Mirror of Erised

With the Quidditch matches providing entertainment, time seemed to have been whipped into a frenzy, racing by in a blur.

Before anyone knew it, December had arrived. It was likely on some random morning that people woke up in their beds to the pleasant surprise of finding the outside world transformed into a pristine white landscape by a night of heavy snowfall.

The Black Lake was also covered in a thick layer of ice. Some energetic young wizards would run out onto the frozen surface to play, only to be scared half to death when the giant squid of the Black Lake suddenly broke through the ice, wanting to join in. The clattering ice chunks would leave them with bumps all over their heads, and the group would shriek and scatter in every direction.

"I'm kind of craving grilled squid."

Ezio looked at the chaotic scene outside the window, suddenly feeling a bit hungry.

Just as he was preparing to leave the library to take a stroll through the kitchens and order some food, Harry suddenly came running over, panting for breath. His pockets were bulging, revealing a sliver of silver fabric.

"Why didn't you go back to the dormitory yesterday?"

Ezio looked at Harry's slightly swollen, dark-rimmed eyes and asked. Ever since he had taken Harry to see Fluffy, the boy seemed to have awakened some innate instinct. He would occasionally head out after curfew and sneak back around midnight; night-wandering had become a part of Harry's daily routine.

However, this didn't affect his classes the next day, and since Ezio wasn't his father, he couldn't be bothered to manage him.

"Yeah, I didn't go back."

Harry nodded, and after catching his breath, he beckoned to Ezio.

"You definitely need to see this!"

"No shouting in the library!"

Even though it was only 6:50 in the morning, Madam Pince had already arrived for work. She was a person who loved reading dearly, and her goal in working at Hogwarts was to finish every book in the collection. Consequently, she detested any behavior that broke the rules and disturbed her reading.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Harry immediately turned to apologize, then sheepishly pulled Ezio to quickly leave the library area.

"What's wrong? Why the rush?"

Ezio, having already guessed a few things, spoke unhurriedly. They walked toward the kitchens; there was barely a soul to be seen in Hogwarts right now. Even Filch the caretaker was nowhere to be found—he had been patrolling half the night and was surely asleep by now.

"I went out night-wandering last night... er... I've been going out to practice magic lately. Actually, it's dueling. After our Dueling Club started, Gryffindor set one up too. Because we were all stubborn, we started doing live practice at night. The Weasley twins found a secret room behind a grandfather clock on the second floor, and we held our matches there."

"But that's not important." Harry waved a hand.

"When I was coming back last night, I was discovered by Filch's cat. The Invisibility Cloak can't hide a scent, and I was covered in sweat. That damn little creature chased me for ages, so I took a wrong turn to hide here, and ended up discovering this thing."

"It's right over here!"

Harry's pace quickened a little more, leading Ezio into an abandoned classroom, a common sight at Hogwarts.

No one ever knew what a Hogwarts room would look like once the door was pushed open. It could be a pile of junk, a solid wall, or perhaps a secret bathroom where a mermaid from the Black Lake might throw a trident at you while taking a bath.

But this room was somewhat different. This didn't refer to the tables and chairs piled to the side, but rather a very grand mirror. It reached all the way to the ceiling, featuring an ornate golden frame and two clawed feet at the base. At the very top of the mirror, there was a line of small, clearly legible words: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

"I'm not sure what this thing is called, but I think you might need it, Ezio."

Harry hesitated for a moment, paused, and then said, "I saw a lot of people in this mirror last night. There were over a dozen of them. They must have been my family and elders. My mom and dad were in there."

As they stood in front of the mirror, Harry took a deep breath. "I don't know if it will show your family, but I want you to try."

Harry knew that Ezio felt the pain of his father's departure. Both of them were children who had lost their parents. Although they knew that what was lost could never return, even just being able to see them now was something that could comfort the heart.

"The Mirror of Erised."

Ezio spoke in a very soft voice. His footsteps remained steady as he slowly approached the side of the mirror, his hand touching the frame.

"You know what this is?" Harry was a bit surprised, but then felt it was only natural. Ezio knew far more than anyone else. Whether in his studies or other matters, he always inadvertently exuded a sense of 'erudition.'

"Yes, the Mirror of Erised, a magical mirror that shows the deepest desires of one's heart. Countless people have become lost in the illusions reflected in the mirror. Even knowing it is a dream beyond reach, they still find it hard to look away."

"I do indeed need it, Harry."

Ezio spoke earnestly, though not simply because he wanted to see Giovanni's figure again. He had more thoughts and desires regarding the Mirror of Erised.

Magic is idealistic. It needs to be reiterated: magic is idealistic. This miraculous power, so wondrous that even the wizards who use it find it hard to explain, is terrifying.

It seems to record everything in the world; nothing can escape its grasp.

If Harry had only seen his parents, there wouldn't be anything special about it; he had seen photos of his parents, so he knew what they looked like.

But Harry had absolutely never seen his other elders—for instance, his grandfather, his grandmother, his maternal grandparents.

Harry had seen many people, all of whom were family members he had never met.

Beyond the idea that magic recorded all of this, Ezio could find no other possibility.

This meant that the Mirror of Erised could project images that were outside of his own cognition, yet were indeed real.

And what he most urgently and desperately wanted to see in his heart right now...

He missed the happiness of the past, but he cared more about how to fulfill the obsession in his heart—the obsession to kill his enemy with his own hands and avenge Giovanni.

"Let me see it."

Ezio gripped the frame, his knuckles turning white.

"Let me see! Giovanni, where exactly did you die!"

"Who killed you! Who is involved in all of this!"

Ezio stood directly in front of the mirror, let out a long breath, and then raised his head to look into the glass.

It was a void of darkness—

He stood all alone in the darkness, and then a figure emerged from the shadows. He had brilliant golden hair, quite unlike that of Ezio, with a slight natural curl. On his naturally stern face hung a look of apology, as if to say, "I accidentally burnt the steak again."

"I am sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, Ezio."

The person in the mirror could not speak, yet he seemed to silently utter this apology.

Ezio tilted his head slightly to look at his own shoulder, where a hand—calloused yet slender—should have been resting, but he could see nothing; it was empty and vacant.

He looked at the mirror and remained silent for a moment.

"I forgive you." Ezio looked at the mirror and whispered to him, "After all, there won't be a next time, will there?"

"But I still have to see where you are, right? At the very least, let me dig a hole and bury you with my own hands so that this whole affair can finally be considered over!"

"You really are a bastard, Giovanni, so I am going to see with my own eyes exactly how you managed to throw your life away, you bastard!"

Almost through gritted teeth, Ezio spat out the syllables: "Where the hell did you go?!"

Giovanni's shadow vanished, and the darkness filled the entire frame once more.

Ezio was slightly stunned; had the Mirror of Erised broken?

"The mirror cannot project images obscured by magic."

A soft voice came from behind them. Without turning around, Ezio knew it was that voyeur, Dumbledore.

"While I appreciate your explanation, I am currently in the mood to take my anger out on something."

Ezio spoke coldly, and the already low temperature in the room plummeted further.

"Anger will not solve the problem, Ezio."

Dumbledore walked to Harry's side and shook his head gently. "At the very least, we can now confirm that your father died in a place related to magic. This place could be some ruin, or perhaps an area sealed off by magic. If his death were unrelated to magic, you would indeed be able to see the image you desire in your heart right now."

"But how could a Muggle like him get involved with magic?" Ezio, his emotions somewhat unstable, gritted his teeth as he spoke. "He was an Assassin, sure, but there's no way he would have taken a contract from a wizard, right!"

"It couldn't be that he stumbled upon some scrap of magic, mistook it for some unsolved mystery, and went mad trying to find it."

"How could there possibly be such a... such a damn way to die?"

"The Mirror of Erised can see wizards, right?" Ezio suddenly asked.

Dumbledore did not speak; he suddenly had a premonition that something terrible was about to happen.

"It should be able to; Harry saw his parents and family." Before Dumbledore could answer, Ezio muttered to himself.

"Then, Mirror, tell me—let me see which wizards Giovanni had contact with."

Harry felt a sharp pain in his shoulder; Dumbledore's hand was unexpectedly powerful, gripping him so hard it hurt.

But after a moment, Ezio remained standing motionless in front of the mirror. He did not seem to see the image he wanted, which made Dumbledore breathe a slight sigh of relief. However, before his heart could settle, Ezio spoke once more.

"Then, who is the wizard connected to the location of Giovanni's death?!"

"Which wizards have been to that place?"

In just a flash of sharpness, Dumbledore sensed the ominous moment; within the Mirror of Erised, Ezio seemed to have seen the image he was looking for.

"Among these people... who is still alive?"

"Thank you for the Christmas gift, Professor Dumbledore. I like it very much."

Ezio turned around and bowed slightly to Dumbledore. Although the Mirror of Erised had been intended for Harry, as a beneficiary, Ezio thanked him all the same.