What Is Seen in the Mirror

This was an unused classroom, with many desks and chairs piled messily against the walls, casting large, dark shadows, and a wastebasket overturned on the floor.

The entire room presented a scene of long-term abandonment, clearly having been out of use for quite some time.

Opposite the room stood a very imposing mirror, its height reaching all the way to the ceiling.

Beneath the mirror's ornate gold frame, two clawed feet supported its weight.

At the very top of the mirror, a line of small text was engraved:

"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."

Harley had to read the words several times to finish them.

After all, the Witch Sect were masters at playing with magic mirrors. Harley knew well that many magic mirrors functioned by having the victim read specific text, thereby triggering special effects.

After reading the line, Harley frowned.

She did not sense any danger from the mirror, so she decided to study it.

Harley stood before the mirror, ready at any moment to swap positions with her wand, which was outside the mirror's reflection range.

Then, Harley looked into the mirror. She froze.

Harley saw herself in the mirror, stepping on a statue—a statue of an evil god.

That statue was the Primordial Witch.

"What does this mean?" Harley quickly interpreted the information conveyed by the mirror.

"Does the mirror reflect the future?

Am I stepping on the Primordial Witch, meaning I have usurped Her authority and mastered the power of the Disaster Domain?

Have I... have I become a god in the future?"

In her shock, Harley's spirituality fluctuated violently, and she automatically dropped her invisibility.

However, Harley paid no mind, instead furrowing her brows as she pondered the message the mirror intended to convey.

"No," Harley thought to herself.

"The Primordial Witch isn't even in this world; how could I possibly have the chance to slay Her?

And if this mirror truly predicts the future, how would it know of the Primordial Witch's existence?

But this is indeed what I desire. I also want to become a god, destroy the Witch Sect that has been hunting me, and slay the evil god they serve.

Wait, this is what I desire!"

Harley couldn't help but speak the last sentence aloud:

"That's right, this mirror reflects what I desire! It is the desire of my heart!"

As she said this, Harley quickly mobilized her spirituality to seal her consciousness, preventing it from being probed by external forces.

Sure enough, after Harley sealed her consciousness, the image in the mirror vanished.

A round of applause suddenly echoed through the room.

"That really exceeded my expectations, Harley," an elderly voice sounded.

The spirituality within Harley's body instantly surged, ready to swap places with her wand at any moment, but she did not act immediately, choosing instead to look toward the mirror.

After Harley had sealed her consciousness, the mirror had truly become an ordinary one.

Thus, Harley clearly saw from the smooth surface that an old man was gradually manifesting.

That old man was the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore." Harley immediately turned around and curtsied slightly.

"Good evening, Harley," Professor Dumbledore said softly. "Though this is hardly a suitable time for greetings.

If I recall correctly, you should be in your warm bed in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory right now, rather than catching a cold in an abandoned classroom with an old man like me."

"I am very sorry, Professor Dumbledore." Harley's brain raced, guessing that perhaps when she infiltrated the library, an unknown defense system had alerted Headmaster Dumbledore directly.

If that were the case, the headmaster had likely discovered her taking books from the Restricted Section and had been monitoring her every move since.

But none of this was certain.

Therefore, Harley simply apologized, while keeping silent about what she was apologizing for.

What if the headmaster didn't have all the evidence of her rule-breaking? Admitting to too much would be a loss, wouldn't it?

"There is nothing to be sorry for. Can a Gryffindor student even be called a Gryffindor if they don't wander at night?" Dumbledore smiled as he walked to the mirror.

"I was a Gryffindor myself, and I wandered at night many times. Fortunately, however, I was never caught by my head of house.

After all, I had a bit of talent and managed to learn the Disillusionment Charm to make myself invisible."

Harley didn't respond, merely standing to the side with her gaze lowered, looking at the floor.

Dumbledore didn't say much else either, instead shifting the topic:

"Harley, I am curious, how did you determine that this mirror reflects the desires of your heart?"

"What exactly did you see? I wonder if you could share it with an old man like me?"

Harley certainly couldn't say that she had seen herself stepping on the Primordial Witch while holding the Kingdom of God aloft.

She hesitated slightly and said in a very small voice, "I... I saw my deceased parents."

Professor Dumbledore fell silent, and the hand he had been stroking the surface of the mirror with came to a stop.

After a few seconds of silence, Professor Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, seeing one's departed parents.

How truly sorrowful that is. So, you deduced that this mirror reflects the deepest desires of your heart?"

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore," Harley replied softly, her voice carrying an unconcealable sadness.

"A very rational deduction," Professor Dumbledore nodded.

"This mirror is called the Mirror of Erised. I trust you have seen the inscription on it.

If you read it backward, you will discover that it says, 'I show not your face but your heart's desire.'

As this sentence states, you can see the most urgent and intense desires from the depths of our hearts in this mirror..."

Dumbledore described the information regarding the mirror in a soft voice, finally adding:

"I am very pleased, Harley. You possess a strong will; you managed to break free from its temptation the very first time you encountered this mirror."

Harley nodded silently, then suddenly looked up and asked with a curious tone, "Professor Dumbledore, may I ask what you see when you look into the mirror?"

"Me?" Professor Dumbledore chuckled softly. "I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."

Woolen socks? Harley wore a look of skepticism. However, Professor Dumbledore did not offer an explanation and instead stood up.

"Harley, I think it is time for you to return to your dormitory. I also need to rest; after all, I have to move this mirror to another location tomorrow."

"Very well, Professor," Harley replied obediently and quickly left the classroom.

Professor Dumbledore, however, did not leave immediately. Instead, he looked around the room solemnly and tapped his wand a few times.

Only after ensuring that the classroom was completely enveloped in magic and that no one else could break into the room and potentially damage the mirror did Dumbledore finally leave.

(Thanks to Wushi_Woxinruhuo for the tip!)

Building up some anticipation in advance: Amon will soon be making a formal move.