1 Illusions

As the last person took their seat and silence overtook the classroom, I smiled and dismissed the invisibility charm."Welcome, children, let us start at the beginning, the very beginning." Taking a moment to make sure I had their attention. I slowly began walking down the aisle to my desk.

"In the beginning, before anything and everything, a speck of nothing ascended into Godhood." A flick of my wand moved six gems jumped into the air.

"This creator stood alone and above all in an infinite void at peace for completing its purpose." The room was filled with darkness as the floor walls and ceiling were covered in illusions.

"However, this was not a God of light and mercy but of madness, sacrifice, and guilt. The peace faded as the beings' nature slowly eroded its heart and mind. An unholy fever slowly took over, and as it did, it summoned a mirror to look upon its new form."

The illusion moved in place with my words, filling the room with images and sound. "The hideousness brought the being low, and a single tear landed on the mirror, shattering it into infinity."

Groups of floating gems filled the room.

"That single tear carried the power of creation, and the gems absorbed its strength." The gems changed color.

"Some fragments took the pure power of the tear to prevent their destruction; others took in the emotion of the being to become thought. Still, other shards adsorbed the distortion of the tear to create space. The loneliness and hidden hope of the being became the elements of reality and time."

The illusion faded as I turn to face the class making sure to keep my tone sorrowful, "It is unknown what made the last of the shards, only that they were linked with the creates soul." Facing them fully for the first time, I continued, "Magic drew the shards to each other as they tried to return to what they once were; creation was born."

I bowed lazily, taking in the young and bright faces of my newest students. "That attraction between the stones is what we call magic, and it is my one true love."

I knew the smile on my face radiated joy, this was one of the few truths left to me, and I took a moment to indulge in the feel.

"I welcome each one of you to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry."

I reached up and removed my extra-large hat and placed it behind me as I prepared to lie again. "Lord Rubeus Hagrid, order of Merlin First Class, and I am not here to teach you."

Faster than any of them could follow, my attack flashed, and every wand hovered in the air out of reach. "I am here to prepare you, scar you, even hurt you if I must."

Then, with a thought, the wands fell, and the student fell into chaos. "Above all, I am here to show you what it means to face a being born of magic in combat."

The illusion at the front of the class falls as I drop my invisibility spell. The six gems fall to my desk as I prepare to share the other truths of my existence.

"Never, ever trust your eyes." Six copies of me surround the room, wands drawn.

"Your ears" sounds of crying, begging, and yelling filled the room.

"Even your emotions." Fear, sadness, and joy flash across their childish faces in an instant," To a being with magic."

As I took my seat at the head of the class, I released my spells and wordlessly, with a look, command order to be restored. "But the most important lesson to learn is the lesson that created everything."

A wave of my hand and the six jewels transformed into four cats, a toad, and a snow owl. "To keep that with you love safe." The familiars rushed to escape me and returned to their owners.

A nasty smile crossed my face as I let the creatures calm their owners. "Before any of you leave Hogwarts, you will defeat me in a duel." I had to stop myself from laughing at their scared faces.

"This is not a threat or goal. Every one of my students for the last ten years has overcome me." The nasty smile grew as I drank in their confusion.

"You, every one of you, has the power of the originator running in your veins." I stand slowly," This gift comes with a simple truth; nothing is outside your power." Another lie, but what is one more illusion.

The rest of the class goes smoothly as I detail the rules and the time of the dueling club. After the last student file out of the classroom, I check my planner to see a free period before lunch, followed by my fourth-year class. I cast a few spells to move the desks to a corner and enlarge the room, and my prep is done.

Making way to my apartment, I check my mail and see that the headmistress requested a meeting and that my order of powered moonstone will be delayed. I roll my eyes just thinking about the long-winded complaint Severus will go on as I make my way to the closet. Then, switching out to a blood-red rode after a few clean charms, I make my way to the headmistress office.

I know what this is about, but my mind is made up, and there is nothing Minerva can do to change it. A quick" wolf moon" saw me pass the gargoyle, and as always, the door was open. I knocked anyway more out of habit and entered with a determined heart. Headmistress Minerva, as always, was neck-deep in paperwork, owls and paper airplanes flying around her at speeds that defied magic.

I would miss the sight after I was gone. The look she gave me was physical pain; we both understood what was about to happen. Her voice was soft," Rubeus, I was hoping you would reconsider."

I stopped her with a hand and smiled before shaking my head. Minerva was always a create of discipline and grace, but the sadness was evident in her eyes.

A few moments of silence passed before she looked away, "I wish you luck in your retirement than my old friend."

Bittersweet, I was sure my old lover felt responsible for my departure, but the truth was far more straightforward. "It's time Headmistress, I love Hogwarts, but it is time." Unfortunately, my words were moiety, hidden behind too much history, love, loss, and pain.

I missed lunch as we talked and laughed. With another reminder that Lupen would be a fine professor, I finish my last day at Hogwarts by leaving a detailed lesson plan for Remus. My belongings were already packed and in my pocket. I made my way to the front gate with an escort of Professors promising to keep in touch.

With a final wave and a touch of melancholy, I entered my retirement with a pop.

-Next Day-

Of all the crimes I have committed in the last ninety-odd years killing Tom Riddle was the one that haunted me the least. The boy never made it to Hogwarts. When given a chance to stop a world war in exchange for a child's life, I found my morals lacking. A smile and a poison chocolate frog saw the end of the greatest dark lord in a lifetime.

If there is something that I hate in myself and others, it is the illusions we trap ourselves in. We are all evil creates born from madness and chaos that choose to do good. Kindness, love, and hope are ideals that operate counter to our frail constitutions. Yet, this is why they are precious and worth dying for. Violence comes easily, which is why it must be absolute, without morals, and done as quickly as possible.

To enjoy violence is madness; to fear it is death.

This train ride has me reminiscing of things better forgotten, but the freedom I feel is absolute. Harry Potter is in Hogwarts, and I am free; for years after being reborn into this universe, I feared my actions that day. Then Yesterday, I saw a smiling spoiled green-eyed child walk into Hogwarts without a Scar, and I was almost in tears.

To know the future is a curse I wish on none because life becomes a cage.

I took a deep breath and letting my chain of thoughts go. I then touch the indifferent window of the train, refocusing on the moment as I was trained. Seer a fake title I took quickly. If only for fear of legilimency, it allows me to get away with bullshit like Yesterday.

"It is time," my ass.

The hell do I know about time? With two lives and hundreds of years of experience, I comprehend nothing.

With practiced ease, I ignore the fear of the rest of the passengers as I make my way off the train.

I quick walk, and I find my destination, Yankee stadium. A quick check of the time, and I rush to make it to the quidditch match. I was not a quidditch fan, but young Sirius was kind to get me front row seats to his match as a retirement present, and America seemed like a fine place to explore again.

After the second group of people started to take pictures rudely, I was over it. Wading through the foot traffic with ease and following the locals' example, I walk to a park with nomagi slapping a blue ball against a wall by disregarding everyone around me. A water fountain with beautiful angels halfway to the stadium was my destination. Dropping 20 galleons into the pool, the water drained, and a staircase opened.

One of the angles thanked me for the donation in a deep masculine voice as I made my way down. Someone needs to reteach these Americans what a donation is.

Once I reached the bottom, the stadium was full of witches, wizards, and all types of magical creatures. The magical energy in the air was a terrific mix of colors that did not exist as hues danced across the field and in the stands rising and falling with the crowd's enthusiasm. I looked away, hoping to avoid another migraine.

I presented my tick to a bored-looking young man. He looked at the ticket for a moment before waving me to follow. A short trip, a metal door, and a bit of a wait till he found the right key and I was on the opposite side of the stadium.

Stepping in a large room filled with overdressed people and too much food. I met the silence of my entrance with a fake smile.

The bored young man showed me to the only seat that I could fit in.

It may have been years since my son moved out, but I was proud of Sirius like any father.

I made my way and sat down, hoping to enjoy an excellent game. I looked at the young man with a deep breath and asked," So, Mystique, what do you want this time?"