"What do you mean?" asked Andi, rubbing her eye. She felt hot and there was sweat dripping down her neck. Her left eye felt like she had an eyelash stuck in it.

"I mean that on the express instructions of one of the founders of this school, I delayed your letter so that it didn't come until this year," said Dumbledore, running one hand along his silver beard. Andi's mind was racing.

"You mean Slytherin, right? Because I'm the daughter of two muggleborns? How could you do that?" she yelled. She thought she might faint. There wasn't a fire in the corner fireplace, but she was burning up anyways.

"Miss Haggerty, I have no choice but to explain everything to you. However, I suggest that you sit down before you hurt yourself," Dumbledore said, gesturing to a chair.

"I feel sick," Andi whispered, falling into the chair. She was glad she'd tied her hair up into a bun because her neck was covered in sweat. She was glad to have inherited her father's thick hair because it was actually helping to keep her cool, though she was still starting to pant. The phoenix made a cooing noise and it soothed Andi for a moment.

"Have a piece of chocolate," said Dumbledore.

"I don't– want anything– from– you until you've– explained!" Andi panted. Her eyes were watering now too.

"Here, you take the chocolate and I'll explain," he said, sitting down across the desk from Andi. He put the chocolate frog on the desk between them. "When this school was founded, every one of the founders left some sort of gift to the school, or so the legend goes. Gryffindor left his sword. Ravenclaw had a diadem that was then in her daughter's possession. Slytherin is rumoured to have left a secret chamber somewhere in the school. Most people believe that Helga Hufflepuff left her cup, some believe that the room of requirement was, in fact, her gift. However, I happen to know that Hufflepuff's gift was that statue that brought you up here tonight. It is a griffin. But if you look at it carefully, you will see a badger is lying under the protection of its hind leg."

"What does this have to do with me?" said Andi. She thought she might throw up.

"Please eat that chocolate Miss Haggerty," Dumbledore said, nudging the chocolate frog towards her. Andi didn't think she could possibly eat anything, but as the chocolate frog hopped into her mouth she felt a little bit better. Her stomach settled and she began to focus on what Dumbledore was saying.

"Hufflepuff also left a book, separate to the one where children's names are written to allow them into our school. The book contains names, written in Hufflepuff's own hand. Names of Myrrors."

"What? Mirrors?" asked Andi, confused. Dumbledore turned in his chair and pulled a thin, leather-bound tome from the shelf behind the desk. He opened it to a page in the middle and set it down carefully.

Andi leaned forward and saw her name written in plain writing. She felt a sort of shift somewhere in her stomach as she looked at her name. There were other names, before and after hers, but the ones after hers were blurred so she couldn't read them. The ones before were scratched out.

"You see, Helga Hufflepuff was a witch. A very special witch. The reason that she valued kindness and hard work over everything else was because she was like you, Miss Haggerty. Helga Hufflepuff was a Myrror. Myrrors are witches and wizards who are reflectors. You act as a sort of soul mirror, bringing people's true natures to the forefront. It is also impossible for people to lie to you. Have you ever noticed that before?"

Andi had noticed it. Her little sister Laurel had never been able to keep a secret from her. The surprise party for her fifteenth birthday hadn't been a surprise because she had asked what her friends were planning.

"I just– I thought it was because they were bad liars, I–" Dumbledore nodded.

"Hufflepuff had realized her powers very early. She didn't have a normal childhood, because once she realized what her powers are, she couldn't really help but use them. She gifted that statue to the school as a way of identifying other Myrrors. She did the same thing with this book. Read the first page, please Miss Haggerty." He handed Andi the thin book once again.

"Dear Headmaster/Headmistress,

Do not allow a letter of acceptance to be sent to any prospective Hogwarts student, whose name is written in this book, until they are sixteen. By then their Myrror abilities will be too powerful to hide any longer, but allow them to lead a normal life. When the student arrives at Hogwarts, allow them to find their own way to my statue.

The statue will draw out their abilities. It will activate their tell. Check their wand for cracks, give them some sweets, and help them to understand themselves as no one ever did with me.

Yours sincerely,

Helga Hufflepuff"

Andi took her wand from her pocket. There were no cracks in it, but a pale ring had appeared around the tip. Reading the passage, Andi cooled down. The sweat on her neck magically dried and her eyes stopped watering.

"What does all this mean, professor?" asked Andi. Dumbledore smiled.

"It means that you're not sick," he said.

"Susan Cartwright was really rude to me in the locker room. Does that mean that's just how she is inside?" said Andi. The headmaster nodded gently.

"What about my friends? Am I going to discover that they're all like that too?" she asked.

"No. Your powers have been getting stronger since you've been at Hogwarts, but you've always had them. Any people you've kept close to you are genuine," he explained. Andi nodded, relieved. She glanced over Hufflepuff's writing again.

"What happened to my wand? What did she mean by a tell?" Dumbledore reached out a hand.

"May I?" he asked. Andi nodded, handing him her wand.

"Yes, this wand it very typical of Myrrors– often cedar, and always unicorn hair. As for the tell, from what little I could find about your kind in books, all Myrrors have some feature that isn't quite as it should be– fingernails that always look painted, hair that won't all be the same colour. Yours is your eyes," he said. Andi touched her eyes.

"What's wrong with them?" she asked, alarmed. Dumbledore chuckled.

"Nothing, nothing at all. Take a look," he said, gesturing to the mirror standing behind her. Andi got up and looked. Her left eye had turned a dark green.

"It wasn't like that before," she said, turning back to Dumbledore.

"No, it wasn't. It was activated when your full powers were awakened by the statue," said Dumbledore.

"Professor, what does this mean for me? What is going to happen? I mean, do I have to keep this a secret? What kind of things can I do other than draw out people's natures and make them tell the truth? How did I become a Myrror?" she asked.

"I can't tell you everything because I don't know everything. You are the only living Myrror right now. You can tell whoever you like about your abilities, but I recommend caution– there have been cases in the past where Myrrors were used as weapons. And you didn't become a Myrror– you have always been one. It's your birthright. Someone, somewhere, way back up your family tree, was a Myrror as well. We may never know who it was. For now, go back to you dormitory. I'm sure the party is still going on," said Dumbledore. Andi went to open her mouth, but when she blinked she was back in Gryffindor tower, standing next to the punch bowl someone had spiked with firewhisky. The Weird Sisters were playing, "Witchy Washy Blues," a slow song that Andi liked.

"You find out what happened Keeva?" asked Oliver, coming up beside her. Andi was a little bit afraid to speak to him. She didn't want to make people tell her things they didn't mean to. She didn't want to take advantage of anyone.

"I– I think so," she said quietly. She couldn't look him in the eye.

"Do you want to go practice a bit? I know it's late and you just had tryouts, but–" Andi cut him off.

"I'd love to."

Andi and Oliver were sitting in the goal hoops; their brooms balanced over one foot. Andi had been quiet, and Oliver was doing his utmost to draw her out. She didn't know what to say to him.

"Aenegael Haggerty, I don't know what's with you tonight. Is it about your place on the team?" Oliver asked.

"Lord no!" said Andi. "I'm over the moon to be able to be a part of the team at all! I'm just thinking about some stuff that Professor Dumbledore told me."

"If I had a Knut for every time someone in Gryffindor tower was grumbling and upset over something that man said, I'd be worth more than Newt Scamander," he said. Andi laughed.

"Have your eyes always been different colours?" asked Oliver. Andi quickly looked away from him.

"No," she whispered.

"Keeva, what happened tonight?" Oliver asked. He flicked his broom into one hand and took Andi's with the other.

"Oliver, if I tell you, you have to promise it's a secret," said Andi. Oliver nodded.

"Professor Dumbledore told me that I have these weird powers and that's why my letter came late. They get stronger when I'm at Hogwarts, and he wanted me to have a normal childhood," she explained.

"What kind of powers?" asked Oliver, his hand still wrapped gently around Andi's.

"People can't lie to me. They show me who they really are when they're around me. That's why Susan Cartwright acted that way to me," said Andi. Oliver looked confused.

"So I couldn't tell you a lie?" he asked. Andi shook her head.

"Dumbledore called me a Myrror. Anyways, when I went up to his office and found out all this stuff about myself, my eye turned green. Don't tell anyone. I don't want to make a big deal. If anyone asks about my eye, tell them I messed up in charms class," said Andi.

"No one would believe me. Charms is one of your best subjects," replied Oliver.

"You're not weirded out or anything?" asked Andi.

"I wasn't planning on lying to you anytime soon, and obviously if I'm still around I'm not secretly an asshole, so… no. Not particularly. Does it make you upset?" Andi nodded.

"A little. It makes me uncomfortable. I don't want to tell people because I'm afraid they won't understand," she said, taking her hand away from Oliver.

"You don't have to tell anybody. But no one's going to care. You're our friend and we all care about you," he said. Andi grinned from ear to ear.

"What're you smiling about now?" he asked, laughing a little.

"Well if you're saying that to me, it means you think it's true. For a while, I thought Cartwright was the one telling me the truth– that you were all just friends with me because I was the new girl," she said. There was a release between her shoulders and Andi felt free again.

"Keeva, that's ridiculous. I didn't know my cousin was such a wanker, but honestly, this whole truth thing seems open to interpretation. Like, I can't lie to you, but I have to tell you what I think is the truth. If I said, "You're the best girl I've ever seen," that means that it's my truth. Someone else might think that there's some other girl, but it would be their truth, not mine," said Oliver. Andi blanched.

"Oliver–" He cut her off.

"I know what I said. It wasn't your powers, it wasn't an accident. It's just the truth Keeva. You're the best girl I know, and I'd really like it if you went to the Yule Ball with me." Andi fell off the goal hoop and began spiralling down towards the pitch.

Hey! Look who finally updated! I'd like to say a big thanks to my reviewers and everybody who favourited and followed this story. You're the reason I came back to it. As you can see, Andi and Oliver had a breakthrough, and I've also explained some stuff about Andi's powers. More will come. If you have any suggestions or thoughts, don't hesitate to review or DM them to me. I know there wasn't really a Yule Ball in COS, but I'm just going with it. If I can get them through COS, I might do POA because it was my favourite. Then Andi will graduate, and well... you'll see. Reviews are great and so are you guys.

Yours in writing,

~Kit~