Episode 1, Part 3

Thankfully for Ron and Cho, no one seemed to notice them being late for dinner, nor did the teachers seem to have a clue about anything happening.

The two parted, heading for their respective tables before anyone became suspicious. Ron sat beside his brothers while Cho went over to Susan and her other friends. He quickly set up a plate of food and began to eat. (Even at his sickest, his stomach was almost cast iron.)

Fred watched his brother for a second, then looked at George. His twin nodded after a second.

"Hey, Ron."

Ron looked up from his plate, looking at them both with a hint of suspicion. "Yeah, Fred?" he replied.

"We're planning on a prank against Films involving the statues on the second floor. We would like to know if you want to give us a hand."

One eye arched in suspicion. He had enough experience with them to know that there may be a catch with their offer. "Uh-huh. The last time I helped you with a prank, I ended up with pink hair, yellow cat eyes, in a girl's dress no matter what I put on, braying like a donkey."

"That was completely unintentional!"

"For three days." He would never forget those three days. He had lived in his bedroom, only coming out to eat.

Neville, who had been listening in, looked at them in disbelief. "Please tell me you didn't," he begged.

George shook his head. "We didn't do it to Ron deliberately," he explained. "We were aiming for the poltergeist in the attic." He shrugged. "The poltergeist was waiting for us."

"And I got caught with the ricochet," Ron added. "Mum bloody well tanned their hide… literally." He saw the other boy shudder and knew he understood. It was a toss-up on who was scarier; Molly Weasley or Augusta Longbottom. "Since then, I always take any offer of theirs with a bit of paranoia."

George shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, he's got us there."

"Of course he does. He doesn't trust his own family." Fred grinned. "There may be hope for him, yet."

Percy looked at Ron. Ron shook his head exasperatedly. No point trying to argue with that. They weren't going to budge.

However, the conversation ended abruptly when Seamus suddenly asked, "Hey, where's Dumbledore?"

Suddenly, his assumption that no one knew what happened was not as sturdy. Just as suddenly, his brother's offer was much more tempting.

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"You're sure?" Bones asked, stunned. Of everything she had thought she would hear when she was flooed, this wasn't it. It was the last thing she had wanted hear as well.

Tonks nodded, rubbing her arm briefly. Even after the threat had been dealt with, it took a few hours for her arm to finally calm down. "They were creatures of the Mist," she replied. "My Mark only reacts to them."

The two Aurors and Dumbledore were sequestered in the Headmaster's Office, discussing what had transpired. Hearing that the Mists had revealed themselves after only a few years was a terrifying prospect.

Dumbledore sighed. "Our friends have sent one of their own here," he added. "I originally believed it was because of our three students disappearing, but now I feel that they may have suspected something like this would happen."

"This means I must order my Aurors to prepare for a possible war." The DMLE Head rubbed her eyes fretfully. "I miss the old days where all we had to deal with were Death Eaters."

"They seem to have been the easier enemy, aren't they?" Dumbledore noted in agreement.

Tonks sighed. "Of course, there is the small matter of the one that escaped," she reminded them. "It came across someone else, so it's possible that others have come to Hogwarts."

"Wouldn't the wards warn you if something like that happened?"

"Not always. Certain magics are undetectable, after all. And there is also the strong possibility that they were using the Soul Arts."

"Then we're going to have to make certain that whoever they are, are found." Bones stood up. "I'm going to assign a team of Aurors here on a more permanent basis."

Dumbledore frowned, looking at her for a moment. Despite the advantages such a force would bring to the defense of Hogwarts, it was still a place of learning. "Amelia, are you sure that's wise?" he asked. "Having Aurors here may cause tensions to rise more than they already are."

Bones nodded, understanding what Dumbledore meant. "True, but I'll feel better knowing they will be on-site in case of another attack."

"…Very well. Speak with Professor McGonagall about bunking arrangements, then. Also, speak with both Filius and Remus for the Aurors to be keyed into the wards." It was standard practice when you were at war or anticipating a war.

How sad, Dumbledore would reflect later on. He had hoped that war would wait until after his time on this Earth.

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Cho sat down in one of the chairs closest to the fireplace, sighing. She was able to relax now.

It had been one hell of a day, that's for sure. And it wasn't even over with. She needed to speak with Luna, and soon.

Her wish was about to be granted as the petite blonde sat in the chair beside her, a book from the Ravenclaw dorm's library in her hands. She acted like usual; if one didn't know better, one would believe nothing was wrong.

But Cho saw the trembling of Luna's hands, the little sifting of her eyes as she looked around. She could almost feel the change of temperament in the younger girl. She didn't want anyone to overhear them.

Looking around as well to make sure no one was watching them, Cho leaned in. "You knew that whatever that thing was would attack," she whispered. "That's why you gave us those books."

Luna shook her head, opening the book. "I didn't know that it was coming," she replied. "All I knew was that something was coming. I do know what it was, though." She sighed. "It is an abomination, forged of both the physical and the spiritual, corrupting both."

"Both?" Such a thing should be impossible. But so far, Luna had been right about everything. "And the spells in these books are the only way to combat them?"

"They are the only way to destroy them. Combating them is no problem. Anyone can fight them and win. It's making sure they can't return that is the trick." Luna took a look around. "I can't tell you more here. There are too many potential eavesdroppers. I know of a special room within the walls of Hogwarts where we can talk in private. I can try and explain in more detail."

"After classes tomorrow, then. I'll let Ron know before breakfast. He's going to have Divination tomorrow morning if I remember correctly." Even now, she couldn't help but wonder why that particular class was still a thing. Everyone knew that Professor Trelawney was a fraud, acting like she…

"She does possess the Sight," Luna suddenly interjected as if she had read Cho's mind. "She simply has no control over it, and other abilities tend to hamper her gift."

"…Oh."

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The following day started quite… normally, or what passed as normal these days. The dementors had resumed their posts around the School. The professors began setting up for the day. The Whomping Willow did what it always did; namely swatting anything that got too close. (Those poor birds.)

Scabbers woke up as he always did, eating a piece of candy Ron had left for him. Crookshanks was eyeing him from a safe distance. Ron looked at him, wordlessly telling him that if he went after his pet, he would turn him into a doily before heading out. Crookshanks didn't even deign him with a response. He simply started to bathe himself.

Ron was almost to the Great Hall, thinking about breakfast when he saw something that he didn't like. Namely, the sight of about a dozen Aurors walking along the corridor as they talked with Professor Flitwick. He had a funny feeling that they weren't here to track down Sirius Black. 'Maybe their being here means they're getting the dementors out of here,' he hoped, though he doubted it.

"Hey, Weasley," Cho greeted, joining him in his observation. "What's with the Auror entourage?"

"I don't know, but it may have something to do with what happened last night. The one we faced was not the only one that attacked."

"… I talked to Luna last night. She told me that they were like dementors, only far more destructive. She wants us to meet her tonight to tell us more."

Ron nodded. "Tonight it is, then. Did she know they were coming?"

"Not those things exactly."

"That's good to know. I wouldn't be happy if she had known in advance and didn't tell us… Oh, hey, Claire," he suddenly stated, smiling.

Claire walked up to them, grinning. "Good morning, Ron," she replied cheerfully. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No, not at all. Cho Chang, this is Claire Damont. She's our newest student."

"Ah. Well, it's nice to meet you," Cho said. "Can I assume you are a Gryffindor?"

"Yep. I can't wait to start taking classes."

The Ravenclaw grinned. This one wasn't as smug as Hermione, but she did have the same love of learning that their missing star student. "Well, I'll talk to you later about our project, Weasley."

"Of course. See you later, Chang." Ron watched as she walked away before turning his attention back to Claire. "So, what's up?"

"Well, I figured breakfast would be nice. Afterward, we could walk to class together."? She batted her eyelids flirtatiously. "You can protect me from all of the bullies."

He laughed. "I'll try my best with that."

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Sybil Trelawney turned around, ready to perform her usual greeting to her students… and promptly stumbled.

She didn't stumble because of a table, at least not this time. She didn't stumble because of the sunlight hitting the lenses of her huge glasses, though that had happened a few times. No, she stumbled because an aura was… different.

She was sure that wasn't a good thing.

She possessed a gift that few Seers had; the ability to sense people's magical auras. Its premise was simple. She could See and determine whether or not a person was good or evil and how much of each they were. She could See just how powerful a person was. It was an advantageous ability in peacetime and utterly useless in wartime.

Aura Sight did have one critical flaw, however. It rendered a Seer's foresight very unstable. As a result, Trelawney counted herself lucky to have had one prophecy. (Even though she couldn't bloody remember it.)

But here it was, a moment where her gift was useful. One of the students was beginning to change.

Ronald Weasley. His soul was beginning to bloom. Such a thing would be lauded, as it showed him to be potentially very powerful, except for one thing… it was far too soon.

For wizards and witches, magic expansion usually began at sixteen as their magical cores approached maturity. That expansion would go on for a year, determining whether or not that person was to receive further instruction after School, or if they would be released into the world. In most cases, it was the latter. In fact, the last person she knew who was the former, was Professor McGonagall.

For expansion to occur now, at thirteen years of age, meant only one of two things. Either Ron was an early bloomer like Merlin was rumored to be (which was unlikely, as neither side of his bloodline had ever shown such exceptional ability), or something had happened to start the expansion process prematurely. That would mean only one thing.

Somehow, someway, Weasley had begun to practice the Soul Arts. Trelawney was willing to bet that he was doing just that.

All this thinking, of these realizations, occurred in the time it took for her to straighten up. Not a single thought was revealed in her expression, having already schooled herself into her mask. "Welcome, my students, " she called out once they had seated themselves. "Today, we shall continue our explorations into the All-Seeing Eye and determine who among you have the Gift." She pointedly ignored the giggles and slight groans from some students. "We will not be reading tea leaves this time, and instead will try to access the Eye through a series of simple breathing exercises. These exercises are designed to aid in cleansing the mind of negative and blocking thoughts and allow the universe to begin showing its secrets to you." She found herself wondering just how many of the students would start dozing when they started. "Now, to begin, start taking several deep breaths. Do so slowly, so you do not become anxious. Believe that, with each breath taken, the world surrounding is beginning to drift further and further away… With each inhale, feel your consciousness expand beyond the mundane."

As she gave her instructions, she could already see Misters Thomas and Finnegan had already started to snore. Refraining from rolling her eyes, she focused on the rest of the class. Out of curiosity, she focused her attention on Weasley and was once again surprised. He was actually trying to follow directions.

After the first few classes, she had pegged the youngest of the male Weasleys as a lazy bum who put in just enough effort to complete his homework on time. He had decided on her class to get an easy EE. (She couldn't blame him, as Divination wasn't something you could actually teach others.) Whatever was going on had changed his viewpoint somewhat.

None of this interfered with instructions, of course. After ten minutes, she clapped, startling them all back to awareness. "Now we shall see if you have had your first insight," she declared. "Write down anything you have seen, and give me your interpretation of what it might mean."

Now to wait and see what they all chose to write.

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For some reason, Ron was a little concerned about her instructions.

Not because of the instructions themselves. Under normal circumstances, that usually means a lot of improvisation. No, what concerned him was that he had something this time. He just wasn't sure if he should reveal it.

As he had done the exercises slowly, letting his mind go blank, he felt like he was starting to see something. A stretch of grassy land, a mountain that seemed to reach to the heavens themselves. A strange symbol. He didn't understand what he was seeing, but he felt they were connected somehow. He didn't know how, only that they were.

After a few minutes, he decided to be truthful to a certain point. He began writing down what he had seen, then what he thought it might mean. He wasn't very specific, as he couldn't create a story of that scale like Hermione could. But it also wasn't necessary for this class. And for one brief moment, he didn't have to try and make anything up.

He had just finished writing it up when Trelawney clapped her hands together. "Alright, your homework for this week will be to continue your breathing exercises for ten minutes every day for the rest of the week. You should have enough clues to create a full picture if you are fortunate enough. That will be all. For the remainder of the class, you will write in your Dream Journal, speaking about your latest dream."

He already knew the rest of the instructions by heart. Once he put the dream down, he needed to figure out what it might mean. It was one of the most brain-dead activities he had ever done. Still, this was something he was used to. He quickly got to work.

He had finished up when Trelawney finally dismissed the class. Quickly packing up, he made his way down the stairwell. He didn't want to be late for Potions.

Trelawney nodded as her students left her classroom before looking at Weasley's paper. Her eyes widened as she looked it over. She was starting to think this would prove just the challenge she needed.

Now she needed to see if anyone else wrote something similar.

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Potions and Care for Magical Creatures were relatively normal by the usual standards. However, if Cho were to take a guess, they were more subdued than usual.

Hagrid was still slightly off after his first lesson, but at least he was no longer showing them flobberworms. (Of course, she had heard about that lesson. Everyone in the School did. She was sad she missed it, if only to see Malfoy get taken down a peg or two.)

Professor Snape, on the other hand, was nowhere near as sneering as usual. If she were a betting girl, she could almost say he was preoccupied with something. In fact, he seemed so distracted that he seemingly missed the whispering that was going on right in front of him.

She was glad she didn't choose Divination as an elective, choosing Arithmancy instead. She didn't want to know what Trelawney would say.

Dinner itself was a rambunctious affair, though there was more talk about why Aurors were there now. For the first time in recent memory, none of the Professors were saying anything. Even Dumbledore was conspicuously silent. This brought with it one inescapable conclusion to her.

Someone knew what was going on, and they had a feeling that it was only the beginning.

Her gaze shifted over to Luna, who was sitting alone. She frowned. After everything that had happened, she wondered what had been done to her. Was she being bullied? Were there secrets she possessed that she had to keep, even at the cost of having friends? Were these creatures among those secrets? She resolved to find out some of those secrets.

As she thought this, she saw Luna rise and head out of the Great Hall. Ron rose a few minutes later, letting Seamus and Neville know he would see them later. She decided to follow his example, waiting a minute before doing the same.

Once out of sight of the other students, the three started walking together until they reached a section of the wall. She didn't ask questions, only waiting to see what Luna would do.

Luna walked back and forth in front of the wall three times, then waited. To her companion's utter surprise, a door suddenly appeared before them. She quickly opened it, ushering them inside. Once inside, she shut the door. "Don't worry," she explained. "We won't be bothered while in here. No one else will be able to enter this particular room."

Cho took in the room in question. "What is this room?" she asked. "I've never seen its like before." She noticed three chairs, a shelf filled with books, and what looked like a muggle screen.

"It's called the Room of Requirement or the Come-and-Go room. It's designed to become whatever the person in question needs it to be. If you need a toilet, it'll create a toilet. If you need a training room, it will provide it. There are limits, of course, but those limits are quite broad." She looked around. "Right now, we needed a room to use for privacy." She gestured. "And here we are."

Ron had already sat down in one, nodding. "Bloody more comfortable than the ones in the Common Room," he decided. "Well, let's get down to business. How do you know about those bloody things? And what are they?"

Luna nodded, sitting down. Cho followed suit. "What I am about to tell you, as brief as it will be, will seem strange and implausible. It may even sound like more of that 'nonsense' you all think I make up," she said. "Believe me when I tell you that it is all true. Most of it… just no longer exists."

That did nothing to change their current viewpoint, but they kept their mouths shut and nodded.

And, as if hovering around a campfire with a ghost story to tell, Luna Lovegood began to speak…

This story is of lands and a time from long ago that no longer exists. Of events that have faded into time and didn't even occur at the same exact moment. But they are moments that have had irrevocable consequences for Fate and all of us.

The first event saw the ruination of an Isle, bringing something only known as the Black Mists. It permeated the world, nearly destroying it when the instigator of it tried to kill the Gods of that time, only to be stopped by a great hero. This defeat saw the end of this Ruined King and the Mists disappearing from that world forevermore.

But the Mists survived… and they returned.

The second event occurred almost two hundred years later, on a different planet. Its focal point was in a kingdom known only as Boletaria. The Mists returned as a great fog, slowly enveloping the Kingdom and the rest of the world. From it spawned many monsters, believed to have been forged by a powerful demon. The Mists would have prevailed if not for a group of beings banding together. Utilizing a power known as Soul Arts, the first true Magic, they stopped the Mists and forced it to retreat back into the Void, taking the spirits of those who would use it to their own end with them.

But the Mists survived… and they would return.

The Mists brought two of the most vindictive souls they had taken and began crafting a new force. A force so powerful that its mere presence would cause all of Creation to vanish if it was ever fully unleashed into the physical plane. This being would have no feeling other than implacable fury. Once done, the mists would release it upon an unsuspecting omniverse.

It would be beyond the Alpha, the Omega. It would be the end and ensure there was no new beginning.

It was called Tirnoch.

During its gestation, the Mist formed pacts with mortals, offering them power beyond compare, but enslaving them when they ultimately failed. Even those deemed Gods were powerless against it.

The Mists were opposed by only one force; the group of beings capable of permanently destroying the monsters the Mists created. They were the same beings that had stopped it before and have journeyed throughout the many Cycles of Creation, unknown to all others. The only ones in Reality that could still utilize the Soul Arts.

They are known as the Monumentals.

"Monumentals?" Ron asked, perplexed. "Soul Arts?"

Luna nodded. "The Soul Arts are considered to be the first and most powerful Magic to exist, though what is left is pretty fractured. Mere wisps of what once was an entire religion. As for the Monumentals, they can be anyone. They can be a wizard, a muggle, or something else entirely." She sighed. "But I don't know who they are. Therefore, I decided to try something and create some new ones. Which is where you two come in."

Cho sighed, rubbing her head fretfully. "You're trying to turn us into Monumentals. "

"Pretty much."

"But you said that the Soul Arts are all but extinct," Ron objected. "How are we going to become these Monumentals without them?"

Luna pointed at them. "I started that process with those books," she informed them. "They are books that hold the very basics of the Soul Arts. And you have already begun to feel the impact of it on yourselves."

"What do you-?" Ron's question died when he thought back to the day and how he was able to pay better attention in class. He had had those glimpses during Divination. It was starting to make sense.

It made sense to Cho as well. "That tugging we felt… that's our magic beginning to expand, isn't it," she stated.

Luna nodded. "It's a forced expansion, which is why you felt it. But in order for your powers to reach and surpass their natural apex, you're going to need it. The biggest challenge is ensuring you don't grow too fast."

"Because if we do, we'll lose ourselves to our power."

"Basically."

Ron nodded. "Alright, I get that. It doesn't explain why we have to keep this to ourselves. I mean, there's a squadron of Aurors here, now. I'm pretty sure they know what's going on."

"Because some of the Aurors can't be trusted," Cho surmised. "I'm not sure, but I think a few of them were Death Eaters back in the day. And others have political ambitions. A couple of thirteen-year-old students wouldn't stand a chance against a governement that would want to use them. They could have us arrested or subjected to experiments."

Luna nodded. "That's basically it."

"Alright then, we'll keep it to ourselves for now. And we need to limit our use of it to only those things. I don't want to know what this kind of Magic can do to an actual being."

Ron had to agree with that. The last two years were a good indicator of not trusting those in power. Professor Quirrel and Gilderoy Lockhart came to mind. But there was one person they could talk to. Someone who might be able to help them.

That's if she didn't go down the toilet first.

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"You want me to what?!" Myrtle asked, absolutely surprised. So much so that she was acting more like she had when she was alive. Once the young trio of students had explained everything to her, she wasn't sure she even wanted to stay on this plane of existence. "Even we ghosts have limits to what we can do! Like, we can't fight!"

"You won't have to try," Ron assured her. "But we're still alive, so we have curfews and such. We can do something to stop these things, unlike the others. Also, we're strapped for resources. You're the only one who knows about what happened yesterday. You're the only one we can trust."

Cho smiled. "Besides, don't you think it would be nice to do something other than haunting this bathroom all the time?" she asked. "Make a difference, even if only a small one?"

"Make a difference…." It was a compelling idea that she had once harbored when she was alive. Being bullied as she was, she didn't think she could ever do anything. And then, Tom Riddle killed her, and any chance she had to make a difference was taken from her.

But here was Harry Potter's friend, asking her to do just that. It was surprising. It was a definite far cry from last year.

The young blond girl, who she now knew was called Luna, smiled. "Myrtle, I know you have very little reason to trust people. I know you were bullied when you were alive. I do know how that is. But I promise you, we're not pulling a prank. This darkness threatens you and all other ghosts as much as the living. Besides, it's something I think Harry Potter would do."

That clinched it for her. If Harry was willing to put his life on the line... perhaps she could do this much. Maybe when he got back, he would be impressed with her bravery. "Alright, I'll do it. I won't let you down."

She saw Ron smile in relief. "Thanks, Myrtle. Hopefully, you won't have to worry about anything."

She found herself agreeing with him. Besides, it was Hogwarts. What could threaten it?

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Within the confines of the Chamber of Secrets, something began to stir within.

The Creatures that Tonks and Dumbledore had fought had never reconstituted elsewhere. They weren't supposed to. They were simply the delivery system. Their now free-flowing energy was now heading toward their ultimate destination.

The Chamber of Secrets.

The mists, invisible to the naked eye and undetectable through Magic, slowly reached the center of the main chamber, to the exact point where Harry Potter and Tom Riddle had their last conversation. It hovered for a second, seemingly sniffing the air for something. It shuddered for a moment as if satisfied with what it found.

And then… it seemingly began to dissipate into the air.

And then, a disembodied chuckle began to fill the air.

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Here is Part Three. And I'm not done yet with this, though this would be a pretty good place to stop.

That little expository near the end involved two events in the world of video games. The first is of course League of Legends and the Ruination, as well as an ending that hasn't happened and probably never will. The second event is about the Second Scourge of Demon's Souls, and the events surrounding it. I decided to go with the endng where the Old One was put to sleep by the Maid in Black, leaving the protagonist in a world that has pretty much been decimated, and them as a Monumental. As for why Ron and Cho didn't ask Luna how she would know any of this… well, they kind of already figured that while Luna knows about it, she isn't quite sure how she knows. It'll come up much later, but I just wanted to get this started. I'm hoping that I can drop the answers in slowly.

Please review, let me know what you think, and if there is anything I can do to improve on this.