MTLNOVEL Chapter 77: The Mirror of Erised
The gentle days of April slipped away quietly, and signs of summer began to creep unnoticed across the grounds.
By evening, the breezes weaving between the castle towers grew warm and languid. The setting sun gilded the surface of the Black Lake with a honeyed glow, while groups of giant squid stretched their tentacles in the shallows, sending ripples across the water.
At the Apparition exams near the end of April, both Snape and Pandora passed smoothly. Ayb, however, fraught with nerves, made a disastrous error—he Apparated directly onto the poor examiner's head, inadvertently tugging out the last few hairs remaining on the man's scalp.
Despite failing, Ayb felt no bitterness toward the examiner; rather, he was overwhelmed by guilt.
"Merlin's beard," Ayb muttered, restless, "You should have seen his desperate face, trembling as he clutched those few hairs…"
One afternoon after Charms class, Professor Flitwick delivered a message from Dumbledore to Snape, requesting his presence at the Headmaster's office after dinner.
"Good evening, Professor," Snape said, quietly pushing open the oak door. "What do you need from me now?"
"Good evening, Severus. I have a delicate matter requiring your assistance," Dumbledore replied kindly. "I wish to use the Room of Requirement. Could you help me open it?"
Snape scratched his head, a little embarrassed—they had occupied that magical room for quite some time, though most students remained unaware of its existence.
"Professor, perhaps I could bring you a couple of chamber pots? It's only natural for an elderly wizard to rise at night; you need not fret so much."
"Silence, boy," Dumbledore said, shooting him a sharp look as he rose from behind his desk. "Come with me."
Together, they made their way down the corridor to the entrance of the Room of Requirement.
Under Dumbledore's firm gaze, Snape had no choice but to summon Myrtle with the secret signal.
After the familiar sounds of shifting walls, the door appeared in the stone, slowly swinging open.
Dumbledore and Snape stepped inside.
"Headmaster, you're here too?" Myrtle asked, surprised.
Dumbledore smiled and nodded in greeting.
Observing Myrtle and the intricate door mechanism, he couldn't help but whisper a soft note of admiration.
"Truly an ingenious design," he said, "so no one can disturb you here.
"But now I require the room for another purpose. Myrtle, would you mind leaving us for a while?"
Myrtle looked uncertainly at Snape.
"We'll be out shortly," Snape said gently, nodding to her. "Go somewhere else for now, and come find me later."
Once the Room of Requirement emptied again, Dumbledore paced the corridor silently three times.
With each step, the hidden door reappeared.
Pushing it open, Snape found himself back inside the vast storage room Hogwarts students and staff used to hide things.
"Professor, are you here to hide something, or to retrieve?" he asked.
Dumbledore offered no reply, weaving through the towering stacks of forgotten furniture and relics. Snape followed closely, coming to a pile of battered desks and chairs.
With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore conjured a tall mirror, stretching up to the ceiling.
The mirror was magnificent—framed in gleaming gold, supported by two claw-shaped feet, its top etched with an inscription in a script unknown to Snape.
"The Mirror of Erised," Snape whispered to himself.
"Would you like to look into it, Severus?" Dumbledore turned to him, eyes sparkling with a hint of anticipation. "It's a magical mirror."
"Why not?" Snape said, curiosity prickling within him. "Let's see what it shows."
He stepped forward, standing before the mirror, holding his breath as he gazed into its depths.
Unexpectedly, he saw only his own calm face staring back. Nothing more.
"What did you see?" Dumbledore asked.
"I saw myself holding a pair of thick woolen socks," Snape replied, unfazed.
Dumbledore paused, a twitch at the corner of his mouth betraying amusement.
"You know how it is, Professor," Snape said, turning away from the mirror with a flat tone. "There are never enough socks to wear."
"No honest answers from you," Dumbledore shook his head and moved to stand where Snape had been moments before, quietly watching the Mirror of Erised.
His face was unreadable, his body still.
Snape settled silently on an old desk nearby, waiting without a word.
The room was so quiet only their soft breathing broke the stillness.
After a while, Dumbledore spoke.
"All right, Severus," he said, turning from the mirror, "we can go now."
"Professor, may I ask you a question?" Snape said, pushing himself up and standing.
"Aren't you asking me one right now?" Dumbledore replied gently. "But you may ask one more."
"I won't ask what you see when you look in it," Snape said, tilting his head and softly reading the inscription backwards aloud, "I show not your face but your heart's desire."
"Oh," Dumbledore said, a trace of surprise in his voice, "It seems you've already guessed the mirror's true purpose."
"Yes," Snape murmured. "You haven't seen it in quite some time, have you, Professor? Do you miss it?"
"A little, perhaps," Dumbledore smiled. "It has been many years."
Snape stepped forward again, peering once more at his reflection, then turned to Dumbledore.
"Professor, what do you think an old man values most?"
"That's your third question, Severus," Dumbledore replied. "But I can answer: family."
"Then, do you intend to seek the Resurrection Stone?" Snape pressed, eyes sharp with inquiry.
He studied Dumbledore closely, unwilling to miss even the slightest flicker of expression.
"Not yet," Dumbledore answered calmly.
"Perhaps you should take this mirror with you?"
"Let us go."
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore made the Mirror of Erised vanish, and without looking back, strode toward the Room of Requirement's entrance.
In the dim light, his tall figure seemed a little lonely.