Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone (rewrite)

Chapter 15

At the crack of dawn, the next morning Harry dragged a disgruntled Draco out of bed to tell him of last night's escapades in the library. At first Draco was a little pissed due to the fact Harry hadn't invited him, but all was forgotten when Harry had said what he had seen in the mirror. "Harry are you sure you saw what you think you saw" Draco said. "It's just your parents are... well you know" Draco said awakedly. "Dead yes I know". "But Draco I know what I saw... you can come tonight if you want" Harry suggested. Draco was quick to take Harry up on that offer, eagerly agreeing.

Throughout the day Harry was preoccupied with thoughts of seeing his parents that night.

Even when the two had begun their holiday assignments Draco had to repeatedly tell Harry to focus as he kept drifting off. What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Draco covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour. "I'm freezing," Draco whined. "Let's forget it and go back." "No!" Harry hissed. "I know it's here somewhere." They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. just as Draco started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armor. "It's here — just here — yes!" They pushed the door open.

Harry dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror. There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him. "See?" Harry whispered. "I can't see anything." "Look! Look at them all...there are loads of them...." "I can only see you."Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am." Harry stepped aside, but with Draco in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Draco in his silk pajams. Draco, though, was staring transfixed at his image. "Look at me!" he said "Can you see all your family standing around you?" "No — I'm alone — but I'm different — I look older — and I'm head boy!" "What?" "I am — I'm wearing the badge — and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup — I'm Quidditch captain, too... Father and Mother are there now... and Scorbius to....they all look so pleased with me." Draco tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Harry. "Do you think this mirror shows the future?" "How can it? All my family are dead — let me have another look —" "You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time." "You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents." "Don't push me —" A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking. "Quick! " Draco threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Draco and Harry stood quite still, both thinking the same thing — did the cloak work on cats? After what seemed an age, she turned and left. "This isn't safe — she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on." And Draco pulled Harry out of the room.

The snow still hadn't melted the next morning. "Want to play chess, Harry?" Draco asked. "No." "What about a walk around the grounds?" "No...i don't feel up to it..." "I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. Don't go back tonight." "Why not?" "I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it — and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Professor Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So, what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?" "You sound like Teddy and Daphina, always thinking on the rules." "I'm serious, Harry, don't go... Slytherins are cunning snd resourceful, we know when enough is enough." But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Draco wasn't going to stop him. That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone. And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all. Except — "So — back again, Harry?" Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him. How could he be so foolish, Professor Snape wound murder him for this very un-Slytherin act. "I — I didn't see you, sir." "Strange how near-sighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling. "So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised." "I didn't know it was called that, Sir." "But I expect you've realized by now what it does?" "It — well — it shows me my family —" "And it showed your friend Draco himself as head boy." "How did you know —?" "I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?" Harry shook his head. "Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?" Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want... whatever we want..." "Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Draco Malfoy, who only wants to do his family proud, sees himself, being praised by his his family. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. "The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?" Harry stood up. "Sir — Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?" "Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however." "What do you see when you look in the mirror?""I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks." Harry stared. "One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books." It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he sliped under the covers off his bed, it had been quite a personal question.

Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the invisibility cloak stayed folded in the tiny shoe box under his bed. Harry wished he could forget what he'd seen in the mirror as easily, but he couldn't. He started having nightmares. Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter. The nightmares got worser and worser that Draco had to shake Harry awake one night as he had been screaming bloody murder. Once the other first year Slytherins had returned all hell broke loose one night after another bad dream. Scoribus Malfoy had come charging into the dormitory, wand out ready to hex whoever or whatever was attacking the first years. "Dear Merlin Harry are you ok" Scorbius asked, finally putting away his wand.

Harry couldn't speak, he was drenched in sweat and shaking with fear."Out!" Scorbius shouted."Everybody out".The crowd that had appeared at the dormitory door emeditly dispersed and the other first year boys shuffled out of the room.Scoribus pulled Harry into a tight hug before settling him back into bed.

The next morning Harry was woken bright and early when Pansy came bursting into the room."Oh Harry I was so worried" she cried, wrapping Harry in a bone crushing hug. "Parkinson this is the boys dormitory" Teddy called, Pansy simply gave him the finger before climbing into bed beside Harry. Soon Daphnia appeared, she to climbed into the bed. Both Teddy and Draco slipped onto the bed, closing the curtains around them. For what felt like hours they sat in silence before Teddy broke spoke, "Harry mate...what the hell was that last night". Harry sighed, "it was... it was a dream.... a dream I've had before" Harry began. "The night my parents died... a flash of green light followed by the most sinister laughs". Daphnia toke his hand in hers, "it's over now Harry, your safe".Harry nodded his thanks. "Yeah mate, you shoulda seen how quick Scorbius and the other prefects came busting in here" Draco said, "Practically kicked the door in and everything" Draco laughed. Harry smiled to himself, maybe I do have a family after all he thought to himself. Moments later the curtains around the bed were ripped open. "isn't this cosy" Professor Snape said in a drawling voice, he looked to each student in turn before finally focusing on Harry. "Mr Potter a word if you will" he asked, "in private" he added sternly. The others took the hint and hurriedly left the room. Harry reached for his glasses before straightening himself up in the bed."What can I do for you Professor" Harry asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "i have been informed of your night terror" Professor Snape said, "i think it best that I place a silencing charm around your bed". Snape pulled out his wand and wordlessly cast a silencing charm around Harry's bed."I am sorry sir" Harry began, feeling embarrassed at the fuss he had caused. Snape turned to him emmedily, "Potter do not apologise for something you cannot control" Snape said before leaving the room. When his friends returned Harry told them about the silencing charm and then told an angry Teddy that neither he nor Draco had found out anything on Nicolas Flamel.

They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry was still sure he'd read the name somewhere. A feeling he also shared with Teddy.

The idea of asking Teddy's father, Thatcher Nott, a well-respected historian, was brought up but decided against. "There really is no point of alerting anyone to what were up to if we can avoid it" Daphnia stated.