Chapter 21 Illusions and Confusions

Cassandra didn't have an easy time. She missed Rosengard, she missed her old friends and she wanted to go back home.

She missed her parents, whom had died the previous year in a fire. She missed her grandmother, who also was dead. Why did everyone die from her? Why?!

She was heading towards class, Defence Against the Dark Arts. All this was so familiar, yet unfamiliar. She had no problems in any of her classes, yet she dreaded this class. She had not been any good in handling Dark Arts in Rosengard. This sounded like something very much like that.

The bell rang, yet almost every single Gryffindor were standing outside the door. The only people missing were Hermione, who was reading and studying in the library. And Cassandra, who was, god knows where.

Professor Moon appeared, holding a large cage in her hand. She looked surprised to see all the students outside. Unlocking the door she let them in. She was about to close it when both Hermione and Cassandra appeared, coming from both left and right. Hermione held a small pile of books in her arms. Cassandra looked a bit lost.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor Moon, but it took time to find these." She looked down upon the pile of books she held. "I thought they might be useful in this class. They're all about difficult jinxes and curses."

Professor Moon laughed. "You're not late, Miss Granger, yet you would've been if I had managed to close this door."

The two students walked in. Professor Moon closed the door and surveyed the class.

"Good morning class, I'm Elisabeth Moon, your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Now, I hope you all have your wands with you, because this is going to be a most exiting class, if I may say it so, myself."

She tapped her wand, a very long, white thing, about fifteen inches long. Where she tapped, the blackboard began to swirl and everyone in the classroom became dizzy...

- Ron-

Everything swirled and before he knew it, he was home, yet it wasn't home. Something was missing. He walked the familiar staircases in the Burrow. Soon he came up with a conclusion. Where were his brothers? Where was Ginny? He went straight to the kitchen.

His mother was making dinner, listening to his dad's endless talk about Muggles.

"Mum, where are Ginny, Fred, George and Percy?"

"Who, what are you talking about Ronald?"

He didn't understand. Where were his brothers, and Ginny?

"Where have the rest of us gone?"

His mother came over and put her hand on his forehead.

"No, I don't think he has a fever. Ron, have you forgotten. You are mine and Arthuer's only child."

- Hermione -

She was standing in a deep valley, her head was spinning and she tried to think clear. She was pretty confused. How did she get there?

As her head stopped spinning more and more she looked around, trying to find out where she was.

The sun was shining, trees grew around her. Suddenly she saw four adults standing near one of the trees. She went closer.

They were dressed in a medieval sort of style. They were laughing, she could actually hear what they said.

"Oh Salazar, that was one of the most amusing jokes I've ever heard" a dark haired woman said.

"Well, old man. You cannot always be a boring little aristocrat" a red haired man said.

The man, Salazar blushed.

"That's so true, my dear Godric, that's so true." A blond woman said.

'Godric? Salazar? Could they really be?'

With a whirl of thoughts Hermione walked towards, desperate to get the answers of her questions.

- Harry -

He was standing in the hall of Number twelve, Grimmauld Place. The house was, yet still not as he remembered it. It was brighter, happier like if it was covered in light. The curtains were white, and transparent enough to let daylight in. The great paintings of the Black's were missing. Instead there were a lot of paintings from the living nature. Everything moved so it more looked like if you were looking out through a window. It was quiet, yet not too quiet. There seemed to be no evidence that a dark family had lived there.

He went to the kitchen. The fireplace glowed warmly, and by the table a man sat...

"...SIRIUS!!!!!!!!!!!"

He couldn't believe his eyes. He was dreaming. He...

Suddenly, they were all back...

The lights blinded them when they all opened their eyes. Many of the students seemed confused to be back. Professor Moon smiled.

"There you have it, The Veil of Illusions, the Charm we'll be practising over the year. It's a powerful branch of magic, that only is used a few times, in the meaning to escape. Now, I'll be ready to answer any questions about it."

Several students raised their hands, including Ron, Harry, Hermione and Neville.

"Yes, Mr. Longbottom."

"Uhm... well...is this charm often used by Death Eaters?"

"In fact, it has begun to be. The Veil of Illusions is a good way of distractions. A skilful Illusionist may also trap the opponent in it for the rest of their lives."

Neville nodded, looking a bit peak. Dean Thomas was the next one with a question.

"Mr. Thomas."

"Could this Illusion-thing kill you?"

"That depends on what you saw, but yes they might be able to. An average Illusionist is able to by him or herself plant his own Illusion in the victim. That soon can become so much that your brain stop working. The Veil of Illusions may also kill the Illusionist, if he or she fails casting it, it may take the same affect on them. Now, what's your question, Mr. Weasley?"

"Is there any known ways of blocking the Veil?"

"Yes, there are and that's what we'll start with in the upcoming lessons."

The next question came from Hermione.

"Is this some kind of new charm, because it seems a little unfamiliar to me?"

"The charm itself is not new, you can track it back into the old days in the east of Europe. However, the counter charm against it was recently discovered. Yes, Mr. Potter."

"Can the Illusions you see, be parts of your own wishes?"

"That's the most common of them. As I'm neither the most powerful Illusionist I can't mess up with them, but you better know I can keep the victim trapped in his own mind for several minutes."

Seamus was next up.

"Why did we have to buy this book, it seems to have nothing to do with this?

"That, Mr. Finnigan is because Elbereth Oak is the only writer who has any deep experience in the charm As the index tells you, he was trapped in the charm for twenty years, and first broke out having discovered a pretty powerful countercharm."

Suddenly Neville's hand flew up in the air again.

"Yes, Mr Longbottom."

"Could you use this charm, I mean if you were a skilful Illusionist, could you use this charm to give back memories if a person has lost his."

Harry's eyes began to tear. He knew what Neville was thinking.

"That might be an option, yet no one has tried yet.

Morning grows at the sea of smoking

Night flea the ways of the dead

All of sudden magic faces

The end of their time, as said to be made.