Chapter 67: Mirror of Erised and Thestrals
"Thank you for your hard work, Edward."
With so many gifts to send, the two hundred Galleons he'd set aside for the twins had to be reduced to one hundred. So Ethan wrote a brief apology letter.
"Sorry, with so many gifts to send, I have to cut your payment in half for now, but I promise I'll bring the rest after school starts," Ethan said.
After signing his name, he tied the letter and the bag of Galleons to Edward's leg, then released the owl, already laden with packages, to fly away.
Ethan had no relatives. His grandparents had died when he was young, and his parents were both only children.
During the Christmas holidays, aside from visits from his father's business partners, his parents also had to call on others, but Ethan wasn't involved in any of it.
On Christmas night, the family, having given the servants the day off, went to a Chinese restaurant that was still open for a Christmas dinner.
At the dinner table, Albert prominently displayed the black dragon‑hide gloves Ethan had given him, worried the waiter might overlook them.
Sofia chuckled. "So childish."
Albert retorted, "My precious son bought these for me. Look how beautiful!"
"Alright, alright, I know. Hurry up and eat."
Three days before returning to Hogwarts, he received a call from Hermione.
"Anything you want to discuss? Alright, hold on. Let me switch phones and call you back."
"You mean Harry wrote to tell you he saw a very strange mirror at school?"
"Yes. Harry doesn't know if this mirror is harmful, so he asked if I knew anything about it."
"What kind of mirror? What's so strange about it? I need to know more about it." At the mention of it, he remembered the magical alchemical artifact, the Mirror of Erised.
Hermione didn't notice anything amiss. "Harry said he saw his parents and other family members in the mirror, while Ron saw himself as Head Boy and Quidditch captain."
"It seems this mirror shows what a person desires most in their heart."
"Harry longs to see his family, so the mirror reflects not only his parents but also other members of the Potter family."
"And Ron wants to step out of his brothers' shadows and become someone remarkable, so that's what he saw."
She hesitated slightly. "Ethan, what do you think we would see in the mirror?"
He said, half-truthfully, "I think you would probably see yourself at the top of the class. As for me, maybe I'd see myself as the greatest expert in the wizarding world."
Hermione had imagined something similar to what Ethan described, but she hadn't expected him to say he'd see himself becoming the greatest expert. She'd thought he'd say he'd become a Charms Master or Potions Master.
"Really? I think as long as we work hard, we can achieve it."
"But do you know anything about this mirror? I don't remember reading about it in any books. There's an inscription on it, though. Harry wrote it down for me. Based on how the first word sounds, I think it's called the Mirror of Erised."
Hermione changed the subject and spelled the word out for him.
Ethan shook his head. "I don't know, but I'd really like to see it for myself."
"Alright then. I was going to ask Edward to write to Harry if you knew anything about it."
"Unfortunately, I don't."
A day later, Hermione stopped by again.
"Ethan, I don't think we'll be able to see the Mirror of Erised. Harry just wrote that Dumbledore moved it somewhere else."
Her voice sounded dejected. She had been hoping to see this magical artifact she'd never encountered before, thinking it might help with her research.
He glanced at Sofia beside him. "Just a minute, Mom. I'll be done with Hermione in a moment."
"That's too bad. Let's talk it over on the train tomorrow. I still have a few things to take care of here."
"Okay, see you tomorrow." Hermione hung up the phone.
"Really, you weren't in any hurry to answer when a girl called, and being so dismissive is a bit ungentlemanly," Sofia chided from beside him, reaching out to straighten his slightly crooked collar.
"Okay, okay, I know, Mom." Ethan was at a loss. He was only eleven!
The next day, Ethan packed a trunk full of new clothes and some specialty snacks, took Edward's birdcage, and went to the train station.
This time, he and Hermione guided their parents through the ticket barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
"Is this the wizarding world's steam train? It looks no different from the ones back home."
After loading his luggage onto the train, Ethan got off again and chatted with his parents for a while. When the train was about to depart, he and Hermione said goodbye to the four adults and returned to their compartment.
Ethan pulled some snacks from his trunk to share with Hermione, then continued the conversation they'd left unfinished on the phone.
Ethan shut the compartment door firmly and cast Muffliato.
Hermione held a snack in her hand. "Where do you think Dumbledore moved the Mirror of Erised? I really want to see that magical artifact!"
"It's one thing to miss the Philosopher's Stone, but missing this too, even though it's less important?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's connected to the Philosopher's Stone? Otherwise, why would the mirror suddenly appear at Hogwarts and be so heavily guarded by Dumbledore?"
"You're right." Hermione's face fell even further.
But she soon shook it off and began discussing the new books with Ethan, along with other interesting things she'd read over the holidays.
Soon the train pulled into the station. This time, they weren't met by small boats but by driverless carriages.
"Look, Ethan, these are magical carriages!"
After climbing into the carriage, Hermione was so excited that she wanted to study how it moved. She wanted to understand the alchemical principles behind it.
Ethan could just make out the Thestrals at the front.
"Hermione, this isn't an automatic carriage. There are magical creatures pulling it from the front." He stopped her.
"Don't lie to me. There's nothing there." Hermione didn't believe him.
"I really did see them."
Hermione thought Ethan was lying until she climbed out of the carriage and touched the invisible creature.
"It's really a creature!" Hermione exclaimed as Ethan guided her hand to the Thestral's leg.
"Don't trust your eyes completely, Hermione. Sometimes they lie."