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[ philosopher's stone ]
MAYA WAS PRACTICALLY CLINGING TO HARRY, WORRIED FOR HIM EVER SINCE SHE HAD ARRIVED BACK FROM HER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. Thankfully, 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 at the bottom of his trunk.
Harry admitted he 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.
"You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad," Ron, when Harry told him and Maya about these dreams, said.
Hermione, who came back with Maya the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!"), and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.
They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Maya was still sure she'd read the name somewhere. Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Harry had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again.
When he had gotten back from one Quidditch practice, he found Ron and Hermione playing chess while Maya was currently scribbling to her sister about what she'd be learning after Christmas break.
"Don't talk to me for a moment," Ron said when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen ━━ what's the matter with you? You look terrible."
Maya immediately looked up, seeing Harry looking slightly pale. He gulped, and squinted his eyes shut as he said, "Snape's refereeing."
"Don't play," Hermione said at once.
"Say you're ill," Ron said.
"Surely Fred and George should have something to give you chicken pox, right?" Maya said, sounding distraught.
"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.
"Really break your leg," Ron said.
"Get hit by a jinx," Maya added.
"I can't," Harry frowned at the three. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."
