Harry led the way wearing the Invisibility Cloak, with Ron and Rove sticking close behind him.
"We've gone off course." Rove whispered, scanning their surroundings. "According to my step count, this is an uncharted area of the fourth floor, a 'Fog of War' zone on the map. I have a hunch there might be traps or elite monsters ahead."
"Don't worry, Rove." Harry's voice came from the empty air, tinged with an unusual excitement. "I feel fine. It's safe here. And we have the Invisibility Cloak; no one can spot us."
To avoid Filch and that annoying cat, they had been twisting and turning through dark corridors for ages. Finally, to dodge a patrolling shadow that suddenly appeared, they ducked into an unused classroom.
The room was piled high with old desks, chairs, and dusty frames, looking like ruins forgotten by time. But at the very back of the classroom stood a magnificent mirror that seemed utterly out of place with its surroundings.
It reached all the way to the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame inscribed with a ring of strange writing, standing on two clawed feet.
> [WARNING! High-Energy Magical Item Detected!]
> [Item Name: Mirror of Erised]
> [System Identification: Galadriel's Mirror / Palantír Vision]
> [Danger Level: Mental Corruption Class (Extremely High)]
> [Description: It shows not truth, but the deepest, most desperate desire of your heart. Beware! Those who dwell on its illusions will lose themselves and eventually fade into wraiths.]
Rove took one look at the blood-red skull icon on the System panel and immediately looked away. These ancient artifacts that targeted the mind directly were the most troublesome; one slip-up could mean Sanity Loss or possession by some weird will.
But Harry had already walked over. As if drawn by some magical force, he approached the mirror involuntarily.
"Even the wise cannot tell if the mirror's vision is truth or illusion." Rove recited Queen Galadriel's warning in his mind, trying to pull Harry back. "Harry, don't look at it. It's a trap, an illusion Sauron uses to bewitch hearts."
"Look! It's my parents!" Harry's voice suddenly trembled with uncontrollable joy. "They're right there! Just behind me! It's actually real! Rove, Ron, come look! They're smiling at me!"
Harry was practically pressed against the glass, staring greedily at the scene within.
Next was Ron. Piqued by Harry's words, he shoved Harry aside and stood before the mirror. A few seconds later, the confusion on his face vanished, replaced by ecstasy.
"I see it! I'm Head Boy! I'm holding the Quidditch Cup! I'm Captain! I'm better than Bill and Charlie! This is bloody brilliant!"
Watching his two teammates sink into the illusion, unable to extricate themselves, Rove sighed deeply. This was the consequence of failing a Willpower Check.
"Rove, you look too." Ron stepped aside excitedly, enthusiastic as a salesman. "See what you see? Maybe you're Minister for Magic? Or you've defeated the Dark Lord?"
"I'm not interested in that." Rove shook his head, trying to back away. "I'm only interested in tomorrow's breakfast."
But he couldn't resist the two of them pulling him, and he was involuntarily shoved in front of the mirror.
Forced to look up, his gaze collided with the cold glass surface.
In that instant, the System interface before Rove's eyes began to flash wildly. Countless red warning boxes scrolled across his retina like a barrage.
> [ALERT: Mental Intrusion Detected!]
> [Firewall Activating... Firewall Breached.]
> [Reading Host's Core Desire...]
> [Constructing Illusion...]
The mist in the mirror cleared. Rove held his breath, prepared to see himself as the King of Middle-earth or thrashing Voldemort with a staff.
However, the image that appeared in the mirror made him freeze.
It was a bright, tidy, even slightly cramped apartment living room.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window was not the Black Lake of Hogwarts, nor the Mount Doom of Middle-earth, but a modern city bustling with traffic. Neon lights flashed, and in the distance, he could see iconic TV towers and skyscrapers.
The Rove in the mirror was no longer wearing heavy wizard robes, nor was he holding a damn frying pan. He was wearing a loose cotton T-shirt and shorts, slumped on a soft fabric sofa, holding a smartphone that only existed in that world.
The phone screen was lit up, displaying a food delivery app: "Your order 'Durian Supreme Pizza and Ice-Cold Coke' is being delivered. Distance: 500m."
On the coffee table next to him sat a Switch console, a freshly unboxed Gundam model, and a glass of bubbling Happy Water (Coke).
No Orcs. No Dark Lord. No bloody System quests. No daily stress of survival.
Only peace. Only Wi-Fi. Only air conditioning. Only weekends where he could sleep as late as he wanted.
Rove's eyes instantly welled up.
This was his deepest, most secret desire, one he barely dared to touch even in his own thoughts—home.
To return to that safe, boring, overtime-filled but incredibly wonderful world. To be a corporate drone working nine-to-five. Even if his boss yelled at him, even if he had to squeeze onto the subway, he wouldn't have to worry about an Avada Kedavra flying through the window or being chased by a three-headed dog.
"I want a Coke..." Rove murmured, reaching out to touch the red can in the mirror.
However, just as he was about to lose himself in this beautiful illusion, the System in his mind apparently decided this image was too "un-epic" and too shameful for a "Savior."
> [Detected Host's desire is too vulgar.]
> [System Judgment: Inconsistent with "Middle-earth Hero" persona.]
> [System Correction Initiated.]
> [Forcing Image Overwrite...]
"NO! Don't touch my Happy Water! Leave the Wi-Fi alone!" Rove roared internally.
But it was too late. The image reassembled instantly, like shattering glass.
The cozy apartment vanished. Replacing it was the majestic parapet of Minas Tirith.
The Rove in the mirror was clad in heavy silver armor, wearing a crown, and holding the reforged sword Narsil. He stood at the highest point of the White City. Behind him, the banner of the White Tree fluttered; below him were countless cheering crowds and kneeling Orc captives. In the sky, Great Eagles circled, and Sauron's Dark Tower was collapsing in the distance.
The "Hero Rove" in the mirror raised the holy sword high, his eyes steely, radiating a suffocating aura of kingly dominance.
In reality, the corner of Rove's mouth twitched violently.
"Tacky. So tacky." He rolled his eyes massively at the mirror, all his previous emotion gone. "System, is your aesthetic stuck in the Middle Ages? Who wants to be a king these days? I want AC and takeout, not to be stuck in this dump polishing a sword every day!"
He turned decisively, putting his back to the mirror.
"What happened?" Ron asked curiously. "What did you see? Did you become a champion too? Or rich?"
"I saw a terrible lunch." Rove lied with a straight face, his tone filled with resentment toward the System. "And the waiter had a bad attitude; he wouldn't even give me a straw."
Harry and Ron looked at each other, completely baffled.
Just then, faint footsteps sounded from the corridor. Harry and Ron's faces changed; thinking it was Filch, they quickly grabbed Rove, pulled him under the Invisibility Cloak, and hurried out of the classroom.
Rove deliberately lagged a few steps behind. As a "Ranger" with detection skills, he had long sensed the powerful magical fluctuation in the corner of the classroom.
When Harry and Ron's footsteps faded, Rove stopped, turning to face the empty corner.
"Since you're here, why not come out and chat, old man?" Rove said to the shadows.
The air shimmered slightly, and a figure emerged from the gloom.
He had a long silver-white beard that could be tucked into his belt. He wore half-moon spectacles and purple robes. He held no wand, yet the aura radiating from him was ten thousand times stronger than that Troll.
> [WARNING: Maiar-Class Unit Approaching.]
> [Identity Identification: Albus Dumbledore / Gandalf the White.]
> [Danger Level: Extremely High (Friendly?).]
"Good evening, Mr. Baggins." Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling with wisdom behind his spectacles. "Many have wasted away before this mirror, entranced by what they saw."
He walked slowly to the mirror. Rove spoke up: "It is dangerous. It shows neither the future nor knowledge, but a poison that drowns the mind."
"Indeed." Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. I am glad to see you were not bewitched by it, even... showing a unique disdain."
"I'm just picky." Rove shrugged. "Its illusions are too flamboyant and lack logical support in reality."
Dumbledore seemed interested in this answer. "Flamboyant? That is a novel critique. Most see wealth, power, or lost loved ones."
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, Professor." Rove stole Dumbledore's line from the original story, which made the Headmaster's gaze soften even more (This child thinks exactly like I do!). "Especially when there is no Happy Water in the dream... er, I mean, nothing of true value. If one indulges in the fake glory of the mirror while forgetting there's a pile of potatoes waiting to be peeled in reality, that is the true tragedy."
Dumbledore walked to the mirror, took a deep look at himself within it, then turned back to gaze at Rove.
"You possess a clarity beyond your years, Mr. Baggins," Dumbledore said softly, with a hint of emotion. "Few at this age can resist the desires of their heart. It is a rare quality, more precious than any spell."
> [System Settlement:]
> [Mental Resistance Check Passed (Perfect).]
> [Achievement Unlocked: [The Sober Bystander].]
> [Dumbledore's Affinity Increased: He believes you are a child of firm will, perhaps a bit eccentric, but fundamentally kind and wise.]
> [Reward: Mental Resistance +3, Willpower +1.]
Rove smiled bitterly inside. Sober? No, I'm just desperate to escape this dangerous magical world. My desire is too simple, so simple that this magical world cannot even comprehend it.
"Off to bed with you, now." Dumbledore winked playfully. "And the Invisibility Cloak is a useful tool, but don't use it for mischief. Or to steal food from the kitchens."
"Of course, Headmaster." Rove bowed. "I was merely practicing my stealth skills, to better protect Hogwarts in the future."
"An interesting way to put it."
Watching Rove's retreating back, Dumbledore was thoughtful. He had never seen a student behave so indifferently, even disdainfully, before the Mirror of Erised.
"What an interesting child," the centenarian murmured to himself, his voice echoing in the empty classroom. "Perhaps he sees a landscape none of us have ever seen. Or perhaps, that really is a wonderful world without a Dark Lord."