Author’s Note
This fanfiction is based on “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter series and the characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I earn no financial gain from this work.

“Albus Dumbledore and the Philosopher’s Stone” is based on the events of the first book in the Harry Potter series, from the perspectives of Albus Dumbledore.

Mirror of Erised

Christmas was coming near. Hogwarts was often covered with snow. Even the lake froze solid. The Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. Dumbledore had found that prank quite funny. Very soon there would be holidays. Dumbledore had instructed his Deputy Headmistress to collect the names of students who would be staying at Hogwarts during the Christmas period. He looked at the list and saw Harry Potter towards the top of the list.

So he is not going to his aunt’s home for Christmas. Shouldn’t be much of a problem. As long as he returns at least once a year, which he definitely will, the protection should work.

Dumbledore was quite surprised to see the names of the four Weasleys on the list too. But he didn’t give it much of a thought and moved on. McGonagall and Flitwick were busy with Christmas decoration and Hagrid was bringing Christmas trees in the Hall. Dumbledore quietly went to his office. He had a Christmas gift to send.

Dumbledore packed the Cloak of Invisibility in a parcel and marked the name ‘Harry Potter‘ outside of it. Then he began to write a note to accompany with the parcel.

Dear Harry,

This is an invisibility cloak. It is one of the Deathly Hallows and a powerful object. It has belonged to Potter family for a long time and I am returning this to its rightful heir, you. Use it wisely and it will help you in times of great need.

Merry Christmas.

Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked at the note again, and decided that it contained too much information, more than what Harry needed right now. He tore that note and wrote another.

Harry,

This invisibility cloak is a Potter family heirloom that your father lent me before he died. I’m returning this to you. Use it wisely, it is very powerful and useful.

Merry Christmas.

Albus Dumbledore.

Once more, Dumbledore looked at the note, and thought that it would be best if Harry received it anonymously. So he tore the second note too and threw it away, and wrote another.

Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you.

Use it well.

A Very Merry Christmas to you.

Satisfied with the final note, Dumbledore managed to have it sent to Harry on the Christmas morning before he woke up. The teachers and the few students who had stayed enjoyed the Christmas feast, and the students played throughout the afternoon while the teachers rested.

That day, as the rest of the teachers and students were enjoying Christmas, a tiny sting of loneliness hit Dumbledore’s heart. He had always tried to suppress this feeling, bury it deep beneath the layers he had formed over his mind and heart over the years. But on some days, the feeling of loneliness would pierce through all those layers like the edge of a sharp sword and pinch his old heart. This was one of those very rare days. Overcome by the emotion, he did something which he knew was not a very wise thing to do – he went to the room where there was the Mirror of Erised.

This is not right. I know this is not right. The mirror does not show the reality, and what it shows me is impossible to happen in reality. But why, why am I unable to resist the temptation to look at it ? Is it because I know exactly what I see and deep inside my heart, I know I would give anything to see that one more time, even if it is just an illusion ? I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the conqueror of Grindelwald, and the wisest Headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen, should not be weakened by emotion and lose the sense of judgment like other wizards and witches.

But in the end, he failed. His desire overcame his rationality. Defeated, he approached the mirror which was, as usual, magnificent. Just as he was about to step in front of the mirror, he felt some movement near the door of the room, and quickly cast a very strong Disillusionment Charm on himself. There was no one else in the room, but Dumbledore was not someone to be fooled by appearances.

“Homenum Revelio,” Dumbledore casted non-verbally.

He saw Harry Potter, hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, entering the room. He walked in hesitatingly. He looked like he was trying to hide or escape from someone. Maybe Filch. He was James Potter’s son after all. Harry seemed perplexed by the grandeur of the mirror. Dumbledore saw Harry walking slowly towards the mirror. The reaction on Harry’s face and eyes was a clear indication that he was shocked by whatever he saw in the mirror. Harry stood there for a long time. Dumbledore, who had made himself invisible, stood there too, watching Harry. As Harry whispered something to the mirror and was about to leave, Dumbledore wanted to know what he had seen that made him stare so long.

“Legilimens,” He didn’t have to speak it aloud. It was easier than Dumbledore had expected. Whatever powers Harry had inherited from Voldemort, natural Occlumency wasn’t one of them.

Dumbledore saw Harry’s memory of the reflection in the Mirror of Erised. There were James, Lily, and others of Harry’s family. What Harry desired most in the world was his family, his real family. Dumbledore felt sad and sorry for the little boy, what he had gone through till now. He felt more sorry for what he would have to go through in the days to come. He couldn’t change the boys’ past, but Dumbledore wished he could prevent what the boy was supposed to endure. Alas, he couldn’t do it – it was, after all, for the greater good.

When Harry left the room, Dumbledore left too. He knew that Harry couldn’t resist the temptation to see his parents once again and would soon come back. He left a motion-tracking charm on the door – he would be alerted whenever someone moved the door. The alert came just the next night, and Dumbledore straight away went to the room, once again in invisible form. This time Harry wasn’t alone, he had the Weasley boy with him. Dumbledore didn’t even have to read his mind to know what Ron saw in the mirror. The two boys, not knowing that they were being watched, discussed it loudly enough for him to hear. Dumbledore couldn’t talk with Harry as he had planned due to Ron’s presence, but he hoped Harry would come alone some time.

He didn’t have to wait long. The very next night, Dumbledore was alerted once again of someone entering the room, and this time Harry was alone. Harry went straight to the mirror, and smiled looking at his family.

“So – back again, Harry ?” Dumbledore spoke, removing the Disillusionment Charm and making himself visible.

“I – I didn’t see you, sir.” Harry was startled.

“Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you,” Dumbledore said smiling, “So, you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised.”

“I didn’t know it was called that, sir.”

“But I expect you’ve 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 don’t need a cloak to become invisible,” he said 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?”

Harry thought. Then he 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. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge nor 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.”

I am not sure whether this much will be enough to convince him not to come back to the mirror again. Even I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the conqueror of Grindelwald, and the wisest Headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen, can’t always overcome the urge to come here and Harry is just an eleven year old boy who has no memory of seeing his family alive. It’s better if I remove the mirror from here, I can’t let The-Boy-Who-Is-Prophesised-To-Have-The-Power-To-Vanquish-The-Dark-Lord-And-Was-Marked-By-The-Dark-Lord-As-His-Equal lose himself to the illusion given by this damned mirror. And I just realized how I can use it as an additional protection to the Philosopher’s Stone.

“The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you 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. “You may ask me one more thing, however.”

“What do you see when you look in the mirror?”

Dumbledore was taken aback by the question. He hadn’t expected this, so he didn’t have a convincible false answer ready in his mind and he couldn’t answer this question honestly either. So he said the first thing that his brain could come up with.

“I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks.”

Harry stared.

“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.”

The look on Harry’s face suggested that he found it hard to believe, but he didn’t ask anything further. That was a close escape.