A Resolution Firmed

Evita closed her eyes and sighed softly.

Although she could no longer remember the details of the plot, she still remembered her life in her previous world. As a devoted reader, she had practically grown up with the story of Harry Potter, from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood... As though an owl might come knocking at her window at any moment.

Evita had chosen to believe in magic, treating it as a source of comfort in her dull life. When she actually encountered magic, the strength in her heart had surged forth as well.

On that Halloween night, she had witnessed Voldemort casually kill people with her own eyes. That green light had been so dazzling, capable of snuffing out vibrant lives with ease.

As a child raised in a society governed by law, there was no way she hadn't been afraid. But she had rushed in anyway, because she had a chance to save people. If she had hesitated, she might never have forgiven herself.

Most of the dead were buried in the dust, with only gradually fading memories retaining their colors.

Evita had only truly known Lily and the others for two years, but fate was just that wondrous and fascinating. In any case, she was now very close friends with Lily, James, Sirius and Lupin.

To take one of them as an example, could Evita accept Lily's death? No. Adele was her mother, while Tina, Queenie, Newt and the others were her elders. Lily alone was the first person close to her age whom she had come to know as a genuine good friend.

Aside from Lily, Evita's closest friend was Sirius. Though he could be unreliable at times and played pranks on her behind her back, he really was a good fellow.

For instance, when Lily forbade her from eating candy as a meal, he had played the bad influence and smuggled candy to her. He had even had the foresight to give her a special potion for toothaches.

It was just that the special potion smelled so awful that they were exposed very quickly. Lily, who was familiar with all kinds of potions, had recognized it at once.

Evita, the principal offender, and Sirius, her accomplice, stood together before Lily and got a scolding. James laughed uproariously at the side and took the opportunity to declare that he would always put Lily's words first.

Evita had snorted at the time and lain in wait for a whole month. Finally, she brought Lily along and caught James red-handed sneaking Harry onto a broom for a flight. In a mocking sing-song, she said, "I'll absolutely~ put Lily's words~ first~ I'd never do that. I'd only worry about Harry's safety."

James: "..."

Having learned from his painful experience, James lay in wait for half a month, then brought Lily along and caught Evita red-handed letting Harry play with a Basilisk.

Evita: "..."

James lay in wait for another half month, then brought Lily along and caught Sirius red-handed taking Harry for a motorcycle ride.

Sirius: "..."

He said, at a loss for words, "Why did I get hurt too?"

"Don't say that, Padfoot," James said cheerfully. "Catching you was just a little extra."

The Basilisk, wearing a large pair of Adele-made sunglasses that were waterproof, damp-proof, petrification-proof and murder-proof, gave the three foolish adults a noble and aloof (?) glance.

Evita patted its head and said a couple of comforting words in Parseltongue. Harry followed her example. He was very young, but quite bold. Perhaps ignorance was bliss?

James cried out, "Whoa! Parseltongue!"

He nearly slapped himself in the face, then scrambled away with Lily. "Quick, Lily, let's go back and check the family tree! Which one of our ancestors married a descendant of Slytherin?!"

The recollection ended. After recalling those thoroughly warm and cheerful memories, Evita quietly clenched her fist and urgently nudged Adele. "Lily... Um, I mean, will they... once again...?"

"No." Adele put her mind at ease.

That's a relief... Evita breathed a sigh of relief.

She was about to leave the room when a task triggered the next second, stopping her in her tracks.

[Chain task, part one: Go to Albania during the summer holiday of your third year]

[Method one: It is recommended that you learn to become an Animagus. This task will take place in a jungle]

[Method two: Bring one or two helpers with you]

Albania? Animagus? Why is there a task like this? What could it be related to? Evita couldn't help looking up, only to find more indistinct figures appearing in the Mirror of Erised.

They were simply too blurry. With her memories gone, she couldn't make out who the people in it were at all.

Would I recognize them if I looked for longer? Evita couldn't help wondering. When she came here for the third time within a week, she really did manage to recognize two people she knew.

"I thought you wouldn't come here again." A voice rang out. Evita looked behind her and met Dumbledore's bright blue eyes.

"It seems," he said, sitting down beside Evita, "you've discovered the pleasure of the Mirror of Erised."

"The Mirror of Erised..." Evita looked at the mirror, which reached almost to the ceiling. "I once thought I wouldn't be caught up in something as false as a bubble."

Dumbledore's tone was gentle. "It seems you've already learned how to restrain yourself. So, what has the Mirror of Erised shown you?"

"A lot of people, Professor. Very, very many people, but I can't see their faces clearly," Evita answered. "But I recognized one of them as you, I think, because his silhouette is just like yours. He was also standing with a few people I don't know. From their silhouettes, they looked like four elderly people and a girl."

Dumbledore looked a little surprised, then quickly smiled. "Could you describe what they look like for me?"

"...Sorry, the figures I saw were too blurry."

Dumbledore's gaze shifted for an instant, and he asked softly, "Then what else did you see, Evita?"

He watched the girl sitting cross-legged on the floor, her face propped in her hands and her head tilted, as she said with a troubled look, "Hmm... People I know, people I don't know..."

"And Professor Snape." Evita puffed out one cheek and made a funny face. "I didn't expect to be able to recognize him," she said frankly, "but he won't give me points, so I don't like him very much."

"This mirror shows us nothing more than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts," Dumbledore said slowly. "You saw many people. Perhaps you long to protect the peaceful world we have now. However, this mirror can give us neither knowledge nor truth."

"...I understand, Professor." Evita slowly closed her eyes. "But I should know who everyone I saw was. I just lost the chance to say it."

Dumbledore remained gentle and kind, looking thoughtful. "Go back and get a good night's sleep. Good night."