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Elaine Black has always loved her best friend.

The two girls have been inseparable since the first day of their first year at Hogwarts. Even after school they were very close, so much so that Elaine became the godmother of her best friend's daughter.

Probably if Elaine had children, her best friend would have become their godmother.

The two were like sisters separated at birth, one was brunette and the other blonde, one was calm and the other was wild. They were the perfect example of platonic soulmates. The two were Yin and Yang, a perfect balance.

If Elaine needed her best, she was ready, no matter where she was. And vice versa.

It all started when at the Sorting Ceremony, Elaine trembled with fear, afraid to see in which house she was going to end up in, and the blonde, without even knowing her, held her hand to reassure her. And it worked. 

From that moment a true friendship was born.

Unfortunately, however, it seems that fate is not on Elaine's side, every good and beautiful thing in her life always tends to get ruined, in any way possible. It's just a matter of time.

Elaine's best friend passed away, exactly a year before she went to Hogwarts as a teacher.

The brunette woman can not help but think that in part the cause of the death is because of her.

And maybe it's true.

Probably the woman would be happy to know, that Elaine Black is succeeding in moving on in her life, even without her. 

Today, February 12, 1991, is a day where Elaine Black can only think of her late best friend.

Perhaps if the blonde woman had not been so curious and determined, neither would be here. Instead, here she is, Elaine Black, plucking up the courage to write a letter that she knows she has to send. It's all about respect.

Elaine Black was raised with the ideal of having to respect anyone who is willing to reciprocate or not. 

Just to seem superior to the eyes of the beholder.

Maybe her mother-in-law told her that, but the point is, the more she thought about it, the more she was afraid to send the damn letter.

Perhaps she should tear the paper and ask Professor Dumbledore to take a day off to go and support the woman's family. 

But what would she say if she went there herself?

A few weeks before, the woman went to visit them for Christmas dinner, it was nice even if it was the first Christmas without the blonde woman, for all three of them.

A sequence of light blows on the door of her office, distracting her from her thoughts and questions.

"Come on in." Calls back the brunette, disguising her tone of voice so as not to sound sad, seconds after the door opens and the figure of Professor McGonagall appears in front of her, "Professor McGonagall, take a seat, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Asks the brunette woman, the old witch approaches and sits in the chair in front of the desk, "I wanted to see how were you doing, dear, I realized what day it is today..." The older woman begins, Elaine sighs and starts fiddling with the large golden locket hanging around her neck, "I'm fine." The Black lady responds, trying to show a smile but failing in her intent, the professor raises an eyebrow, "Are you sure?" Asks the older one, again, pointing with her head the scroll in the desk.

Elaine looks at the parchment on which she was going to write a letter, to see that a large black patch of ink has expanded, covering the first words written on it. It seems like the woman, lost in her thoughts, put the quill, full of ink, on the paper without realizing it.

"Oh, I got distracted, sorry," Says the brunette crumpling the paper, Professor McGonagall smiles at her, "If something is wrong you can talk about it, you know? Not necessarily with me," Explains the old witch. 

Elaine appreciates the thought, but something dark is clouding her thoughts, something bad and ugly, that doesn't let her decide lucidly.

It is as if this dark presence is holding her conscience hostage, commanding it and torturing it in the worst way. And so Elaine finds herself accidentally blurting out, "I said I'm fine." She insists harshly, her eyes glisten with a dark and evil spark, Professor McGonagall looks at her surprised, the young professor sighs and closes her eyes, "Sorry. I just need to rest, these final exams are stressing me out, but I assure you, professor, I'm fine." Calls on the brunette, that sinister twinkle still in her eyes.

Professor McGonagall looks skeptically at the woman in front of her, then her eyes fall on the golden locket, the old woman stands up and heads for the door, "Well, then," she declares before leaving the room.

Elaine finds herself alone again observing the objects in that office, maybe she is not feeling physically alone but emotionally.

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Walking through the corridors, Elaine crosses the figure of Professor Quirrel, who moves suspiciously around the hoard of tudents. Reminding the woman, the conversation she had months before with Snape.

Knowing that she will probably regret it later on, Elaine decides to follow him and see if Snape was actually right or had fun fouling the woman.

Quirinus heads to the third floor, Elaine always behind him, being careful not to get caught. The professor heads to the room where the big three-headed dog Fuffi is, a ridicoulous name thinks the woman, how can a murderous ceature like this have a name like Fuffi? 

Quirrel enters and transfigures an object into a giant harp that plays a sweet melody.

Severus Snape was right, as much as Elaine hated to admit it, Quirinus Quirrel was looking for the Philosopher's Stone and knew how to get to the room where the elixir was.

The brunette follows him under the trap door and is between the tentacles of a giant Devil's Snare, her breath becomes short and labored, "O-ok Elaine, stay calm, stay calm..." After a few seconds spent trying to calm down, the woman feels herself slowly sliding down and falling into a room full of keys with wings.

Before the woman can properly examine the room, however, a noise of steps paralyzes her, "Artis Tempurus!" Exclaims a voice and Elaine finds herself lowering her head in time to avoid being hit by the vortex of fire that has come out of the wand of the mysterious figure. A light smoke comes out of a lock of chocolate-brown hair, the woman hastens to pass a hand over it to dissipate the smoke.

"Quirrel?" Asks surprised the woman, coming face to face with the man who has the wand raised and pointed at her, "Elaine Black, I knew you would stand in my way. You're known to never mind your own business, after all," Exhorts the professor with a murderous look, Elaine lifts her wand, ready to defend herself and attack if she has to, "You work for him, don't you?" Asks the brunette, both adults knowing who is she referring to, "I'm just repaying a favor," Briefly explains the man, Elaine scoffs and shakes her head, "Giving him Flamel's elixir will only make things worse, it will create another Wizarding War." Tries to reason the young teacher, but there seems to be nothing to do.

"Kill her." A voice hisses, Quirrel advances and prepares to cast another spell, but the voice stops him, "Wait. Take the locket." They order. 

Elaine's eyes go wide, "Glacius!" She exclaims, a beam of light comes out of her wand and Quirinus Quirrel is trapped in a block of ice momentarily, the woman runs as far away as possible from the man and where she cannot be seen, she grabs the golden locket, taking it off her neck and hiding it in one of her pockets.

"Excelsiosempra." Hisses the man with the turban, Elaine is struck by the spell and flies for a few meters before falling to the ground with a thud, the woman is sure that she has broken at least two bones. The brunette, however, gets up, hardly, immediately, her legs tremble a little but do not prevent her from standing. 

"You shall pass over my corpse. And I warn you it will not be easy." Threatens the woman clenching her jaw, "Expulso!" The woman exclaims, but the man dodges the attack, "You are challenging a Professor of Defense against the Dark Arts, Elaine, Impedimenta!" A spark comes out of Raptor's wand and is about to hit the brunette, "Protego!"

"Crucio!" The man with the purple turban exclaims, Elaine Black finds herself kneeling and gnashing her teeth, the feeling of thousands of hot knives penetrating her skin makes her moan with pain, "Incarceramus!" The man exclaims again, vines similar to the tentacles of the Devil's Snare are created around Elaine, trapping her permanently.

The woman releases a sore sigh, her mind is screaming to do something, but her wand slipped to the ground the moment she was hit with the Unforgivable Curse, but even if she had it, there would be very little to do.

In that moment the woman comes up with an idea, her best friend had told her about the possibility for a wizard or a witch to perform spells without a wand, it takes control, determination and a lot of energy to be able to perform one and you have to have a lot of experience. Elaine Black has never performed one and doesn't have much energy, but there's always a first time for everything, right?

Clearing her mind as much as possible and taking deep breaths, even if painful and short, the woman tries to concentrate on the Evanescent Spell and, miraculously, the brunette perceives the pocket, where the golden locket was previously in, becoming lighter.

Quirrel approaches to take the locket, "Accio locket." He recites, but nothing flies toward him, "Is not there," He announces to the voice, who replies, "It doesn't matter, think about it later, now you have to take the Philosopher's Stone." The teacher with the turban nods and follows the orders, "Levicorpus." From his wand comes out an orange-yellow light and Elaine finds herself in the air upside down with the vines holding her steady.

The professor continues his way through a room that looks like a large chessboard from Wizard's Chess, but the woman can not see it well, the blood is starting to make its way to the brain, preventing her from being able to think or see clearly. When they stop, the two are in a room with a mirror in the center, while Quirrel speaks alone, or rather so the brunette believes. 

Elaine Black finds herself in front of the mirror's glass, observing her reflection she sees herself, with her feet on the ground, smiling, in her arms she holds a bundle of blankets, beside her is her husband who embraces her and smiles genuinely, behind, not too far is James and all the rest of his friends. Elaine's eyes mist, her face red from the blood pressure, a vein appears on the side of her forehead, her heart becomes heavier, guilt resurfaces and drowns her, preventing her from breathing for a few seconds.

Quirrel returns next to her and seeing where the woman's gaze is, he smiles maliciously, "I see that you have found the Mirror Of Erised... it hurts, doesn't it? It shows the most coveted desire of the person who finds it, they're often desires that can not come true, it hurts to think that everything you see in there you'll never have it, because you've ruined everything, haven't you, Black?" Laughs the man, the sinister smile does not leave his face, Elaine shakes her head, her face is now redder than the color of the Gryffindor's Quidditch uniform, tears, that tarnished her sight, fall and make their way to her cheeks, forehead and eyelids. 

Elaine was a mess, and maybe that's what she deserved, because it's her fault, isn't it?

"Stop it, shut up. Please," Prays the woman, the hoarse and tired voice making it harder to breaty, "Silence. Harry Potter is coming." Orders the man before moving the woman to the side and standing in front of the mirror.

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Harry descends a long staircase to an empty room with pillars around it. The Mirror of Erised is in the center of the room, and a man is standing in front of it. Professor Elaine Black next to him, bound with vines and upside down. Harry yelps and grabs his scar.

" You? No. It can't be...Snape. He was the one"  Stutters Harry, looking surprised at the man, "Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, "p-p-poor s-stuttering ProfessorQuirrell?" Derides Quirrell.

Harry shakes his head, "B-but, that day, during the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me." Recalls the 11-year-old, Elaine shakes her head, "No, dear boy. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse and Black casting nonverbal spells to help him."  Exhorts Quirrel looking at the woman next to him, Harry follows his gaze, "Professor Black?" Asks the boy.

The brunette, not to worry the boy, tries to smile at him, "Hey Harry! How are you? I'm fine, a little headache, but being in this position I think is normal," Jokes the woman, ignoring the rolling of eyes of Quirrel, the worried and confused look of Harry and the pain she is experiencing emotionally and physically.

"Snape was trying to...save me?" The young boy asks, trying not to think for the moment of the professor in danger in front of him, "I knew you were a danger right from the off. Especially after Halloween." Explains the man, "Th-then you let the troll in." Blames the kid.

"Very good Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the third floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone." Explains the man with the turban, Elaine opens her eyes wide, Snape was seriously right and she took too long to realize it. Quirrel turns to the mirror, "But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now...what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?" The man asks himself.

Elaine looks at Harry worried, the solution was quite obvious, "Use the boy." Hisses that creepy voice again, the woman starts wriggling, "Don't you even dare." Menaces, trying to break free and stop the man who was approaching the boy, ignoring the brunette's voice. 

"Come here, Potter, now!" Quirinus exclaims, Harry, trembling, approaches, "Tell me. What do you see? What is it?! What do you see?!" Questions the skinny man, the raven-haired boy looks through the glass of the mirror, than he looks at the woman, Elaine shakes her head and Harry nods, " I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup." Harry communicates, looking into Elaine's eyes, dilated pupils and hesitant voice, "He lies." The voice hisses.

"Tell the truth! What do you see?!" Screams Quirrel losing patience, then the sinister voice speaks again, "Let me speak to him." They order. Elaine looks at the man with the turban and widen her eyes, realization evident in her facial features. 

That voice, that damn voice...

"Master, you are not strong enough." Says Quirinus, "I have strength enough for this." The voice hisses, as the man unties his turban from his head and in the mirror reflection appears the face of Lord Voldemort, who looks more like a snake, Elaine begins to agitate even more, "HarryPotter. We meet again." Hisses Voldemort.

The brunette woman looks at the man, stunned, this was the monster that caused her so much pain and suffering. 

All for a power he can never have.

Before she can say anything, however, she only hears Harry say "Voldemort." Before being attacked by an absurd sense of nausea, the position she is in plays against her, her head starts spinning, preventing her from staying lucid enough to understand what's going on around her.

After what seems to have been hours, however, the woman feels as if the vines are being destroyed by some spell and before she can understand what is happening, the brunette feels herself falling. Realizing that she is falling, she closes her eyes expecting the impact that does not delay to arrive. With a thud the woman falls and slams her body to the ground, "Oh!" She groans, grabbing her arm, "Stupid curiosity," She swears.

Looking around, the woman realizes that she is still in that horrible room, looking for Harry, she sees a Severus Snape taking care of the wounds of the boy who is unconscious on the ground with the elixir in his hand. Elaine immediately snaps to her feet and runs towards the boy to see his conditions, "How is he?" Questions the woman, the professor looks at her, "He's just unconscious, other than that he's fine." He communicates in a monotonous voice, sighing in relief, Elaine leans over to caress the boy's forehead, "Oh, Harry,"

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