Jay Morris

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, just the gremlins in my head.

"Chapter 7: Mirror, Mirror"

Harry was sitting at the table reading the Daily Prophet, and Ginny was noisily cooking in the kitchen.

"Now, was it three tablespoons butter, and two teaspoons milk or the other way around?" Ginny was going into full-blown mum mode. She was wearing an apron, cooking all the meals, and even doing all the laundry. Not that Harry complained, but he did want to feel like he actually helped around the house.

"Butter to milk Ginny. You know there are things called recipes. Why don't you just have your mum write them down and owl them to you?" Harry turned to see Ginny staring at him as though he had five eyes.

"Are you nuts?"

"I have them, but no." Harry laughed.

"Okay, I set myself up for that one, but if I tell my mum that I can't remember the most basic recipes she taught me, she'll send a howler with them."

"How about you let me cook a little?"

"What you don't like my cooking? Am I here only to cook and clean?"

"Where did that come from?" Harry was a little hurt. He loved her and wanted to help, and here she was yelling at him over a recipe for scrambled eggs.

"Where did what come from?" Ginny was turning red as her hair.

"You're getting mad over nothing Ginny. You know I love you, and that I want to help, but you said you wanted to do it, so I let you do it."

"I know Harry." Ginny turned to the sink, hiding her tears. But Harry saw them before she turned.

"Ginny? What's wrong love?"

"I just can't figure out how my mum does it." She turned and hugged Harry fiercely. "I want to be able to make the kind of home my mum did, and I can't do it! I just can't do it!" She buried her face into his chest. "Why can't I do it?"

Harry was just in shock. Ginny was really taking this assignment seriously, and it was seriously taking her down. Harry turned her face up to look at his. "Just because you aren't as good a cook, washer, and mender as your mum right now, doesn't mean you won't be a good mother. I love you, and whether you did everything wrong like Neville all the time, or performed everything perfectly I'd still love you."

"Really?" Ginny had stopped crying and was staring into his eyes.

"Really. Now I'd love to stay home with you, but I got to go to work. They'll be expecting me in six minutes."

"Allright. I'm sorry I blew up."

Harry kissed her, and said, "I know. But you can always count on me." Harry shut the front door as he heard Ginny sigh with relief. He really wanted to help, but how could he?

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Draco was sitting in his chair, leaning over his desk, studying hard when Harry walked in.

"Just in time."

"Good. What are you looking at?"

"It's a report of an attack on a witch. She was walking in our little village here when something jumped from the trees and attacked her. She's allright, she has a scar on her neck, but she's fine. Devine wants us to question her and find out all we can."

"Allright. When do we start?"

"Now. But there was a letter for you from Devine on your desk. Something about a meeting about a mirror or something."

"Did you read it?"

"No, Scott did."

"Oh."

Harry picked up the envelope. The green wax seal was opened, and the letter was definitely refolded incorrectly. In the letter it said: Harry meet me tonight at my house. I found what I needed to finish your mirror. It will be almost ready for you tonight. Come after sunset. J. Devine. Harry leaped inside. Tonight he would meet Sirius Black, again.

At the attacked witch's house . . .Draco and Harry knocked on the door, and a witch about thirty-five years old answered the door. "Are you the two kids who Devine said would question me?" She seemed almost afraid to ask this question.

"Yes ma'am we are." Harry said.

"Please come in and sit down. Tea?" Her voice was pleasant.

"Yes please." They both said.

After Draco and Harry had drunk as much tea as was possible the witch seemed ready to tell them her story. "I was walking through the village, to admire the night sky, and I heard this strange sound from behind me. It sounded like a mix between a growl and a purr, if you can imagine that. So I took out my wand and decided to be a little more alert. I didn't hear it again until I was walking back from the center of town. And I turned to see a big shadow jump out of a slightly illuminated shadow and attacked me. I sent it flying off of me, and then ran for my house and locked the door. I didn't send an owl until this morning because I was afraid it would find where I live."

Draco looked at Harry, then back at the witch. "Do you mind if we ask a few questions?"

"Not at all."

Draco straightened up in his seat and looked down at his notes real quick. "Could you tell us whether the 'shadow' that attacked you had a gender?"

"I don't know."

"Okay. Do you know anybody who would want to hurt you?"

"No."

"Is there anybody you can think of that might be able to help our investigation?
"Only Professor Devine."

"Professor Devine?"

"Yes. I went to his house, and he told me to come up with an outrageous story to test you boys. You get full marks for professionalism. Thank you."

"Well done boys." Professor Devine stepped in from the adjacent room. "Even at your age you have remembered all that you learned about being professional in a crime interview. I'm very glad my meetings haven't been in vain. Oh, one critique, never once did you address her by her name. Did you even know her name?"

"No. Dang it! I knew there was something we didn't do." Harry mentally kicked himself. Rule number two; find out the victim's name and aliases.

"It's okay Harry. I didn't expect you to get everything on the first shot. You will get full marks, and I will write you good reviews when it comes to that time. Please thank Mrs. Raven. Tanya's mum very graciously agreed to help me. Thank you. Boys." Devine led them out of Mrs. Raven's cabin and to his house in the village square.

"Draco I would like to congratulate you on how well you took notes, and Harry for admitting a mistake. You will each be good Auror's when you are old enough. Now Draco and Harry I would like to speak to you both privately inside."

Devine walked inside and Harry and Draco exchanged confused looks.

"Please sit down. That exercise was to prepare you for this. Now, there was an attack on a muggle about three miles away from here, and it was done by a wizard. I was able to get all of the information, and the police have written it down as a hopeless murder case, but it still worries me. I want you two to be my eyes and ears and find out all you can. We need to keep the students here safe, and I need you two to help me. I can only do so much, and as Draco knows that is a lot. But even I need to sleep. Now, so your employer doesn't skin me alive, get going!"

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When Harry got home, Ginny had left for her job at the local sweet shop. She left him a note on the table that said: Harry, I'm sorry about this morning. I know you have that meeting with Devine, he owled me. I'll have dinner ready for you when you get home.

Love,

Ginny Potter

Harry smirked. They'd only been living in the same house for a week and a half and she was already adopting his last name. Well, he was going to have dinner ready for her, when she got home. With a smile at her surprise he set to work peeling and cutting potatoes, while looking at his Transfiguration homework.

At about seven o'clock Ginny came home, ate dinner with him, ham and scalloped potatoes, and started her own homework. Seeing it was after sunset Harry said he had to go, and headed for Devine's house, but not before grabbing his wand and kissing Ginny good-bye.

When he got there a note on the door told him to just come in. He found Professor Devine sitting in meditation next to a bubbling cauldron, a mirror, and Professor Dumbledore.

"Ah Harry. It's been a while since I've seen you." Dumbledore said. "Professor Devine has been telling me that you have been doing quite well, considering the circumstances."

"Yes sir. Ginny and I are getting along perfectly well."

Devine and Dumbledore exchanged a smirk and went on.

"I requested Professor Dumbledore be here in case something went wrong Harry. I'll need you to assist me in adding ingredients to the potion. Add them in this order when Dumbledore says to: the dragon fang, a hair of your head, the Rememberall, and finally the picture of Sirius Black."

Devine started chanting in a different language and a weird kind of glow swirled in the air around him and in the potion. As Devine chanted, and Harry added the ingredients the warmth of the very fire underneath the potion seemed to disappear. Strange sounds and voices wailed into the room, and a wind whirled around them in streams of black and blue specters. Then, right after Harry added the picture of Sirius Black, the potion rose up out of the cauldron and walked over to the mirror. Taking a mighty leap it jumped into the mirror, and Harry watched as the mirror began to glow and radiate different colors. But, the voices, colors, and wind died down around them, and all was as it was, except for the mirror. It continued to glow and then suddenly stopped.

Devine opened his eyes and walked over to the mirror. He looked at Dumbledore, who nodded, and then beckoned Harry over.

"It is time Harry. Are you ready for this?"

"I've been waiting for this for a long time. How do I get Sirius Black to appear in the mirror?"

"Just call his name."

"Just call his name? That's it?"

"Yeah, why?" Devine was puzzled.

"Well, I just thought it would be more complicated."

"Son, you've been looking at Transfiguration charts haven't you?" Devine had a sarcastic grin on his face.

"Yes." Harry turned to the mirror. "Sirius?"

The mirror swirled and then the face of Sirius Black came into the regular mirror.

"Harry? Is it really you?" Sirius was crying.

"Yes Sirius. I'm here." Harry too was crying.

"Who's there with you? How did you bring me back to the land of the living?" Sirius was anxious. But then again, a year stuck in a netherworld will do that to you.

"Professor Dumbledore is here, and Professor James Devine."

"Devine? James let me see you."

Professor Devine stepped forward so Black could see him. "Hello Sirius. It's been a long time my old friend."

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black. So I guess I have you to thank for bringing Harry and myself back together."

"Who else would know the secrets of an authentic magic mirror?"

"Gee, I don't know. Merlin."

"Watch it."

"Oh, that's right. Does Harry know?"

"Just Hermione and Draco."

"Malfoy?"

"Yes, and Draco's actually a gentleman. Lucius attacked Hermione, and got himself expelled, and banished, by his own son. And during that fray Hermione and Draco found out about my wild side."

"Harry, it's so good to see you. Can I talk to Harry in private?"

"Of course. Harry take the mirror home, it is yours." Dumbledore had a grand smile on his face.
"Thank you Professor Dumbledore." Harry had the mirror in his hands and was heading to the door, when Hermione burst through the doors at a full run.

"Harry it's terrible! Someone attacked your house, and it's on fire! Draco went in to try and get Ginny!"

Harry, followed very closely by Hermione, and Devine ran back to his house. Draco had just kicked the front door out and was carrying Ginny as though she were dead. He gratefully gave up Ginny to Harry and accepted gratefully the support Hermione gave his weak body.

"I'm heading to the hospital. Can I stay at your house Devine?"

"Somehow I knew you were going to ask. Sure. I'll put the mirror in your room shall I?"

"Thank you. I'll be back late. Draco, Hermione; can you get Ron and the three of you meet me at the hospital? Please?"

"Sure Harry. We'll be there as soon as possible."

"Thanks." Harry bundled Ginny up a little more and ran as fast as he could to the hospital.

N/A: No, I'm not going to kill Ginny. It's just important that Harry be mad for a good reason, and what better reason could I find. Sorry for all the Ginny fans out there. SHE DOESN'T DIE!!!