Succubus System At Hogwarts

"Huff~ haah~" Harry panted, his face pale. "It's so scary, Ian. We were almost discovered."

"Yeah." Ian was also a little shaken. "We were so careful, but Professor Snape seemed to have eyes on the back of his head."

Harry nodded and looked around. "Where is this?"

"I don't know." Ian walked further into the room. "It looks like a utility room?"

Utility room? Ha! This is the Mirror of Erised—Dumbledore's carefully laid little emotional trap for Harry.

Ian internally grumbled but followed the plan, walking toward the Mirror of Erised.

The mirror was imposing, nearly reaching the ceiling, with a golden frame and claw-shaped feet.

At the top, strange letters were engraved: "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."

"Harry, come and see. There's a mirror here," Ian called quickly.

Harry trotted over, his curiosity piqued. The moment he looked into the mirror, his eyes widened in shock.

"Mom and Dad... Ian?"

Harry stared at the reflection, taking a step closer in disbelief.

In the mirror, James and Lily waved at him with warm smiles, while Ian stood beside them, making goofy faces at Harry.

Harry's initial surprise turned into a mix of joy and awe as he stepped closer, eager to see more.

But as he approached, he noticed something strange—the reflections of his parents and Ian remained in place, not moving closer as he did.

Harry was stunned. He turned his head to look at Ian. "What's going on?"

Ian didn't answer right away, his expression complicated as he stared into the mirror.

"Ian, don't you see Mom and Dad? And you? Can't you see it?" Harry grabbed Ian's arm eagerly. "Can't you see us in the mirror?"

Ian opened his mouth to reply but froze as a familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

[Beep! Someone is using Legilimency on the host!]

[Beep! An illusion for the Mirror of Erised has been automatically created for the host!]

Ian's face darkened. I knew it!

There was no need to guess—the old bee was definitely hiding somewhere, watching him and Harry like a hawk.

Damn it, Dumbledore! Can't you mind your own business? Who peeks into a child's inner world like this? What's next, privacy spells on the common room bathrooms?

"I saw it, Harry." Ian took a few steps closer to the mirror, feigning awe. He plastered a look of joy on his face as though entranced by what he "saw."

"It was a Christmas party! I saw Mom and Dad, and you. Uncle Granger and Aunt Granger were there too, and Hermione and Cassandra... but, uh, for some reason, they were holding children. Next to me."

"Hermione and Cassandra!?"

Harry gawked at Ian, stunned. But then he shook his head quickly, brushing off the odd detail. "Ian, this mirror, it..."

"I don't know what's going on." Ian touched the edge of the mirror lightly, his tone thoughtful. "We both saw Mom and Dad—and each other—but what we saw wasn't the same."

Harry frowned but quickly made up his mind.

Grabbing Ian's hand, he said, "Let's go find Ron. I want to see what he sees in the mirror."

"Wait—hey!" Before Ian could protest, Harry threw the invisibility cloak over them both and tugged Ian out of the room.

Ian sighed helplessly, forget it, let him be, Harry will not give up until he hits the wall.

Poor Ron was deep in sleep when Harry and Ian pulled him up, one on each side.

"Uh.. What's going on?" Ronald rubbed his eyes and yawned. "It's so late! Why aren't you two in bed?"

"Get up, Ron! Hurry up! We're taking you to see something cool," Harry urged excitedly.

Still half-asleep, Ron was dragged along by the two, stumbling as they pulled him toward the room.

"What is this?" Ron scratched his head, staring at the large mirror in confusion. "A mirror? You dragged me out of bed in the middle of the night to look at a mirror?"

"This isn't just any mirror, Weasley." Ian pushed Ronald in front of it. "Look into it! Tell us what you see."

Ron squinted at the mirror, unimpressed at first. Then, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

"I... I'm the president of the male student union? And the captain of the Quidditch team? I'm holding the Quidditch Cup! And—oh my Merlin—I'm a prefect too?!"

Ron's voice rose in excitement as he stared at his reflection. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the mirror.

"Oh my God! I'm amazing!" Ron exclaimed, gazing at himself in awe. He reached for the badges on his chest that only existed in the mirror. "Look at me! Ian, Harry, this mirror... does it show the future?"

Harry's excitement faded, replaced by disappointment. He forced a smile and replied quietly, "How could it? Our parents died a long time ago..."

Ian said nothing. He stood silently, staring at the mirror. Unlike the others, he saw his deepest desires reflected back at him: himself, seated on a grand silver-green throne, with countless wizards bowing at his feet. Surrounding him were his family and friends, standing beside him.

Ian looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but despise himself.

Look at you! What's in your head? Power? Status?

Is that what you truly want?

The answer was as clear as the reflection staring back at him: Heheh! Yes, he did want those things!

Ian's gaze didn't waver as he looked into his own eyes. He recognized the ambition and desires buried deep within him. It wasn't something he could deny.

...

Since that first night, Harry had dragged Ian back to see the Mirror of Erised every single evening.

Ian sat in front of the mirror with a nostalgic, melancholy expression plastered across his face. Inside, though, he was screaming.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Enough already!

Three days! It's been three days of this nonsense! Do you even realize what I've endured?

Every night, Ian had to rely on his system to create an illusion of longing for his family and friends, acting the part of a sorrowful, parentless child.

His Oscar-worthy performance aside, the lack of sleep was starting to wear him down.

Ian sighed deeply, watching Harry stare at the reflection of their parents in the mirror with pure devotion. He felt a pang of helplessness in his chest.

Even though Ian had been doing his best to be the brother Harry could lean on, he knew it wasn't enough to fill the void of parental love Harry craved.

Dumbledore should step in soon, Ian thought. He stood up, brushing himself off, and walked over to Harry with a determined expression.

"Harry," Ian said, his tone firm yet gentle, "we shouldn't keep coming back here. It's meaningless for us to lose ourselves in illusions like this."

"..Huh?"

Harry tore his gaze away from the mirror and turned to Ian, his green eyes brimming with emotion. "...But Ian, this is the closest I've ever felt to Mom and Dad..."

"Harry, you have to understand that it's not real." Ian interrupted, his tone firm. "It's just an illusion. That isn't really Mom and Dad. We can't live our lives clinging to illusions."

"..But.."

"Harry, I admit the world in the mirror feels happy, but it's a false happiness. This mirror will make us lose ourselves in an illusion."

"Well said, Ian. It seems you are quite insightful," a familiar voice said warmly.

Ian and Harry turned sharply to see Dumbledore stepping out of the shadows, his face lit by his signature kind smile.

"Professor Dumbledore?" the brothers exclaimed in unison, immediately straightening up and bowing slightly in respect.

"It seems you've uncovered the nature of the Mirror of Erised. That's very good," Dumbledore said, his gaze soft. "Harry, like so many before you, you've found the allure of this mirror."

Ian resisted the urge to roll his eyes but kept his expression neutral. He simply stood beside Harry, letting Dumbledore take the lead in explaining things.

"I'll give you a hint," Dumbledore continued. "The happiest person in the world would look into this mirror and see only themselves, exactly as they are. The truest happiness is self-satisfaction."

Ian barely managed to suppress a sarcastic snort.

Self-satisfaction? Right, because happiness doesn't rely on comparison at all.

Sure, let's see how that works when no one gets what they desire.

But he said nothing, only watching as Dumbledore's words seemed to sink into Harry's eager mind.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ian asked, his tone deliberately curious, "does this mirror reflect our desires?"

Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "Yes, Ian, and no. The Mirror of Erised shows us the deepest desires of our hearts."

He gestured toward the mirror. "For example, you and Harry long for family, having never known your parents. So you see James and Lily standing beside you."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes turned to Ian. "And you, Ian...well, your desires are a little more...complex than Harry's."

Ian's face flushed crimson as Dumbledore added teasingly, "You admire Miss Granger and Miss Vole, but you struggle with how to balance their roles in your life. That's why, in the mirror, they stand harmoniously with you, isn't it?"

Ian sputtered, flustered. "No! No, Professor, that's...that's not it at all! It was just a—just an accident! I.. I.."

Dumbledore smiled gently and placed a reassuring hand on Ian's shoulder. "Ian, remember this: human desires are endless. This mirror does not give us knowledge or truth. Many people have wasted their lives in front of it, and some even lost their sanity."

"I will have this mirror moved elsewhere," Dumbledore continued, his tone firm but kind. "You don't need to return here again."

As Dumbledore turned to lead them out, Harry couldn't help but ask, "Professor Dumbledore, what did you see in the mirror?"

Dumbledore paused, his expression flickering with a momentary sadness before he replied, "Me? I saw myself holding a pair of thick wool socks."

Both Ian and Harry blinked in surprise, their faces a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"You can never have enough socks, can you?" Dumbledore added with a wistful sigh.

Harry nodded slowly, seemingly accepting the answer.

"So that's it…"

But Ian wasn't convinced. Unlike Harry, he saw right through Dumbledore's response.

He knew the old bee was being evasive. Wool socks? Really? Ian thought with a wry smile. In the UK, woolen socks are a symbol of family love.

There's no way that's what he actually saw.

And Ian was right.

What Dumbledore truly saw in the mirror was his family—his father Percival, his mother Kendra, and his sister Ariana—alive and together again. He saw his estranged brother, Aberforth, forgiving him, and… Grindelwald.

Dumbledore's voice interrupted Ian's thoughts. "I have always wished someone would gift me a pair of thick woolen socks," he said softly, his eyes distant as if lost in another time.

Hearing this, Ian wrinkled his nose in annoyance. "Professor Dumbledore, I'll make sure to get you wool socks next Christmas."

Dumbledore's smile returned, warm and kind. "The candy you gave me this year was delightful, Ian. It's enough for me."

He straightened and added, "Come now, children. It's late. Let's get back to bed."

With that, Dumbledore led Ian and Harry out of the room where the Mirror of Erised stood.

_________

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