#common privet

[hellsitegenetics]

My favorite animal? Well it would have to be the tailless whip scorpion. Why? By all accounts its a monster. The long pedipalps, its whip like legs, its speed, and propensity to hide in dark, damp, and narrow places.

But these certain arachnids are gentle. They have families that they can recognize. They have their own dance. In a world of apes, octopuses, and birds could something so small be so intelligent? Is that intelligence?

String identified: at aa? t a t t ta c. ? a acct t a t. T g a, t g, t , a t t a, a, a a ac.

t t cta aac a gt. T a a tat t ca cg. T a t ac. a a, ct, a c tg a tgt? tat tgc?

Closest match: Ligustrum vulgare genome assembly, chromosome: 8 Common name: Common privet

[hellsitegenetics]

String identified: c , a t t a ca t t ca t gt, t at aa t a at tat ,t a a a cc a a t a cc c ca. t a t act at a. T gca tg t t at t ct t t t t t at a tct t. t tat t t G A at t t a c a g:( t a t a t ctt… ac t t aat g.. a t… t a ctc tgt….. G A

Closest match: Ligustrum vulgare genome assembly, chromosome: 10 Common name: Wild Privet

(image source)

I fucked up

[taliseby]

Say My Name

Terms of endearment/petnames for their GF

Inc. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Law, Kid, Ace, Sabo. Implied Chubby!Fem!Reader

Warnings/Content: Nothin! Fluff/sfw. Uses of feminine names (Princess, pretty girl, woman, etc)

Monkey D. Luffy

Your name/nickname he's given you: Pretty self explanatory, luffy is a simple guy and usually just resorts to using your name or a nickname. He gives everyone nicknames, it's his thing. Most of all though, he loves your name. He'll use it more than anything else. 

Baby: Simple, classic, and easy to remember. Probably the one he uses secondary. Mostly to get out of trouble or softened you up for something. You'll know he's feeling lovey when he gives you a sweet “Babyyyy~” and a gummy smile. 

Peaches: This one is a rarity and it's effect is just as delicate. He definitely doesn't use it often and it tends to only come out when he's worried about you or you guys are alone. He just thinks you're sweet as a peach and thinks the name fits you well. “Come on, peaches, get up!”

Roronoa Zoro

Your name: Also a big user of just your first name. Sometimes it can seem cold or even distant, but the truth is that he likes your name more than any term of endearment. It suits you and makes his heart race when he hears someone else say it. When others say your name, his head immediately pivots to see what is being said. 

Woman: Yep…unfortunately. This is a common word in his vocabulary for you. No matter how many times you scold or hit him for it, he won't stop using it. Mainly when he's annoyed or needs your attention quick. He likes the scowl you send his way when he uses it. “Woman, let's check out the bar.” “Come on, woman.” “Woman.” 

Pretty/Pretty girl: Oh ain't he sweet. Only really uses this in privet settings. He's already not big on pda or anything like that so you'll only hear this when you're alone. Explanation? He thinks you're pretty. In fact, you're the prettiest woman he's ever met and he wants you to know that. You're his pretty girl and you deserve the world. “Oh, come on, pretty girl. You know I didn't mean it.” “So sweet to me, aren't you, pretty?”

Vinsmoke Sanji

Darling: Now, this man has a treasure trove of petnames for you. He's constantly switching it up and using ones to see what you like most. But Darling is dear to his heart. His darling.~ He loves it so much because it sounds so nice and makes his heart flutter remembering that he finally got the girl. 

Princess: You're his princess through and through. The one he protects and acts like a knight in shining armor for. This one is used a bit more casually than the others, usually just naturally slipping off his tongue. Honestly, probably his go to just because it's simple and yet elegant. It describes perfectly how he sees you. “Princesssssss! Is there anything you need? Can I get you anything?” 

Sweet pea: Not too common but definitely an attention grabber. Mostly uses this when you help him cook or you're attention is elsewhere. He'll throw you a little “Hey, sweet pea?” And melts when you respond. 

Angel: Feels also self explanatory. You aren't JUST his princess, you're his angel. I mean, you picked him of all people to love, that much make you an angel.

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Your name: Another victim of name dropping. Mostly just when you are around others because God forbid anyone knows he's capable of love. He's just a privet guy and prefers to leave the softer, lovey names for when it's just you together. 

Brat (affectionately): Usually when he feels you aren't listening. He'll pinch the bridge of his nose and call you a brat while trying to stave off a headache and a smile. Also uses it when he'd scolding you. 

Babe: Simple and nice. He uses it more casually, often if you're helping him with work. 

My heart: Okay, I know this one is really common but it just suits him so well! Only said in the dim hours of the night, when he thinks you're asleep. Every time he says it he feels so vulnerable, even if you can't hear him. The sweet name mumbles into the skin of your temple before he's drifting off to sleep.

Eustass “Captain” Kid

Lass: OKAY HEAR ME OUT!! This specific nickname went away after a while. Mostly used condescendingly but occasionally with concern if you got hurt. Once he was more comfortable with you he definitely switched things up. Ex. “Bring the lass here!” “Come on, lass. Lighten up a bit, would ya?” “I’m sorry, lass, do you need a bandaid?” 

Babe/Baby: Pretty interchangeable for him. His most common term of endearment for you because it's the least embarrassing for him to say. He may be a cocky bastard, but he's so embarrassed about being open about your relationship. He IS open about it, but it never fails to leave a dusting of pink on his cheeks. 

Brat: Used just as much as babe/baby because to him it means the same thing. “Come here, brat.” “What did you say, brat??” “You're lucky you're cute, brat.” “...love you too…brat.”

Portgas D. Ace

Babe: Go to. It's the most common name he's heard others use, so he kind of just adopted it when you started dating. Honestly, he kind of loves using it too. Getting to call you his babe just makes him feel warm (and not from his devil fruit.)

Cutie: He likes how flustered it gets you. Calling you cutie makes that heat rise to your cheeks and he just adores it. Loves cupping your face in his hands and feeling the warmth of your cheeks as he coos the name. “Aww, cutie, are you flustered?” 

Firefly/Hotstuff/firecracker/etc: Man thinks he's funny. He also loves using silly references to his devil fruit because it makes you smile.

“Revolutionary” Sabo

Love/My love: You're his love. His heart. The apple of his eye. This endearment just comes so naturally to him that it's what he uses most. He often lowers his voice when he says it, meant for your attention alone. ���My love, can I have a moment?” “Thank you for the help, love.” Could you hold my hat, love?” 

Pretty girl: Another user of the sweet name. Like Zoro, he really just thinks you're pretty. He'll kiss you on the cheek or shoulder and smile at you while saying the term of endearment in a sweet tone. “Sorry I was gone so long, pretty girl. I missed you.” 

Your name: Another common user of your name. He just loves saying your name. Honestly see him as the type to say something like “My (name)” just because you are his. His love, his pretty girl, his.

[vestaignis]

Люцерновая пчела-листорез (Megachile rotundata)

Люцерновая пчела-листорез относится к подроду Eutricharia, «маленькие пчелы-листорезы», длина их тела составляет 6–9 мм (0,24–0,35 дюйма).  Ячейки своих гнёзд, содержащих одно яйцо и запас пыльцы, выстилают кусочками листьев люцерны, роз, шиповника, бирючины. Эти вырезаемые ими кусочки имеют округлую форму и вреда растению такие надрезы не приносят, так как пчёлы не нарушают их сосудистую систему. Мед и крупных колоний пчелы-листорезы не образует, но являются важными опылителеми многих цветковых растений, включая такие важные культуры, как люцерна посевная, морковь и другие. 

Megachile rotundata( мегахила шмелевидная) демонстрируют половой диморфизм, при котором самцы меньше самок и имеют разные окраски. У самок белые волосы по всему телу, в том числе и на области скопа. Напротив, у самцов на брюшке есть белые и желтые пятна. Они частично бивольтинны, что означает, что при правильных условиях они могут производить два поколения в год. Отличительная особенность пчелы -листореза— короткий жизненный цикл. Самка живет около двух месяцев, самцы – не более четырех недель. Встречаются эти пчелы довольно часто и распространены по всему миру.

Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee (Megachile rotundata)

The Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee belongs to the subgenus Eutricharia, the "little leafcutters", and is 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) long. They line the cells of their nests, which contain one egg and a supply of pollen, with pieces of alfalfa, rose, rose hips, and privet leaves. These cut pieces are round in shape and do not cause harm to the plant, since the bees do not disrupt its vascular system. Leafcutter bees do not form honey or large colonies, but they are important pollinators of many flowering plants, including such important crops as alfalfa, carrots, and others.

Megachile rotundata (bumblebee megachile) exhibit sexual dimorphism, with males being smaller than females and having different colors. Females have white hair all over their bodies, including the osprey area. In contrast, males have white and yellow spots on their abdomens. They are partially bivoltine, meaning that under the right conditions they can produce two generations per year. A distinctive feature of the leafcutter bee is its short life cycle. The female lives for about two months, while males live for no more than four weeks. These bees are quite common and are found throughout the world.

Источник: //pictureinsect.com/ru/wiki/Megachile_rotundata.html, //www.dobryj-pasechnik.ru/public/o_pchelah/89.html, //dzen.ru/a/ XmvNYljHJGwOQmwD, //animals.pibig.info/48030-pchela-listorezka. html.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

I don't remember if Harry is a Morning person or not, I feel like he is pretty grumpy

Well, I ended up writing about Harry's sleep habits in general since it was interesting to me, so you're getting a little more than you bargained for here.

Harry is often mentioned waking up early. He is probably used to it from the Dursleys and whenever he's excited or anxious even more so:

Harry woke at five o’clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn’t want to walk into the station in his wizard’s robes — he’d change on the train. 

(PS, Ch6)

Harry woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. He was nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy. 

(CoS, Ch10)

Harry woke early next morning, wrapped in a sleeping bag on the drawing room floor. A chink of sky was visible between the heavy curtains: It was the cool, clear blue of watered ink, somewhere between night and dawn, and everything was quiet except for Ron and Hermione’s slow, deep breathing. Harry glanced over at the dark shapes they made on the floor beside him.

(DH, Ch10)

When he's nervous or anxious he also struggles to fall asleep to begin with, and doesn't sleep a lot at all:

Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with the same question. Neville was snoring loudly, but Harry couldn’t sleep. He tried to empty his mind — he needed to sleep, he had to, he had his first Quidditch match in a few hours — but the expression on Snape’s face when Harry had seen his leg wasn’t easy to forget.

(PS, Ch11)

A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they’d ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the House Cup. Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. How could they ever make up for this? Harry didn’t sleep all night.

(PS, Ch15)

“Harry, you — you look terrible.” Harry hadn’t gotten to sleep until daybreak. 

(PoA, Ch11)

He thought of the letter he had written to Sirius before leaving Privet Drive. Would Sirius have gotten it yet? When would he reply? Harry lay looking up at the canvas, but no flying fantasies came to him now to ease him to sleep, and it was a long time after Charlie’s snores filled the tent that Harry finally dozed off.

(GoF, Ch9)

Feeling disappointed, Harry threw the book back into his trunk, turned off the lamp, and rolled over, thinking of werewolves and Snape, Stan Shunpike and the Half-Blood Prince, and finally falling into an uneasy sleep full of creeping shadows and the cries of bitten children. ...

(HBP, Ch16)

Harry did not sleep well that night. He lay awake for what felt like hours, wondering how Malfoy was using the Room of Requirement and what he, Harry, would see when he went in there the following day

(HBP, Ch21)

And he seems to get up and get ready immediately when he gets up, he doesn't dwindle in bed and struggles to wake up:

Harry woke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that he would at least meet Ron and Hermione tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express. He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and was just wondering where he’d have lunch, when someone yelled his name and he turned.

(PoA, Ch4)

Even when he is startled awake by something happening:

Harry woke as suddenly as though he’d been hit in the face. Disoriented in the total darkness, he fumbled with his hangings — he could hear movements around him, and Seamus Finnigan’s voice from the other side of the room: “What’s going on?”

(PoA, Ch13)

Early next morning, Harry woke with a plan fully formed in his mind, as though his sleeping brain had been working on it all night. He got up, dressed in the pale dawn light, left the dormitory without waking Ron, and went back down to the deserted common room.

(GoF, Ch15)

And he doesn't really sleep in late (unless he didn't sleep at all the night before, which happens a few times). At least not that I could find. The only time he seems to be sleepy and wants to stay in bed lazily I could find is when he is given a dreamless sleep potion:

Harry took the goblet and drank a few mouthfuls. He felt himself becoming drowsy at once. Everything around him became hazy; the lamps around the hospital wing seemed to be winking at him in a friendly way through the screen around his bed; his body felt as though it was sinking deeper into the warmth of the feather matress. Before he could finish the potion, before he could say another word, his exhaustion had carried him off to sleep. Harry woke up, so warm, so very sleepy, that he didn’t open his eyes, wanting to drop off again. The room was still dimly lit; he was sure it was still nighttime and had a feeling that he couldn’t have been asleep very long.

(GoF, Ch36)

It also seems that once he's awake (even if very early) Harry struggles falling back asleep:

Harry fumbled for his alarm clock and looked at it. It was half past four. Cursing Peeves, he rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but it was very difficult, now that he was awake, to ignore the sounds of the thunder rumbling overhead, the pounding of the wind against the castle walls, and the distant creaking of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. In a few hours he would be out on the Quidditch field, battling through that gale. Finally, he gave up any thought of more sleep, got up, dressed, picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand, and walked quietly out of the dormitory.

(PoA, Ch9)

And all of this makes sense. Trauma and PTSD can affect sleep very negatively. Since OotP, Harry has many uneasy, nightmare-filled nights:

Harry had a troubled night’s sleep. 

(OotP, Ch10)

In the meantime, he had nothing to look forward to but another restless, disturbed night, because even when he escaped nightmares about Cedric he had unsettling dreams about long dark corridors, all finishing in dead ends and locked doors, which he supposed had something to do with the trapped feeling he had when he was awake. 

(OotP, Ch1)

After two nights of little sleep, Harry’s senses seemed more alert than usual.

(DH, Ch19)

Actually, the nightmares and restless nights are there prior to OotP too, this kid is so traumatized:

Harry wished he could forget what he’d seen in the mirror as easily, but he couldn’t. He started having nightmares. Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.

(PS, Ch13)

As I mentioned, Harry doesn't sleep well when he's anxious, stressed, or excited, and for this kid, it's basically always. So, I think Harry tends to wake up on the earlier side of things and is capable of functioning decently (if angrier) on little to no sleep.

Since I was looking for info on Harry's sleep, apparently, depending on the position he falls asleep in, he snores, loudly:

Harry Potter was snoring loudly. He had been sitting in a chair beside his bedroom window for the best part of four hours, staring out at the darkening street, and had finally fallen asleep with one side of his face pressed against the cold windowpane, his glasses askew and his mouth wide open.

(HBP, Ch3)

(As a general note, Ron and Neville snore too)

[robbie-roo]

here's more >:)

here's a bunch of my field notebook doodles and notes before it got too hectic to illustrate

particularly proud of those last two I'm ngl

[transgenderer]

kudzu has such a reputation as an inevitable threat, like its common in near-future sci fi for kudzu to have become massively out of control and grown everywhere but its been around for a long time now, and its like. obviously fine. i mean its not GREAT but its not like a *huge deal*. anyway i wanted to see if i was right about this and i am:

its like. its fine

In news media and scientific accounts and on some government websites, kudzu is typically said to cover seven million to nine million acres across the United States. But scientists reassessing kudzu’s spread have found that it’s nothing like that. In the latest careful sampling, the U.S. Forest Service reports that kudzu occupies, to some degree, about 227,000 acres of forestland, an area about the size of a small county and about one-sixth the size of Atlanta. That’s about one-tenth of 1 percent of the South’s 200 million acres of forest. By way of comparison, the same report estimates that Asian privet had invaded some 3.2 million acres—14 times kudzu’s territory. Invasive roses had covered more than three times as much forestland as kudzu.

And though many sources continue to repeat the unsupported claim that kudzu is spreading at the rate of 150,000 acres a year—an area larger than most major American cities—the Forest Service expects an increase of no more than 2,500 acres a year.

The hype didn’t come out of nowhere. Kudzu has appeared larger than life because it’s most aggressive when planted along road cuts and railroad embankments—habitats that became front and center in the age of the automobile. As trees grew in the cleared lands near roadsides, kudzu rose with them. It appeared not to stop because there were no grazers to eat it back. But, in fact, it rarely penetrates deeply into a forest; it climbs well only in sunny areas on the forest edge and suffers in shade.

kind of a painfully on the nose metaphor for the way the appearance of things swamps the actual truth of thing in "common knowledge". the growth pattern of kudzu is *literally* superficial

[flowerishness]

Ligustrum vulgare (common privet) and Papilio rutulus (western tiger swallowtail butterfly)

Privet hedges are usually closely clipped into boxy shapes but, as you can see, I've really let this one go. Actually, I do trim it a bit. If it grows forward of the compost box, I cut it back. Otherwise, I'm sure it would take over the whole garden.

This privet is growing along the back fence as a 'privacy screen'. I can't see my neighbors and they can't see me. We both like it that way. On their side they've planted a row of cedars for the same reason. As Robert Frost once said, "Good fences make good neighbors."

I'm not the only one who appreciates this privet hedge. I watched this western tiger swallowtail flit around for five minutes, in a garden full of flowers, before it zeroed in on the privet. I posted a similar photo with this same species of butterfly on the same hedge a couple of years ago. I can't even imagine what goes on in a western tiger swallowtail's mind but one thing I do know for sure - they really like this privet hedge.

[a-sad-mage]

Shane Gang Head Cannons because brain rot

[Feel free to add]

Eli never got his GED(obviously he was 15 when he took the Drop)

But this also translates to Slugterra as well seeing as how no one makes much of a fuss about the Shane being a 15 year old kid who probably should be in school

Between the Episodes "The World Beneath our feet(1&2)" and "Shadows & Light", Kord, Trixie and Pronto pick up on the fact Eli, despite being Will Shane's son, dose not know a whole lot about Slugterra.

more accurately, certain little things most kids around Eli's age learn real early, like The Slug Run, how tricky it is to trap slugs, that in tournaments you lose a slug if you lose, Blakk and the SlugTarran Express and a hand full more, are not common knowledge to the young Shane. Because anyone with access to the SlugNet and a TV should know these things

However after "Shadows & Light" when Eli says he was home sick on the lesson about Slug energy being the key to a Caverns survival, and Bullseye being the center of Slugterra, the team realizes their resident Shane did not in fact receive standard education

this is because those are simple, easy things that are recapped, like every school year in Slugterra's education system set up

This then prompts the gang covertly asking Eli questions about stuff, seeing if he's right or wrong, and then correcting him

to take it a step further, for educational slugisodes, Trixie asks Eli to do the research/help write the script

no one blames him, because Eli was probably homeschooled by his dad,

but even then, The Will Shane forgetting to each his son something as important as Slug energy's connection to the Caverns put a tiny little crack in their perception of the man

Kord is the one who teaches Eli how to shave

Eli has a small privet cry over that

The guy's have had to physically restrain Trixie from punching/shooting a Slug at people(mostly sexist men), on more than one occasion

They let her do it once because that one particular guy had it coming

Pronto is the best cook, his Cave Crawler special is just something his mom used to make and he loves it, and wants to share that with his friends :)

Eli keeps the letter his dad wrote on him at all times, and when he's feeling anxious he reads it.

every one has read the letter, by accident and Eli has no clue

Pronto has tried to get the others hooked on "Kisses from a Hoverbug" Kord is the only one interested

Kord has drunk motor oil, twice, once to know what it tastes like, and once on a dare

Trixie, as the only girl on the team, get's priority when it comes to the bathroom

Eli has eaten slug food, twice, once to know what it tastes like, and once on a dare

Eli hums songs from the surface sometimes

Kord has more than one helmet, just in case

Pronto has a comical amounts of bandanas and neck scarfs, to the point he could pull off the endless scarf gag most magicians do

Trixie dared Eli to eat slug food or be called a cowered

Since Pronto sleep walks: each member of the Team has gotten up in the middle of the night for something, is at first perturbed by it, but by the third/fifth time, the use it as prime prank opportunity

Trixie dared Kord to drink motor oil or be called a cowered

Eli is banned from certain searches on the SlugNet

not for anything he did, the team just want him to stay ignorant to certain things, like thirst traps of his dad, and Will Shane x Thaddius Blakk fanfic his devices literally have parental locks just to make sure

^ this is referring to a post I saw about there being thirst traps of Will Shane, and crack theory's, like Eli actually being Blakk's son having a lil' rebellious phase on the SlugNet + some other stuff. I don't remember who made the post, but if your reading this, it lives rent free in my head, and I love you (platonically)

Over the course their friendship, before the events of 'A Distant Shore' the team has bets on what Cavern Eli is actually from because they do not buy the "Oh uh I was raised in a secret Cavern" excuse the more they get to know Eli Shane.

Hero worship be damned Trixie will punch Will Shane

If he's feeling sad, Eli wares the hoodie he was wearing when he fist took the drop

he wears it for three days following the events of "The New Kid"

^ The hoodie thing takes inspiration from a fic I read, I can't find it rn but if i do ill link it.

After the events of 'A Distant Shore' and learning the Burning World is, in fact real, Trixie, Kord and Pronto wonder what other myths might be true

Eli has a silent freakout in "The New Kid' because of Twist's Slug's name being Loki, like the Norse god of tricks. how and why?

Kord has been wanting to make jetpacks since he was a kid

The Mecha, Mecha Beast the team built in 'Roboslugs' reminded Eli of a Megazord from Power Rangers, and it took everything not to quote PR

Pronto likes to garden

the slugs like to eat whatever is in Pronto's garden

Pronto has 'successfully navigated the Caverns of Time, not once but TWICE' in his bio of all platforms he's on.

There is a tally on how many fire's Eli and Burpy start

Its currently in the triple digits

They have a 'days without incident' sign

the record is 2 days

[anxiousnerdwritings]

Muggleborn!Dursley!Reader introduces Blaise Zabini to video games during the summer they spent together at 4 Privet Drive when Mrs. Zabini was on yet another honeymoon

I personally don’t think the Zabini’s are blood purist. I feel like they’re a more sophisticated version of Horace Slughorn who collects talented and well connected people.

Yesss!! First, I wanna say I’m really loving the Blaise x Muggleborn!Dursley!Reader dynamic! I honestly really just love the idea of Dursley!Reader with the whole Slytherin crew in general (Mattheo and Enzo included). And just them all being overprotective and possessive of their Muggleborn!darling, platonic or romantic. Especially someone so closely related to Harry cause you know it gets an irate reaction from him.

I love to imagine that Blaise and Dursley!Reader had so much fun with one another during their summer together. The Reader is just so happy and excited to show their classmate/housemate muggle stuff, meanwhile Blaise is honestly just happy and content seeing them so excited and open to share parts of their life outside of school with him.

Like, I could see the Reader having persuaded Petunia and Vernon into taking them all to the zoo, or the movies, or a museum. Heck, even to just drop them off at a muggle park. If Petunia and or Vernon wouldn’t take them then Blaise would just have his Squib driver take them instead. Harry of course is coming along whether he’s welcome to or not, meanwhile Dudley is too freaked out to/being kept back by Vernon, not to mention both Blaise and Harry make it pretty clear that he isn’t invited either way.

Dursley!Reader would have totally taught Blaise to play video games. They even go as far as gifting him one of Dudley’s old gaming systems or gameboys that fortunately still works. At first they lended it to him during his stay so they could play together but when the day comes for him to leave back home, the Reader tells him to keep it if he wants. And when I say that Blaise would treasure it, I fucking mean it. That boy would play it all the time back home and his mom probably wouldn’t even bat an eye at it or she just tells him to make sure none of the other purebloods see him with it, not like they’ll know what exactly it is. Even at school, Blaise would find a way to sneak playing on it. Hell, he’d honestly end up playing it out in the open not caring too much about what anyone says or thinks.

I can’t help but imagine Blaise’s reaction to either having used the gameboy so much that it stops working or because it’s an older one it just stops working one day. I could see him kind of freaking out and inwardly panicking at first, like oh shit he broke the first and so far only gift that his darling’s ever given him. He would spend so much time trying to figure how to fix it by hand before he realizes he could just use magic to do something about it. I could even see him reaching out to some of the professors to fix it if he was really desperate enough. Like, I imagine him just laying it in front of Snape one day after class and neither of them saying anything, only having a conversation with looks before Snape sighs and takes it, later returning it completely fixed to Blaise in the common room or the next time he’s in potions class.

[dream-with-a-fever]

but i’m a fire and i’ll keep your brittle heart warm (snippet)

by dream-with-a-fever (me) / societysgot (ao3)

harry/ginny, oneshot, canon compliant, missing moments during OotP

“So, I take it that cave in the mountains outside Hogsmeade wouldn’t work as a meeting place with Sirius?” She said, bringing them back to their conversation in the library.

Harry shook his head. “Definitely not — how did you know about that?”

“I’m really into mountain hiking,” She replied, without missing a beat.

Harry gave her a quizzical look before her face broke out into a smile, and she laughed.

“I’m joking - I've never done it,” She said, with a snort, “Hermione mentioned doing it with her family once — no, Sirius told me about it over the summer, back at Grimmauld place.”

“You and Sirius talked?”

For some reason he hadn’t even considered the fact that the Weasleys had been staying there for several weeks before Harry’s arrival. Jealousy bubbled in him momentarily, at the thought of them all spending their summer together, while he was stuck in privet drive. They had probably shared meals, swapped stories, made jokes. He vaguely remembered the youngest Weasley holding court up one end of the table on a particular evening, chatting animatedly with Remus, Tonks and Sirius. She had almost seemed like one of the crew. He just hadn't given it much thought until now.

She gave him a quizzical look, and he realised he must’ve been silent for a beat too long.

“Yeah, is that… alright with you?”

He forced out a laugh. “Yeah- erm, of course. I just didn’t think — I don’t know.”

“Well, he’s cool. Got a great muggle music collection. You’d probably know some of ‘em? There’s one band — super good called The Beatle and—”

“The Beatles.”

“What?”

Harry suppressed a smile. “Never mind.”

“They're really good. But, he mainly talks about you, you know,” She said, after a beat, “Raves about you actually.”

Harry sighed, like this was a real inconvenience.

"Oh, I am sorry," said Harry, fighting back a grin.

"I told him, I said Sirius, I haven't got all day - but the man's relentless. Wanted to know everything."

“That must’ve been terribly boring.”

“Very," She hummed, noncommittally. "You know, Harry Potter — famously boring.”

“Glad you agree.”

“Well, we can’t have everyone inflating your ego now, can we?”

Harry spluttered for a moment, before she continued.

“Not that a bit more arrogance on your part would be bad. You could be a lot worse. Look at Percy.”

“Thanks, Ginny.”

“Very welcome,” She said, breezily before clapping her hands together, “Anyway — if the cave isn’t an option, and all the fires are being guarded…”

“Well…not all of them,” Harry said, a look of realisation crossing his face.

When he looked up she was grinning widely at him, eyebrows raised. It was then that he looked around, and realised they were outside the Gryffindor common room — the trek from the library was like muscle memory to him now, and still their arrival had come as a shock to him.

The fat lady was chatting animatedly with her friend Violet from another portrait when they approached; both shrieking with laughter like a couple of hyenas, passing a bottle back and forth of some kind of mead that most certainly was not from the fat lady’s portrait. They were completely obvious to the two students stood outside.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your study session,” Ginny suddenly said, scrunching up her nose, looking rather guilty, “I know you need all the time you can get, you know, with the OWLs coming up so soon.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Have a lot of faith in my academic ability then, do you?”

She choked out a laugh, whipping her auburn hair out of her eyes. “Not what I meant and you know it. Though if you hanging around Ron every minute of every day is any indication of your intelligence…”

“Pretty sure you spend more time with him than me,” Harry replied, looking aghast.

“Yeah — because he’s my brother - I'm stuck with him, aren't I? But you voluntarily spend every waking moment with him. I mean, think of all the brain cells you must have lost already…”

“See, that’s—”

“But there’s still time to save yourself from ruin, I reckon. Just gotta get back to the books.”

“Well, that’ll be hard, seeing as you got me banned from going back into the library ever again…”

She elbowed him hard in the side, and Harry looked up, surprised at the contact. But Ginny seemed unfazed - like this was nothing out of the ordinary.

“I think I’ll take that chocolate egg back then,” She demanded, flicking a curtain of red hair behind her.

Harry scoffed. “Pretty sure you already ate most of it—”

And that earned him his second jab in the ribs. He glanced down at his feet, suppressing a grin.

Their slight cofuffle had caught the attention of the fat lady who now, having finally noticed their presence, began to complain at their frankly insulting dawdling (‘I don’t have all day, you two!’)

They parted ways in the common room; Crookshanks trotting over to the youngest Weasley the second she had stepped through the door; Harry making his way up to the boys’ dormitories.

He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

(Unbeknownst to Harry, it was the best sleep he had had in weeks.)

[saintsenara]

What are your thoughts on the Drudley ship? Is it cute or extra cute? 👀 I am inclined towards seeing the Draco/Dudley pairing as very angsty, complicated, and somewhat toxic, from the amazing fics I’ve read about them so far. I enjoy the potential Draco and Dudley have to grow from their toxic canon selves through being forced into close proximity together, and the redemption arcs I’ve read them each going through in Drudley fics! How would Drudley rank in terms of your favorite Draco ships?

thank you very much for the ask, @potterblog!

i back it. we know from canon that draco enjoys surrounding himself with lads who are massive. we know from canon that what dudley looks for in a man is a slightly rodentine appearance. and we know from canon that boxer!dudley is enormous and ripped and draco is pointy and weak. they'd be making heart eyes at each other within seconds.

[plus, dudley is also locked into a weird love-hate spiral with harry, so they have that in common.]

the best part, though? the concept of narcissa vs petunia on the topic of their darling boys. or lucius vs vernon when the former pulls up to privet drive in a flying rolls royce.

i'd read it.

[tedwardremus]

2024 Year In Review

This year I came back to fandom with a vengence I never knew was possible.

I published 336,619 words to AO3 in 2024 (This doesn't count my tumblr only fics/drabbles which is crazy to think about. )

I made Harry Potter Social Media AUs and moodboards

Had some fun with House Elf Hotties, ToadButter, and the @nenaandmeldetectiveagency

But most importantly this year has brought me new friends. I would tag you all and thank you for a wonderful year but I would be too embarssed and ashamed if I missed anyone. Please know that I love all of you and thank you for making this year fun.

In 2025 I look forward to finishing the Remadora Lighthouse AU, starting the sequel to Rage Against the Dying of the Light and continue my First War one shot series about the members of the Order of the Pheonix.

My 2024 fan fic review below the cut:

Rage Against The Dying Of The Light - In a universe where James and Lily Potter survive Voldemort’s attack on Halloween night. Most of wizarding society is enjoying newfound peace after a decade of war, except the young heroes who fought the war learn you can never really go back to the way things were before

Padfoot in Privet Drive - Sirius Black follows Harry to Privet Drive after the Triwizard Tournament.

Querencia - The time Lily, James, and Harry spent as a family in their little house in the West Country was far too brief, but it was overfilled with love, laughter, and, above all, life.

30 Times James Potter Thought He Was Going To Die and 1 Time He Did  - 31 microfics for Jilytober

It’s here. Now’s the time. I tell myself I’ll be fine -

It was a normal feeling to be nervous, a rite of passage for any mother or father. After all, eleven years old wasn’t that mature—children at that age were still so small, so dependent on their parents for guidance, comfort, and care.

Hope Lupin hugs her son goodbye before he boards the Hogwarts Express.

Interesting House Guests - (Or The time Sirius invited the lads to spend the week at Grimmauld Place)

Tipping The Scales - James helps Lily get back something that is hers from the Slytherin dorms.

Does Permanent Mean Forever? - It is James Potter’s seventeenth birthday, and to commemorate the occasion, he proposes to the gang that they go out and get tattooed.

Your Friend, James - It is the summer before their 7th year, and Lily and James spend the entire holiday writing letters to each other as their relationship slowly changes from friends to something more.

Rumor Has It  - Severus doesn’t believe the rumors that Lily finally agreed to go out with James Potter.

A Happy Thought - The 7th-year Defense Against the Dark Arts Class learns the Patronus Charm. James is shocked to learn what Lily’s Patronus is.

Awful Euphemisms- Lily and James exchange laughs while discovering a new level of intimacy.

An Academic Study of Dungeon Dwellers - It was common knowledge that when the weather turned warm, students were impossible to teach and used their precious free time to soak up the sun and enjoy the outdoors. Unless of course, you were the Girlfriendus Potterus, also known by her common name, Lily Evans, who—despite the migration of most students to the sun-drenched grounds—had yet to leave the castle’s confines.

The Office Party - Petunia hoped that staying in London for Christmas would make her seem important. She imagined her parents would talk about her endlessly, telling Lily all about her new, sophisticated life in the city. How big and important she’d become. She didn't imagine that she'd meet the love of her life while at the office Christmas party.

Three Lemons and a Dragon - Once upon a time there lived a Prince named James who had to save his father’s Kingdom by getting married. One day an older woman gifts him three lemons that will lead him to his true love.

Erasmus Lovegoods’s Guide to Brewing Love Potions -At the start of every school year, the Ministry of Magic distributed leaflets to all students taking potions classes regarding the regulations and legality of highly controlled potions.

I’ll Meet You After Dark - An Alternate Universe where the Statute of Secrecy hasn’t been enacted yet. Tensions between the magical and non-magical communities are high.

My dog said I can’t go out with you - Lily had been waiting patiently for James to ask her out for the first Hogsmeade weekend of the term. Sirius insists she turn James down so Sirius can hang out with her instead. (it’s all part of Sirius’ greater matchmaking plan)

Tranquil Solitude (Until You Came Along)- All Lily wanted to do was take a nice, quiet swim on a hot day. And then James Potter showed up. And Lily had already removed her clothes for the private swim.

Midnight Train To London - An escaped yeti causes a magical snow storm that leaves the Hogwarts Express stranded without any power. Head students Lily and James take charge and bring a little holiday cheer to the students trapped on the train.

Summer Fling Don’t Mean A Thing - Lily and James meet at a potions camp over the summer and have a fling. James promises to write to her when the summer is over, but he never does. Then Hogwarts hosts an academic competition inviting all the top students from around the country to attend, including students from Cockersand Coven Academy, the school that Lily happens to attend.

This Town Is Fake But You’re The Real Thing - Teen radio star Lily Evans works for a show on the wizarding wireless network called, The Marauders. The teen soap drama stars James Potter as an arrogant school jock and centers on the secret adventures of his friends in the forbidden forest as illegal animagus and a werewolf. The show’s antagonist, played by Severus Snape, left after a scandal, and now Lily has a romantic storyline with James in the final season of the show. Basically, her life is a disaster.

Field Study - Lily and James get left behind on a deserted island after A Care of Magical Creatures field trip.

These things that are pleasin’ you can hurt you somehow  - Lily is stuck in potions for a classroom disturbance she didn’t cause.

In walks James Potter who she had been avoiding all week.

White Winter Hymnals - Holiday themed jily snippets from age eleven to adulthood

Cuckoo (or the unwanted interloper baby in the nest)  - Sirius rescues Regulus from the cave and drops him off at the Potters house so he can clean up his brother’s mess. Regulus has an awful time…. until he doesn’t.

Katabasis- Snape gets hurt when he goes into the Shrieking Shack on the full moon. It is time for Remus to face the consequences.

Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter - Sirius is an Olympic athlete competing in the wizard pentathlon, James is a quidditch player, and Lily is a sports reporter. The three of them meet at the Olympic Village. And well, you know what happens at the Olympic Village…

Finding Your Magical Roots  - The Black Family welcomes the reality show Finding Your Magical Roots into their home to film a special episode.

101 Padfoots - An accident in potions class results in 101 Padfoots running around Hogwarts while Lily and James work together to round them all up

She Faced Danger, But Never Feared It  - Dorcas Meadowes is a healer at St. Mungo’s who specializes in emergency healing. A grandmother in her 60s who believes in caring for all members of the magical community. She is recruited by Albus Dumbledore to join the Order after she publishes and article in the Daily Prophet arguing that the rise of dark magic is a public health crisis.

When Death Would Not Come - Moody and the others will be here soon. Just endure for one more minute. Thirty more seconds. Five more seconds. As long as Neville was okay, she could endure anything.

Goodbyes and Surprise Greetings - Ginny’s brothers have abandoned her at the Burrow while they go to school or leave the country. But then she gets a surprise visitor.

The Past is a Bucket of Ash - Over burnt photographs, Harry had a late-night chat with Sirius about his family history.

Our Troubles Are Miles Away - “Would you like to unwrap your present?” she whispered into his ear, her voice low and teasing, yet so tender it made him ache.

He hesitated. He shouldn’t. He knew better.

(Remus and Tonks have a small Christmas celebration while everyone else is asleep at Grimmauld Place.)

To Guinevere - The New Year's Eve party at Grimmauld Place was a complete bore. But then Ginny walked into the room with a basket of homemade cards.

The Parting Glass - The last full moon, Moony and Padfoot spend together.

Retrouvaille (or the happiness of meeting someone you love after a long time)- The times Sirius and Harry reunited and the times they were forced to say goodbye.

Attinge - Harry shaves his head after the battle. Only Ginny understands why.

Secret Garden - Neville plants Hannah a secret garden on the roof of the Leaky Cauldron. She wants to show him how grateful she is for the gift.

Burnt Cookies - Hannah keeps burning cookies as she gets ready for the Leaky Cauldron’s Halloween party.

Luckily, Neville is there to comfort her.

Tinsel In Her Hair - Neville helps Hannah decorate the Leaky Cauldron for Christmas. He notices something shiny in her hair.

1994 Quidditch World Cup  - Harry wants only one thing for his fourteenth birthday: tickets to see the final match of the Quidditch World Cup. Well, two things if you count his sudden desire to kiss Ginny Weasley.

A Time To Mourn - Sirius Black, recently declared innocent by the Ministry of Magic, visits his godson on Halloween.

Feels Like Home To Me - Snippets inside the Potter family home

Werewolf Registration Act of 1947 - A history of magic essay helps Teddy understand his deceased father a littler bit better.

Tethered - Teddy and Vic discover the isolated and deserted Hogwarts boathouse to be the perfect place to be alone together.

It’s All About The Timing - James Sirius Potter has wanted to ask Ellie Longbottom out since he was twelve years old. Unfortunately, he can never get the timing right.

Know Your Roots- Albus Potter is unsure if helping Uncle Neville repot moonwort plants is part of detention or a lame attempt at godfather and godson bonding. It might be both.

Acting Professional - Teddy wants to see Victoire’s new office while at a work event.

Ginny’s Very Serious Investigation - When Luna casually mentions in the postscript of her latest letter that she got married, Ginny is not having it. Who the hell is Rolf Scamander, and why is Luna marrying him without any prior warning?

Snuffles & Son - Sirius raises Harry and opens a shop that specializes in repairing cursed artifacts and places protection wards on family heirlooms. One day, an Unspeakable from the Department of Mysteries walks in with a cursed artifact from his cousin’s confiscated Gringotts vault, requesting Sirius’s assistance.

Be Not Afraid Of Greatness - A collection of Frank Longbottom stories

Without A Trace - Babies don’t just disappear without a trace

The Lighthouse - There is an old fishing town off the jagged rocky coast covered in permanent fog and a broken lighthouse that is no longer able to bring ships safely to shore. Tonks travels to the forgotten place to record an episode of her popular podcast. Imagine Tonks' surprise when she arrives at the abandoned lighthouse and comes face to face with its kind yet lonely keeper—Remus.

[k-s-morgan]

ATLWETD Snippet

I couldn't decide which part to pick for a snippet for ages so I just picked randomly)

“These are all new ones,” Hagrid said excitedly, pointing at the huge self-made basket filled with grass and hay. “I do what I can for them. Visit them every day and bring them meat, all that thing. But it’s getting colder again and I worry that they might freeze to their death. I thought of getting them blankets but—”

Riddle let out a quiet snort. His face took on a haughty look, and Harry didn’t have to even guess to know what he was thinking. That Hagrid was a pathetic half-breed incapable of doing magic, something that was supposed to be inherent to anyone worthy of life.

Anger stirred in his chest, and he turned away from Riddle, focusing on the cubs.

He couldn’t say he felt much affection towards them. They were small, ugly, and they were writhing in their basket restlessly, trying to push closer to one another.

Hagrid was right, they were cold. And it was a problem Harry could easily fix.  

“How did you find them?” he asked, taking out his wand and transforming the basket into something resembling a dog house he’d seen back at the Privet Drive, in the yards of some of the Dursleys’ neighbours. He didn’t know if it would be suitable for little werewolves, but it was better than nothing. Now he had to figure out how to use a warming charm that would stick — he had no desire to venture this deep into the Forbidden Forest again.  

Hagrid began to explain something, but Harry only half-listened. He murmured a spell, waited, and then touched one of the cubs carefully, checking if it was getting warmer.

The moment his fingers pressed against the soft coat, the second cub raised its head and tried to bite him. Harry barely managed to snatch his hand away. His still-broken finger collided with his wand by accident, flaring with unpleasant warmth. He cursed, more out of annoyance at his own carelessness than pain, when Riddle suddenly appeared next to him and grabbed him by his collar, dragging him to his feet harshly.

“What kind of an idiot are you?” he hissed. He clenched Harry’s wrist, examining his hand with burning intensity. “Touching this filth! Do you want to be infected?”

“Infected?” Harry repeated in confusion. Belatedly, he realised that Riddle was probably right. The cubs looked like simple wolves, there was nothing human-like in their shape, so the fact that their bite could be dangerous didn’t occur to him.

“They can’t infect yeh!” Hagrid protested. “They come from humans mating in wolf forms. Their bite ain’t dangerous, they’re like real wolves, just very smart.”

“You don’t know that,” Riddle replied stonily. His voice was cold as ice, and he continued to inspect Harry’s hand, twisting and turning it like it was his own limb. Harry tried to pull away, annoyed, but predictably, Riddle didn’t let him.

“What makes you think they can infect humans?” he asked just to say something. Riddle’s insistence on barging into his personal space and manhandling him was starting to grate on his nerves, although in a strange, awkward way he didn’t know how to deal with.

“No one has determined it for certain. It’s extremely rare for two abominations to reproduce under the full moon and then to leave their bastards behind. How Hagrid continues to find them defies all rules of logic and common sense.”

“Sounds like something you might want to research,” Harry muttered. Riddle sent him a deeply sceptical look, as if he was questioning his sanity. “What? Isn’t it something you’re supposed to be interested in? Werewolves are a part of our society and the way they are treated is disgusting. Anyone who offers them better treatment can get them as allies in—”

No. What was he saying? Or rather, to whom was he saying it?

Harry swallowed the rest of his words, but it was too late, the biggest part of them was out. Riddle’s stare turned calculating, an intrigued gleam lighting it from inside. His hold loosened, and Harry finally managed to get himself free.

He really was an idiot. Sure, he didn’t say anything extraordinary, and Riddle would have arrived at this basic conclusion on his own — Voldemort had. But still… this was something he could say to a friend, a person he trusted, not to Riddle. Never to him. They weren’t a team, and helping him to find more allies was the last thing Harry wanted.

Besides, werewolves deserved better than to be used by someone who didn’t give a damn about them and then discarded — or worse, wiped out of existence. Harry had no idea what Voldemort had been planning to do with them once he got everything he wanted.

Frowning, he knelt next to the cubs and raised his wand again. He had to get that warming charm right.

“That’s what I’m saying!” Hagrid exclaimed. His voice rang with passion. “Werewolves are mistreated. They can be good friends, right, Harry? And the cubs are innocent, they’d never hurt no one.”

Riddle stifled a sigh. He continued to stand next to Harry, monitoring his struggle with the spell. Did he want to make certain that Harry wasn’t going to push his fingers into the werewolves’ mouths? Probably this or something as ridiculous.

Okay, the warming charm. Harry learned how to modify simple spells in one of the books he’d been absorbing lately, and though the theory was surprisingly clear, he had no idea how to voice his intent clearly enough for his magic to listen. A spell that would keep this little shelter warm throughout the winter and early spring without having to be reapplied, which would disappear when the weather got naturally warmer, and which would gain power again when the late autumn came. How on earth could he convey all of this in one simple charm? And how could he know if it worked?    

“Next time, we can go visit the older cubs,” Hagrid was saying. His words were getting increasingly animated. “And the fire crabs, I know where they’re nesting. And I swear I saw the Occamy one day—”

Harry was glad he had his back turned to Hagrid — his face probably reflected the horror he felt at the thought of coming in here again and again in search of the dangerous creatures he was wary of. He loved and missed Hagrid, but there had to be limits to where they went and what they did.

On the other hand… Hagrid was lonely. Would it be so bad to accompany him from time to time?

Riddle’s disgusted snort broke him out of his thoughts. Harry squinted at him from the corner of his eye — surely Riddle couldn’t know what he was thinking? — but it was too late. Riddle was already walking away from him, holding the edge of his robe like he was concerned about getting it dirty.

“I can see that your love for dangerous creatures hasn’t abated since your expulsion, Hagrid,” he said pleasantly. Every warm syllable sounded so artificial that Harry’s jaw ached from how tightly he clenched it. “Tell me, are you still interacting with that Acromantula that killed Myrtle?”

 Harry froze just as Hagrid choked, his excited words dying on his tongue.  

“Aragog… Aragog killed no one,” he muttered. It was difficult to understand him, his voice was thick with emotion. “He ain’t guilty.”  

“I see.”  

That was all Riddle said, but the way he did it left Hagrid with no choice but to reply.

“He didn’t do it!” he insisted, more loudly this time. “He would’ve told me!”

“As a child, have you ever done something bad? Something that you didn’t want your family to know?”

“Riddle,” Harry snapped. He didn’t want to get into it — he just wanted to be done with this stupid spell and go, but he wasn’t going to let Hagrid be brainwashed into believing he killed Myrtle. The audacity of even trying to do it, and to do it here, where Harry could hear them… did Riddle really think he would let this stand?

“I— yeah,” Hagrid threw a lost look at Harry before focusing on Riddle again. “Lots of things.”

“And have you ever lied to cover it up?”

“Riddle,” Harry repeated. He waved his wand at the cubs, directing all his frustration into his spell, but while it clearly worked, it didn’t feel any different from the usual warming charms he’d been using. Maybe it was a little stronger, but it would never hold through the winter, never mind self-regulating its activation and disappearance.   

“Sometimes,” Hagrid muttered.

“Then what makes you think Aragog behaved any differently? He killed the girl and he was scared of your reaction.”

“No!”

Despite the protest, an echo of uncertainty touched this one word, and just like that, Harry knew this battle was lost. Hagrid was gullible enough to fall for Riddle’s manipulation, and Riddle was in the mood to put an effort into it.

 “Think about it,” he said softly. It was difficult to say whether his voice was naturally this compelling or if he was using compulsions deliberately — whatever it was, for a moment, Harry found himself almost lulled by it. “You kept letting it out for some exercise. From around that point, someone started petrifying the students. Then, the attacks escalated, and the girl was found dead. Do Acromantulas have venom?”

“Yeah… in the fangs.”

“In the fangs,” Riddle agreed. “Exactly so. And the venom gets stronger with age. At first, Aragog was too little to kill someone. But you kept caring for him, so he kept growing, and one day, his venom became strong enough to cause Myrtle’s death.”

Did Riddle need to be punched to shut up? Because this was something Harry was more than willing to do. His anger was bubbling on the surface already — one more word, and it would spill over.

“Acromantulas have a natural appetite for human flesh, Hagrid,” Riddle continued silkily, using dejected silence to fill it with more of his bullshit. “Surely you know that. You have always been the best when it came to studying magical creatures. There is no need to deny it now that Aragog is out of danger — I would never tell where you are hiding it.”

Outrage broke through. Harry lurched to his feet, throwing the last warming charm at the cubs and marching towards Riddle and Hagrid, almost shaking with fury. He had no idea what he was going to say, but letting Riddle fill Hagrid’s head with rubbish, make him feel guilty for something he didn’t do—

Apparently, Harry’s approach was also a part of Riddle’s plan because when he reached them, Riddle wrapped a possessive hand around the back of his neck, pulling him close as if he always intended to do so and effectively rendering him speechless.

“I would never tell where you are hiding Aragog,” he repeated to Hagrid, “but only if you convince me that you’ve learned your lesson. Your unique talents allow you to interact with all these creatures unharmed, but as you can see, the same cannot be said about other students. Your actions have already led to the death of one of them — would you really like to repeat this experience? With Harry, of all people?”

“No,” Hagrid breathed out. His eyes were brimming with tears, and this was enough to break Harry from under whatever spell Riddle had put on him — again.

Using his position, he pressed his wand to Riddle’s wrist and burned it with a stinging jinx. Riddle must have failed to see it coming because he jerked away abruptly, releasing Harry from his hold and sending him an incredulous look.

Very soon, his astonishment gave way to malice. Riddle narrowed his eyes, and Harry’s heart jerked from the cold, calculating stare he received. He glared back, crossing his arms and stepping away at the safer distance.

“Don’t listen to him, Hagrid,” he said. “It’s not—”

“What?” Riddle asked coolly. He rubbed his wrist, not taking his eyes off Harry, maintaining the strangest balance between an innocent expression and a hard, dark look. “Do you believe that all these pets are harmless? Were you not almost bitten by a cub of a werewolf five minutes ago without knowing if their bite was infectious? Are you saying you are ready to get acquainted with them all?”   

The urgent need to protect Hagrid and to do something to wipe this expression of distress and heartbreak off his face nearly made Harry blurt out an agreement, but another part, probably a saner one, prevailed for a change.

Even as an adult, Hagrid could never tell the difference between safe and dangerous creatures. Aragog might have been innocent of Myrtle’s murder, but he did eat humans, and he probably would have started doing it at Hogwarts sooner or later if he hadn’t been forced to flee.

Apart from putting the blame for Myrtle’s death on Hagrid, Riddle was right. And Harry had no idea how to convince Hagrid he hadn’t killed anyone without nullifying the sobering impact of this idea.   

He could really do without all these dilemmas Riddle had been creating for him recently.

[strangesthirdeye]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 2 : ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ғʟᴀᴠᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʏᴘᴇ ᴏғ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭.

Prologue > Chapter 1 > Chapter 3

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

• NUMBER FOUR PRIVET DRIVE •

"We swear, We don't know how it happened! One minute the glass was there and then

it was gone. It was like magic." Harry said, his ear hurt from being dragged by Uncle Vernon.

"The glass just poff, Uncle Vernon. Surely you know that kids like us wouldn't do such an impossible thing!" You said out of breath as Uncle Vernon pulled the collar of your shirt from behind. You struggle to be released from his custody.

"There's no such thing as magic!" Uncle Vernon shouted angrily as he dragged you both towards the cupboard under the stairs.

You yelped in protest and squirmed in Uncle Vernon's arms while Harry winced in pain at his ears being pulled hard by Uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon unlocked the cupboard and threw you both into the cupboard before slamming the door and locking it. You cursed under your breath and brushed yourself from the wrinkles in your shirt while Harry sat quietly while rubbing his sore ear.

"That stupid man didn't use his brain at all to think that children like us would do such a thing." you huffed and leaned against the cupboard wall. Arms crossing over your chest, you frowned.

Harry glanced at you briefly. "but you saw it with your own eyes didn't you? the glass suddenly disappeared and reappeared after the python came out. That's quite impossible" Harry said and leaned next to you too, eyes looking at the locked cupboard door.

You scoffed. "If only Dudley didn't behave like an ape, this wouldn't happen. We wouldn't be locked up and not fed for a week" you huffed in frustration. "oh for goodness sake! Why does it have to be like this?!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Dudley parades about the kitchen in knickerbockers, tailcoat and straw boater, tapping the floor with a Knobbly stick, while a teary Aunt Petunia snaps a photo with a flash camera. A glance at Dudley, I don't have any weird metaphor now but he does look like an elephant in a shirt.

"Oh, Vernon, look at him. To think in only a week he'll be off to Smeltings." Aunt Petunia gushed.

Uncle Vernon smiled excitedly. "Proudest moment of my life"

"shameful moment of my life" you whispered, rolling your eyes at Dudley.

Harry looked at Petunia with dread. "will i have to wear that too?"

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked at him as if he was stupid although he wasn't one before the let out a mocking laughed at him. "You! Go to Smeltings? Don't be stupid You'll go to state school, where you belong. That there'll be yours, once I'm done dying it" Aunt Petunia walked to the kitchen, Harry and you followed her from behind. You cover your nose upon smelling a musty smell. "Your sister will not be with you as she is going to the Girls' school. That's where she belongs to learn her manners" Aunt Petunia added while taking out the old soaked uniform with tongs.

"I don't need someone to teach me manners. I'm fine the way I am. It's you who needs to be taught" you argued.

Aunt Petunia glared at you with hatred. "You said something like that again, there won't be any food for two weeks." she warned which you do not mind.

Your stomach is used to being hungry for a long time. So that's pretty common. Harry on the other hand only a week maximum which you are grateful that he doesn't have to go through the same consequences as you even though he is the older twin who is supposed to protect his youngest sibling.

But you're the type that likes to look for troubles so you don't care about siblings protect siblings term because those punishments have a reason why you're the only one who gets it. Which is your fault too for not keeping your mouth shut like now.

Harry glanced at a tub of gray mud boiling on the stove. He looked at it with disgust while you seemed to want to vomit at that foul smell.

'The smell gives me a headache' you thought. You held your nose from inhaling the poisonous smell

"But that's Dudley's old uniform. It'll fit me like bits of old elephant skin." Harry said, eyes focusing on Dudley's old shirt which was too big for Harry.

"What about my uniform. You yourself said I was going to another school." you looked at aunt Petunia strangely.

"Fit you fine enough and I'll find some old uniforms from parents whose daughter goes to the same school and dye it too" she replied to Harry without looking at him.

"cruel" You whispered which only Harry heard. Harry silently agreed.

"go get the post. Go!" Aunt Petunia ordered Harry.

Harry shook his head and moved out of the kitchen to the door, you sent him a sympathetic look.

"And you, go mop the floor, I don't want you to waste your time just standing here. Go" Aunt Petunia demanded before turning her gaze to the dying pot of the old uniform.

You grumbled and walked to the store where the mop and bucket were kept. You took the two items and walked to the bathroom to fill the bucket with soap before doing your forced task. You wring the mop and mop the floor.

Back to Harry, there are 4 letters on the mat. A bill, a postcard and envelopes of yellow parchment.

Harry takes all, then stops, staring at the envelope, which is addressed in emerald ink.

Mr. H. Potter

The Cupboard Under The Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Harry turns the envelope over, finds a purple wax. It is a coat of arms, surrounding a large letter H. Harry shuffled another letter in his hand which is addressed to you.

Ms. F/i. Potter

The Cupboard Under The Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Harry eyes focusing on two letters addressed to you and him in puzzled. Who in their right mind wants to send letters to both of them? Is this a joke? It might be a joke. No one knows who they are.

Harry walked towards the kitchen, hands clutched 4 letters but his eyes only focused on the two mysterious letters. You who just finished mopping the floor looked at Harry odd behavior.

"Harry?" You called him.

Harry lifted his head to look at you before he walked towards you and gave you a mysterious letter. You took the letter and looked at it weirdly. It has your name and your cupboard address.

You frowned in confusion. This is probably just a joke. As long as you live, no one has ever sent a letter in your name. Until now. Whoever sent you this letter better be prime minister or any powerful people who want to offer you a good position in their cult. What a weird metaphor. The letter even has the cupboard address where you live. How come that person who sent this letter knows where you live. Harry probably got the same letter because he seemed lost for words as he gives the other two letters to uncle Vernon. His eyes focusing on the letter in his hands. Dudley who noticed Harry's hands holding the mysterious letter quickly snatched his letter out of his hand.

"Dad! Look! Harry's got a letter!" Dudley exclaimed as he gave the letter to his dad.

Seeing this, you quickly folded the letter and hid it in the pocket of your baggy pants and continued mopping the floor. You haven't opened the letter yet so you better not let the letter go through the same fate as Harry's letter. You looked at the floor while mopping, ignoring the other human at the dining table who was fussing about Harry got a letter. You hummed Bohemian Rhapsody in your throat softly.

Harry determined to get his letter trying to snatched his letter back from Uncle Vernon's hand to which Uncle Vernon brought the letter out of his reach.

"that's mine!" Harry yelled.

Uncle Vernon looked at him in disbelief. He grinned. "Yours? Who'd be writing to you-" His face automatically goes pale. Uncle Vernon looked at his wife with knowing looked while Aunt Petunia seems uncertain.

Harry gulped.

"the girl.. She must get the same letter. Get the girl now" Uncle Vernon told his wife.

Aunt Petunia turned and walked towards you who was still mopping the floor. She forcefully takes your elbow and pulls you to the dining table. You yelped in surprise.

"Give me the letter now" Aunt Petunia hissed.

"What letter?" you cocked your head to the side a little.

"Don't play dumb, girl. Give us the letter you got!" Uncle Vernon shouted.

"I don't know what letter you two mean! I don't have any letter!" you lied

"Check the girl, Petunia. She must hide it in her pants pocket" Uncle Vernon said to his wife. His face was very red when he looked at you.

Aunt Petunia moved to you and forcefully checked your pants pocket while you tried to smack her hands. Aunt Petunia put her hand in your pants pocket and managed to pull out the mysterious letter you got. You looked at her with hatred as you tried to take the letter back from Aunt Petunia's hand, but Aunt Petunia took it out of your reach.

"that's mine! Give it back!" you yelled furiously.

"Shut up and go back to your cupboard!" Uncle Vernon yelled angrily.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next day, like the day before, there are 6 letters that are the same as the first day on the mat. Uncle Vernon who was in the front hall breathed furiously as he took the six letters and tore all the letters out of rage.

You who wear reading glasses and are leaning against the wall with a book of Greek Mythology on your lap, looked up from the book you were reading after hearing a loud drilling from the front hall. Harry who was quietly playing his miniature horse turned his body towards you in confused. You shrugged your shoulders at him as if you didn't know.

"No more mail through this letterbox"

You frowned in question.

Harry decided to open the cupboard door a little, you put your Greek mythology book aside and leaned in a bit to peek out of the cupboard. There Uncle Vernon was drilling the letterbox with screws and a medium-sized board with a wireless drilling machine in his hand.

"the hell" you muttered before returning to your position as Harry looked at Uncle Vernon with displeasure as he closed the cupboard door.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next day, Uncle Vernon who was wearing his work suit held the briefcase tightly in his hand. He is ready to go to work. Aunt Petunia kissed his cheek lovingly.

"Have a lovely day at the office, dear" Aunt Petunia said to him, lovingly as she kissed his cheek but then her face changed after spotting several owls on the car.

Uncle Vernon turned and was a little shocked when he spotted the owls. He then waving his briefcase, trying to shoo the owls on his car but the owls do nothing.

"Shoo! Go on!" he shooed the owls.

Aunt Petunia, as if sensing something wrong looked down and spotted some letters addressed to you and Harry. She patted his husband's arms. Her eyes still on the letters above on the pavement. Uncle Vernon turned his gaze to the pavement and saw the letters in disbelief.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Another day, Aunt Petunia was in the kitchen preparing to make breakfast. She took an egg container and set it on the kitchen counter before she took a bowl and set it in front of her. She then cracked an egg but she suddenly turned confused when she saw that there was no content in the egg instead there was a letter in it.

She breathed heavily before she cracked another egg but it was still the same. Her face began to show a feeling of terror as she cracked another egg and another and another but the content was still the same. A letter addressed to you and Harry. A sound of birds can be heard outside the kitchen window. Aunt Petunia looked out the window in terror before she screamed in fear when she spotted a few owls outside her house.

You looked up from your book and frowned.

"shesh.. She must be stressed" you mumbled.

Harry hummed in agreement as he lay down and boredly played with some of Dudley's broken toys to relieve the boredom.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Another day, at night you and Harry came out of the cupboard to drink water but then you both stopped in the living room when you ran into Uncle Vernon who was burning something in the fireplace. You looked at him with hate.

He burned the same letters one by one in the fireplace with a smug face. He looks satisfied. He laughed and double checked you both before he waved a letter with your name written on it and tossed it into the fireplace.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Fine day, Sunday. Best day of the week in my opinion. Know why I say that, Dudley?" Uncle Vernon said happily.

Dudley who was sitting in front of his mother shook his head. You and Harry, who was assigned to pour tea and offer cookies to the family, looked at Uncle Vernon with a resigned look.

"Because there's no post on Sundays." Harry muttered while offering Uncle Vernon cookies who took the cookie smugly.

"Right you are, Harry! No post on Sunday, hah! " he beamed with satisfaction.

You rolled your eyes before moving to Aunt Petunia who was holding her teacup towards you without looking at you as her attention was only on Dudley, expecting you to pour her tea. You sighed and poured tea into her cup. Silently wished that the tea she drank was bitter.

You put the teapot on the table after your task is done. You sigh lightly. Mind thought about the mysterious letters that Aunt and Uncle Dursley destroyed whenever they found it before the two of you. What are they afraid of the letters? Why are they acting weird whenever the letters are sent? More important, who sent the mysterious letter like there's no tomorrow? A huge amount of letters scattered throughout the day, who doesn't find it strange?

"No blasted letters today! No, sir. Not one single bloody letter. Not one-" Uncle Vernon said in delightful.

You scoffed at him and looked at the family with contempt. Why did they take you both in if they treated you like servants? You looked out the window. You narrowed your eyes when you saw several owls outside the house.

"No, sir, not one blasted, miserable-" he jerked in shock when he felt something thrown at him.

Out of the sudden, as if there was an earthquake. A loud noise started to be heard from the fireplace making the family look at each other strangely before turned to terror when many letters pouring out of the fireplace as if someone blasted the letters out of the fireplace.

The family screamed in terror at that. Aunt Petunia and Dudley hugged while Uncle Vernon screamed in terror.

"Make it stop!" Dudley screamed.

You and Harry grinned and starting to snatched the letters before Uncle Vernon stopped you and Harry. You kneeled to the floor to pick up the letter with your initials written on it while Harry who climbed pm top of the table took the letter with his name on it. You scoffed at him.

'Why can't he just pick up the letter on the floor?!' you thought before quickly running out of the living room to go to your cupboard but then you suddenly feel as if tugging on your mid section.

A sausage hand in your mid section pulled you in front of the cupboard with Harry in another hand. Uncle Vernon gripped both of you hard while you both shouted to be released and struggled in his arms. Suddenly another wave of letters came out of the letterbox, making it hard for Uncle Vernon to grab you both but he managed.

'dammit this man is strong' you struggle to let go. The letter in your hand crumpled in your grip.

"Get off!" Harry shouted.

"Let me go!" You elbowed Uncle Vernon's stomach.

"That does it! We're going away! Far away

Where they can't find us! Where they can't get to us!" Uncle Vernon shouted in the letters attacked.

"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley said in feared.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A very sad-looking hut sits perched upon a Targe Rock far at sea. Wind whistles. The sea rages. Heavy rain with lightning strikes like there is no tomorrow.

You who was lying on the ragged blanket next to Harry, grinning while drawing candles on the dust on the floor while Harry put a last touch on the cake you both etched on the dusty floor. Harry grinned contentedly and turned his head to the digital watch that Dudley was wearing. Dudley snores loudly making you roll your eyes annoyingly.

'pig' you said in your heart.

The digital clock ticked to midnight, You and Harry smiled at each other.

"Make a wish, Harry" you said, smiling.

"You too, Y/n" Harry replied.

The both of you closed your eyes to make a wish before blowing out the 'candle' in unison and the 'flames' of dust scattered around. Eyes still closed, you both hold your wish.

BANG! You both jerked in shock amd so was Dudley who woke up from his sleep with shock with sudden noise then he quickly got up from the broken sofa. The door shudders on the hinges when something seemed to try to break in. You and Harry petrified at that before Harry pulled your hand away and rushed to hide. Harry leaning against the walls and so was you but you seemed to be trying to hide your whole body against the wall making your right arm bumped against the stone wall hard. You hissed softly. Harry looked at you with concern. You just waved your uninjured hand at your brother.

You know that your hand will leave bruises later. You two keep quiet.

BOOM! A pin squirrels out of its housing. Falls to the floor. You covered your mouth with your palm, trying to keep yourself from screaming as Harry hugged your body closer to him protectively. Heart racing in the chest as nervousness and fear began to increase when the wooden door that was about to collapse was banged. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia who woke up due to the sudden noise came down from their bedroom. Uncle Vernon had a rifle in his hand as he pointed the rifle at the door of the hut. His face held anxious and nervous feelings while Aunt Petunia was scared and shaking like a leaf.

"Who's there? I warn you--I'm armed!" Uncle Vernon warned as he still aimed the rifle at the door of the hut. Finger on the trigger.

SMASH! The door of the hut fell to the floor and was torn from its hinges. An immense silhouette that was very massive bowed slightly to enter the hut. He is so tall that his head almost reaches the ceiling. His massive body shows that he is a strong person. His face is covered with a thick mustache while his hair is so long and thick. In his hand there is an umbrella. He wears a thick brown long coat and wears dark brown pants with a boots.

You and Harry were stunned to see the giant mysterious man. Mouth agape and eyes widened. The Dursley shaking in fear upon seeing the giant man.

"Er, right. Sorry 'bout that.. " the giant man apologized with his rough voice before he turned and lifted the collapsed door from the floor and put it back on its frame. Though he just put the collapsed door by leaning it on it frame. He turned his body back to the people in the hut. His eyes focused on Dudley who was standing in the center of the hut with a frightened look. The giant man frowned.

"Mind, I haven't seen yeh since yeh were

a baby, Harry, but yeh' re a bit more along than I woulda expected. Specially round the in middle." The giant man mistook Dudley for Harry while gesturing his hand on his stomach.

You snorted quietly at what the giant man said. Harry glared at you though he too found it rather amusing that the giant man really called Dudley fat.

"Where's yer sister Y/n? didn't yeh two always attached at the hip? Where is she?" he added, eyes looking around for a glimpse of you.

Dudley looked terrified. "I- I'm not Harry" he stuttered.

Harry decided to come out of his hiding place, dragging you behind him. His protective brother instinct is kicking.

"I am" Harry entered the conversation. He was slightly terrified at the giant man.

You looked up at the giant man's face curiously. He seems friendly and kind even though his physical looks intimidating but his eyes hold kindness and friendliness. The man turned to face Harry who finally came out from hiding.

"Well now, of course you are." The man said in his rough and heavy accent. He then noticed you behind Harry. "well, there yer are, Y/n. Always attached to the hip, like I said before!" he beamed.

You nodded shyly. You don't know this man but he knows yours and Harry's name. Like he knows you two for a long time.

Uncle Vernon then pointed his rifle at the giant man. "I demand that you leave at once, sir! You are breaking and entering! " he yelled at the man.

The man turned his gaze from you two to Uncle Vernon. He approached Uncle Vernon. Aunt Petunia held her husband's shoulder in fear and hid herself behind her husband.

The man then took the end of the rifle in his massive hand as he glared at Uncle Vernon. "Ah, dry up, Dursley, yeh great prune." the man then bend the end of the rifle upwards and Uncle Vernon in fear pressed the trigger of the rifle which created the sudden shot to the ceiling of the hut.

Both Uncle and Aunt jerked in shock and fear. They both shivered in the presence of the giant man in front of them.

You looked at the man impressed. "wow.. He's strong"

Harry nodded in silence. The man then turned his gaze on you both. His furious face turned friendly when his eyes focused on you two.

"Anyway, Harry, Y/n. Got summat fer yeh two. 'Fraid I mighta sat on it at some points, but 'magine it'll taste all right jus' the same... Let's see now... Got it here somewhere" The man rummaging his coat, looking for something in his big coat pocket then he took out a medium-sized box from inside his coat and gave it to Harry who took it.

You looked over Harry's shoulder. Curiosity in your eyes as Harry opened the box. There is a freshly baked cake with your and Harry's name written on it. 'Happee Birthdae, Harry and Y/n' scrawled in green icing. You widened your eyes. Never had ever someone give you two gifts or cake on your birthday. The Dursleys always give you both coins or broken pens as 'birthday gifts' but this. This makes your heart touch with this giant man.

"Baked it myself, words an' all." The man said delightfully.

"Thank you" Harry and you said at the same time.

"Well,· it's not ev'ry day yer young man

and young woman turns 'leven, now is it, eh" The man replied with a genuine smile.

Hagrid turns to the fireplace, gives the embers a poke with the pink umbrella. As they ROAR to life, the man sat on the moth eaten sofa. The sofa slightly bends over the man's weight. You both widened your eyes after witnessing such impossible things.

'how come that umbrella..' you thought as you approached the giant man.

"eh.. Excuse me, sir... Who are you?" you asked the man confused.

The man was silent for a moment when someone addressed him formally but he then smiled at you.

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He introduced himself to you. "Of course, yer know all about Hogwarts"

You shook your head at him. "Sorry, we've never heard of Hogwarts"

Harry nodded in agreement. Hagrid looked at you with uncertainty.

"No? Blimey, Harry, Y/n, did yeh never wonder

where did yer mum and dad learned it all?" Hagrid questioned.

"learned what?" Harry is now by your side.

"Yer a wizard, Harry and Y/n a witch" Hagrid said.

You narrowed your eyes at him. Harry widened his eyes.

"A witch? What kind of flavor or type of Witch?" you asked him with curiosity.

"And a thumpin' good 'un, I'd wager, once yeh've been trained up a bit." Hagrid replied.

You let out a short laugh. "Well, we can't be wizard and witch."

Harry agreed with what you said. "surely you made a mistake, we can't be a wizard and a witch.. I mean.. We're just.. Just Harry and Y/n. We don't have magic"

"Well just Harry and Y/n, did yeh ever make anything 'appen? Anythin' yeh couldn't explain, when yeh were angry or scared?" Hagrid questioned.

You both fell silent. A sign of recognition on both of your faces when you remember some impossible events that happened before to both of you resulting in both of you being locked in a cupboard for a few weeks. Well, not much. So far, things floating in the air or frogs suddenly appear and jump on Aunt Petunia's face. That's it.. You and Harry looked at each other.

Hagrid smiled at you two. Which means what he said is true. He then got up from the broken sofa and slipped his hand into his big coat before taking out two envelopes and giving them to the two of you. You both took the envelope curiously. The same letters that Uncle Vernon did not give up on destroying. Now it is in both of your hands.

Harry opened his envelope. He read the contents of the letter out loud. "Dear Mr. Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.. "

You raised your eyebrows at that and stared at your own letter. You don't need to read it because you know the content in it as Harry has already read it out loud. Now this is quite interesting. A magic school. You never thought such a school existed in this world. But then again, there's a lot you don't know about this world.

"Magi-"

"absolutely not! They'll not be gone, I tell you! We swore when we took them in, we'd put a

stop to that rubbish!" Uncle Vernon disagreed, stomping his foot toward the the two of you.

You glared at him in realization and so was Harry. "You knew?! You knew and never told us that we are a Wizard and a Witch." You let out a disbelief laughed. "wow.. We didn't know that you two knew how to keep a secret for so long"

"You watch your mouth, girl!" Uncle Vernon yelled at you.

"maybe if you two tell us this thing maybe I can watch my mouth!" you argued "and you knew about that!"

Harry took your hand and squeezed your hand to calm you down. You scoffed at them.

Aunt Petunia looked at you two in distasteful. "Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was. Oh, mother and father were so proud when the letter came. 'A witch in the family isn't it wonderful?' I was the only one who saw her for what she was...a freak!" she spat with hatred. "Then she met that Potter and had you both. I knew you'd be the same. Just as strange, just as abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you"

"Oh god, i can smell jealousy" you rolled your eyes.

Aunt Petunia glared at you in hatred.

"Blown up? You told us, our parents died in a car crash." Harry said with bewilderment.

"CAR CRASH! A car crash kills Lily and James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal!" Hagrid yelled in disbelief.

"You lied to us" You hissed at them.

"THEY'LL NOT BE GOING! I TELL YOU!" Uncle Vernon yelled, aiming his bent rifles at Hagrid like a fool.

"An' I s'ppose a great Muggle like yerself is goin' ter stop them" Hagrid challenged him.

You and Harry looked at him in confusion. "muggles?" said in unison.

"Non-magic folk." Hagrid replied to you both with a friendly tone in his voice before he turned furiously towards Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. "This children's name's been down ever since they were born. They're off to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world and they'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwart's has ever known, Albus Dumbledore-"

"I will not pay for some old crackpot fool to teach them magic tricks!" Uncle Vernon cut him off.

Hagrid glared at him furiously. He aimed his tip of umbrella at Uncle Vernon's face who took a step back. "NEVER... INSULT... ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN FRONT OF ME!"

You grinned when you saw Uncle Vernon's scared face. This is what you want to see. Him, put in his place. It's not like you're so cruel to see him scared, he just deserves that.

Hagrid then turned his gaze from uncle Vernon to Dudley who was eating birthday cake at the end of the hut. He then aimed his umbrella at Dudley and a spark of light came out of the tip of the umbrella. Suddenly a pig tails appeared in Dudley's butt making him scream in terror as he ran around the hut while his parents screamed in fear.

Uncle Vernon roared as the family hurries out of the hut's living room. You and Harry laughed out loud at the poor family. This is the best thing you have ever witnessed. They deserve it.

"Tha's curious. Meant ter turn 'im into a complete pig, whole hog an' all. Suppose he was so much like a pig already, there wasn't much left do." Hagrid looked at his umbrella strangely.

"I'm sure you've done your best to turn him into a complete pig. He just.. well he's indeed a pig even if you didn't change him. He just doesn't have a tail which thankfully you added" you beamed at him him as you patted his massive arm. You looked so small beside him. Once he bumped into you, you might have been thrown across the universe.

Hagrid smiled at you gratefully and patted your head gently. Harry who was speechless to say that was staring in awe at Hagrid's umbrella.

"Er, be grateful. if yeh didn't mention that to anyone at Hogwarts. Strictly speakin', I'm not allowed to do magic." Hagrid said to you both which you both nodded in understanding before he took out his pocket watch. "Bit behind schedule, aren't we? Best be off."

Hagrid exited the hut, leaving you two to consider this matter.  Harry looked lost while you fought the urge to follow Hagrid or not. You have trust issues when you live with the Dursleys. Hagrid poked his head in to look at the two of you.

" 'Less, o' course, yeh'd rather stay.' Hagrid said.

"nope! we're going then. Come on Harry, We're going on an adventure!" You pulled Harry's hand and dragged him out of the hut. Following Hagrid to a magical place.

Hagrid laughed at your enthusiasm self.

[wingedcupcaketimemachine]

The Mystery of the Barnet Clan Harry Potter x Reader Series

First Year Chapter 9: The Mirror of Erised

Pairing: Harry Potter x Fem!Gryffindor!Reader

Summary: Harry discovers a mirror that shows his deepest desire.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 5,796

Story Starts Below Cut

Chapter 1

Chapter 8

Chapter 10

Series Masterlist

Harry Potter Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find. itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.

"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family.

It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying,too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie. (Y/N) had decided to stay as well since her parents would be busy working at the Ministry of Magic.

When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it. 

"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.

"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoys cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose -- that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."

Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.

"WEASLEY!"

Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.

"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him --"

“Don’t be stupid, Ron,” said (Y/N), shaking her head, “He’s not worth the trouble.”

"I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape."

"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."

So the four of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to -the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.

"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree -- put it in the far corner, would you?"

The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.

"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."

"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.

"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."

"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here -- I've told yeh -- drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere -- just give us a hint -- I know I've read his name somewhere."

"I'm sayin' nothin, said Hagrid flatly.

"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said (Y/N), and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.

They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.

Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"What are you looking for, boy?"

"Nothing," said Harry.

Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him.

"You'd better get out, then. Go on -- out!"

Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library. He, (Y/N), Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to.

Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the other three had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after A, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks. Five minutes later, (Y/N), Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads.

They went off to lunch.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."

"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron, "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.

Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork -- bread, English muffins, marshmallows -- and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.

Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly likeMuggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family -- in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.

Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him, and they didn't trust him at all. He wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing. "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him." On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all. When he woke early in the morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed.

"Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.

"You, too," said Harry. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"

"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's.

Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it – it sounded a bit like an owl.

A second, very small parcel contained a note.

We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.

"That's friendly," said Harry.

Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.

"Weird!" he said, “What a shape! This is money?"

"You can keep it," said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was. "Hagrid and my aunt and uncle -- so who sent these?"

"I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mum. I told her you didn't expect any presents and -- oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley sweater."

Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.

"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."

"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.

His next two presents also contained candy -- a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione, and a large package of Treacle Tart from (Y/N).

This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it.

Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Ron gasped.

"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is -- they're really rare, and really valuable."

"What is it?"

Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is -- try it on."

Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell.

"It is! Look down!"

Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.

"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"

Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words: Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Merry Christmas to you.

There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.

"I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"

"Nothing," said Harry. He felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father?

Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in, with (Y/N) trailing behind.. Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. He would tell (Y/N) later, but didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Hey, look -- Harry's got a Weasley sweater, too!"

Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G. (Y/N)’s sweater was the same emerald green as Harry’s with her initial on it.

"Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."

"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."

"I hate maroon," Ron moaned halfheartedly as he pulled it over his head.

“Come on, Ron,” said (Y/N) teasingly, “Maroon brings out your eyes.”

"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid -- we know we're called Gred and Forge."

"What's all this noise?” Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.

"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry got one."

"I -- don't -- want,” said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.

"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George, "Christmas is a time for family."

They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater.

Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce -- and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.

Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice. Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.

When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non expandable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner.

Harry, (Y/N), and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. He suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.

After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.

It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not until he climbed into bed was he free to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.

Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster. Harry leaned over the side of his own bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.

His father's... this had been his father's. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.

He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.

Use it well.

Suddenly, Harry felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark and silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.

Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Harry wake him? Something held him back -- his father's cloak -- he felt that this time -- the first time -- he wanted to use it alone.

He crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.

"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Harry said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor.

Where should he go? He stopped, his heart racing, and thought. And then it came to him. The Restricted Section in the library. He'd be able to read as long as he liked, as long as it took to find out who Flamel was. He set off, drawing the invisibility cloak tight around him as he walked.

The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps.

The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up his lamp to read the titles.

They didn't tell him much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck prickled. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe not, but he thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.

He had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, he looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open.

A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence -- the book was screaming! Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note. He stumbled backward and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, he heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside -- stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, he ran for it. He passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him, and Harry slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in his ears.

He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armor near the kitchens, he knew, but he must be five floors above there.

"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section."

Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror, it was Snape who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."

Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into him -- the cloak didn't stop him from being solid.

He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in. It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket -- but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it.

He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed -- for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him. But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror.

There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder -- but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?

He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air -- she and the others existed only in the mirror.

She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes -- her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green -- exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry's did.

Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.

"Mom?" he whispered. "Dad?"

They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees -- Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.

The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.

How long he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.

"You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly.

“You two could have at least told me about the cloak,” said (Y/N) irritably.

"You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror,” said Harry.

"I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron said eagerly.

"And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."

"You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people. Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"

Harry couldn't eat. He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore. Who cared what the three headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really?

“Ron may be right,” said (Y/N) thoughtfully, “I can’t imagine that there’d be a mirror with the sole purpose of showing people’s families. It must do something else.”

"Are you all right, Harry?" said Ron. "You look odd."

What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Ron and (Y/N) covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.

"I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back."

"No!" Harry hissed. I know it's here somewhere."

They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armor.

"It's here -- just here -- yes!"

They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror.

There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him.

"See?" Harry whispered.

"I can't see anything," said Ron.

"Look! Look at them all... there are loads of them...."

"We can only see you, Harry," said (Y/N).

"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."

Harry stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pajamas.

Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.

"Look at me!" he said.

"Can you see all your family standing around you?" asked Harry.

"No -- I'm alone -- but I'm different -- I look older -- and I'm head boy!"

"What?"

"I am -- I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to -- and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup -- I'm Quidditch captain, too.”

Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at (Y/N) and Harry.

“Let me look,” said (Y/N), switching places with Ron.

“What do you see?” asked Ron, “Are you on the Quidditch team too?”

“Yes,” said (Y/N), “But my parents are there too.”

(Y/N) gazed into her reflection in the mirror. She had won the Quidditch cup, like Ron, but, for some reason, she wasn’t alone. Her parents stood on either side of her looking proud as she beamed.

“Maybe it means your parents will watch you win the Quidditch cup next year,” said Ron moving back in front of the mirror, "Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

"How can it?” asked Harry, “All my family are dead -- let me have another look --"

"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time."

"You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents."

"Don't push me --"

A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.

"Quick!"

Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron, (Y/N),  and Harry stood quite still, all thinking the same thing -- did the cloak work on cats? After what seemed an age, she turned and left.

"This isn't safe,” said (Y/N), “She might have gone for Filch. I bet she heard us. Come on."

And she and Ron pulled Harry out of the room.

The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.

"Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron.

"No."

"Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?" asked (Y/N).

"No... you go..."

"I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror,” said Ron, “Don't go back tonight."

"Why not?"

"I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it -- and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"

"You sound like Hermione."

“He is right though, Harry,” said (Y/N), “We already had a really close call last night. Do you really want to risk it again?”

"I'm serious, Harry,” said Ron, “Don't go."

But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron and (Y/N) weren’t going to stop him. 

That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone.

And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all.

Except --

"So -- back again, Harry?"

Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him.

" -- I didn't see you, sir."

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.

"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "You, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that, Sir."

"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"

"It -- well -- it shows me my family --"

"And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy, and your friend (Y/N) sharing her accomplishments with her parents."

"How did you know --?"

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently, "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"

Harry shook his head.

"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want… whatever we want..."

"Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. (Y/N) Barnet, who never sees her parents as much as she likes, seeks their validation and praise. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.

"The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"

Harry stood up.

"Sir -- Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."

Harry stared.

"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore

might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers off his pillow, it had been quite a personal question.