Mirror of Erised

"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 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 of Erised is a very old device (exact age and origins are unknown, although it is described as "ancient"). Nobody knows who created it, or how it came to be at Hogwarts School. A succession of teachers have brought back interesting artefacts from their travels, so it might have arrived at the castle in this casual manner, either because the teacher knew how it worked and was intrigued by it, or because they did not understand it and wished to ask their colleagues’ opinions.

The Mirror of Erised is one of those magical artefacts that seems to have been created in a spirit of fun (whether innocent or malevolent is a matter of opinion), because while it is much more revealing than a normal mirror, it is interesting rather than useful.

In 1991, the mirror was kept in an unused classroom and tucked out of sight by Albus Dumbledore (though it had been languishing in the Room of Requirement for a century or so prior ), 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.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

- Albus Dumdledore, when he discovers that Harry has been using the Mirror.

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 forever since the incident in his youth saw his family whole and intact, free of any pain or suffering.

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.

Proir to 1998 the mirror was sent to the Room of Hidden Things. (citation needed)

Albus Dumbledore

 * A pair of thick, woollen socks
 * His family alive, whole and happy – Ariana, Percival and Kendra all returned to him, and Aberforth reconciled to him.

Harry Potter

 * 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, Head Boy and standing apart from his brothers, better than all of them.

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 symbolizes how everything is backwards when reflected in mirrors (e.g., "erised" when reflected in a mirror spells "desire"). However, because this is no ordinary mirror, the text also shows how the mirror is very "backwards" from regular mirrors in the way that it shows the inner desires and not the outside appearance 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 and Blaise) stands in the way of Harry's progress. Behind them the mirror can be seen among a pile of other hidden objects. Thus, it is quite obvious it was destroyed with everything else in the room by Goyle's spell, unless it was just reusing a prop as an easter egg for the fans. Neither is yet to have been confirmed.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * 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
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) 
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : Part 2 (video game) (appears in memory)
 * The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Notes and references
Miroir du Riséd Spiegel van Neregeb