"Why do you call me Death Walker?"

The corridor of the ancient castle was pitch black, and yet both of its inhabitants could See.

"Am I wrong, Harry Potter?"

The invisible boy walked closer until they stood face to face.

"No. But that doesn't answer my question."

The strange child with eyes that saw too much cocked her head.

"That's what Daddy calls those who master a Hallow. You must be the Shroud-Bearer."

Harry's breath caught in his throat.

"You know of the fragments of divinity?"

The fae girl's smile could have lit up the Dark.

"I know many things, Harry Potter."

Harry continued to stare at the unsettling girl. His head was spinning, and he wasn't sure what to make of her, but he knew that he had to find the right questions to ask. They continued to stand in the lightless corridor, the girl seeming content to let him put his thoughts together as she stared off into space.

She knew… something. Many things, according to her. Enough to recognize him as the cloak's master.

Harry's magic coiled around both of them as they stood in the Dark. He could feel her shining spark, light and free while also being deep and splintered. Her soul felt… broken… in a different way than any he had seen before. It wasn't beaten down or sputtering, but it was cracked. And through those cracks shone a Light he had never seen before. It was both beautiful and terrible…

Harry had a brief vision of soaring on wings of silver and gold.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Luna Lovegood. It's nice to meet you, Harry Potter. Do you want to be my friend?"

She held out her hand like she expected him to hold it while they walked through the Dark.

He hesitated for only a moment before taking it.

"How can you see through the Shroud of Death?"

"I can't, that would be quite impossible unless I master the Eye of Fjolnir."

"Ummm… Ok. We'll circle back to that. How did you know I was there?"

"Because you were. I would not have known if you were not."

"Right. Sure. Back to the... Eye of what?"

"Not yet, Harry Potter. But soon, in the grand scheme of things."

"What do you know of the Mark of Sacrifice?"

"It is a blessing and a curse. To escape from the divine, but to be chained, nonetheless. To be empowered, yet haunted. You are special, Harry Potter."

"And what about the Wings?"

"The Bird of Hermes eats his own Wings every night so that he does not outrun his master, for doing so would invalidate his own existence."

"...what?"

"You heard the voice in the walls as well?"

"Yes, although I could not understand the words. It is both a part of the castle and is not. It both belongs and is an aberration. The great beast stirs in the deep."

"Can you elaborate on that?"

"No."

"Why aren't you wearing shoes?"

"Because I didn't wear them to sleep. I went to sleep in my bed and woke up in the broom cupboard over by the transfiguration classroom. It was very strange."

"Luna, did someone stun you and stuff you in a broom closet?"

"I'm sure that no one would do that. It wouldn't be very nice."

"I don't… Luna, would you like to sit with Hermione, Neville and I at breakfast tomorrow?"

"Yes, that sounds like fun."

"Do you want to go back to the Ravenclaw common room, or would you like to come to Gryffindor with me?"

"Ravenclaw, please. I want to see what the riddle is tonight."

Harry, Hermione, and Neville were already in their normal spot at the breakfast table the next morning when Luna sat down next to them. Hermione looked up in confusion and then over at Harry.

"Good morning, Death Walker. Thank you for walking with me last night."

Harry groaned as Hermione's eyes widened comically. He knew that introducing Luna to everyone was going to be difficult, and he still didn't know how he was going to go about it.

"Right. Hermione, Nev, this is Luna Lovegood. She… knows. About me, about my power, and about the cloak. I ran into her on my walk last night. She also heard the voice in the roots of the castle."

Hermione's eyes glowed subtly as she reined in her magic, an unreadable expression on her face. "Good morning, Luna. It's nice to meet you. Maybe you shouldn't call Harry that in public?" Hermione said.

"I won't unless I know that nobody is listening, don't worry," Luna chirped.

Neville spoke up from the other side of the table, "What does she mean by… that name… Harry?"

Ah. Right. They hadn't had that chat with Neville yet.

"I'll tell you after breakfast. There have been some… developments… that I haven't gotten around to bringing you up to speed on. Sorry Nev."

Neville sighed, "That's alright Harry, I know that there's a lot going on. Thanks for keeping me around, regardless."

"Hey, none of that now. I like having you around, and not just so that Hermione doesn't pester me with study guides."

"Watch it, Potter. You're still on thin ice."

"You would know, Ice Queen."

"Shut up. You ate a mythical tablecloth; you have no room to talk."

They all paused and turned at the sound of Luna's musical giggling. It was oddly entrancing.

Harry smiled. He had a vague feeling that another puzzle piece had just fallen into place.

Harry looked back at his friends as they walked down towards the lake. It was quite early, and he was resuming his morning runs with anyone who wanted to join. Today, everyone decided to come along.

"Luna, why do you have a sack of raw meat?" Hermione asked curiously. She was still getting used to the capricious blonde and her tendency to do unexpected things with zero explanation. Or no explanation that made any type of sense, at least.

"Thestrals are carnivorous, and I thought that they might be a bit peckish this morning."

Like that.

Harry decided to change the subject before Hermione could go down that rabbit hole. "I've been looking closer at Lockhart, Hermione, and I still think that we're missing something. His soul is… hollow, and his magic is terribly weak. It just doesn't seem like a wizard like him could do half the things he describes in his books," Harry said.

Hermione sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Harry. He's done tons of incredible things, fought countless dark creatures and wizards. Maybe something he fought left his magic dwindled and empty, and that's why he decided to take up teaching?"

Harry paused and pondered that. He hadn't considered it from that angle. "Maybe, but I don't think so. I can't be sure, but I get this vague feeling he's been telling so many lies, both to others and himself, for so long that he doesn't know what's true anymore. I don't know what to make of it."

"We'll just have to wait and see. As long as he keeps leaving you alone," Hermione glared at him briefly, "then it's not really something we need to worry about. We apparently have bigger issues."

They stopped at their clearing near the edge of the lake. Luna skipped a stone on the black water. Harry lost sight of it after about twenty skips, and he wondered if it just kept going all the way across the lake.

"The voice in the walls," He said.

"Yes. You should tell the headmaster, just in case," Hermione said.

"He must already know. He would have heard it too, whether he heard the words like I did or the presence in the castle's soul like Luna. If I hear it again and he doesn't mention it, I'll bring it up to him."

"If you say so, Harry."

Harry turned to Luna and Neville. "Are you going to run or meditate or what today?"

Luna looked up at him with her round blue eyes. It was nice not being the shortest in the group anymore.

"I'm going to go feed the Thestrals. They aren't too far into the forest."

"Ok, just be careful." Harry felt a bit silly telling her to stay safe, since she obviously saw more clearly than he did most of the time.

"Only because you asked so nicely, Shroud Bearer." She said with an amused giggle, before skipping away into the dark forest.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right, what about you, Nev?"

"Just going to run, I think."

"Alright, we'll check in with you when we pass by."

Neville jogged away, leaving Harry and Hermione alone in the clearing.

"Ready to lose, Ice Queen?"

"Don't get a big head just because you cheated yesterday, Mr. Death Stroller."

They called on their power, the atmosphere in the clearing warping and crackling as it boiled and froze at the same time. Brilliant light-blue sparks flashed while flickering green bolts danced between them as they both flooded their bodies and the soul of the forest with their magic. Harry looked into Hermione's glowing eyes and felt her magic singing with his in a harmony of safety and home as she stared back into his own shining green orbs. He couldn't help but grin widely at finally being able to share this with his best friend.

She smiled crookedly back before taking off around the lake with an explosion of light and magic. He took off after her, slowly closing the distance to her vibrant spark as they both rocketed through the dim forest in the early morning light. Once he was in range he caught a glimpse of her dazzling form, alight with ice blue magic as she danced between the trees. She threw a happy smile over her shoulder at him, and his breath caught in his throat.

She was beautiful.

And then she was gone, speeding away through the forest as her magic intensified and her steps carried her into the canopy far above. Harry blinked and shook off the strange feeling in his chest before racing after her, determined to beat her around the lake despite his slow start. He would never hear the end of it if he lost so easily.

Harry flew in lazy loops around the tall spires of the ancient school. He never got sick of flying, the autumn air and wind on his face a welcome tonic to the stress of normal life. Well, normal for him at any rate. There would always be something about the freedom of the open sky that called to him, even if he was unsure about his feelings regarding the Wings.

As he passed the owlery, he unconsciously reached out with his magic and felt the familiar connection with Hedwig. The remarkably intelligent owl did her own thing most of the time, but always knew where to find him if he needed her. He smiled as she appeared through the open window of the owlery, soaring after him on wide, silent wings of snow. Her soul mingled contentedly with his own as they flew, spiraling and corkscrewing around one and other as they weaved between the lofty towers.

As the sun started to set, Harry touched down at the top of the astronomy tower with a sigh. He casually reached up and allowed Hedwig to land on his arm before stroking her feathers gently. She hooted softly at him, and he felt a sense of contentment and slightly indulgent care from her unusual soul. He looked out over the horizon and touched the Shroud of Death within him, enjoying the calm feeling of peace as the world was slowly blanketed in Dark.

Harry tried his best to enjoy the lively Halloween feast. Bad things always seemed to happen to him on Halloween. He knew that it was just superstition, but he had learned not to discount things like that since coming to Hogwarts. You never knew when magic's ironic sense of humor was going to rear its ugly head. He looked over and caught Hermione's eye, knowing that she was thinking along the same lines. He tried not to think about the Troll.

Suddenly Luna looked up and stared straight into his eyes with startling intensity. His stomach tightened at her serious expression, knowing that whatever came out of her mouth probably wasn't going to be good news.

"Remember not to run too fast, Harry Potter."

Harry blinked at her in confusion for roughly two seconds before he heard it.

"...rip…tear…KILL…"

Harry jumped to his feet, looking up at the head table and meeting Dumbledore's eyes. The headmaster looked calmly back at him. As Harry untangled himself from the seat, Albus stood up and cleared his throat loudly.

"It has been a lovely celebration of All Hallows eve, but our beds are once again sorely in need of attention. Please make your way…"

Harry raced out of the hall, Hermione hot on his heels. He did remember to keep his speed to normal human levels while countless eyes in the hall followed his egress.

"...sooo hungry…for sooo long…"

Once they made it out of the hall, they picked up the speed. "I can feel it now!" Hermione exclaimed beside him as they ran. "I think it's coming from above us."

Harry nodded. "Take the stairs and do your best to catch up, Ice Queen." He caught a brief glimpse of her sticking her tongue out at him before he jumped, empowering his leap and calling on the Dark so that he sailed through the ceiling and up to the second floor.

"... I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD!"

Harry ramped his magic up further as he sprinted down the dim corridors, the anomalous feeling in the castle's enormous soul getting closer and closer as he skidded around a corner and found…

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

The message was written on the wall of the hallway in what looked suspiciously like blood. Hanging from the torch sconce was Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat. Her frozen form was reflected in the puddle below, doubly disturbing as she hung stiff and still, as if she had already been dead for some time. Conversely, Harry could still feel the magical spark within her. It was just… frozen in a way that he had never seen, didn't know was possible. He had never seen a soul with no movement, no flow to it before.

He was still standing back and considering when Hermione arrived, skidding to his side in a storm of blue sparks. The glow in her eyes began to fade as she took in the scene.

"I can't feel the beast anymore Harry, it disappeared just a few moments ago. This may be a silly question, but do you think that it wrote this on the wall? It would have had to write pretty quickly…"

Harry shook his head. "No, there is something else at play here. Something that is outside of our sight. I'll have to talk to Albus and see what he…"

There was an approaching cacophony of noise as the rest of the students rounded the corner behind them, both sides of the hallway filling with students as they made their way to the various common rooms. They stopped dead in a wave of silence as they stared at the frozen cat and the writing on the wall, as well as Harry and Hermione standing in front of the scene.

At the front of the crowd, a wide grin split Malfoy's pointed face. "Enemies of the Heir beware! You'll be next Mudbloods!" The blond laughed and Harry came very close to reaching out and breaking his puny, insignificant soul before-

"MY CAT! WHAT'S HAPPENED TO MY CAT?"

Argus Filch forced his way through the crowd, staring at the hanging body of Mrs. Norris. The caretaker's eyes were wide with horror and pain, and his wild gaze landed on Harry and Hermione.

"YOU! YOU MURDERED MY CAT! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL RIP OUT YOUR-"

"Argus!

Harry wasn't particularly fond of death threats, but he understood. He would be ready to tear apart the school with his bare hands if someone killed Hedwig.

Dumbledore strode down the hallway. His eyes were alight with fiery power and the students backed away from him instinctively. He swept past everyone and swiftly took the cat's frozen body down from the sconce.

"Argus. Harry. Miss Granger. Come with me."

Harry's stomach clenched as the least welcome voice possible chimed in.

"My office is closest, headmaster, if you-"

"Thank you, Gilderoy."

They set off towards the defense against the dark Arts classroom, McGonagall and Snape following behind them.

Albus examined the still form of Mrs Norris where she lay on Lockhart's desk. Harry could feel the headmaster's magic caressing and sliding over the cat's spark as he worked. Lockhart rambled on about transmogrification or something, and a small part of Harry was happy to see Hermione's face pinching in disapproval as she glanced at the famous professor. Harry looked back at the ancient headmaster and let a little bit of his magic loose, just a tendril that he used to brush against Dumbledore's power, almost like tapping him on the shoulder.

The headmaster made no outward sign of recognition, but his magic shifted and formed a connection with Harry's that he hadn't considered before. With skill and finesse the far outstripped Harry's own, Dumbledore mingled a small portion of their magic and-

"Do you have any insights, Harry?"

Albus' voice rang in his mind. That was… interesting. Harry tried to follow the connection and think back in the headmaster's general direction.

"Did you hear the voice in the walls, or just the anomalous presence within the soul of the castle?"

"The latter."

Harry felt around in his own mind with his power, which was a decidedly odd experience, and tried to push the memory of the voice to Dumbledore.

"That is congruent with several of my suspicions but will require additional testing at a later time."

"She's not dead, Argus," the headmaster said aloud.

"I have it on good authority that the beast is stirring in the deep. Does that mean anything to you, Albus?"

"Not dead?" Filch choked and looked relieved and hopeful through his angry tears.

"It has long been suspected that Salazar Slytherin left some type of immortal monster within the Chamber of Secrets, a hidden sanctuary for himself and his descendants."

Filch moved closer. "Why's she all stiff and frozen then?" He said stuffily.

"Who are the enemies of the Heir?"

"She has been petrified," Dumbledore said. "But how, I can only speculate."

"Salazar Slytherin was steadfast in his belief that muggleborn students must be permanently removed from their mundane families."

"Ask him!" Filch yelled, pointing accusingly at Harry. "He's the one who-"

"Slytherin saw the first-generation mages as an unacceptable security risk, and he did not believe that mundane people had the right to decide the futures of magical children."

"I assure you, Argus, this was not Harry's doing. Nor Miss Granger's."

"Salazar clashed with the other founders over this belief, to the point that he finally left the school. However, he was adamant that no muggleborn students would ever join his House, and that one day the other founders would come to rue the day that they allowed any of the mundane population to be aware of magic."

"But Albus, you saw what he wrote on the wall!" Filch's face twisted as he rounded on Harry.

"Some have postulated that Slytherin left his monster in the Chamber of Secrets to purge the school of muggleborn students and remove the security risk that they pose to the safety and secrecy of the magical world."

"I was in the Great Hall when the headmaster dismissed everyone from the feast! I didn't write that message and I didn't petrify your cat. We just made it to the scene of the crime first, that's all."

"So, whoever is behind this is after muggleborns, then?"

"Innocent until proven guilty, Argus." Dumbledore said placatingly.

"It is possible, but there may be other factors at play. Tom Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets when he was at school fifty years ago, before mastering the Resurrection Stone and taking up the mantle of Lord Voldemort."

"MY CAT HAS BEEN PETRIFIED; I WANT TO SEE SOME PUNISHMENT!" The caretaker yelled, gesturing wildly at his frozen pet.

"WHAT? And you didn't think to tell me sooner? We will be talking about this habit of yours later, Albus. I'm still not getting all of my mail."

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. A potion made with mature mandrake roots will be able to restore her. In the meantime, it is merely as though she is asleep."

"I suppose that your condemnation is fair, Harry, but please consider that I have lived a very long time and have a significant number of responsibilities. I cannot always know which details will become relevant until it is too late.

As I was saying, Tom Riddle used the monster within the Chamber to petrify several students in a similar manner to Mrs. Norris here before succeeding in killing a muggleborn girl, which almost resulted in the school being closed. When he realized that the closure of the school would result in him being forced to return to a war-torn mundane London, he framed a convenient target of which the rest of the staff were already prepared to believe the worst and covered his tracks."

Snape and Lockhart were arguing about something. Harry didn't care.

"Right. Ok. Voldemort is clearly possessing someone within the school again this year and has decided to utilize the beast within the Chamber to enact his goals rather than acting directly. So, all we can do is scan the sparks of every student we can, and try to find the monster when it emerges?"

"There is one other step that we may be able to take, but it will require further research. Please come to my office tonight after curfew and we will discuss our next steps in greater detail."

"Thank you for your time, Harry, Miss Granger. It was most enlightening. I apologize for the impediment of your Halloween evening; you may return to your common room."

They quickly exited the office and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower. As they walked, Hermione reached out and touched Harry's hand.

"You are going to tell me what Dumbledore said, right? That was like being stuck between two people speaking a different language right in front of me."

"It was new to me too!" Harry said in his defense. "And yes, I have quite a lot to fill you in on. Albus has been holding out on us…"