Nicholas Flamel

           DumbledorehadconvincedHarrynottogolookingfortheMirrorofErisedagain,andfortherestoftheChristmasholidaystheinvisibilitycloakstayedfoldedatthebottomofhistrunk. Harrywishedhecouldforgetwhathe’dseeninthemirroraseasily,buthecouldn’t. Hestartedhavingnightmares. Overandoveragainhedreamedabouthisparentsdisappearinginaflashofgreenlight,whileahighvoicecackledwithlaughter. 

           "Yousee,Dumbledorewasright,thatmirrorcoulddriveyoumad,"saidRon,whenHarrytoldhimaboutthesedreams. 

           Hermione,whocamebackthedaybeforetermstarted,tookadifferentviewofthings. ShewastornbetweenhorrorattheideaofHarrybeingoutofbed,roamingtheschoolthreenightsinarow("IfFilchhadcaughtyou!"), anddisappointmentthathehadn’tatleastfoundoutwhoNicolasFlamelwas. 

           TheyhadalmostgivenuphopeofeverfindingFlamelinalibrarybook,eventhoughHarrywasstillsurehe’dreadthenamesomewhere. Oncetermhadstarted,theywerebacktoskimmingthroughbooksfortenminutesduringtheirbreaks. Harryhadevenlesstimethantheothertwo,becauseQuidditchpracticehadstartedagain. 

           Woodwasworkingtheteamharderthanever. Eventheendlessrainthathadreplacedthesnowcouldn’tdampenhisspirits. TheWeasleyscomplainedthatWoodwasbecomingafanatic,butHarrywasonWood’sside. Iftheywontheirnextmatch,againstHufflepuff,theywouldovertakeSlytherininthehousechampionshipforthefirsttimeinsevenyears. Quiteapartfromwantingtowin,Harryfoundthathehadfewernightmareswhenhewastiredoutaftertraining.