The Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised is a mystical mirror discovered by Harry in an abandoned classroom in Philosopher’s Stone. On it is inscribed “erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi”. When mirrored and correctly spaced, this reads “I show not your face but your heart’s desire.” As “erised” reversed is “desire,” it is the “Mirror of Desire.” Harry, upon encountering the Mirror, can see his parents, as well as what appears to be a crowd of relatives; Ron sees himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain holding the House Cup, thus revealing his wish to escape from the shadow of his highly successful older brothers, as well as his more popular friend, Harry. Dumbledore cautions Harry that the Mirror gives neither knowledge nor truth, merely showing the viewer’s deepest desire, and that men have wasted their lives away before it, entranced by what they see.

Dumbledore, one of the few other characters to face the Mirror in the novel, claims to see himself holding a pair of socks he always wanted, telling Harry that “one can never have enough socks,” and lamenting that he did not receive any for Christmas, since people will insist on giving him books. However, Harry suspects that this is not true, and it is suggested in Deathly Hallows that what he really sees is his entire family alive, well and happy together again, much like Harry.^[

The Mirror of Erised was the final protection given to the Philosopher’s Stone in the first book. Dumbledore hid the Mirror and hid the Stone inside it, knowing that only a person who wanted to find but not use the Stone would be able to obtain it. Anyone else would see him or herself making an Elixir of Life or turning things to gold, rather than actually finding the Stone, and would be unable to obtain it. What happens to the mirror afterwards is unknown.

Two-way mirrors

In Order of the Phoenix, Sirius gives Harry a mirror he originally used to communicate with James while they were in separate detentions. That mirror is a part of a set of Two-way Mirrors that are activated by holding one of them and saying the name of the other possessor, causing his or her face to appear on the caller’s mirror and vice versa. Harry receives this mirror from Sirius in a package after spending his Christmas holiday at Grimmauld Place. Harry, at first, chooses not to open the package, although he does discover the mirror after Sirius’ death, by which point it is no longer functional. It makes its second appearance in Deathly Hallows when Mundungus Fletcher loots Grimmauld Place and sells Sirius’ mirror to Aberforth Dumbledore, who uses it to watch out for Harry in Deathly Hallows. When Harry desperately cries for help to a shard of the magical mirror (which broke in the bottom of his trunk), a brilliant blue eye belonging to Aberforth (which Harry mistakes for Albus’ eye), appears and he sends Dobby, who arrives to help Harry escape from Malfoy Manor to Shell Cottage.

Goblet of Fire

The Goblet of Fire is a goblet made of wood and is used at the beginning of every Triwizard Tournament. It is used solely to choose the participating school champions, serving as an “impartial judge.”^[HP4] Slips of parchment with the names of potential candidates are placed in the Goblet and, at the designated time, a representative from each school is chosen when the slip of parchment containing their name spouts forth from the Goblet in a fountain of magical fire. The fake Moody stated once that the Goblet of Fire was “an exceptionally powerful magical object” and it is very difficult to hoodwink, unless someone uses an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm.

During its use in Goblet of Fire, it is placed in the entrance hall and surrounded by an “Age Line”, a charm placed by Dumbledore to prevent underage wizards from entering the tournament. Anyone underage would grow a long white beard, as the Weasley twins demonstrated when they attempted to fool the goblet with an Ageing Potion. When not in use, the Goblet is kept in a jeweled casket in Dumbledore’s closet.

Godric Gryffindor’s Sword

The Sword of Godric Gryffindor is a goblin-made sword adorned with large rubies on the pommel. It was once owned by Godric Gryffindor, one of the medieval founders of Hogwarts. In Chamber of Secrets, Harry draws the Sword out of the Sorting Hat to battle and kill a Basilisk. When Dumbledore learns of Harry’s concern that he does not belong in the House of Gryffindor, in part at being parseltongue like Lord Voldemort, the headmaster is able to put the boy’s concerns at ease by telling him only a true member of that house could have summoned that sword in his time of need. The sword also plays a key role in Deathly Hallows, where it is revealed to have become imbued with Basilisk venom following its use against the Basilisk, as it “only takes in that which makes it stronger”. It is subsequently used to destroy three of Voldemort’s Horcruxes.

Because the Sword was goblin-forged, it is indestructible, and according to Griphook the goblin, the Sword was originally forged by the goblin Ragnuk the First and “stolen” by Gryffindor, as The Sword was taken by Griphook when the Sword fell from Harry’s grasp during the raid on Bellatrix Lestrange‘s vault in book seven. The sword returned to wizard hands, when Neville pulled it out of the Sorting Hat and used it to decapitate Nagini, Voldemort’s snake. This shows that no matter where the sword happened to be at the time, it will reappear in the Hat when a true member of Gryffindor house is in need of it.

Rowling has confirmed that Gryffindor did not steal the sword from Ragnuk and that this belief is merely part of Griphook’s goblin mistrust and prejudice against wizards.Godric Gryffindor commissioned Ragnuk the First to make the sword for him under his specifications. Once Ragnuk had made the sword, he was so fond of it that after he had presented it to Gryffindor, he told the goblins it had been stolen and sent minions to retrieve it for him. Gryffindor defeated the goblins using magic and instead of killing them, he bewitched them to go back to Ragnuk and say that if he tried to take the sword again, he would use it against them. The king took the threat seriously, but still insisted it had been stolen from him until the day he died.

It is mentioned in the Deathly Hallows that the Sword of Gryffindor is supposed to be in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault, placed there by Severus Snape. Unknown to Bellatrix, that sword was only a replica When Harry, Ron and Hermione were captured and brought to the Malfoy Manor, she spotted the sword near one of the Snatchers, who intended to keep it. She killed him and forced the rest out of the room, then tortured Hermione for information about the sword. But at Harry’s request, Griphook lied and said that the sword was a forgery. Bellatrix’s reaction to having her vault possibly broken into convinced Harry that the Horcrux was also placed in her vault.

Philosopher’s Stone

Based upon the ancient alchemical idea of the Philosopher’s stone, the stone is owned by Nicolas Flamel and first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The stone is legendary in that it changes all metals to gold, and can be used to brew a potion called the Elixir of Life, making the drinker immortal. The Philosopher’s Stone is seen only in the first and last book, although it is referenced several times throughout the series. It was destroyed at the end of the first book by Dumbledore with Flamel’s agreement.