Despite knowing that the Mirror of Erised held nothing beyond a reflection of his desires, Harry still chose to go gaze into it each night. He only did so at night because he didn't really want to explain the Mirror - or his motives - to Ron and dampen his enthusiasm for his new wand. However, he didn't want to disrupt his sleep too much, so he'd asked Kevin to make sure he never stayed too long, keeping the 'visits' to under an hour each time. It was a bit hard to tear himself away when Kevin nudged him, but he knew it was for his own good. It wasn't that he was getting 'ensnared by the Mirror's siren spell' as Kevin teasingly suggested, though. He was certain he was learning something from seeing his family in the reflection...something that was genuinely worth knowing.

As he reached the classroom where the Mirror was, he held his Cloak over as he carefully glanced around. He knew he wasn't supposed to be out and about this late, but that wasn't really his main concern just now. He couldn't shake the feeling that an artifact like the Mirror wouldn't be just left unguarded for no reason, so someone had placed it here specifically, and Harry really wanted to know why. However, he didn't see anyone outside the classroom, so he gently nudged the door open.

As he entered, he was startled to see someone there, sitting at a desk and reading a book while glancing at the mirror over the top of it. "Headmaster?" Harry asked in surprise, stepping into the classroom as he removed his Invisibility Cloak.

"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore replied warmly, a smile illuminating his eyes. "Making good use of that Cloak, I see."

"Well, you did send it to me, Headmaster," Harry pointed out happily. "And you said to use it well."

One of the ancient wizard's eyebrows arched. "And how did you come to the conclusion I sent it to you?" he asked curiously, his tone mild.

Having already expected something like that, Harry had an answer ready. "You told me back when I first created the Dematio that you were my magical guardian," Harry answered readily. "I figured if anyone had hold of my father's belongings to pass them on, it would probably be you...though I don't know why you didn't sign your name?"

Dumbledore offered a sad smile. "It is true, though that isn't why I happened to have your father's cloak." He sighed softly. "And I didn't sign my name for reasons of...I believe the Muggles call it 'plausible deniability'. This way, there is no actual evidence that I'm aware you possess an invisibility cloak...which is technically on the banned magical items list, but that list isn't supposed to apply to Inheritance Items..." He shrugged his shoulders while grinning mischievously. "But somehow I doubt you're here just for exercise and enjoying such a wondrous cloak, not this late at night."

Harry nodded in confirmation. "I came to look into the Mirror again," he answered easily, moving to sit in front of the mirror and gaze up into it, smiling as he once more saw his mother, his father, Professor Snape, and many, many more.

"Indeed?" Dumbledore asked, a touch of concern in his voice. "I admit, the fact you noticed me coming in allays my concern somewhat, but at the same time I find it raised that you say it so bluntly. Do you know what the Mirror is?"

"I looked it up in the library after I first encountered it," Harry explained easily. "I know what it is...and what it isn't. I don't believe my family is actually in the Mirror, or that staring into it will somehow let me truly know my parents, no matter how close they seem to me in the reflection. But seeing them - and all my family I never knew - helps me to know where I stand in the world as a whole. After all, I'm apparently going to inherit a Wizengamot seat, and family lineage is so important to those in the government..." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's...comforting to actually see my lineage before me like this, even if I can't put names to more than a few."

Dumbledore smiled softly. "A wise approach, Harry," he offered warmly, comfortingly. "Many is the witch or wizard who have wasted away before this Mirror, longing for that which could not be. I am glad you haven't fallen prey to that trap."

"I think some of what I see can be, though," Harry allowed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"...oh?" Dumbledore asked, curiosity and worry in his tone.

"Well, I see one person in the mirror who I know isn't related to me by blood, but I know was as close as kin to one member of my family at one point," Harry explained cautiously, looking at where Professor Snape stood next to his mother in the reflection. "I also know they're still alive while my parents aren't...and they appear visibly older than my parents, despite being in the same age group. I think that means anyone standing nearby who also look older would also still be alive?"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at that conclusion. "That could be possible, I suppose," he allowed thoughtfully. "Though I'm surprised the Mirror can show you something you do not know."

"It reflects what I want," Harry allowed sadly. "And while I know I can't be surrounded by my family as it shows, I do want to know my family. I want that knowledge."

Albus chuckled softly at that assertion. "While I don't know if it's giving you genuine knowledge...what do you hope to gain?"

Harry stared at two faces in particular that had their arms around his parents. One of them had light brown hair, green eyes, and seemed...the best way Harry could put it was 'ridden', as though something in his life weighed so heavily on him that it colored everything else, and that weight had - for a long time - made him doubt if life was worth it...but standing next to Harry's parents, he was grinning from ear to ear. The other face had shaggy black hair and piercing grey eyes, and a rather infectious smile on his face. Despite looking as though he hadn't gotten enough to eat for a decade or more, he was laughing and playful in the mirror...actively holding up bunny ears behind Harry's father's head with one hand while trying to sneakily aim his wand at Professor Snape with the other. Harry's Mom kept smacking it aside any time it got close, though, with the shaggy haired man giving such an obvious 'innocent' gaze when she glared at him over it that it startled laughter out of the brown haired one. "If I'm right, the ones who are still alive...I'm seeing what they look like now. If I can find them by their faces...I may not have living relatives aside from the Dursleys, but I still have family out there, family I want to know."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "...how would you describe them?" he asked curiously. "Perhaps I can help identify them, and discover if the Mirror leads you true."

Harry shrugged uncertainly. "I'm not sure, really. It's...it's more personality shining through than appearance." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "...there's this one Muggle T-shirt I saw once with a saying on the front and back. The front said 'A good friend will bail you out of jail', while the back said, 'But your best friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn! That was fun!".' These two...seem to epitomize each of those with how they're standing next to my father."

Dumbledore couldn't help but let out a snort. Between that and the statement that they were visibly not related by blood to Harry, there were only two who that could possibly be. Remus and Sirius, it can't be anyone else, he thought silently to himself. He then sobered as his mind turned to what actually happened with those two...as far as the world knew. Is there something we don't know? he thought uncertainly. After all, he'd known those youngsters well, worked with them for so long...the 'truth' that 'everyone knew' had always felt so out of character for him, and yet Dumbledore himself had cast the Fidelius... "Best to leave that for another night, Harry," he offered apologetically. "Though you should know that after tonight, the Mirror of Erised will be moving to a new location, and I ask you not seek it out. While you may have proven resistant to its allure, other students might not be so resilient."

"I suppose so," Harry allowed sadly. "Still going to look for the full hour tonight, then."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You only look one hour a night?" he asked in surprise.

"It would interfere with my sleeping otherwise."

Albus couldn't help the chuckle that escaped there. "Resilient indeed," he allowed thoughtfully as he turned back to his book.

"What are you reading, Headmaster?"

Smiling, Albus lifted the book so Harry could see the title. Hypothesized Spell Logic Loopholes in Hogwarts Wards and Defenses, and Proposed Solutions Thereof, with the authors listed as Hermione Granger, Fred Weasley, and George Weasley. Near the bottom of the book was written, Volume 1. "Your friends are...surprisingly thorough," he allowed thoughtfully. "It's been an...illuminating read."

"...how many did they actually catch so far?" Harry asked worriedly.

A distressingly large number, Dumbledore thought to himself, though he refused to say it aloud. "You need not concern yourself over that, I assure you," he offered comfortingly. "The proposed solutions are...incredibly well thought out, as well." He frowned thoughtfully. "My only hesitation in implementing them is a certainty that Fred and George implemented some form of back door for themselves in them, and I want to be certain I've ferreted it out first."

Harry chuckled happily at that. "Yeah, that sounds like them," he agreed warmly.

"I only fear that they may have deliberately not," Dumbledore observed quietly. "Either because they genuinely value the safety of the school over their mischievous spirits...or as a great prank on me knowing I'd search for it." He awaited Harry's response, but a glance showed he'd become enthralled in the Mirror and hadn't heard the quiet murmur. Still, Albus was glad about that. This was something of a puzzle now...and he wanted to solve it himself, not have Harry ask the Twins for the solution.