15 Desires (1/2)
The next morning was as ordinary as the last. They got up in the morning, ate breakfast, and lazed around, just like usual.
”Want to play chess, Harry?” Asked Ron.
”No, go play with Arth.”
”No, I really don't want to play with him. Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?”
”No... you go...”
Arth, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, suddenly decided to speak up.
”Stop It Harry.”
”What?”
”Don't do it, I know what you're thinking. Don't go back to the mirror.”
”Why not?”
”...It's not good for you.”
”Ok, whatever.”
”I'm serious Harry, don't go.”
”...”
They sat there in awkward silence until Ron gave an attempt to break the ice.
”Soo... anyone wanna play chess?”
That night, Harry once again left at night to see the mirror. He entered the room, and saw his parents waving back at him. It was just Harry and his family, the family he could've had.
”I thought I told you to not come back Harry.”
Standing in a dark corner was Arth, emotionlessly staring at him. Harry only just realized how demented Arth looked. His eyes were bloodshot and had visible dark circles beneath his eyes. His skin was unnaturally pale while his hair was all disheveled.
”... I don't care.”
Arth just continued to stare at Harry, causing Harry to shift around in guilt.
”...There is a reason why I told you to stay away from this place. Staring into the mirror isn't healthy.”
”...what do you mean.”
Arth took a glance at the mirror.
”Do you know what the writing engraved into the frame reads?”
”...no.”
”Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi, or, I show not your face but your heart's desire. Do you understand the purpose of the mirror? The reason why I'm telling you to stay away from it?”
”... I don't know.”
”Let me give you a hint,” said Arth with a bland smile. ”When you see it, you see yourself surrounded by a family who provides you with love, when Ron stares into the mirror, he sees himself surpassing all of his brothers, being the best of them all.”
”The mirror... it shows us what we desire.”
”Yes,” said Arth, a shadow seemed to grow on his face, causing him to look as though he was going through extreme agony. ”It shows us the deepest desire in our hearts. The more we look into it, the more we earn, the more we fall. Harry, the mirror doesn't tell the future, nor grant us a wish. It only seeks to show. It is false. It is a fake reality of joy that will only cause you to sink further into madness, until you lose everything. That is why I am telling you to stay away from it.”
Harry stood up.
”Before I go... can I ask you something?”
”What is it?”
”What do you see in the mirror?”
Arth went silent.
”I see myself holding a book, a book that holds the answer to everything.”
Harry let out a forced laugh before putting on his invisibility cloak.
”That's so like you...”
He disappeared.
Arth blankly stared at the wall across him before speaking out loud.
”Professor, I know you are there. You can come out now.”
Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore.
”I must say, your eyes are quiet sharp. Or should I say intuition. I had some confidence in my cloaking ability but it seems I was a bit lax.”
”You weren't even attempting to hide your presence all that well. You can stop pretending.”
”... it seems I have really underestimated you, Arthur.”
Silence filled the room once more.
”Can I ask you a question, Professor.”
”Ask away my child.”
”What do you see when you look in the mirror.”
”I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks.”
Arthur stared.
”One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. ”Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”
”Stop lying, I can tell you are lying.”
”... a sharp intuition indeed. However, it seems fair as you did the same to young mister Potter.”
”You are correct. I did lie.”
”And why is that?”
”For the same reason as you.”
Dumbledore stared into the mirror with a sad look.
”It seems that we have a lot more in common than I had thought Arthur. A lot more.”
He got up from the desk.
”May I ask you what you see in the mirror of Erised?”
”What a fitting name...” Arth replied as he too got up. ”A mirror that shows you your desires, yet spelled backwards to show that it does not show what is up ahead and the spacing purposely rearranged to be incorrect to show it does not tell truths.
”An interesting interpretation mister Arthur, however, you did not answer my question.”
”I see a reality I yearn for, a place I want to return to. I see a dream that only pains me for I know that some things are meant to stay a certain way. Some things shouldn't be touched. What I see in the mirror, is something that I want, yet also something I want to erase. The thing that I desire, is also the thing that I fear the most.”
”...The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow.”
”I do not care, in fact, I'd rather wish it to disappear.”
”I shall get going, mister Arthur. And do be careful to not get caught.”
”It's ok, I won't get found unless I want to.”
Arth walked out of the room, calmly and steadily. He walked boldly in the hallway without a care for whether he would get caught or not, however, the shadows seemed to hide him as he walked by.