Illusory Treatment

The old man lacked the warmth he displayed when they first met, and he also lacked the sickly demeanor he had shown when encouraging Neville.

Having taken off her fox fur coat and removed the vulture decoration from her hat, she looked as old as a normal person, a normal mother, a normal grandmother.

Only at this moment did Loren seem to realize that she had an outstanding Aurors son who had brought endless glory to the Longbottom family, but now her son and daughter-in-law had been mentally impaired for 12 years.

The group walked into the closed ward, maintaining a tacit silence.

Loren had expected a long chat with the patient's family, much like a doctor's conversation with a patient's family before surgery, where he might have to explain the treatment process and its principles at length.

But there was nothing there. The first thing Mrs. Longbottom said after greeting him was to tell Loren to get started.

I didn't ask if it could be cured, what the risks were, or how confident I was of success...

After walking down the corridor, they arrived at the door of a closed ward with a sign that read "Jenus Sitch." Loren's former Healer Myrtle, stood in the doorway.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, Mrs. Longbottom," Myrtle greeted them. "The other patients in the ward have been moved; only Frank and Alice remain. If..."

Seeing the somber expression on Myrtle Mrs. Longbottom's face, Melanie's research request changed from what she was about to say to a simple blessing, "I hope everything goes well for you. I'm in the room at the end of the corridor. Please call me anytime if you need anything."

After saying that, he left quietly.

Following Mrs. Longbottom into the closed ward, Lockhart and the other patients' beds were already empty, and Loren immediately spotted the two beds at the very back.

Frank Lomberton was pale, swollen, and staring blankly at the blankets on the bed.

Alice Lomberton looked thin and haggard, with bulging eyes and gray hair.

Alice's eyes lit up the moment she saw Neville enter. She quickly opened the bedside table drawer, rummaged through it, found a wrapper for Bubbling Brew, and happily handed it to Neville.

"Hmm, hmm!" She had lost the ability to speak and gestured with movements that only she could understand.

Neville reached out and took the candy wrapper, clutching it tightly in his palm.

Alice laughed happily, humming a song as she sat back on the bed, her legs dangling in the air and swinging back and forth.

Mrs. Longbottom did not scold Neville as usual. Her gaze lingered briefly on her son and daughter-in-law before turning to Loren, her face expressionless. "I'm counting on you, Mr. Morgan... I'm counting on you."

Dumbledore nodded to Loren as well. "I've already given Mrs. Longbottom all the relevant information. Do as you wish."

"[Stupefy] " Two red spells shot out from Loren's wand, causing the two patients to fall into a coma.

Dumbledore and Mrs. Longbottom stood quietly to the side, their expressions calm.

Neville looked at him in surprise.

"Although you didn't ask, I still need to explain something before the ceremony officially begins." Loren looked at Neville earnestly.

"I will use a magic mirror to construct a passage leading to the depths of their consciousness. For Neville and me, it will be an illusion; for them, it will be a dream. The illusion will be divided into three layers. The first two layers will be under my control, but Neville will need to venture into the third layer alone. Nobody knows what's there. While it won't be life-threatening, it's not entirely safe either."

"I can." Neville looked up and stared straight at Loren, clutching the wrapper of Bubbling Brew in his hand.

Mrs. Longbottom nodded, her voice slow but firm. "He is Longbottom family child."

With all preparations complete, the ceremony begins.

Loren pulled the Bloody Mary's Hand Mirror from his pocket, dipped his wand into the crimson Magic Power light on the mirror, and picked out three threads of blood-red light that extended to Neville and the Lumbard couple's foreheads.

Magic that works on the soul moves along the crimson threads, connecting the three blood-related individuals and linking their consciousness.

Neville felt a moment of dizziness and his head was slightly spinning. When he opened his eyes, he and Loren were the only ones left in the closed ward.

The empty hospital bed was draped with curtains, the window was half-closed, and the sounds of the whole world seemed to have been swallowed up by something, quiet and unsettling.

Loren's voice broke the silence of the world, causing Neville's gaze to focus.

"Neville, Neville!" Seeing that he was still a little dazed, Loren reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "This is the first level of the illusion, a reflection of the space we are in. Come on, we need to go deeper."

"What's on the second floor? How do we get there?" Neville gripped the candy wrapper in his hand, which was already a little warm from being held in his palm. This warmth reassured Neville.

Loren did not respond immediately, but instead walked around the closed ward and slowly walked towards the stone door of the ward.

With a gentle push of his palm against the stone door, the heavy door opened outwards.

After Neville caught up, Loren replied, "Generally, I control the second floor, but to make it more acceptable to you, I set it up as— Diagon Alley."

His roommate's words echoed in the empty ward, and Neville subconsciously looked toward the heavy stone door.

To prevent patients from wandering off, the stone doors of the closed wards were designed to be heavy and sturdy, requiring the "Alohomora" to open them, but Loren opened them with just a gentle push.

The scene outside was even more incredible. Instead of the fifth-floor corridor of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, it was a winding, endless cobblestone street.

Loren grinned. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

This is the view you see when you knock on the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron with your wand; outside lies Diagon Alley, the gateway to the magical world.

After leaving the ward, Neville heard a rumbling sound as the stones were moved. He quickly turned around and saw that the stone door had suddenly turned into a wall made of red bricks, exactly like the walls of the Leaky Cauldron.

It was as if they had just walked out of the Leaky Cauldron, not a closed hospital ward.

Neville stared wide-eyed at the sunlit, shop-lined but deserted street ahead, muttering for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "This... this..."

He had always known that his roommate was mysterious and powerful, but Neville was still shaken by what he saw—a scene more magical than magic itself.

Ignoring Neville's astonished expression, Loren carefully observed the familiar yet unfamiliar Diagon Alley, attempting to use his Magic Sight to examine it.

The crystalline blue light and shadow swirled in his eyes, and the scene before him transformed into crimson smoke. Wisps of mist drifted and dispersed, forming the outline of the street, only to vanish in an instant, constantly floating.

The smoke seemed to possess a certain Magic Power, drawing people's attention and making them unconsciously immerse themselves in the environment, subconsciously ignoring anything amiss in the scene.

For example, there were no living creatures on the entire street, but the Eeylops Owl Emporium kept making flapping sounds, as if many owls lived inside.

Loren deliberately ignored these environmental anomalies and sensed the direction of the Magic Power flow.

Crimson smoke drifted and formed a shape before dispersing, flowing in one direction like a river. Although the flow was slow, it was very "conspicuous".

"Loren?" Neville's voice came from the side, tinged with timidity and nervousness. "How do we get to the third floor? Which door do we need to push open?"

Although the street in front of them was familiar, the fact that it was deserted was particularly eerie, and even the bright sunlight seemed to carry a strange chill.

At certain moments, Neville even felt that Loren beside him was fake, and that he might turn into bubbles and disappear at any moment.

"No need to push the door open," Loren replied, taking quick steps forward.

His gaze followed Diagon Alley, past Potage's Cauldron Shop, past Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Flourish and Blotts, Ollivanders Wand Shop, Slug & Giggs Pharmacy...

All the way to a gloomy, dirty alley, which leads to— Knockturn Alley.

The crimson mist flowed into the alley and vanished silently, like a black hole swallowing the scarlet Magic Power that created the illusion.

"So what should we do next?"

Neville followed, carefully observing the shops on both sides of the street. When he saw Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, his gaze lingered for a moment.

The ice cream in the shop window was emitting a cool breeze, and the tempting fruit sauces exuded a sweet aroma.

"It's not us, it's you. The third level is the consciousness of your parents. If I go in rashly, it might cause a change." Loren led him straight towards the direction of Knockturn Alley.

As Neville passed Gringotts, Neville saw that the outermost, Winky Bronze Door was ajar. Through the crack in the open door, he could see another silver door inside, with a clear warning engraved on it:

Please come in, stranger, but be careful...

Neville shook his head and quickened his pace.

After passing countless shops, they arrived at the entrance of that alley, which was dark, narrow, and exuded a sinister chill.

"You'll have to walk the path ahead on your own. I don't know what's on the third level. You might face dragons, Death Eater, or even Voldemort. But whatever it is, you must find your parents and bring them out of there."

Loren stopped and turned to look at Neville seriously. "This is a world of illusion, it won't cause any real harm to your body in reality. But the sensations are real, the pain is real, and if the pain exceeds your tolerance..."

"Will I end up like my mom and dad?" Neville asked sullenly.

"No, that won't happen, but the world will collapse," Loren replied, shaking his head.

Neville fell silent, his gaze drifting toward the dark Knockturn Alley.

The false sunlight couldn't penetrate Diagon Alley; the shadows in those alleyways writhed, as if some predatory monster lurked within.

"Thank you, Loren." Neville let out a long sigh of relief. "I'll treat you to ice cream from Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour when I get out."

After saying that, Neville strode into Knockturn Alley and disappeared into the shadows.

Hogwarts Castle, Entrance Hall.

Bright sunlight streamed in through the front door, casting a diamond-shaped golden hue on the floor, which was somewhat dazzling.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape stood in the golden sunlight, watching a small black Beetle flap its wings and take flight, slowly turning into a tiny black dot before finally disappearing from sight.

"To be honest, I thought you would soften your heart, after all, she is—" Snape said calmly, "A top student in Transfiguration."

"It was her own choice, wasn't it? I didn't like her much when she was studying, and besides, she graduated a long time ago." Professor McGonagall withdrew her gaze, her tone calm.

She might be soft-hearted towards students who leave Hogwarts, but Miss Rita Skeeter is not one of them.

Anonymous practitioners of Animagus Transfiguration to uncover secrets, and then use these secrets to sow discord...

Even so, Dumbledore was still willing to give Rita a chance, allowing her to serve as a Animagus class.

Snape recalled Rita's actions, a sneer playing on his lips.

After remaining silent for a while, the Miss Beetle pretended to cooperate with the teaching to lower McGonagall's guard, and then actually attempted to attack McGonagall to escape...

After being defeated by Professor McGonagall in two moves, she then invoked the Ministry of Magic as an excuse, claiming that she had maintained contact with Umbridge, the Senior Deputy Minister of Magic, before Hogwarts, and that the prolonged loss of contact would give the Ministry of Magic an excuse to search Hogwarts.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Dumbledore and Rita reached an agreement.

Rita travels to United States to gather information for Dumbledore for a year, in exchange for their permanent secrecy regarding Rita Animagus identity.

On the Edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Bang!"

The little Witch vanished instantly, leaving behind a vacuum-shaped humanoid space. Air rushed in to fill the void, creating a muffled sonic boom.

The next instant, Hermione appeared inside the old-fashioned Wooden Ring and immediately looked down to confirm her location.

"Right in the center of the Wooden Ring!" Hermione suppressed her joy and reached out to touch her face.

There are still two eyes, eyebrows, and a clear nose, but some dead skin on the lips... that's not the point.

The little Witch quickly made sure she hadn't missed a single part of her body, Hermione's face lit up with a joyful smile.

Professor Flitwick stood beside her, watching her quietly with a gentle smile, "Your spellcasting is swift and precise. Congratulations, Miss Granger, you have mastered Apparition."

"Thank you, Professor!" Hermione said happily.

Miss Granger was a steady and intelligent young wizard, and with Dumbledore's permission, Professor Flitwick felt much more at ease than when he was teaching Loren.

He chuckled as he removed the Wooden Ring created by the Transfiguration. "Don't use this magic openly until you get your certification, or you'll face a fine of several hundred Galleon."

"I understand!" Hermione nodded emphatically.

"Then let's go back."

There were four people lying on the beds in the closed ward. Two of them were adults wearing St Mungo's's hospital gowns, and the other two were young wizards who had just lain down and were still wearing Hogwarts robes.

Mrs. Longbottom looked at her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson with a deep gaze, her aged face revealing no thoughts.

"Albus, do you think they can succeed?"