Harry awoke with a small figure standing in front of him poking him hard in the chest. Harry jumped in surprise causing the small man to be thrown backwards off his bed. Pain shot through Harry's shin again. He grabbed his glasses from the dresser beside him and quickly looked for the little creature.
Dobby pulled himself back onto the bed and bowed at Harry.
"Dobby! What are you doing here? Wait. Don't tell me. You sent a Bludger to send me home injured." Said Harry with a small grin.
Dobby smiled back. "No Harry Potter. Not this time. I am here because I need to tell you something." Dobby rushed forward and grabbed Harry's collar. "Something hugely important. And we must go now, right now Harry Potter, he can't stay long."
"Dobby, who are you talking about? What's so important?"
Dobby didn't answer, but was pulling at Harry's arm to get him out of bed. He wobbling dangerously on his legs but stayed upright.
"Ready Harry Potter?" asked Dobby still holding onto his wrist.
"Ready for what?" he asked. He realised a second later and quickly reached for his wand. As soon as he had it safely in his hands, Dobby disapparate, causing everything to blur around him.
Harry's vision settled. He quickly looked around the room.
"We're still in Hogwarts?" he asked, when he recognised the room as one of the usually empty classrooms.
"Yes, Harry Potter. We're on the forth floor." Dobby answered, then Harry saw him take a wand out from under his hat.
"Dobby? Where did you get a wand?"
"This is his Harry Potter. I wouldn't let him see you if he had it. I think he is a bad man. But he tells me Dumbledore has a message for you, a message that will save your life."
"What? Dobby that doesn't make sense. Who is this person?"
"Hello Potter." The voice came from behind Harry. "So glad you could make it to this lesson."
Harry slowly turned to see Severus Snape sneering back at him wearing what looked like a bowlers hat. Harry aimed his wand and shouted "Stupefy!"
It was like a shield was in front of Snape; the spell ricocheted back towards Harry, Causing him to throw himself to the ground.
Snape made no attempted to advance towards Harry, and just stood there. Then spoke.
"The first time you spoke to the Headmaster, he mentioned a sweet which he disliked because of an experience in his childhood. Correct?"
Harry struggled to his feet, his wand still trained of Snape. Dobby was standing in the corner looking nervous.
"Correct?" repeated Snape, as he removed the bowler hat, which now Harry recognised as one of the Weasly's shield hats.
"What are you talking about?" demanded Harry.
"Can you remember what flavour the sweet was?" asked Snape loudly.
"Yes! It was-"
"Vomit." Finished Snape.
"What has this got to do with any-"
"I'm telling you this because Professor Dumbledore told me to. And to give you this." He removed a vile of Silver liquid and spilled it on the stone floor.
A ghostly image of Albus Dumbledore stood before them. Then he spoke.
"Hello Harry. If you are watching this I am dead. This was made the night before you and I went to retrieve that Horocrux. I'm guessing things didn't go according to plan. But anyway, how are you Harry?" and he paused to let Harry answer.
"I…you can hear me?" asked Harry.
"Of course not you foolish child." Answered Snape. "He is just a memory."
"He is quite right Harry. I cannot hear or see you."
"But…you just." Attempted Harry.
"I am merely guessing what your responses will be. Oh and by the way, I love the hat you're wearing."
Harry paused.
"Professor, I'm not wearing a hat."
"I know. I was merely testing." Said Dumbledore with a small grin. Then he continued. "Harry. If we succeeded in destroying that Horocrux there should only be three remaining. I need you to continue the search. With Snape here you should know that he is trustworthy. I was dieing Harry. I didn't have long left. I told Professor Snape that if he ever had to choose between his loyalties and his cover, his cover was always the most important. And if he's with you now, he must have some information that nobody else could possibly get. Goodbye Harry and good luck."
With that Dumbledore's ghostly figure disappeared.
"Now, we can begin." Said Snape briskly. "How many of the other three remaining Horocruxes are still-?"
"There's four left." Interrupted Harry, "The locket was a fake. Somebody had beaten us to it."
"Of course. Our faith is the hands of a boy who isn't up to the task. Do you even have any idea how you are going to beat him?"
Harry didn't answer.
Snape frowned. "So you haven't made any progress at all? Of course not. Harry Potter is more concerned about Quiddich and his stupid little girlfriend. Do you not know-"
Snape was blasted against the wall. Harry stood over him with a look of fury in his eyes. Snape coughed heavily and was attempting to stand, when he saw Harry raise his wand again.
"A house-elf." Coughed Snape. "A house-elf has the locket. The Dark Lord has been dreaming of Elf shouting at locket in an attempt to open it. It must be where it is."
"How do you know this?" said Harry bitterly.
Snape smiled. "Because, unlike you I am a master at Legilimency. Now all you have to do is find a house-elf-"
Dobby let out a squeak.
Both wizards turned to him.
"Dobby?" said Harry.
"You have Slytherin's locket? Finished Snape.
The elf shook his head. "No Harry Potter, but you do!"
"What do you-?" Harry stopped, and realisation crept over his face. "You have got to be joking me!"
He paused, and then shouted, "Kreacher!"
Harry's feeble and old House-Elf appeared, wearing his Hogwarts apron.
"What possible brilliant reason could Master have called his faithful disgraced House-Elf to his side?" said Kreacher with a small bow.
"Give it to me Kreacher. You have the locket and we need it. Hand it over."
Kreacher mouth fell open and his eyes widened.
"What locket do you mean, Master?" he asked attentively.
"Slytherin's locket, Kreacher. Hand it over."
Kreacher started screaming, and banging his head against the stone floor.
"Where did you get it?" shouted Snape over the screeching. "Elf! Answer me!"
"Master gave it to me to mind!" yelled Kreacher.
"Master? But…" Harry stopped. "Sirius gave it to you?"
"No Master. No that Master, my good Master. The younger Black, the good son. Good, loyal faithful, Master Regulus." Said a sobbing Kreacher.
"Regulus? Regulas…Black…" Harry jaw drooped. "R.A.B… Kreacher, your master was trying to do something great. Did you finish it? Is it destroyed?"
The howling house-elf held pull out a dark green locket from within his robe and held it out to Harry.
"It's unbreakable. I've tried, I've tried." The elf fell to his knee and handed the locket to Harry. Snape watched the transaction with fixed eyes, and then he spoke.
"There are two more Horocruxes in Hogwarts."
Harry who had been examining the locket closely suddenly looked up.
"What? Two? Where."
"Find out yourself Potter. I went through enough trouble getting this information to you. Do you have any idea what would happen if it was found out that I was here?"
"Yes." Said Harry defiantly. "I imagine it every day. It helps me get to sleep at night."
Snape glared at Harry menacingly. "There is a Death Eater working at Hogwarts." he said with as much venom as he could muster.
"Thanks. But don't worry. I'm used to that."
They both glared at each other, then Snape spoke. "Elf! I need to return!"
Dobby bowed to both wizards rushed over to Snape and gripped his wrist.
And with a crack, they had both gone.
Harry bend down to the miserable house-elf, and whispered in his ear.
"Thank you, Regulus would be proud." And he walked away.
Harry was going to go back to the Hospital Wing but he decided to wake Ron and Hermione and tell them what had just happen, and to give them the locket to mind. He limped painfully to the Griffindor Tower. The Fat Lady proved very difficult to wake. But his luck improved when he found Ron and Hermione on the large sofas in the Common Room. Harry saw some items of clothing in various positions around the room. Harry let them know he was there with a loud clearing of his throat. The two of them jumped in fright. Hermione grabbed a cusion to cover herself, and Ron quickly began buttoning up his shirt.
"Tut tut." Harry said with a smile. "It's late you two should be in bed. And I mean different beds."
"Oh no you don't." said Hermione angrily. "You can't talk. You're supposed to be in the Hospital Wing. Not…barging in-"
Harry interrupted her and told them what had just happened.
"Oh my God." Said Ron. "Do you believe him?"
"Yes, I think I do." Replied Harry.
"Harry, this is incredible news, but it doesn't change the fact that you should be in the Hospital Wing. You could have told us all this in the morning."
"No I couldn't. Because I need to ask you something Hermione."
"What?"
He handed them the Horocrux.
"I need you to make me something that will kill the most evil man in the world."