Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story.
**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**
WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS.
Well, it looks like has been messing with the formatting again, I can no longer get italics or separation marks, so if it looks like a quote from the book and sounds like a quote from the book, it probably is a quote from the book. I will try to update later with book and page information if anyone wants it.
I will keep experimenting with separation marks, hopefully there will be a way to mark a change of scene.
Please, if you see any glaring grammar errors, please let me know so I can correct them.
-Cosmyk
Chapter 5:
Harriet tiptoed into the library on silent feet, alert for any sound that could be Filch or Madam Pince. Carefully she made her way towards the restricted section. Books on Alchemy were located beside the entrance to the restricted section. Reaching her destination, she slid the lantern out from under her invisibility cloak and stepped closer to the shelves.
Harry goggled at the hundreds of books on alchemy that covered the wall in front of her. The shelf before her was so tall the top of it disappeared into the darkness above. She looked around the library and noticed that each section of shelves had a ladder. She assumed there was some magic that could be used to move the ladder to the area you wanted, but she didn't know the spell.
Glancing at the titles nearest her, she realized the shelves were arranged in alphabetical order and if the title "Potions for turning Lead into Gold, and Other Such Nonsense" by Stefan Scheptik was in the right place, she would have to go up. She set the lantern on the floor and walked quietly over to the nearest ladder. With a loud grunt, she began slowly tugging it back to the alchemy section, walking backwards as she pulled it. Harriet took another step back and suddenly there was a loud *Rreeeoww!*
She jumped, and realized she must have stepped on Mrs. Norris' tail. That meant Filch couldn't be far behind. She pulled the hood of her invisibility cloak over her head and took off out of the library, knocking over the lantern in her haste. She winced at the sound of broken glass, but was thankful that all of the lanterns were spelled to go out if they tipped over. She didn't want to be responsible for a fire in the library. With a shudder at the thought of all of those books burning, she hurried out of the library, running down the corridors, blindly turning this way and that in an attempt to escape. Argus Filch creeped her out, the way he always grinned evilly at the students. She suppressed a shudder. That's one person she'd never want to meet in a dark hallway.
She stopped several minutes later, deciding she must now be far enough from the library that even that creepy old man couldn't find her. Harriet looked around at her surroundings and was surprised to find herself in a dimly lit classroom. It was obviously unused, she thought, looking around at the desks and tables that had been pushed up against the walls. In fact, from the looks of the room, she didn't think anyone had used it in a long time. It was at that moment that movement from the corner of her eye had her turning. She gasped, finding herself face to face with a huge gilt mirror. Around the edge at the top of the mirror were the words "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi." Harriet scratched her head in confusion, committing the words to memory. She shifted her stance to better look into the mirror and gasped. Standing behind her in the mirror was a large group of people. She glanced behind her, but no one was visible. She looked back into the mirror, paying careful attention to the details of the people in the mirror. The woman who stood directly behind her had long red hair and bright green eyes that held a gentle smile. Next to the woman was a tall man with touseled dark-brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a pair of wire glasses very similar to Harry's and she suddenly realized she was looking at her parents. Tears crept down her cheeks as she reached out and touched the glass in longing. Uncle Toby was great, a caring but strict uncle, but she still missed not having her parents. She looked at the people behind James and Lily and began to notice details. Many of the women had red or brown hair and there were quite a few pairs of green eyes in the crowd. She saw several men with messy hair like her father's and even an old man with knobbly knees that resembled her own. What stunned her most though was to see amid the crowd of people standing behind her mother a young woman with long black hair who was wearing Slytherin school robes. The image in the mirror smiled sadly at her and waved. He wondered if this was her mother's wizarding ancestor as Uncle Toby had explained to her that muggle-born witches and wizards were believed to have been descended from squibs. It made her wonder which of the many relatives waving at her on her mother's side was the squib.
She sat, gazing into the mirror, oblivious to everything else. A hand upon her shoulder startled her out of her contemplation of the mirror and all its wonders. She looked up to find the Headmaster standing behind her, a concerned look in his twinkling blue eyes.
"So, young Harriet, everyone has been looking for you for hours and this is where you have been all this time?" His question was a gentle rebuke and she bowed her head.
"I didn't realize so much time had passed, sir. Do you know what this mirror does sir? I can see my entire family in it, extending back for generations." She asked, her voice full of awe.
"It is the mirror of Erised. If you turn the letters on the frame around, they read: 'I show not your face but your heart's desire.' It shows nothing real my dear girl, only that deepest longing in your heart, what you wish for most in all the world. Witches and Wizards have wasted their lives away staring into this mirror. I shall find it a new home and I beg you not to look for it again. It cannot bring you any benefit. Now come, Miss Weasley has been wondering what happened to you." He held out a hand, but Harriet rose, ignoring it, and followed him out in silent contemplation.