Harry Potter: 10 Fascinating Hidden Meanings And Metaphors

4. The Mirror Of Erised Reflects A Stage In Harry's Life

The Mirror of Erised is an intriguing device. It's a mirror that shows your reflection, standing with whatever your heart desires deepest; it took a lot of people a while before they even realised that "Erised" backwards spells, "Desire".

It's also a big moment in the life of a young Harry Potter, facing this mirror towards the end of his first year at Hogwarts. The mirror is a "careful what you wish for" tool; Dumbledore advises Harry not to go looking for it, as it drives some wizards insane looking at what they want but can't have. More importantly than that though, the mirror represents a moment in the film where the protagonist and the villain are defined; Harry only sees his family alive and the Philosopher's Stone used for good, whilst Voldemort sees personal gain.

The use of the Mirror of Erised is important, because it establishes the deepest desires of a main character who up until this point, has never actually been asked what he wants in life; it sets up the following stories, grounds the protagonist and gives him a villain to kick against.