Musings on the Mirror

[Rayjo]

Discussion for Musings on the Mirror by Opalescent.

[thurmtim]

Actually, I don't think you can see anything or contact anyone through a mirror WITHOUT saying their name. There is no canon to support this assumption, just as there is no canon that a simple Reparo spell will restore the mirror's physical integrity AND it's magical function..

However..

... perhaps the fragments retain the function of the whole, and they can be used like "walkie talkies" to keep Harry in contact with his farflung support network during his Horcrux hunting.. people like Hermione/Ron/Ginny/Bill(a noted CURSE BREAKER.. very important) /Lupin/ Moody/Hagrid/etc.

If this is not possible, the other may have been missed or overlooked by Mundungus, or even hidden by Kreatcher in his lair. Perhaps it was even dropped by Sirius during the battle in the MOM and Harry may be able to use it to make a valuable contact in the Dept of Mysteries.. wouldn't it be interesting to have an Unspeakable on your side during this quest? As we do not know Harry's parents' occupations, imagine if one or both were Unspeakables (both were accomplished students at Hogwarts - I lean towards Lily). Imagine if a friend of James or Lily still worked as an Unspeakable and found the other mirror while cleaning up the carnage in the DOM... HMMMMM!

All speculation, of course, but then the usability/repairability of Harry's broken mirror and the location of Sirius' twin mirror is ALL speculation as well..

Good essay, but I find it hard to see whether anything you or I have posited has ANY chance of being close to the truth.. WE NEED BOOK 7, JO!!

[AloysiusWeasley]

I suspect the mirror is still at 12 G.P. - as 'walkie talkies' were mentioned in comission with GoF (on trying to figure out how Rita Skeeter was getting her information), I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up being used as communication between the trio on the horcrux hunts. I also doubt the mirror could merely be hucked through the veil and be a means of communication with the dead; however, I don't doubt the mirror could be fixed with a simple 'reparo'. I'm hoping Kreacher hid the locket well enough that it wasn't stolen by Mundungus.... Great editorial!

[sriharish]

Good Editorial but nothing new. But there is one thing I’d like to mention, people might think the Mundungus scene in HBP is completely unimportant but in fact it isn’t- Rowling said the mirror was not on the table, I’m 100% sure that it was with Sirius when he fell into the veil. But dung might have stolen something else, the heavy locket, old Order of the Merlin medals – Dung might have sold them to Borgin and Burkes.


The Mirror is like a cell phone, you have to say the name properly….maybe “Snuffles”- I wonder why Sirius like that name J.
Maybe there are other such mirrors out there, Harry has to keep trying different names until someone answers his call. If the mirror is damaged beyond repair then Harry will use it as a normal phone – hearing voices from his trunk would be a cool idea.


Aberforth Dumbledore has got nothing to do with the mirror however Harry wishes he’d never met him in Book 7

[libbylane]

Well, you certainly put a lot of thought into the idea. I am not convinced, though. I don't think there is a whole plot centered around the mirror. I believe that if Mundungus had it, JKR would have given a small clue in that Hogsmead scene. I think it is still at 12 Grimmwald and Harry finds it. I think the mirror might play a role in helping Harry communicate with someone, which helps in the long run.

I think it just comes in handy and that "helps more than you would think."

I totally understand the speculation, though. I can hardly wait for book 7!

[lilyvanillie]

'As Harry, Ron and Hermione drew closer, the barman drew his cloak more tightly around his neck and walked away'

I think maybe the barman (who i think is Aberforth) had just purchased the locket and that is why he was drawing his cloak more tightly around his neck

[Shewoman]

You've put together a lot of things to create some interesting theories about the future of this important artifact. Even if Jo hadn't said so, I'd think we were likely to see the mirrors again in Book 7--they're too important and too weird not to show up again. And one of them once belonged to James. I wonder if there's any possibility of learning something from that?

[HP_hedgehog]

I just had an image in my head of Harry, against better judgement, saying "Dumbledore" in the mirror, only to see Aberforth looking back

Well, I think the mirror is still at Grimmauld Place. First of all, if there's looooots of silver and gold etc, why steal a simple mirror? It's not so useful without the other one... and the Vanishing Cabinet thing doesn't prove a thing in my opinion... (not impossible though, but... if there's loads of magical objects, Orders of Merlin, silver, gold, etc., I wouldn't steal a mirror)

And secondly, just for the story, it seems more fitting to me if Harry finds the mirror to be there but the locket to be stolen (by Kreacher, by Mundungus, who was sent to Azkaban, trio goes to Azkaban... where Death Eaters and perhaps some Dementors are... and the dung tells them he sold it to Dumbledore. Aberforth Dumbledore. I don't see the mirror AND the locket being stolen and sold together. And what's the use of that? The mirror isn't that good a tracking device

Anyway, loved the speculation and it was really thought-provoking!

[starmom]

As others have noted above, the use of the mirror will play a role in helping the good guys fight the bad guys. The great thing about mirrors is that, unlike a broken cup, it retains its purpose and functionality no matter how many pieces it's broken into. Hermione will be the one to keen onto the idea of creating multiple communication devices from the pieces in Harry's trunk. I've explored and dramatized this idea in my ficAncient Magic (link is below), for those who are so inclined!

[NeonDisease]

I think it's a great idea. I would actually like very much for that exact order of events to occur. Harry would experience frustration at first, thinking it was unable to track down that (Final?) Horcrux...until he remembers the mirror. Maybe he just guesses the same customer bought it, too, or maybe as you say Aberforth gives us that information. Either way, it would be a very interesting turn of events. Great thinking!

P.S. I also hope it isn't just used as a way to communicate with the dead. Personally, I would be disappointed. I think the two-way mirrors can be used in a much more clever way (such as in your scheme).

[Wimsey]

There is no reason to think that Mundungus has the mirror. The stuff he has are the valuables that he was coveting in OotP. This is the first stuff that Dung would grab, as this is the stuff that he has been eyeing all along.

Dung was not going to take things that did not have any obvious value (like a small mirror) while there was still so much good (i.e., valuable!) stuff to be had. Ditto for the locket: if that was not thrown away, then it is in Kreacher's stash. JKR deliberately left us a clue there: Harry finds one of the items in Kreacher's stash that they threw out at about the same time. However, JKR left us with no similar clues in HBP: Dung just had the goblets he'd been casing in OotP. Given the way that JKR lays out clues, she would have had given us some object indicating that Dung had some of Kreacher's booty.


So, how will the mirrors be used? Most probably, Harry will recover it when he returns to Grimmauld Place to get the locket. This magical "walky-talky" might come in handy, should Harry become separated from Ron and/or Hermione during the Horcrux hunt.

[GryffinWildmage]

Interesting idea, though I'm pretty sure that JKR said the mirror is 'off the table', which i took to mean that we won't see it again. Still, great job.

[inspector]

I must say that this is a wonderful editorial. I agree that mirrors (not just this one) are and will be very significant in the series. Two-way mirror, Mirror of Erised, the mirror used against the Basilisk, etc. The theories may be true or not; however it is certain that the mirrors will be important.

Also there was a comment saying that the locket horcrux may be in the Borgin and Burkes. This may be true indeed, but even if it is not there may be another horcrux is hidden in that shop. We now that The Dark Lord had worked there. He may have concealed one of his horcruxes in that shop. Maybe it seems unwise to hide a horcrux in such a place but "does anyone really knows what You-Know-Who would or wouldn't do?"

[iamsirius]

Originally Posted by lilyvanillie

'As Harry, Ron and Hermione drew closer, the barman drew his cloak more tightly around his neck and walked away'

I think maybe the barman (who i think is Aberforth) had just purchased the locket and that is why he was drawing his cloak more tightly around his neck

I agree. Aberforth then leaves quite suddenly when Harry approaches, as if he doesn't wish to encounter Harry.

Dumbledore sure finds out about Mundungus's filching of the Black heirlooms pretty quickly. Harry begins to tell Dumbledore about Mundungus when Dumbledore informs Harry he already knows about it.

"Sir," said Harry tentatively, "I met Mundungus in Hogsmeade."
"Ah yes, I am already aware that Mundungus has been treating your inheritance with light-fingered comtempt," said Dumbledore, frowning a little. "He has gone to ground since you accosted him outside the Three Broomsticks; I rather think he dreads facing me. However, rest assured that he will not be making away with any more of Sirius's old possessions."

(HBP, p. 260, US hardcover)

Here, Dumbledore sounds as if he knew about Mundungus prior to Harry's altercation with him. Could DD have been looking for Mundungus for a while and that's why Aberforth met with him? To get something important from him? Aberforth does seem to be concealing something. But what? The locket or the mirror?

I disagree that the mirror wouldn't be thought to be valuable by Mundungus. If it was made of elaborately designed silver or gold-plated it could be very valuable. Being dirty only disguises its worth.

[AnnieBell]

This was a very good editoral, very thought-provoking and explored a lot of possibilities.. but I agree with past posts:

[quote]

Originally Posted by Wimsey

There is no reason to think that Mundungus has the mirror. The stuff he has are the valuables that he was coveting in OotP. This is the first stuff that Dung would grab, as this is the stuff that he has been eyeing all along.

I really don't think that Mundungus would have any idea of the mirrors value, and thus wouldn't really think to take such a simplistic mirror. Also, supposing that Mundungus did, and Aberforth (if that really is the barman's true identity) did take it off his hands, I don't believe that Aberforth would pawn it off. If anything, he would have alerted his brother, Dumbledore, of its presence.

"There could be no doubt that Dumbledore's detailed knowledge of those with whom he was travelling was even less welcome to Voldemort; however, he rallied almost at once.
'You are omniscient as ever, Dumbledore.'
'Oh no, merely friendly with the local barmen [this is in reference to the barman at the Hog's Head],' said Dumbledore lightly."
- Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20, page 445

It has been proved that they are friendly, if not very close partners, and that Aberforth is part of the Order.. so it seems unlikely that he would illegally sell it. And also, you said that you believed that if your theory was true, (and that the locket was given to Aberforth) that Harry would be lead to the Hog's Head, but Aberforth might not want to divulge the locket to him, which I don't believe to be true either. Mundungus is the only member of the Order that is said to be a criminal, and we have no basis of which to believe that Aberforth (other than practicing illegal charms on a goat, and perhaps being illiterate (?)) is a petty thief and criminal.

Otherwise... great editorial! It was interesting to read!

[kerri]

I have no clue where the mirror could be....it remains a mystery!

But as to the veil and 'the beyond', I really dont think JKR will have a direct contact between the him and Harry. As breath taking as that moment could be, Sirius is dead and gone, so says the author.

But this doesnt mean Sirius cant be usful to Harrys journey. If and when Harry realizes he has to go back to 12 Grimmauld place he will then discover the name RAB, and the locket in kreachers room.

WQhat we have to remember about Grimmauld Place is that Snape knows it's location, and he's believed to be a Death Eater at the moment. So I cant see the Order rushing back there.

[inkling7]

Interesting editorial but I think Aberforth was the one who informed Albus that Mundungus had nicked some stuff from Grim Place. With a bit of luck Aberforth has the important stuff from Grim Place in his safe keeping and will give them to Harry when they finally get to know each other. I think Aberforth is undercover for the Order and isn't as inept as Albus made out and that Albus just said those things to help keep Aberforth's cover.
However I agree the mirror could be used if the other one is found to help Harry keep in contact with Ron, Hermoine or Ginny. That is somethng I hadn't thought of before your editorial so good work there.

[squibpott]

Putting the Mirror through the Veil would be ridiculous but you said so yourself. I have been thinking for ages that Aberforth got the locket from Dung and sold it on to Borgin and Burkes, but I never even considered the mirror I thought that Kreacher would chuck the other mirror at Harry in a tantrum and that would be how he found it so I like your idea better. I really hope we do get to meet Aberforth, I think he's going to be a no-holes-barred version of Albus. But anyway just like to say that though there isn't anything drastically new in your editorial I'm glad someone has made it.

[plainlypotter]

Originally Posted by inkling7

Interesting editorial but I think Aberforth was the one who informed Albus that Mundungus had nicked some stuff from Grim Place. With a bit of luck Aberforth has the important stuff from Grim Place in his safe keeping and will give them to Harry when they finally get to know each other. I think Aberforth is undercover for the Order and isn't as inept as Albus made out and that Albus just said those things to help keep Aberforth's cover.
However I agree the mirror could be used if the other one is found to help Harry keep in contact with Ron, Hermoine or Ginny. That is somethng I hadn't thought of before your editorial so good work there.

I agree with your assessment of Aberforth as "undercover agent" , and have wondered if Aberforth was a metamorphagus ( excuse the spelling I don't have the book handy) and is really the blond death eater in his morphed disguise. I too think that Aberforth told DD about Mundungus. It seems that they are closer to each other than we are specifically told ( look to DD's encounter with V when he comes to ask for the DADA job).

As for having the Sirius' mirror, I thought that this was more likely than his having the locket which has been speculated about. I mean - a locket with the mark of Slytherin would be suspect even if Aberforth was on the slow side. Interesting idea about looking into the mirroe and asking for DD - only one problem with this - after Harry tried this and was unsuccessful I doubt that he would use this method to contact another dead person - especially since he would have no reason to think DD had the other mirror. Much more likely that Harry will find the mirror in Grimwald Place while looking for the locket and decide to use it this time as a communicator between himself and ron and Hermione or Aberforth has it and will communicate with Harry using it.

[maebelle]

Originally Posted by GryffinWildmage

Interesting idea, though I'm pretty sure that JKR said the mirror is 'off the table', which i took to mean that we won't see it again. Still, great job.

Maybe Jo saying the mirror is "off the table" should be taken literally. Maybe it was on the table, but it isn't anymore!