Ok guys, just a few REALLY IMPORTANT things I think I should tell you.

1) I've been unwell and quite depressed lately, so if it shows in the chapter, I'm sorry

2) I've just realised I've made a huge mess of the timeline in this story. Currently, it's mid-april. Guess what? Umbridge should have found out about the D.A. and banished Dumbledore back in March! So, instead or re-writing everything and messing it all up, I'm going to be very awkward, and say let's pretend she finds out in mid-april. Okay? So, that'll be coming up soon.

3) Last but not least, thanks you for all the reviews you guys have been posting, it really means a lot to me, and right now when I'm checking my emails and it's saying I've got more reveiws it's just been making me feel so much happier, and you guys are being so generous, it's really great to see. So, keep posting reviews and telling me what you think. I love you all. :)


The light dimmed. Valkyrie opened her eyes in the darkness. She could hear waves lapping behind her. She turned – she was on the pier, the sea frothy but somehow black in its depth. She turned her back on it, and looked around. She knew instinctually that she was in Haggard, standing on the same spot she had stood on thousands of times before. And over there, the spot where Caelan had tried to kill her. And there, the spot where she and Fletcher had kissed in one of those last few days of their relationship. She turned away from them all. Her ears seemed to be full of white light, a low buzzing, contorting her view, warping the sounds around her.

She took a step forwards as the buzzing increased its pitch to a whine. Another step, and the whine amplified to a high squeal that made her head spin and her ears sting. Her hands would not clasp over them. Instead, her feet were walking, striding, confidently, defiantly. One hand went to her hip, and she felt her fingers press against an almost leather like material. A low click, a strap sliding away. She gripped metal, cold but firm in her grasp, moulded to her palm. She unholstered it, and kept it by her side as she walked.

Her legs took a sudden sharp turn, and in front of her was a house that had not been there before. She was not in her own mind now, as she walked up to the front door. Her body moved fluidly on its own, controlled by an unseen, unknown force. Even as her leg rose and struck the wood with a slam, she did not pause, did not think. She could not think. Another kick, another slam. The door splintered, dark wood revealing lighter innards. The third kick was the strongest, striking the wood as the hinges shrieked in distress and protest. The door crashed to the ground, striking and cracking white tile. She stepped inside.

There were three around the table – a woman and young child on the right, a man on the left, laughing across the table. The sound, the sight, her presence, was oblivious to them. She stepped further in, towards the man, raised the black steel gun as she walked, until his head was an inch away from the barrel. He turned to look at her, a bright smile on his face.

Bang

Bang

Bang

Valkyrie shot awake, cold sweat drenching her. The images of their faces were scorched into her eyes. She was panting, her chest rising and falling heavily.

Bang bang bang

She jumped in her bed, rolling in the covers until she fell onto the floor with a thud. Her hand darted out under the bed and grabbed her gun from her pile of clothes. She peered over the edge of the bed.

Bang bang bang

The room was empty. No Skulduggery. Had something happened? But if someone had broken in, why hadn't they killed her in her sleep? The door handle between the conjoined rooms rattled, and there was another series of ba- … knocks.

Knock knock knock

She stood and let out a sigh of relief. She put the gun on the bed and walked over to the door, unbolting it. It opened immediately, and Valkyrie had to jump backwards to avoid it crushing her toes.

"About time!" Tanith declared, striding in "I've been stood there like an idiot for about ten minutes!"

"I was sleeping!" Valkyrie said as she closed the door. Tanith scoffed.

"Teenagers and sleep. Honestly, Val, there's plenty of time for sleeping tomorrow."

"Why, what's happening tomorrow?"

"It's not what's happening tomorrow, it's what's happening today. We – and by 'we' I mean me and you, not the boys – are going to get drunk. I hear there's a brilliant pub in the village."

"I'm not getting drunk."

"Well I can't do it on my own, can I?!" Tanith said with an excited, somehow childish, grin "Ghastly can't drink too much in case he gets called off on Elder duty and Skulduggery doesn't drink at all – literally, anything. He's dead. That's leaves me and you, so you're coming." She turned and grabbed Valkyrie's hand, spinning her across the room. Valkyrie felt her stomach churn and her head pound as she steadied herself.

"I'm not letting you get me drunk."

"You're right. You're going to get smashed whether you like it or not!"

"I thought adults were supposed to tell teenagers not to get smashed."

"Boring people, yes. Me, no, because I, am amazing. C'mon get dressed! I've already organised for us to be the supervisors today, so we're going into Hogs-mode or whatever it's called."

"Tanith you can't get drunk if you're supervising minors."

"Yes, but we can buy alcohol and drink it when we get back."

"Tanith-"

"There's no point arguing, because it's happening." Tanith said with a quick, dismissive flick of her wrist. "Go get dressed. We're leaving soon." Valkyrie sighed and picked up her clothes, taking them into the bathroom to get dressed. While she was changing, she continued her conversation with Tanith through the door.

"Have you seen Skulduggery?"

"He and Ghastly went to the hospital wing to talk to Kenspeckle about leaving. I heard China had already gone." Tanith replied, her voice slightly muffled by the wood. Wood splintering, door falling, hitting the ground. Bang. Bang. Bang. Valkyrie shuddered.

"Hey, why didn't you just unlock the door?" Valkyrie asked, pulling on her jacket.

"That would be rude, wouldn't it." Tanith replied, in a very un-Tanith like manner.

"Skulduggery told you to let me have a lie in, didn't he?"

"No… Ghastly did."

"So, you ignored him, and woke me up?"

"You would've woken up anyway." Tanith said dismissively as Valkyrie opened the door to the bathroom and walked out. If only she knew how right she was.

"Still doesn't explain why you didn't unlock the door."

"I didn't need to. I knew you'd open it eventually. Anyway, let's go." Valkyrie picked up her gun from the bed and slipped it into its holster at her hip. They walked out of the room into the teachers' corridor together.

"Hey, Tanith?"

"Yeah?"

"What did you do, before the surge I mean? Did you, tell your parents anything?"

"My parents were mages. So was my brother. I didn't need to tell them anything." Tanith said as they walked "I didn't really have a surge. I got to a certain age, and my parents sent me away to… a sort of training facility. I stayed there for years learning magic before I chose the branch I wanted to go into. You know, I was the only one in my group who picked wall-walking? It's amazing."

They walked out into one of the main corridors. Valkyrie started thinking again (she really was doing too much of that lately, she thought to herself). She wanted to tell her parents everything. She wanted them to be proud of her, not for getting good grades in school, or being a good big sister ('after all that was the reflection's job', thought Valkyrie with a shudder), but because she was making a life for herself. She was part of a huge organisation that protected Ireland, and even the world on occasion. She'd stopped serial killers and psychopaths, fought alongside some of the most famous sorcerers in Ireland, and had beaten the worst of the worst, the baddest of the bad. Why couldn't they know what she had achieved? 'Because it would kill them'. She thought miserably, 'It would get them killed. The less they know, the better.'

"Val, you ok?"

"Yeah," Valkyrie said, stirring from her thoughts, "I'm fine." Tanith smiled with hidden concern, but they continued down the corridor anyway until they entered the main courtyard. The students had gathered, ready to depart. McGonagall was a fellow supervisor.

"Attention, attention please," she announced, "Please stay in groups of to or more and do not stray from the village until the designated leaving time."

"What's the designated leaving time?" Tanith whispered. Valkyrie shrugged, and a childish giggle escaped Tanith's lips.

"When did I become the mature one?" Valkyrie muttered. Tanith slung her arm over Valkyrie's shoulder.

"Val, sometimes in life you just have to laugh and have a joke, otherwise all the twisted demented shit we go through would get to us. And what use would we be then? No, I'll be as immature as I like, and I will get as drunk as I like, and you will get drunk along with me. It'll be good for you."
"Somehow I doubt that." Valkyrie said with a slight grin. She allowed Tanith's arm to stay slung on her shoulder as they walked with the students. McGonagall was the front supervision. They were the back, making sure students didn't stray behind of leave the crowd. Fred and George hung back and started walking with them.

"Hey!" Tanith exclaimed "It's Ginger 1 and Ginger 2! How's it going?" Valkyrie rolled her eyes.

"Ginger 1 and Ginger 2?"

"We've never been called that before."

"Ever."

"Never ever."

"Well now you have, because your names have escaped me." Tanith said with a dismissive flick of her wrist.

"I'm Fred-"

"-and I'm George."

"Oh, so you're the cute ones. You weren't exaggerating Val." Tanith said with a wink.

"What! I did not say that!" She turned to the twins "I did not say that!" They looked at each other and each raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really." They said together "Interesting." Valkyrie first smacked each of them, and then smacked Tanith, who let out a laugh.

"So boys," She said, when she'd finished laughing at Valkyrie's glare "What's the strongest drink in Hogs-a-what-not?"

"Hogsmeade?"

"Whatever. Strongest drink?"
"Probably Firewhisky." Fred answered.

"Firewhisky." Tanith tilted her head, her brown leather almost gleaming in the sun, "What do you think of that, Val?"

"I'm not getting drunk with you."

"Well you're not getting drunk without me."

"You've already made that joke."

"When you're an expert, you're bound to re-use some material." Tanith said as she thought. "Mmm. How many bottles of Firewhisky can you buy down here?"

"As many as you want." George replied.
"Why, are you having a fest?"

"Possibly." Tanith smiled slyly.

"Tanith, you can't buy any, because you don't have any money." Valkyrie said with a roll of her eyes.

"I have money."

"Not wizarding money."

"Fine, then I'll use my amazing charm."

"What charm?" Valkyrie muttered, and Tanith hit her playfully. They began the walk down hill towards the bridge that led to the village

"So, boys, truth time." Tanith said with a smile. Valkyrie looked at her, and before she could blink Tanith had grabbed her and wrapped her arms behind her back with one hand, the other covering up Valkyrie's mouth. Valkyrie squealed in surprise, but Tanith didn't let go.

"Ok, which one of you has a crush on Valkyrie?" Valkyrie tried to call out, but it was muffled by Tanith's hand. She reverted to a less hygienic solution.

"Licking my hand won't make me let go." Tanith stated bluntly "C'mon boys, answer honestly."

"Ummm…" they shared a look.

"Oh come on, you don't think this is cute? Have you ever seen a cuter face?" Valkyrie glared daggers into Tanith's hand, as she couldn't move her head to glare at any other place and kicked backwards. Tanith uttered a little 'oof' and Valkyrie pulled away, cursing Tanith with a string of profanities that made Tanith laugh. Fred and George looked awkwardly between each other, and then grinned.

"Thanks for not answering." Valkyrie said to them before turning to Tanith. "Do not do that again." Tanith grinned and winked.

"No promises Val."


Tanith had no luck with the barman, but surprisingly, the twins did, and (irritatingly, Valkyrie thought) they bought Tanith's Firewhisky for her, with the promise they could booze with her.

Valkyrie had never been so embarrassed. Never in her entire life. Honestly, asking the twins straight out if they fancied her, it was immature, it was rude it was… so disappointing.

'Is something wrong with me?' She wondered to herself, 'Is it something I've done that makes me so unattractive? I mean, come on, this face, it's brilliant, who wouldn't like this face?' She sat sulking in the corner with her head down, tapping her foot against the floor. She wished Skulduggery were there. He'd make some witty remark that would be completely off-subject, and make her feel so much better. That always seemed to happen when he was around. That is, when they weren't both being attacked by homicidal maniacs that wanted to kill them and take over the world. Those weren't such good days.

Tanith and the twins were soon back, and sat at the table cheerfully. Tanith instantly noticed the irritated expression on Valkyrie's face.

"Aw, Val, what's wrong?" She said, in her best and most charming 'you're sulking for no reason' voice. "Are you upset because I bought the whisky?"

"I'm not upset."

"Is it because we'll be boozing and you'll be missing out on the fun?" Valkyrie stuck her nose in the air and turned her head away.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said stiffly.

"Aw, Val, what's happened? You used to be so fun." Tanith said, leaning back in her chair. Valkyrie folded her arms.

"I'm still fun. I am brilliant at being fun."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup."

"Prove it." Valkyrie paused.

"I don't need to prove it."

"Then why did you pause?" Another pause.

"I'm leaving."

"What? Why?"

"See you later." Valkyrie stood, not answering Tanith's question, and left the pub. She was still glowering when she reached the lookout to an old house. She leant against a tree and ran her fingers through her hair, playing with the ends of it in-between her fingers. What had Fletcher seen in her? What had Caelen seen in her? More importantly, what did guys like Hansard Kray* not see in her?' She sighed. She really needed a boyfriend – and not a homicidal one like Caelen was, if they had even been boyfriend and girlfriend in the first place. She still wasn't clear on that whole situation. Then again, when can you be clear on something in a situation where your boyfriend tried to eat you (or at least, turn you into a vampire)? It just wasn't fair. Now, Dexter Vex, Valkyrie could do with seeing him again.

She stopped fiddling with her hair and folded her arms across her chest, scowling. Things like that shouldn't even matter. What did having a boyfriend have to do with anything? She was Valkyrie Cain, detective extraordinaire, saviour of the world several times over, defeater of the Faceless Ones, the last known magic-practising descendent of the Ancients. She was awesome.

Unfortunately, that just didn't cheer her up. And hey, if knowing you were in a whole new league of awesome wasn't enough to cheer you up, then what would?


*Hansard Kray – Appeared in 'Death Bringer' and briefly in 'Kingdom of the Wicked'. He was on the train transporting Hollow Men, and awkwardly refused Valkyrie's telephone number when she offered it. Just in case you forgot ;)