"Chapter Twelve," Gideon read. "The Mirror of Erised."
John made a very agitated sound, which the entire room picked up on.
"I take it you've heard of the artifact in question," Harry said.
"Yes, and it's a bloody menace," John said. "And there's no good reason why it should be in a school full of children."
"I feel like that's becoming a theme," Sara said.
Astra's hope for a nice, light, fluffy chapter after the last three faded. Harry wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in closer to himself, Kara, and Lena.
"Hogwarts School of Child Endangerment and Gross Negiligence," Nora murmured and shook her head.
Time passes, with the Weasley twins pelting Quirrell in the back of the head with snowballs.
Lita and Nora broke out into laughter, and Harry, Sara, and Kara all had grins on their faces. Ron shook his head, and the two Weasley twins looked baffled at why they were so amused.
"It wasn't that funny," George said.
"Some jokes age better with time," Zari said.
"Oh, well, I guess," Fred said. "But pelting snowballs at the back of Quirrell's head seems so uninspired in retrospect."
More, with Malfoy's comment about some people not being wanted at home, directed at Harry.
Malfoy received his fair share of disgusted glares.
"You're kind of a prick," Kara said.
"Kind of?" Lena asked.
"Yes, and your point is?" Malfoy asked.
Malfoy keeps taunting Harry about not having any proper family after he cannot get a laugh about the Quidditch thing.
"It's almost like you're starved for attention, because you don't get a lot at home," Sara said.
"I got plenty," Malfoy said.
"Still a bit butthurt about Harry turning down your offer of friendship," Lita said. "The fact you go out of your way to try and taunt him is kind of concerning."
"And obsessive," Ava said. "Very obsessive."
"Well, we know Malfoy was obsessed over young Mr. Potter," George said.
"Too bad Malfoy wasn't his type," Fred said.
"His mother on the other hand," Sara muttered underneath her breath.
"What was that Lance?" Malfoy asked.
"Nothing, just commenting that you must have gotten your looks from your father and not your mother," Sara said.
"No kidding, he looks Lucius magically cloned himself," John said. "The only thing that he's missing is that stupid cane."
"Hey, no trash talking about the pimp cane," Lita said.
"Yeah, that's about the only good thing Malfoy has," Mick said. "Any Malfoy."
"Except for Narcissa," Sara said.
Sara caught Harry's eye and they both chuckled.
"What are you two going on about?" Malfoy asked.
"Harry banged your mom, dude," Lita said.
Malfoy made a scramble for the memory flasher, but Ava pulled it away.
"That's not a toy," Ava said.
"Well, she was very convincing as to why I didn't just have you room with Lucius in Azkaban," Harry said. "But, we're getting off the subject."
Malfoy shifted. There were some things about a mother a son was never meant to know. And that was one of them.
"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out," Ron said. "Did you really think Harry would back a plea deal for you out of the goodness of his heart?"
"He was supposed to be the good guy!" Malfoy yelled. "Good guys don't…"
"Oh, he's a very good guy," Kara said with a smirk. "The best guy."
"Just ask your mother," Sara said with a half smile.
Malfoy made another scramble to flash himself and erase his memories. And Ava snatched the flasher away from him.
"He gets his pettiness from Lily, for the record," John said.
We find out Ron and his brothers were staying the holiday at Hogwarts.
"Thanks," Astra said.
She did not really want to think of eleven year old Harry all alone at Hogwarts. Still better than being at the Dursleys, but it was miserable.
"Oh, we had a blast," George said.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Fred said.
Hagrid arrived, Malfoy was his usual self, Ron snaps, and Snape showed up to spoil everyone's fun.
"His timing is always impeccable," Ron said in remembrance.
"Almost like he's part bat and always swooping around," George said.
"He does have a radar," Fred said. "Malfoy really knows how to push your buttons."
"Just like Harry pushed all of Narcissa's, am I right?" George asked.
Malfoy glared at the three Weasleys.
"I can't believe you did that, Potter," Malfoy said.
"I can't believe he didn't do it sooner," Sara said.
"At least he doesn't make you call him Daddy," Lita said.
"Much to the chagrin to Yaoi fangirls everywhere, I'm sure," Zari said.
"I won't be doing asking you to do that, Malfoy," Harry said.
"Nor would I, Potter," Harry said.
We get a look at the Great Hall for Christmas in all of its beauty and splendor.
"It's really pretty," Hermione said.
"It looks that way," Zari said.
"Almost wish I would be there," Astra said. "Although, if we were enrolled, we would be pulled the first night after Dumbledore's little speech."
"Oh, the certain death speech?" George asked.
"Dumbledore really does have a knack of just casually dropping information," Fred said.
"And not telling important information," Harry said.
"Yes, we noticed," George said.
Hagrid tries to get the kids to drop the matter of Nicholas Flamel.
"Oh, I've known Harry for long enough to know that the best way to get him to do something, is to tell him not to do something," Sara said.
"True," Kara said.
"Can't argue with that," Zari said.
"Mmm, hmm," Lena agreed.
"I really can't either," Harry said.
"Because, you know it's true," Ron said.
"And honestly, I still can't believe you didn't know about Flamel," Ava said to Hermione.
"He wasn't in my wheelhouse," Hermione said with a shrug.
Harry's attempts to look in the Restricted Section had been foiled by Madam Pince. Harry tells Pince he ws looking for nothing.
"Nothing," George said. "Trust me, it never works."
"And we've tried, dozens, hundreds maybe," Fred said.
"My lies got a lot better later on," Harry said.
"Only after I taught you deception," Sara said.
"You taught Harry how to lie?" George asked.
"I taught Harry many things," Sara said. "And Kara too. We learned a lot from each other."
"Well, that's a comment dripping with plenty of innuendo," George said.
"Which really wasn't my intention," Sara said.
"When did you two meet anyway?" Fred asked.
"Pre-Crisis or Post-Crisis?" Harry asked.
Fred and George blinked.
"That might be confusing to explain that to them right now," Kara said.
"In the timeline we are in, I met Harry when I was sent to assassinate him," Sara said. "Which was a test to see whether or not Harry was worthy to be my former mentor's successor."
"And was he?" George asked.
"I killed Ra's al Ghul, you tell me," Harry said. "Twice."
"What's a Raze Ghoul?" George asked.
"Ra's al Ghul," Hermione said. "The Demon's Head. The Head of the League of Assassins. You killed him?"
"Yes, I killed him," Harry said. "I took over the League of Assassins because I was bored."
Hermione looked at Harry, mouth agap.
"My cousin, Sofia, she…she joined the League," Hermione said. "Wait a second, YOU'RE THE BLOODY DRAGON!"
Harry just threw his hands up and smiled.
"The Dragon?" George asked.
"The most feared and notorious assassin in the world, both magical and non-magical," Hermione said. "But, that's impossible. He's been around for thousands of years."
"I do a lot of time travel," Harry nonchalantly said.
"My cousin joined a cabal of assassins because of you," Hermione said. "Because of the Dragon."
"Not to interrupt, but we're getting way off topic," Ava said.
"I can't believe this, I never would have thought you would a blood-thirsty killer," Hermione said.
The room grew cold. Most of the room took offense to Hermione. Sara gave Hermione a death glare.
"I don't kill out of enjoyment, I kill only when necessary," Harry said. "And I feel every death when necessary."
"So, how does one join the League of Assassins?" Lita asked.
"No," Mick said.
"I wasn't planning on joining, Dad, I was just curious," Lita said. "Besides Harry's training me to control my little gift anyway. You know the fiery gift."
"I know what you're talking about," Mick said.
Fucking Star Labs. Fucking Thawne and his stupid fucking feud with the Flash over the dumbest of reasons because Thawne really is a petty asshole. And that damn Particle Accelator.
"Let's continue the story," Ava said. "We can talk about this later. During the next break."
"Oh, we will,' Hermione said.
That glare would have worked on Harry at another time. Harry's chilling look made Hermione back down slightly.
"I didn't know Sofia was your cousin, for the record," Harry said. "She's one of my best students. Nothing like you, though."
Hermione was not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.
Harry snapped time.
"Takes after your sister a bit though," Harry said. "Or vice versa."
"Don't bring her up, please," Hermione said.
Oh, they might later. But for now, Harry was going to let that one go. Hermione was just about as uncomfortable about her sister, or rather half-sister, as Malfoy was about Harry's little tryst with Narcissa.
Harry unnapped time.
"How do you find the time?" Malfoy asked.
"Oh, honey, we don't ask questions like that," Zari said. "We should really continue the story."
"Let's," Astra said.
Hermione's statement about it being safe to ask her parents about Flamel, because they're both dentists.
"Unless one of them is Steve Martin, very safe indeed," Sara said.
"Great,that song's in my head now," Kara said.
Harry patted Kara on the head and kissed her on the forehead. She just smiled.
"They didn't know either, I'll take it," Zari said.
"Mum thought she might have read the name somewhere, Dad didn't know," Hermione said. "Of course to Muggles Flamel was dead for a long time."
Ron and Harry play Wizard Chess.
"Chess, one of the few things which Harry's not good at," Ron said.
"I've improved," Harry said. "Well, the Muggle kind."
"He has," Lena said.
"I had a good teacher," Harry said.
"You beat Lex," Lena said. "I never did that."
Harry just smiled, and Lena shook her head.
"Although, it would drive me nuts if the chess pieces were talking to me. Would ruin my ability to concentrate."
"But, that's half of the fun," George said.
"The other half of the fun is when the pieces start insulting the poorer players," Fred said.
"The language of some of those chess pieces," George said.
"Mum would scour their mouths with soap" Fred said.
Christmas Eve and Harry's thoughts about not expecting Christmas presents. Because he never had them.
Astra closed her eyes at Harry's thoughts. He should not have them. Not ever.
"I remember them all now," Harry said.
"You should have remembered them, then," Astra said.
Harry finds a small pile of presents on the bed. Harry and Ron have a conversation.
"I would have liked turnips a couple of those years," Harry said.
"Sorry," Ron said. "I wish I knew then what I know now."
"It's fine," Harry said. "I'm just glad I got something."
Harry received a flute from Hagrid.
"Hmmm," John murmured. "Something to perform music. When there's a Cerberus on the third floor."
"It looks like a very nice gift," Astra said.
"Very nice and useful," John said.
John said no more, not wanting to ruin Astra's moment of joy on her oldest friend's behalf.
A message from the Dursleys and their present of a fifty pence piece follows.
"Seriously?" Hermione asked. "Wait, you wrote to them?"
"I didn't," Harry said.
"Who did then?" Nora asked.
"Search me," Harry said.
"Mmm, they really shouldn't have bothered," Astra said. "Whoever wrote to them."
"Fifty pence?" Lita asked. "That's not that much."
"Current value is eighty cents," Mick said. "Not sure what it would be in 1991."
"And you happen to know this off of the top of your head," Zari said.
"Yes," Mick said.
"You might be able to get yourself a soda with that, back then," Kara said. "These days, not so much."
Harry gives Ron the money and he is overjoyed.
The twins laughed at the younger Ron's look of jubilation.
"Really made your day," Fred said.
"I showed Dad and he was like a kid at Christmas," Ron said.
"So, like you were right then," Astra said.
"Pretty much, yeah," Ron said.
Harry opened his Weasley sweater and fudge.
"That was nice of her," Astra said.
"Say what you want about Mum, but she puts a lot of time and effort into her knitting," Ron said.
Harry would have his differences with Molly Weasley in the future for many reasons, but Ron was right. The Weasley sweaters were quite nice.
"Maroon would go terrible with your hair," Zari said to Ron.
"I know," Ron said.
"Did you actually tell Mum you didn't like Maroon?" George asked.
"Well, I didn't want to hurt her feelings," Ron said. "She put so much work into the sweater."
"Ah, that's the real meaning of Christmas," Sara said. "Pretending to like a gift to preserve someone's feelings."
"The gift was fine, it was just the color," Ron said. "And I didn't want to ask anyone to do a color changing spell because the fabric would fall apart and it would be useless anyway."
"You just complained about it," George said. "Plenty."
"That I did," Ron agreed.
Harry received Chocolate Frogs from Hermione and a three volume set about Potions making from a certain Slytherin, along with a box of ice cream bars.
"Must have missed those," Ron said.
Hermione's eyes narrowed, like she did when anything involving Daphne Greengrass was mentioned. Admittedly, she had a bit of an inferiority complex towards the witch. Especially in later years.
Like she did about anyone who outperformed her in school, a small guilty voice echoed in her head.
"They really should have Harry Potter ice cream bars," Nora said.
'They really should," Zari said.
"That's a crime," Ava agreed.
"They put his face on everything else,so why not?" Malfoy asked.
"And given all of the things that they put Harry's name and face on, that's a crime they did not have any," Lita added.
"Right up there with the Dolores Umbridge condoms as missed merchandising opportunities," Sara added.
"Well, there's an argument for abstinence if there ever was one," Kara said with a shudder.
Everyone agreed with Kara's assessment.
"So, how was the ice cream?" Astra asked.
"The ice cream was the best," Harry said. "And it was nicely preserved."
"Surprised you trusted food given to you by a Slytherin," Ron said. "You were kind of prejudiced towards them at this point. We both were."
"Because of Malfoy and Snape," Harry reminded him. "And I didn't think a Slytherin would poison me on Christmas."
"Mad-Eye Moody is rolling over his grave," Ron said.
Everyone who knew Moody snickered.
"Oh, that old bugger would be," John agreed.
Harry discovers the Invisibility Cloak.
"Mum wondered where that thing went," Astra said.
"James loved that thing," John said. "Why did he give it to…"
John's voice trailed off as the spoiler charm was in effect.
"Doesn't make any sense," John said.
Harry tries on the Invisibility Cloak.
"The first time Harry did that, I was rightfully weirded out," Sara said..
"Me too," Kara said. "And X-Ray vision doesn't work on the cloak."
Nora opened her mouth, but she got tongue-locked.
"Book Four," Harry said. "We'll talk."
Right, because Nora wondered exactly how Moody's eye saw through one of the Deathly Hallows. Her father had theories. Many theories. Which he argued about with people over the Internet and set back his world domination plans by a few years.
Damien Darhk might have taken over the world if he had not spent too much time being an Internet shitposter. Arguing with people on Reddit was a time sink. And futile.
Harry reads the note and stuffs the Cloak out of sight when Fred and George show up.
"Understandable," George agreed.
"Want to keep that to yourself," Fred said.
"Three people can keep a secret, if the other two are dead," Sara said.
The Twins, Harry, and Ron have some conversation. With the infamous Gred and Forge quote.
"And an entire fandom fixates on that one for twenty years," Lita said.
"We only said once," George said.
"Maybe twice," Fred said.
"Well, not that often," George said. "And the real joke was, we were wearing the right sweaters."
"If you have to explain the joke, I don't think it's that funny," Harry said.
The twins clutched their chests as if they were mocking getting wounded.
"Ouch," George said.
"That hurt," Fred said.
"He's right though," George said.
Christmas at Hogwarts and all of the joys and wonders.
"Oh, you sound like you had a great day," Astra said.
"One of the best in my life that I could remember," Harry said. "It made me forget about a lot of things,"
"Glad we could be a part of it," George said.
Astra smiled, although she waited for the other shoe to drop. The Mirror of Erised hung over their heads like an ever present sword.
"At least you had a good day," Astra said.
"Sounds like a lot of fun," Kara said. "A snowball fight sounds like fun."
"That's a terrible idea, with this group," Sara said. "And yes, I'm including myself in that."
Harry thinks about using the Cloak, remembering the words to tell him to use it well.
"Well, here we go," Ava said.
"I knew it," John said. "You couldn't help yourself. Especially when he put the temptation in front of your nose."
Harry said nothing right now.
"And to think, you're going to get away from sneaking around the school, yet again," Malfoy said.
"Well, I wouldn't say I got away with anything," Harry said.
"Especially given who sanctioned Harry's little trip," Zari added.
Harry used the cloak to enter the Restricted Section.
"Oooh, bold of you, Harrykins," George said.
"Really bold," Lita said.
"And extremely reckless," Hermione said.
"A bit," Harry said.
The shrieking book alerts Filch of the intruder, along with Snape.
"It's a damn good security system," Zari said.
"Creepy as hell," Lita said.
"Which should really be a deterrent," Ava said. "And Snape asking if someone's been in the Restricted Section."
"He's…I'm not sure what to think of him right now," Astra said. "He's not a good person, but I just don't know."
"I know where you're coming from," John said. "But, damn if he isn't dodgy as all hell with how he's acting."
"He doesn't do himself any favors," Sara agreed.
Harry sneaks around underneath the cloak and runs into a certain mirror.
"Get away from that death trap, Potter," John muttered.
No one dared tell the magician that this was so far in the past.
"Oh, damn it, Harry!" Astra yelled.
"I would…run," Zari said.
"What was it like?" Nora asked.
"Hypnotic, alluring, tempting," Harry said. "Blinding to everything but what was reflected in the mirror."
"It's kind of creepy," Ron added. "How it sucks you in! And makes nothing else matter but you want the most."
"Your heart's desire," Sara said. "Men and women would waste away with a lie."
Harry sees the reflections of his parents and other loved ones in the mirror.
"Now, that I have my memories back, I know you and Natalie were there," Harry added. "But, you were strangers."
Astra tightened her grip around Harry's wrist. Everyone watched the reflection of eleven year old Harry's strongest desires.
Even through a memory, the aura of the mirror was terrifying.
"So, the mirror overrode Harry's memory," Lena said. "It's powerful."
"Dangerous," John said. "The longer you stand by it, the further it pulls you it. It should be sealed somewhere so deep where no one could ever touch it. Especially someone like Harry, who has lost everything and craves his family. He's especially vulnerable to it."
Harry looks in the mirror for what was the longest time. He finally just manages to pull himself away.
"It's like pulling out one of your limbs," Harry said. "You just want to look for a few more minutes. Until you lose all sense of who you are."
"Much longer, and you would have been a vapid shell," John said.
"I know," Harry hissed.
Even when looking back, Harry remembered the pull of the Mirror of Erised.
"The memories being gone made you more vulnerable," Nora said. "You wanted to understand what you saw. Because, you couldn't remember it. If you went deeper, you might have gotten the truth."
"And then, Harry would be lost to the physical world," John said. "Forever."
"So, the Three-Headed Dog is not the most dangerous thing in the school," Zari said. "It's the Mirror."
"What happens if someone lingers too long in front of the mirror?" Lita asked.
"It's a fate worse than death," John said darkly.
Harry and Ron talk about the Mirror and Harry really isn't eating.
"I don't like that!" Kara cried. "The Mirror is affecting you when you're not even near it."
"That's not normal," Lena said.
"No, it's not," John said. "It's got a pull on Harry. And it won't stop until Dumbledore removes it from the school."
"It didn't," Harry said.
For the fourth chapter in a row, Astra had been taken off of her high. Fluffy, the troll, the broomstick, they were all small compared to this cursed mirror.
"Damn, mate," Fred said.
"Ron, you shouldn't have gone anywhere near the mirror either," George said.
"I…it didn't get me as bad as Harry," Ron said. "Although, I couldn't sleep right for a month."
"It shouldn't have been there at all," Astra said. "Damn Dumbledore, what the hell?"
"And to think, I liked him years ago," Kara said.
Harry and Ron visited the mirror and Ron saw himself as Headboy and Quidditch Captain.
"You don't have anything to prove to us," George said.
"Now, you tell me," Ron said. "Thanks a lot, you two. Could have told me this when we were kids."
Fred and George shifted guiltily.
"Wow, selfish, Weasley," Malfoy said. "Potter wants a family. You want fame and glory."
"No," Ron said. "If I get those things, I get Mum's favor. Because, remember, Percy got an owl while I had a second-hand wand."
Fred and George shifted in an uncomfortable manner.
"So, you wanted the same things," Lita said. "But, Ron's desire manifested in a different way."
"Makes sense," Nora agreed.
"The grass is always greener," Lena said.
Ron nodded. Truer words had never been spoken.
Mrs. Norris arrives and Ron and Harry beat a quick retreat to avoid Filch.
"At least it didn't have its hooks into you," Astra said. "Too deeply."
"Harry's got the strongest will I've ever seen," Kara said. "And to see the Mirror pulling him in like this, it's scary."
"It's because of my strength that I'm being pulled in," Harry said. "And what I lost."
"It's just how dangerous it is," Ava said. "And it could do the same to all of us."
"If I ever come across the damn thing, I'm burying it in the deepest pits of Hell where it belongs," John said.
"I'll help," Astra said.
Ron tries to convince Harry not to go to the Mirror again.
Astra gave a long sigh in response.
"At least you tried," Astra said.
"Thanks for trying," Harry said to Ron. "Not sure if I told you that, but thanks."
"Better late than never," Ron said.
"Third night, something's going to happen," Lena said. "Just a hunch."
"You're not wrong," Kara said.
Harry makes his way down to the Mirror room, but this time he's not alone.
The guest did not endear himself to the assembled group.
"Of course!" John yelled. "And have you been just standing there with your thumb up your arse for two nights while two children have been gawking at that death trap?"
"Fucking hell, you've got to be kidding me," Sara said.
"Dumbledore," Astra growled.
"Not a very popular man," George said.
"What gave you that impression?" Fred asked.
"Read the room, brother mine," George said.
"This is the first time that you talked to Dumbledore," Hermione said.
"First time I remembered talking to him," Harry corrected Hermione. "The real first time was mostly me screaming my head off saying 'Astra's in Hell' over and over again."
Hermione shifted in an uncomfortable manner. Still, Harry was traumatized so Dumbledore had no choice but to modify his memory.
Dumbledore makes a comment about how nearsighted being invisible could be, with a smile on his face.
The blase way Dumbledore treated this situation, made most of the room want to stab something, blast something, or burn something.
"Defend this, please," Astra said to Hermione.
"I…Dumbledore would have stepped in before Harry went too deep," Hermione said. "But, he might have let things go too far."
"MIGHT?" Harry asked. "Are you bloody kidding me, Hermione? Yes, he let things go too far. Ron had nightmares for a month. I did until the end of the year, almost six bloody months of sleepless nights, because of the damn mirror. The mirror that Dumbledore put in the school where I could happen to run into it. After I just happened to get an Invisiblity Cloak."
"Okay, the Mirror is really dangerous," Hermione said. "It's not one of Dumbledore's better decisions, I'll admit that, okay."
Harry sighed. Minor victory, getting Hermione to admit Dumbledore did not make the best decision.
Dumbledore casually mentions seeing Harry and Ron and what they saw in front of the Mirror.
"Wonderful," Astra said.
"He just stands there," Lena said. "Says nothing. Does nothing. And lets this dangerous magical artfact mess with the heads of two eleven year old boys."
"I would say this is one of the worst things that Dumbledore ever did," John said. "But, we've got six and a half more years to go through."
Astra's eye twitched at that reminder.
Dumbledore further explained the mirror and that the mirror would be moved the next day.
"Fox already butchered every hen in the hen house," John said. "But, by all means, shut the coup door now."
"The happiest man on Earth would see himself as he truly was," Nora said.
"Which only means he would want to keep that status quo," Kara said.
"She's right," Harry said. 'Even the happiest man would have his own desire."
"I really wished I set his beard on fire when I had the chance," Mick grumbled.
"I really regret holding you back from doing so now," Sara grimly said. Harry looked at her. "Oh, you weren't there for that mission, were you?"
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"As you're so fond of saying, it's a long story," Sara said.
Harry asks Dumbledore about what he would see in the Mirror. Dumbledore claims a pair of socks. Harry heads off to bed.
"Please, tell me you'll never look in that mirror again," Astra said.
"After the end of the year, I won't," Harry said.
"Sara, we're going to have to track down that bloody mirror," John said. "And bury it."
"My thoughts exactly," Sara said.
"Well, we can do that any time after June of 1992, because it's no longer historically significant to anything," Ava said.
"So, any thoughts on that last chapter?" Nora asked.
"Christmas at Hogwarts was nice," Zari said.
"A pity that it was ruined by Dumbledore," Astra said.
"I feel like that's going to be engraved on at least one person's headstone by the time this is done," John said. "After that last chapter, I need a bloody drink."
"I think I do too," Astra said.
"Yeah, I'll join you two," Ron said.
"Well, I guess we're all going on a beer run," Mick said.
"Back in twenty," Sara said.
"Better get the Firewhiskey before Mick and Ava snag them all," Harry told Sara.
"Right," Sara agreed.
To Be Continued.