Chapter 23 - 23: 23: I don't need a mirror to tell me what I want

The next day, Sagres, who had stayed late in the Restricted Section, suddenly looked up, his expression turning strange. After listening intently for a moment, he sighed and walked toward the classroom where he had seen the Mirror of Erised the night before. Sure enough, Harry was there again—and he wasn't alone; he had even brought a companion. Sagres was somewhat speechless. Do Young Wizards from Gryffindor never consider the consequences? They encounter such an obviously magical item and dare to loiter in front of it every day without checking its function and origin in the Hogwarts Library? And even if Harry, a newcomer who had just stepped into the wizarding world, was ignorant, how could the red-haired Weasley be so unreliable? He even fought with Harry over the right to use the mirror! "Do you think this mirror can predict the future?" Ron asked curiously. A glimmer of expectation flashed in Harry's eyes, then vanished. "Impossible, my family is already dead... Uh, Ron, I want to look again." Ron stared intently at the mirror, saying without turning his head, "Last night you had the mirror all to yourself; now it's my turn to enjoy it." "Are you only thinking about your House Cup trophy? What's the point of that?" Harry reached out and pushed him. "I want to see my parents; they are very precious to me." "Don't push me. Maybe I can also see something special." "..." Sagres couldn't bear to listen any longer. He directly used Transfiguration to turn a helmet from a suit of armor in the corridor into Mrs Norris, then commanded her to burst into the abandoned classroom. Immediately, there was a commotion in the room, and the two Young Wizards quickly threw on their Invisibility Cloak and fled. Sagres was truly speechless. He felt that the Headmaster was utterly unreliable. How could he allow a first-year student to casually come into contact with something like this? It was like encouraging minors to take drugs! Harry Potter and these other Young Wizards were even more reckless. It was fortunate they were at Hogwarts—if they were in a place like Knockturn Alley, where Dark Wizards were more common, they might have been disassembled into parts and sold long ago. ... ... The third day. Sagres had a premonition. He put down the book in his hand and went to the abandoned classroom. As expected, he once again encountered Harry Potter. Harry sat blankly in front of the mirror, staring at it in a daze, so absorbed that he didn't notice Sagres walk up behind him. He watched his family in the mirror still waving and smiling at him. He felt happy, but he knew they could only ever appear in the mirror—and then, he felt immensely sad. With both feelings intertwined, Harry felt pain for the first time in his life. This was not Uncle Vernon's insults, nor Dudley's beatings, nor Aunt Petunia's mockery; it was a feeling he had never experienced before. Sagres did not use the Disillusionment Charm. He frowned, looking at Harry's back, silent for a long time. Sigh... "You're here again, Harry," Sagres finally said calmly. The Young Wizard's back immediately stiffened. A myriad of thoughts rushed through his mind: if he put on the Invisibility Cloak at top speed right now, would the other person think seeing him had just been an illusion? Harry didn't know how he turned his head, but when he saw Sagres standing behind him, he gave up all resistance. "A.. um.. Sorry, Professor. I…" Harry didn't continue, unsure what excuse to make. Sagres stood still, not moving closer. He simply spoke to him in a calm tone: "Like many others, you are immersed in the world of the Mirror of Desire." "I didn't know it was the 'Mirror of Desire'; I just saw my family in it…" Harry paused, then added dejectedly, "Actually, I can't even be sure that's my family. I just feel it in my heart—that it's them…" "Yes, that's its insidious and cunning part; it changes what's in the mirror according to people's deepest desires, luring them to indulge in it," Sagres said calmly. "Just like your friend Ron—what he saw was himself gaining glory and becoming the center of attention." "H-How do you know?" "Because I'm Sagres Greengrass." His expression was serious. "Desire has clouded your minds... It makes you casually trample on rules, unable to concentrate, and no longer remain vigilant. For this, Gryffindor will lose forty points." Harry lowered his head dejectedly, tears welling up in his eyes. He tried his best to hold them back, because he had a strange thought: he didn't want Professor Greengrass to think he was crying because of the lost points. The truth was, he wanted to cry because he might never be able to stand in front of this mirror and see his family again. Although they had only appeared before him less than three days ago, he might never see them again in this life. "I'm sorry, Professor…" "The points deduction isn't because you violated school rules, because I actually never liked Hogwarts' school rules," Sagres said calmly. "I just want to tell you that Hogwarts really only has one true rule, which is: never get caught red-handed when breaking them." Harry looked up at these words. "You were too careless, treating almost all Professors as slow-witted Trolls. For that, deducting ten points from each of you every time is already quite merciful," Sagres said solemnly, looking into his pale green eyes. "So I hope you'll be more clever in the future. Never underestimate everyone just because you have an Invisibility Cloak. Seriously, if you can understand this principle, then these forty points won't have been deducted for nothing." "Thank you, Professor Greengrass," Harry said earnestly. "As for this mirror…" Sagres's tone softened a little. "Its true name is the 'Mirror of Erised.'" "I'm not surprised at all that you're immersed in it! It would be strange if you could resist its temptation." "Why do you say that, Professor? I don't understand…" Harry asked, puzzled. "People are always vulnerable when facing their desires; they go mad for them, they sink into them, and they rush toward them without hesitation—even if they know it's fake," Sagres said, looking at Harry. "Just like everyone who has stood before this mirror. I'd guess very few have ever been able to escape its temptation." He waved his hand, and a gentle breeze lifted Harry from the ground and pushed him away from the mirror. "It is a very magical mirror, and also a very powerful magical item. But it neither tells us the truth nor increases our knowledge, so it is just an insidious and cunning magical mirror. For some people, it isn't even as useful as an ordinary mirror." Patting the young wizard's head, Sagres said earnestly, "I'll tell Dumbledore to have this mirror removed. Harry, don't try to find it again." "Professor... Professor Greengrass, can I ask you some questions?" "Of course. A professor's duty is to help you find answers." "What did you see in this mirror?" "I never look into this mirror, Harry; I don't need a mirror to tell me what I want," Sagres said with a rare smile. "I hope the same for you." Harry nodded in surprise. For a moment, he even thought the professor might be lying, but when he looked up and saw his smile, he understood that the professor was telling the truth. "Now, go back. Put on your Invisibility Cloak, tread lightly, avoid Filch and his cat, and get a good night's sleep." He looked into Harry's eyes and said seriously, "The coming days might be a bit difficult, but as long as you choose to, you can always let it go." Harry nodded firmly, then picked up his Invisibility Cloak. Sagres waved his hand, watching the boy leave the classroom.