The train rattled as Valkyrie paced the compartment. They were no more than one hour into the journey and she was already close to having her third panic attack of the day.

"You were just imagining it." Skulduggery insisted, close to mediating, his hat pulled low over his head. Valkyrie was tempted to open the window to the train and throw the hat out of it.

"I was not imagining it! She knows! Oh my God, she knows! This is it, game over, end of the line, no more keeping them in the dark! She'll uncover everything! She'll find out I've been lying to them! She'll find out about the reflection, and the Sanctuary and you, and – oh God they'll never forgive me! I'll be an outcast in my own home!"

"I'm sure they'll forgive you when they meet me. After all I am amazing." Valkyrie threw her book at his head.

"Now is not the time for you ego jokes Skulduggery!"

"Who said I was joking?" He muttered.

"Oh my God, I'm doomed!"

"You're not doomed!"

"You have no idea how obsessive my mother is!" Valkyrie said, pulling at her hair "She'll find out everything about me in a heartbeat, that is if she hasn't figured everything out already! She'll never trust me again! They'll disown me! I won't be an Edgely anymore! I'll be someone with just a taken and a true name, no given!"

"You're overreacting." Skulduggery said, waving his hand as he were waving all her problems away. "Besides, you're just repeating yourself. You've had no sleep. Rest while you can."

"How can I rest when my mother knows about Valkyrie?!"

"Um, by sitting down, closing your eyes and accepting sleep?" Valkyrie wished she had another book to throw at him. Unfortunately the closest thing she had to her was her shoe, though that did the job just fine. He chucked the shoe back to her after it hit him in the chest, and she put it on grudgingly.

"Valkyrie, relax. I know that from your perspective it looks bad, but I've already called Ghastly. They posted more cleavers near your house and are monitoring both of your parents' movements. If it looks like either of them knows more than they should, we'll send the sensitives in and get it sorted."

"But-"

"I know it's difficult not knowing." Skulduggery said, holding up his hand for silence "But there's not much more you can do. You've been careful for near the past five years, Val. There's no reason to think she'll know any more than she has done in that time."

"But now my reflection is gone and I'm not there. It's amazingly good luck she hasn't barricaded me in the house and bombarded me with questions already."

"Then let's hope you have a lot of good luck stored up."
"Why, will I need it?"

"I certainly hope not."

Hermione twiddled her thumbs in the compartment. She had been trying desperately to tell Harry and Ron what she had discovered, but Neville had come in, and then Fred and George had nipped in to say 'hi', and there just hadn't been the chance. But now Fred and George had gone back to spend time with their friend Lee Jordan, and Neville had gone to find Ginny, so Hermione didn't know why she was holding back. Why was she holding back? Was she truly scared of what she had found out? Was it really as bad as all that? Yes, most definitely.

"Hey," her voice went dry in her throat. In the name of Merlin, why was it so difficult? Ron's head turned to her, while Harry had been looking at her from the moment her mouth opened. "You know, before I joined you guys, for Christmas, at Padfoot's place?" Both boys nodded. "Well," Hermione continued "I was researching some more about Darquesse."

"The sorceress Valkyrie warned us about? Are you still on this?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Yes, but listen. It took me ages, nearly two of the three days, but I found someone who's met her." Hermione's breath hitched again. Ron and Harry were suddenly sat up more straight, but Hermione continued regardless "He was a sorcerer in Ireland during something called a 'Remnant Attack', a few years back. A kind of spirit hoard attacked and possessed a wide variety of people in the hopes of releasing Darquesse from some sort of prison she was stuck in, so she could destroy the world."
"What friendly guys." Ron muttered. Harry rolled his eyes.

"What kind of prison?" He asked.

"He just said 'a prison of the mind'." Hermione said, a frown spreading across her own face. What did that mean? From the look on Harry's face he was asking himself the same question.

"Anyway" Hermione continued "During the attack, this sorcerer was possessed by a remnant, and, saw, Darquesse. Once the attack was over, he came to live in London."
"Why?" Ron asked.

"How should I know?" Hermione scowled "Probably to get away from the memories. But anyway, I tracked him down and took the tube to meet him."

"Hold up, during the Christmas holidays, you took the London Underground, to see a possibly highly dangerous sorcerer all by yourself. Without calling us?" Harry said, leaning further and further forwards as he spoke the words. Just listening to him say it made Hermione feel incredibly stupid. She didn't like feeling stupid. But they had to know what she had found out.

"Yeah, I guess so. But anyway, I met up with him, and he told me about what he remembered. The remnant he was possessed by jumbled up his memory quite a bit, but he managed to tell me about Darquesse before he had a complete psychological breakdown."

"He had a breakdown?"

"Figure of speech."

"So, what did he say?" Ron asked.

"It wasn't much," Hermione started, fishing out a small notepad from her bag "But this is what I got. 'We all felt her presence from the moment she was released. But she wasn't the saviour we thought she was. Her eyes were darker than the eternal pits of hell, with no mercy, no grievances. Just the urge to inflict pain on anyone and anything close. I remember her hair was blacker than black, and the cruel grin that spread across her face haunts my memory still. I saw her split a man's skull with a single kick, and tear a head from shoulders with a simple flick of her wrist. The shadows bent to her will as she slaughtered us. She passed right by me, less than the distance you sit across from me now – we were sat at a café table, so that's not very far just so you know – and if the skeleton hadn't diverted her attention, I would have been dead too. I saw her massacre nearly a quarter of the group in less than 5 minutes flat. She could have killed us all in an instant if she wanted, but I get the feeling she wanted to savour it. She wanted to kill us individually, so it would last the longest time possible. I can still hear her laugh… it still torments me, ringing in my ears. The remnant warped my memory, but I wish it had taken that with it. Listen, girl, no matter what you think, no matter what you believe, avoid her at all costs. She has no mercy, no fear, she is Death, the Death Bringer, World Breaker. She will kill us all, eventually, unless she remains imprisoned, as I hope she is now. As there is nothing in the news and cities are not burning, I'll assume that she is contained. The question I must ask you is: how long do you think that will last? Take care, God-bless, and good luck. You'll need it." Hermione ended the speech and looked up.

"So" Ron said, trying to crack a smile "He's an optimist, then?"
"It's not funny, Ron."

"It sounded sort of…poetic." Harry began slowly "Are you sure it wasn't rehearsed? When you told him you wanted to meet up with him, are you sure he wouldn't have faked it?"

"Harry, you didn't see his face" Hermione said seriously "He was as pale as a ghost, and on the verge of tears by the time he finished. It wasn't rehearsed. Besides, I think I must have made it sound poetic just saying it. When he said it, I don't know, I guess you didn't observe the way he said it. I was more focused on the information."

"So we know Darquesse has dark hair, dark eyes, and is super evil." Ron suggested.

"Weren't you listening Ron?" Hermione scowled.

"She's imprisoned. But she's strong. If Valkyrie is so concerned about her, then the prison must be breaking. She's about to come out and try to destroy the world."

"You don't think…" Harry began "You don't think she's working with Voldemort, do you? I mean, if she wants to destroy the world, and Voldemort could get her out…" That thought made shivers shoot up Hermione's spine like rockets. She hadn't even thought of that. How could she not have thought of that?

"I don't know." She whispered. The world seemed to get darker everyday. "But Skulduggery has faced her. He must know how to stop her."

"I'll talk to Skulduggery and Valkyrie when we get back to Hogwarts." Harry said, nodding to himself slightly "I've been meaning to talk to them about my training anyway."

"Wait, why are we getting involved in this?" Ron asked "It's a sorcerer problem right? Let them deal with it."

"God Ron," Harry said, almost taken aback by the remark "They're our friends."

"Valkyrie's your friend maybe." Ron said defiantly "But you've always hated her Hermione. Haven't you?" Hermione bit her lip.

"I thought I did, but… I don't know. Valkyrie seems to be hiding a lot of things… I don't trust them completely, but… I guess she's growing on me a bit… she just seemed so scared when she talked about Darquesse, and she talked to me about her family, I just don't think I could stand by while they fought alone against the you-know-who of the sorcerer world."

"Think about it Ron. If the situation was reversed, we'd want them to help us, wouldn't we?" Harry asked, looking at him. Ron thought for a moment, lightly cursed, and hung his head.

"I guess." He muttered.

"We're going to help Valkyrie." Hermione said, her voice more confident than her brain "We have to."