CHAPTER FOUR
THE LOCKET OF REGULUS

"IMPEDIMENTA!"

Harry's jinx sent Dolohov to the floor.

It was but a split-second before the other Death Eaters realized the remaining Order members had joined in on the fighting.

"Avada"

"STUPEFY!"

Alecto became frozen, dropped her wand and fell to the ground.

Hermione and Luna were instantly locked in combat with Amycus. Just beyond them, Lupin and Moody were dueling Bellatrix. Tonks lay on the ground at the foot of Molly and Narcissa, who were ferociously firing spells at the other.

"Ennervate!" growled Lucius, pointing his wand at Greyback, who opened his eyes slowly. He blinked for a moment, before his eyes fell upon Harry. Instantly, he leapt to his feet, hands raised and pointy teeth barred.

Lucius advanced on Harry.

"STUPEFY!"

Harry didn't see if the spell hit Greyback, as he was dodging a Cruciatus curse from Malfoy.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Lucius easily deflected the spell that Neville sent.

"Stupefy!"

Neville leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the jet of red light.

"Incendio!"

A dazzling shower of orange flames flashed from Ginny's wand, striking Malfoy's robes. Malfoy instantly extinguished the flames.

"Serves you right" snapped Ginny "after giving me that bleeding diary!"

Malfoy smirked.

"You are being very unwise, girl" he murmured.

"Expe"

Lucius flicked his wand.

Ron was halfway through the incantation when he was lifted off his feet and slammed against the wall. He fell to the ground, unmoving.

Harry, Ginny and Neville all raised their wands.

"STUPEFY!"

Malfoy was struck with all three stunners at the same time, which knocked him through the air. He landed on the floor with a crash.

"Well done!" gasped Harry.

Ginny and Neville smiled.

"CRUCIO!"

Ginny screamed in agony, falling to the floor.

Harry turned to see Narcissa, her wand aloft, expression hungry.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

Narcissa froze, falling awkwardly to the ground.

"Ginny, are you alright?" asked Harry, bending down.

"I'm f-f-fine" she choked, letting Harry help her to her feet.

On the stairway, McGonagall, Shacklebolt and Mr. Weasley were locked in combat with Rodolphus Lestrange, who was – It seemed to Harry – one of the most gifted wizards he had seen.

"Ennervate" muttered Amycus hastily.

His sister, Alecto, opened her eyes, and, slowly, began to sit up.

"THERE YOU ARE!" she shrieked gleefully, leaping to her feet.

Amycus smiled, before being hit unexpectedly by an Impediment jinx from Hermione, which sent him flying across the room and into the wall.

Alecto was shortly joined by Bellatrix, who had gotten Dolohov to take her place in the duel with Moody and Lupin.

"There's no way out, dear boy" said Bellatrix mockingly, raising her wand.

"Ennervate! Ennervate!" muttered Alecto, awaking both Lucius and Narcissa.

"Tell me why you're here" said Harry. "You don't deserve this house, even in Voldemort"

"YOU DARE SPEAK HIS NAME?" she shrieked.

Harry ignored her.

"even in Voldemort's eyes" he continued, "Don't think he's forgotten that you lost his precious prophecy at the ministry!"

"Don't say things about the Dark Lord that you do not know, foolish boy" said Bellatrix, "He has placed me in his trust. More so than any other, I think."

"I thought he liked Snape the most" said Harry.

"Snape is a traitor and deserves to die" muttered Bellatrix. "I can't see why the Dark Lord trusts him."

"What was it that you said had been destroyed?" asked Harry.

"As if I would tell you, Potter" she said coldly.

"It's the horcruxes, isn't it? You"

"Shut up and don't say things you don't know."

"Yes! That's what you've got in your pocket!" Harry pointed his wand at her pocket.

"Accio Horc"

Bellatrix was too quick for him. She deflected the Summoning charm in an instant.

"You dare put me to the test, Potter?" she snapped cruelly, though Harry swore he could see fear in her eyes.

"You have it, don't you?"

"ENOUGH!" she screamed, deflecting the second Summoning charm Harry conjured. "Do you think if I had it I would give it to you?"

"No" laughed Harry, "But that doesn't mean it won't be given to me." he said. "After all, you aren't even paying atten Accio Horcrux!"

Bellatrix was not quick enough this time. A gold-chained locket zoomed out of Bellatrix's robe and landed in Harry's other hand.

"Aha! This is the locket Dumbledore was going to destroy!"

"GIVE IT BACK, POTTER!" shrieked Bellatrix. "Accio Horcru"

"Protego!"

The locket remained in his hands.

"You were R.A.B. weren't you?"

"ACCIO HOR"

"Protego! Yes, you were! You put that fake letter inside the fake locket, didn't you?"

"GIVE ME THE LOCKET, BOY!" she screamed, raising her wand. "IMPERIO!"

Harry suddenly had a sensation of complete relaxation. A voice in his head was saying, 'Give her the locket… give her the locket...'

Another voice entered Harry's mind.

'Why should I?'

'…The right thing to do is to give it to her, Harry; do the right thing"

'But'

'Give her the locket, dear one, give her the locket'

'No…'

'You must give her the locket"

'No!'

'GIVE HER THE LOCKET!"

"NO!" screamed Harry out loud.

He raised his wand.

"Protego!"

The spell was vanquished and Bellatrix staggered backwards.

Before she could do another thing, Harry had thrown the locket to the ground, pointed his wand directly at it, and cried, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The wanting of furthering the steps to Voldemort's destruction and the revenge of his parents seemed to come alive in his wand as a jet of brilliant emerald light burst from it, striking the locket right in the center. With a shatter, it burst into a million pieces and was gone.

"NO!" shrieked Bellatrix. There was unmistakable terror in her eyes now. "NO!"

"Oh, by the way" said Harry, a wave of relief pounding over him at the horcrux he had just destroyed, "You ought to learn how to better your Imperius curse."

"YOU FOOL!" Bellatrix screeched. Harry had never seen anyone so full of anger. "YOU FILTHY LITTLE BOY! YOU FILTHY HALF-BLOOD! YOU WILL PAY!"

Bellatrix raised her wand.

"Avada Kedav"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Bellatrix stopped the incantation and deflected the Body-bind curse from Neville instantly.

"Longbottom, isn't it?" she cried evilly. "I think you'll remember our little chat the summer before last."

Neville still had his wand raised, but he was shaking all over.

"D-don't you go t-t-talking to H-harry like th-that" he muttered.

"I don't think you can convince me, boy" she said, raising her wand, "But, perhaps I can convince you: That is, convince you that you are an insufferable piece of nothing!"

Before Ginny or Harry could stop her, she had hit Neville full-force with the Cruciatus curse.

He screamed like never before, falling to the ground.

Bellatrix shrieked with laughter.

"Stupefy!"

Bellatrix relinquished the torture curse and quickly deflected Ginny's spell.

"YOU FOOLISH GIRL!" shrieked Bellatrix, her eyes still wide with fear. "Go back to your hovel where you belong!"

"STUPEFY!"
"IMPEDIMENTA!"
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
"IMPEDIMENTA!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"
Six jets of light burst from Harry, Ron, – who had been enervated by Luna – Ginny, Luna, Hermione and Neville's wands. Bellatrix deflected the Stunning spell, but three disarming spells and two Impediment jinxes were too much. The Impediment jinx sent her flying into the wall. The second Impediment jinx suddenly froze her. Immediately following, her wand was blasted out of her hand with a disarming charm. The second disarming charm blasted her into the wall,where a third and final disarming spell blasted her into the wall again.

As she fell to the ground, Harry saw a flicker of a tear in her eyes. Suddenly – to Harry's amazement – he felt sorry for her. Then, with a crash, she had hit the floor and was gone.