Chapter 8: The Mirror of Erised

On a cold winter morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke up to find itself covered in several feet of snow and the lake had been frozen solid.

Christmas was coming.

No one could wait for the holidays to begin. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows of the classrooms. Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons were the worst, not just because of Snape's very strict and somewhat cruel teaching methods, but because of the very cold deep under the castle, where their breath rose in a mist before them, and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons to keep themselves warm.

For Helena, things had very different for her. Despite she had more questions than answers over the past few months, with still not finding a clue what Snape was hiding, what secret thing Fluffy the three-headed dog was guarding or who Nicholas Flamel is, with Hagrid still refusing to share any information to her and her friends nor even finding any information in the castle's library about Nicholas Flamel, Helena still tried to make the best of things and keep doing her studies, while also still impressing Snape with her talent for Potions. Deep down she somehow wished that Snape would continue secretly training her, but sadly made it clear to her that it was only for a month, unless she would prove him otherwise that she has more up her sleeves.

Helena had to be careful as she was still confused to either trust Snape or not. But, nonetheless, she could now only think of upcoming Christmas, especially since she's allowed to stay at the school for the holidays along with those who wouldn't be able to spend the holidays with their families. Helena felt wonderful that she wouldn't be forced to spend the holidays with the Dursleys, not to mention that Ginny too stayed at Hogwarts during Christmas along with her older brothers as their parents had decided to visit their son Charlie who's studying dragons in Romania.

As the trio were eating lunch, they were discussing among their fellow house members about their plans for the holidays.

"So, you're not going to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, Neville?" Ginny asked.

Neville shook his head "No. I'm going to Holland with my grandmother, where we're spending the holidays with a friend of hers." He felt a bit uncomfortable when saying he was going to spend Christmas with a friend of his grandma in the Netherlands.

"What's wrong with going to Holland?" Helena wandered.

Neville shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. It's just…" he felt embarrassed when telling this but decided to tell his friends anyway. "My grandmother wants to introduce me to her friend's niece. I think she's planning to pair me off with her."

Hearing this, Ginny and Helena couldn't stop to chuckle. "Seriously, Neville?" Ginny asked while holding her mouth to prevent from laughing.

Neville frowned. "It's not funny, Ginny!" he shook his head. "My grandma is very serious about this. I mean… I'm the last of the Longbottom family and she expects me to carry on our family's bloodline."

"That's rough, Neville," Ginny said with sympathy, regretting for laughing about it earlier, but then tried to cheer him up, "Then at least, if it doesn't become a match, you'll still have a friend in Holland, right?"

Neville gave a nervous nod, "Yeah… maybe… except it would be a bit awkward… as she's 19 years old."

This surprised Ginny and Helena completely, with Helena asking, "So, let me get this straight. Your grandmother wants to couple you with a 19-year-old woman?"

"Yes!"

Ginny and Helena didn't laugh this time but found it rather odd for Neville's grandmother for trying to arrange a 'betrothal' between Neville and a 19-year-old woman from another country.

Ginny shook her head, "I feel sorry for you, Neville."

Neville shrugs. "That's okay. I'm more kinda used to it anyway. And frankly, none of the girls that my grandmother picks out have any interest in me anyway." That last word made him a bit sad.

"Neville, you're only 11," Helena said, "You have plenty of years ahead before you would mature. And you never know. There might be someday someone out there be your match. Just have a bit patience and don't give up hope just yet."

This made Neville feel a bit better and smiled. "Thanks."

Later, after Professor McGonagall made a list of all the students that will stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, Helena had heard that Padma, Hermione, Parvati and Lavender were also going home for the holidays.

"I do feel sorry for you," Pansy mockingly said to Helena and Ginny, wearing a winter jacket and a silver-green scarlet, joined by Milicent and Daphne. "That you have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because you're unwanted at home."

Helena however, not going into her insults this time, shrugs, "You know, for once you're right, Pansy Parkinson. And frankly, I don't care that I'm unwanted back at my home with the Muggles. At least I'll be having a wonderful Christmas by spending it together with my best friend."

As Helena was about to leave with Ginny, Pansy arrogantly mocked her "Ha! I highly doubt it, Potter and Weasley. As I'll be going with my family to southern-Italy for the holidays in a big villa close to the Mediterranean Sea. Much warmer and more comfortable than here, something both your families can only dream off!"

But Helena ignored her and continued on, not wasting her breath on receiving another argument with her. Ginny, while getting angry at Pansy for daring to insult her family for being poor, walked further with Helena.

As they walked up the stairs back to the Gryffindor common room, Ginny said with frustration, "Ugh! I can't stand that Parkinson girl!"

"Me neither," Helena said as they stopped at the stairway as it moved "But, you know, we don't need all the money in the world to have a wonderful Christmas here, right? Besides, I'll be having a way better time here than back with the Dursleys."

This made Ginny smile as they walked up the stairs before reaching the portrait of the Fat Lady, giving her the password and entered the Gryffindor common room.

-:-

A week later, many students had packed their belongings and began to leave for the train platform.

As Helena and Ginny said their goodbyes to Neville, Lavender, Parvati and Padma, Hermione approached them and asked them, "You sure you'll be fine spending Christmas here at Hogwarts?"

Helena shrugs. "Better than spending time with the Dursley's, I'll take spending the holidays in the castle any time."

Hermione nodded in understanding, knowing how terrible her muggle aunt and uncle are and added, "Good. Then you'll be having more time to go to the library and look up for information about Nicholas Flamel with Ginny."

But Ginny told with a bit of nagging, "But we've looked over a hundred times and we've found nothing!"

Hermione then suggested with a small grin on her face, "Not in the Restricted Section." Helena and Ginny exchanged a surprised glance before Hermione began to leave "Merry Christmas!"

While Hermione left together with Padma to the train platform, Ginny asked Helena, "You think we're starting to have a bad influence on her?"

Helena nodded.

Then, as they began to go back into the castle, Helena spots Draco Malfoy, walking out with his belongings together with Crabbe and Goyle. Both saw each other, with Helena frowning at him before looking away, not wanting to do anything with Draco after how heartless he was when taking Neville's toad as part of Pansy Parkinson's plan to lure them to the third floor to get them expelled.

Draco sighed before leaving, walking with his the rest of his fellow Slytherins to the train platform. Somehow, Draco felt he'd truly missed his chance to be actually friends with Helena while also wandering why she didn't took the chance to become part of Pansy's group.

-:-

Once the holidays had started, Ginny and Helena were having too much fun to think about looking any info about Flamel. They had the dormitory to themselves, and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork, plotting how to get some deserved payback on Parkinson and her gang or playing Wizard Chess. Though Ginny wasn't as good as Helena. However, Ginny taught Helena another fun wizard game called Exploding Snap, which is a card game where the cards can spontaneously explode during games. They would sometimes play it together, with Fred and George or with Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomes (who also stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays).

On Christmas Eve, Helena went to bed, having been looking forward to the next day lik never before in all her life, thinking about the fun and the food, but wasn't expecting any presents at all.

Then, on Christmas morning, Ginny shouted from the common room, "Helena, wake up! Come on, Helena, wake up!"

As she started to wake up, Helena realized it was finally Christmas. She put on her glasses, got out of her bed and puts on her bathrobe before rushing out of the girl's dormitory. When she got down to the common room, she saw Ginny also in her bathrobe and meted her with a hug.

"Merry Christmas, Helena," Ginny said with a smile.

Helena returned the hug. "Merry Christmas to you too, Ginny." In all her years she'd been living with the Dursleys, nobody had ever given her a warm embrace on Christmas morning, which felt so good to her that her eyes almost got teary.

As soon as Ginny broke the hug, she pointed at the pile of wrapped up presents under the Christmas tree. "Look at all these presents! I think you got some too."

Helena's eyes went wide "I… I got presents?!" as smile grew on her face.

Ginny nodded "Yeah."

Helena couldn't control her happiness anymore. Never before she got real presents, apart from whatever garbage the Dursleys ever gave her when it was her birthday or the time that Marge (Uncle Vernon's sister) gave her a box of dog biscuits on Christmas.

Helena checked out her pile of presents, which was nearly as big as Ginny's, and took the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was 'TO HELENA, FROM HAGRID'. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. When Helena blew it, it sounded a bit like an owl.

The second was a very small parcel and contained a note, as Helena read it, she frowned,

We received your message and enclosed your Christmas present.

From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia

When Helena opened the very small present, she found a fifty-pence piece. She wasn't surprised that her muggle relatives would send her something as this.

However, Ginny was fascinated by the fifty pence. "Is that muggle money?" she asked, "How weird! And look at the shape!"

Laughing at Ginny's reaction, she handed over the fifty pence to her. "You can have it, if you want?"

Ginny smiled bright as she took it "Wow! Real muggle money! Thank you, Helena!"

Helena still laughed to see how happy Ginny was for this small bit of muggle money.

Helena then checked out the third present, which was a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel, and wandered, "So who sent this?"

Ginny recognized the shape and said, "Oh, I think it's from my mom. I told her you didn't expect any presents, so…" but then realized what it could be, making her eyes roll with amusement "Oh dear. I think she made you a Weasley sweater too."

Helena torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in orchid purple and a large box of homemade fudge.

"She makes us all a sweater every year," Ginny explained as she unwrapped her own, "and mine's always bright pink."

"That's really nice of her," Helena said while trying the fudge, which was very tasty.

Helena's next present also contained candy – a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione. Her fifth present was from both Parvati and Padma, being bright red Christmas socks and a book which said: Magical Wonders from India. The sixth was from Lavender, being a few magazines about witch fashion.

Helena and Ginny had both put on their Weasley sweaters, with on Helena's was a big yellow 'H' knitted and Ginny's a big yellow 'G'.

"I think you got one more present left, Helena," Ginny pointed under the Christmas tree while she tried out a few Every Flavor Beans.

This parcel felt very light and was wrapped in silver paper and tied with a small robe. There was a note on it. Helena took the note and read:

Your father left this in my possession before he died.

It is time it was returned to you.

Use it well.

Helena was puzzled by this, with Ginny wandering too what it meant.

When Helena untied the parcel, she found it was something like a fluid and silvery cloak, feeling like water woven into material and held it up.

"What is that?" Ginny wandered.

"It's… some kind of cloak."

Ginny became curious. "Well, let's see, then. Put it on."

Helena puts the cloak around her, which made her body immediately vanish.

Ginny gasped as she dropped her box of Every Falvor Beans, her eyes widen, and mouth fell wide open "No… way!"

Helena, realizing that her body was gone, gasped in shock "My body's gone!"

"Helena…!" Ginny tried to say, "That's an invisibility cloak!"

"I'm invisible?" Helena looked at herself, realizing that Ginny was right and that her body had indeed become invisible thanks to the cloak.

"I've heard about those! They're really rare." Ginny stated before taking the strange note and wandered as there was no name or any signature on it, "Who gave it to you?"

Helena shook her head as she too checked the note "There was no name on it. It just said… 'Use it well'." but wandered that this invisibility cloak she got truly once belonged to her father.

Just then, the door to the boy's dormitory opened and Fred and George bounded in. Helena and Ginny gasp and she quickly took off the cloak and placed it out of sight.

"Merry Christmas!" the Weasley twins said.

Fred pointed at Helena's new sweater "Hey, look, George! Helena's got a Weasley sweater too!"

Fred and George were already wearing their sweaters, both being blue, with one having a large yellow 'F' on it, the other a 'G'. Clearly they'd already opened their presents earlier than Ginny and Helena.

"Helena's better than ours though," George said, "Mom obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."

Fred then chuckles. "Bet that Ron again got a maroon-colored sweater."

"What's all this noise?" Percy called as his head peeked through the door, looking disapproval as they'd disturbed his sleep as it wasn't yet 8 o'clock in the morning.

Fred pulled one of Percy's presents from under the Christmas tree and unwrapped it without his older brother's permission, showing Percy's knitted sweater.

"P for prefect!" Fred said while waving Percy's sweater in the air.

George snapped it away from his twin-brother and handed it over to Percy as he bowed like a servant, saying dramatically, "You're Christmas sweater, my good sir."

Ginny and Helena both giggled.

Percy, trying to control his anger, spoke, "I… don't… want…" but both Fred and George forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.

"C'mon, Percy!" Fred said.

"You're not sitting with the prefects today." George said.

"Christmas is a time for family!"

"So put your studies away…"

"And join us at the Christmas tree!" both said simultaneously while they raised Percy up.

Percy tried to free himself. "Put me down, you two! Put me down before I'll-" but Fred and George had already thrown him on one of the comfortable couches before Percy could finish his sentence, clearly wanting to threat them to take house points (as Prefects can do that too).

Percy groaned with annoyance while Fred and George pilled up his presents on his laps and handed him over a few Christmas treats.

Thinking it was better to put her invisibility cloak far away from anyone, Helena came with a little excuse as she took all her Christmas gifts. "You know what? Me and Ginny are just gonna… take a shower and put our clothes on before resuming the celebrations."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at Helena as they'd just started, but realizing she wanted to put her new cloak somewhere safe, she nodded and said with a fake smile to her brothers, "Yes! We'll leave you boys alone and come back later!" she took her presents and left with Helena back up to the girl's dormitory.

Fred and George exchanged a surprised glance, before they simply shrug, "Girl's stuff." Both said before continuing teasing Percy.

Once girls had entered their dormitory, Helena took out her invisibility cloak and puts it safe in her trunk under her bed.

Ginny nodded. "It is indeed probably better to keep that cloak hidden, Helena. If Fred and George would ever get their hands on it… who knows what kinds of pranks they'll pull."

"Or that Percy will confiscate it no doubt." Helena added, knowing for sure that Percy, as how obedient and serious he is about the rules of the school, wouldn't doubt a second moment to confiscate the invisibility cloak and report to Professor Dumbledore for sure.

Ginny agreed with her, but wandered, "Then, what are you gonna do with it?"

Helena shook her head. "I don't know yet," she closed her trunk and shoved it back under her bed. She then took her clothes and towel, same as Ginny and both went to the girl's bathroom to have a good shower and prepare for the rest of Christmas morning.

Helena had never in all her life had such a delicious Christmas breakfast. In the Great Hall, they served big roasted turkeys, mountains of roast and boiled potatoes, platters of chipolatas, tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick and rich gravy and cranberry sauce, and also stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. When Fred and George pulled a wizard cracker and didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice.

Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for flowered bonnet and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.

Later, flaming Christmas puddings were magically served. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver Sicle embedded in his slice. Helena watched with amusement as Hagrid's face had gone redder and redder as he called for more wine, even planting a big kiss on Professor McGonagall's cheek, who giggled and blushed.

That afternoon, Helena and the Weasleys spend a happy time outside and having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room to warm up and play a few games of Wizard Chess and Exploding Snap.

Later at night, after a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch with amusement Percy chasing Fred and George through all over the Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his Prefect badge.

-:-

But as Helena and Ginny went to bed, Helena was the only one who couldn't sleep as something had been nagging at the back of her mind all afternoon.

Helena remembered that Hermione mentioned, before leaving for the holidays, that they should look in the Restricted Section for any information about Nicholas Flamel.

It was true, that Helena felt tempted to search in the Restricted Section, but knew she couldn't go there without permission from the teachers or Dumbledore. And even if she asked, Ginny and Neville knew for sure that Snape would figure them out. Despite she still had her doubt, she couldn't risk asking anyone else who Nicholas Flamel is.

And now that she had the invisibility cloak… Helena remembered the note said: Use it well.

The last thing Helena wanted was the risk of expulsion or losing lots of house points. But desperately wanting to know the truth and hoping that Snape is not a thief, she was willing to take it.

Carefully, she climbed out of bed and slowly took out her trunk, opening it without making any noise and took the invisibility cloak. She wrapped the cloak around herself. Excitement flooded through her as she realized that whole of Hogwarts was open to her in this cloak, go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch or anyone else would never know.

Ginny moaned in her sleep while she turned, having fallen asleep as soon as the curtains were closed, being very tired from all the Christmas celebrations, the fun they had today and all the food.

Helena felt conflicted. Should she wake Ginny?

No. Helena felt that she had to do this alone.

"I'm sorry, Ginny…" Helena whispered very softly to her before she took a small lamplighter and tiptoed out of the girl's dormitory "Maybe next time…"

She crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room and went through the portrait hole.

The painting of the Fat Lady looked around sleepy and confused "Huh…? Who's there?"

Helena said nothing and quickly walked down the corridor while the portrait closed the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

Though Helena had never felt this much excitement of going anywhere where she wanted and nobody would ever notice or see her, she needed to calm herself as she couldn't risk to be discovered. Holding her invisibility cloak right around her, she made her way down to the Hogwarts Library.

Putting on her lamplighter as soon as she entered the now pitch-black and very eerie library, she made her way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair.

The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Carefully she opened the lock of the door of the iron barred part of the library that separated these books of 'forbidden knowledge' from the rest of the library. The door slowly opened, making a creaking noise. Helena held up her lamp to read the titles.

"Famous fire-eaters… 15th century fiends…" Helena kept looking "Flamel. Nicholas Flamel. Where are you?"

She takes off her cloak and put it down along with her lamp, checking the forbidden books what was inside it. Most of their peeling faded gold letters were spelled in languages Helena couldn't understand. Some books had no title at all. One book had pages with dark stains on it that looked horribly like blood.

It gave Helena the chills, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. Maybe she was imagining it, or not.

Being a bit scared, she put that book back.

But not wanting to give up, she picked out the next book, having a very old grey-green cover, with the tittle saying: DARK NORDIC RITUALS.

Taking her chance, she opened it… and a monstrous face screamed out of the pages, making Helena yelp before quickly closing it!

Helena pants as she puts it back on the shelve, feeling her heartbeat rising from being shocked like that.

"Who's there?!"

Helena gasps in shock as it was Argus Filch. Panicking, she grabbed her invisibility cloak but accidentally dropped her lamp, breaking it on the floor!

"I know you're in there! You can't hide from me!" Filch called as a door opened.

Helena quickly covers herself with her cloak, turning invisible.

With an angry look on his face, Filch stepped into the Restricted Section while holding up his lamplight "Who is it? Show yourself!"

Helena's heartbeat rose as she remained in a corner while Filch scanned his area. His pale, wild eyes looked straight through her. He groaned while checking every part of the Restricted Section, determined to find the little intruder "No one hides from Argus Filch. Come out and show yourself!"

Helena tiptoed out of the library. She couldn't risk getting caught by either Filch or any of the teachers, despite having her invisibility cloak. All she wanted now was to get away and back to the Gryffindor tower.

But as she took a left turn into the hallway leading to the big staircases, she heard Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris meowing. She gasped when the cat stood there and stared at her. When Mrs. Norris approached her while meowing, like ot was somehow able to sense Helena through the invisibility cloak, Helena walked quickly into a different hallway, not even want to look back to be sure that Filch's cat wasn't following her.

Her breath increased and began to panic 'What am I doing?!' Helena cursed herself 'I got to go back now before-' but her thoughts were cut short when suddenly she saw Professor Quirrell being pinned against a wall by Snape.

While her heart pounded in her chest and trying to control her breathing, she listened to what was happening and why Snape was threatening Quirrell.

"S-S-Severus, I-I-I thought…" Quirrell stuttered, afraid of Snape somehow while he held him tight by his collar.

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." Snape warned him and stared at him with daggers.

"Wh-What do y-you mean?"

Snape, in a sense of controlled anger, pinned Quirrell even harder against the wall "You know perfectly well what I mean!"

Helena carefully and quietly tried to bypass them without making a single noise, begging in her mind that neither of them would hear her. But at the same time, Helena was confused as why Snape was threatening Quirrell for.

Quirrell trembled in fear, afraid to even speak one single word.

Snape, still angry but very in control over his emotions, told him sternly, "We'll have another little chat soon, Quirinus. When you've had your time to decide where your loyalties lie."

But then, Filch walked to them. Snape immediately released Quirrell as the caretaker told them while holding up Helena's broken lamplight, showing it to them, "Oh! Professors, I found this in the Restricted Section. It's still hot. That means there's a student out of bed."

"The Restricted Section?" Snape asked surprised before turning serious "Well, that student can't be far. We'll catch them." and he immediately went with Filch and Quirrell to find the student out of bed.

Helena quietly went into a door that stood ajar to her left. It was her only hope. She squeezed through it, getting inside the room without Filch or professor's knowledge.

Helena puts off the invisibility cloak and drops it and leaned with her back against a wall, giving a big sigh or relief "Pffff. That was close." She then shook her head, disappointed in herself "How could I've been so stupid." But she was so relieved that she wasn't caught all thanks to her father's invisibility cloak.

She was however also confused as it looked clear Snape was 'threatening' Professor Quirrell about something about 'loyalty'. Was Quirrell on to what Snape's doing or was their 'argument' about something else?

As she took her time for a moment to recover after almost getting caught, Helena scanned her surroundings. She noticed that she'd found herself in an unused classroom, with the desks and chairs pilled against the walls.

But then, her eyes caught something very unusual, something that didn't looked as if it belonged there… something that looked like as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of sight. It was a magnificent looking mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame and standing on two clawed feet.

Helena's curiosity made her to check out this mirror. There was an inscription carved around the top, saying: ERISED STRA EHRU OYT UBE CAFRU OYT ON WOHSI.

Helena moved closer to the mirror, wanting to look at herself.

But as she saw her own reflection, something else appeared in the mirror. A man and a woman standing behind her. Helena gasped and looked over her shoulder, but the room was empty. She stared back into the mirror, seeing the man and the woman standing behind her, smiling at her.

The man was tall, thin and had black short hair. He wore glasses and his hair was very untidy. Helena couldn't explain how, but… this man looked almost like her. And the woman, who was very pretty. She had dark red hair and her bright green eyes… her they are just like hers. Helena looked so much like her.

Deep her heart, she just could feel who they were.

"Mom?"

The woman smiled and nodded.

"Dad?"

The man formed a proudly smile.

They were there. Helena's parents. Like they were alive and well. And yet… they weren't, being nothing but a reflection.

Helena's mother, put her hand on Helena's shoulder. Her soft touch and yet… all what Helena could feel was air.

Tears formed in her eyes as she smiled, feeling a mixture of sadness and happiness. She wanted to be there, hugging them like never before. And yet, they were nothing but a reflection in this enchanted mirror.

Helena didn't know how lang she was staring at the mirror, feeling she didn't wanted to leave, but the discovery of what she saw, she had to show it to Ginny!

Helena, with the invisibility cloak over her, rushed into the Gryffindor's girl's dormitory. "Ginny! You've got to see this! YOU REALLY GOT TO SEE THIS!" immediately she pulled the cover away from Ginny while she put off her cloak.

With very sleepy eyes, Ginny asks while she yawns, "Wha… what?"

Helena heavily shook Ginny "C'mon, Ginny! Get out of bed!"

"Why?" Ginny asks very sleepy while rubbing her eyes.

"There's something you've got to see!" Helena still felt the amazing excitement of what she saw in the mirror and pulled Ginny out of her bed "C'mon!"

Later, using the invisibility cloak, Helena and Ginny, with her wearing her bathrobe, entered the empty classroom Helena found.

Helena quickly removed the cloak and pulled Ginny by her arm to the mirror "Come on! Come and look! It's my parents!"

Both stood in front of the mirror, but they saw only themselves.

Ginny was confused "But… I only see us."

"Look in properly." Helena said and pulled Ginny to stand at the spot she was on, "Go on, stand here."

When Ginny looked back in the mirror, still confused. But as soon as she looks better, her eyes widen and gasped while covering her mouth.

"See?! You see them, right?"

"I see myself, but… I'm… older." Ginny stated.

"What?"

"I'm holding the… fastest broom every made and… the Quidditch world cup in my other hand." Ginny stated before she said with total amazement "And… Bloody hell! I'm even captain of the Cambridge Canons!" Ginny told as she saw herself as captain of England's best Quidditch teams ever.

Helena confused looked into the mirror, but didn't saw Ginny's reflection the way she saw herself.

"I look really cool!" Ginny said as she was amazed how awesome she looks when she grows up and fulfills her greatest dreams. "Helena… do you think this mirror shows us the future?"

However, that only saddened Helena. "How can it? Both my parents are dead."

-:-

The next few days, Helena haven't been feeling the same again after what she saw that night in that magic mirror. She just sat in the common room, staring at the fireplace, not wanting to do anything. All she could think of was the faces of her parents, having seen them for the first time in her whole life. All she could think of was to just go back to that mirror and see them alive and well.

Ginny felt sorry for her, knowing how much she wants to be with her parents above anything. Despite her few attempts to take Helena's mind of what she saw in the mirror had failed, neither she was going to stop her best friend from going out at night and spend hours staring into that mirror.

Ginny approached her and asked as she sat next to her, "Breakfast will be served soon. You want to come?"

Helena however, without looking at Ginny, shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

Ginny then suggested, "Wanna go and visit Hagrid?"

Again, Helena shook her head. "No."

Ginny sighs and puts her hand on her shoulder "Helena, I know what you're thinking, but don't. There's something not right about that mirror."

Helena gave a simple nod without looking at Ginny.

Seeing it was pointless, Ginny steps up and leaves for the Great Hall, allowing Helena to be alone. But deep down she hopes that Helena would realize that she can't stare at that mirror forever and needs to move on.

-:-

That same night, Helena had sneaked into the empty classroom again and sat on the floor in front of the mirror, looking at her parents who waved happily at her.

Tears fell from her eyes as how much Helena wishes to be with them, thinking what kind of life she could've had if her they weren't murdered by Voldemort and was forced to live with the Dursleys. Thinking or imagining the happy moments she could've spend with her mother and father, teaching her all what they know and how great her life would've been. She gave a sob while wiping away her tears.

The reflection of her mother in the mirror, feeling sad for her child, sat on her knees close to her and hugs her, followed by the reflection of her father. Helena wanted to feel their warm embrace, and yet, she felt nothing but air.

"Back again, Helena?"

Helena gasps as she turns, seeing Professor Dumbledore standing behind her. Her heart sank as she stood up quickly, knowing she was in big trouble for sneaking out of the common room in the middle of the night. However, Dumbledore was instead smiling at her, giving her some relief.

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

Helena looked surprised for a moment as she didn't know the magic mirror was called like that, but made sense as on the inscription did say the word 'Erised'.

"I trust by now you realized what it does," Dumbledore asked as he approached her.

"Well…" Helena tried to say, "It… shows me my parents-"

"And it showed your friend Ginny herself as a Quidditch world champion."

Helena looked surprised at the headmaster that he knew she and Ginny had seen the mirror before "How did you know?"

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible, Helena," Dumbledore said gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"

Helena began to think and quickly came to a conclusion what the Mirror of Erised truly shows people. "I think… this mirror shows people what they want. What they deeply desire."

"Yes and no," Dumbledore said gently "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is." Dumbledore explained to Helena in a grandfatherly way. "Now you, Helena, who have never known your family, you see them standing beside you. But remember this, Helena- This mirror gives us neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, entranced by what they have seen, or even gone mad."

Helena now began to understand what Dumbledore told her, in a way to warn her not to get addicted by what her greatest desire is shown in the mirror.

"That is why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home." Dumbledore stated. Helena nodded in understanding, like Dumbledore was trying to protect her. "And I must ask you," Dumbledore kindly asked her, "Not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams, Helena, and forget to live."

Helena nodded. "Yes, sir. I promise."

Seeing she would keep her word; Dumbledore formed a small smile. "Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"

Helena nodded again and took her invisibility cloak. But as she was about to vanish, something slipped her mind when Dumbledore mentioned he knew she was having a rare invisibility cloak. She turned and asked, "Sir… Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"

Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, my dear."

"It was you, wasn't it?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

Helena held part of her cloak "You gave me my father's invisibility cloak, on Christmas morning, right? After all, who else besides me and Ginny would know I got this?"

Dumbledore smiled again and gave a nod "You are truly as bright as your mother was, Helena. Yes. I was the one who gave it to you. Your father gave it to me fearing it would fall into Voldemort's hands," he gave a shrug "I figured it would be fair to hand it over back to you, as you've technically inherited it." he then gave her a little reminder. "Just remember when using the cloak, Helena. 'Use it well'."

Helena nodded and completely covered herself with her father's cloak, disappearing before she invisibly walked out of the room and headed back to the Gryffindor common room. Despite she still has some doubts about Dumbledore, she was willing to keep her word to him on this one.

-:-

The next morning, as the sun was shining and the clock struck 9 o'clock, Helena shook Ginny who was still partly asleep in her bed.

"Hey, Ginny?"

Ginny slowly opened her sleepy eyes while rubbing them "Yeah…?"

With a sweet smile, Helena asks her, "Do you want to build a snowman?"

Ginny was a bit surprised when Helena asked that, but then she smiled.

That morning, Helena and Ginny had a lot of fun playing in the snow, creating a big snowman using their wands before having a snowball fight.

As Helena fell with her back on the snow out of exhaustion and made a snow angel while moving her arms and legs up and down in the snow.

Ginny chuckles as she sat on the snow next to Helena. "You've really been cheered up since yesterday."

Helena nodded while staring at the cloudy skies. "I… finally realized that… despite I just wanted to keep staring at that mirror and… 'be with my parents' forever, I realized… that my mom and dad never would've wanted me to forget to live." She looked back at Ginny with a small smile "I'm sure they would've wanted me to move on."

Ginny nodded as she smiled back, being glad that Helena decided not to go back to look for the Mirror of Erised, fearing it would've driven her best friend mad.

Helena stared back up at the skies as it began to snow, spotting her owl Hedwig flying through the air.

Helena sighs as a tear fell from her eye. Deep down, she hopes that her parents would look down at their daughter from the afterlife, being proud at her.

Helena now knows that she doesn't need a magic mirror to see her parents, as she they'll always be with her… in her heart.

A/N: So that's that for this chapter. I hope this has turned out well for you guys?

Don't forget to like and review, and I'll see you all in the next chapter, where Helena not only finds out who's Nicholas Flamel, but also that Hagrid has something that's soon about 'to hatch' ;)