Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter 6 : A Death Eater's Locket

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"There you are Mr. Potter!" a stern voice called him as he stepped out of the fire and into the office. Harry quickly brushed himself off.

"Professor McGonagall". She raised her eyebrows at him and sat down in the chair behind the big desk. Harry looked around. He was in what used to be Professor Dumbledore's office when he had retained the post of Headmaster. Harry glanced at the silver objects still lying out on the table, the sorting hat up on its shelf. Godric Gryffindor's sword was still in its case. There was something missing though! It suddenly hit him, Fawkes was no longer here.

"Hello Harry!" Harry froze! The last time he had heard that voice, was the night he died, it seemed like a long time ago. Harry turned around quickly, yet his feet seemingly still rooted to the spot. He tripped over his feet, but somehow still remained standing. He suddenly found himself looking into a portrait of a man with blue twinkling eyes, long snow white beard and hair.

"Prof... Err... Professor... Dumb..."

"Good afternoon, Harry" said the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. Harry still stood in shock, though now the room was slightly spinning. He had forgotten all about the possibility of seeing Dumbledore's portrait, which he had last seen right after the funeral, slumbering still in its frame.

"Err...err... how … err... are … you?" Harry stammered slightly. He knew he sounded dumb, but Harry was in too much shock to care.

"Feeling better, really rested actually!" said Dumbledore with a carefree voice. Harry thought it must have been the fact the he were dead. If he, Harry, were dead he wouldn't have a care in the world either well, maybe except one. He would have them hang Ginny's portrait beside his so they could still talk. Harry giggled a little at the mental picture. "Is there something amusing, Harry?" asked Dumbledore

"No sir, just thinking." said Harry trying to sombre up

Dumbledore looked at him, and then the twinkle came back to his eyes. "Ah, young love!"

"Err" Harry didn't know how to reply to this just yet.

"Tell me how is young Ginevra Weasley doing?"

"She's great" said Harry "Hang on! How did you know?"

"I can still read your mind Harry" replied Dumbledore "and you have got pure love written all over your face."

Harry blushed "you can still perform magic then?" Harry switched the topic to a less embarrassing one.

"Oh yes Harry, the past Hogwarts Headmasters and Headmistresses can, and will, do almost anything to protect this school, as we vowed we would! Did we not?"

"Yes sir we did!" a portrait of a witch to Harry's right spoke.

"There would be nothing I wouldn't give to be Headmaster again, the highlight of my days, I tell you" said another portrait from across the room, while others muttered or nodded their heads in agreement.

"Harry it was I who requested you here tonight, and thanks to our new Headmistress, she has brought you to me, Thank you Minerva" Dumbledore bowed his head toward McGonagall who gave a weak smile in return.

"Should I take my leave then?" She asked Dumbledore's portrait.

"No Minerva" Dumbledore replied "We are only going to discuss Voldemort's Horcrux, of which you already know about"

"You know?" Harry asked, sounding slightly shocked while turning toward McGonagall.

"Harry, Professor, oh dear me... I mean Headmistress McGonagall was whom I talked to when I had my first suspicion"

"Oh" said Harry

"We have much to discuss. Now I know you haven't found any yet, but please tell me of the letter you found inside the Locket!"

"You knew it was a fake!" Harry said slightly outraged.

"I had a suspicion, yes, when we entered the cave that someone had indeed been before us and after Voldemort had designed It." said Dumbledore simply. "Do you have it with you?

"Yeah" said Harry still kind of confused. He pulled the Locket out of his pocket. He hadn't put it down since he found it beside Dumbledore's limp body. He even took to sleeping with it under his pillow. Harry opened it and read the letter to both Professors. After he had read the note he glanced back at Dumbledore's portrait. He was sitting back into his seat, a green field surrounding him, his face one of concentration. "Sir, do you know who R .A. B. is?" Harry said attentively.

"Minerva, my pensieve please" Professor McGonagall moved to a cabinet, collected the pensive and placed it on the large desk that used to be Dumbledore's. "You remember the memory I have shown you Minerva, were I met up with Regulus and Sirius, whom I'm afraid wanted to hurt him, but I had to intervene. I had suspicions about what Regulus might be able to offer."

Minerva nodded her head in reply, but said nothing. Her face looked determined, and sad. Harry watched as she withdrew her wand from her robes and placed it to her tipple and withdrew a silvery strand, a memory. She placed it into the pensieve, with Dumbledore's other memory's. She looked at Dumbledore, who nodded in return and gave it a further poke with her wand.

"After you Mr. Potter." she said. Harry glanced back at Dumbledore who nodded at him now in reassurance. Harry walked over to the pensive took in a deep breath and plunged his face into its substance.

Harry opened his eyes as someone dropped beside him. Looking up he saw Professor McGonagall looking down at him. He quickly got to his feet and looked around, trying to get his bearings.

"Hey" Harry said rather startled. "We're at Grimmauld place!"

"Yes Harry!" McGonagall sounded stern, but somehow softer; he noticed she also used his first name.

Someone was walking noisily down the street, making scuffling noises with his feet as he walked. As they drew nearer Harry heard it was a man as he was cursing, almost as if he was praising himself. The man stopped suddenly, Harry actually thought he could sense that they were watching him. The man reached for his wand, a sudden cry echoed through the night "Expelliarmus" The man's wand went flying through the air toward another man who was now standing a few feet away.

Sirius Black stood with his eyes intent upon the other, obviously not seeing Harry. Harry felt his heart ache at the site of his godfather. 'He was younger looking', thought Harry, 'this had to be before Azkaban'. For his eyes were still full of life, though right now held lines of hatred, and anger.

The other man clapped at Sirius and snared. "Well done Sirius, well done"

Sirius' bark like laugh filled the still night. And Harry smiled warmly at his comfort he found in it. "Don't think I don't know what you've been up to tonight, Regulus."

After hearing his name come from Sirius, a flash erupted into his mind "That's my brother Regulus Black... the prefect son... Joined the Death Eaters...Voldemort had him killed!"

"Are you going to kill me dear brother and break our mum's heart?" Regulus sneered.

"You are no brother of mine, and besides, mum has no heart to break, or even kill for that matter." Sirius voice held a deathly air to it, fuelled with anger.

Regulus snickered and tried to get Sirius ruffled some more. "Where are the other three famous Marauders?"

"You so much as come near any of my friends, my real friends, and you won't have to worry about taking anymore orders from your Dark Lord."

"Sirius!"

Both men turned, so did Harry. Walking right past where he stood was Professor Dumbledore, although younger and alive. A power was radiating from him that even Harry could feel through the memory.

"Well, Well, Well, Dumbledore, to what do I owe this displeasure?" said Regulus giving a mock bow and when he stood, his snare returned to his face with seemingly much disgust.

"I see that you gained Tom's dark mark" Dumbledore stated as though they were chatting like old friends.

"I do not know a Tom, but yes, I do have a new mark." said Regulus, smiling and showing yellow teeth.

Dumbledore looked at the man as if just noticing he was standing there. "Maybe you should have a look under the name Tom Marvolo Riddle and we'll talk again soon." said Dumbledore.

"No Dumbledore I have an unfinished score to settle here!" said Sirius pointing his wand at the chest of Regulus.

"Not tonight Sirius, we shall give Mr. Black some time to ponder the information we have just given him. Come Sirius. We are expected." And with that Dumbledore turned and disapparated.

"Until next time then Sirius" said Regulus in a taunting voice, an amused smug expression playing on his face.

"Look forward to it, listen up Regulus and listen good, next time we meet it had better be with you disowning your dark ways or it will be a fight with you ending up dead." and with that Sirius disapparated.

"Come Mr. Potter." Harry nodded, noticing her use of his surname again. McGonagall and Harry landed back in the Headmistresses office.

"Quite interesting" Harry turned to see Dumbledore with a peculiar look upon his face

"Why was Sirius so upset sir?" Harry asked.

The portrait of Dumbledore had his hands clasped together in front of him, looking back at Harry

"That unfortunately was never fully determined, but Sirius had a rage of anger for his whole family. They never treated him like a true son. A feeling I'm sure you can relate to Harry!"

Harry thought it bad that he didn't have his parents in the physical world, but to have them be present, and still treat him the way the Dursley's had all his life. Dumbledore's eyes bore into his and Harry knew that Dumbledore was reading and exploring his emotions.

"So what does this memory have to do with my having to destroy Voldemort?" Harry asked attentively.

"Minerva, the other memory I think" said Dumbledore ignoring Harry's question.

Professor McGonagall, who had been sitting quietly behind Harry, got up and returned to the pensieve and added another memory.
"This one is mine, after you" McGonagall said somehow more confident.

Harry took a breath and plunged in, this time landing on his feet. McGonagall landed beside him.

"Where are you Professor?" Harry asked, after all this was her memory.

"Over there, under that bush" Harry turned to were she pointed and Harry saw a Tabby cat hidden well under a bush.

"What is the meaning of this Regulus? If the Dark Lord finds out we would most certainly pay for this stupidity"

Harry turned a little and saw that Lucius Malfoy and Regulus Black had apparated in front of where Harry stood. Neither saw the tabby cat, hidden in the bush, nor taking in every word that they said.

"Did you know Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lucius?"

"Why do you ask such a question?"

"Interesting young man, very talented, you know" said Regulus ignoring the obvious attempts to end the conversation before it even began from Lucius

"What is your meaning?" sneered Lucius.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle son of Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle lived in a muggle orphanage until he learned he was a wizard, and currently heir of Salazar Slytherine!" said Regulus.

"What? You are confused, I know the heir of Slytherine, but I do not know of this Tom!" said Lucius.

"You do know him though; the half mudblood is none other than our Dark Lord, Voldemort!"

"What" Lucius was obviously at a loss for words.

"I know startling isn't?" said Regulus.

"But… how do you know for sure?" Lucius, it appeared, looked like he was having trouble believing what Regulus was telling him.

"I decided to do a little research and not to mention finding a few new things out... Seven new things to be precise!"

"Seven new things? What are you on about?" said Lucius.

"I hear you're protecting a book for the Dark Lord, am I right Lucius?" said Regulus.

"The Dark Lord finds me trust worthy enough to keep the book." sneered Lucius.

"Yes, but why and do you even know what is inside?" Regulus had asked a very good question In Harry's opinion. Regulus seemed to find it suspicious too.

"It is forbidden of me to ask, or look!"

Regulus scratched his chin absentmindedly "I figured as much Lucius, my friend, if you could get out would you?" Regulus was looking Lucius right in the face, directly in his eyes.

Lucius however, emotion was rolling through him like wildfire. Harry could tell he was thinking this through thoroughly. What if this was a trick of Voldemort's, then he would surely die. But if it weren't then Merlin help him; there was a way out, if he even wanted it. Harry doubted he did!

"You are mad if you think you can out do the Dark Lord, Regulus." Lucius said in what was barely above a whisper, but his decision was made. Harry heard him, and so did Regulus.

"I have found out some, let's say 'secrets' that can either grant my leaving of the Death pack, or it can grant the fall of the Dark Lord, I am currently working on. I have one 'secret' in my possession and when I find how to destroy it, I'll be one step closer to accomplishing my task." said Regulus.

"A task the Dark Lord knows not off!" spat Lucius

"Oh no, but soon he will and I'll be the one to send the message myself." said Regulus.

"You are insane. Take my warning; you will regret that you delved into this Regulus. For the Dark Lord knows all! Nothing is ever overlooked!"

Regulus studied Lucius a bit as he scratched his chin again. "Now, now Lucius are you saying you are going to be giving the Dark Lord a warning of my intentions?" Lucius sneered and took a step to disapparated, but before he turned his head a cry echoed in the surrounding woods. "Obliviate" Lucius fell to the ground looking normal, but at having his memory modified. Regulus was putting his wand back into his pocket.

"Sorry mate, I can't have you ruining my plan." Turning, Regulus then disapparated. A touch on Harry's shoulder from Professor McGonagall and they landed back into the office.

"So Regulus knew Voldemort had made the Horcrux, right sir?" Harry asked looking into Dumbledore's portrait again.

"Yes, Regulus delved further than anyone had gotten before. He, I believe, was the first to discover Voldemort's secret." said Dumbledore.

Harry brought the locket out of his pocket again, thinking of the note inside. "R. A. B."

"I beg your pardon?" said McGonagall.

"R. A. B. means Regulus Black. Sirius told me he was a Death Eater and that he was killed on Voldemort's orders" Harry stared at Dumbledore sitting in his portrait.

"I believe, Harry that you have a good lead as to what to do next!" said Dumbledore.

Harry nodded still transfixed. The Locket...The Locket!

"Ginny...!"

"Excuse me" said Professor McGonagall

"When we were cleaning at Grimmauld Place, Ginny found a locket, but we couldn't get it open!" Harry was staring incredulously at Dumbledore who had a twinkle in his eye. Then as suddenly he felt the world collide with him as realisation dawned on him. "We threw it out... WE THOUGHT IT WAS RUBBISH AND WE THREW IT OUT!" Harry couldn't stop himself from yelling.

"Harry calm yourself," Harry nodded curtly, slightly ashamed at himself. How could he have been so stupid! After taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. Dumbledore watching him, but not saying a word until Harry nodded at him. "I believe there was someone in that house, at the same time, who kept nicking things that were supposed to be thrown out!" Dumbledore stated this rather simply, but Harry picked up on the intended words.

"Kreacher" Harry said this in a whisper, but added "I will have to visit Grimmauld Place then"

"Indeed" agreed Dumbledore.

Harry got up and stopped suddenly "Is the school opening this year Professor?"

"We will only be open for half of the year" said McGonagall sounding a bit strained.

"It is only fair that I tell you Professor that I will not be in attendance. Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley will probably follow suite." said Harry

"But..." McGonagall was cut off by Dumbledore

"Harry, I know that I have left you with a terrible weight upon your already laden shoulders, but I think it wiser for you to be in attendance this year at Hogwarts."

"But why? What for?"

"Harry if somebody saw you here for six years and it was clear that you enjoyed being here more than anywhere else in the world, then for your last year you were suddenly gone, as well as your two best friends, it would be a dead giveaway" said Dumbledore.

Harry's heart slammed against his chest; of course he knew that Dumbledore was right. Some Slytherins would still be here watching for their Death Eater parents. "How am I suppose to find and destroy all four Horcrux, take on and defeat Voldemort, and still
manage homework to finish school?" Harry asked rather dumbfounded

"School won't be starting on September 1st, like usual." said McGonagall "Instead it will begin on November 1st. Let out for Christmas break on December 15th, as all students must go home this year, then we will resume school on January 3rd to finish the year on May 18th," McGonagall said sitting down behind the desk.

"We thought it would be best to give you more time, to do what you have to do, and still put up with appearance sake." said Dumbledore.

"Oh" Harry's mind was now racing. What was he suppose to do now!

"Harry, there are some more things we need to discuss." McGonagall said as she pointed at the chair across from her desk.

"Okay" said Harry as he walked across the room and sat down sill feeling a little confused.

"Dumbledore's will was read shortly after his death." she stopped and shot a furtive look at Dumbledore in his Portrait, who nodded and she continued. "He has left a piece of land to you with a house on it, added a substantial amount to your Gringott's account and these" she pointed to the pensieve, a thick brown book and a box.

"Thank you" Harry mumbled to Dumbledore.

"You once said you were loyal to me Harry, my man through and through and I say to you Harry Potter Thank you, you are my mentor."

Harry smiled. Dumbledore was his mentor! To hear your mentor claim you were his was the best compliment that Harry could have ever got.

"Thank you sir, but my loyalties lie with you and the Order." Harry said as his cheeks were starting to feel warm.

"One more thing, Minerva please" Dumbledore bowed his head slightly at McGonagall.

She pursed her lips and reached into a drawer in the desk. She pulled out a small pocket size golden trinket, and handed it across the desk to Harry without saying a word. Harry opened it to find it held a picture. When the occupant walked in and smiled he almost dropped it. He glanced up at Dumbledore's portrait, but he wasn't there. Instead Dumbledore spoke from the picture in his hand.

"Now, we can still put a stop to Voldemort together, Harry!" Harry smiled and Dumbledore walked out of the frame and into the portrait in the Headmistress's office still smiling and with a twinkle in his eye. Harry closed the trinket and put it in his pocket saying thanks again to Dumbledore, who bowed his head at Harry

"Well, that's all Mr. Potter, we are finished. Molly will be worried if you don't return soon" said McGonagall and patted his shoulder. Harry was surprised to find she had moved to stand beside him.

Harry looked down at his inheritance from Dumbledore took out his wand muttered the incantation and the box, pensieve and the big book disappeared. He looked up at Dumbledore's portrait to find Dumbledore smiling at him.

"Take care, Harry"

"I know, Constant Vigilance" said Harry. Dumbledore bowed his head and after saying thanks to Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore again, Harry threw some powder into the bright orange flames waited for them to turn green, stepped into them and shouted "The Burrow"

An:

Please review tell me what you think.

Thanks to beardie04 for the beta reading!

HogwartsAngel101