37. Deepest desire

The ride back to Hogwarts was as boring as the train ride home. That being said, I was glad to be back. I still had things to prepare as well as a bunch of projects to finish. My codex was halfway done, the glyph matrics for my all-speak needed more work, and the brain enhancing ritual was still a work in progress. I really needed to lock in and finish one of them before I started another project. 

“Silver!” A very happy Sophia screamed as I got tackle-hugged. If it weren't for my enhanced muscles she would have brought both of us tumbling to the ground. 

“Missed you too.” I said while hugging her back. 

I didn’t fail to notice her wearing glasses. A pair of round glasses similar to those of her brother rested on her nose. Unlike her brother’s pair, Sophia’s frame was made of silver with intricate patterns written all over in navy blue giving the impression that the glasses were cobalt blue from a distance. 

“How have you liked my gift?” My question was answered with a beaming smile that told me she loved them. 

“They are awesome! I don’t know how you did it, but I love them! Not to mention the book.” Yup, besides the glasses I had gifted a book I wrote myself with a couple magical exercises she could perform and observe using the glasses.

If it isn’t clear by now then let me elaborate. The glasses are enchanted so the user may see magic. I did this in a similar fashion to how heat vision goggles work. Different kinds of magic have different colorations, while pure magic is a nice cyan blue. They are also made in such a way they won’t impede vision no matter the magic saturation in the air. I did this by making it so they could never go over fifty percent opacity. 

All of this to say the thing is very well enchanted and very expensive. I’d like to think my version is leagues above those commercially available, at least in function and form. Truthfully, if I hadn’t spent so long making them I could have maybe, possibly finished one of my projects. Then again, it was very well worth it to see Sophia’s beaming smile. 

“I had wanted to look at your aura but you don’t have any.” Sophia said once we stopped hugging with her head tilted like she didn’t understand what she was seeing. It is then that I realized I might have messed up a little. 

The reason she couldn’t see my aura was because like always I kept it under wraps. Unlike say, Dumbledore who would let a little out, I kept it completely suppressed. All of this to say, I couldn’t fool Sophia. Sure, I could tell her I kept it suppressed, she probably guessed as much already. The problem is what came next, so I decided to just tackle the problem in the simplest way. 

“I keep it suppressed for personal reasons. I can show you later in our room.” Yup, I wouldn’t bother trying to dodge the topic or trick her. No use doing such not to mention I didn’t feel like it. 

I didn’t expect however for Sophia to try and drag me all the way to our room, completely disregarding the dinner feast prepared to welcome back the students. It took me a bit of convincing so she would wait while we ate. I was hungry and I wouldn’t be denied my food, thank you very much. 

“Okay, we are in our room, show.” Sophia demanded as soon as the door to our room closed. If we were a few years older I would be worried about my nonexistent innocence or purity. 

“Fine, but don’t freak out.” As I spoke I began to relax the hold I had on my aura. To tell the truth, it felt great, like having been tensing my muscles for hours and finally untensing them. Even so, I didn’t luxuriate in the feeling. Instead I kept my gaze on Sophia, who began breathing harder so I began suppressing my aura again.

“No! Don’t… Don’t stop, I can take it.” Seeing her determined expression I let go once more. I kept releasing my hold more and more while making sure Sophia could manage until I had finally unleashed it fully. 

“What does it look like?” I asked curiously. Sensing my own aura wouldn’t give me the same picture as her seeing as it is mine. 

“It's like… Like you are covered in this thick red haze.” Sophia spoke as she swallowed with some effort. Then she did something unexpected. With how my aura must feel, I thought she would keep her distance. Instead, Sophia began walking towards me as if in a trance. 

“It feels dangerous yet… somehow… comforting.” At this point she had closed the distance, her hand hovering over my arm, as if touching something only she could see. Then her eyes snapped to my own. I witnessed how her breathing hitched as her cheeks became rosy then flushed. 

“I… Uh.” At that point I decided to finally reign in my aura once more. As soon as I did Sophia gave a cute little whine like that of a kicked puppy. I couldn’t for the life of me understand what was going on in that girl’s mind, nor what my aura made her feel. 

“I think that is enough for a first exposure.” My comment finally snapped the girl back to reality. On theme with our interaction thus far today she once again surprised me.

“Right, first exposure. Silver, promise me you will let your aura more when it’s only the both of us.” Sophia’s gaze was intense and I knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer. With a sigh I just nodded. Guess this will be a common thing for the both of us from now on. 

At least the rest of the week went by without any more surprises. Or so I would like to claim, instead, only two days after coming back I find myself in an… interesting situation. 

“Professor Dumbledore, quite rare to see you out of your office." I said to the professor, who happened to find me in an empty corridor. I don’t believe even for a second that this is a coincidence. 

“Well, I was told by Pomona that I should stretch my legs from time to time.” Yeah right, playing the old man card I see, well none of my business. I don’t feel like doing the whole word tango so…

“In that case, I won’t hold you from your walk.” To my surprise the old man just nodded and kept walking. I thought that might have been it, at least I did so until I felt it. Magic invaded my body and tried to do the same to my mind. Thankfully, the combination of Oclumancy and my enchanted tiara did their work. 

I would have reacted if not for the fact I quickly and easily detected what kind of spell it was. A compulsion spell, meaning that good all Dumbledore wanted me to do something. Silently casting my second mind spell I let the compulsion affect me after. With one mind afflicted and another not, I could act as if the thing did its job while also keeping my faculties. 

It didn’t take my magic mind to figure out what differed. The compulsion would have had me breaking curfew and heading to a random class room. For what reason, I do not know. Now the question is, should I follow the compulsion or not?

The rest of the day went by as I pondered the answer. In the end I decided that I would follow it. Of course I would be careful and be prepared for anything. However, my curiosity demanded I figure out what the old goat wanted. That is how I found myself entering a classroom with nothing more than a mirror in it. 

“The Mirror of Erised.” I spoke under my breath as I saw it. What could the old goat want with me seeing it? Maybe he wanted to gauge my moral compass by interpreting my deepest desire? Either way, I was very much inclined to play along as I too was curious to know what that deepest desire might be. 

Standing in front of the mirror an image began to form. First a throne, one not of precious metals or materials. Instead, the thing was made of paper and ink, books. I saw myself older, regal, lounging on the throne, reading a book. Its weathered leather bound cover couldn’t hide the deep knowledge within. 

Below the throne I saw a figure form, that of a woman I quickly recognized as Sophia. She too read a book, however her focus broke every so often to kiss my left hand whenever it stopped playing with her hair. 

Behind the throne other figures appeared. These figures however I couldn’t describe as they were blurry messes vaguely shaped like people. Behind those I could see a library, infinitely wide and deep. Then my reflection turned to look at me, right into my eyes her piercing scarlet eyes watching as if she truly could, then she winked before throwing the book she was reading my way. 

Out of reflex I reached out and to my surprise I felt the book impact my palm. Before I could understand what had just happened the book banished like a mirage, yet like a weight it settled somewhere in my mind. 

“The Mirror of Erised.” The old voice of the head master reached my ears, almost giving me a heart attack. I had completely forgotten about him, and the fact he would most probably be her watching. I wondered if he had seen the book but if he didn’t bring it up neither would I.

“It shows our deepest, most desperate desires.” He said as he stood next to me while looking at the mirror. I could see the hurt in his eyes as I had a good idea of what he saw. 

“Tell me silver, what is it that you see?” I felt another compulsion trying to force me to speak the truth. I unraveled the magic, not letting it take hold since I didn’t feel like it. Not to mention it was completely unnecessary. 

“Myself, in an immense library of some kind, reading.” Not the whole truth but neither a lie. That seems to be enough for the old goat. Remembering a similar scene from the movies I wondered if said scene had already happened with Harry, or Sophia, maybe both. 

“I see, a simple desire, all things considered wouldn’t you say?” I just nodded since I didn’t feel like chit chatting right now. I was much more interested in figuring out what the hell that book the other me gave me is about. 

“Go sleep Silver, it’s late and we all need rest.” Another compulsion and I felt like rolling my eyes. This one was doubled first so that I would go to sleep and a long term one so I wouldn’t tell anybody about this meeting. Old goat doing old goat things, what's new? 

Back in my room I made sure that Sophia was still deep asleep before poking the presence I felt the book had in my mind. A moment later, the book reappeared in my hands as if it had never left. 

“Let's see what you are all about.” I spoke under my breath as I inspected it. The first thing to catch my eye was the title written on the spine, Magia Argento it read. The title made me smile a little. Opening it I was met with formulas upon formulas upon formulas. The thing was packed with them as well as magic circles and if I was reading this thing right four dimensional casting. I would like to say I understood it but that would make me a filthy liar. 

“This is both awesome and absolutely terrifying.” I mumbled to myself. At least I could understand the very brief description of the few spells that had them. Those few made me feel like the future me, because I am sure now that was indeed the future me, had gone off the deepest end. 

What do you mean this thing makes a self replicating army of murder dogs by using a drop of my blood saturated with vitality!? Looking at the spell made my head spin with the intricate spell work that fused vitality and magic seamlessly. 

“You could have handed me something simpler.” I grumbled under my breath as I kept looking at the pages of supper complex spell work. By the time I reached the last page I didn’t find a single spell I could even start to decipher. 

With a sigh I decided that working on the thing would be a problem for the same person that gave it to me, in other words, future me would have a hell of a time working on it.