For a moment, the silvery-white shadow in front of Hodge Blackthorn vanished.
Hodge felt a pang of loss. After a pause, he clambered up from the floor. His robes were surprisingly clean, likely thanks to some magical effect. He headed toward the filing cabinet, but as he passed the tall, full-length mirror, he glanced at it instinctively.
He froze, startled—there was someone else in the mirror!
Whirling around, Hodge found nothing behind him. The flames overhead burned quietly, with no hint of ghosts or spirits causing mischief. He considered probing the area with magic, but a sudden spark of realization hit him. The Mirror of Erised!
Turning back, he studied the mirror closely. Its ornate golden frame rested on two claw-shaped feet, and at the top, a line of cryptic letters was etched. When reversed, they formed the phrase: I show not your face but your heart's desire. No mistake about it.
Hodge's curiosity surged. He had never seen the Mirror of Erised before, and he couldn't fathom how it ended up here. Naturally, this had to be connected to Dumbledore. Last year, Dumbledore had placed the mirror in the underground chambers as the final barrier protecting the Philosopher's Stone. The mirror revealed the deepest, most desperate desires of whoever gazed into it. But Dumbledore had likely modified it to hold the Stone, ensuring only someone who wished to find it without using it could retrieve it.
Hodge's heart pounded as he stepped closer, peering into the mirror repeatedly.
He activated his Occlumency, and soon the images in the mirror shifted like a carousel. Beyond that, nothing else seemed unusual. Of course, Hodge should've known—the Philosopher's Stone had been destroyed, and Dumbledore couldn't have predicted his spur-of-the-moment decision to rush to the library to see Madam Pince after getting a signature.
So, was the mirror meant to be here all along? Did it have something to do with Rowena Ravenclaw?
Hodge stared at the mirror for a while, ideas swirling without clarity. Finally, he used Occlumency to block his thoughts, leaving only his own reflection in the glass.
He strode to the filing cabinet and opened one of its doors.
Inside were neatly stacked sheets of parchment, yellowed with age. Hodge pulled out a sheet; the writing was still legible. There were also several rolled scrolls, some made of parchment, others crafted from an unfamiliar animal hide. After a moment's consideration, he selected a scroll tied with a blue ribbon.
Settling into the room's only chair, he unrolled the scroll and began reading carefully.
To his right, Hodge noticed a silver goblet. Perhaps a thousand years ago, Rowena Ravenclaw herself had sat here, poring over magical studies, penning lines of brilliant wisdom. But soon, his brow furrowed. The language on the scroll was archaic, laced with Latin and magical runes, and the vocabulary and grammar differed from modern usage. While these challenges were manageable, what truly stumped him was the glimpse of a vast, intricate magical system revealed in the scroll—a mere tip of the iceberg.
Rowena Ravenclaw lived a thousand years ago.
Like the other three Hogwarts founders, she existed during a pivotal era when old and new magic collided.
Ancient magic wasn't suited for large-scale teaching. It was dangerous, powerful, and often deadly, requiring immense skill to master. Back then, the mentor-apprentice system dominated. Accomplished witches and wizards each had their signature craft, selecting only the most gifted students. This created a problem: many young witches and wizards with less natural talent were left without guidance.
These individuals, different from Muggles, could cast spells instinctively but knew no proper incantations.
Their fates were often grim. The lucky ones might be recruited by royal courts as mage-servants. The unlucky were either executed by the Church or forced to hide, concealing their abilities to avoid suspicion from neighbors.
As Europe's oldest wizarding school, Hogwarts played a crucial role in that era.
Simplifying and refining magic was one of its key contributions.
Hodge skimmed through the entire scroll, but nothing stuck in his mind. He looked up, blinking in confusion. Undeterred, he grabbed another scroll, this one made of animal hide. A quick scan revealed detailed instructions on blending into environments and concealing oneself—a series of techniques involving obscure classical terms and complex magical control. It left him dizzy.
Setting the scroll down, he mused aloud, "The Disillusionment Charm?"
The notes reminded him of the Disillusionment Charm, a spell that allowed a person or object to blend into their surroundings like a chameleon, matching color and texture perfectly.
The Disillusionment Charm was invaluable for stealth and evasion, and it was one of the first spells Hodge had learned. It wasn't overly difficult—most students could grasp it during their school years. But while easy to learn, it was hard to master. Beginners could only change colors, and a keen eye could spot them. With mastery or exceptional magical power, however, the spell could render someone as invisible as an Invisibility Cloak.
By comparison, the techniques in the scroll were far more complex and obscure.
Hodge chuckled, imagining Lockhart trying to teach this to students—oh, no, that fraud wouldn't stand a chance. Even Quirrell would need a full term to teach it, and most students would likely fail to learn it.
This realization made Hodge reflect. Even the founders' knowledge wasn't always profound or inaccessible. Over the centuries, much of it had been refined and made widely accessible. The scroll's true value lay in its insights into the thought processes behind the magic.
He started reading again, comparing the text to his knowledge of the Disillusionment Charm. Concepts that once seemed murky began to clarify in his mind. He read with growing fascination, reaching a third of the way through. After finishing a section, he paused to ponder, flashes of insight striking him before he dove back in.
When he finally looked up, Madam Pince stood in the doorway.
"The library's closing. I came to let you know," she said.
Hodge leapt up, returning the scroll and a stack of parchments to the cabinet. After Madam Pince inspected everything, he followed her out. As he stepped into the corridor, a buzzing hum filled his ears, like the ambient noise a swimmer hears upon surfacing. But the library was already empty—no other students in sight.
"Come earlier next time, or when it's less crowded, and I'll teach you the unlocking spell," Madam Pince said. Perhaps it was the daze of reading, but Hodge thought her tone was surprisingly mild. She was usually stern and unyielding, with no trace of warmth.
Thanking her, Hodge left the library.
Outside, the sky was pitch black, a velvet curtain studded with silver stars. Drawing on his Astronomy lessons, he quickly spotted the Andromeda constellation. As he gazed at it, he thought to himself that maybe Madam Pince wasn't so cold after all.
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