What is a Game?

Chapter 9 - Wrapping up First Year

We're working on chapter three with Beta-ing, but since it's really detail oriented, I've decided to post a chapter a week while we get everything in line. The small details do make a difference, it turns out!

Also, Disclaimer: There are things in this chapter which 'you don't talk about in polite company' / 'monthlies' so I'll mark where that is so you can skip it if you want. It's not expansive, but as it is an important marker of maturity on the physical level, I felt I needed to write it down. You've all been warned.

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Life continued on, I explored more and more of the castle - and before I knew it, we were at Halloween. 2 Months at school. I didn't know why this was a Holiday in this world, in the old world it was a day of fighting, for me.

Necromancy was strongest on this day. Easiest to cast, control and so forth. As a result I never really go over that odd feeling something bad would happen on the day. Only once had it ever actually had something bad happen - papa had come home covered in some nasty looking scars - they'd been gone by the end of the next day, but he'd clearly been caught in an explosion at work.

Worst holiday EVER.

So I was out looking for a Natural dungeon to clear in the as-of-yet unexplored (by me) halls to the far east of our tower. After this, I'd only have the hallways north of the Potions classroom - but I wandered. And wandered. And - ooh what's this? The room itself isn't the dungeon. But upon opening it, I found something maybe more interesting. .

Hard to miss a massive 2 Meter tall mirror in a room. Made of Mythril, if I'm not mistaken.

One with heavy - and I do mean heavy - enchantments on it. Observe, for the first time, issued ? 's when I tried to pull some info from it.

An inanimate object which can reject my Observe - truly a powerful object. I suppose I'd never Observed Hogwarts as a whole, though.

I wonder what doing for an entire area of immense magic would do - Diagon, Hogwarts and so on all come to mind.

Well, I'll give it a more up-close look, then. I trod up to the mirror, peering curiously into its depths.

I see myself sitting in a cozy room, surrounded by my friends. We're a couple years older, and studying some more advanced books on runes.

Well, me and Sarah are, anyways. Cedric, Alicia and Adrian seem to be debating the merits of a book on charms. I can't confirm that as there is no sound. The scene brings the warm fuzzies to me. This looks like an ideal day. All my closest friends are still hanging out regularly and helping each other grow.

I wonder where Heather and Angelina are, though?

Erised... Desire? The Mirror of Desire. Does it show me what I want to see?

No, this is more complex than that. It's showing me my secret hidden desires, I think. I have a lot of them, things I could want. Is it predictive on something, perhaps?

What I want and may not be aware of. In this case, it's to be a better person, and I see that as being a better friend. Sharing more of myself with them. Sharing yourself with others comes at a risk, though.

I guess that's what makes being good, hard, though. I might be willing to do a lot, but I'm jaded. I've had great friends turn their backs on me, even try to kill me, down the line. I don't know if I can trust who I'm friends with now, in twenty years. The only person I'm comfortable with is Flitwick - and the reason for that is if he says something, he means it. He's honor bound to keep his word.