“Mr. Potter.”

It was a cool voice that called his name, and Harry was distantly aware that normally instinct would have him flinch away from the sound and spew apologies for whatever he must have done wrong this time, but tonight, he just didn’t have the energy for it. It took everything he had just to remain staring into the mirror, and he was so tired, he wanted to rest but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

Silence returned in the room for several long moments before the voice spoke again. “I do believe that Headmaster Dumbledore told you to stay away from this mirror.”

Yes, the headmaster had mentioned something about it being dangerous and that Harry should stay away from it, but he really didn’t want to. How was he hurting anyone by staying here with his parents, anyway?

“Harry.”

Suddenly the voice morphed into a face in front of him, breaking his eyes away from the mirror and into the view of his potions professor who was crouching down before him.

Harry blinked.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Professor Snape said.

Harry shrugged. He was doing really great at communicating this evening.

Snape sighed and stood, though he made sure to turn Harry’s head away from the mirror on the way up. “Come along, Potter, it’s long past your bedtime.”

Harry hadn’t ever had a bedtime, there wasn’t even a set time for him to be locked in his cupboard, just whenever the Dursleys felt like it. Which was fairly often, now that he thought about it.

“Can’t I just stay?” he asked softly.

Snape pressed his lips into a thin line as he shook his head.

Harry stood, swaying on wobbly legs. Snape grabbed his arm to steady him and led him out of the room where Nearly Headless Nick hovered behind the door.

“Sir Nicholas, would you please do me the favor of escorting Mr. Potter back to his dormitory?” Snape asked as he closed the door behind them.

“It would be my pleasure, Professor,” the ghost replied.

“Aren’t you going to punish me?” Harry questioned quietly, brain still feeling foggy.

Snape paused before responding, “I believe you’re doing that for yourself.”

“Come along, Harry,” said Nearly Headless Nick. “It is late.”

Harry followed the ghost back to Gryffindor tower, feeling slightly bewildered but still too disoriented to really question it.

***

Harry picked at his plate during breakfast, barely recalling anything from the night before besides his parents’ faces.

“Do you wanna go visit Hagrid today?” Ron asked.

Harry shook his head sluggishly. “No, thanks.”

Ron frowned worriedly but said no more.

***

“You are testing my patience, Potter,” Snape said. “Perhaps a night detention would keep you away from here?”

Harry doubted it, but it would be a bit of a shorter walk from the classroom to the mirror.

***

“I’d never even seen a picture of them before,” Harry murmured.

“I will get you a picture. Just stop with this self-destruction.”

“I don’t want a picture. I want them.”

“I’m sorry. They’re not here.”

“I know.”

***

“I’ve told Albus to remove the damn mirror, but what does he do? Nothing, that’s what.”

Harry can hear the muttered grumbling behind him, but he can’t even spare a glance in the direction of the sound. That would require looking away from his family and he would really prefer not to do that.

“This is getting old, Mr. Potter,” Professor Snape’s voice comes closer to him now. “You must stop this.”

“I’d rather not,” Harry responded absently. He could hear Snape’s heavy intake of air.

“You know the drill. Come with me,” he said after a moment.

“No,” Harry said simply.

“You don’t tell me no,” Snape snapped, taking Harry by the arm and attempting to pull him up which in turn brought him out of his daze.

“NO!” Harry shrieked, trying to shake Snape’s hand off him. His grip wasn’t tight but Harry was feeling just a little weak at the moment. Snape let go of him, though.

“No,” Harry breathed, feeling on the verge of passing out from the light exertion. “I- I don’t wanna leave them.”

“They are not real. You are causing yourself unnecessary emotional distress by returning here every night. No one can come out of that mirror, no matter how much you might want them to.”

Maybe not. But what if one could go into it?

***

Harry wondered if he could simply fall through the glass, or if perhaps he already had.

***

Harry came later than usual, hoping to throw off Snape. Then he punched the mirror.

He really was weak these days, but it still shattered into tiny fragments all around him. The image of his parents faded but he didn’t seem to fade along with them, so he picked up one of the larger shards of glass and went for option #2.

“Don’t you dare!” Snape’s voice entered his eardrums because of course he was there, for someone who despised him he was always there and Harry hated him for it.

“Just leave me alone,” Harry tried to growl though it was a sad attempt that came out as more of a whine. His wrists were already bleeding by the time Snape swooped down on him and snatched the glass out of his hand.

“This is not the solution,” he said.

“But I hate it here. I just want my mum and dad,” Harry could feel the tears starting to burn behind his eyes.

“I know you want them, but you can’t join them. Not yet.”

“But I can,” Harry insisted. “I can, and it would be so much better, for everyone.”

Severus shook his head. “You don’t know that.”

“It has to be,” Harry whispered. “This can’t- It can’t just be-”

“You’re losing too much blood,” Snape cut him off, using the bottom of his cloak to staunch the flow. “We’re going to the hospital wing.”

“I don’t want- I want-”

“Do you want to die?” Snape asked bluntly. “Not that I would allow you to bleed out here, but is that what you really want? You will see your parents one day but now isn’t the time. You are young, you have friends, you have your whole life ahead of you. Do you really want it to end so soon?”

“I-I don’t know,” Harry said, feeling dizzy from the question, or perhaps the blood loss.

“I suggest thinking it through when your brain mechanisms aren’t compromised. At least we won’t have to worry about this mirror controlling you any longer,” Snape muttered.

Harry looked down at all the glass on the ground and felt as though he were seeing it for the first time. He felt a sob begin to rise in his throat as he realized he had lost his only connection to his parents. “I shouldn’t have- I wasn’t thinking.”

“No,” Snape agreed, “but destroying that is one rash decision of yours I can support. Come now, Madam Pomfrey will fix you up.”

Harry still wanted to be with his parents, but did he really want to die? He was still unsure, but he figured that he would take his professor’s advice and reflect on it later.

For now, he allowed himself to be guided out of the room and hoped that when he eventually fell asleep or just passed out, whichever came first, he would dream of his family.