Chapter 57: The Dangerous Creation of Merlin

"Professor, does it look like there are ripples on the mirror?" Following Daphne's pointing finger, Dumbledore and Snape turned to look at the mirror, which had stubbornly refused to change no matter what they tried. Sure enough, faint ripples were spreading across its surface. "Something's coming through!" Malfoy quickly stepped in front of Snape, as if to shield him. No sooner had he spoken than brown hair emerged from the mirror, like it was breaking the surface of water. Edward's entire body followed. Just as he was about to crash into Daphne, who hadn't had time to react, Edward executed a flawless 360-degree spin in midair, landing steadily on one hand. It was like something out of a superhero comic. "Impressive landing, Mr. Bedivere!" Dumbledore couldn't help but clap. Snape, Daphne, and Malfoy stared at him with bewildered expressions, as if wondering why the headmaster always seemed a bit unhinged. "Professor Dumbledore, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have touched the mirror," Edward said, quickly grasping the situation and stepping away from the mirror as he apologized. "Of course, I'm not blaming you, my boy. But Professor Snape, Miss Greengrass, and Mr. Malfoy might not feel the same," Dumbledore said with a twinkling smile. Edward already understood what had happened. This was far easier to wrap his head around than finding his way out of that church. Clearly, he hadn't made it back in time, so Daphne and Draco had followed his instructions and gone to Dumbledore. By chance, they'd run into Snape here too. The awkwardness of the moment made Edward want to curl his toes. What am I even doing? He quickly offered another round of humble apologies to the three. But whether it was the old viper or the two little snakes, their reactions were about the same—a cold huff, and they moved on. After all, everyone already knew the full story. "Ah, what a beautiful display of teacher-student bonds and classmates helping each other. I can't even remember the last time I saw such a scene in Slytherin," Dumbledore mused, ignoring Snape's venomous glare. "But now, perhaps you could tell us what you saw in the mirror, Mr. Bedivere?" A sharp glint flickered in the old man's eyes. "Before that, perhaps you should ask Miss Greengrass and Mr. Malfoy to leave. This doesn't concern them—" Snape began, only to be cut off by Dumbledore. "I think, since this remarkable coincidence has brought us together, why shouldn't they stay and listen? Unless, of course, they don't want to," he said, winking at the two students. Daphne and Draco nodded almost instantly. No matter how much they claimed to want to stay out of trouble, the curiosity of eleven-year-old teenagers was insatiable. They could tell Snape wasn't thrilled, but with the headmaster's word, they felt perfectly justified in staying. The two clever little snakes settled in with ease. Edward had no intention of holding back. He recounted everything—how he'd heard strange sounds, entered the mirror, and found himself in a mysterious space—sharing every detail with the four people present. The more specific he was, the closer they'd get to the truth. Dumbledore's expression remained calm, while Snape maintained his usual stern, slightly disdainful look. Daphne and Malfoy felt like they were hearing a fairy tale at first, then a ghost story, and instinctively edged a few steps away from the mirror. "That's about it, Professors," Edward said, finishing his account, followed by a long silence. Dumbledore was the first to speak. "You've made some remarkable discoveries, Mr. Bedivere. One of them being that we now know the origin of this mirror," he said with a sigh. "No wonder the Mirror of Erised can reflect a person's deepest desires. It was originally just a gift for Queen Guinevere." "A gift, yes, but a dangerous one," Snape added, raising an eyebrow. "Where you went, I can't say exactly, but it sounds strikingly similar to a place called the Mistveil Realm," Dumbledore said, studying the mirror closely. "We know very little about it. It's said to be a liminal space between worlds. The first we heard of it was from ghosts—some who, before dying, found themselves in a foggy place but quickly returned to the real world." "What about the church, King Arthur's tomb, and the Round Table Knights, sir?" Edward asked eagerly. Dumbledore shook his head, a trace of regret in his voice. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bedivere, I'm not all-knowing," he paused. "But one thing is certain—it's tied to your bloodline. Don't forget, you're a descendant of a Round Table Knight." "Perhaps that's your heart's deepest desire?" Daphne and Malfoy stood silently, almost invisible, struggling to process what Dumbledore had just said. "Well, we've uncovered enough secrets for one day. I'm sure you don't want to spend your entire Saturday evening with the headmaster and your Head of House. Dinner's about to start~" "And one more thing—about the person causing chaos in the castle, the professors will handle it," Dumbledore added after a moment. "Your safety is what matters most. Don't get yourselves caught up in danger." Edward knew that last part was directed at him—a polite way of telling him to stop stirring up trouble. "What are you all waiting for? Get to the Great Hall and eat!" Snape practically roared, shooing the three students out. "What a miserable afternoon, Dumbledore. A few Memory Charms would've been cleaner," Snape muttered as he closed the classroom door. "Learn to trust others, Severus. Or are you under a Memory Charm or Imperius Curse right now?" Dumbledore's tone turned sharp now that the students were gone. "Who's to say?" Snape shot back coldly. "What do we do with this mirror? A gateway to the Mistveil Realm, crafted by Merlin himself—where on earth did you find this thing?" "A fortunate accident," Dumbledore said briefly. "Despite today's mishap, I owe Mr. Bedivere my thanks. He's confirmed my suspicions—this mirror can do far more than just waste time." "I have an idea." With that, he pulled a slightly grubby parchment package from his robes and carefully unwrapped it. Inside lay a sparkling, translucent stone glowing with a blood-red light.