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harry potter - What does Dumbledore see in the Mirror of Erised?



We know from the first book that Dumbledore guessed what Harry must be seeing in the Mirror of Erised (his family, assuming Dumbledore cannot directly see the Mirror anyway - which could be a possibility since he could alter it).


In the chapter in which this happens, JKR doesn't immediately reveal what Dumbledore sees when he looks in the Mirror.


Is it later revealed by JKR what Dumbledore sees when he looks in the Mirror of Erised?



Answer



Dumbledore sees the same thing as Harry - his family, alive and well. Harry realises this in Deathly Hallows.



Harry did not ask whether Dumbledore had ever found out who struck Ariana dead. He did not want to know, and even less did he want Dumbledore to have to tell him. At last he knew what Dumbledore would have seen when he looked in the mirror of Erised, and why Dumbledore had been so understanding of the fascination it had exercised over Harry.



This question has a quote from JK confirming this:




Allie: What did dumbledore truly see in the mirror of Erised?
J.K. Rowling: He saw his family alive, whole and happy – Ariana, Percival and Kendra all returned to him, and Aberforth reconciled to him. (source: J.K. Rowling Web Chat Transcript Jul 30, 2007)



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