Inside the room, Harry Potter noticed none of this. He simply stared in confusion at the motionless, mysterious figure standing before the mirror.
But inside the Headmaster's office—
Albus Dumbledore's blue pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints.
"This… is impossible!"
He whispered hoarsely. For the first time, the gentle smile that usually rested on his face vanished, replaced by pure, undisguised shock.
As the guardian of this mirror for more than ten years, he understood its nature better than anyone.
The Mirror of Erised was proud. It was cold.
It merely reflected the desires of those who stood before it—mechanically, mercilessly.
Never, in all those years, had it shown anything like this… a reaction, as if it possessed awareness.
A hum?
Trembling?
Dumbledore's heart churned like a storm-tossed ocean.
His mind raced faster than ever before, searching through his immense store of knowledge for even the slightest explanation.
Then a conclusion appeared—absurd, terrifying… yet the only one that made sense.
Lucian had not been tempted by the Mirror of Erised.
On the contrary—
The mirror itself… was afraid of him.
Boom.
The realization struck Dumbledore's soul like thunder at the dawn of creation, shattering the world of understanding built from a century of wisdom and experience.
This had completely surpassed the limits of his comprehension.
He himself… Gellert Grindelwald… even Voldemort…
Wizards who had once stood at the peak of their era could only rely on sheer willpower to resist the mirror's temptation and ultimately see their true reflection.
That was the limit of mortal will.
But Lucian?
He was not resisting.
He was observing… analyzing… judging.
From a higher dimension of understanding.
His existence—his gaze—his will—had forced this legendary magical artifact to feel fear.
This was no longer a matter of strength.
It meant Lucian's understanding of magic—perhaps even his very level of existence—had surpassed the creator of the mirror itself.
Dumbledore unconsciously stepped back.
In his blue eyes, once full of wisdom and calm, there now lingered only profound shock… and a trace of something he would never willingly admit.
Reverence for the unknown.
Lucian's gaze pierced through layers of magical runes and energy circuits, settling quietly upon the trembling soul fragment imprisoned within the mirror's core.
He used no incantation.
No ritual.
Instead, he issued a command in a higher form of pure will—like a divine decree.
From this moment onward…
Without my permission…
You will not use illusions to tempt any student who stands before you.
The command was cold and absolute.
Yet within it was a strange sense of tranquility, something that soothed the soul.
The fragment of soul that had been silently weeping for ages suddenly stopped trembling.
It felt as if it had finally been released from an endless nightmare.
A moment later, the nearly transparent soul fragment slowly bowed toward Lucian.
A gesture of submission—filled with reverence and gratitude.
It had surrendered.
Humm—
With the core's submission, the ancient Mirror of Erised instantly lost the mysterious aura that once surrounded it.
The magical glow faded like a receding tide.
The mirror became nothing more than a simple object—an ordinary mirror that reflected only reality.
Harry Potter was still confused by Lucian's strange behavior when he suddenly realized—
The reflection in the mirror had changed.
The warm family scene filled with laughter had vanished.
In its place was only himself.
A thin, exhausted boy.
Dark circles under his eyes.
A pale, sleepless face.
Reality.
A wave of crushing emptiness gripped his chest.
But Harry Potter had always possessed a resilient heart.
After a brief moment of loss, as he stared at his worn reflection, another feeling rose within him—
Clarity.
Like icy water poured over his mind.
He understood.
Clinging to an illusion of the past would only make him lose himself.
At that moment, Lucian's calm voice spoke from behind him.
"Your friends are worried about you."
Friends.
Harry's body trembled.
He thought of Hermione and Ron—their anxious faces, their concern.
And he realized that while they worried about him… he had been hiding here, chasing an impossible dream.
Shame flooded his chest.
Slowly, he stood up and turned around.
For the first time, he looked at Lucian with complete sincerity.
Then he bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Lucian."
"And… I'm sorry. I won't do this again."
His promise was firm.
Lucian simply nodded, then turned and walked toward the door.
Harry quickly grabbed the Invisibility Cloak from the floor and hurried after him.
Inside the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore had witnessed everything.
He saw Lucian neutralize the Mirror of Erised in a way he himself could not even comprehend.
He saw Harry lose the illusion… yet regain the courage to face reality.
The old wizard's blue eyes filled with complicated emotions.
Shock.
Relief.
And a faint, helpless smile.
"It seems," Dumbledore murmured softly, "that the Mirror of Erised—an object that has driven countless powerful wizards mad—is nothing more than an interesting toy to Lucian."
For the first time, he let go of the pride of a legendary wizard and elder.
In front of that boy, his century of wisdom and experience suddenly seemed… insufficient.
Yet when he thought about the greatest threat looming over the wizarding world—
A threat that might soon return—
Dumbledore's gaze slowly brightened with anticipation.
Perhaps…
Lucian Thornwick would become the wizard destined to stand against it.
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