The Mirror of Erised
Christmas was coming and with it, came snow, a few meters of snow. The Blight twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Piniet around. Few Crows now brought messages or packages for students.
Though the common rooms and the Great Hall had roaring fires to keep them warm, the corridor became icy and very cold. The classrooms were filled with cold winds and Lilith’s classes down in the dungeons became almost unbearably cold.
Boscha had become even bitterer after Slytherin lost, her comments became more acid and cruel, but Luz ignored her. Luz was going to spend Christmas in Hogwarts; usually, she spent with her mother, the two alone watching themed movies and eating candies, this year her uncle had invited Camila to visit and Luz saw the opportunity.
Camila was torn between letting Luz stay or not; she wanted her daughter to be more detached from her, but at the same time she missed her too much and she wonder how Luz was going to handle it. Ultimately Camila allowed Luz to stay in school for the holidays.
One day Willow and Boscha almost ended up fighting, because Troisoeil insulted the Park family, it cost Gryffindor 5 points and 3 to Slytherin. Hagrid loaded 12 giant trees to the Great Hall, and Professor Chariot and Eda decorated the whole place with mistletoes, festoons, icicles, candles, and more.
Gus, Luz, and Willow, against Hagrid's advice, had used their free time to research Nicolas Flamel, but hundreds of books had already been and nothing had been found, though Luz had a feeling she heard the name before.
“The Restricted Session might contain something on Flamel” Luz said “But we need a special side note from one of the teachers, they won’t help us, since they are hiding something related to Flamel” Gus replied. Gus was going back home for the holiday, he hoped his father had some information in any of the many books he had.
The morning before Christmas was incredible; Luz and Willow had the whole dormitory for themselves and the good armchairs in the common room. Willow taught Luz how to play Wizard’s Chess, it was just like ‘normal’ chess but the pieces were alive so it felt more realistic.
Luz never received many presents from Christmas, usually, one from her uncle and two from Camila, one until Luz learned Santa wasn’t real. This time, a small set of packages were at the foot of her bed “Happy Christmas” Willow said half asleep.
Luz jumped to unpack the presents: One wooden flute, carved by hand, from Hagrid; Camila had sent Luz her uncle's present: a silver wristwatch, the one Luz usually saw him wear in photos of his young days; and hers: a blue otter-theme pajama; Gus had sent a box of chocolate. One present was left.
Once Luz unpacked it, a shining silvery cloth was carefully folded inside “No way…” Willow gasped “Is that… an Invisibility Cloak?” Luz still surprised, shoot the cloak around her shoulders. Her feet had gone, on the mirror only her floating head was visible “I’ve heard of them, but never saw one, who could have given it to you?” Willow asked.
A note inside the cloak read, in not so very polished handwriting:
“
Your father left this in my possession before he died
it is time it was returned to you.
Use it well, a very Merry Christmas to you.
”
No signature, no sender, no hints about who had between Luz and her father.
Camila wasn’t the type to of person who went low in the Christmas dinner, she usually made small feats even though most years were just her and Luz, but it was undeniable that the Christmas Dinner at Hogwarts was no short of a banquet worthy of royalty.
Eda was wearing a flower bonnet and Bump used, over the Imp-like creature in his head, a red pointed hat with a small golden ball with the Hogwarts shield dangling from the tip. They both laughed at a joke Professor Moncullus told them, even Lilith seemed to be less her grumpy self that day.
A day full of eating and playing in the snow with other students who stayed over, and one pathetic loss in Wizard’s Chess to Willow, was the best Christmas of Luz’s life. But one question lingered in her head as she and the other went to bed; who gave her back the cloak?
She hugged the cloak and watched King stare at the moon -- Use it well – She remembered. She got up quietly, King jumped into her shoulder and the two walked out of the dormitory “Who’s there?” Asked the Fat Lady but neither Luz nor King replied.
“Where do I go?” Luz asked, whispering to herself. Suddenly King jumped to the ground and ran past the corridor “King” Luz called desperate to not draw attention. Luz followed him until he came to a stop at the entrance of the library “Of course… good one King” He crawled underneath the cloak and they entered the room.
The library was pitch black and very eerie, so Luz lit a lamp to see her way along the rows of books. The lamp looked to be floating in front of her, though Luz felt her arm supporting it “Weird” she mumbled to herself.
Inside the restricted session, Luz carefully took one of the books from the shelves; she had to start somewhere even though she had no idea how to find anything there. A blood-curling shriek split the silence as soon as Luz opened it; the book was… screaming?
She heard footsteps approaching; she shut the book close, knocking the lamp to the ground in the process, put it back on the shelf, and ran for it. She passed Ken and another two ‘Kare-takers’ almost in the doorway, Ken seemed to know someone was there but couldn’t see them.
She ran more and only stopped when she realized, she didn’t know where she was – Five floors above the kitchen? Was she in the forbidden corridor? Was she close to her common room? – She didn’t know at all.
“Someone… Library… Forbidden Section” Luz heard a ‘Kare-taker’ saying “Master told… to tell you… if someone wandering around” Luz gulped, being invisible didn’t make her feel much safer. To her horror, Lilith replied “They can’t be far, we’ll catch them”. Luz saw a ‘Kare-taker’ and Lilith holding her Palisman, an albino raven, turning around the corridor
Luz feared that once they turned the corridor they stumble on her, it was a narrow corridor and she was still solid. A door adjacent to her was her only option; she managed to get inside undetected. That had been way too close for her liking.
Luz was in what looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket – but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn’t look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.
It was a magnificent mirror as high as the ceiling with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet – There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.
Luz walked closer to it, she wanted to look at herself and see no reflection again, she stepped in front of it. Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth so she wouldn’t scream when she saw, not only herself but a few more people standing right behind her.
Her heart was pounding faster than when the book screamed, the room was empty but there in the mirror. She rubbed her eyes as tears start falling from them, there in the other side of the mirror she stood with King over her head, and behind her was Camila, her uncle but more surprisingly… Her father was there behind her.
He smiled and had one of his hands on her shoulder; he was just like Luz had seen in pictures Camila showed her; his beard, his hair even his caramel eyes, just like Luz’s. He smiled but also cried. Camila rested her head on his shoulder as they rubbed gently Luz’s hair “Papa…” She cried.
She kneeled before the mirror, her hand touching its surface wanting to reach what she saw: her family, united, whole again. How much did she stay there? She didn’t know, but a distant noise brought her back to her senses “Volveré, te lo prometo” She hurried from the room back to her bedroom.
Luz told Willow the next morning and the two made plans to see it the next day “So you can show me all your family” Luz said eagerly “It’s not a big one, besides if you want to meet them, you can just come to visit in the summer” Willow replied.
Luz had almost forgotten about Flamel, it didn’t seem very important what the dog was guarding and Lilith wanted to steal “Are you alright? You look a little odd” What Luz feared the most was not being able to find the mirror room again.
Nearly an hour took both Willow and Luz underneath the cloak to find the mirror that night “See?” Luz said once in front of it “I don’t see anything” – “What? He’s here, you stay where I am’’ – But when Luz stepped away and Willow stood in front of it, her family had gone.
“Wow…” Willow let out and mesmerized gasp “Are you seeing your family?” Luz asked “No… I’m seeing me… older as a teacher at Hogwarts… with a family…” Willow turned excited, yet a few tears fell from her face “Do you think it shows the future?” Luz frowned “How could it? My father is dead. Let me have another look”
“You have all for you last night, give me a bit more time” – “You’re teacher congratulations; I want to see my family” – “Don’t push me”. A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion; they hadn’t realized how loudly they had been talking.
“Quick” Willow threw the cloak back over then as a ‘Kare-taker’ came around the door. Willow and Luz made quick but silent work, moving away every time it got close to them, the ‘Kare-taker couldn’t see them, but it could sniff trouble.
After circling the room two times, the ‘Kare-taker’ left “This isn’t safe, he might have gone to warn Lilith, let’s go” Willow pulled Luz out of the room. The next morning the snow hadn’t melted yet.
“Want to play chess, Luz?” – “No” – “Why don’t we go down and visit Hagrid?” – “No, you go” – “I know what you’re thinking about, that mirror, you can’t go there tonight” – “Why not?” – “I don’t know, just got a bad feeling about it and anyway, you’ve too many close calls already with Ken and Lilith, they can’t see you, but what if they stumble on you? Ken can recognize that we are from Gryffindor and from the first year, and if that happens, there aren’t many other options apart from us”
“You sound like Gus” Luz had one thing in her mind, she would go back to the mirror and Willow wasn’t going to stop her. On her third night, Luz found it quickly, she caused more noise than was wise, due to her speed, but she didn’t meet anyone along the way.
There was her father waving and smiling at her and her uncle nodded haply. Luz sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror; nothing was going to stop her from staying here all night except…
“Back again I see” Luz felt as if her insides had turned to ice, she looked behind her; sitting at one of the desks by the wall was Edalyn Clawthorne.
“I-I-I didn’t see you Professor” Luz muttered “You know, being invisible usually makes people careless ” Eda replied, and Luz was relieved to see that she was smiling “So kiddo” She sat on the floor with Luz “You found the Mirror of Erised, like many before you” – “I didn’t know its name until now”
“Can you guess what it does?” Eda asked “Showed me my family” Luz replied “And Willow as a teacher” Eda added “How do you know?” Eda smirked “I don’t need a cloak to become invisible” She said proudly “So, want to take another guess?” Luz shook her head.
“Let me explain; the happiest man, or woman, would see the Mirror of Erised as just like a common mirror, they would see themselves exactly as they are… So? Third time’s the charm?” Eda tuned to Luz.
“It shows us what we want… whatever it is?” Eda nodded “But not quite, it shows us the deepest most desperate desire of our hearts… You, who had a part of your family missing, see it whole, complete, and happy; Willow Park, who is lost in her way, sees a bright future… but maybe, there is more to it than she told you”
Luz looked at her father, the missing piece that she yearned to have back “But the mirror doesn’t give us truth or knowledge… Many have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen or have been driven mad nor knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. It will be moved to a new home tomorrow Luz, so I ask you to not go looking for it again. If you meet it again, you will be now prepared, it doesn’t do well to be living in dreams and forget to live” Luz nodded.
“Now, put that awesome cloak of yours back and get off to bed Luz” She stood up “Ma’am, Professor Eda, can I ask you something?”-- “You mean another thing? Of course” Eda joked “What do you see when you look at the mirror?” Eda turned her gaze to the mirror “I see myself and a good cup of Apple Blood” Luz stared “You're too young to know what that is” Eda smiled “Another Christmas has come and gone, and I haven’t received a single box, people insist on giving me books or candy, I’m not a child”
It was only when Luz was in bed that stuck that Eda might not have been quite truthful, but then she thought, as she snuggled King, that she asked a quite personal question.