The Veil is a mysterious structure located in the Department of Mysteries in the Harry Potter series. It is a tattered black cloth that seems to gently flutter and is a manifestation of the barrier between the land of the living and the dead. The Veil is a gateway between life and the afterlife, and it is a one-way journey. Once a living person has passed through the Veil, there is no return. The air around the Veil is silent, but still voices can be heard from it, potentially the voices of those that have passed on, just on the other side. The Veil is a physical manifestation of the divide between life and death, according to J.K. Rowling. It is not explained what the Unspeakables might learn from the Veil, but the Department of Mysteries is all about studying, including the mind, the universe, and death. The Veil has been there as long as the Ministry of Magic itself, but it is not clear who created it. When Harry and the others stumble across the Veil in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, faint whispering and murmuring noises can be heard from it, presumably of those who have passed on from the living realm.