Harry Potter: A Real Tale(AU, SI)

"Wait a minute! How did you know that the audience is just an illusion, Hannah?"

"Well! They are unnatural."

"Dispel the spell already, Leon," Susan interjected and insisted.

"Just let me know the parameters of the spell. Please continue, Hannah."

"The sounds, their cheers, are real enough. At first, as I didn't look at them properly so I thought they were real. But after I won and looked at the stands, most of the audience faces were hazy and their movements unnatural."

'Hmm! What did I expect with just 1 hour of practice? Maybe, the issue isn't with practice..'

The spell partially translates to 'you feel what I desire'. It lets the target see, and hear things the caster wants them to.

 Leon scared the cat with an image of a large dog jumping towards it and he projected an image of butterflies to Susan while they tested.

'Maybe the spell can't fill a large number of smaller details itself and no way I can project a very detailed mental picture.. wait a second.'

Leon quickly dispelled the spell and took a breath. The spell was really bearing down on him.

"Susan, what did you see when I cast the spell on you?"

"Normal butterflies, they were beautiful." Susan got his arm around her shoulder and answered. "And the creepy people looked real too. But I guess the guys at the edge of the corridor looked smoky."

"Smoky? Smoky how?"

"Like they were made of smoke? They didn't feel real."

Leon grimaced at that.

'The author's master was right; the spell is useless.' Exhaustion didn't leave Leon in a charitable mood.

Susan and Hannah dropped him in front of his room.

"Thanks! But you didn't need to drop me here, I am not that fragile." Leon smiled at the worrywarts.

"Thank you for helping me, Leon." Hannah gave him a light hug and ran away, with her head down and face flushed.

'So shy!' Leon shook his head.

"Thank you, Leon. You went above and beyond what I asked for."

Susan gave him a guilty look and hugged him.

"Don't sweat it! I wouldn't ever say no to practicing a new spell," Leon said after she released him.

"Thank you again! I will get you food later or do you want to come to the great hall with us."

"Food in my room would be nice, thank you. Don't forget to get some of every dish."

Susan smiled at him, ruefully, before walking away.

"Hey! I am serious," Leon called out.

He didn't receive an answer, so he just entered his room and sprawled on his bed.

"Stupid spell!" he muttered and quickly fell asleep.

"Wake.. Wake up!"

Leon blinked the sleep out of his eyes and was met with a wide array of dishes spread on his table.

Susan patted his face softly as Leon looked around half asleep.

"Thankss!"

Eyes filled with exhaustion, Leon finished the dishes and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the bed.

"What was that spell? He is so exhausted." Hannah whispered, poking Leon's shoulder.

"A stupid spell for a stubborn guy," Susan replied sprinkling a potion on his body, the bruises from the game melted away as the magical potion touched his skin.

......

He woke up feeling very refreshed.

"Tempus"

Leon stretched with a yawn and took the MTS book.

Oh oh, it seems someone found limits of the spell or should I say the limits of their mind. The spell isn't much if the caster isn't in the Un stage. And if you really want to explore the full potential of the spell, hurry up and connect with your mind already.

In the Un stage, while enhancement to your mind isn't noticeable, you can create one perfect illusion of size 13m x 13m.

In the Duo stage, the mind enhancement will be noticeable while you can create illusions as detailed and as big as you want.

And get this! The illusions will be no different than real things to the target, they can even touch them.

In the last stage, the trinity stage, the enhancement of your mind and your prowess will be off the charts.

You can create a fake world for your target, and he won't even know the difference.

If you want him to think he was in the illusion for a second when he was in it for a day, he will. One second, one day, one month- it doesn't matter you are the master of the illusionary world.

And when you are at the peak of the Trinity stage you can even alter or rewrite the feedback his spells give him.

You can even deceive their magic! The number won't even matter, any Witch or Wizard will be your puppet. 

HA HA HA!

'Damn! I take it back; the spell is awesome.' Leon thought ignoring the evil laughter of his ancestor on the page.

After reading it again to make sure he missed nothing, he hurriedly turned the page.

Of course, the spell won't work on masters of Occlumency or a grand Sorcerer. Anyone else is fair game, it will be a battle between your mastery of the spell, your mind stage, and the target's Occlumency level. 

Hmm! Don't worry, unlike my master. Most don't bother with Occlumency after a certain stage even if they have talent in it.

He is always nagging me to concentrate on learning Occlumency.

While I am very talented in it- like once in a millennia genius- I don't see its use.

I expect my reader to at least know about one of the popular mind magic, but if you don't, Occlumency is the art of protecting your magic.

While novices and upped nobles talk about memories being the core part of Occlumency, it's only for those nobles who want to tout their horns about being talented while having a talent of a mind mushroom at best. Memories are just the first step.

Mastering Occlumency is essentially turning your magic impregnable and shapeless - invasive in the case of Legilimency.

While I see the appeal of casting powered-up spells- shields and curses, respectively- I don't see why I should practice like a golem for the said power.

After all, the thing I love about magic is that there are always alternatives. While with Occlumency you can certainly put up a fight when someone tries to edit your memories, extensively enough to change your personality. This can only happen if you are captured.

And if you are captured, unless you are Master of Occlumency, the one who kidnapped you will get what he wants. After all, magic is filled with alternatives.

I don't see myself getting captured in the future, so why I should practice this Occlumency so thoroughly? No one can obliviate me. Isn't that enough?

Argh! Sometimes I think my master tortures me for fun.

My descendant while I look down on the popular mind magics, it's because I possess the right to do so.

If you look a Legilimence in the eyes, even a novice, while battling, you better have some prowess in defending your mind or you are dead leaving our future bloodline free of your stupidity.

....I digress, you should step into the Un stage as quickly as possible. Because it will loosen the restrictions on the usage of the mind spells I created.

Now, chop, chop. Meet me when you can connect with your mind. While me being me, I have done it in 3 days, I think you will take more time.

And don't get discouraged by the gap between us when you get to know the time I took to reach the third stage, all the while completing all the additional chores and exercises my master assigned me.

No, I won't tell you. Unless you are a genius in matters of mind like me, you better venerate me as your genius ancestor.

And I left a very good surprise for you if you reach the Un stage. While the mind stages are something my master conceived and paved the path to, I developed them- adding something that immensely dwarfs the contribution of my master as a pioneer.

While he says something about planting roots and others gaining the fruits, I ignore him. He is jealous, just like everyone.

I bet you can't invent anything that will overshadow my contributions to magic(mind)...Maybe you do have talent in other areas of magic, we are of the same magic and blood, but I doubt it.

While imitation is the best form of praise, we progeny of Astraeus are torchbearers of magic.

So go forth and prove me wrong.

The way is built by will.

....

'God damn, whiner. You don't show people mighty power and leave them with your narcissistic rants.'

Even though Leon was cursing his ancestor, he was analyzing every word his ancestor wrote.

'I wonder what this narcist meant by surprise.'

Leon shook his head and got ready for the day.

"So, tryouts are in 2 days, Are you ready, Hannah?" Leon asked as the Hufflepuffs walked toward their morning class.

"Hmm! I think so."

The timid girl looked down and nodded her head.

'As long as she participates.' Leon shrugged.

After they took their seats and were waiting for the class to start, Leon remembered about the sorcerer and Grand sorcerer titles.

He took a look at Susan who was highlighting the last's classes core concepts in her notes.

"Do you know why someone is called a sorcerer or grand sorcerer, Susan?"

The girl flinched before looking at him in surprise.

"Well! It's something people won't talk about near children." Susan hesitated, looking at Hannah who was doodling in her notes.

"So.. Do you know?" Leon nudged her.

"Yes. Just don't go spreading it around."

Leon eagerly nodded.

"Strictly speaking, students who are still in Hogwarts can't be called Witches or Wizards. We only become one when we don't need chants to warp the world to our wishes. Wizards or Witches are those who wave their wands remaking the world to their wishes as naturally as they breathe."

Susan eyed Hannah and seeing her immersed in her doodling, she continued.

"I don't know what Sorcerers are capable of, but I know there are only 49 of them in the whole of Europe, America, and Australia. My aunt said she would let me know what it meant to be a Sorcerer when I became a Witch. She is a Sorcerer, by the way, and our house heads are too."

"Is that number high or low?"

"My aunt says, that with rigorous discipline, hard work, and a hint of talent, anyone becomes a Sorcerer. It may take a century, but they can. Most Wizards are satisfied with magic rushing to fulfill their wishes, reality at their beck and call. They don't strive to become a Sorcerer." Susan shook her head like she was disappointed in those people.

'Damn! A Century?'

"Hmm! There are quasi sorcerers too. If you didn't become lazy and didn't let your magic slip after the age of 120, Wizards become quasi-sorcerers."

Leon raised an eyebrow at that.

"Again, I don't what it means. But they are said to be very weak when compared to Sorcerers."

Susan shook her head, forlornly.

"I badgered my aunt for more information, but she didn't budge. Eyes in the present, she said."

"What about Grand Sorcerers?"

"Well! She said Grand Sorcerers aren't made but born. There are only 2 Grand Sorcerers alive, one in jail and one is our headmaster."

The professor arrived cutting off any further questions.

...

Leon finished his homework and ruminated about what he learned that day as the trio sat in the library.

The power levels of this AU were weighing on his mind.

'I wonder if a Sorcerer can defeat a Dragon or a Cerberus on their own. Hmm! A three-headed dog from hell versus a fire-breathing lizard from yore.'

Leon suddenly remembered the fact that luring Cerberi to their dens should be done in the presence of the magical wild department head and a team of wild patrollers.

He read that in the Fantastic Beasts and where to find them.

It was the Greek Ministries protocol when a Cerberus was spotted away from its territory.

Leon stood up and searched for books regarding the Greek ministry, he wanted to find the magical wild's department head's name and see if he was a Sorcerer.

He sat back down with multiple books, making Susan look at him, questioningly.

"What are you doing?"

Leon eyed Hannah before leaning toward the black-haired girl.

"I want to see if the magical wild department head of Greece is a Sorcerer."

"She is, why do you want to know about her?"

"How do you know?"

"I know the names of every Sorcerer of Europe. After all, I do go to the parties my aunt is invited to. And Sorcerers always occupy very high positions in their country. Now, Answer my question."

"Ha ha! Just curious, I will meet you guys tomorrow." Leon turned around and cast a quick Tempus.

Hannah just nodded as she read the potions textbook, clutching her head, while Susan suspiciously looked at him as left the library.

'I wonder what makes the so-called Sorcerers afraid of a single Cerberus.'

Leon wanted to see the Cerberus now, he wanted to feel the difference between their power.

He always wanted to see the mythical guardian of hell, but the revelation that even one of the 49 power magicals can't face them alone, just pushed the date forward.

After all, who wouldn't want to see a giant three-headed magical dog?

The risks that come with his wish are minimal as long as he doesn't open the door and barges in like an idiot.

'It is chained to the room, so a little peek won't do any harm. But first, let's check out the great hall.'

The dinner would be served in 5 minutes and the great hall would be open until half an hour before the start of curfew. The professors generally finish their dinner in the first half hour after the dinner is served unless of course they are occupied with something else. 

'There he is.' Leon eyed the Hufflepuff table like he was searching for his housemates while glancing at the professor's table.

Quirrel started his dinner, serving himself some food.

'Good, let's not waste time.' Leon quickly walked out of the great hall and ran towards an abandoned classroom. He took out his creepy crawler unseen crawler prototype and untied the ropes.

'No time like present, let's go.'