3rd Person's POV

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 can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror.

"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?

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

What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Ron 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."

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

"I can only see you."

"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?"

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

"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 Harry. "Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

"How can it? 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.

Karina walks from the corridor smiling.

"Really boys? Fighting over a mirror? Who would've thought."

Harry and Ron let out a huge breath they had been holding. Imagine if that was someone else, Harry thought to himself.

"What are you doing here Karina?" Ron asks while glancing back into the mirror.

"I couldn't sleep, so I took a little walk and saw you guys running like your pants were on fire. Funny how you were just in a hurry to look at yourselves in a mirror." Karina laughs.

"No Karina this is a magic mirror. Look come here." Harry grabs her arm and puts her infront of the mirror. "Tell us what you see."

"Okkkayyy..." Karina squints her eyes looking confused then looks into the mirror.

In the mirror she could see her parents. Draco and her had found many pictures and stories in yearbooks in the library so she knew exactly what they looked like.

Her parents were smiling at her and giving her hugs as she looks into another mirror. In that mirror she sees herself wearing a white dress and a veil. Then the mirror cuts to her walking down an aisle and at the end is her groom, Draco.

Shaking her head, Karina looks as if she'd seen a ghost.

"What'd you see Karina?" Ron asks making sure she was okay.

"I saw my parents... Draco... and me... living a normal life."

Harry and Ron look at each other then at Karina and the mirror then back at each other in confusion.

"Wait... Did you just say Malfoy?" Ron makes a face as if he just act bad food.

"Yes I did Ronald." Karina sticks out her tongue while leaning her weight on one leg and putting her hands on her hips.

"Why are you even friends with him?" Harry asks fixing his glasses.

"Because he's sweet-" Ron scoffs interrupting her. Karina glares at him and he puts his hands up as if saying 'I surrender.'

"Anyways like I was saying. He's sweet, smart, funny... I dunno he's my best friend. I wouldn't expect you guys to understand. But he really is a good person. I know he doesn't show it a lot of the time but I don't care. He's my friend, he treats me right, so that's all that matters."

Harry and Ron look at her like she's gone crazy as she glares them down.

"Not another word about Draco or I will hex you into an oblivion."

Suddenly another sound is heard from the corridor.

"Quick!" Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron, Harry, and Karina 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-- she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on."

And Ron pulled Karina and 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?"

"No... you go..."

"I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. 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."

"I'm serious, Harry, at least take Karina with you."

That third night Harry found his way more quickly than before. Harry and Karina were walking so fast they knew they were making more noise than was wise, but they didn't meet anyone.

Harry and Karina sank down to sit on the floor infront of the mirror. There was nothing to stop them from staying here all night. Nothing at all. Except--

"So -- back again, Harry and Karina?"

Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice while Karina just felt calm and collected. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. They must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror they hadn't noticed him.

"-- We didn't see you, sir." Harry stammers.

"Strange how near sighted 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 the two, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that." Karina says looking back at the mirror.

"But I expect you two have realized by now what it does?"

"It-- well-- it shows me my family-- and Karina- her parents- and normal life."

"And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy."

"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?"

Karina thought.

Then Karina 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. Karina it shows you what you desire the most. To know your parents who you know nothing about other than what you have been told. And to find love and live a normal life. 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, and I ask you two 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 and Karina laughs. "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.

"Socks?" Karina asks as if he is joking.

"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 they were back in bed that it struck Harry and Karina that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful.