"Merlin's magic!" Dana marvelled. Merlin's corpse had clearly been drained for its magic, yet Dana still absorbed some of it—meaning Merlin must have hidden a portion of his magic somewhere. As for why Dana continued absorbing magic even with his reserves overflowing and unstable—compared to the vast well within him, the extra trickle from Merlin was negligible. But over time, it added up. That was Dana's reasoning.
"Reparo!" he whispered, restoring the shredded parchment. With the lamp extinguished, he hovered an inch above his bed and slipped into a hovering rest. Suddenly, someone knocked.
"Knock, knock, knock!" Dana frowned and sneaked to the door. "Harry? What brings you here so late?"
Harry panted, breathless. "Dana, I want to show you something amazing!"
Dana rolled his eyes. At this hour? The only "amazing" thing Harry could show was either the Invisibility Cloak… or the Mirror of Erised. Maybe even Ron's drool-stained bedsheet?
"What is it?"
"Just follow me!"
Dana hesitated. "It's late, Harry. I should really be sleeping."
"No," Harry insisted, shaking his head. "You might miss it if we wait!"
"What is this 'amazing' thing?"
Harry whispered excitedly, "A mirror—a mirror that shows the people or things you wish to see! I think… maybe you can see your mother."
Dana's heart skipped a beat. An illusory glimpse of his mother—it was enough.
"All right, I'll go."
Harry snuck out holding the Cloak. "Come in quickly, Dana—no one can see us here!"
Dana floated forward, blinking. Floating so low was awkward; he had to bend and tip-toe just to fit. "This is ridiculous," he muttered.
"No need," Dana said, and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.
"Wow! Dana! What magic is that?"
"A Disillusionment Charm."
"Can you teach it to me?"
"Don't you have an Invisibility Cloak?"
Harry shrugged: "Fair."
Although hidden under the Cloak, Harry kept a corner of his robe visible so they wouldn't lose each other.
Soon, they reached the chamber holding the Mirror of Erised.
"Dana, here it is!"
Dana gasped at its magnificence. Fear tugged at him. What would he see? Finally, longing for his mother pushed him forward. In the mirror, she wore her favorite dress, gentle and beautiful as ever. She was seated at the dining table at home, talking animatedly—reading from his childhood memories. Tears brimmed in his eyes.
"Did you see her?" Harry whispered.
"Yes," Dana choked, voice thick with emotion. "I… I saw her."
Tears flowed freely. He wiped his face, yet couldn't blink—a desperate desire to cling to the vision.
"She's like that, Harry… Going out tonight was a bad idea. It makes me miss Mom more, and I'll never see her alive again."
A subtle glance found the dark corners of the room. Dana wiped away more tears, trying to steady himself.
"All right, we can't get lost in memories. Let's go. I've seen enough."
"Ah, okay, Dana."
Dana paused at the doorway, then turned to look back. His mother still smiled at him, her eyes kind. But behind her, figures knelt: Ollivander Avery, Gai Avery, Donna Avery, and a blurred man in a top hat. Their faces twisted in agony. Behind them, small red devils scraped their flesh with steel wool, their lower bodies reduced to bone.
The Mirror of Erised—it didn't just show desire, it revealed the depths of one's heart. Oh, Dumbledore…
Originally, Dana had planned to tame his surging magic in a day. Instead, it took two and a half. Not until noon on the third day did he finally gain full control—moving normally at last. The struggle wasn't in vain. His spellcasting and Transfiguration skills had each risen two levels. Even if Professor McGonagall gave it her all, Dana could now hold his own for several minutes!
Don't underestimate this feat—McGonagall wasn't widely known as a prodigy, but she had been brilliant since youth. In duel records, she never lost—facing even Lord Voldemort along with Professors Flitwick and Slughorn. Still, it was impressive. And Dana? He was only eleven!
Tsk, tsk, tsk—that costs seven Galleons.
After half a day in the library, when night fell Dana cast a Spandim Gate in his room. Just as he expected, Hogwarts' anti-Apparition enchantments didn't block it. Merlin's magic truly was extraordinary. With a single step, he traveled hundreds of kilometres, landing in a dusty, empty room.
He pushed open the window, transformed into a black cat, and slipped out. This was Avery Manor. This small bedroom was where branch and affiliate family members stayed during the annual gathering. In earlier years, Dana had accompanied his mother to the gathering and stayed here.
In cat form, he navigated the garden and headed to the main house. His goal: retrieve the tapestry belonging to his mother's family. His intuition warned of hidden secrets within it. And it was his family's possession—how could outsiders have claimed it?
Leaping onto the kitchen roof, he then flew as a bat, clinging upside down to the eaves to spy inside. Donna Avery stood before a makeshift dresser, the tapestry spread on top. Beside her, a floating parchment and quill scribbled fast.
"1‑2‑18, 13‑4‑21…" she chanted. Dana's enhanced hearing picked up every number clearly.
"Damn it! The rest is all gibberish. There must be something important I haven't found!" she muttered.
"The codebook! The codebook that goes with this tapestry is missing!" She shook her head in frustration. "John Flint must have hidden it in Merlin's treasure vault! Otherwise the first half wouldn't point so directly to Merlin's tomb!"
Donna straightened, full of purpose. "Yes! It must be! Tomorrow I'll go back to that tomb and look again!"
Her tension vanished. She removed her clothes, preparing for bed, but something caught her eye: a poster on the wall. The man was handsome, winking, flashing a wide, eight-toothed grin.
"Oh, Mr. Lockhart, you're absolutely captivating!" Donna sighed, entranced, before settling into bed.
Dana, still hanging upside down outside the window, muttered, "It's over… I'm going to get pinkeye…"
End of Chapter 41
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