Chapter 79 - Coincidence or a Scheme?
I looked at the strange silvery bundle in Harry's hands and muttered inwardly.
'Oh boy.'
I quickly came out of my thoughts and stepped aside.
"Come in, Harry."
Harry entered my room quietly. I closed the door behind him.
"What happened?" I asked. "Why are you awake so late?"
Harry hesitated for a moment. Then he carefully lifted the silvery cloth.
"Arthur, I got this as a gift."
"A Christmas gift?"
He nodded.
"There was a note with it. It said this belonged to my father once. And that it was entrusted to someone by him. And now they are returning it to me."
I nodded slowly.
"Okay and what exactly is it?"
I already knew the answer, of course. But Harry did not know that.
Harry looked at the cloak again.
"It's some kind of invisibility cloak. If I wear it, I become invisible."
I widened my eyes slightly.
"Oh? That sounds very useful."
Harry gave a small nervous laugh.
Then I asked casually, "Did you try it?"
Harry immediately looked guilty.
"Yes."
I leaned back slightly.
"And?"
Harry became quiet.
Something more had happened. I could see it on his face.
After a few seconds, he spoke softly.
"I wore the cloak and wandered around Hogwarts."
"And somehow I found this room."
"There was a mirror there."
His voice became weaker.
"And I saw my parents."
I raised an eyebrow.
Now that was interesting and surprised me a little. This was earlier than canon, which meant Dumbledore had adjusted the plan.
Of course he had.
The old man was a scheming fox.
He knew Harry would not remain at Hogwarts during Christmas, so he advanced the timeline itself.
I asked carefully, to understand the exact timeline of events, "When exactly did you receive the cloak?"
"Yesterday evening," Harry answered.
That confirmed it immediately.
Dumbledore had timed it perfectly.
He gave Harry the cloak after my last exam's preparations had already begun, when I was busy enough not to notice immediately and when Harry would have hesitated to tell ne about it immediately.
And just the night before we left Hogwarts.
Very clever.
Very, very clever.
I sighed inwardly.
Never underestimate old manipulators with too much free time.
I looked back at Harry.
"And what do you think about the mirror?"
Harry sat down quietly on the edge of the bed.
"I don't know."
"I was happy."
"Really happy."
"But also sad."
He lowered his head slightly.
"I want to see them again."
I remained silent for a moment, thinking how to approach this situation so that it would not hurt him much.
Then I asked carefully, "Harry, do you think they were real?"
Harry shook his head slowly, as if in regret.
"No."
"I know they weren't really there."
"But it still felt…"
He struggled to explain it.
I nodded.
"I understand."
Then I asked, "Did you read anything written on the mirror?"
Harry frowned.
"There were some words."
"But I couldn't understand them."
I nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright. After we return to Hogwarts, you'll take me to that room."
"So we can figure out what exactly that mirror is."
Harry looked surprised.
"Why? What do you mean?"
I folded my arms.
"Harry, think logically for a moment."
"You receive a magical invisibility cloak from a mysterious person."
"You wear it once and have an impulse to roam around."
"So you wander around the castle and somehow, by another coincidence, you find a hidden room with a mirror that shows you your dead parents."
I looked directly at him.
"Does that not sound a little too convenient?"
Harry froze as he realised where I was getting at.
Because unlike canon Harry, this Harry had grown up with less emotional neglect and without the Horcrux influencing him as strongly.
He could think a little more clearly.
Slowly, Harry nodded.
"When you say it like that…"
"Yes," I said. "It sounds strange."
"Very strange."
I continued calmly.
"You and Ron and Hermione spent weeks making theories about Snape, the Three-headed dog, about secret traps and mysteries."
"So why not think carefully about this too?"
Harry's eyes widened slightly.
Because I had casually revealed that I knew they were investigating the third-floor corridor mystery. But he was sure it was the trio's secret.
But I continued before he could ask.
"You should always question strange coincidences."
"Especially when they involve you."
Harry looked down at the cloak uneasily now.
"And another thing," I continued.
"This person claims your father entrusted the cloak to them."
"Fine."
"But then why not meet you properly?"
"Why secretly?"
"Why anonymous notes?"
"Why send mysterious gifts?"
"And why now?"
Harry slowly nodded again.
"Yes…"
"That is strange."
I stretched out my hand.
"If you don't mind, let me examine the cloak."
Harry almost immediately shoved it into my hands.
"Take it!"
I blinked.
He looked genuinely nervous now.
"What if it's cursed?"
"What if someone put harmful magic on it?"
I chuckled lightly.
"Relax."
"It probably isn't that dangerous."
Probably.
Still, I carefully folded the cloak.
"I'll have someone inspect it properly."
"And after I'm sure it's safe, I'll return it to you."
Harry nodded very seriously.
"Take as much time as you want."
"No hurry."
I almost laughed at how quickly he had lost enthusiasm for the cloak.
I stood up and patted his shoulder.
"Don't think too much about the mirror tonight or your parents or the cloak."
"Think about the last few months, the friends you made and the experience you got and just enjoy the holidays."
Harry finally smiled a little.
"Okay."
Then he moved toward the door.
"Good night, Arthur."
"Good night, Harry."
Harry opened the door, then suddenly stopped.
He turned around.
For a second he looked awkward, almost embarrassed.
Then he smiled softly.
"Thank you, Arthur."
"You're the best brother in the world."
Before I could answer, he quickly shut the door and hurried away toward his room.
I stared at the closed door for a few seconds.
Then I smiled quietly to myself.
Honestly, hearing that from your younger sibling felt really nice.
---
End of Chapter 79 - Coincidence or a Scheme?