I'm sorry it's taken so long, but I'm going back to school next week, so I've been getting ready and work has been really busy and tiring, so I was just too out of it to focus. Also I haven't re-read the books for this chapter, so if some of the information is a little wrong, I'm sorry, please forgive me.


The first thing that happened to Valkyrie when she stepped into the hospital wing nearly knocked her off her feet – both literally and metaphorically. The second thing that happened was a rarity – she was at a loss for words.

As soon as she stepped through the doors she was tackled into a great bear hug, and lifted off her feet.

"VAL!" Tanith practically screamed down her ears in excitement. "You've taken forever! These crack-pots are keeping me prisoner! Help me Val! Help!"

"Tan…ith… can't…breathe." Valkyrie spluttered and was dropped, feeling as if her ribs had been cracked.

"Sorry Val!" Valkyrie looked up into Tanith's face and every word she had ever wanted to say to her since the remnant infected their lives, was lost on her tongue in a series of unintelligible gurgles.

"I thought you were never going to come, I mean, they said you and Skulduggery were here, but they wouldn't let me out to look for you, and I tried believe me, but Grouse wouldn't stop fussing, and it's not helping having that Madam What's-her-name encouraging him all the time, honestly their a pair in a million. But I'm rambling, how are you, what's been happening, because I have no clue, no one's explaining anything, they're saying I should hear it from you and Skulduggery before I hear it from them. Is Ghastly with you? I feel like I haven't seen him in ages. What happened with the remnants? Did we get them all? Honestly, I must have been out of it for a pretty long time after all that mess, seriously it feels like whole years have gone by. And look at you! You look so much older! So grown up! You must have had a growth spurt or something! I'll be damned! You'll be as tall as Skulduggery soon if you don't stop growing!"

"Miss Low! Return to your bed immediately!" Kenspeckle suddenly appeared on the scene as Tanith groaned like a child denied sweets. "Ah Valkyrie, I didn't see you there. Come in, come in. You're not hurt are you?"

"No, I'm fine." Valkyrie managed weakly.

"Well, visiting hours aren't for a while… I'll make you a deal Miss Low, if you return to your bed, I'll overlook Valkyrie being here." Kenspeckle changed his tone form talking to himself, to talking to Tanith, and after a moment of internal debating, Tanith agreed, hurrying to her bed and sitting on it expectantly. Valkyrie paused a moment, and then followed her, sitting in the chair beside the bed.

"So, what's been happening, give me details. I'm bored out of my mind here!" Tanith said, grinning.

"H-how are you?" Valkyrie stuttered, ignoring the question.

"I'm fine. I was healed on the first day but they won't let me out. Now, stop stalling, I want to know what happened!"

"Don't you remember… anything?" Valkyrie asked cautiously.

"Anything of what?" Tanith saw Valkyrie's face, and frowned before continuing, a little slower in her speech, "I remember seeing a remnant going for you and getting in the way. I think I killed it. I don't know. Then, things are a bit fuzzy. I think I was in pain at one point. And then I have the feeling I passed out again, and then I woke up here. Where is here anyway? They keep saying 'Hogwarts', but I've never heard of it – and I've heard of most things. Why, has something happened? Is everyone alright? Give me details!"

"Details?" Valkyrie asked meekly.

"I live for details! C'mon! Talk! Or face the wrath of Tanith Low…" her voice tilted dangerously, and then she laughed playfully. She was… bubblier, than Valkyrie had expected. Like all her energy had surged at once. It was probably from being cooped up in the hospital wing for so long, but, that didn't make it any less strange to be sat less than a meter away from the infamous Tanith Low, without a remnant corrupting her soul.

"Well, Ghastly's pleased you're back. We all are." Valkyrie said slowly. Tanith blushed like a schoolgirl.

"He is?" Then she frowned, and the blush disappeared "What do you mean 'back'? Where have I been?" Valkyrie tried to open her mouth and form a distinguishable sentence, but found all she could produce were gurgles, 'um's and 'er's. That was when Skulduggery saved her… again.

He strode through the doors very dramatically, and Kenspeckle immediately scowled.

"Visiting hours are over." He barked.

"I'm only here to bring Miss Low up to date on everything that's happened – so technically, I'm not a visitor." Skulduggery replied smoothly.

"Hey, Skulduggery, good to see you. I was wondering when you'd show up." Tanith's grin reappeared, but it was slightly more strained – Valkyrie could see she was getting more and more worried.

"It's good to see you too, Tanith. How are you today?"

"I'm…fine. Why do I get the feeling this is more of an interrogation than a friendly chat?" Her smiled thinned, trying to make a joke of something, before failing completely "Have I done something?"

"Not specifically you, no." Skulduggery replied carefully, before folding his arms. He sighed deeply.

"Tanith, what we're about to tell you -"

"We? Since when do I have to explain anything?"

"- may shock you a bit."

"What? What is it? It's not Ghastly is it? He's ok, right?" Tanith said, trying not to sound panicked, though her eyes betrayed her. Valkyrie thought it was sweet how Ghastly was the first person to come to mind. He'd be on his way over from Ireland that very minute, hurrying to get to her – if only Tanith knew it.

"No, Ghastly's fine. Tanith, you were possessed by a remnant, just over 2 years ago. It bonded with your soul, corrupted your mind. We've only just got you back."

"I… remnant… what?" Tanith couldn't help but stutter, and Valkyrie felt like suddenly pulling her into a tight hug.

"You weren't in control of your actions. No one blames you." Skulduggery continued slowly, as Valkyrie noticed that from across the room, Kenspeckle, China and even Madam Pomfrey were watching closely.

Tanith's shoulders seemed to droop as her hands went to the edge of the mattress, curling into fists.

"Oh God… What did I do? How many did I…" She suddenly turned to Valkyrie "I didn't do anything to you, did I?" She asked quickly "The remnants were after you, I didn't, did I? Please, tell me I didn't."

"You didn't." Valkyrie said automatically. Tanith's eyes were going wide with horror.

"Oh God I did didn't I? I hurt you didn't I? God, Val, I'm so sorry…"

"You didn't." Valkyrie said, shuffling closer "You even saved my life once."

"I did? That sounds like me…"

"It wasn't exactly Valkyrie the remnant was after though." Skulduggery said quietly, waiting for Tanith to catch on. She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking, and then got it.

"Darquesse…"

"The Irish and British Sanctuaries have both been looking for you for a long time, Ghastly and us especially. However, recently, Valkyrie and I were called out here to Scotland to fulfil a favour on Ghastly's behalf. We've been teaching physical defence at this school, Hogwarts, since September." Skulduggery paused to allow Tanith time to process the information, but he quickly found she was listening to, and following accurately, everything he was saying. "Then a few days ago, the remnant, accompanied by Billy-ray Sanguine and a few hit-men, attacked with the intentions of raising Darquesse."

"They didn't – I didn't, it didn't get that far, did it? Please…" Valkyrie cleared her throat.

"A few of the hit-men managed to release Darquesse, but, ah, she didn't take it so well."

"V-Val I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault" Valkyrie said quickly, and she couldn't help but lean forward and take Tanith's hands in her own, causing Tanith to look up at her "Hey" Valkyrie said sternly "It is not your fault."

"But… if Darquesse was released then why am I back? Why aren't I still a remnant? Why is the world still… here?"

"Darquesse didn't take to being released too kindly. The remnant, actually kind of saved me again in that one" Valkyrie said humourlessly "Darquesse was planning to mentally break me, so I'd release her of my own free will. That way she'd have no resistance, she could be Darquesse forever, and I wouldn't exist anymore. But, when she's released, I can see through her mind, know all her thoughts, like she can with me when I'm in control, and I could see what she was planning, so now I'm back I can defend myself against it, and she'll have to find a new plan. But, well, as she couldn't take her anger out on me, she took it out on you instead…"

"Huh?"

"Darquesse ripped the remnant from your soul – forcefully, physically, parted them – and destroyed the remnant, leaving your soul inside your body, and you were able to regain control of your body." Skulduggery picked up where Valkyrie's voice faltered "However, the pain the process caused you made you pass out into a coma almost immediately. We weren't sure if you'd wake up again, but, thankfully, it only took a few days for you to recover."

"You're made of tough stuff." Valkyrie said, trying to smile. Tanith looked a mixture of devastated and horrified. Her hand still grasped Valkyrie's tightly.

"We'd been searching for you for ages. Ghastly even became an Elder so he could oversee the search parties." Valkyrie said hopefully. Tanith looked up.

"Ghastly became and Elder, for me?"

"Yeah." Valkyrie said softly, her hands rocking Tanith's slowly back and forth as an attempted gesture of comfort. Skulduggery looked behind him to the doors, and then to Valkyrie.

"I'm sorry to say it, but we have a lesson in a few minutes, Valkyrie." Valkyrie looked form him to Tanith. She couldn't leave her in a place like this with no friends at such a time. Tanith might do something… silly.

"Why doesn't Tanith come with us? Valkyrie asked pleadingly "She's healed, and being in the hospital wing won't do her any good. She can watch the lesson, and she can stay in my room until…" Until what?

"Don't be foolish, Valkyrie. There's a bed in my room I don't use, Tanith can have that. I never go in there anyway." Skulduggery said with a tilt of his head. Valkyrie smiled slightly – he was giving his permission.

"C'mon Tanith, let's go to the lesson, yeah? You can meet some of my friends, they're dying to know all about the infamous Tanith Low." Valkyrie said gently, but almost teasingly, and a low smile broke over Tanith's face.

"Yeah." She snorted a laugh.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Kenspeckle said suddenly, hurrying over from the other side of the room. "The patient is not fit for leaving yet!"

"I'll deal with Kenspeckle." Valkyrie muttered quietly. Skulduggery nodded as she stood, and walked quickly to Kenspeckle, turning him around back the way he had just walked and moving a little further away from the bed.

"Valkyrie what on Earth do you think you're doing?! I thought you had more sense than to keep a patient from her doctor!"

"Kenspeckle, Tanith needs this." Valkyrie said pleadingly, using her best puppy-dog eyes "She can't stay in here without anything to distract her from the information about the remnant. Something new is just what she needs right now. Please?"

"Valkyrie-"

"Please?" Kenspeckle looked at Valkyrie's deep brown eyes, and melted slightly, once again cursing the fatherly affection he held for the young girl in front of him.

"Fine," he grunted "but only because she needs a distraction. And only for a few hours."

"Thanks Kenspeckle, you're the best." Valkyrie hugged him quickly and hurried off, shooing Tanith and Skulduggery through the door before he could change his mind.


I know Tanith might seem a bit OOC, but I really wanted to show a bit of her vulnerable side, if you see what I mean. She's just woken up as if from some really deep sleep, so she's all excited to see her friends again, and then being told the news she was an evil blood-thirsty remnant is a huge and devastating shock, so she's depressed and not her usual strong self.

I'm also sorry, but when school starts again, updates will be less frequent, but hopefully longer, so please be patient. :)