Chapter 22 - The lonely mirror

"G'Mornin', sleepy head..."

No. The bed was so warm and comfortable, she wanted nothing more than to stay in it all day. The girl sighed and sank deeper into her pillow. Something started tickling her nose. She wanted to scratch it, but to do that, she'd have to move, which was not an acceptable sacrifice.

Suddenly, something warm and coarse touched her nose. And... wet? What? Iris' eyes snapped open, and were promptly met with a pair of pale green.

"Salem? What-"

Just then she realized that Salem was not the sole culprit. Tracey was holding up the black feline to her face, who had eagerly started to paw and lick at it.

"Wha' gives? Can't ya see I'm tryn'a sleep?" Iris groaned.

In response, Salem disappeared from her view, revealing a widely grinning Tracey.

"Presents, of course!"

Iris blinked, but then she realized what Tracey was saying and was suddenly wide awake, as if she hadn't slept a wink.

As she looked over at the pile of presents next to their window, a wide smile joined Tracey's.

"Happy Christmas, Tracey!"

Iris was glad that the girl had stayed over the holidays after all. Originally, she was supposed to return home, but apparently, her parents were on an unexpected business trip in France and wouldn't return for a few weeks.

"Happy Christmas, yourself! Now get going! I wanna unwrap!"

Iris didn't need to be told thrice. Before Tracey could blink, she was out of the bed and across the room. The girls eagerly dove into the piles of presents.

Iris tore off the wrapping of the first box with her name on it, and promptly disintegrated into giggles. Apparently, Ron had somehow ended up gifting her the exact same kind of cauldron cakes that she had gifted him as well. It seemed that great minds thought alike.

The next box revealed a wizarding chess set from... Tracey? She'd have expected this from Ron, but...

Iris looked up and gave Tracey a raised eyebrow, causing the girl to grin back at her.

"Well, from what I could tell, you seemed to get really into the game, you just had no idea how to play wizards' chess, as opposed to regular chess."

Iris blinked. She had mostly remembered the annoyance and disappointment of losing so unfairly. But thinking back on it, the strategy part had been kind of fun, even if it hadn't worked. She gave Tracey a sheepish smile.

"I guess you already know me even better than myself."

The girl gave her a wide grin at that.

"Thanks, Tracey," she said with a smile. "Now go ahead, open yours already!"

Tracey eagerly tore the wrapping off the large box revealing a weathered journal.

She flipped it open to the first page, and gasped.

"Is that from the..."

"Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies," replied Iris cheekily.

As Tracey disappeared behind the journal of Emmanuel van Rhodeas, who she had a strong suspicion was actually Emeric the Evil, she turned her attention towards her remaining presents. There was a box that was just labeled Iris. But that handwriting couldn't have been from anyone else.

Carefully, she removed the wrapping from the small box, which contained another nondescript box, which she flipped open to reveal...

"What's that?" Iris asked confused, removing the small leather object.

Tracey looked up and grinned.

"That's a friendship bracelet."

Iris looked at the small leather wristband. That, it was.

"What's so special about it?"

"It's a magical one! These bracelets always come in pairs, and when you wear them, you sometimes feel connected to whoever is wearing the other one. It's a very simple connection, but- well, just try it!"

Hesitantly she slipped the small leather band onto her wrist, turning it so that the small embedded green stone with three intersecting circles carved into it was facing to the top. The band seemed to slowly shrink, until it sat snugly around her wrist. Iris looked down at it for a while.

Then, she looked back at Tracey and raised an eyebrow.

"Uhm, so what should it be-"

Iris gasped as a sudden jolt of excitement flooded her, that definitely hadn't come from her. As quickly as it had come, the feeling faded again. She tried to focus, but couldn't feel anything else. The girl had no idea what or how that just happened, but it had definitely felt... Harry. Slowly, an irrepressible smile made its way onto her lips.

Staring at it for a minute, she was hoping to feel something else, but the bracelet just sat there, almost as if she had just imagined it.

Finally, she shook herself out of her stupor, and retrieved the last package. She flipped it around for a bit, but found no name on it. Getting curious, she tore it open, and had a heavy object and a small slip of parchment fall out.

She stared at the strange stone thing for a moment, before retrieving the parchment, flipped it around, and read it.

Hey, Iris.
I realize we don't know each other very well yet, but I figure you like to read, so hopefully you can use something like this.
Happy Yule. -Theo

This only served to make her even more confused. What did this paperweight have to do with reading? Did he think she was reading from loose parchments or something? She didn't think he'd get her anything at all, she hadn't gotten him anything either.

Come to think of it, the stone seemed somehow familiar. It was a pale round stone, partially enclosed in a pretty dark metal pedestal.

"Hey, Tracey, any idea what this thing is?"

Said girl looked up and spotted the round stone object.

"Ooohh, that's a moonstone lamp! It glows blue-ish at night, it's like a pocket moonlight you can use to read!"

Iris expression froze. Tracey hesitated, and said, "Well, I guess it's not like you really need it, with your light and all... But well, it could still be useful, right?"

Iris wasn't really listening though. Her mind had gone someplace else entirely. Did he know? How could he know? Was it just coincidence?

"Eerrr... Iris? Is everything okay?"

She kept staring at the moonstone lamp as if it was a viper, ready to strike the moment she looked away. She had fucked up. She had tried to make an ally of him, safe in the knowledge that he wouldn't try anything, and he knew! Well, maybe. How could she tell?

"Earth to Iris!"

"WHAT?" Iris snapped.

Tracey jumped back; her eyes wide.

Iris caught herself and immediately backpedaled. "I-I'm sorry. I just- Something about this gift... It might be nothing, but I'm..."

Iris didn't know how to explain without explaining what she had done. But then again, what difference would it make? Tracey had already seen it anyway.

Iris took a breath and started talking. "That night in the corridor. I didn't just make fire just like that. I'd have no idea how to do that," she admitted.

Tracey was still looking shocked, but was now listening intently.

"Well, I figured out that I can't just make light, I can also... bend it? Kinda. And well, moonstone powder reacts violently with moonlight, so basically, I covered the whole corridor in it the night before."

Tracey looked at her for a second, before her eyes widened in comprehension.

"So that's what you-" she broke off, as her eyes came to rest on the moonstone lamp. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh. I... I don't know what to make of this."

The girls just looked at each other sullenly for a while, nobody knowing what to say.

"Well, I guess we better get going, so we'll be ready for Harry..." Tracey began reluctantly.

Iris eyes went wide as she saw the time. "Oh, crap, you're right. Let's go!"

~V~

"Iris? What's this about? And why so bloody early? I didn't even get to open all my presents yet!"

Harry was shivering, wrapped in a thick cloak and his Gryffindor scarf tightly wound around his neck, as he and Ron trudged up to them through the snow.

He found his sister and her friend standing next to a wooden shack at the side of the castle. As he approached, he gave her an expectant look, waiting for an explanation.

"Well... you know how our letters said that first-years aren't allowed their own brooms?"

His eyes widened. Was this going where he thought it was going?

"Uh-huh?" he replied dubiously.

"Well, did you know there actually aren't any rules against first-years actually riding a broom?"

No way, she really was going there? He looked over at Ron, who gave him a shit-eating grin.

That git was in on it?

Iris mirrored his facial expression as she withdrew her wand, produced yellow light and cast "Alohomora!"

Harry's mind stopped whatever it had been working on the moment he laid eyes on the wooden handles. His hand automatically reached out to grab one of them. The weathered material just felt right in his hand.

Before he could even think about it, he mounted the broom and took off. Snow and freezing wind tore across his face, yet he couldn't help but break into an ear-splitting grin. He once again tasted the utter freedom of flying, and he found himself involuntarily laughing. This was what magic was all about!

He leaned to the side and put the broom into a smooth turn, until he came to a stop above the trees, and looked back down to see Ron approaching him on a broom of his own.

"Happy Christmas, mate!" he said with a smug grin.

Harry knew the smile on his face wasn't leaving for a long while to come. He looked down to where he had come from and saw Iris stand next to Tracey, her hand aglow in a ray of green light, which was aimed right at some strange glass object that Tracey was holding, and seemed to be slightly changing. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out what exactly they were doing.

Just at that moment, she seemed to collapse the beam, say something, and Tracey pocketed the glass thing, while she held her green glowing hand above her broom, and caused it to shoot into her hand. Harry's smile widened, as she mounted her broom and took off without any issues. Has she actually figured out how to use her strange magic to fly?

He almost couldn't contain his excitement as she approached them, slowed down and came to a stop, still somewhat shaky, but definitely in control of her broom.

He imagined that his grin was mirroring her own.

"Happy Christmas, Harry!" she chirped.

"Happy Christmas to you as well. And also, congratulations! You've really figured out how to use your magic to fly?"

"I'll admit, it's pretty difficult..." she said with a strain in her voice, "But it's soo worth it," she finished with a grin.

"So... who's insane idea was it to go and steal school brooms?" he asked with a smirk.

He didn't even raise an eyebrow when both Tracey's and Ron's gazes unanimously fell onto his sister, who blushed, but was still grinning.

He looked at her for a few seconds, and then continued. "Sometimes, I really can't complain about your antics," he said with a matching grin.

Iris narrowed her eyes playfully and started charging towards him, causing him to quickly turn and take off laughing.

~V~

They had completely lost track of time. Ron had brought a strange leather ball with several holes that was apparently a Quaffle, and they had formed two teams of two in trying to either attack or defend a split dead tree which they had designated as a goal. At some point, Fred and George had showed up and eagerly joined the fray on their own brooms. Of course, they had immediately thrown the game into utter chaos by introducing some hexed snow balls that kept following everyone around, trying to hit them in the face.

Iris was currently flying on a wide route around the castle, admiring the snow-covered stone monument in all its glory. Her hands were frozen solid, as were her legs, not to mention her face, but she didn't care one bit. Today had been amazing. Harry shot past her again with a happy yell, and then threw his broom into a steep turn around the astronomy tower. Iris made to follow him, except more carefully. Twice, she had already lost control of her broom and dropped because she had messed up her light. At least this time, she hadn't broken her broom entirely, and luckily the snow had softened her fall. But every time she had needed the prism to set up the colors again, so right now she was playing it safe, being so far away from Tracey and her prism. Harry took off towards the clock tower, shot past it and back towards the spot at the lake they had been using to play. A look at said tower caused her eyes to widen. How had they already spent seven bloody hours flying?

A ferocious grown from her stomach that could even be heard over the howling winds whipping her hair into constant chaos served to drive home the fact that it was probably time to call it a day—no matter how much she wished to continue. So, very reluctantly, they returned their brooms to the shack, and made their way towards the great hall to warm up and hopefully grab something to eat as well. It was almost dinnertime, after all.

After Iris had wolfed down an entirely unreasonable but still completely worth it amount of delicious prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, she turned to Tracey, who seemed still as cold as her, even if the meal was slowly helping things warm up.

"I think this day calls for another trip to Dumbledore's secret bathroom."

Tracey perked up at that. "Oh, I'm so in. Screw dinner, let's go!" the girl exclaimed as they both got to their feet.

Iris turned over to Harry, who seemed to be doing his best to hide it, but was also still shivering.

"Hey, Harry, wanna come along for a swim? It's like a giant pool, except it's a bathtub! Which I really need after freezing my arse off the whole day!"

Harry looked up at her, then his eyes jumped between her and Tracey for a bit, while his face slowly grew redder and redder.

"Oh, no, I... I've gotta... you know... Research! Also, I still need to open the rest of my presents!"

Iris stared at him dumbfounded, about to argue, until Tracey tugged at her shoulder, dragging her away from the table and towards the entrance. She turned to face her friend with a confused expression. "What?"

Tracey giggled and gave her a wide infuriating grin. "You're just too precious sometimes..."

~V~

A bath, it turned out, had been exactly what they had needed. Soaking in the soapy warmth served to finally drive away the lingering traces of frostbite from their limbs. And as per usual, they had spent a lot longer than planned there, and had once again involuntarily managed to violate curfew.

"You know, we could always go back through the shadow realm..."

"Yeah... I'll pass. I'd rather risk detention than spend a minute longer in there than necessary, thank you. But don't let me stop you."

"I'm not gonna leave you wandering back all on your own!" Iris exclaimed indignantly.

They both looked at each other for a bit, before Iris turned to continue getting dressed.

"Guess it's another adventure."

"Oh Merlin, now you've gone and jinxed it!" complained Tracey with a grin.

Iris opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly found herself unable to form words. She felt a sudden pang of sadness, of regret and hurt. Scratch that, she was almost drowning in it. What in the world? Why was she-

Iris froze, then looked down at the bracelet she was still wearing. Harry! Something had happened to him! She scrambled to put on the rest of her robes, then turned to look at Tracey and hesitated.

"I... Sorry. I think something happened to Harry," Iris said, worrying her lip. Tracey looked confused, then her eyes fell onto the bracelet and went wide.

"Is he..." she began, and trailed off.

"I-I don't think he's hurt physically, but he's definitely hurting. I gotta find him."

Tracey just nodded. "Go, I'll find my way back."

Iris looked at her friend uncertainly, but then nodded. Harry needed her. Tracey could handle herself. Mind made up, she focused on the feelings of dread and worry that had emerged picturing everything that could have happened to him, and pulled at the shadows.

She had never been inside the Gryffindor common room, but she knew where it was, she had accompanied Harry there several times already. Making her way through the shadows of hallways, stairs, and statues, she quickly found the large corridor leading to the portrait of the "fat lady", as Harry had called her. Squinting her eyes, she could make out little beyond it.

That was odd. Was it somehow protected against intrusions from the shadows? Or was it just that brightly lit? She tried to squeeze through, but to no avail. Desperate, she resorted to the only other thing she could think off, and opened another rift. Approaching the portrait of the sleeping woman, she was about to clear her throat to wake her up, when there was a whisper behind her.

"Iris?"

She whirled around, to find... nothing. The whole corridor seemed empty. "Hello?" she whispered back, scared.

A head emerged, floating right in front of her. It was Harry's head. Her eyes widened, but just as she was about to probably scream, he flung something over her, and suddenly he was there next to her, underneath a fabric of sorts.

"Harry? What? How?"

"I... well, It's an invisibility cloak, apparently. Someone sent it to me for Christmas—no idea who, though—and they claimed it was dad's." He said with a forlorn mix of longing and happiness in his face. She could certainly empathize. For as long as she could remember, they had longed for anything of their parents'. A picture, a name, a belonging, anything. Yet all they had been told was that they had been good for nothing drunks who got killed in a car crash.

When Hagrid had told them their names, it was one of those things she had treasured above all else. She had wondered what they were like. And people kept saying how they were so similar to them; that Harry looked exactly like his father, and that she had so much of her mother in her. She could just hope she'd live up to her mother's name at some point, with everything people told her, and seemed to expect of her. And she assumed Harry probably felt similarly about dad.

"I mean we'll share it, of course! He was your dad as well!" Harry said firmly.

Nevertheless, she felt like this cloak still meant a lot more to him than it even did to her. Even though it would be very useful...

"No. It's yours. Someone gave it to you, and if it really was dad's, you should have it."

She could see a torn expression on his face, but also a glimmer of hope and longing.

"I... but... he was-"

She cut him off at that. "Take it. I'm sure I'll find something of mum's too. Besides, I can still borrow it if I need it, right?"

That seemed to win him over. "...Right." he said with a forlorn smile.

Iris decided to change topics, before he could reconsider.

"What were you doing out here anyway?"

"Right! I- well I was trying to show Ron, since I have no idea where the Slytherin common room is, but it's even better if you're here. If anyone should see it, it's you!"

"What are you talking about?" she asked in a whisper.

A sad smile made its way onto his face again, and she almost thought she could feel the same pulse of feelings that had originally drawn her here in the first place.

"Dad."

~V~

The door slammed open, and they both stumbled inside, quickly tearing off the cloak. The room was dark, and empty. Well, mostly. In the center of the room, an imposing tall golden mirror stood alone.

She turned to Harry and raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the mirror. "Just look. In there!"

Iris approached the mirror and looked. Their reflections looked back at them. Well, not quite. Something was different about them. They seemed a bit... older? More confident? And they were smiling.

Also, there was someone standing behind them. Iris whirled around, but could see no one there. What?

She turned back and risked another look into the mirror. A tall man approached both of them, and he slowly put his hands onto their shoulders. Harry had a sad smile on his face, and a tear was running down his cheek. She looked back, and then his words from before registered.

Could it really? "Dad?" she asked carefully, not quite able to believe what she was seeing. It couldn't be true.

The man with scruffy black hair wearing glasses all too similar to Harry's smiled and gave a nod.

Now, she could understand why Harry had felt the way he did. This... this was like both everything she had wished for, and yet so very painful all at once. Why was he in there? Why couldn't he come out to her? Also, more importantly... Among all the questions she had, she found one most significant in her mind.

"Where's mum?"

Her own reflection as well as the man who apparently was her dad bore similar bittersweet smiles. After an all too long second, he just sadly shook his head. What?

Why was he here, yet mum wasn't?

"I don't know," came Harry's somber reply. "It's always just been us, and dad."

Her dad raised a hand to ruffle Harry's hair like she often did, and then leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head. Iris reached up, as if to feel it, yet came up empty.

"It is truly a marvel of magic, isn't it?" came a voice from behind them.

Harry and her whirled around to face the newcomer. It was their Headmaster. Oh crap. They were out alone after curfew; they were so screwed.

"I see that you, like many before you, have discovered the wonders of the Mirror of Erised."

Iris blinked. Was that what it was called?

"Care to take a guess at what it is that the mirror does?"

She frowned, and looked back at it. There was an inscription on top of it... was that how it got its name? But it didn't make any sense...

Or did it? It was a mirror... "I show not your face, but your heart's desire." she slowly read out. Oh.

"So... It wasn't real?" she asked timidly, trying not to notice the hurt look on Harry's face.

"The mirror shows us neither knowledge, nor truth. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest desire within our heart."

"But then why doesn't it show mum? It shows dad..." Iris asked, confused.

The headmaster frowned, and started fiddling with his beard. "Does it truly? For both of you? That is most... unexpected. And concerning..."

"Do... you think it could be real after all?"

Dumbledore sighed, and looked into their eyes for a long time.

"I fear, that whatever it was Lily has done that night, in order to save your lives, may have had much graver consequences than I had originally imagined."

Iris swallowed. What could she have done that would prevent her image from showing up in this mirror, if the mirror only showed what they longed for anyway?

"Alas, I must ask you not to go looking for this mirror again. Men have wasted away in front of it, imprisoned by the allure of the improbable, or even impossible. Tomorrow, it shall be taken to a new home instead."

Harry and her exchanged a look. Could this be the last time they would see dad then?

The man in the mirror gave them a sad smile, and nodded at them. Now, it was her turn to fail to hold back tears.

~V~

"Uh... where are we going, sir?" Harry asked.

"Remus, please. Well, you see, there is a village nearby called Hogsmeade. Students are allowed to go there unaccompanied starting from their third year, if they get permission from their guardians."

Her and Harry's eyes met again. That wasn't bloody likely. However, he continued with a smile, "The operative word here being unaccompanied."

Now, they were sporting matching grins.

"I thought we'd grab lunch at the local tavern, the Three Broomsticks. I hear they make a most delicious roast turkey for Christmas."

Iris was sold at most delicious. They eagerly started to trudge down a long and winding snow-covered road leading along the edge of the forest and up a hill. Past snowy trees, strange animals leaving even stranger tracks, and even a group of small people, looking similar to goblins but not quite, as they merrily skipped down the road singing Christmas songs. Somehow, they were all smiling, despite not much else happening. They had really gotten into the Christmas spirit, it seemed.

All too soon, they had reached a small snowy town filled with crooked buildings, people, and most of all, magic. Everywhere they looked, there was something else happening. The entire town was alight in the warm glow of candles which seemed to float by themselves through the narrow alleys, dancing along to a Christmas carol that seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. There was a short balding rotund man, sporting a thick mustache and wrapped in a heavy cloak, who was shepherding a small group of animated snowmen along a small alley. He seemed to be trying to get them arranged around a small wooden house; but the little snow people seemed to have other ideas. And at the end of the large alley there was a group of wizards huddled around a large Christmas tree, who seemed to be performing a sort of dance to the music, at least, as much as a tree could do such a thing.

Lupin led them into a large wooden tavern right on the fork of two alleys, where they were greeted by a kind woman with curly blonde hair, that seemed to know their professor. She led them to a table in the corner, that he had apparently reserved for them, where they sat down.

"We'll have three butterbeers, and three of the Christmas special, please," Lupin told the woman who had introduced herself as Madam Rosmerta.

It was just as well; Iris wouldn't have had any idea what to order anyway. She had never been to a restaurant before, and neither had Harry. Or a bar, or tavern, or whatever this was. Well, except for the Leaky Cauldron, but they hadn't ordered anything there. All they had done was watch Hagrid down an unreasonable number of drinks as he tried to explain between sobs what happened to their parents, and with the Dark Lord.

Food and drink arrived, and they were collectively lost in the pleasure of a hearty Christmas meal. Until at last, Harry couldn't wait any longer.

"So... you wanted to tell us about our parents?" he asked eagerly.

"That, I did. Where to start..." he fiddled with his fork for a bit, then sighed, and began.

"There was four of us. Your father James, Peter, Sirius, and me. I'm not quite sure how it first began, but we were all in Gryffindor, and somehow we all ended up becoming friends. James and Sirius, they... well. They were the best of friends..." he said in a somber tone.

"At least, that's what I thought. They must have known each other for a while, when I met them, they were already thick as thieves. Somehow, they ended up taking Peter and me into their little group, and we ended up quite infamous as a result," he added with a chuckle.

"Would you believe that the four of us were quite the troublemakers back then?"

Harry had a silly grin on his face.

"And it looks like the next generation is already picking up the torch, if your activities yesterday are anything to go by."

Their smiles froze in an instant, causing him to chuckle.

"No worries, I didn't see anything," he said with a wink.

"We called ourselves the Marauders. Over the years, we pulled a number of pranks big and small, mostly driven by James' and Sirius' enthusiasm, and we may be responsible for a reasonable number of grey hairs on Professor McGonagall's head..." he added, which caused Iris to break into giggles.

"Those were different times. Sadly, all that remains of them now is memories... Well, and the two of you, I suppose."

Harry and Iris threw a look at each other awkwardly.

"You have no idea how much you are like your parents, it's almost uncanny at times."

They both leaned forwards unconsciously. Iris really wanted to find out more about their parents, how mum was really like, and why people kept telling her they were so similar.

He turned and looked Harry in the eyes with a forlorn expression.

"James was... James. He was a free spirit, almost as much as Sirius, always up to some sort of mischief, and always good for a quick joke. Yet, he was firm in his beliefs, unyielding in his morals, and above all, a great friend. He never judged me for a second for my... condition."

Harry had a silly smile on his face.

"He had quite the hand for Transfiguration, and was very talented on a broom. He was on the Gryffindor team, and was looking into professional play even. From what Professor McGonagall tells me, that's something he seems to have passed on to you."

Harry was looking down at his lap, a blush on his face.

"Lily on the other hand was an entirely different kind of remarkable. They called her the smartest witch of her age. She was kind, and caring, but also fiercely protective of those she cared about. She always had a bit of a different view of things than all of us, and had a knack for coming up with the most brilliant and insane plans in a pinch, which more often than not managed to save our hides when we inevitably got ourselves into trouble."

He then gave Iris a meaningful look and added, "We kept joking about how the only reason the hat didn't put her in Slytherin was that she was Muggleborn."

Iris felt her cheeks heat up against her will.

"She had this uncanny ability to pick up and combine the smallest details, and she had a deep understanding of magic that very few possess. She was Professor Flitwick's favorite student for a reason, much like James was Professor McGonagall's."

He leaned back and took a breath, before he kept looking between the two of them.

"Sometimes, I feel like it's the two of them sitting in front of me again... Which is funny, considering when you were a year old, you looked so very similar, we thought you'd both end up as miniature copies of James at some point," he smiled, and turned to look at Iris again.

"But it seems that, like I said, there is a lot of your mother in you as well."

Iris imagined her face was mirroring Harry's silly smile, but she couldn't care less.

~V~

They had spent some more time talking, with Lupin regaling them with tales of the adventures of the Marauders, and how they would inevitably end up in trouble, unless Lily somehow pulled one ridiculous stunt or another to get them out of it, once they had started to hang out more in their final years.

When they finally returned to the castle, it was already almost curfew. Iris was about to wave their professor goodbye, when she realized that he was holding something in his hands.

"Before I send you on your way, I still have a Christmas gift of sorts for the two of you."

That got their attention alright.

"This is something that we, that is, James, Sirius, Peter and I made back at school. We had thought it lost, but recently, it has made its way back to me," he said with a glint in his eyes, as he kept giving Iris a strange look.

"Sadly, as we only ever made one, but there's two of you, I guess you'll just have to share it."

Harry gave her a look, but she ignored it. She wasn't going to start another discussion about the cloak.

He held out a very familiar piece of parchment, and proclaimed, "This is the Marauder's Map."

Iris' eyes went wide. So that's where it went. Hang on, they made that map? Her dad was the one who made it? That was... well, awesome. She could only imagine the kind of magic that would go into making something like that.

He gave Iris another meaningful look, and a smirk. "I guess I don't need to explain how it works?"

"Uhm... Well, I know you need to tap it with your wand and say a passphrase, but I actually don't know the phrase..."

He smiled, placed the piece of parchment in front of them, raised his wand, placed the tip in the center and proclaimed, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

Ink began to fill the parchment, but just as they managed to make out the title proclaiming this to be the Marauder's Map, he repeated the motion and said, "Mischief managed."

And the ink promptly disappeared again.

"What is it?" Harry asked confused, looking between the two of them.

"I have a feeling you sister can explain that part just as well," he said with a smile, then handed the map over to Iris and bade them a good night, leaving the two of them staring at each other awkwardly in the corridor. Well, now they had another one of dad's things. Maybe, if Harry had the cloak—and there was no way she was taking that away from him with how quickly he seemed to have grown attached to it—she could keep the map? It would be really useful, perhaps even more so than the cloak, at least to her. She could already wander the halls pretty much undetected through the shadows if she was careful.

"So... what is it? And how do you know what it is?" Harry finally asked.

"Well, the Weasley twins showed it to me when we were in... you know, the part of the castle where Lupin locked himself at the full moon."

His eyes went wide, but he didn't say anything, so she continued.

"It's a map of the school, that shows not just the layout of the buildings, but also tiny names for everyone, showing where people are at the moment. They also mentioned that it shows some secret passageways, although apparently it didn't show that one..." she trailed off.

"We kinda lost the map in there when we got attacked, and I tried to find it the next day, but it was gone. Well, I guess we know where it went now..."

"So how does it work?" he asked eagerly.

Iris grinned, withdrew her wand, pointed it at the map, and proclaimed "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good!"

The piece of parchment remained just that. Iris face fell. She should have guessed that this was one of those things that required white magic as well.

After staring at her wand forlornly for a minute, she finally relented and handed it over to Harry. "You try it."

Harry hesitated, but then did just that. They watched in awe as the map slowly filled in, proclaiming that Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were proudly presenting the Marauder's Map.

"Which one do you think was dad?" asked Harry.

"Well, I figure Moony was Lupin..." said Iris with a smile.

The map unfolded by itself and showed a corridor. She looked down and found her own name. Iris Lily Potter. Huh. She somehow hadn't noticed that the first time she'd seen it.

"Look, your second name is Lily? Like mum..." Harry had spotted it too.

Her gaze swept across the page and she frowned. "Doesn't show yours though..."

"Yeah, what gives?"

Iris thought for a moment. "Well, your Hogwarts letter said Harry J." she began slowly, "And well, if mine is Lily, then..."

"Yeah. Probably," he said with a wry smile.

In the end, she had given the map to Harry as well. It wasn't like she could use it anyway. Still, even after all that, she was left with a warm feeling in her chest, as she slowly made her way back to her dorm.

She finally had something of her mum's.

Even if it was just her name.