Chapter 12: Mirror Image
A/N: Life is funny. While a delay of a day isn't much in the real world, it was sure disconcerting to me.
I don't own a thing still, though I kinda wish I did!
Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having far too good a time to think much about Flamel. Ron had tried to teach Harry wizard chess, and Harry found that while he wasn't too good yet he could start seeing some patterns here and there and made what Ron called 'Interesting Moves'. On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed not expecting any presents at all but looking forward to the food and fun. However, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed. "Merry Christmas," grumbled Ron as Harry scrambled out of bed. "You too! Will you look at this? I've got presents!" "What did you expect?" Ron grumbled and turned back over in bed before getting up himself, "Ugh." Harry laughed as Ron nearly fell out of bed and into his robe. Harry looked over the parcels and gleefully began unwrapping. A wooden flute from Hagrid that Harry was pretty sure Hagrid had hand-made. The second contained a small note and a fifty-pence piece, "We received your message and enclosed your Christmas Present." Harry read confused, he hadn't sent a note home but was glad to see the Dursleys trying.
As he picked up the next one, Ron turned a bit pink, "Oh no... My mom made you a Weasley sweater..." Harry opened the parcel to find a nice green sweater and some fudge. "I should send her a thank you note, this is really nice of her." He said around bites of mouthwatering fudge. Ron smiled, and continued opening his packages, Harry grew a bit nervous as he was reaching the bottom but continued through his own presents. His next present also contained candy – a box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione as well as a book, A Wrinkle in Time with a note "Thought you might enjoy this, though I do have to warn you, it's the first in a series." The second to last parcel was from Draco, it was a couple sets of parchment detailing the most Ancient and Noble house of Potter, a sort of family tree detailing how far back the house went as well as some quick notes on the politics of what that meant. Attached to all of this was a note, "Father thinks that Dumbledore is unlikely to inform you of your heritage and I agree. Consider this a primer on Politics. We shall have to talk about the Wizengamot and your rights as the sole heir. While Father also went on to say that you'd have his services to assist you, I suggest you owl Amelia Bones, a known 'liberal' and Uric Amorin a known 'conservative'. Though you won't understand this joke at all, do not owl Dolores Umbridge unless you want to not be associated with current Wizarding politics in the slightest."
There was one parcel left when Ron dropped something on the floor. Harry looked up and tried hard not to blush. He didn't know how to get someone gifts and hoped this didn't ruin what was looking like a marvelous friend. He had gotten Ron a certificate to Ollivander's to redeem for one wand. "Harry... you didn't need to..." Sensing an opening, Harry went for it. "Stuff it Ron, it's Christmas. I even got McGonagall agree to escort you. You'll get to show up Malfoy..." Finally Ron smiled and thanked Harry. Harry finally opened up his last parcel and Ron gasped, "No way.. It's an invisibility cloak." Harry tried it on and was astonished. Later that evening after the best Christmas ever, Harry found himself looking at a mirror at what could only be his family. When he brought Ron back to the mirror, Ron could only see himself, a world class Dueling champion and trusted Auror strategist. "What do you think it means?" Ron said pointing to the inscription. Harry shrugged, "I don't know, but I want to see my family again!" "Don't Push me!" After a scare with Mrs. Norris, Harry still couldn't help going back to see his family.
"Back again Harry?" Professor Dumbledore scared him out of his wits, "Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you." he said smiling. "Sorry Professor." "No worries, the Mirror of Erised have driven many mad. It is no wonder you would want to come see your family standing around you and Ron would see himself the best of his family accomplishing something none of the others have." Harry nodded. "Then... the inscription, if this is the Mirror of Erised, then it simply shows 'your hearts desire'." "Got it in one Mr. Potter. The mirror will be moved, I suggest you not follow it to its new home." "Yes Sir." "Now, I do believe you should put on that marvelous cloak and get to bed." Harry stood up, "Sir... Can I ask you something?" Dumbledore smiled, "Of course." Even with the mirror freshly on his mind. "Sir... I'm sure you've heard." "That you are an Amateur Artist. Yes." "Do you have any idea why no one else is?" "I'm following my own investigations, once I find something I will let you know." Harry nodded and headed back to the dorms. It was only back there that he realized that Dumbledore used language only the Author used... and then he remembered something further and dug into his pouch. He had known Dumbledore out of the staff for one reason. Dumbledore stared back at him with a twinkle in his eye and Harry turned over the card again. "Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling." Harry could have smacked his forehead and did, Hermione would have a lot to say about finding Flamel on a CARD.
I present to you a successful Wisdom check that I REALLY hoped would happen this chapter, but had the Cards as a back-up. As we round out Year One, I almost want to list out the number of threads I'm threading into this fic but will spend my time making more insane tables for wand work.