What if Regulus knew something? What if he never hid the locket at grimmauld place? What if, knowing he was going to die, he got revenge by telling Kreacher to send the locket somewhere that so steeped in darkness that Volde looked like a wailing child to them? Oh, also – Regulus in this is not a very nice person, and he never forgave his brother, seeing him as a traitor to the family to the end.

"We went into the cave, and took a small boat over deep water to a small island in the middle. There was a bowl with a potion in it. Dumbledore drank it, and it made him start weeping. In the end, there wasn't even a horcrux there, but a fake with a note to Voldemort saying that the original had been stolen, he would never get it again, and that he was cursed forever. It was signed R.A.B., and that's it, really."

Harry stopped talking, and Hermione was opening her mouth to ask a question when a soft, twisted chuckle came from the corner, a chuckle that turned into words, "Yes, Master took the locket, Master did. Master was very angry at Voldey-Voldey. So angry, so angry, he was. Even angrier than he was at the master who was a traitor to the family. I went there with Master, took him there, because Kreacher went there with the Dark Lord, oh yes Kreacher did. Hah. Dark Lord was filth, Master said."
The three teenagers sitting in the room had spun around to stare at the house elf in the corner when he started talking, and watched as he talked and stepped out of the shadows.

"Oh, yes, Master was going to kill the Dark Lord, but the Dark Lord was tricksy, so, so tricksy. After Master took out the real one, and put in the fake one with a curse just for Voldey-Voldey, something happened, and Master touched the water." Kreacher's voice turned even more hateful and filled with sorrow "The Dark Lord had made a trap, and Kreacher wasn't fast enough to save Master. But Master, oh, he gave Kreacher instructions, did Master, and Kreacher carried them out. First, Kreacher sent the locket far, far away, to the lands where no one goes, with a letter saying it was a gift to the Priest-King, just like Master said to. Then Kreacher stuck the crazy painting to the wall, in case the traitor ever got out."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were staring at the elf with open mouths, too stunned to even ask questions, and Kreacher kept on talking.
"Kreacher also got revenge on the traitor, for Master. Hah! Traitor kicked Kreacher, saying Kreacher was useless, but Kreacher had his orders, Kreacher did. But now you found the fake locket, and you are trying to kill the Dark Lord Voldey-Voldey, so I can help you, yes, Kreacher can."

Kreacher stepped further into the light and smiled a small twisted and sick little smirk. "First, Kreacher will tell Voldey-Voldey where the locket was sent, and he will run there. Hah! A trap even bigger than the curse on the fake locket that Master made, yessssss... Then Harry Potter will follow the Dark Lord, but he will be safe in the dangerous place, yes, he will, and the Dark Lord will die, yes, he will. Harry Potter will be safe, he and whoever he takes, even if he was the traitor's godson. Master was wise, Master was smart, Master was, oh yesssss. Do you want to know where Dark Lord Voldey will go, Harry Potter?"

Harry stared for a moment as he felt his brain start working again, then he blurted "Yes! Where?!" Kreacher's little smirk became even more sinister as he stepped forward and whispered, "The last hidden land of the priests of the Azteca, that's where Kreacher sent the locket, oh yes, just like Master said to!" Kreacher slowly stepped back and started giggling, a sight that so disturbed the three that they left the room as fast as they could.

-Months later-

Few people looked twice at the trio of teens as they headed past Customs in the Austin International Airport, even though two of them were in a constant and irritating low level argument, while the third watched and spent his time rolling his eyes.

Two days later, when they crossed the border into Mexico at the Laredo border crossing, they were barely glanced at, peoples eyes skipping over them, with the argument still ongoing, while the third teen was no longer rolling his eyes, but looking almost ready to murder the other two.

Three days of bus trips and motels later, and two very quiet and chastened teens followed the third, who wore an almost blissful expression of peace as they walked around a small village, trying to find a certain cantina. After finally finding it, the black haired teen asked the girl to his left "Is this it?"

The girl answered "Yes, Harry, this should be it. It has the correct symbol painted above the door, just like the book said."

Harry turned to the red-head on his right, and said "Okay, you are going to stay close to me and Hermione. If the book was right, they kill foreign wizards here. I'm really hoping Kreacher was right, and that they won't kill us."

The red-head just nodded and looked at Harry sideways. Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Ok Ron, fine, you can speak again. But if either of you start arguing again, what happened back there is going look like Christmas time compared to what I will do. Okay?"

Ron nodded, and said quietly " Right, mate. Just, don't go mental again, please?"

Harry replied with a hum, and walked into the weathered old building, the other two stepping quickly to walk close alongside him.