Caesar began to act like a patient gardener, quietly sowing the seeds of "clues" in the soil of the trio's daily lives.
At last, just as in the original story, on a cold night sometime after the Christmas holidays had ended, Harry Potter once again went wandering under his Invisibility Cloak.
In a secluded corridor he had never noticed before, he found a door faintly glowing with strange, shifting light.
He didn't hesitate for long before pushing it open and stepping inside.
The next day, he eagerly told Caesar, Ron, and Hermione about his astonishing discovery:
A huge, imposing mirror, with strange writing along the top of its frame—and in it, he had seen his deceased parents, alive and warm.
Ron's curiosity was instantly piqued. Still reeling from the shock, Hermione immediately began analyzing the mirror's origins and dangers from the perspectives of Magical Theory and castle history.
When they had finished discussing it, Caesar suggested, "Let's go see it together tonight! Maybe we can figure out what this mirror is."
Hermione hesitated. She was reluctant to get involved in something that so clearly broke the rules and might be dangerous. Following the rules was very important.
But Ron thought it made sense. "Exactly! Hermione always knows all sorts of strange things. Maybe she can tell us if this mirror sucks out people's souls or something!"
The vote was three to one.
In the end, Hermione was persuaded.
Night fell, and the castle sank into sleep.
The four of them met in the shadows of the armor-lined corridor where they had agreed to rendezvous.
They avoided Mrs. Norris's patrol route, dodged Peeves, whom they nearly ran into, and finally reached the door without mishap.
The door stood ajar, and shifting light spilled from within, like a melting rainbow.
Harry took