"Headmaster Dumbledore? I didn't see you just now." Zhang Xiao narrowed his eyes, his question pointed.
"Perhaps your attention was entirely on this mirror and Harry, and you overlooked an old man like me?" Dumbledore smiled faintly, allowing Harry to breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed the headmaster wasn't going to blame him.
No, actually, I didn't. The moment I entered the classroom, I checked every place someone could hide out of habit.
Zhang Xiao silently grumbled to himself. Clearly, the headmaster didn't want anyone to know he'd been hiding here all along. He might have spent the entire morning here, only emerging when the smell of beef pies made his hunger unbearable.
What sort of person, as practically the greatest wizard alive, secretly watches young wizards looking into the Mirror of Erised? Is this the corruption of human nature, or the collapse of morality?
"So," Dumbledore said, sliding off the desk and leading Zhang Xiao and Harry to sit on the floor.
"Like thousands before you, you have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."
"I didn't know that was its name, sir."
Harry still stared at the mirror, reluctant to look away.
"But I expect you've realized what it does by now?"
"It-well-it shows me my family-"
"And it showed your friend Ron winning the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup."
"How did you know-"
"I don't need an Invisibility Cloak to become invisible," Dumbledore said gently.
Zhang Xiao's inner commentary went into overdrive. You've given yourself away! Haven't you? You were obviously hiding nearby, spying on us.
And you said we'd overlooked you!
Suddenly, Dumbledore turned the conversation toward Zhang Xiao.
"I'm rather curious about what you saw in the mirror, Zhang."
Zhang Xiao looked into his bright blue eyes. This time, the pendant against