Mirror of Erised Question

[Kcharles]

Hi! I have a few questions about the Mirror of Erised

1. If you were to take a picture of the mirror while standing in front of it, what would someone looking at the photograph see? Their deepest desire? That person's deepest desire? Just a mirror?

2. Would there be any way to see someone elses desire in the mirror?

3. When Harry got the Philosipher's Stone from the mirror, was the desire for the stone greater than the desire for his parents, or was it just part of the enchantment that he saw what he saw?

Thanks a bunch!

[LilykinsLove]

Hello,

1. If you were to take a picture of the mirror while standing in front of it, what would someone looking at the photograph see? Their deepest desire? That person's deepest desire? Just a mirror?
well, the picture would probably just show a mirror. However, while the person was taking the picture, they could probably see their desires through the lens while taking the picture of the mirror, but not anything in the actual picture.

2. Would there be any way to see someone elses desire in the mirror?
No, I'm almost completely positive there isn't. One can only see one's own desires in the mirror.

3. When Harry got the Philosipher's Stone from the mirror, was the desire for the stone greater than the desire for his parents, or was it just part of the enchantment that he saw what he saw?
Erm, I'm not sure that the desire for the stone was greater than the desire to see his parents again, but just that the desire to have the stone and to not use it was great. I think the Mirror recognized this fact and gave him the stone.

-Emma

[Black_Dust]

1. If you were to take a picture of the mirror while standing in front of it, what would someone looking at the photograph see? Their deepest desire? That person's deepest desire? Just a mirror?

I think the camera would show just the mirror. What you see in the mirror is a personal thing that only you can see (so it's kind of "in your head"). So the camera, which has no thoughts or feelings, would just see an object.

2. Would there be any way to see someone elses desire in the mirror?

Like I said before I think it's a pretty personal thing so I don't think there's a way to sort of "steal" others desires. Even with polyjuice potion you're still the same person inside. I think the only way to see would be through legilimency or a pensieve.

3. When Harry got the Philosipher's Stone from the mirror, was the desire for the stone greater than the desire for his parents, or was it just part of the enchantment that he saw what he saw?

I think right then his desire to save the world and be a hero was greater than to see his parents. Harry is a pretty selfless person after all.

~~Kasey

[Kcharles]

...with polyjuice potion you're still the same person inside. I think the only way to see would be through legilimency or a pensieve.

That raises a new question for me, If you were to see someone's memory in a pensieve of the Mirror, would you see their desire?

[Black_Dust]

That raises a new question for me, If you were to see someone's memory in a pensieve of the Mirror, would you see their desire?

I would say so. I mean what is a pensieve? It's a memory taken directly from someone else's head. When you go into someone else's your seeing exactly what they remember seeing. It's kind of like your tagging along inside their head and looking through their eyes to see the world as they do. So if they remembered seeing them having 42 kids and married to Orlando Bloom then it is quite likely you will see 42 kids running around a very distressed Orlando Bloom. And since your not actually there, your reflection would have no effect on the mirror.

I guess though, the Mirror could have some sort of magic charm that prevents others from seeing what you saw if they go into your memory. Like some sort of magical blurred bubble normally used for naked people but that's up to you and your story line I think.

Hope that helped!
~~Kasey

[Elf]

That raises a new question for me, If you were to see someone's memory in a pensieve of the Mirror, would you see their desire?

In a pensive you are not in the persons mind, or seeing through their eyes. You are just an observer (even though you have to stay close to the person you have some control of where you go as in Snapes Worst Memory). As a result I think that if you were in a memory where the person had looked into the Mirror of Erised that you would see what Harry and Ron saw when the other person looked in i.e. it seems to be a normal mirror.

[Hermoine Jean Granger]

I think that you will be able to see what the person desired when he looked into the mirror, if you are looking into the memory of a person through a pensieve. The mirror of erised will show what the person desired and since it was only a memory and not the actual mirror that we are looking at, it will reflect what was shown to the person viewing it at that time!

(hope that makes sense!!!)

[quibblequill]

1. If you were to take a picture of the mirror while standing in front of it, what would someone looking at the photograph see? Their deepest desire? That person's deepest desire? Just a mirror?
I think it would have to be just the mirror. I find it hard to believe that the mirror would give up its secrets that easily.

2. Would there be any way to see someone elses desire in the mirror?
I think a Pensieve might work. Or Legilimency. But other than that, no.


3. When Harry got the Philosipher's Stone from the mirror, was the desire for the stone greater than the desire for his parents, or was it just part of the enchantment that he saw what he saw?
At that moment in time, it wasn't that he hadn't cared for his parents, it was just the question of protecting the stone from Voldemort. At that instant the thing he wanted most in the world was the stone to be safe from Voldy. ( ) The desire for the stone simply drove out everything else from his mind.
As for what he saw, I think that was just the mirror's way of telling him 'ask and you shall recieve' (one of my mother's sayings =/) and handing it over with a smile.

[Eponine]

2. Would there be any way to see someone elses desire in the mirror?
I think a Pensieve might work. Or Legilimency. But other than that, no.

Ooh, good point quibblequill. I'm fairly positive a Pensieve wouldn't work, since as Jo said, you see the scene completely objectively; there is no bias, even though it is someone else's memory.

Legilimency I am almost certain would work. That makes sense--you're seeig someone else's memory and you're in their mind. If you steal someone else's emotions and memories, I'm sure you'd be able to see what they saw in the Mirror.