hp canon question

[lobelia321]

People on my Friends list seem to have abandoned Harry Potter but perhaps someone could wrack their brain and come up with some long-forgotten canon memories.

Is there, in book canon, a magical device that allows people to see what other people are doing at that very moment? And not just footsteps, as in the marauders' map. And not the future, as in crystal ball. And not the past, as in pensieve.

Comments

[blithesea.livejournal.com]

How about that mirror Sirius gave Harry to communicate with, which Harry forgot about and then smashed at the end of OotP?

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!

I have never read OotP but lazlet gave it to me. Can you give me the chapter number so I can read up on this mirror??

[blithesea.livejournal.com]

Ack, I only got this comment notification today! Sorry to not get back to you sooner...

The mirror is mentioned in Chapter 38 (the second war begins), in the paragraph where Harry is alone and moping:


But when the dormitory door closed behind Ron, Harry made no effort to speed up his packing. The very last thing he wanted to do was to attend the Leaving Feast. He was worried that Dumbledore would make some reference to him in his speech. He was sure to mention Voldemort's return; he had talked to them about it last year, after all . . .

Harry pulled some crumpled robes out of the very bottom of his trunk to make way for folded ones and, as he did so, noticed a badly wrapped package lying in a corner of it. He could not think what it was doing there. He bent down, pulled it out from underneath his trainers and examined it.

He realised what it was within seconds. Sirius had given it to him just inside the front door of number twelve Grimmauld Place. 'Use it if you need me, all right?'

Harry sank down on to his bed and unwrapped the package. Out fell a small, square mirror. It looked old; it was certainly dirty. Harry held it up to his face and saw his own reflection looking back at him.

He turned the mirror over. There on the reverse side was a scrib­bled note from Sirius.



This is a two-way mirror, I've got the other one of the pair. If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you'll appear in my mirror and I'll be able to talk in yours. James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions.



Harry's heart began to race. He remembered seeing his dead par­ents in the Mirror of Erised four years ago. He was going to be able to talk to Sirius again, right now, he knew it - '

He looked around to make sure there was nobody else there; the dormitory was quite empty. He looked back at the mirror, raised it in front of his face with trembling hands and said, loudly and clearly, 'Sirius.'

His breath misted the surface of the glass. He held the mirror even closer, excitement flooding through him, but the eyes blinking back at him through the fog were definitely his own.

He wiped the mirror clear again and said, so that every syllable rang clearly through the room:

'Sirius Black!'

Nothing happened. The frustrated face looking back out of the mirror was still, definitely, his own . . .

Sirius didn't have his mirror on him when he went through the archway, said a small voice in Harry's head. That's why it's riot working . . .

Harry remained quite still for a moment, then hurled the mirror back into the trunk where it shattered. He had been convinced, for a whole, shining minute, that he was going to see Sirius, talk to him again . . .

Disappointment was burning in his throat; he got up and began throwing his things pell-mell into the trunk on top of the broken mirror - '

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Now this is interesting. A sort of videophone for wizards! Does this device have a name? And you write 'chapter 38' -- er, chapter 38 of which book?

[ook.livejournal.com]

You could use characters in paintings to spy on people and report back.

I assume that you can also peek into someone's home using their Floo.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Yes, thank you, this is useful. I will ponder this, especially the floo thing.

[gabbyhope.livejournal.com]

Ooo, there's always the clock in the Weasley's abode! But, um, something tells me you're not much of a Weasley fan, alas and alack. :)

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Hm, I needed something that gives you more of a visual.

No, I hate the Weasleys! But: two days ago I saw HP and the G of F and I found myself quite liking the actor who plays Ron!!

[ook.livejournal.com]

Also, objects like the two Cabinets where you could hear things through one cabinet to the other.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Thank you. But I need visuals!