"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed, standing in front of the mirror. She turned to Harry and Ron with excitement. "Come and look at this!"
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance and hurried over to her side.
"Look at me in the mirror," Hermione said, wide-eyed. "I'm holding certificates for all my O.W.L.s!"
"O.W.L.s? What are those?" Ron asked, confused, turning to Harry.
"They're the exams we need to take in our fifth year," Harry explained. "They're really important."
"But she's only in her first year!" Ron said, baffled.
Harry shrugged helplessly. "Well, she is Hermione."
He then followed her gaze to the mirror. What he saw made him freeze.
In the reflection, he wore the red and gold robes of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. A man and a woman stood beside him, each with an arm around his shoulders.
The man had messy hair and glasses—just like Harry. The woman had soft brown hair, not as curly as Hermione's, but her eyes were a familiar shade of green.
Harry's heart skipped a beat. He knew who they were.
"Dad? Mom?" he whispered.
But the vision in the mirror didn't stop there. Another figure appeared—Vison, his professor. Vison stood at a distance, watching Harry with a proud, relieved expression.
Then came his friends—Ron, Hermione—smiling warmly behind him.
Everything looked so perfect. So beautiful.
"!"
A startled cry pulled Harry out of his thoughts.
It was Ron. He was grinning at the mirror. "I see myself as Head Boy! And the captain of the Quidditch team!"
"I know what this is!" Hermione said suddenly. "It's this mirror—there's something special about it."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Look at the writing at the top." Hermione pointed above the frame.
Ron squinted. "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Merlin, what kind of name is that? It's so long."
"Read it backward."
"Oh!" Ron's eyes widened as he deciphered it: "I show not your face but your heart's desire?"
"A mirror that shows your deepest wish," Hermione declared. "That explains it. I want to ace my O.W.L.s. You want recognition and leadership."
"In fact," Ron mused, "those aren't even conflicting goals."
He'd thought this mirror could predict the future. That would have been more exciting.
Harry silently agreed with Hermione's explanation. Even if the image was an illusion, it still brought him a sense of comfort. He turned back toward the mirror, soaking in the presence of his parents once more.
Just then, a familiar voice spoke from behind them.
"Ah, Miss Granger. A very reasonable deduction."
They all spun around. Standing calmly in the doorway was Professor Dumbledore.
"Headmaster?" Hermione quickly slipped her wand behind her back.
"Good afternoon, all of you," Dumbledore said, stepping into the room. "Have you seen a suit of armor that's been knocked over?"
"Sorry, Professor... that was an accident," Ron admitted sheepishly.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I see. Well, in light of your honesty, Mr. Weasley, I won't deduct any points."
All three of them exhaled in relief, especially Hermione.
"Now then," Dumbledore continued, "have you uncovered the secret of the Mirror of Erised?"
Harry nodded and gave the mirror another quick glance. "It shows what we desire most in our hearts, right?"
"Exactly, Harry," Dumbledore smiled. "If this were a classroom discussion, I'd award you points."
"Too bad," Hermione murmured under her breath.
"If you like, you may observe the mirror a while longer," Dumbledore said kindly. "It will remain here until Christmas. It's quite fascinating, don't you think? Now, I must tend to that poor suit of armor. Goodbye, all of you."
As he reached the door, he paused and added, "Oh—and remember to close the door behind you when you leave."
They watched until his figure disappeared down the corridor.
After a moment, Harry spoke.
"Let's go, Ron, Hermione. I think we can finish our Defense Against the Dark Arts homework before it gets dark."
"You're not going to keep looking?" Ron asked.
"We can always come back. Headmaster Dumbledore said the mirror would be here."
—
Vison had just returned to his office after a string of back-to-back classes. He sank into his chair with a sigh.
Being a professor was far more exhausting than he'd imagined.
But based on the students' reactions, they'd enjoyed his Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. That was a relief.
Still, something kept nagging at him.
What is Quirrell up to? He was almost certain it wasn't anything good.
Just as he was lost in thought, a plate materialized on his desk—holding a small slice of pie and a steaming cup of black tea.
He suddenly remembered: he had asked Tata at noon to bring his lunch to the office. It seemed Tata had done it without fail.
Vison rubbed his temples and picked up the fork. His gaze wandered to the window.
It was already dark.
Right—the plantation. He hadn't visited it today.
I wonder how Lupin is managing the batch of Black Root Grass…
Vison quickly finished his pie, grabbed the thick robe hanging by the coat rack, and walked into the portal embedded in the wall.
Outside, the sky was growing dim. At the plantation, the air was quiet and cool.
As he passed the Tree of Wisdom, something caught his attention.
The tree looked… different.
"Luminescence," he whispered, and light burst from his wand, illuminating the area.
Ding!
A crisp sound came from the Tree of Wisdom. A single leaf detached and drifted down through the air. Vison instinctively caught it.
In the wandlight, the leaf was transparent—almost crystalline. Something appeared to flow within its veins.
"Eldra."
[Name: Leaf]
[Description: Contains pure soul energy.]
Soul energy?
Vison furrowed his brow. Could this be the result of the Tree of Wisdom absorbing fragments of Voldemort's soul?
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