Chapter 51: The Mirror of Erised
With the excitement of Quidditch, time seemed to have been whipped, flying by with a 'whoosh'.
Before they knew it, it was December. One morning, when people woke from their beds, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the world outside had been turned a pristine white by a night of heavy snowfall.
The Black Lake was also covered with a thick layer of ice. Some energetic young wizards would go to play on the frozen lake, only to be scared half to death by the Giant Squid, who would break through the ice to play with them. The cracking ice would send shards flying, and the group would scatter, screaming.
"I'm kind of craving some grilled squid now," Ezio said, watching the chaotic scene outside the window, his mouth suddenly watering.
Just as he was preparing to leave the library and take a trip to the kitchens to order some food, Harry suddenly ran over, panting. His pocket was bulging, with a bit of silvery fabric peeking out.
"Why didn't you come back to the dorm last night?" Ezio asked, looking at the dark circles under Harry's somewhat swollen eyes. Ever since he had taken Harry to see Fluffy, Harry seemed to have awakened some natural instinct. He would occasionally go out after curfew and then sneak back around midnight. Night-wandering had become a part of Harry's daily life. But it didn't affect his classes the next day, and Ezio wasn't his dad, so he couldn't be bothered to manage it.
After catching his breath, Harry beckoned to Ezio. "You have to come and see this!"
"No shouting in the library!" Madam Pince had already come to work, even though it was only ten to seven in the morning. She was a person who loved to read, and her purpose in working at Hogwarts was the dream of reading every book here. As such, she despised any behavior that broke the rules and disturbed her reading.
"Sorry, very sorry!" Harry immediately turned and apologized, then, somewhat sheepishly, pulled Ezio and quickly left the library area.
"What's wrong? Why the rush?" Ezio, who had already guessed some of what had happened, asked calmly. They walked towards the kitchens. There was hardly a soul to be seen in Hogwarts at this time. Even Filch the caretaker was gone; having patrolled for half the night, he was definitely sleeping now.
"Last night I went out for a night... uh... I've been going out to practice magic lately. Dueling, actually. After our dueling club was established, the Gryffindors made one too. Because we're rivals, we have practical sessions at night. The Weasley twins found a secret room behind the grandfather clock on the second floor. We compete there."
"But that's not important," Harry said, waving his hand. "When I was coming back last night, Filch's cat spotted me. The Invisibility Cloak can't hide smells, and I was all sweaty. That damned little thing chased me for a long time, so I took a wrong turn to hide, and ended up finding this."
"It's over here!"
Harry's pace quickened a little, leading Ezio into an abandoned classroom, a common sight at Hogwarts. You never knew what was behind a door at Hogwarts. It could be a pile of junk, a solid wall, or a secret bathroom with a Black Lake merman taking a bath who would throw his trident at you.
But this room was a little different. It wasn't because of the desks and chairs piled to one side, but because of a magnificent mirror that stood inside. It reached all the way to the ceiling, with an ornate golden frame and two clawed feet at its base. At the very top of the mirror, a line of small words was clearly visible: 'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi'. (I show not your face but your heart's desire.)
"I'm not sure what this thing is called, but I think you might need it, Ezio." Harry hesitated for a moment, then said, "Last night, I saw a lot of people in this mirror. A dozen or so. They must have been my family, my relatives. My mum and dad were in there."
Standing before the mirror, Harry took a deep breath. "I don't know if it will show your family, but I want you to try."
Harry knew that Ezio was in pain over his father's departure. They were both children without parents. Although he knew that what was lost could never be brought back, even just a glimpse now was a comfort to the heart.
"The Mirror of Erised," Ezio said in a very low voice. His steps remained steady as he slowly approached the side of the mirror. His hand touched the frame.
"You know what it is?" Harry was a little surprised, but then he felt it was to be expected. Ezio knew much more than others, whether in terms of studies or other things. He always inadvertently exuded an air of being 'erudite'.
"Yes. The Mirror of Erised. A mirror that can show the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. Countless people have been lost in the illusions reflected in the mirror. Even though they know it's an unattainable dream, they still can't bear to look away."
"I do need it very much, Harry," Ezio said seriously. But it wasn't just because he wanted to see Giovanni's figure again. He had more thoughts and desires for the Mirror of Erised.
Magic is mind-based. It needed to be reiterated: magic is mind-based. This wondrous power, so magical that even the wizards who used it found it difficult to explain, was terrifying. It seemed to have recorded everything in the world; nothing could escape its grasp.
If Harry had only seen his parents, it wouldn't have been anything special. He had seen photos of his parents, so he knew what they looked like. But Harry had definitely never seen his other relatives, for example—his grandfather, his grandmother, his maternal grandparents. Harry had seen many people, and they were all family he had never met.
Besides magic having recorded all of this, Ezio couldn't find any other possibility. This meant that the Mirror of Erised could project images that were beyond one's own perception but did indeed exist.
And what he most urgently, most desperately wanted to see right now...
He missed the happiness of the past, but he was more concerned with how to fulfill the obsession in his heart—the obsession to kill his enemy with his own hands, to avenge Giovanni.
"Let me see." Ezio gripped the frame of the mirror, his knuckles turning white.
"Let me see! Giovanni, where in the world did you die!"
"Who killed you! Who was involved in all of this!"
Ezio stood directly in front of the mirror, let out a long breath, then raised his head and looked into it.
It was a field of darkness—
He stood alone in the darkness. Then, a figure walked out of the darkness. He had brilliant golden hair, completely different from Ezio's, slightly curly. His naturally serious face wore an 'I accidentally burned the steak again, sorry' smile.
'I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, Ezio.'
The person in the mirror did not speak, but he seemed to have silently said this apology. Ezio turned his head slightly to look at his own shoulder, where a slender hand with a few calluses should have been resting. But he couldn't see it; it was just empty.
He looked at the mirror and was silent for a moment.
"I forgive you," Ezio said, looking at the mirror, speaking softly to him. "After all, there won't be a next time, will there?"
"But I have to see where you are, right? At least let me dig a hole and bury you with my own hands. Only then can this matter be considered over, right!"
"You really are a bastard, Giovanni. So I have to see with my own eyes how you, you bastard, played your own life away!"
Almost through gritted teeth, Ezio spat out a few syllables: "Where the hell did you die?!"
The shadow of Giovanni disappeared, and darkness filled the entire frame. Ezio was slightly stunned. Was the Mirror of Erised broken?
"The mirror cannot project images that are shrouded by magic."
A very soft voice came from behind them. Without turning around, Ezio knew it was that peeping tom, Dumbledore.
"Although I thank you for the explanation, I really want to find something to vent my anger on right now," Ezio said coldly. The already low temperature in the room grew even colder.
"Getting angry won't solve the problem, Ezio," Dumbledore said, walking to Harry's side and gently shaking his head. "At least we can now be certain that your father died in a place related to magic. This place could be some ruins, or some area sealed by magic. If his death was not related to magic, you would indeed be able to see the scene you wish to see now."
"But how could he, a Muggle, have gotten involved with magic?" Ezio said through gritted teeth, his emotions slightly unstable. "He was an assassin, yes, but there's no way he would have taken a contract on a wizard, right!"
"It can't be that he once found some scrap of magic, treated it as some unsolved mystery, and went mad trying to find it."
"How could there be such a... such a damned way to die in the world?"
"The Mirror of Erised can see wizards, right?" Ezio suddenly asked.
Dumbledore didn't speak. He suddenly had a premonition that something very bad was about to happen.
"It should be able to. Harry saw his parents and relatives," Ezio said to himself before Dumbledore could answer.
"Then, Mirror, tell me. Let me see which wizards Giovanni has had contact with."
Harry felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Dumbledore's hand was surprisingly strong, gripping him painfully. But after a moment, Ezio still stood motionless in front of the mirror. He didn't seem to be seeing the image he wanted, which made Dumbledore breathe a slight sigh of relief. But before his heart could settle, Ezio spoke once again.
"Then who are the wizards related to the location of Giovanni's death?!"
"Who has been to that place before?"
A flash of insight glinted past. Dumbledore sensed the ominous moment. In the Mirror of Erised, Ezio seemed to have seen the image he wanted.
"Of these people... who is still alive?"
"Thank you for the Christmas present, Professor Dumbledore. I like it very much."
Ezio turned and bowed slightly to Dumbledore. Although the Mirror of Erised was prepared for Harry, as a beneficiary, Ezio was also grateful to him.
*****
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