Mirror of Erised

[Megan]

No: HPFGUIDX 29085

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Devika S. Lal" <devika at s...> wrote:
> I don't have my books, so I can't check this, but I thought the
mirror did
> show Harry with his family behind him.  IIRC, there was a part that said
> that Harry saw not only himself, but many other people in the mirror.  I
> remember that he turned around to see if there were actually people
behind
> him and then he felt the air behind him to make sure that he was not
> standing in a room of invisible people.  The fact that he turned around
> implies that he did see himself, as well as his family behind him.
> 
> Devika

Oooo, you are absolutely correct!
"--for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd
of people standing right behind him...
There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there,
reflected behind him, were at least ten others...

'It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate
desires of our hearts.  You, who have never known your family, see
them standing around you.'"

Let me slightly correct myself then.  Okay, granted Harry DOES see
himself in the mirror, but it's more like a reflection of him ('white
and scared-looking') than him WITH his family (you know what I mean?).
 Therefore, I maintain wouldn't Harry's desire be to HAVE his family,
(thus represented by intereaction with the people in the image) rather
than just see them standing around him (or as Dumbledore says 'know'
his family)?  It's slightly more confusing now, but given Harry's
situation, I think the hugging scenario would be more appropriate. 
Then again, as Cindy pointed out, we don't exactly know the
limitations of the mirror, nor the exact definition to its function. 
For instance, if someone dreamed of saying goodbye to his (dead)
sister one last time, would the mirror SHOW him saying goodbye to her,
or just an image of her herself?

-Megan, who is now rambling