章节_76
desperate to get to the mirror he hadnt noticed him.
” -- i didnt see you, sir.”
”straed being invisible make you,” said
dumbledore, and harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.
”so,” said dumbledore, slippio sit on the
floor with harry, ”you, like hundreds before you, have discovered
the delights of the mirror of erised.”
”i didnt know it was called that, sir.”
”but i expect youve realized by now what it does?”
”it -- well -- it shows me my family --”
”and it showed your friend ron himself as head boy.”
”how did you know --?”
”i dont need a e invisible,” said dumbledore
gently. ”now, you think what the mirror of erised shows us all?”
harry shook his head.
”let me explai mah 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 shoe
e want...”
”yes and no,” said dumbledore quietly. ”it shows us nothing
more or less tha, 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 standihe best of all
of them. however, this mirrive us her knowledge or
truth. meed away before it, e 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 omorrow, harry, and i
ask you not to go lain. if you ever do run across
it, you will does not do to dwell on dreams
ao live, remember that. now, why dont you put that
admirable cloak bad get off to bed?”
harry stood up.
”sir -- professor dumbledore? i ask you something?”
”obviously, youve just done so,” dumbledore smiled. ”you may
ask me , however.”
”what do you see when you look in the mirror?”
”i? i see myself holding a pair of thi socks.”
harry stared.
”one ever have enough socks,” said dumbledore. ”another
christmas has e and gone and i did a single pair. people
will insist on giving me books.”
it as ba bed that it struck harry that
dumbledht not have beehful. but the,
as he shoved scabbers off his pillow, it had been quite a personal
question.
chapter thirteen
niel
dumbledore had ced harry not to go looking for the mirror
ain, a of the christmas holidays the
invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk. harry
wished he cet what hed seen in the mirror as easily, but
he t. he started having nightmares. over and ain he
dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash ht,
while a high voice cackled with laughter.
”you see, dumbledht, that mirror could drive you mad,”
said roold him about these drearns.
hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a
differehiorween horror at the idea
out the schhts in a row
(”if filch had caught you!”), and disappoi he hadnt at
least found out who niel was.
they had almost given up hope flamel in a li-
brary book, even though harry was still sure hed read the name
somewhere. oarted, they were baing through
books for ten minutes during their breaks. harry had eveime
thawo, because quidditch practice had started again.
the team harder thahe endless
rain that had replaow t dampen his spirits. the
weasleys plai wood was being a fanatic, but harry was
on woods side. if they wost hufflepuff,
they would overtake slytherin in the house