The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Fifteen

The Mirror of Erised

It had been annoyingly difficult to find a subtle way to interact with the Potter child. First, Elric had arrived with the child, but he had waited since he knew the man did not intend to stay the entire term. Soon enough the man had left, and Dumbledore tried to think of a way to call the boy to his office without raising alarms for the child. After all he needed the boy to trust him.

Then, before he could manage a meeting, the Emperor had arrived earlier than Dumbledore had expected. Once again, he had to be careful though not as careful as before. An outsider would notice should Dumbledore seemed to have special interest in a particular child, however, the man was not aware of everything that was going on. It wasn't as though he could have been tainted by Elric. Therefore, it was a matter of arranging a meeting.

Dumbledore decided the best way to handle it would be to tempt the child's natural curiosity. All children, when given the chance, would step out of bounds. He knew too, that Flitch had complained early in the year that the boy and his friend had tried to get into the third-floor corridor. So, then, Dumbledore decided to part with the Cloak of Invisibility.

It had been a difficult choice, but he was certain once he won the boy back over to his side, he could regain the Cloak. Likely he would be able to convince the boy to regain the Resurrection stone for him as well if necessary. So, he wrapped the cloak and sent it to the boy with an unsigned note explaining that the cloak had once belonged to his real father. Dumbledore knew wording it in such a way may cause trouble for him, but the other part of his plan required the boy realize that he had been taken from his real family.

He waited. It didn't take long for the boy to try the cloak out as he expected. What he hadn't expected was the boy seemed content to leave the experimenting to the courtyard between classes with his friends nearby. This would not do. He needed the boy to discover the mirror. However was the boy to use it, and 'rescue' the Stone if he did not discover how the mirror worked now?

So, once again he would have to find a way to manipulate the situation. It was easy enough to arrange a conversation with Emperor Ling in the courtyard where the boy and his friends would overhear them, which would lead to them seeking out the Mirror. "Yes, we house many magical artifacts." Dumbledore said loudly enough for the children to overhear as they walked slowly toward the garden. "The Mirror of Erised for example, which is currently stored in an unused classroom on the first floor is delightful. I should show you after lunch should you like."

The children had all perked up at this information, and he was sure they would go in search of it soon. He had also planted the question of his birth family in the boy's mind with his gift, so everything should work as expected. After all, didn't all children want answers on where they truly came from? Surely the boy had been questioning things since he received his owls and learned of magic.

Unfortunately, Ling also seemed interested in the Mirror so Dumbledore had to take him to see it before the children could sneak in. He leads the man to the unused room and allows him to stand before the Mirror. "What is it you see?" Dumbledore asked curiously when Ling let out a small gasp.

"That does seem a deeply personal question Headmaster." The emperor smirked. "I could ask you the same. What is it you see in this Mirror?"

"I do not look into it, many have wasted away in front of it." Dumbledore replied, deflecting the question. In truth, he had spent too many evenings staring into it once he had managed to obtain the Mirror. Though it was likely a pleasant break from the whiskey for his liver.

"Well then, it would be best to place it somewhere a bit safer than an unused classroom wouldn't you agree?"

"Children rarely come to this part of the castle."

"Who is it you hope to ensnare with this trickery Dumbledore." The emperor asked with a small frown. After his first glance he had refused to look again, ignoring the shadowed movement out of the corner of his eyes. Yes, it was a beautiful vision, his mother alive and whole, his siblings happily standing beside him and his family. His son free and clear of the last traces of what he used to be…at one look he had seen all of his heart's greatest wishes and knew instantly it was a trick. A trap of illusion.

"No one of concern I assure you." Dumbledore said smoothly, as he leads the man from the room, making sure to leave the door slightly ajar to make it easier for the children to find. "Allow me to show you another of our artifacts. A pensive is a wonderful way took look back over old memories."

He noticed a flicker behind them and was relieved that the boy had clearly taken the bait as the door clicked shut. He leads the Emperor up to his office, already mentally reviewing what memory he could show to impress the man and hopefully win him over. Surely something about the fight with Takeshi would do since the man had invaded Ling's country.

Ling seemed impressed with the way it worked, but politely declined reviewing a second memory or sharing one of his own. Dumbledore then showed him out of the office, before slipping away himself to see if the children were still with the Mirror.

He watched silently as they took turns looking into the Mirror. Ronald Weasley in particular seemed interested in revisiting it in the future, though Draco Malfoy was also intrigued. Harry, of course, would bring them back. He seemed interested himself, though unlike Ron neither other boy seemed inclined to share what they were seeing. Dumbledore could only assume both were seeing their families, alive and whole. Happy. Isn't that what everyone truly wanted when they looked the first time?

Yuery had, in fact, agreed to return to the magic mirror for Draco and Ron. He knew it had to be a trick, an illusion, because he had seen…everyone. Including his cousin and his grandmothers, and his birth parents mixed in with his parents and his brothers and sisters all standing there waiting for him. He knew he missed his family, he knew he wished to have more time with those they had lost, doesn't everyone? He also knew that it wasn't possible. There was absolutely no way to recall the dead. He had spent his entire life hearing that and he knew it to be true, so while the others were interested he wasn't truly.

Not unless the Mirror showed him a way to stop Quirrell from stealing the stone and stop Dumbledore from reclaiming it. His father had told him what they were, and the souls inside deserved to be free. They should not be used to return someone to power. They could not be used to recall someone dead. So, they should not be left in the hands of ones who didn't understand what they were.

Yuery went to the library, as was his way, to try to look up the Mirror of Erised. He wanted to know how it worked, what it could do, because if it was possible that it could help keep the Philosopher's Stone away from those who would abuse it then he would by all means return to it to retrieve the Stone himself.

He knew what his Dad would say. Dad would tell him to leave it all alone and let the adults handle it. His Dad would want him to stay safe and concentrate on his lessons. His Dad seemed to forget sometimes that when Dad was Yuery's age he was already preparing to become a State Alchemist. A few months from now, Yuery would be the same age his Dad was when Dad started traveling the country and saving people. He wasn't a child anymore and Dad needed to remember that! If Yuery could help,, shouldn't he?

"What are you looking for?" Hermione asked as she leaned over his book, startling him.

"Ah! Warn me next time!" Yuery yelped before dropping to a whisper when the librarian glared at them. "The Mirror of Erised. I want to know exactly how it works. What I found it says it shows you what you desire. That's all."

"You should stay away from it." Hermione frowned. "It sounds like an easy entrapment."

"I agree, but I think it might be of use with our other issue." Yuery frowned. "Though the thought it itself might be a manipulation… I don't know which is why I am looking into it. Draco and Ron want to go back."

"Are you going to take them?" Hermione frowned in disapproval. She looked like his Mom with that expression.

"I agreed to let them try it once more." Yuery nodded. "I intend to watch them carefully. Then I will go back myself and try to unlock if it is of use. I will not use it when they do."

"Tell me when you go alone. If you aren't back in half an hour I'm coming after you, so no going after hours!" Hermione said with a sigh. She didn't like the idea but she liked the idea of him sneaking off alone even less. "If you try it alone, I will write your father."

"No need to threaten me Hermione! Jeeze, I almost forgot you're mean."

"No you didn't." Hermione sniffed, before opening a book. "So, you admit you are interested in this stuff about Flamel, even though you said you weren't before."

"I know enough." Yuery huffed and closed his own book. "There are things best left unsaid. I…I cannot tell you some things, but as I said, those things are better off left alone. They are illegal for a reason."

"Do you know the reason and just aren't saying?"

"…You know there is such things as dark magic, spell so foul they remain unspoken? We even have an entire class dedicated to protecting ourselves from such things." Yuery said with a frown.

"Yes, of course."

"Alchemy too has forbidden arrays, dark practices so foul they remain unspoken. They array used to create a philosopher's stone is one of them." Yuery said quietly. "It is so Dark, many even among alchemists do not know of it. The Stone was long thought to be a myth, many alchemists still think it is. Only a handful of people know that they are real and even less know how they are made… and most who know how they are made do not know the necessary steps to make one."

Yuery took Ron back that evening before dinner, while reminding him it was the last time. Ron agreed easily, after being away from the mirror it had started to bother him how enthralled he had felt of the visions standing separate from his siblings, standing out in the crowd. Though it was what he wished for, he also knew it wasn't real after listening to Yuery and Hermione.

Likewise, he offered to take Draco the next afternoon. Draco it seemed had changed his mind overnight and had no desire to return to the room. Yuery didn't ask what had changed his mind, and Draco didn't offer an answer. Instead suggesting that Yuery would be better off staying away as well. Yuery agreed, he fully intended to, after one more look to try to make it work.

That evening, after dinner but early enough that Hermione could retrieve him if necessary, Yuery once again slipped down to the room. He stepped inside, looking toward the mirror and nearly missed the man sitting at one of the desks. "Good evening Harry." Dumbledore said solemnly. "Back again I see."

"Professor Dumbledore. Have you been watching me?" Yuery asked, annoyed at the man's use of the wrong name.

"I have. I trust by now you know what the mirror does?" Dumbledore said standing slowly, "For your friend Ron, who feels constantly overshadowed, he stands above the rest. For Draco, who feels he can never measure up to his Father, he sees the man proud of him, For you who have been denied your real family, you see yourself surrounded by them. It shows you your greatest desire. Nothing more and nothing less. The Mirror will be moved to its new home tomorrow, I ask that you not seek it out again."

"That is not what I saw Professor…it isn't what Draco saw either." Yuery said with a frown. "Though yes, I agree it shows what you desire. That is what it said in the books I found."

"I apologize, I assumed, based on what you said of what you saw-"

"What do you see in the Mirror sir?" Yuery deflected.

"Socks. I always ask for socks, but people insist on giving me books. Good Evening Mr. Potter." Dumbledore said, off center. The conversation had not gone as he had expected. It was rare for him to miscalculate to this degree.

"It's Yuery Elric, if you please sir." Yuery said boldly, annoyed in that it was a weak lie. His youngest brother could have done better and Maes couldn't lie to save his life. "Have a good evening.