Dudley's breath caught in his throat.
For a terrifying moment, he was certain Dumbledore had discovered him. But as he looked closer, he saw in the reflection of Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles that the mirror's surface was completely black, showing no trace of him inside.
Dudley narrowed his eyes, calmly meeting Dumbledore's gaze from the other side of the glass.
After a long while, Dumbledore's focus shifted, and he continued to examine the cracked mirror.
"What a pity," Dumbledore murmured softly. "I had originally planned to hide the Philosopher's Stone inside the mirror, but now there's nothing I can do." He shook his head.
"Hide it in the mirror?" Dudley's expression flickered. This meant Dumbledore knew there was a world, or rather, a special space within this mirror.
But the current situation seemed to be that because the mirror was damaged, Dumbledore could no longer perceive the space within, and thus couldn't hide the Philosopher's Stone inside.
"Dumbledore can't perceive it, but I can, even though it's in a dream," Dudley thought. "Perhaps this space can be utilized?"
Thinking of this, he immediately turned to examine the small, dark space. Since someone had hidden this pocket dimension within the mirror, there should naturally be a way to control it. Dudley skillfully activated his spiritual vision within the dream and examined the strange, mirrored world.
The surroundings were all black walls of an unknown material, feeling cool to the touch. Dudley observed while brushing his hand over them, trying to find something unique about this space.
"It seems there's nothing unusual." After a thorough check, Dudley didn't find any usable magical traces.
"The Philosopher's Stone is mysteriously missing, and now even the mirror is broken. What on earth has happened to Hogwarts..." Just then, Dumbledore, standing in front of the mirror, let out a long sigh.
Hearing this, Dudley stopped his examination and returned to the front of the mirror, looking at Professor Dumbledore who was just beyond the glass.
"It's all your own fault, ignoring Quirrell. I stole the Philosopher's Stone only to prevent it from falling into Voldemort's hands," Dudley said softly to himself.
"Fortunately, the one who stole the Philosopher's Stone wasn't Quirrell. Otherwise, the trouble would have been immense," Dumbledore murmured.
"Wouldn't you agree, Night Emperor!" Dumbledore suddenly looked at the mirror.
His gaze was extremely sharp, like that of a falcon. His originally cloudy pupils, at this moment, became full of oppressive power, as deep as a bottomless pit. That was the gaze of the most powerful wizard in the magical world.
Dudley's breath caught for a moment. He had to admit, Dumbledore's gaze made him feel a strong sense of pressure. This old professor usually didn't show his strength, but when he truly revealed it, his piercing gaze seemed as if it could penetrate a person.
"As expected of Professor Dumbledore, to be able to vaguely perceive my existence," Dudley thought, looking at Dumbledore outside the mirror.
He was certain that Dumbledore couldn't see him. But his spiritual sense was very high. He must have sensed someone in the mirror watching him. Even without any basis, he still judged that there could be something existing within the mirror.
As for the name "Night Emperor," that was because the only person who could steal the Philosopher's Stone from under his nose at Hogwarts could only be this person. Of course, it was also possible that the Night Emperor had instructed someone else to do it. But, the Philosopher's Stone was most likely in the Night Emperor's hands now.
Dumbledore slowly approached the mirror. He stared into its dark surface, walking step by step until his face was almost pressed against the glass, his breath forming a layer of mist on it.
"I know you can hear me, Night Emperor. Given that you previously saved Harry at Gringotts, I will tentatively consider you not an enemy. I can even let the matter of you stealing the Philosopher's Stone go. But if you dare to lay a hand on the children in this school, believe me, I will make you pay the price."
Dumbledore looked into the mirror. His face held no cold expression, only calmness, but it was this calmness that made him seem even more terrifying.
Dudley looked back at Dumbledore, the corners of his mouth slightly curving up.
"Well, it's not like I ever planned to harm the children of Hogwarts. In fact, I myself am a child of Hogwarts," Dudley chuckled to himself.
"I hope we don't end up on opposing sides," Dumbledore said seriously.
Dudley said nothing. He just looked at Dumbledore. Dumbledore couldn't hear him speak. It seemed like he was just talking to himself, but with his experience, he had already pieced together most of the facts.
"What a formidable wizard," Dudley said softly.
At the same time, Dudley noticed some details on the mirror's surface. There were cracks on the mirror, but on those fine cracks, there was a trace of fresh red blood. It was from when he had brushed his hand over the mirror's cracks earlier.
"My ability to come here in my sleep is probably related to this." Blood plays a very important role in mysticism. Whether for curses or for conducting important rituals, a person's blood is often needed. As a Briber, the blood Dudley had inadvertently left behind had also created a mystical connection between him and the Mirror of Erised.
As Dudley stood before the mirror, he finally began to vaguely perceive the subtle connection between himself and this magical artifact. He reached out his left hand, placing it on the bloodstain on the crack.
At this moment, he felt the existence of the mirror merge with his own.
"Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore."
As Dudley's words fell, his body instantly disappeared from the mirror world.
And at the same time, in an abandoned classroom at Hogwarts, the tall Mirror of Erised in front of Dumbledore vanished into thin air, leaving not a single trace behind.
Dumbledore stared at the spot where the Mirror of Erised had disappeared, silent for a long time.
After a long while, he let out a light breath and shook his head.
"The price of this experiment was truly not small. The Philosopher's Stone is gone, and the Mirror of Erised is gone too. But from the looks of it, the Night Emperor should not become an enemy. That's enough."
Dumbledore felt a wave of fatigue. He squatted down and sat on the floor.
"I'm really getting old. I couldn't hold on for just that short while. But now there's a powerful Night Emperor. I don't know how much longer I can protect Hogwarts..." Dumbledore murmured to himself.
Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Tower boys' dormitory, Dudley's eyes snapped open.
In his left hand, there was a palm-sized mirror.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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