Jennifer Potter and the marauders (book 5) 19 Years Later

What You Desire Most

After Tuesday's Herbology challenge, Jenny made her way back to her room to collect the work she had to mark that night.
As soon as she entered her room she immediately knew that something was wrong.
Jenny was a very paranoid person, and she knew where everything in her room was at all times, so she could tell if someone had been inside, as some things would be out of place. And right then, there were several things in her room that were wrong.
The main change in her room was the giant mirror with an ornate gold frame, and clawed feet, which had been placed in the centre of the room.
Jenny removed her wand from her pocket, before carefully approaching the mirror.
When she looked at the front of it, she noticed a strange inscription at the top, in a language that she didn't understand; Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

Jenny looked down to see her reflection, but when she did she leapt back in fear.
In the mirror, Jenny was not alone, there were three men behind her. But when she span around there was no one there.
She looked back into the mirror where the three men were still standing, smiling back at her. These men were not strangers, but were people that she hadn't seen in over 19 years.
James, Remus and Sirius were looking back at her, and they seemed so close that she could touch them, but the air around her remained empty and cold, which meant that they only existed in the mirror.
"James" mumbled Jenny.
None of the Marauders said a word, and Jenny sighed.
"I guess reflections can't talk" she admitted sadly.

Jenny took a step closer to the mirror and placed her hand on the glass, wanting to touch her loved ones. But she knew that deep down there was nothing she could do to reach them, they were long gone.
"What are you?" Asked Jenny as she tore her eyes away from her brothers and looked at the rest of the mirror.
"You're intelligent, that's for sure, because Pettigrew isn't here, which means that you know I wouldn't want to see him" she continued.
The boys reflections stayed quiet as Jenny verbalised her thoughts.
She tried to get the mirror to show other things, by thinking of different thoughts, but nothing she did made her friends dissappear.
They looked happy and healthy like they had when Jenny saw them on the night when she nearly died during the war, instead of looking the age that they would be if they'd lived. This made Jenny feel very old.

"I trust you know what this mirror is by now".
Jenny spun around and saw that Minerva had entered the room without her noticing.
"Minerva, quiet as a cat, as always" admitted Jenny as she turned to face the Head.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" apologised Minerva.
"That's O.K... Did you say that you know what this thing is?"
"Don't you? I would've thought you'd figured it out by staring at it for so long"
"Well I don't know"
"Did you read the inscription on the top?"
"I did, but I didn't understand it"
"Well it clearly says what it is"
"Stop playing games and just tell me what it is".

"This is the Mirror of Erised" revealed Minerva.
"I've heard of that" replied Jenny.
"I thought you might have done. I'm honestly surprised that you haven't come accross it before, since you've been at Hogwarts for quite some time now" admitted Minerva.
"What's it doing here?"
"In Hogwarts? I don't know. It's as old as the school I believe, but I don't know where it came from or who made it"
"No, what's it doing in my bedroom?"
"I brought it here"
"Wha- Why?"
"I thought it might interest you and cheer you up. I know that you had a lesson on Boggarts today, and that's never a fun thing to have to endure. You've also had a busy few months, so I thought I'd surprise you with this, as a treat".

"I still don't completely understand what this mirror does" admitted Jenny.
"It has a simple function. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest most desperate desires of our hearts" revealed Minerva.
"I see. So it basically shows us the one thing we want but cannot ever have"
"No, some people to manage to achive the thing that is shown to them in this mirror. The happiest person in the world would look back and just see themself. But for some people, like you, what the mirror shows is unreachable"
"You can't see what I see though, right?"
"No, but I can guess what the mirror is showing you now. You see those you've lost"
"Yes... James, Sirius, and Remus. My brothers".

"This mirror is dangerous" continued Jenny.
"How do you mean?" Questioned Minerva.
"People like me could waste away in front of it, and forget to live, focusing only on what they can't have"
"I was only going to leave it here for one day, and then I was going to rehome it"
"Still, if one of the students found it, it could be bad"
"They do find it from time to time. When I realise that someone has found it, I talk to them about it and that they shouldn't go looking for it again, before placing it elsewhere. This is why I wanted you to see the mirror, it's a big responsibility, keeping an eye on it, and that will be your job one day. When you become the Headmistress you will have access to it at all times, which is why I thought I'd show it to you now, so that I could supervise you".

"Thank you... It is nice to look at, but it's also hard as well" admitted Jenny.
"It draws people in, by showing them the one thing they want the most. It doesn't do it in a cruel or mean way, that's just what its purpose is" sighed Minerva.
"Have you come to take it away now?"
"Not just yet, I will take it tomorrow"
"Good. I need more time with it"
"I thought you might say that. But do try and get some sleep tonight, you do have a full day of teaching tomorrow remember"
"I haven't forgotten"
"I hope not... Well, I'll leave you alone with it then. Goodnight Jennifer"
"Goodnight Minerva".