Draco woke the next morning to scratchy eyes and a frantic knocking on his bedpost. He blinked, trying to get more moisture to his eyes. He fumbled for a moment with the curtains of the bed before remembering he had spelled them shut. He looked down at himself and realized with a start that he was still naked. Well, thank Merlin the curtains were shut.
He scrambled into his pajamas and then out of bed.
"What?" he snapped at Blaise, the source of the knocking.
"Professor Snape is in the Common Room. He wants to see us."
"He what?" Blaise shrugged and motioned for Draco to follow him. Draco pulled his bathrobe off of the hook on the wall and swung it around his shoulders before following Blaise out to the common room.
Snape was standing in the middle of the room, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Draco and Blaise to arrive. Pansy was standing next to him, twisting her cardigan sleeve in her hands. Draco quickly realized that he was the only one in pajamas. Had he really slept that late?
"There you are," Snape said as they walked up. He frowned at Draco's pajamas, but did not say anything about them. "The Headmaster wants to see the three of you."
"What?" Pansy asked. She stopped twisting her sleeves and instead stared at Professor Snape, her eyes wide.
"Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office," Snape said. "As soon as possible." Here, he looked at Draco again.
"Do I have time to change?" Draco asked.
"Only if you're quick about it," Snape snapped. Draco didn't need telling twice. He tore out of the common room and back into the sixth year boy's dormitory. He pulled on his uniform from the day before, ignoring the fact that it was rumpled, and ran back to the common room. Snape nodded once as he reached them, then turned with a swish of his cloak and led the three of them out into the corridor.
Draco's only thought was that they were in trouble for going to the Chamber of Secrets. He began coming up with excuses as they walked. It had been Potter's idea. He hadn't really wanted to go. Then he wondered how good Dumbledore's Legilimency skills were. He began building up barriers in his mind just in case. He would not think about Harry. Nor would he think about the Chamber of Secrets. Nor would he think about his embarrassing patronus. (A ferret? Really?)
"Gum drops," Snape said as they reached the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office and it jumped aside. Draco took a deep breath as he stepped through the opening left by the gargoyle and onto the rotating staircase. He jiggled his foot as he ascended. It was not the first time he had been called to the Headmaster's office, but it was certainly the first time this year. And of course, he had those orders to kill Dumbledore hanging over him. He knew Harry hadn't meant to bring that up last night, but he had and Draco couldn't stop thinking about it now.
And speaking of Harry, he found the brunet standing in the antechamber to Dumbledore's office, along with Ron and Hermione. Draco frowned as they came into view. He was now even more convinced that they were being called here because of their ill advised trip into the Chamber of Secrets. He should never have let Potter acquiesce to his demands to take them there.
"Hi," Harry said, walking over to him. Draco nodded at him and allowed Harry to take his hand.
"Do you know what this is about?" he asked.
"Not a clue."
"Do you think it's to do with last night? With the Chamber?"
"No," Harry said quickly. "Dumbledore wouldn't care about that."
"You're just as worried about this as I am, aren't you?" Draco asked softly. Harry hesitated for a moment and then nodded. Draco frowned.
"I thought that might make me feel better, but it's done the opposite." Harry squeezed his hand and Draco pressed his lips into a thin line. At this point, Snape rounded the last turn in the staircase and beckoned them all forward. Harry reluctantly let go of Draco's hand and they followed him into Dumbledore's office.
"You're probably wondering why I called the six of you here," Dumbledore said once they were settled in chairs around his desk. The six students were fanned in a circle in front of the desk and Professor Snape stood behind Dumbledore's right shoulder. Both professors looked grim.
"The Chamber of Secrets was Potter's idea," Pansy said quickly. Draco turned his head and glared at her, annoyed first that she had stolen his idea to blame Harry, and then that she had blamed his boyfriend at all.
"The Chamber of Secrets?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes suddenly twinkling. Draco wasn't sure what the eye twinkle meant.
"Uh," Harry said. "Yes, I, uh, took everyone down to the Chamber of Secrets last night." He looked down at his lap. "So that we could practice patronus charms."
"Surely you could have practiced patronus charms in a less subterranean environment," Snape said, even as Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in interest.
"We could have," Harry allowed.
"Well, enough of that now," Dumbledore said. "That is not why I asked you here." Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Harry sit up straighter. "I have some bad news. Professor Patterson has died." Draco felt as though he had been doused in ice water.
"He what?" Harry asked, voicing what all of them wanted to ask.
"He has unfortunately perished getting something which we desperately needed in our fight against Voldemort." Draco couldn't help it. He flinched. He was not the only one.
"Fortunately," Dumbledore continued. "He was able to retrieve what he went to get."
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Before I tell you what it is, I think I need to get the six of you up to speed on where we are. Harry, I know that we have had a few sessions with the penseive, which should give you some background on what we are about to discuss. However, now we that do not have the luxury of time, I must put on my teaching hat and instruct you all. I trust that you brought parchment and quills?" There was a general flurry in which Harry and Ron turned to Hermione, and Draco and Pansy turned to Blaise.
"I shall procure some, Headmaster," Snape said quickly once it became apparent that there were not enough supplies to go around. He swept out of the room, leaving the six of them sitting in front of Dumbledore.
"So," Dumbledore said once Snape had left. "You went to the Chamber of Secrets? What was it like? I've always wondered."
"Damp," Pansy said. "And depressing."
"Alas, it seems there is at least one part of Hogwarts that does not bring joy to at least one person."
"Oh, I'm sure Voldemort loved it," Harry said. "What with its muggle born killing basilisk that he could control."
"Oh, don't remind me of the basilisk," Pansy moaned. "It was horrible enough as a skeleton."
"The skeleton is still there?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes," Harry said.
"Is it," Dumbledore paused as if looking for the right word. "Intact?"
"Mostly," Ron said. "All the skin is gone, but the bones are there."
"That is," Dumbledore paused again. "Good to know." He steepled his hands in front of his chest and the blackened hand stood out in sharp relief to the healthy one. Draco had noticed it during the opening feast, but seeing it this close was unnerving. It looked entirely dead. A small part of him burned with curiosity, but unfortunately that part did not outweigh the polite part of him, so he stayed quiet.
Presently, Snape came back and distributed rolls of parchment and quills. They all attempted to smooth the parchment out on their legs until Dumbledore noticed what they were doing and added desks to their chairs.
"Right then," he said one everyone was settled. "Who knows anything about horcruxes?"
…
It took the better part of the day, but Dumbledore and Snape brought the six of them up to speed on all that they knew. Harry felt like Dumbledore was still holding something back, but he couldn't be sure. At any rate, Harry thought he knew all that he needed to about horcruxes to be getting on with.
They were a type dark magic, where one split one's soul so that they would become immortal. And Voldemort had decided to make seven of them because he was an egotistical maniac. And also because he was an egotistical maniac, he had, Dumbledore theorized, decided to use precious Hogwarts artifacts in order to do it.
"So let me get this right," Hermione said, looking up from her piece of parchment. "Marvolo Gaunt's ring was a horcrux and that's what injured your hand?"
"That is correct," Dumbledore said.
"And Snape saved you?" Ron asked.
"Yes, Weasley, I did," Snape hissed. Ron ducked his head and looked at his parchment again.
"And where does Professor Patterson come into this?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "I was getting to that. Do you remember when I showed you all the memory of Riddle in the orphanage?" They had all gone pensieve diving during the past few hours. "I had been working with Patterson on the problem of horcruxes, and we figured that cave was as good a place as any for Voldemort to want to hide one of them." He paused, looking around at them sadly. "Jonathan got it into his head that he should attempt to retrieve it alone."
"And now he's dead," Blaise said. It was not a question.
"Yes. But we have the horcrux that was there."
"But how?" Pansy asked. "If he died…"
"He didn't go alone," Dumbledore said. "He brought a house elf with him."
"He what?" This was Hermione and she sounded scandalized. Harry glanced sideways at her. Now was not the time for an S.P.E.W. lecture.
"And it's a good thing he did," Snape cut in. "Or else we would never have known what happened in that cave."
"Which brings us to Dobby," Dumbledore said.
"Dobby?" Harry and Hermione cried in unison. The door to Dumbledore's office opened and, as if in response to hearing his name, Dobby walked in. His large eyes seemed larger than normal, but he walked forward with his head held high, as if daring anyone to comment on his bravery. He walked up to Dumbledore's chair and tugged on the old man's sleeve. Dumbledore leaned down and Dobby shuffled close to whisper something to him. Try as Harry might, he could not hear what was said, but whatever it was appeared to interest Dumbledore.
"Is that so?" he asked. Dobby nodded. Dumbledore sat up straight again. "Harry, can you call Kreacher? He is in the kitchens, but it will faster if you summon him."
"Kreacher?" Harry asked. Dumbledore nodded, but seemingly that was all that Harry had to do to summon him as the elf then materialized in the room with a loud crack which made Blaise jump. Dumbledore conjured up a cushion for him.
"Now then," Dumbledore continued. "Dobby, can you please tell us all what happened last night?" Dobby nodded, his bat ears flapping.
And so Dobby began his tale. It started with Patterson finding him in the kitchens, where Dobby had volunteered for the mission because Patterson had said it would help Harry Potter. Dobby would not look at Harry when he said this, and Harry was almost glad for that because although he didn't know what was coming in the story, he knew it ended with a man dead. He could only imagine how terrible Dobby felt. In fact, he could see it in the sag of Dobby's tiny shoulders.
By the time Dobby reached the end of his story, the part where Patterson was dragged into the lake by a sea of undead things after ordering Dobby to take the locket to Dumbledore, the elf was shaking. So, Harry was surprised to see, was Kreacher. In fact, Kreacher was clutching the pillow that Dumbledore had conjured for him like a teddy bear and had tears leaking out of his eyes.
"Dobby," Dumbledore said gently once the elf had finished talking. "Can you please hand me the locket that you retrieved?" Dobby nodded and fished something out of the pocket of his shorts. As he passed it over to Dumbledore, Kreacher buried his head in the pillow and sobbed.
"Kreacher," Hermione cried. She rushed out of her chair and over to him.
"No, stay away, filthy Mudblood," Kreacher screeched, clutching the pillow close.
"Kreacher," Dumbledore said. The elf slowly lowered the pillow and looked up at him. "What can you you tell us about this locket?" he asked.
"That was my master's locket," he said.
"Your master's?" Dumbledore asked.
"Master Regulus."
"Ah, so this is not the original locket from the cave?"
"No."
"Sorry," Pansy said, breaking into the conversation. "But who is this Regulus fellow? And how does he fit into this lesson about horcruxes?"
"Regulus Black was Sirius Black's brother," Dumbledore said. Harry found himself gripping the edge of his desk and forced his fingers to relax. "He was a Death Eater, but no one knows what happened to him, and it is presumed that Voldemort killed him."
"If only," Kreacher croaked. "It would have been an easier death." Dumbledore steepled his fingers and looked down at Kreacher. He motioned for the elf to continue, and so Kreacher recounted his own pair trips into the cave by the sea.
By the time he finished talking, both Hermione and Pansy were crying, Blaise had a hand clapped over his mouth, and Ron had sunk so low down in his seat that he was practically falling out of it.
"Oh Kreacher," Hermione said before she could stop herself. "I'm so sorry." Kreacher said nothing, only stared at her.
"Kreacher," Dumbledore said. "Do you still have the other locket?" At this, tears welled in Kreacher's eyes again.
"Yes," he sobbed. "No matter what Kreacher did, he could not destroy it. Nothing even left a mark."
"But you know where it is?" Dumbledore's tone was urgent. Kreacher nodded. "Could you get it for us?"
"Kreacher," Harry said, unsure if the elf would listen to Dumbledore. "Please go get the locket and bring it here."
"Yes, master," the elf said. He disappeared with a crack. Once he was gone, Dumbledore motioned for Harry to come over to him. He handed Harry the locket.
"As this was Regulus Black's," he said. "This rightfully belongs to you." Harry nodded and stuffed the locket into his pocket. As he was walking back to his seat, Kreacher reappeared, clutching another, similar looking locket.
Wordlessly, the elf handed the horcrux to Harry. Harry shuddered as it touched his skin. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but he could swear he felt something like a tiny heartbeat emanating from the horcrux. He all but threw it at Dumbledore before walking back to his seat.
As he passed Kreacher, an idea struck him. He pulled Regulus's locket out of his pocket and knelt down next to the elf.
"Kreacher," he said. "I would like you to have this. It belonged to Regulus, and I'm sure he would have wanted you to have it as a token of gratitude for what you did for him." Kreacher blinked at Harry several times before reaching out with a shaking hand to grasp the locket.
"Really, sir?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Really." Kreacher sat down, his eyes welling with tears again, and clutched the locket to his chest. As he sobbed, Dobby came up and patted Kreacher on the back.
"See Kreacher?" he squeaked. "I told you Mr Harry Potter is the best of wizards!"
"Thanks, Dobby," Harry said, his ears burning. He made his way back over to his seat.
"Well then," Dumbledore said over the sound of Kreacher's sobs. "Who wants to destroy a horcrux?" Kreacher abruptly stopped crying.
"Me sir," he said. "I would like to fulfill Master Regulus's last request." He stood up and drew himself up to his full height, a thing Harry had never seen him do.
"Then I shall let you do the honors," Dumbledore said. He stood up and walked over to one of his shelves. They could not see what he was doing, but a moment later, he returned, carrying the sword of Gryffindor. He knelt down next to the elf and placed the locket on the floor in front of Kreacher. Then he handed him the sword, which was almost twice the size of the tiny elf, and stood back.
"In order to destroy a horcrux," Dumbledore said. "You must damage it beyond repair. As this sword was goblin made, it absorbs whatever makes it stronger, so I theorize that it absorbed basilisk venom when you stabbed that snake, Harry." Harry felt himself go red. "And basilisk venom just so happens to be something that has been shown to destroy a horcrux. Kreacher, will you do the honors?"
Kreacher nodded and turned his attention to the locket. Harry was about to offer to help - Kreacher was old and the sword was heavy - when Kreacher surprised him. He brought the sword high above his head and then brought it crashing back down onto the locket.
There was the clang of metal on metal, then a long, drawn out scream, which made the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stand up, and it was done.
Sorry for the delay - the holidays were busy!