Having escaped famine, I was accepted into Hogwarts.

Chapter 62 The Magnificent Gate? Not a buddy?

"A magnificent gate?" Kane stared in shock at the bizarre and ornate gate behind him in the mirror.

In the realm of eternity, death is never the end. What allows the dead to return is the magnificent gate in the mirror. No matter how tragic the death, as long as the soul returns to the magnificent gate, it can always be reborn.

Kane looked behind him in disbelief. If this magnificent door really appeared in Dumbledore's office, putting aside whether he could resurrect infinitely, the world would probably be...

What happened?

Kane frowned, glanced at the unremarkable bookshelf behind him, and then looked back at the marble pillar shrouded in shadow in the mirror, and the dark eye staring at him from above the door. Yes, this was the Magnificent Door, the Magnificent Door that could be seen in the mirror.

"What's going on with this mirror?" Kane murmured.

"Well, in fact, no one in the magical world has been able to explain the principle behind this mirror yet, but what this mirror can do has been thoroughly studied." Dumbledore had returned to the headmaster's office at some point and was watching Kane's startled reaction to the mirror from a short distance away.

"You came back without making a sound." Kane was startled again by Dumbledore's sudden appearance, then pointed to the mirror in front of him: "This thing? What's that?"

Dumbledore walked over and touched the mirror: "The Mirror of Erised reflects your desires and cravings. If a perfect person looks into it, he is just an ordinary mirror."

"But if an ordinary person like me looks at it, it will look ridiculous."

"Inner desires?" Kane raised an eyebrow, looking at the magnificent gate in the mirror. So what was it that he wanted?

The rules of the Eternal Realm, which I've figured out as clearly as if they were my own bedroom? Infinite rebirth, fearless of death? Or is it some other thing being materialized in this mirror?

"That's right, my inner desires will make me look ridiculous." Dumbledore repeated that sentence once again.

"Yeah, I really made a fool of myself just now." Kane felt embarrassed as he thought about how he had just jumped around in a panic.

"No, Kane, what you just did wasn't embarrassing. I don't know what you saw in the mirror, but in just a moment, you were able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. That kind of performance is rare and admirable in front of the Mirror of Erised." Dumbledore patted Kane on the shoulder and looked at the Mirror of Erised with admiration.

Perhaps in Dumbledore's mind, staring at the Mirror of Erised for a long time, just like he is now, is what he considers a truly shameful act.

"Hmm, it's clearly what you desire most in your heart, but your eyes are full of sadness. I think you don't need to smear yourself by calling yourself ugly. In my eyes, you... are more like pitiful... I'm speechless... I wanted to comfort you... I really don't know how to talk."

Kane genuinely wanted to comfort Dumbledore, but unfortunately, as he tried to comfort him, he realized that his words were somewhat inappropriate, even inaccurate, and that his attempt at comfort would likely have the opposite effect.

He was now so angry he wanted to slap himself, and just as he was about to do so, Dumbledore patted him on the shoulder: "I appreciate it, Kane. Although your way of comforting people is not very good, but... thank you, I appreciate it."

"Well, anyway, stop being sad... Maybe you need a Christmas present?" Kane looked up at Dumbledore's eyes, which were filled with endless sadness, and decided not to keep his gift hidden any longer.

A shadowy tentacle extended from beneath his feet, retrieved a gift package from under the Christmas tree, and handed it to Dumbledore: "Hopefully this will cheer you up a little. It's a Christmas thank you gift."

"Can I open it now?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.

"Go ahead, I'll be going now." Kane said, preparing to leave. After all, he didn't think his panpipes would have any appeal to Dumbledore. It was much more dignified to leave early than to have Dumbledore pinch his nose and pretend to be delighted in front of him.

"Well, to be honest, Kane, this gift isn't very appropriate."

Dumbledore's voice rose behind Kane, causing him to turn around in surprise... well, not particularly surprised. He knew Dumbledore wasn't a conventional person... so...

"I'm still here, maybe I can get you a different gift?" Kane shrugged.

"Perhaps you could make me a little thing that can automatically play panpipes whenever I want to fall asleep. After all, when I'm digging mandrakes every day... those little things are so lively and cute." Dumbledore gave an apologetic smile.

"Ah, but you still sleep soundly every day."

"That's why I feel apologetic." Dumbledore chuckled twice and sat back down in his seat. "Anyway, I really like this gift. To be honest, I think I should be more honest than you. You once said you wanted to frame the acceptance letter, but I haven't seen it yet. However, I really do intend to hang the panpipes you gave me around my neck."

After Dumbledore finished speaking, he actually took out a chain, put the panpipes on it, and hung it around his neck.

"I'll frame it right away," Kane said, raising an eyebrow.

"It should have been done a long time ago! By the way, Kane, could you do me a small favor tonight? I'll put this mirror in that abandoned classroom on the third-floor corridor. You can take Harry there. Hmm, guess what Harry desires most?" Dumbledore finally got down to business.

"Perhaps it's his parents. What you're doing... isn't it a bit hurtful to him?" Kane asked.

"But it's so pitiful that he doesn't even know what his parents look like from birth, isn't it? Of course, if what Harry craves most isn't love, well—that's understandable, since he's never experienced love."

Dumbledore started to get sentimental again as he spoke, and Kane couldn't bear to listen any longer. Christmas should be a time of joy and family reunion, but now Dumbledore had turned it into a time of weeping and lamenting.

"I will. Not just Harry, Ron will go back too, if I can get him sober tonight," Kane said as he left the headmaster's office.

"Hmm, that would be even better." Dumbledore muttered to himself as he took the panpipes off his neck and placed them on his desk.

He then took out a box of wood wax oil from under his desk, took out some, and applied it all over the panpipes before putting them back around his neck.

late at night...

Kane led the way, while Harry and Ron echoed from behind.

"If what you're going to show us isn't cool enough, we'll exercise our supreme dorm voting rights and vote for you to make us a free three-day meatball feast."

"Ah, whatever. I can make meatballs really well no matter how casually I make them. But I think you guys might want some meatballs, since I really think they're pretty cool."

After Kane finished speaking, he stopped in front of an abandoned classroom door, pushed it open, and revealed the Mirror of Erised inside.