The once full hall was now mostly empty, every single soul in the castle could fit into one of the five tables that were normally placed.
Dozens of holiday related items rested amongst the length of the table. From steaming turkey to colourful candy canes.
Normally laughter would fill the room, joyous and exciting, but silence replaced the atmosphere. Dead silence in which only the clatter of cutlery and small giggles of the Weasley siblings could be heard. Even the Professors seemed awkward in the environment. Although Filch seemed to be thriving.
"Professor Potter, may I have the pudding?" Potter nodded profusely, carefully passing the dish of chocolate pudding.
"Of course Professor McGonnagall" She nodded in thanks as she received it, but as soon as she tried scooping some out it exploded into her face, covering her in the chocolately dessert.
The entire hall erupted into laughter, even the Professors joining in. Professor McGonnagall only sat still, letting it drip down her face in shame.
"Mister Potter, one of yours I suppose?" Albus didn't bother with asking which Potter she meant to address, after all anything prank related always went to James.
James had been the first to burst out laughing, nearly toppling off from the bench from how hard and sudden it was. He even got tears in his eyes as he tried to compose himself.
"I had nothing to do with it, but I'll most gladly take credit" Professor McGonnagall huffed, sending a puff of chocolate out into the air to stain the white tablecloth.
She waved her wand in an elegant arc and every remnant of exploding pudding disappeared. Showing her less than impressed scowl.
James smirked back at the Headmistress, waving a candy cane in the air as he spoke in a regal like manner.
"Oh Minnie. Lighten up. It's nearly Christmas after all!" Professor McGonnagall sighed, going to serve herself some non-exploding pudding.
"You are lucky mister Potter that I'm feeling awfully cheerful due to the holidays, and I will in fact let this one slide" James took a bite out of his candy cane, smiling towards the older woman.
"What would I do without you, Minnie?" Professor McGonnagall glared at James, yet he seemed unfazed.
"But you will address me with respect mister Potter" James' smile only grew wider.
"Why of course, my apologies Professor Minnie" That was enough to send all the students into a fit of giggles once again. The teachers barely able to keep their laughter in as Professor McGonnagall gave a disappointed sigh.
"I should've quit the second I saw the name Potter again" Professor Potter looked offended towards the old woman, leaving the students to laugh even harder.
————————————————————————
Dinner had left everyone more than satisfied, most falling into a deep slumber the second their heads touched their respective pillows.
But James Potter was still full of energy.
Since Filch and Mrs. Norris had eaten a big meal as well, he suspected they had slept earlier than usual. Leaving him to his own accords to explore every inch of the castle as reference for future pranks.
What he found was that the castle was painfully symmetrical, each door the exact same height, same patterns, even the same material. It would've been very easy to get lost in the twist and turns if you were not used to them.
When he reached the top floor he finally found a fault in the pattern, a shorter door, simple oak wood and steel binding it to the wall. It didn't look magical in the slightest, which meant whatever it harboured was more magical than anything else in the castle. They made the door boring in attempt to have a student skip over it.
To James' luck the door had been left unlocked, with him being able to push it open with barely any sound.
The room was nearly empty, no windows, no lanterns or ghosts, only a tall structure covered by a white sheet that reflected against the singular flaming torch that was left perched against the wall.
James' steps echoed as he approached the structure, his hand curling around the fabric. It was soft, yet small holes littered it, indicating it wasn't brand new. So he yanked it off.
The sheet fell onto a pile next to his feet, revealing a tall mirror with a golden plate and an inscription up top.
"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Should've brought Ty to translate" He finally allowed himself to focus fully on the mirror, his face staring right back at him.
He could see his bright green eyes staring back at him, his messy black hair, even his bright red pijama pants with little lions in them. Curtesy of his grandmother once he learnt he was a Gryffindor.
It was all but a normal mirror, until he saw a shadow creep behind him.
James jumped back, turning around manically in search for the source of the shadow, yet there was none, he had been all alone in the room.
He turned back around facing the mirror once more. The shadow reappeared, though it seemed to be only in the mirror, so James leaned closer.
The shadow slowly took form into those of arms wrapping around his waist, the mirror version of him looked over his shoulder with a pleased smile, a now much older version of himself embedded in the mirror. He really did look like his father except for the glasses.
The shadow's head crept over his shoulder, a face slowly forming. The face of Zoe Wood.
They looked at each other lovingly, until mirror James flipped a giggling mirror Zoe around so their lips could meet in a passionate kiss. Her hands in his hair, his on her waist. It looked and felt all too real.
"I always wondered when you would find this" James nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the voice, his heart beating faster than ever before.
"What is this?" Harry Potter sighed happily, his fingers tracing the golden patterns along the edges of the mirror.
"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. I show not your face but your heart's desire" James huffed, sniffling every few seconds in attempt to get rid of the redness of his cheeks that had originated from the sight of the mirror.
"And that means?" Professor Potter shook his head.
"This James, is the Mirror of Erised. It shows you your deepest desire, and guessing by how flushed you are I'd say yours is Zoe related" James didn't reply, further confirming the suspicions of his father.
"You know what I see? I see your Mum, Lily, Albus, you, me, and all of your grandparents. Together" James sighed, staring sadly onto the mirror.
"So it basically shows you impossible things" Professor Potter sighed, gripping his son's shoulders tightly.
"Not necessarily, you're in charge of how and if they become true. Now let's get you to bed shall we? Might have more time to dream about Zoe" James pushed his father off, both quietly laughing back to the Gryffindor common room.
————————————————————————
A more real shadow crept inside the room after their departure, it standing straight in view of the mirror.
The mirror showed the Potters, plus one red headed boy with green eyes, only slightly older than James. The boy looked uncomfortable as he hugged them all, each person falling as the hug ended.
Once they were all down the boy faced the shadow, blood coating the boys hands as he painted on the mirror the words: 'They never understood'
————————————————————————
a/n: creepy time. creepy time >:D It took me a while to come up with that last part, but I love the chills it gives me- I'm so proud of myself.
Starting to suspect my crush thinks of me as more than a friend, but if I've learnt anything from all these fanfics I've read it's that crushes are never that easy...
Anyways, write your theories write your theories!! How will it end?? Who will die?? Is the shadow Imogen?? Will little Neo get a romantic partner?? Only votes, comments and time will tell....
YOU ARE READING
Black Roses {James Potter x OC}
Fanfiction-"No wonder you don't have a girlfriend with your trollish manners" "I'd call it more of a tedious rom-com Lily has forced me to live"- Zoe Wood and James Potter had an odd relationship. They had known each other since the moment they came out of t...
