Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised
Object information
Usage	To see the viewer's deepest desire
Owners	Albus Dumbledore

"The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself, exactly how he is."

— Albus Dumbledore explaining to Harry Potter what the mirror does.

The Mirror of Erised is a magic mirror, which, according to Albus Dumbledore, shows the "deepest and most desperate desire of ones heart." The happiest person in the whole world would look in the mirror and see a reflection of exactly the way he or she is. Inscribed across the top of the frame is the following text:

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi

Reversing the inscription and rearranging the spaces produces:

I show not your face but your heart's desire

History

"Men have wasted away before it, not knowing if what they have seen is real, or even possible."

— Albus Dumbledore explaining the danger of the mirror to Harry Potter.

The Mirror, stored at Hogwarts Castle, in 1991.

The Mirror's exact age and origins are unknown, although it is described as "ancient". In 1991, the mirror was kept in an unused classroom and tucked out of sight by Albus Dumbledore, and was discovered by Harry Potter on the night that he used the invisibility cloak for the first time to search the restricted section of the library for information about Nicolas Flamel. In his attempt to stay hidden from Filch he stumbled upon the classroom where the mirror was being stored. Upon looking into the mirror, Harry saw himself surrounded by his dead parents and relatives. He saw several smiling family members. Some had the same green eyes, one had the same knees, one of his grandmothers was nodding and smiling at the same time. On his next midnight visit to the mirror, he brought Ron with him in the hopes to show Ron the Potter family. However, as Ron looked into the mirror, as he has always been overshadowed by his brothers and is always striving to be noticed by others, he saw himself as the Quidditch captain and Head Boy, holding up the Quidditch Cup.

Over the next few days, Harry proceeded to visit it as often as he could to see his parents' faces. Dumbledore found Harry visiting the mirror one night, and after explaining to Harry what the mirror was all about, told him that the mirror was to be moved and requested that Harry not go looking for it. Before heading back to bed, Harry asked Dumbledore what he saw when he looked into the mirror. Dumbledore claimed to see himself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks, telling Harry that "one can never have enough socks." If this had been true, it would suggest that Dumbledore was so content with life that the only things he wished for were small things. However, Dumbledore was joking, the matter being a very personal one. As revealed to Harry in 1998 Dumbledore would have seen his dead relatives (his sister, Ariana Dumbledore; his mother, Kendra Dumbledore; and his father, Percival Dumbledore); as well as his brother Aberforth reconciled to him when he looked in the Mirror of Erised. Dumbledore felt extremely guilty about the deaths of his parents and sister and his estrangement from his brother.

Harry Potter sitting in front of the Mirror of Erised.

In 1992, the Mirror was the final guardian of the Philosopher's Stone in its Chambers. Dumbledore placed an enchantment on the mirror, hiding the stone inside of it and allowing the mirror to transfer the stone to anyone who wanted to find the stone but not to use it. Anybody wishing more than simply finding it would see themselves making gold or the Elixir of Life, or in Professor Quirrell's case presenting the stone to his master.

When Quirrell/Voldemort ordered Harry to look into the mirror, Harry focused on finding the stone, and, uninterested in actually using the stone for his own purposes, saw his reflection pocketing the stone, at which time it magically appeared in his real pocket.

It is unknown what happened to the mirror after the end of the 1991–1992 school year. It may have stayed in the chamber or returned to its classroom.

Known users and desires

Albus Dumbledore

• A pair of thick, woollen socks (claimed)
• His family alive and well

Harry Potter

James and Lily Potter, as seen in the Mirror of Erised by their son.

• His parents and extended family
• Himself, holding the Philosopher's Stone
• As of 1997, Lord Voldemort defeated and dead

Ron Weasley

• Himself as Quidditch Captain and Head Boy, better than his brothers.

Hermione Granger

• Herself and her friends alive and unscathed, Voldemort defeated, and herself in a romantic embrace with a "certain person".

Quirinus Quirrell

• Himself presenting the Philosopher's Stone to his master, Lord Voldemort

Lord Voldemort

• Himself, all powerful and immortal

Etymology

The word "Erised" (pronounced eer-eh-said) is "desire" spelled backwards meaning the name could also be known as the "mirror of desire." The backwards text is a symbol of the odd nature of the mirror, because the mirror works in a very backwards way from regular mirrors in a way that it shows the inside and not the outside of a person. The inscription around the mirror reads "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" The message backwards is "I show not your face but your heart's desire."

Behind the scenes

• In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the mirror is shown with the ability to reflect spells.
• In Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Ron sees himself in a Quidditch uniform while receiving a kiss on the cheek from Hermione Granger.
• In Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, when Harry touches Voldemort's face his parents applaud in the mirror. When Harry is knocked unconscious and Voldemort fails to grab the stone, his parents laugh at Voldemort.
• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, when Harry finds the lost diadem in the Room of Requirement, Draco (along with Goyle amd Blaise) stands in the way of Harry's progress. Behind them the mirror can be seen among a pile of other hidden objects.

Appearances

The Mirror of Erised.

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Appears in flashback(s))
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4