"Ah, this is indeed a good place to store things," Dumbledore said slowly. "But few people can discover this room, which is a pity."
In fact, it wasn't surprising that Adrian knew about the Room of Requirent.
Throughout Hogwarts' history, many teachers and students had discovered this magical room.
For example, Dumbledore himself had once found a collection of ancient potty pots in the Room of Requirent on a hurried night.
"You could announce the existence of this room to everyone, Professor," Adrian nodded and said. "The students would certainly be delighted."
Dumbledore shook his head. "That wouldn't do! We must preserve so elent of surprise, mustn't we? That's one of the interesting things about Hogwarts—you never know when you might find a hidden room waiting for you."
Adrian nodded in agreent. Indeed, this thousand-year-old castle contained many useful and useless hidden rooms. Exploring those rooms was also a great pleasure for the students.
"By the way," Adrian glanced at Dumbledore, asking with curiosity, "Professor Dumbledore, it's so late, why have you co here?"
Dumbledore smiled slightly, adjusting his half-moon spectacles. "Oh, Professor Westeros, like you, I'm also here to find so... old things."
'Find old things?'
Adrian was stunned for a mont.
Surely Dumbledore couldn't also be looking for Ravenclaw's diadem. No, that's not right. He shouldn't know about the existence of Ravenclaw's diadem.
Then, Dumbledore, just like Adrian had done earlier, walked back and forth three tis in front of that wall. Not surprisingly, the sa door appeared on the wall.
Dumbledore pushed open the door and turned back to Adrian saying, "Would you like to co in and take a look, Professor Westeros? Perhaps you can help find that item."
"Certainly."
Adrian followed Dumbledore through the door. He was surprised to find that this was still the sa storage room filled with miscellaneous items.
That is, the room that appeared when one "needed a place to hide sothing."
"Professor Dumbledore," Adrian asked tentatively, "What is it you're looking for...?"
Dumbledore scanned the chaotic environnt around them, his tone light, "Oh, just a mirror. It might be buried under these odds and ends, or hidden in so corner. I haven't used that mirror for so long... I barely rember what it looks like."
'A mirror?' Adrian pondered for a mont. 'Could it be the Mirror of Erised?'
The only mirror Adrian could think of that would be important enough for Dumbledore to personally co looking for was this one.
"Very well, Professor. I'll keep an eye out for it," Adrian replied, and then began to search carefully around the room.
In reality, the mirror was very easy to find. Dumbledore only spent about ten seconds before discovering it in a corner.
It was a very tall mirror, almost reaching the ceiling, covered by a tattered old cloth, inconspicuously placed against the wall.
Dumbledore waved his hand, and the covering cloth flew to a nearby table, folding itself neatly.
The mirror revealed its true appearance—a golden fra with two claw-like feet for support, looking quite magnificent.
"Eldra."
[Na: Mirror of Erised]
So, it was indeed the Mirror of Erised, Adrian silently confird.
"It seems my mory is still decent," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "We can leave now, Professor Westeros."
As he spoke, Dumbledore took out his wand and waved it at the mirror.
The two claw-like feet at the bottom of the mirror suddenly began to move, making slight clicking sounds, as if they had co alive.
The Mirror of Erised made its way to the door, but because of its large size, Dumbledore had to cast another spell to shrink it before it could successfully pass through.
Back in the corridor, Dumbledore introduced the Mirror of Erised to Adrian.
"Let introduce you to the Mirror of Erised," Dumbledore said with mock solemnity. "The most honest mirror in Hogwarts. It won't tell you if your hair is ssy, nor will it tell you if you're wearing your robes inside out. But it will show you... what your heart desires."
Adrian first looked at the top of the Mirror of Erised, where there was a string of symbols that, read backward, said: I show not your face but your heart's desire.
"That doesn't sound like a mirror," Adrian said.
"I disagree," Dumbledore winked at Adrian and said, "It's just like a mirror, except one reflects your appearance, and the other reflects your heart."
Adrian instinctively resisted looking into this mirror.
The Mirror of Erised revealed the deepest desires of one's heart, and that naked truth was unsettling. Once you saw what was inside, no matter how much you denied it, you couldn't change the fact—that was your truest thought.
Eventually, Adrian was involuntarily drawn to the mirror's surface.
"Did you see anything?" Dumbledore said casually. "Would you care to share—of course, if you'd rather not, that's fine too. It's your secret."
"A pumpkin pie," Adrian shrugged, "It looked quite delicious. I think I know what I'll have for breakfast tomorrow." This wasn't a lie.
As he said, he did indeed see himself holding a pumpkin pie in the Mirror of Erised.
However, when he looked more carefully, he found many people standing behind him—his father, mother, sister, and others he knew well.
What Adrian desired was just that simple.
After hearing Adrian's words, Dumbledore was slightly taken aback. "Do you like pumpkin pie, Professor Westeros?"
Adrian shrugged, speaking frankly: "I like all beautiful things, Headmaster. Pumpkin pie is just one of them."
Dumbledore nodded, his gaze showing a hint of approval. "As do I. Beautiful things always make one beco engrossed. That's the most frightening thing about this mirror—it makes you doubt, it makes you obsessed, it can even drive you mad. I once spent too much ti on it..."
He suddenly stopped, smiling apologetically. "Please forgive an old man's ramblings."
"Very insightful," Adrian said sincerely.
He didn't ask what Dumbledore had seen in the mirror as prying into soone else's privacy wasn't appropriate. Although he could probably guess.
After the two had stood in front of the mirror for a while.
"Well," Dumbledore rubbed his eyes, cast one last glance at the mirror and then turned away. "Professor Westeros, we should leave now. Ensuring adequate sleep is very important—especially for soone of my age."
"Good night, Professor Dumbledore."
Afterward, Dumbledore waved his wand, and the Mirror of Erised's supports once again beca two short legs, following him with a pitter-patter along the corridor.
This made Adrian worry it might fall when going down the stairs.
After walking so distance, Dumbledore seed to rember sothing, turned back and said to Adrian from afar: "I almost forgot, Professor Westeros, please co to my office tomorrow morning."
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