Neville Longbottom and the Philosopher's Stone

Part 12

Suddenly other figures faded into view around him in the mirror. There was Hermione, and Harry and Ron and Seamus and other Gryffindors. They were standing around him, chatting to him and patting him on the back as if congratulating him. Behind them, more people appeared. There was Gran, looking adorably on her grandchild, and Dumbledore, who shook his hand. And finally two more emerged from behind the others. Though he didn't recognise them, Neville knew who they were immediately. They were his parents. He recognised much of himself in the image of his mother, except he had his father's hair and smile. They gazed proudly on their son and knelt to share in the conversation.

No sound emerged from the mirror, however, and the room remained utterly quiet. Neville looked around and behind him but he was alone. Nothing in the room had changed. Yet in the mirror he had been lifted on Harry and Ron's shoulders and was hugging his parents. Neville noticed one other strange thing in the reflection. His scar was gone. His hand instinctively rose to his forehead, but in reality it was still there. What did all of this mean?

Neville raced back into Gryffindor Tower into the common room. He saw a blond-haired girl with a cheesy grin on her face, talking to an Asian girl in the corner. Nervously he went over to her. She looked up and asked "Yes, Neville?" rather bluntly.

"Oh, er, hi Lavender," said Neville breathlessly. "Could you see if Hermione is in your room? I need to talk to her."

Lavender Brown looked across at Parvati Patil and both giggled briefly, but she went off to her room. Boys couldn't go up the girl's staircase, Neville had found that out painfully a few weeks ago. Soon Lavender came back down, and behind her Hermione, book in hand. "What is it?" she asked.

"Come on, come with me," said Neville. "There's something you have to see." Reluctantly Hermione left her book behind and followed Neville back down to the fourth floor. It took a few minutes for Neville to remember which way to go but eventually he found his way back to the abandoned classroom. "Come here," he said. "It's a magic mirror. Look in it. Go on."

Giving a curious sideways glance to Neville, Hermione stepped up and looked into the mirror. "What are you talking about, Neville?" she said. "It's just me." Then she gave a slight gasp. "That's Professor Dumbledore!" she said, pointing. "And McGonagall's there too! Hang on, I'm in the Great Hall. They're presenting me with certificates and awards. Wow, I'm Head Girl! Everybody's clapping! Even Snape there looks happy. Is this what you saw, Neville?"

"Not exactly," said Neville, confused. He looked into the mirror himself again, but saw the same as he did before. He described it to Hermione. "You know everything," he said. "Do you know what this mirror is? What does it do?"

"I don't know," said Hermione. "I've never heard of anything like this before." Neville's face fell, but Hermione continued "Maybe we can work it out though." She sat down and Neville saw her common "thinking expression" appear on her face. "It can't show the future," she said, "because you said you saw your parents, and they're, well..." She paused uncomfortably. "It can't exactly show something real either, because Snape would never look that happy at anything." Neville smiled at that. "Maybe it shows what we want it to show." She stood up again and looked in the mirror, but shook her head. "No, it just shows the same thing. I can't change it."

Hermione examined the mirror more closely and stared for a while at the inscription written over the top. Then all of a sudden she clapped her hands and gave out a "Yes!" She pointed to the inscription. "It's backwards, look. Like in a mirror." Neville looked confused at it for a while, and then he saw what Hermione meant. Backwards he read I show not your face but your heart's desire.

"So it shows us our heart's desire, then?" he said. "The thing we really, really want?"

"Yes, deep down," said Hermione. "Obviously I want to be successful, and have all the teachers be proud of me."

"I could have told you that without a mirror," said Neville with a smile. "But what does it mean I want? Just to be happy?"

"There are worse things to want," observed Hermione, but Neville looked puzzled. "It's nearly supper time," Hermione said. "Come on, we should go. We shouldn't really be here anyway."

"You go ahead. I'll catch you up," said Neville. As Hermione left, with furrowed brow he looked into the mirror again.

Neville never did go down to supper that evening, and Hermione didn't see him all Saturday either, except at meals, where he was quiet and rushed away early.

The next day was the last before the Hogwarts Express left for the Christmas holiday on Monday and Hermione spent it mainly packing and making sure she had everything she needed to work on while at home.

But Neville, as he had for most of the day before, was to be found in the abandoned classroom, staring into the mirror, trying to understand what it was telling him. Was he so pathetic that all he wanted was people fussing around him? He didn't even like Ron and Harry, he knew nothing about his parents, and he was more scared of Gran than anything. Maybe there was something else going on that he couldn't see. He strained to look at the background to see where the figures were, but he couldn't see anything. Yet he kept looking. Perhaps eventually his brain would kick in and he could work out what it meant.

He was so engrossed that he never heard the gentle footsteps walking into the room, nor the quiet rustle of robes. He only reacted when a wrinkled hand was laid softly on his shoulder. Turning in alarm, he discovered it was none other than Professor Dumbledore, with a kind smile. "Don't worry Neville," he said. "I thought I might find you here. I see you have been pondering the Mirror of Erised, like so many before you. Something concerns you, I can tell. Would it help to tell me what you see?"

Carefully, Neville described his vision in the mirror. "I don't understand it, Professor. It seems just so simple, so normal. Shouldn't my desire be something bigger? Or is there something I'm missing?"

"Perhaps, Neville, perhaps. No, I do not think your desire is small. Indeed I think it is the biggest thing anyone can desire."

"What is it?"

"Love, Neville. Just love. The love of friends, or of a close family, or the appreciation of your peers. You see Neville, I think you have always looked down on yourself, felt yourself weak or unworthy, and indeed unloved. And I suspect there may be one thing more. Tell me, can you see your scar in the mirror?"

"No, how did you know?"

"Because, although you try to hide away from others, you are well aware that people notice you, that they know who you are, that they even look up to you or appear as if they like you on account of your history. I think it is an admirable thing that you want others to appreciate you for yourself and not that scar. It greatly reassures me. You have nothing to worry about, Neville."

Neville nodded silently, but his face was still glum. "Cheer up, Neville," said Dumbledore kindly. "I will say only this. You are far more loved than you think you are. In fact, perhaps more than you can imagine." Neville looked up into the headmaster's face and there was a twinkle in the eyes he hadn't seen before. "Now run along, it's late and you need to get ready for returning home tomorrow."

Neville nodded and made to go. But as he got to the door, Dumbledore called out to him "Neville, just to warn you, the mirror will not be here when you return in January. It is a dangerous object for those who seek too keenly to look inside themselves. It will be moved to... a safer place. Merry Christmas, Neville."

"Merry Christmas, Professor," said Neville, and left.