AN: so i sorta quit writing fanfic for a while... I think I'm back now. maybe. no promises.
The bell rang, and Hermione left the Charms classroom, smiling at Professor Flitwick as she left. All the other students rushed off to their common rooms, chattering with their friends as they went. Ron and Harry hesitated outside the door, until she waved them away. "You two go on without me, I just want to go for a walk."
The boys smiled at her, "Thanks Hermione!" and they rushed away.
Hermione slowly wandered off. She enjoyed walking through Hogwarts, exploring the castle's many forgotten rooms. Much of the old castle was echoing and empty, except for the odd snogging couple. Hermione blushed as she recalled that embarrassing event. Nonetheless, it really was a lovely place to be, with its quiet stone corridors and large glass windows, its turrets and spires. It provided her with a sense of peace and comfort, where she could be alone and think.
Today she meandered wherever her feet chose to take her, reflecting on the fateful day that had brought Harry, Ron and herself together. Without noticing, she walked right into a dead-ended corridor. Dust motes sparkled through the sunlight that slanted through the windows.
Hermione noticed that one of the doors was ajar. Peering through the crack, she saw a disused classroom, with a curious covered object in the middle. She pushed the door open and went over to investigate. Taking hold of the dusty sheet that was draped over the thing, she tugged it free. It fell to the floor in a rustle of fabric.
She was standing before a beautiful mirror. It was more than full length, in fact, it reached up to the ceiling of the room. Its ornate gold frame had a carved inscription around it – erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Hermione pressed her hand to the mirrors cool surface. Then, taking a step back, she looked at her own reflection.
Only, it didn't quite look like her. Her hair had been tamed, she was taller, tanner, and slimmer. She couldn't resist a smile at this prettier version of herself. Her smile was pearly white, and her front teeth of a normal size. All of a sudden, she was no longer alone. Harry and Ron stood beside her, and her parents behind her. The three of them were obviously great friends, and her parents looked on with pride. Some of her classmates from primary school were there too, no longer jeering or criticising her. And Professor McGonagall, too. Only she was no longer Hermione's teacher. Hermione had graduated Hogwarts with perfect scores in all her subjects, and Minerva was now her mentor and her friend.
Entranced, Hermione stared dreamily at the mirage until a sudden tread of feet woke her from her reverie. Startled, she turned her head around. Professor McGonagall was standing in front of her.
"What are you doing here, Miss Granger? It's getting late." Although her words were stern, she didn't sound angry at all.
Hermione realised the time with a start. "Is it late already, Professor? I must have lost track of time…" She stood up and patted down her skirt. At some point, she must have sat down. She didn't remember doing it.
The Professor gave a cursory glance at the mirror, before striding over and draping the sheet over it again, muttering to herself, "Albus left it here again, the fool. I told him to put it somewhere safe…"
She shifted her focus back to Hermione. "How long have you been here?"
Hermione thought for a moment, her mind still muddled and unfocused. "Um, I think I ended up here not long after Charms. Why, how long has it been?"
"You've missed dinner, Miss Granger. If you'll come with me, I can get you something to eat." So saying, she led Hermione out of the classroom.
Hermione trotted behind her. There was a moment of silence before she piped up. "Professor? That wasn't a normal mirror, was it? I mean, it showed my reflection, but it wasn't me, and there was some other stuff showing in it too, things that weren't in the room with me."
McGonagall paused before answering. "You are quite right. That is no ordinary mirror there. It's a magical artefact created a long time ago. No one knows by whom, or when exactly. It's not harmful in itself, but its effects can be quite mesmerising. As you have experienced."
Hermione's brow furrowed as she recalled a piece of information she'd read a few months ago. "I think I read about a magic mirror once. I mean, other than in fairy tales. It was mentioned in something… I can't recall the title now. But it was something about a mirror that showed your deepest desire, the Mirror of Desire, was it? No, the Mirror of Erised. Is the mirror back there something like that?"
McGonagall couldn't help but feel admiring of the girl's knowledge. "Once again, Miss Granger, you've hit the nail on the head. That is, in fact, the Mirror of Erised. You shouldn't have stumbled across it. I'll ensure that it is relocated soon."
At this point, they arrived at the Professor's office. "Come in, Miss Granger. I'll conjure you some sandwiches."
As they sat down, Hermione asked, "Professor, I don't want to pry, but what did you see in the Mirror?"
With a quick flick of Minerva's wand, a plate of sandwiches and a goblet of pumpkin juice appeared in front of Hermione. "It's alright. It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask. When I was your age, I asked a lot of questions too. But to answer you, when I look in the Mirror, I see the people I love. Safe, and happy."
They chatted about a range of topics as Hermione ate, but they didn't talk about the Mirror again.
It was only after Hermione had gone back to her common room that Minerva let herself wonder why a new face had been added to the group in the mirror. What was it about the young Hermione Granger that made her care so much?