Hisfingersbeganw,almostasifbytheirownwill,ontheingpaper.ThesilverpaperameoffeasilyandDraowasfaedwithasmallwhitebox.Openingthelidhiseyeswidened.Carefullyheliftedthehimesfromtheboxandjustheldthemforamoment.He’dbeenlookingattheseforyears,eversinehisfirstvisittoHogsmeadwiththeotherstudents.Ofourse,inpublihehadareputationtomaintainsoheouldn’tjustgoinandbuythemunlesshewasgoingtogivethemtosomeoneelse,andthatwouldn’tbethease.
Intheboxunderhtheharmswasasmallnote.Writteninsomewhatmessybutlegiblewritingwerethewords:
HappyChristmasDrao,FromHarry
HowdidHarryknow?SomehowHarryhadfiguredoutthathewantedthehimes.NooneelsehadfigureditoutinhowmanyyearsyetsomehowHarryhad.Harryhadputthatmuhthoughtintoit…SuddenlyhisowngifttoHarrydidn’tseemsoinappropriateanymore.
HarrylookedupfromhisTransfigurationessayasDraowalkedintohisroom.Inhishandstheboyheldathinpresentedindarkredpaper,almostawineolor.
“HappyChristmasHarry”Draomurmured,holdingthegiftouttoHarry.WhenHarrytookittheotherboylefttheroomandleftHarryblinkinginastonishmentatthegift.Draohadatuallygottenhimone?
HarryputdownhisquillandallthoughtsaboutthemetamorphosisofReptilianSnagweedseemedtoflyoutofhishead.Carefullyhebegantoundothepaperandrevealed…amirror?
Helookedatitforaminutebutsawnorefletioninthemirror.Hmm…notanormalmirrorthen.WhatwasDrao—
ThesurfaeofthemirrorseemedtoswirlandHarryfoundhimselflookingat…Drao.HeouldseeDraoshiftingallthepresentsthathehadn’tbotheredopeningoffhisbedandtellingaHouseElfsomethingpertainingtothem.Helookedasifhismindwasn’treallyonwhathewasdoing.SothiswasDraorightnow?
Harrythoughtforamoment.Didthismirrorshowhimanyone?HarrynotiedthatassoonashestoppedthinkingaboutDraothemirror’simagefaded.HowaboutRon?
TheimageswirledandheouldseeRonsittinginthemiddleofhisfamilywhiletheywereopeningpresents.
Hermione?
Shewaseatinglunh,theremainsofpresentsstillstrewnaroundthetableandabook(Harryassumeditwasnew)opentothethirtiethpage.
Harryfrownedabitastheimagefaded.Itwasoolandall,butwhatwasthepointreally?HedoubtedDraowouldhavegivenhimagiftonawhimsotheremustbeapointtoitotherthantheobviousone.
Themirrorshowedpeople…well,maybethepersondidn’thavetobealive…
Unbidden,thoughtsofSiriusandhisparentsflowedintohishead.Theimageswirledandtheretheyweresmilingupathim.Theyweren’tmoving,liketheotherpitureshad,buttheywerestillthere,standingagainstagreybakground.