Here is the Place Where I Love You Chapter 7: Regulus, a harry potter fanfic

A/N at end of chapter.

-HTPWILY-

It was the end of May, and Hermione was in Gryffindor Tower, working meticulously on her revisions for their NEWTS, when a thought sprang into her mind. "Oh, Merlin," she breathed.

Sirius and Remus each looked up at her quizzically.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Sirius questioned

Hermione shook her head and began – cryptically – explaining. "Why didn't I think of this before? Sirius, where is your brother?" She asked forcibly.

Sirius was taken aback by her question and began spluttering his words out, attempting to wring out an appropriate answer. "My – my brother? Why on earth would you want to know about my brother? Whole family hates me and I want nothing to do with them." Sirius finally came about a response and crossed his arms.

"Because he's not a Death Eater, not really. Well, he is, but pretty soon he won't be. The Locket! Oh, Merlin, the Locket!"

Sirius stared at Hermione, a slightly baffled look on his face. Hermione blushed and explained most everything she knew about Regulus Black.

To Hermione's shock, Sirius began laughing. Quite hysterically. "R.A.B.? You mean to say that you – you lot knew me and that I had a brother, and you didn't figure this out sooner?" Sirius burst into a fit of laughter, only to be stopped by Hermione's indignant shriek.

"Sirius! Don't you see? This is important! We need to get that Horcrux, and soon!" Hermione rambled on.

"Wait, back up. What is a 'Horcrux'? And what does the bloody locket have to do with it?" Sirius was completely confused now.

Remus, who had been silently watching the entire exchange with curious intent, spoke up, sighing. "The locket is clearly a Horcrux, though I haven't the slightest what a Horcrux is."

"A Horcrux is the foulest act of Dark Magic. Period, no contest. A Horcrux stores part of your soul in an item that is not your body," Both boys' eyes widened, near comically. "Voldemort, or if you prefer, Tom Riddle –"

"Tom Riddle?" Remus gasped. "You didn't tell us he was Tom bleeding Riddle!"

"Shit, there is a lot you guys don't know. I'll explain later," Sirius and Remus both nodded. "Anyway, Voldemort is using Horcruxes to stay alive even when he dies." Hermione paused, reigning in her bearings. "To create a Horcrux, you have to murder someone first. When you make a Horcrux, you literally tear your soul to pieces. You have to be as mad to do this as you have to be to drink unicorn blood. Maybe more." Remus and Sirius gaped, but didn't say anything, so Hermione went on. "In my time, Voldemort had 7 Horcruxes. 6 he made on purpose, 1 he made on accident."

"Accident? How do you make a bleeding Horcrux on accident?" Sirius exclaimed.

"I'll explain later. Anyway, he had 7 Horcruxes. In my timeline, the first, his Diary, was destroyed in the Chamber of Secrets by Harry," Remus looked like he was about to interject with a question, but Hermione held up her hand. "The next was Marvolo Gaunt's ring; destroyed by Dumbledore with Godric Gryffindor's sword – which was infused with basilisk venom, however that is, again, another story. The third was the Locket; destroyed by Ron with the sword. The fourth was Helga Hufflepuff's Cup; I destroyed that one with a basilisk fang. The fifth was Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem – or, crown; destroyed by an idiot Slytherin who was playing with Fiendfyre. The sixth; Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake – she was destroyed by Neville with Gryffindor's sword.

"The last one… the last was Harry," Sirius and Remus gasped, and Hermione could tell that, had they been drinking something, they surely would have choked. They looked like they wanted to say something, but they held themselves back. "Harry was made a Horcrux on October 31, 1981 when… when he…" Hermione choked on the words, but plowed on. "Well, Sirius, your brother is supposed to be helping Voldemort hide a Horcrux soon – the Locket. We have to think of a way to get him to steal the Horcrux for us. As soon as he knows that the Locket is a Horcrux, he is going to want to deform from the Death Eaters, and if we can destroy all of the Horcruxes he's made thus far before October 31, 1981, we have a chance at killing him. We have a chance at killing him without Lily and James dying. I swear, if it kills me, Harry will grow up with his parents!" Hermione finished her rant with a not-so-graceful flourish.

"Whoa, there, Hermione, one step at a time; we've got two and a half years until this is meant to happen, we can take a minute to work this out." Sirius eased. "Okay, now, which of the Horcruxes have already been made?" Sirius asked, trying to keep things calm and organized for Hermione.

"Let's see… Definitely the Diary, Locket, and Diadem; the Diary he made with Moaning Myrtle's death –"

"Moaning Myrtle? Dear Merlin, this man…" Sirius exclaimed, trailing off.

"Anyway, the Locket he's just made recently, and the Diadem he made when he applied to be the Defense teacher right out of school…" Hermione trailed off, thinking. "Yes, those are the only three. Now, we need a plan of action…"

-HTPWILY-

"Regulus! Regulus!" Hermione called out as she ran through the near-empty Third Floor Corridor, the very same that would be forbidden in her first year. "Regulus Arcturus Black, if you do not wish to die a very painful death at the age of 18, you will talk to me right now!" This got Regulus' attention.

"What do you want, Mudblood?" Regulus sneered as he slowly turned around to face Hermione, a look of stony calm masking his emotions.

"Come with me." Hermione grabbed at Regulus' arm, but he was faster, so she didn't get a hold on it. Hermione huffed. "Fine," Hermione hastily dug out a drawing of Slytherin's Locket, and held it up for Regulus to see. "Have you ever seen this before?"

"Yes. Where did you get that drawing from?" Regulus snapped shortly.

"My memory," Hermione rolled her eyes and continued. "Anyway, it's a Horcrux. Ever heard of a Horcrux?" Regulus shook his head slowly, so Hermione explained what a Horcrux is, along with the fact that this particular Horcrux belonged to the Dark Lord.

"So? What did this have to do with me?"

"Everything. Listen, I am from the year 1998, when Voldemort," Regulus shuddered, but Hermione ignored that. "Was finally done away with. I know that within the month, Voldemort," Shudder, "Will ask for your help in hiding it, with the aid of your House-elf, Kreacher."

Regulus was horrified. In order to hide this fact, he bit out another question. "How do you know about Kreacher?"

"I said I was from the future. Does that mean anything to you? Also, Kreacher's a nasty piece of work, though he does worship the very ground you walk on."

Regulus appeared to be fighting some internal battle, and it looked like his mind was losing over his conscious. Sighing, he said, "Fine. What do you want me to do?"

Hermione thrust the drawing into Regulus' hand. "I want you to transfigure an exact replica of the Locket to swap out with the real one. I also want you to swear on your magic that you will not tell a single soul, especially not Voldemort," Shudder. "What you plan to do? Understand?" When Regulus nodded, she said, "Wand out." Regulus stuck his wand out, and Hermione grasped it. "Repeat after me; I, Regulus Black,"

"I, Regulus Black,"

"Do swear on my magic,"
"Do swear on my magic,"

"That I will not tell a single person, living or dead, who does not presently know,"

"About neither Hermione Granger's plan,"

"To destroy the Dark Lord's Horcruxes,"

"Nor her standing as a visitor from the future."

The two were enveloped by a golden mist-like light coming from Regulus' wand.

"Thank you." Hermione said as she turned to walk away and let Sirius know of his brother's coming to the light side.

Hermione was about to turn the corner when she heard, faintly, Regulus murmur something. "No, thank you." Hermione smiled slightly to herself, pleased that things were beginning to turn around, at least for a while.

-HTPWILY-

"How did he take it, Hermione?" Sirius questioned her the moment she walked through the portrait hole.

"Brilliantly. It was quite shocking, really. As soon as I explained that Voldemort is using Horcruxes, his face fell, and he looked rather horrified. After he agreed, though, I made him swear on his magic he wouldn't say anything about the plan, or about my being from the future to anyone who doesn't already know." Sirius grinned at her, and put his arm around her shoulder.

Remus walked over, looking quite satisfied. "Impressive, Hermione, I didn't think he would turn so easily."

Hermione shrugged. "Well, in my time, he converted just as quickly, and sacrificed himself even quicker."

"I knew he had some hope!" Sirius quipped.

"I thought you gave up hope when you moved in with James?" Hermione teased.

-HTPWILY-

"Regulus," A snake-like voice commanded. "Come, my loyal follower. I have a… task of great importance for you to carry out."

Regulus bowed and stepped forward, making sure his Occlumency walls were up and strong. "My Lord, it is an honour."

"Regulus, I ask that you take this," The Dark Lord pulled out a green Locket from his cloak. "And hide it. You must take your House-elf, Kreacher to aid in the quest. As soon as you and Kreacher each touch it, it will act as a Portkey and it will take you to the hiding place."

"It would be my honour to serve you in this task, my Lord." Regulus bowed deeply.

"I require that you go about this immediately. You will find that Kreacher knows the specifics of the task." The Dark Lord handed the Locket to Regulus. "You are dismissed." He waved off Regulus with one hand, and Regulus swiftly left.

"Kreacher!" The foul-mouthed house-elf appeared at Regulus' side, admiration shining in his eyes. "It is time, we must go. Touch the Locket and we can be off."

"Yes, Master Regulus." Kreacher touched the Locket obediently, and immediately the two felt the familiar hook-behind-the-naval feeling of Portkey transportation.

When the pair landed, they landed before a large bowl filled with a potion of sorts.

"Kreacher must drink the potion. Kreacher will drink entire potion." Kreacher told his master as he was digging through his robes, trying to find the replica Locket.

"Of course, Kreacher, drink away." Regulus said off-handedly, grinning triumphantly when he pulled out the fake locket, which he opened and slipped a note in, making sure that it stuck out slight, to ensure that he did not mix up the lockets, for that would completely bollocks up the entire mission.

The note read:

To the Dark Lord –

I know that I will be long dead before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.

- R.A.B

Several minutes, and much moaning later, the potion was gone, and Regulus placed the fake Locket in the bowl.

"Water, water, Master Regulus, Kreacher needs water."

Sighing, Regulus said, "You can have water when you get back to number 12. For now, I have to get back to Hogwarts. You need to bring me there."

Kreacher nodded weakly and apparated the two of them back to Hogwarts.

-HTPWILY-

A/N – There is absolutely no excuse for how late I am with the chapter. I am so so sorry. I will try to get the next chapter out within the week, but I just can't make any promises.

Unfortunately, I am severely disappointed with myself on account of this chapter. But, alas, this chapter had to be done, as it bleeds into the eventual destruction of Voldy. However, the shortness is inexcusable. For that, too, I apologize.

I am, however, still looking for a Beta! Let me know ASAP if you want to be my Beta for this story.

Keep reviewing,

Victoria