ABSTRACT
I am a Harry Potter enthusiast. This might be one of the most important things to know about me. During Harry’s first year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, he stumbled upon a mysterious mirror. The mirror, hidden away, and only discovered by Harry because of his knack for always gettin’ into some mess, was called “the Mirror of Erised.” When Harry first stood in front of the mirror he was startled to see that alongside his reflection, his late parents, Lilly and James Potter, stood smiling and waving. Harry rushed to wake up his best friend, Ron, so that he, too, could see Harry’s parents in this magical mirror. But when Ron came to the mirror, he did not see Harry’s parents at all. Instead, he saw, along with his own reflection, an older version of himself decked out with accomplishments that he could only dream of. I am a Harry Potter enthusiast because author J.K. Rowling must herself be a magical being to so poignantly and piercingly forge such powerful moments of deep personal reflection in the world of her stories. You see, Harry found himself in front of that mirror every single night, staring into the eyes of his parents who passed away when he was just 1 year old. He sat there lost in the mystery of this mirror until the sagacious Dumbledore found him one night. At this point in the story, we learn from Dumbledore that what the Mirror of Erised does is show ones “deepest and most desperate desires.” By standing in front of this mirror, one is confronted with their heart’s deepest wants, which for Harry, was to have his mother and father in his life. But then Dumbledore offers a crucial warning when he says to Harry, “this mirror offers neither knowledge or truth … men have wasted away in front of it … that is why I am having it removed.” 1
