "Hermione told us a million times." "What does it look like to non-magic folk I wonder," said Ron. "It looks like an old abandoned broken-down building with a DANGER sign in front of it." Erin replied. "Oh." "So Nate couldn't see it if he came with you, right?" asked Kay. Erin shook her head. "Nope. He's a muggle." Kay sniggered. "Hee hee-a muggle." Erin gave her a warning look before continuing the read. The group eventually went to bed around eleven that night, but Erin gazed up at the ceiling for a while wondering what Nate was doing now and realized then how much she missed him.
Ron woke them all vaguely early the next morning. "I've got some presents!" gasped Harry once he reached the common room, followed by Kay, Erin and Lexine. Kay looked at Harry. "Didn't you ever get Christmas presents before?" she asked. Harry shook his head. "No. My Aunt and Uncle never gave me Christmas presents-or birthday presents either." Lexine frowned as she opened her first gift. Harry picked up a rather large, soft package and opened the letter that was attached. "Your father left this in my possession before he died. Use it well." He looked at Ron who shrugged. "Who's it from?" asked Erin. "It doesn't say." "Open it, then!" said Kay. Harry unwrapped the gift and realized it was a cloak of some sort. "What is this?" asked Harry, fingering the cloak. "It's really light." "Try it on." Ron encouraged. Harry did so and the others gasped. "Whoa!" said Ron. Harry looked down. "My body's gone!" "I know what that is!" Ron gasped as Harry turned around in a circle. "It's an invisibility cloak! That's so neat that your Dad has one! Or had one, I mean." Harry looked at Ron with surprise. "I'm invisible?" he asked. He took the cloak of and his body reappeared. "Can I see it?" asked Kay. "NO!" both Lexine and Erin cried in unison. "Meow!" Kay mewed as Harry chuckled and handed her the cloak. "Be careful with it." He warned. Kay covered her entire body with the cloak and scampered away. After a few moments, Harry looked around the room. "Where are you?" he asked. Kay snuck up behind Harry and POKE "ARGH!" Harry jumped and Kay only uncovered her head. "MWAHAHA." "Kay." Erin and Lexine moaned, watching as the psi-mage took the cloak off and tossed it to Harry.
The Christmas feast that evening was not all exciting as hardly any students were left at Hogwarts. Only about ten students besides teachers gathered in the great hall for supper. After dinner, everybody pretty much headed up for bed, too full and comfortable to actually do anything else.
That night, Harry woke unable to sleep. It just occurred to him that he had access to the entire school with the invisibility cloak. He climbed out of bed and quietly made his way to his trunk, opening it and taking the cloak out of its hiding place. He covered himself with it and made his way back to the room, in which the mirror was standing and peered into it. Once again, images of his mother and father appeared and they stood smiling gently at him. He sat down and gazed at the mirror for a while, until: "Back again, Harry?" Harry gasped and turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing behind him. Harry frowned as the headmaster moved towards him and he stood. "I trust by now that you know what this mirror shows. Mmm?" Harry looked down at the floor. "Let me give you a hint. The happiest man in the world would look into this mirror and see only himself." Harry looked back up again. "So it shows us what we want. Whenever we want!" Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, and no. It shows us the deepest desires of our hearts. You, Harry, have never seen your family. And in this mirror, you see them standing beside you. However, this mirror shows neither knowledge or truth." "But." "Men have wasted away in front of his mirror, Harry. Which is why it is going to be moved to a new home tomorrow. I would ask, though that you not go looking for it again."
Harry said good night after that and headed back to the Gryffindor tower.