A/N: Hello again guys. These chapters are coming out at lightning speed, huh? I won't always be this fast with updates though, so don't be disappointed later. I'll have plenty of trouble trying to figure out how to write Urahara or Aizen (don't be surprised, they're in the character list of the fic, look up).

Well, one more done and chapter 6 is on the way thanks to the scenes spreadsheet I have for this fanfic (thank the Snowflake Method).

I hope you all enjoy the next instalment of: Hollow Inside!


Harry found his classes coming along much easier to him than they had with his Holly wand.

He hadn't told anyone of his wand's core, considering he didn't want them to think he was dangerous or associated to death in any way. He'd had enough of that during his last year as well as the Heir of Slytherin rumours back in second year. Still, weird things were happening around him whether he wanted them to or not.

Ever since seeing the sparks come off the walls after he had first gotten his new wand, weird things continued to happen. He saw those sparks more often now and had begun thinking of them as pure magic. They still came off the walls when he touched them or even when others did, which proved to him that this wasn't something weird happening only to him.

When he told Hermione about it, he was met with something he hadn't expected from her.

"Don't be silly Harry, it's impossible to see magic unless it's being cast. There are very few people who are said to have mage-sight and I know you're powerful but there's no way you have something like that. It's simply not possible for someone our age because we haven't turned seventeen yet."

As he thought on her words he realised magical maturity should be plenty to receive a skill like that, but he hated the way she brushed him off. "Why won't you believe what I saw Hermione? I'm telling the truth."

And yet, she still refused to acknowledge it. "It's impossible Harry, I've told you. It's probably just someone pulling a prank on you to freak you out. Just ignore it and you'll be fine."

But he wasn't fine. He could see the sparks everywhere as time progressed. He could see them coming off people, off spells, off walls and off items. He even spotted a ward around a few bookcases in the restricted section of the library…

He didn't know what to do with this new skill, but he did know he wasn't going to tell anyone else what was happening to him lest he was brushed off like that again. He simply continued his life as he had before, studying for his classes by day and learning from his mother's books by night.

That was how he learned exactly why Malfoy acted like such a git. It was expected of him and if he didn't obey his father, his magic could be stripped from him. That sounded like quite the predicament… Still, he refused to become friendly to them just because of that.

The good thing was that he was beginning to understand how pureblood society worked and might no longer be lost in it as he had been before. Once he turned seventeen he would have been in so much trouble if he didn't know these things, it was palpable. Why hadn't anyone told him about this before?


The next evening found Harry reading another one of his mother's tomes, this one concerning magical myths 'Lost Through the Ages'. It all sounded like a load of rubbish though. Until he reached a page about weird creatures with holes in their chests… Could this be what he had been looking for all along?

Named through history as soul-eating monsters but more commonly known as Hollows, these creatures come from the spiritual realm and have been discovered only through particular branches of both soul magic and necromancy. Both of those have become outlawed and the practice became lost. It is equally not advised, if not outright prohibited, to use either magics to call upon Hollows, as they cannot be commanded.

Most commonly found in Japan, this race of creature obeys only itself and it's desires. Often invisible to everyone, they stalk the world for their prey. If you happen to be able to see them: run for your life. They are not forgiving creatures, much like the Dementors.

They can take many forms but are most commonly be recognised as large monstrosities with pearly masks covering their faces and a gaping black hole on their chests.

A second possible form and one only recorded a few times throughout history is a humanoid form. Some of these creatures have been found with a number printed on any place on their body and the mask is reduced to possibly not covering their entire face. The hole in their bodies can be found in different places as well such as the shoulder or stomach. These humanoid Hollows possess many rumoured abilities and are far more powerful than a regular Hollow. If you see one, chances are you won't be alive to tell the tale.

Now that was what he called a chilling read… These Hollows were such feared creatures? He looked down at his chest and touched the rim of the hole again. If he was one of them, what did that mean for his continued existence? Nothing good, that was a given.

He now knew without a doubt that telling anyone about his inheritance was a dreadful idea, especially the purebloods. Hermione wouldn't have a clue about what he was but the purebloods would have heard stories, rumours about Hollows and the danger they presented. There were no spells to render one visible after all. He could only wonder if magic worked on them at all…


During the rest of the week, his classes progressed as they normally did, but his mage sight became a larger problem… Whenever someone happened to touch him, he could see emerald sparks coming off of him, just like what happened whenever he touched the wall. He knew it was a magical reaction, but he didn't know what it meant.

That was also when the visible change began happening.

"What's that on your face, Potter?" Malfoy sneered at him one evening, having spotted a translucent tarnish beginning to spread on Harry's face.

"What're you talking about Malfoy?" He retorted, slightly confused. As far as he knew nothing was wrong with his face… He did feel a small ridge forming on his skin but he didn't think much of it.

When Malfoy brushed it off as a likely prank, Harry made his way to the nearest restroom and gazed at his reflection. Right there, on his temple a jagged mark began spreading, milky white and approaching his eye slowly. Shit, what the hell?!

When he touched his face, he realised that that was the ridge he had been feeling earlier. The skin felt much harder there too, almost— Almost as if a mask was forming under his skin. "You've got to be kidding me…"

How was he going to hide this from anyone, especially if it was going to spread? There was no way the jagged edge along his temple was going to stay just that. This was the beginning of a Hollow's mask.

What Harry found positive was that the milky sheen covered his scar and made it vanish from sight. Considering how much he hated that thing, there was at least a positive side to this. The negative side was that any glamour he tried to cast simply slid off of his face like water to oil. Time to call in Hermione again…


"Harry James Potter, what the bloody hell have you done to your face?!" Was the first thing out of her mouth when she saw him later that evening. He had used his hair to cover the mark up but he needed something more permanent for when the wind brushed his hair away.

"I haven't done anything 'Mione. It was just there, I don't know what happened." He defended himself quickly; slightly offended she thought he had done this to himself.

"Well, people have been saying you did something to yourself, a spell gone wrong again or something and that your face was turning white. Apparently they weren't wrong." She stepped closer, trying to examine the mark on his face though luckily she failed to guess what it was.

"That's the thing Hermione, I didn't do anything. I just passed Malfoy in the hallway and called me out about something on my face. When I went to the loo for a mirror I had this on my face…" He scrunched his nose as he felt it pass over his eye. It was a dreadfully itchy, crawling feeling, like something was bubbling under his skin and then setting. Hermione's gasp proved she saw what he felt.

"How horrible!" She called immediately, and he couldn't help but agree with her. All he had ever wanted to be was normal, but now he was stuck with this. No… That wasn't right, was it? It didn't feel right in any case. That weird instinct welled up again, telling him to be proud of what he was. Though he couldn't figure out how he could ever be proud of becoming a monster. Not a monster, just unique beyond anything the world has ever seen; or so his instinct told him. He didn't think to question why that instinct had a voice…

"Have you gone to see madam Pomphrey?" She asked, breaking him out of his thoughts while the mask moved to the base of his nose. That was where it settled, leaving a ragged plaque of slightly raised skin around his eye, sharp, ragged edges along it. It seemed done growing for the night but he knew it wasn't done yet. Not just yet...

"I haven't. I don't think this is something as simple as a spell gone astray. There hardly is a spell that can do something like this, is there?" She shook her head, stepping back from examining the thing. "I don't think so. I don't know how to hide it though, other than with a glamour."

"I've already tried that but it won't stick. Do you think I could borrow some muggle make-up from you? Maybe that'll help with covering it up…" He tried pushing away the new nearly oppressive feeling of his new powers, telling him that covering up his mask was wrong. He shouldn't do it because he was meant to be proud. Always proud…

He couldn't be proud of these changes when he wasn't sure what was happening to him. There was no way Harry could go about his day with that thing so obviously on his face either for that matter.

"Sure. I can get some for you. The tint should match your skin well enough I suppose…" Before long she had rushed up to her dorm to fetch some foundation and a sponge. He knew enough of muggle make-up thanks to his aunt Petunia trying to make herself look moderately attractive when she went somewhere. Not that it worked, of course.

"Thanks Hermione, you're the best." He said with a smile when she gave him the concoction. it didn't particularly look like something he wanted to put on his face but he couldn't walk around with that thing on his face either. She made him promise he'd go visit Pomphrey about this eventually and let him leave again.

'Now to put this stuff on…'


A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing to the ones who already have. As usual, if you have any questions or an opinion to share about my works, leave a review in the box below and I hope to see you all next time!

Love,
~Lumina


For those wanting to know what Harry's mask looks like, go to the links on my profile. There you can find my where the pictures are located. Thanks again!

Edit: I've put the image of the mask as the cover for this story since apparently Fanfiction net doesn't like me posting links… At least it should be visible for everyone now.