"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi." - SS12 (backwards/mirrored: I show not your face but your heart's desire.)
Harry later reminisces that this was the first occasion on which he suspected Dumbledore of being less than truthful with him. After warning Harry of the dangers of dwelling on one's deepest desires instead of living each day mindfully, Dumbledore states that he sees himself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks when he looks in the mirror. Later revelations about the death of Dumbledore's sister, Ariana, support Harry's suspicions. It is likely that Dumbledore, too, saw himself in the company of lost loved ones.
Harry later reminisces that this was the first occasion on which he suspected Dumbledore of being less than truthful with him. After warning Harry of the dangers of dwelling on one's deepest desires instead of living each day mindfully, Dumbledore states that he sees himself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks when he looks in the mirror. Later revelations about the death of Dumbledore's sister, Ariana, support Harry's suspicions. It is likely that Dumbledore, too, saw himself in the company of lost loved ones.
--AK