On that day, Hoare stayed in the dungeons because of that message, waiting for So return and tell him.

  After all, he didn't know! the firepce message be repyed?

  And it was about the man with a snake face!

  It might just be another suspi...

  As a result, Hoare never expected that he was walking right into a trap, directly caught by So help with the Potions dealings with the board of governors.

  He was so busy that he only realized the Christmas holidays were ing to an end.

  "Emm, Henry?"

  When Hoare left the on room, it was already dusk.

  He had slept like a log today.

  These past few days, he had only beeing three to four hours of sleep each day. Although he had energy potions, he was mentally exhausted.

  He reparing to go out and find some food to soothe his stomach, which had been filled with sandwiches for days.

  At the entrance of the Slytherin on room, Hoare entered an ued person, Ron.

  Heleed faster than Hoare, leaping forward to give Ron a face hug.

  Ron was startled, frantically pulling Helena off his fad holding her in his arms.

  "Ron?" Hoare looked Ron up and down in fusion, "Is something wrong?"

  Seeing Ron at the entrance of Slytherin made Hoare tense up, and his expression became more serious.

  Ron waved his hands repeatedly, "I'm fine—"

  He hesitated for a moment before tinuing, "It's Harry."

  "Huh?" Hoare was even more puzzled.

  Ron took a deep breath, as if finally making up his mind, and said, "I want to ask you for a favor, about Harry."

  Hoare scrutinized Ron, "Have you been waiting here for long? Why didn't you knock?"

  Hogwarts had temperature trol magic, but Slytherin was located uhe ke. To vehere were some small ventition spells, so it was slightly cooler than other pces.

  Slytherin students had cloaks with built-in temperature regution magic, so they naturally didn't feel cold, but obviously, Ron, who was here for the first time, didn't.

  Ron didn't know the password to enter, so he couldn't get in and had to wait for someoo e out.

  Hoare didn't know how long Ron had been waiting, but the young man was already shivering slightly, indig it had been quite a while.

  "Not long, not long," Ron said awkwardly, waving his hand.

  "I'm heading to the Great Hall now, shall we talk as we walk?" Hoare asked, but he was already moving quickly.

  Ron, holding Helena, hurried to catch up.

  O of Slytherin's area, the temperature noticeably rose.

  Hoare could clearly see Rohe a sigh of relief.

  "What happened?" Hoare slowed his pace.

  The ce Ron had mustered earlier seemed to have vanished, and now he looked regretful, as if he was sed-guessing ing to Hoare.

  "If you're ing to me, it means something really bad happeo Harry, something even you, his good friend, 't help with," Hoare probed.

  He was also puzzled. Although after the Chamber of Secrets adventure, mostly thanks to Helena's ess, Ron's view of Slytherin had improved slightly, at most they would just nod and greet each other in passing.

  Finding the Slytherin on room, Hoare knew very well, was something Ron would only do if absolutely necessary.

  That's why Hoare was so worried when he first saw Ron, ed that something might have happeo him.

  Ron seemed to finally overe his iruggle, "Harry, Harry he— I want you to help Harry."

  "I've tried to talk to him, but he won't listen. I see that Harry is willing to listen to you, so could you try to persuade him?"

  Hoare was at a loss. What could possibly have happeo Harry?

  Headmaster Dumbledore and Headmaster Snape were keeping an eye on him every day, not to mention the big gift Hoare had been preparily.

  A sudden fsh of insight crossed Hoare's mind—could it be the Mirror of Erised?

  But that didn't make sehe Philosopher's Stone had already been found, so why would the Mirror of Erised still be around?

  Hoare's mind was filled with questions.

  "What do you wao persuade him about?" Hoare asked.

  "We've been expl Hogwarts at night retly—" Ron looked around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in to whisper to Hoare, who was eyeing the long-eared figure in the painting behind Ron, feeling the urge to facepalm.

  He pulled Ron to a er with no frames or knights, just a pin er. "Go on."

  Ron scratched his head, "Oh, oh, oh, it's like this—"

  "Hogwarts is just too beautiful at night, the first night..."

  Hoare interrupted Ron's prepared speech, "Just tell me what happened."

  Ron puffed his cheeks, muttered something, then tinued, "We found a mirror in a room on the seventh floor."

  He seemed to recall something, his expression being animated, "In that mirror, I saw myself as the Quidditch champion, holding the House Cup, and you were standing beside me in Gryffindor robes."

  "You're my twin brother," Ron expined.

  "I don't know why, but I always feel like you resemble Hoare." Normally, Ron would never reveal what he saw in the mirror, it was too embarrassing.

  But around this Henry William, he felt pletely at ease.

  This was also why Ron didn't like that Henry William; he thought it was a Slytherin plot to lower his guard.

  Hoare was so nervous that cold sweat was f on the back of his head.

  He ged the subject, "What did Harry see?" Though Ron didn't o say it, Hoare had already guessed.

  The Mirror of Erised.

  It reveals one's deepest desires.

  So, in Harry's heart, there was only—

  "His parents, his family."

  His family.

  Hoare sighed inwardly; this mirror ractically demonic, revealing people's deepest desires. Who could resist that, especially an eleven-year-old boy?

  He wondered how far Dumbledore and the others had progressed, and when Sirius could be released.

  Hoare didn't particurly like Sirius.

  Holy, the kind of behavior where someone doesn't clear their name despite being i, even wasting their life, was something Hoare couldn't appreciate.

  But he had to admit, Sirius gave Harry a home.

  Hoare rubbed his temples; a wrongful vi from over a decade ago, and the person involved didn't even care, so why should o to such lengths?

  If it weren't for repaying Harry's favor, Hoare really wouldn't want to deal with such a troublesome matter.

  "He's been sitting in front of that mirror for several nights now. I think there's something wrong with it, it might eve people!"

  Ron said with a serious expression.

  0Niffler0