Violet Potter and the Basilisk Plague (Year Two)

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Battle of the Mirror of Erised

TRIAL BY RAVENCLAW: The Chamber of Time/The Battle Of The Mirror Of Erised

As soon as Violet Potter walked through the open door in front of her and into the Chamber of Time, the door closed immediately behind her, and this was among the most peculiar rooms at Hogwarts that Violet had ever set foot into. So many torrents of water rushed down all around her, and the narrow path of stone built above the black waters that she carefully crossed, and she could soon see that there was something on the stone platform on the other side of the Chamber of Time. And the closer Violet walked to it, she came to realize that it was a mirror, but not just any mirror. The backwards message was too familiar. I show not your face but your hearts desire.
Erised straeh rouy tub ecaf ruoy ton wohs I.

It was certainly not something Violet had ever wanted to come across again. Hadn't Professor Dumbledore made it clear during the last school year that he would have this mirror removed to a place where it would be far from any other Hogwarts students' access after Harry had come across it one too many times? So why was the Mirror of Erised still here, within Hogwarts, and within the Chamber of Time?

That was when Violet began to hear a strangely ethereal voice, telling her, no, actually singing to her to come forward.

"Welcome, dear child,
To Ravenclaw's Chamber of Time,
You must give all your trust to me,
There is no way back this time,
Come to this ancient mirror,
And I shall reveal your heart's desires

You know not why my voice beckons you,
You only know the voice that is in your mind,
Step through this ancient mirror,
You shall find me waiting on the other side..."

"And who are you, he who waits for me on the other side? What do you even mean by that?" Violet immediately questioned the voice. To which the voice replied in that slightly eerie sing-song manner, "I can only tell you, I have been lonely, across centuries of time. I have been waiting, until you have been called here. I am the Phantom of Illusion, and you are mine."

"Well I hate to break the news to you, O Phantom of Illusion, but I'm not your angel of twisted and bloody terrible music. Even the completely fictional Christine Daae had enough sense to understand she could not live in a dark labyrinth forever with her mysterious and lonely Phantom, who was a tragically obsessive recluse who had also murdered. Also, my godmother has always taught me that one should never trust any enchanted object if one cannot see where it keeps its' brain. And this mirror tells no truth and offers no wisdom. So, you had better tell me right now who you really are!"

But the terrifying face in the mirror only laughed mockingly at Violet. "Can it be that the famous Violet Potter, sister of Harry Potter and daughter of Lily and James Potter, is afraid to go up against me, an ancient mirror? Can it be that you have already given up the fight and Hogwarts itself is about to fall? How dreadful and disappointing!" The Phantom jeered. But then Violet yelled, "I think it's time for you to shut it and disappear forever!" Violet pointed her wand directly at the mirror with a sharp downward movement and yelled, "Speculum Fractura!"

And suddenly, several cracks formed in the mirror, and it shattered violently with the force of the destructive magic. Violet was to discover very quickly, however, that even though the Mirror of Erised itself was physically destroyed, the Phantom of Illusion himself was only getting started with the real battle. And all of a sudden, a terrible, creeping darkness had surrounded Violet Potter...

***

Violet then found herself in what appeared to be some other place away from Hogwarts. It was in the back of an enchanting little stone cottage, on a bright and sunny summers' day. So many flowers of pinks, yellows, purples, and blues filled the gardens, butterflies fluttered, and all was serene and quiet.