It Does Not Do Well To Dwell On Dreams And Forget To Live

It seems that anything new that concerns Harry Potter entices me to revisit the literary adventures. In the coming months, we will have the cinematic version of the sixth movie as well as the publication of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I think that the most interesting device used in the whole series was introduced in the first novel by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone – 10th Anniversary Edition (or the Philosopher’s Stone depending upon which side of the Atlantic you live). The Mirror of Erised showed the young wizard and his best friend, Ron their most secret longing, their fondest wish.

In the mirror, the central character saw himself surrounded by his murdered parents as well as other relatives looking on him lovingly. He was so drawn to the image that he would continuously return to the mirror which was well hidden within the confines of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Later, Harry brought Ron along with him in order for him to see his parents. However, Ron only saw himself as Head Boy and winning the House Cup. Ron, the youngest male member of the Weasley family, has always felt like the low man on the totem pole. His pet rat had been handed down from brother to brother. His wand was horribly overused and taped together several times. His vision within the mirror showed that he longed to become something greater than any of his siblings and to be able to achieve something no one (maybe even himself) could have dreamed.

However, the mirror is not all good. Professor Dumbledore tells Harry that thousands of students had discovered the mystery of the mirror. But, many of them became so enthralled that it drove them insane. So powerful was the attraction of the device that it was to be moved far away; yet, not before Harry asked his mentor what he saw in the mirror: Socks. Was he being truthful or teaching the 11 year-old a valuable lesson?

Everyone (young/old; rich/poor; male/female) has dreams and one desire that we choose to share or to remain hidden. The people to whom we decide to reveal them demonstrates a powerful sense of trust and loyalty. Yet, we all have to be careful how we handle our dreams lest they control our lives.

Let’s have a little fun. Tell me how the name Mirror of Erised came about.