Chapter 10: Through the looking glass

It's Christmas Day, and for the past three days, excluding Professor Flitwick and the Grey Lady, I've been the only person in the Ravenclaw tower. It's eerie when nobody is here cluttering up the place.

"Brek!" I roll over and glare at Hedwig. She is giving me a look that says 'You can't stay in bed all day.' "I can try." I roll back over.

"Brek brek."

"Not one." I agree. "Anthony is Jewish and he didn't stay."

"Blekck." She hoots sorrowfully.

"Ah yes: Family." I sigh. "I suppose so." I add sitting up. "I wonder if Albus enjoyed my present." I climb out of bed. I managed to convince Tonks to go to the sweet shop in Hogsmeade for me to buy a box of 'Apple drops'. At first she had teased me about a secret girlfriend and made kissy faces when I was talking to Hermione. She'd looked as if I'd slapped her when I told her they were for the Headmaster. She tried to convince me that I couldn't give 'Albus-Bloody-Dumbledore' sweets for Christmas, I ignored her.

I open my door and traverse the stairs towards the common room.

Tonks is, of course, visiting home for the holiday, as is Hermione. My lack of of friends saddens me for a moment. 'Quality over quantity' Even Draco can hold a decent conversation when he isn't talking about his beloved Father or spouting nonsense about 'mudbloods', which builds up to about 80% of what he says.

Hedwig's urgent hooting draws my attention from the portrait hole. She is pecking at a present under the tree. "Come on, Hedwig. You'll mess someone's stuff up." I walk over to her. She taps on the label. "Harry Potter." The 'O' is stylized as a heart. "Well I'll be damned." It could only be Tonks or a crazed fangirl … So Tonks.

'I reckon your muggles wouldn't get you anything,

So I splashed out on a couple of these for us – Tonks'

Again with the stylized 'O' in her name. I smile as I open the badly wrapped gift. My ability takes away the surprise of the contents, but does nothing to take away from the present itself. Contained within the slim box is a wand holster; Since I'd told her about my lessons with Albus and Flitwick, she insisted on giving me the 'Auror treatment'. She'd never admit it, but I've almost beaten her a few times. I tire much quicker than her unfortunately. Antipodean Opaleye dragonhide, part of a pair. She has, quite purposefully, given me the one with the small engraving of 'Tonks' on it; Her one bears 'Potter'. I tap my finger on the instructions and adjust the straps accordingly as it fits inside of my right forearm. And perhaps the best feature – I watch as the whole assembly alters to match the colour of my skin. "Wicked." I grin.

"Hoot." Hedwig looks at me teasingly.

"Oh be quiet you." I don't fight the smile.

The next present, wrapped in paper displaying small Christmas trees, is a book from Hermione detailing the finer points of the creation of Dragonhide boots, a jab at my eternal lack of shoes. I'd given her a book on magical creatures; using the Flourish and Blotts owl order service. I bookmarked the section on mountain trolls, she had rolled her eyes, but hugged me anyway.

The third and final package is wrapped in blue paper conjured by Albus, apparently in an attempt to conceal the contents, but as the paper had touched it too, this plan didn't work out. An old cloak apparently. I detach the note.

'Your father left this in my possession before he died.

It is time that it was returned to you.

Use it well.

A very merry Christmas to you.'

He hadn't signed it, but he knows he needn't do so. I remove the wrapping paper and hold up the cloak. It's just a cloak. I frown as I stand up. "Not my usual get up." I comment to Hedwig. I can't seem to get a grasp on it's history. I can see James using it and another two men with messy black hair, but not who made it, nor any magical properties or it's history. "What do you reckon, Hedwig?" I hold it closer to my face. It's incredibly thin, more so than paper, like holding liquid. "When in doubt, throw it over yourself." I wrap the cloak around my shoulders, feeling somewhat disappointed by the lack of dinosaurs. Hedwig squawks, looking incredibly alarmed. I look down at my body, or lack of body. "Ah!" I quickly remove the cloak from myself. The invisibility cloak. Capable of hiding itself and the user from anything. "The invisibility cloak?" I wonder aloud, holding the cloak between myself and the fire, It's easy to see through and very large. Odd that it's 'The' cloak, rather than 'a' cloak. "I think this will be incredibly useful." I wrap my entire body and head in the shroud before stuffing it into my pocket with little effort. I feel slightly unsettled by it's hidden properties and non-existent thickness, but it's yet to eat my soul or anything. "Breakfast, my dear?" Hedwig rolls her eyes and heads out of the window. I think I'm losing it. I'll end up like Albus if I'm not careful; Drawing all my sustenance from lemon drops. I shudder as I exit the common room.

"Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley." I greet as I walk on the opposite side of the table to the four brothers. Only one table is in use for the students that have stayed over the break. "Merry Christmas and all that." I sit opposite the twins.

"Merry Christmas." They echo cheerfully, pulling a Christmas cracker. The thing goes off like a cannon blast, engulfing this section of the hall in yellow smoke. Probably not healthy to inhale, but I laugh along as Percy tries to waft it away from his plate whilst Fred continues to blow more onto it.

After the festivities and snowball fight ends, I return to the common room with Flitwick. He bids me good night before heading off to bed. Despite his size, he managed to drink a surprising amount. I wait in the common room for a while to ensure he isn't coming back before extracting my new cloak and slipping out of the common room.

Whilst on my invisible adventure, I come across a locked door; A magically locked door at that. I check up and down the dark corridor quickly to make sure I'm alone before drawing my wand. The magical forms a misty lattice across the doorway, I can only assume this is what locked doors should like.

"Alohomora." I whisper, still not keen on the idea being caught. I try the door handle, watching as the magic tests my hand. Still locked. "Finite." I poke the handle with the tip of my wand. This causes the ward to peel back away. This time the door opens. As my hand trails across the door as I pass, I learn that Albus moved something in here in August. The room is devoid of furniture save for the large ornate mirror standing in the centre of the room on golden clawed feet. Perhaps ten feet tall and half as wide. I cross into the centre of the room, keeping my distance from the mirror, I wouldn't wand to get trapped inside it or something. Quite predictably, nothing shows up as I walk past, still under the cover of my cloak; It works against mirrors too, very useful. I walk to the side of the mirror, shifting my hand from underneath the invisible shroud and lay it on the wooden frame. The mirror of Erised. Desire. The inscription is mirrored and correctly reads:

'I show not your face, but your heart's desire.'

It's been sitting in a room oddly reminiscent to my cloak – hidden. One of the few remaining relics of Rowena Ravenclaw. Rowena had spent months planning every tiny aspect of the mirror and just as long putting it together. The reflective part is made of an incredibly rare and expensive metal known in English as 'Mithril'. The looking glass would be worth a hefty fortune as raw metal, but it is currently priceless; Unique. Many have stared into it's depths and lost their minds, others simply starve and waste away before it. Occasionally it gets lost for a few decades, but it's always found. The frame is beautifully carved by Rowena's own hands, a woman of many talents. I walk into the centre of the room, standing in from of the mirror, still shrouded. What would I see? Money? I have money. Family? Perhaps, but is it my deepest desire?

"The happiest man in the world would see only himself." Echo-Albus appears beside Echo-Snape, both of them gazing at the mirror from either side of me. "Do you see her?" He asks softly. Echo-Snape glides out of the room. "A dangerous artefact indeed." Echo-Albus mutters, shaking his head slightly before following. What would Albus see? He has lived a long and full life, but not without it's losses. And Snape, What woman? I sigh. My turn now. I remove my cloak and hang it over right arm before returning my attention to the mirror.

It's me. A few years older and a fair bit taller, but not hugely so. The same hair, styled as a bird's nest. Some things never change. I frown as I take a step forward, my reflection follows my movements, holding his consistent lopsided grin. I reach up and push my hair aside; My trademark stamp is still there. A simple silver band on his middle finger catches my eye as our arm falls back down. I take a few steps back from the mirror, taking in the sight again. He is wearing a simple dark blue and white checked shirt and dark blue fitted jeans, a chain necklace just shows under the shirt. As ever, no shoes or socks. He appears to not be as thin as I, filling out his clothes. Could be worse. I'm sure the mirror will be long gone before Tonks gets back, so I can't show her and I'd be lucky to convince Hermione to go out after curfew were she here. I have nobody to share it with. Hedwig would see herself as a dragon or something.

"Linter." I call out.

"Master Harry sir! Students is not supposed to bes calling us."

"It's Christmas." I say, sitting down on the floor. "Come." I pat the stone beside me. Linter looks at me strangely before sitting down cross-legged beside me, still watching me. "What can you see?" I ask, gesturing to the mirror.

"I sees us on the floor Master Harry sir." She frowns up at me. "Is you feelin' ok?"

"Nothing irregular?" I turn my attention to the mirror. Just Linter and my older self.

"I sees us." She says. "With warm cups of chocolate." She looks down at her hands and then mine.

"It shows what people desire, Linter." I smile. "Could you be so kind as to fetch a couple of mugs of hot chocolate?" She frowns and clicks her fingers; a pair of mugs appear on the floor in front of me. "Merry Christmas, Linter." I place one mug in front of her and take a sip from the other. It's clear that she thought both were for me. She tentatively picks up the her own.

"Merry Christmas, Master Harry sir."

With nothing better to do, I visit the mirror on boxing day and the day after. Perhaps hoping that now I'd seen my 'Heart's desire' that the image would change. Albus is waiting in the room. I fold my cloak into my pocket.

"Good evening, Harry." He greets me.

"Do you wish me a good evening, or mean that it is a good evening whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this evening; or that it is an evening to be good on?" I reply.

"All of them at once." He smiles in return.

"A curious mirror." I say, taking my place beside Albus, looking into the mirror once more. "To show the deepest desire of one's heart supposedly."

"Supposedly?" He queries.

"I find the meaning of mine to be a mystery; It's merely my reflection." I explain.

"The happiest man-"

"Would see nought but his reflection." I nod, stepping towards the mirror, laying my hand upon it; a faint click follows my reflection's hand mirroring my action, it seems to amuse him. "A man once tried to turn the Earth inside out using this mirror." I laugh. "The poor sod stepped in front of it and it got him instead."

"Metaphorically, I assume?" Albus asks, looking worried.

"Of course." I smirk. "And thank your for the cloak." I turn back to him. "It hides from just about everything in existence, including me. It took some work, but I've pulled a few bits of information off of it."

"Such as?"

"A few previous owners, mostly Potters, and some of it's abilities." I say. "Also, it's age. The year 1250, but it's hiding the exact date. The first owner was Ignotus Peverell, but I'm sure you knew that." He smiles and nods. "It's aura is a unique shade of purple too. I looked up the Peverell family, don't tell Madam Pince, they are an old family, but the best reference was 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'. The story claims that Death bestowed three items of power unto the three brothers."

"And is it true?" He looks oddly excited.

"It's hidden." I laugh as he deflates. "Maybe in time I can unravel it's secrets, or if you happen across the other two." I pat the mirror. "An odd thing to keep in a school." I walk back towards the door, replacing the cloak around my shoulders.

"I suppose it is." He nods.

"I'm sure you could fund the school for years if you wanted to." I lift pull the hood up and obscure the rest of my head. "I hope you take good care of it for Mister Flamel." He whirls around in shock, but I'm already out the door.

A/N: A bit of a slower paced one, but i think it's interesting. Harry will learn more about the cloak if he studies it more. Enjoy!