"Professor, I don't agree with you."
Damon's words didn't faze Dumbledore. He looked at Damon kindly.
He was starting to believe what Minerva said—this kid was more independent than most adults, mature beyond his years. With his unique talent, he needed proper guidance.
"So, what's your view?" Dumbledore asked.
"Professor Flitwick once told me that examples have great power. They carry incredible energy, especially in a group. Do you agree with that?"
Dumbledore nodded, a spark of approval in his eyes. Damon remembering Flitwick's words and bringing them up now showed respect for his teachers—unless he was pretending.
"Then isn't this magic mirror an example too?" Damon continued. "Like Ron. He saw himself as Quidditch captain, and it gave him a clear goal. It motivated him. How could that make him lost, like you said?"
"If I could see myself five years from now in the mirror, I'd feel driven to work harder to make it real, not just stare at it all day."
Damon's words made Dumbledore pause. Harry nearly jumped up.
Exactly! He only wanted to see his parents. That didn't mean he'd stand in front of the mirror all day. Even now, he only came at night. During the day, he lived his life as usual.
Why didn't I think to say that? Harry wondered. Was it because Dumbledore's words felt so final that he didn't even consider arguing?
Harry glanced at Damon, his eyes shining with admiration. Then he looked at Dumbledore, pleading silently.
Dumbledore met Harry's gaze, shifting slightly.
"Professor, if you're still worried, I have an idea," Damon said, sensing Dumbledore's hesitation. "Let me keep the mirror. I'll make sure Harry only uses it for two hours a week. I won't be tempted by it myself."
"Two hours a week with family isn't a waste, right?"
Dumbledore thought it over.
Damon stopped talking and placed a hand on Harry, who was fidgeting, signaling him to wait.
Dumbledore paused for just three seconds, but it felt like forever to Harry.
Finally, Dumbledore smiled. "Alright, you've convinced me. But it's only two hours a week. If I find out you've broken this rule or misused the mirror, I'll take it back."
Harry cheered quietly. Damon smiled, agreed, and used a shrinking spell to make the huge mirror small enough to fit in his hand. Then he used a floating spell to hold it there.
Dumbledore looked impressed. "Nice shrinking spell."
It was much harder to cast spells on magical items than regular ones. When Damon suggested keeping the mirror, Dumbledore hadn't thought he could handle it.
Clearly, he needed to rethink what this kid was capable of.
"Thanks," Damon said. "It's late, so we'll head back, Professor?"
Dumbledore nodded, but Harry spoke up. "Sir, Professor Dumbledore, can I ask something? What did you see in the mirror?"
"Me? I saw myself holding a pair of thick wool socks."
Harry's eyes widened.
"You can never have enough socks," Dumbledore said. "Christmas came and went, and I didn't get a single pair. People keep giving me books." He paused, then added, "Also, some students seem to have a grudge against me. They gave gifts to all the professors but forgot me, the headmaster."
Dumbledore wiped away fake tears.
Damon didn't respond directly. He just led Harry out of the classroom, saying lightly, loud enough for Dumbledore to hear, "Don't believe him. He's bragging. So old and still lying to kids. No shame."
"Oh," Harry replied.
The two boys slipped under the invisibility cloak and left. Moonlight spilled into the quiet corridor, and an owl hooted softly outside. They walked away, full of joy and hope, leaving the gray-haired man standing alone, stunned.
In the dark classroom, a breeze stirred.
Dust floated like stardust in the moonlight.
Soon, everything was quiet again.
But the mirror, once the old man's, now belonged to someone else.
*That's fine,* he thought.
Yet after 91 years, why couldn't he forget the moonlight?
"Goodbye, Ariana," he whispered.
A deep sigh echoed in the darkness.
---
The Christmas holiday grew calm again. On the first day, Harry was eager to see the mirror, but knowing he only had two hours a week and couldn't find Damon, he held back.
Oddly, once he accepted this, his longing faded. He hadn't lost anything—in fact, he gained two hours a week with his parents.
This made Harry's dreams sweet. He talked with his mom and bragged to his dad about catching the golden snitch.
It all felt like a dream.
But Damon? He still didn't come back at night. Harry only saw him every few days.
Harry thought about using the invisibility cloak to follow him but decided against it. Out of respect, he couldn't do something so sneaky to someone he admired.
If Damon wanted to share, he would.
The day before school started, Hermione returned. When she heard about Harry's holiday, she felt torn. She was shocked that Harry wandered the school at night for three days straight. But she was also disappointed he didn't know who Nicolas Flamel was.
As for Damon seeing himself in the mirror and convincing Dumbledore to let him keep it, the three didn't talk much about it—it was too wild to process.
Now, they needed to find out who Nicolas Flamel was.
---
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