Caledonia Lilia Snape

1.1: The Mirror

The Mirror of Erised wasn't the only mirror made. In the magical world, with magic, anything is possible. Another mirror is similar; however, it doesn't show your innermost desire but a parallel universe from the one you're in. In the muggle sense, it was something they would think came from Sci-fiction. But it's real and rare in the magical world. There was only one ever made in Wizarding Britain, and Harry Potter, knowing his luck, happened upon it one night like he had done years ago with the Mirror of Erised.

The battle was over, Voldemort dead, and the Hogwarts castle was in ruin. Wizarding Britain and the greater part of Europe sighed in relief, grieved, and began to pick up the pieces torn asunder in the past couple of years under the reign of terror.

Harry had found himself wandering the castle late one night, unable to sleep. The memory of the past year on the run, the battle itself, and the loss of friends and foes alike are still fresh in his mind. He had followed the moonlight that illuminated the darkened hallway of the castle aimlessly until he found himself in a cavernous chamber. With a sense of déjà vu from years before, a mirror stood alone in the center of the darkened room, its frames glistening silver in the moonlight shining from the window.

Approaching the mirror, Harry realized it was not the same one he had glanced at nearly seven years ago. It was similar in height, tall to show a full-length mirror, the frame gilded and carved in ancient runes, but not gold. It was silver. He peered up to the arch on the top and saw the writing on the frame. Harry's whisper echoed loudly in the cavernous room as he read the lettering, "Efillellarap ruo yuoy wohsI." He blinked and glanced at the mirror's surface and said to no one but himself, "Parallel life?"

He stared in the mirror, only seeing himself. He could see the healing scrapes on his face from the battle a few days ago. He had a dark circle under his eyes; his overall appearance didn't show a 17-year-old boy but a tired and worn-down man who had seen several lifetimes of hardships. He looked gaunt, weary, and almost skin and bone. Then the mirror fogged slightly, and his reflection shifted. He gasped softly as the reflection showed another person and asked, "Who are you?"

The stranger was a young woman, perhaps the same age as he was. She was tall, lean, and beautiful with pale luminous skin, long raven hair cascading down her back in lustrous waves, high cheekbones, and striking emerald eyes that looked too familiar. She tilted her head sideways, studying him as if they were not looking at each other in the mirror but rather a glass between them. A slow smile crept on her face as her eyes glinted with recognition. He assumed that she was a relative of his mother; their features were too similar. A sister? Or a cousin?

Then her voice, a light lit with amusement, rang, taking him by surprise. "My name is Caledonia." She then stepped back and looked up and down at the mirror on her end. Her eyes landed on the top, and she read the letters. "Interesting – The Mirror of Efillellarap. Does it say the same on your side, eh Harry?"

Harry blinked, again surprised, and nodded. "Yes, it said the same on this side. How do you know my name?" He then realized how stupid he had sounded. He grimaced in slight sorrow; the voice in his head sounded like the former Potion Professor. Obviously, you're famous.

She softly chuckled. The sound of her voice unnerved him. It was soft, velvety, and sensual. Yet it was too familiar that he could not put his finger on it. "I show you your parallel life. Harry Potter, the mirror shows you what life would have been if certain parts of life were different. Theoretically speaking, you and I are in a different universes, and there are many universes where your life could've been differently by choices made." She made a gesture to the mirror framing around her. "I am sure, and if I go away and come back, I'll see a different you. Different outcomes."

Harry frowned, trying to process what she was trying to say. "So, you are saying, if something happened differently in my life, a different choice, I would have ended up a different life, like in your universe?" He saw her nod. The gears in his head slowly churned as he studied her and whistled, "That's pretty heavy to consider that there are other universe where my life could have been different if a choice or decision has been made differently."