WARNING: There will be some swearing in this chapter. Valkyrie is not happy. Just so you know. I'd also like to thank you all for reading and for giving me 100 comments, it means so much to me, and I'm really glad you're enjoying it. At least, I hope you are.

Valkyrie was pacing the room, rubbing her hands and cracking her knuckles, biting her lip to the point where it bled, when Harry walked in the room.

"Harry, so good to see you again." Skulduggery said, tipping his hat slightly. Harry smiled at the both of them, and then frowned when he saw Valkyrie.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Mmm? Check with McGonagall maybe…" Her voice drifted off as Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Check with Professor McGonagll? About what?"

"She's just having problems." Skulduggery said, waving it off. "No big deal."

"No big deal?! My mum's about to burst this whole fucking thing wide open!" She growled, nearly shouting, kicking a chair across the room at full force so it smashed against the wall. Harry jumped back slightly, not expecting the outburst, as Valkyrie began pacing again, a near-murderous look in her eyes.

"She's not having a good day." Skulduggery said brightly. Valkyrie glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice "So Harry, what can we help you with?"

"I was just wondering when the next after school session was." In his brain the words sounded right, but they stumbled out of his mouth, tripping over themselves. Skulduggery seemed to understand though "But I'll just come back later." He said quickly.

"No need." Skulduggery waved it off "How's Thursdays?"

"Thursday is fine." Harry said quickly. There seemed to be a lump growing in his throat. He knew Hermione was counting on his to ask them about Darquesse, she had even given him a copy of the man's speech after keeping one for herself to analyse further in the common room, but the way Valkyrie was acting – angrier than Harry had ever seen her – he didn't think it would be such a good idea to bring up the topic.

"I'll just go. See you in class." He quickly found himself scurrying away, but as soon as the door was closed, he cursed himself. He was part of the DA, Hermione had said it herself, he'd fought Voldemort and won – even if he himself though it was just luck – why was he so scared of Valkyrie in a bad mood? Because she is one scary sorceress when she's in a bad mood. Worse than Voldemort? Who would you rather go up against: Voldemort who has always intended to kill you, or Valkyrie in a bad mood? Harry thought about it, and then opened the door again.

"Back so soon?" Skulduggery asked, looking up. Valkyrie was still pacing, growling under her breath and muttering curses. Harry tried not to look at her.

"I need to know about Darquesse." The room seemed to freeze as the words involuntarily spilled from his mouth. Valkyrie stopped pacing immediately, and Skulduggery seemed to grow even more still than he already was.

"What do you know already?" He asked slowly.

"We know what you told us, and what you told us" He gestured to each of them in turn "And someone kind of found this." Harry unfolded the piece of paper in his pocket and held it out. Skulduggery stepped forwards, tilting his head ever so slightly towards Valkyrie, as if he were glancing at her. She looked back, the anger gone from her face, replaced with, was it fear? Fear of what? The name? But she was staring at the note. Was she really scared of a little note?

Skulduggery unfolded it as if it were the most delicate thing in the world, the black pits of his eye-sockets seemed to be scanning the writing. Harry watched both of them, the seconds seemingly dragging into hours.

"Well, Harry, the note mentions nothing Valkyrie or myself has already told you." Valkyrie seemed to start breathing again, and unfreeze, before she recoiled slightly, and then carried on as if everything were normal. There was tinge of fear in her eyes, but she wasn't clenching her fists, she wasn't breaking anything (including Harry's nose – which he was thankful for).

"Where did you get this, if I may ask?" Skulduggery said. He was still holding the note, that was until Valkyrie walked up behind him and took it, reading it intensely.

"Don't know." Harry shrugged, which was partly the truth. He didn't know the name of the sorcerer who had given them the information; he just knew Hermione had talked to him.

"Where did you get the information, Harry?" Skulduggery asked.

"I can't tell you." He muttered. He got the sense if Skulduggery had a face, he would have been raising an eyebrow. "But, it's all the same, right? What you've both told me already. If this Darquesse person" Valkyrie paled at the name "is really as powerful as you say she is, shouldn't we be prepared for her? Shouldn't we know everything?"

"Harry, there are only a few select people in the world who know as much as you do already, I hardly think you need to know more" Skulduggery said, in a very professional tone.

"But-"

"Harry it's been a long day. We'll keep this with us for safe-keeping, shall we? Have a good night's sleep, Mr Potter. There's a lot to be done tomorrow." And that was it? End of conversation? Really? But, Harry didn't want to cross Skulduggery, and he certainly didn't want both the detectives in bad moods. He had the feeling he wouldn't want to see Skulduggery in a bad mood.

"Yeah, ok." He muttered "'Night."

"Goodnight Harry." He turned slowly, looking over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. Valkyrie glanced to Skulduggery, the note tight in her grip, before she ran out after him.

"Harry!" She called, catching up with him in the hallway. He hadn't gotten very far, but the expression alone on Valkyrie's face, was enough to make his stomach twist into knots. "Harry listen,"

"I'm sorry if it was the wrong time, Valkyrie. I know you've got other things on your mind." The 'other things' stormed in Valkyrie's mind, stinging like a swarm of bees at her brain.

"It's not that." She said "It's this whole thing about Darquesse." Harry was suddenly listening more intently. "Harry, when I told you about her, I did it, so that you wouldn't go looking for her. Please, please promise me, that you'll leave this alone."

"But-"

"Leave it alone Harry. Please, promise me. I've seen too many people get hurt over this. Too many people have died because of this. I won't let it happen to you too."

"Valkyrie-"

"I mean it Harry. Tear up the note, and do your best to avoid Darquesse at all costs. Promise me."

"O-ok, Val. I promise."


Before Harry came into the room, Valkyrie had been beyond pissed. Fear had been replaced by confusion had been replaced by anger. If she was in Ireland she could just blow up some stuff in the training rooms, but here she had nothing to take her anger out on other than her own lip. The taste of blood had long ago stained the roof of her mouth, but that didn't stop her biting it anyway. Then Harry had walked in. She'd missed most of what was said, save for Skulduggery still not taking her seriously – oh he'd insisted he was, posting cleavers at the house and covering up the breadcrumbs as best he could (at least, that's what he said) but what annoyed Valkyrie most was that her world had the potential to crumble to a situation where her parents knew everything, and they were therefore vulnerable to Darquesse and the whole situation, and he was just waving it away. She supposed that was why she just had to break the chair. She just had to watch it splinter against the solid stone wall. Darquesse hadn't helped matters either.

"Goodness you're frustrated today" She seemed to be mocking Valkyrie as best she could, and if she had a face, Valkyrie could imagine it smirking, eyes shining, right before her fist broke Darquesse's nose.

"So angry." Darquesse sighed "Why not save it for something more useful. Chairs are boring. Now skyscrapers, that would be interesting, not to mention fun."

'I'm not letting you out.' Valkyrie thought.

"But you have so much pent up anger!" Darquesse protested "You know it would be better spent destroying something worth destroying."

'Forget it. You're ruining everything.'

"Now I wouldn't say that exactly. We're friend right?"

'I am not your friend'

"But we could be. We could be best friends, you and me. We think alike, talk alike, heck, we're the same person, identical in every way."

'Except I'm not a psycho murdering-.' Her thoughts were interrupted by Harry walking back into the room. Had he left? Apparently so.

"Back so soon?" Skulduggery asked, looking up. She was still pacing, before she realised Harry was trying not to look at her. Why? What had she done?

"I need to know about Darquesse." The room seemed to freeze as the words seemed to blister the air. Valkyrie froze, and Darquesse giggled inside her mind.

"Am I the talk of the town again?"

"What do you know already?" Skulduggery asked slowly.

"We know what you told us, and what you told us" Harry gestured to each of them in turn with his head, and Valkyrie began to feel regret in the pit of her stomach., She should never have said anything.

"And someone kind of found this." Harry continued and brought a piece of paper out of his pocket, holding it out to Skulduggery, who stepped forwards, and glanced at Valkyrie. Oh shit. What had they found? Did they know who she was? Was that why he wasn't looking at her? Because he knew she held the key to destroying the world.

"Wouldn't that be an exciting twist? We'd just have to kill him then." Valkyrie felt sick.

Skulduggery unfolded it as if it were the most delicate thing in the world, the black pits of his eye-sockets seemed to be scanning the writing. Oh god, why was it taking so long? What did the note say? Skulduggery began to talk, his usually velvety voice now holding a cold undertone only those who knew Skulduggery best would be able to pick up on.

"Well, Harry, the note mentions nothing Valkyrie or myself has already told you." Code for her name wasn't mentioned. Valkyrie realised she had been holding her breath, and sucked in the air.

"Don't worry, it's just a matter of time, then we'll have some fun." Valkyrie recoiled as Darquesse sent images of 'fun' into her mind – blood pooling like oceans, citied burning, the world crumbling to dust. But the images faded quickly, and Valkyrie tried to plaster on a poker-face. She couldn't be seen acting suspicious in front of Harry.

"Where did you get this, if I may ask?" Skulduggery said. He was still holding the note, that was until Valkyrie walked up behind him and took it, reading it intensely. Her face haunts my memory still. 'Yeah' Valkyrie thought 'You're not the only one'.

"Don't know." Harry shrugged.

"Where did you get the information, Harry?" Skulduggery asked.

"I can't tell you." He muttered. "But, it's all the same, right? What you've both told me already. If this Darquesse person" Valkyrie paled at the name as Darquesse laughed cruelly in her mind

"My my, so popular."

"is really as powerful as you say she is, shouldn't we be prepared for her? Shouldn't we know everything?" Harry continued.

"Harry, there are only a few select people in the world who know as much as you do already, I hardly think you need to know more" Skulduggery said, his tone cold and professional.

"But-"

"Harry it's been a long day. We'll keep this with us for safe-keeping, shall we? Have a good night's sleep, Mr Potter. There's a lot to be done tomorrow." End of conversation. Valkyrie felt like her heart was shrivelling in on itself, lings crumbling away.

"Yeah, ok." Harry muttered "'Night."

"Goodnight Harry." Skulduggery said. Harry turned slowly, looking over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. Valkyrie glanced to Skulduggery, the note tight in her grip, before she ran out after him.

"Harry!" She called, catching up with him in the hallway. He hadn't gotten very far, and Valkyrie caught up with him easily. He was getting too involved in this. She'd seen the visions of her own parents dieing. She didn't think she'd be able to cope if she knew more people were going to die because of her. She had to protect her parents, at all costs. She wouldn't be able to do that if she was worried about Harry and the others as well. After all, Ghastly and Skulduggery could take care of themselves, like the rest of her friends, but the wizards and witches were still just kids, and although she was only barely older than them, she knew sorcery. They didn't.

"Harry listen,"

"I'm sorry if it was the wrong time, Valkyrie. I know you've got other things on your mind." The 'other things' stormed in Valkyrie's mind, stinging like a swarm of bees at her brain as Darquesse laughter rippled through them, both as a bad memory and a regular occurrence.

"It's not that." She said "It's this whole thing about Darquesse. Harry, when I told you about her, I did it, so that you wouldn't go looking for her. Please, please promise me, that you'll leave this alone."

"But-"

"Leave it alone Harry. Please, promise me. I've seen too many people get hurt over this. Too many people have died because of this. I won't let it happen to you too."

"Valkyrie-"

"I mean it Harry. Tear up the note, and do your best to avoid Darquesse at all costs. Promise me."

"O-ok, Val. I promise."

"Good." Valkyrie ran her fingers through her hair.

"You're no fun."

"Go back to the common room. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Ok. Goodnight Valkyrie." He seemed dejected.

"Yeah, 'night Harry."