Harry continued, "Then maybe it's a desire for great power. But as we all know, Professor Dumbledore's mastery of the Dark Arts isn't any less than Lord Voldemort's…" At this point, Harry glanced at Cho.
Cho replied, "I'm a bona fide Muggle-born, remember? I didn't grow up hearing horror stories about Voldemort. His name doesn't really affect me."
Harry smiled faintly and said, "Anyway, Dumbledore is already extremely powerful, but he's never used that power for anything bad. Wanting even more power just doesn't make much sense."
…
As they kept talking, the awkwardness between them slowly faded, and they both became fully absorbed in the discussion.
Cho reminded him, "Don't forget—there's still one very important thing we haven't mentioned."
Harry knew exactly what she meant. He chuckled, "Yeah, and honestly, I think that's the only thing he might see in the mirror. After all, no one can escape the pull of that."
It's human nature.
In the abandoned classroom where the Mirror of Erised was kept…
Professor Dumbledore stood in front of the mirror. The wise light in his eyes had faded, replaced by endless longing and regret.
His glasses were fogged—not from the cold, but from his tears. Dumbledore's tears.
His voice trembled like a lone wolf howling, straining to suppress the storm of emotion.
"Ariana…"
Meanwhile, a cat sat quietly on the floor, staring into the mirror—its reflection showing endless fish. Eyes glowing, drool dripping nonstop…
As the final days before the holidays approached, most students grew increasingly distracted. The professors could only sigh in frustration. Thankfully, they still had Harry and Hermione, who studied diligently and gave them a sliver of comfort.
Harry was calm about it—after all, even during break, he'd be staying at Hogwarts. There wasn't much to be excited about.
As for Hermione… have you ever seen a top student not study?
Lately, the Great Hall had become unexpectedly popular. Normally, in the dead of winter, students preferred the comfort of their common rooms.
That was because, although fireplaces blazed in both the Great Hall and the common rooms, the constant opening of the Hall's doors let in freezing gusts of wind, making it impossible to stay warm for long.
The common rooms, in contrast, were sealed and cozy—but had a drawback: dim lighting. Unlike the Great Hall's vast glass windows, which let in snowy views and natural light, common rooms felt gloomy. And even with firelight, reading for long periods strained the eyes.
But Harry had changed everything.
He'd struggled with the same issue and ultimately chose the Great Hall—keeping well away from the doors, of course.
Then an idea struck: what if he used the Light Element? It was supposed to radiate warmth.
So he gathered a small ball of light around himself—and it worked! His body felt warm and relaxed, and the soft, non-glare glow was perfect for reading.
When Harry finally finished and stood up, he looked around—only to realize that people had quietly gathered around him, forming a full circle.
Seeing him rise, some called out reluctantly:
"Harry, what kind of magic is that?"
Harry replied casually, "Just a little spell I came up with myself. I usually use it for lighting."
"Wow, that's amazing…"
"No wonder you're Harry Potter…"
"Harry, can you teach us?"
"Don't be silly…"
"Every spell a wizard creates is incredibly valuable—you can't just give it away!"
…
Harry smiled. "Honestly, I don't mind teaching you."
Then he explained the made-up incantation and wand movements to them.
Everyone thanked him enthusiastically.
"I haven't mastered it completely yet," Harry added with a warm smile. "There's still a high chance of failure, so be sure to practice a lot."
And with that, he left.
Of course, the spell was entirely fake. The incantation was something he'd just made up on the spot. There was no way he could tell anyone about the Light Element—something that could shake the foundations of the magical world.
Even if he did, they might not succeed. Hermione had been meditating daily without success, and Harry had recently convinced her to stop trying.
Sooner or later, people might just assume Harry had been lying and didn't really want to share his spell.
But Harry didn't care what those kinds of people thought.
The next time Harry entered the Great Hall, he was no longer content with a small bubble of warmth.
He conjured a massive ball of Light Element and floated it above the center of the hall, letting it hover like a giant glowing orb.
Its milky white light filled the entire space—and warmed it completely.
Word spread quickly. By late morning, the whole school knew.
Students no longer hid in the common rooms. After every class, students from all years rushed to the Great Hall to enjoy the warmth and light.
Professor Snape entered, a "gotcha" expression on his face.
"Harry Potter, casting magic in the Great Hall—ten points from Gryffindor."
He didn't even give Harry a chance to respond before turning to leave.
"Professor, that's not a spell!" Hermione called out after him.
Snape stopped, turned, and gave her a cold smile.
"Miss Granger… are you trying to teach me something?"
Hermione froze, lost for words.
Snape flicked his long sleeves and walked off.
But Harry noticed Snape hadn't left. He'd taken a seat at the staff table and called over a house-elf to bring him a steaming cup of coffee.
Behind the rising steam, Harry could just make out the faintest trace of a contented smile on Snape's lips.
Harry was speechless.
Soon after, Professor McGonagall arrived—and she seemed very pleased with the atmosphere in the hall.
Professor Sprout walked over to Harry.
"This spell is amazing. I've been worried about keeping the greenhouses warm at night. You know, lighting fires risks burning the leaves."
"So…?" Harry asked, confused.
"You'll be casting this spell in the greenhouses every night from now on!"
"…Right. Got it."
Harry took the greenhouse key in silence.
Hermione chuckled quietly at his side.
The Great Hall had grown slightly chaotic—because even Dumbledore had come. This time, he was eating a slice of cream cake.
He turned to Harry with a smile.
"Looks like I might have to move my office down here. It's far more comfortable than the Headmaster's study."
Many students looked at Harry with envy.
Dumbledore was a living legend, admired by all. But the way he treated Harry was clearly different.
Everyone understood… there was no comparing themselves to Harry Potter.
.
.
.
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