Suddenly they were in a city.
"Where are we?" Ron asked.
"Shocks pray avenue. I used to come to theater here with mum and dad. I don't know why I thought of this it just popped into my head." Hermione said.
So they kept going and headed to a corner.
"We need to change." she said opening her purse.
She and Tracey reached into their bags and grabbed each of them some clothes.
"What is that?" Ron asked.
"Undetectable extension charm, Remus tought us over the summer. I put everything in here days ago just in case."
"Same here. Mine has me and Harry's things and Hermione has hers and Ron's." Tracey said.
"You're amazing you are." he said.
"All of a certain surprise." Hermione said back.
"Alright, get changed, head to Grimauld Place and owl everyone telling them we're safe." Tracey said.
"Sounds good." Harry said.
So they got changed under the invisibility cloak and then headed to Grimauld Place.
When they got there they hurried across the street.
"Alright, let's go." Harry said.
When they got there they locked the door and went to the kitchen.
Then they wrote to the Order and told them they're safe at where they were supposed to be.
"Alright Harry, you're the boss of the group now. We have to listen to you." Hermione said.
"Let's just get some rest and then we can figure out what to do tomorrow while Kreacher makes breakfast." he said.
"I don't wanna be on my own, can we sleep here together tonight?" Hermione asked.
Then Ron noticed him wincing tightly.
"What is it? What did you see? Is he at my place?"
"No, I just felt anger – he's really angry –"
"But that could be at the Burrow," said Ron loudly. "What else? Didn't you see anything? Was he cursing someone?"
"No, I just felt anger – I couldn't tell –" Harry felt badgered, confused, and Hermione did not help as she said in a frightened voice,
"Your scar, again? But what's going on? I thought that connection had closed!"
"It did, for a while," muttered Harry; his scar was still painful, which made it hard to concentrate. "I – I think it's started opening again whenever he loses control, that's how it used to –"
"But then you've got to close your mind!" said Hermione shrilly. "That's why you were supposed to use Occlumency! Otherwise Voldemort can plant false images in your mind-"
"Hermione, Ron, you do remember he's a master of occlumency and after being able to do that and lagilimancy he can decide whether to see what he's doing, right? And besides, he can only feel him not see him." Tracey said.
Ron's ears turned bright red. "Oh yeah."
Hermione's face was as red as his ears.
Then Hermione gasped and Harry turned around with his wand out. Then they saw another patronus.
"Family's safe. In hiding and guarded do not reply with patronus." Then it was gone.
"They're safe, they're all safe!" Hermione said.
Then Tracey wrote to the Order and their parents that they made it safely.
"Kreacher!" she called.
Then he came out of nowhere. Sirius had told him about his idea and to call Harry and Tracey his Master and Mistress. He could either call Ron and Hermione that to or just their name.
"What can Kreacher do for Mistress Tracey and Master Harry?"
"Can you send this letter to our parents please?" Tracey said.
"Of course Mistress." So he took the letter and snapped.
"Alright, why don't we go to bed now?" Hermione said. They nodded and got ready for bed.
The next day while Kreacher made breakfast Harry read the letter out loud to Tracey, Ron and Hermione.
"I know I'll be dead before you read this but I stole the real Horcrux. And intend to destroy it as soon as I can. R.A.B."
"We've got an idea of who it's from." Tracey said.
"Who?" Ron asked.
She looked at them all. "Sirius' brother, think about it. Regulus Arcturus Black, R.A.B."
"That makes sense, Sirius had said that they were really close." Hermione said. "So that's gotta be it."
A few seconds later Kreacher appeared with some pancakes, bacon and pumpkin juice for them.
"Thanks Kreacher." Harry said.
"You're welcome Master Harry." Kreacher said.
Suddenly Whoster appeared.
"Looks like they have an answer for us." Hermione said.
So Tracey untied the letter and read it out loud.
Dear Harry, Tracey, Ron and Hermione,
Thanks for letting us know. We're fine right now like Arthur said. Be careful and continue to owl us.
Lilly and James
"They're safe to." she said.
"Good, now lets look around the house after breakfast. I'll go in Regular and Sirius' rooms, Tracey you look downstairs in the kitchen, Hermione you look in the library and Ron you look in the living room." Harry said.
"Alright." Hermione said.
After breakfast they split up and went to their places. Harry started out with Sirius' room but nothing.
Hermione looked everywhere and every book but got nothing.
Tracey looked in the oven, shelves, Kreacher's home but also got nothing.
Ron looked around everywhere in the living room but nothing.
Then Harry went to Regular's room. He looked the closest he could but didn't see or feel anything.
"Hmm, maybe someone got in here before we did when Sirius left to stay at our house." he wondered out loud.
So he double checked but didn't see anything. So he went back downstairs and saw his friends and sister at the table.
"No luck either?" he asked.
"No. You?" Tracey asked.
"No. I worked the hardest at Regulus' room but got nothing. I do have an idea of what it is though. But we're going to need help." Harry said. "Kreacher!"
There was a loud crack and the Kreacher appeared out of nowhere in front of the cold and empty fireplace.
"Master Harry, Mistress Tracey call Kreacher?" croaked Kreacher in his bullfrog's voice, and he bowed low.
"We've got a question for you," said Harry, his heart beating rather fast as he looked down at the elf, "and I need you to answer it truthfully. Understand?"
"Yes, Master Harry," said Kreacher, bowing low again.
"Two years ago," said Tracey, "there was a big gold locket in the drawing room upstairs. We threw it out. Did you steal it back?"
There was a moment's silence, during which Kreacher straightened up to look Harry and Tracey full in the face. Then he said, "Yes."
"Where is it now?" asked Harry jubilantly as Tracey, Ron and Hermione looked gleeful.
Kreacher closed his eyes as though he could not bear to see their reactions to his next word.
"Gone."
"Gone?" echoed Harry, elation floating out of him, "What do you mean, it's gone?"
The elf shivered. He swayed.
"Kreacher," said Harry fiercely,
"Mundungus Fletcher," croaked the elf, his eyes still tight
"When Master Sirius left to stay with you Mundungus Fletcher stole it all; Miss Bella's and Miss Cissy's pictures, my Mistress's gloves, the Order of Merlin, First Class, the goblets with the family crest, and – and – "
Kreacher was gulping for air: His hollow chest was rising and falling rapidly, then his eyes flew open and he uttered a bloodcurdling scream.
"—and the locket, Master Regulus's locket. Kreacher did wrong, Kreacher failed in his orders!"
Harry reacted instinctively: As Kreacher lunged for the poker standing in the grate, he launched himself upon the elf, flattening him.
Hermione's scream mingled with Kreacher's but Tracey bellowed louder than both of them: "Kreacher, stay still!"
She felt the elf freeze and released him. Kreacher lay flat on the cold stone floor, tears gushing from his sagging eyes.
"Tracey, let him up!" Hermione whispered.
"So he can beat himself up with the poker?" snorted Harry, kneeling beside the elf next to Tracey. "I don't think so. Right. Kreacher, I want the truth: How do you know Mundungus Fletcher stole the locket?"
"Kreacher saw him!" gasped the elf as tears poured over his snout and into his mouth full of graying teeth. "Kreacher saw him coming out of Kreacher's cupboard with his hands full of Kreacher's treasures. Kreacher told the sneak thief to stop, but Mundungus Fletcher laughed and r-ran … "
"You called the locket 'Master Regulus's,'" said Harry. "Why? Where did it come from? What did Regulus have to do with it? Kreacher, sit up and tell me everything you know about that locket, and everything Regulus had to do with it!"
The elf sat up, curled into a ball, placed his wet face between his knees, and began to rock backward and forward. When he spoke, his voice was muffled but quite distinct in the silent, echoing kitchen.
"Master Sirius ran away, good riddance, for he was a bad boy and broke my Mistress's heart with his lawless ways. But Master Regulus had proper order; he knew what was due to the name of Black and the dignity of his pure blood. For years he talked of the Dark Lord, who was going to bring the wizards out of hiding to rule the Muggles and the Muggle-borns … and when he was sixteen years old, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord. So proud, so proud, so happy to serve …
And one day, a year after he joined, Master Regulus came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. And Master Regulus said … he said …"
The old elf rocked faster than ever.
"… he said that the Dark Lord required an elf."
"Voldemort needed an elf?" Harry repeated, looking around at Tracey, Ron and Hermione, who looked just as puzzled as he did.
"Oh yes," moaned Kreacher. "And Master Regulus had volunteered Kreacher. It was an honor, said Master Regulus, an honor for him and for Kreacher, who must be sure to do whatever the Dark Lord ordered him to do … and then to c-come home."
Kreacher rocked still faster, his breath coming in sobs.
"So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord did not tell Kreacher what they were to do, but took Kreacher with him to a cave beside the sea. And beyond the cave was a cavern, and in the cavern was a great black lake … "
The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood up. Kreacher's croaking voice seemed to come to him from across the dark water. He saw what had happened as clearly as though he had been present.
"… There was a boat …"
"There was a b-basin full of potion on the island. The D-Dark Lord made Kreacher drink it …"
The elf quaked from head to foot.
"Kreacher drank, and as he drank he saw terrible thing … Kreacher's insides burned … Kreacher cried for Master Regulus to save him, he cried for his Mistress Black, but the Dark Lord only laughed … He made Kreacher drink all the potion … He dropped a locket into the empty basin … He filled it with more potion."
"And then the Dark Lord sailed away, leaving Kreacher on the island …"
"Kreacher needed water, he crawled to the island's edge and he drank from the black lake … and hands, dead hands, came out of the water and dragged Kreacher under the surface …"
"How did you get away?" Harry asked, and he was not surprised to hear himself whispering.
Kreacher raised his ugly head and looked Harry with his great, bloodshot eyes.
"Master Regulus told Kreacher to come back," he said.
"I know – but how did you escape the Inferi?"
Kreacher did not seem to understand.
"Master Regulus told Kreacher to come back," he repeated.
"I know, but – "
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it, Harry?" said Ron. "He Disapparated!"
"But … you couldn't Apparate in and out of that cave," said Tracey, "otherwise Dumbledore – "
"Elf magic isn't like wizard's magic, is it?" said Ron, "I mean, they can Apparate and Disapparate in and out of Hogwarts when we can't."
"That's right!" Tracey said.
There was a silence as Harry and Tracey digested this. Hermione spoke, and her voice was icy.
"Of course, Voldemort would have considered the ways of house-elves far beneath his notice … It would never have occurred to him that they might have magic that he didn't."
"The house-elf's highest law is his Master's bidding," intoned Kreacher. "Kreacher was told to come home, so Kreacher came home …"
"Well, then, you did what you were told, didn't you?" said Hermione kindly. "You didn't disobey orders at all!"
Kreacher shook his head, rocking as fast as ever.
"So what happened when you got back?" Tracey asked. "What did Regulus say when you told him what happened?"
"Master Regulus was very worried, very worried," croaked Kreacher. "Master Regulus told Kreacher to stay hidden and not to leave the house. And then … it was a little while later … Master Regulus came to find Kreacher in his cupboard one night, and Master Regulus was strange, not as he usually was, disturbed in his mind, Kreacher could tell … and he asked Kreacher to take him to the cave, the cave where Kreacher had gone with the Dark Lord … "
Kreacher knew how to open the concealed entrance to the underground cavern, knew how to raise the tiny boat: this time it was his beloved Regulus who sailed with him to the island with its basin of poison …
"And he made you drink the poison?" said Harry, disgusted.
But Kreacher shook his head and wept. Hermione's hands leapt to her mouth: She seemed to have understood something.
Everyone who had already figured it out either looked disgusted, pained or their eyes were filled with tears.
"M-Master Regulus took from his pocket a locket like the one the Dark Lord had," said Kreacher, tears pouring down either side of his snoutlike nose.
"And he told Kreacher to take it and, when the basin was empty, to switch the lockets …"
Kreacher's sobs came in great rasps now; Harry and Tracey had to concentrate hard to understand him.
"And he order – Kreacher to leave – without him. And he told Kreacher – to go home – and never to tell my Mistress – what he had done – but to destroy – the first locket. And he drank – all the potion – and Kreacher swapped the lockets – and watched … as Master Regulus … was dragged beneath the water … and …"
"Oh, Kreacher!" wailed Hermione, who was crying.
She dropped to her knees beside the elf and tried to hug him. At once he was on his feet, cringing away from her, quite obviously repulsed.
"The Mudblood touched Kreacher, he will not allow it, what would his Mistress say?"
"We told you not to call her 'Mudblood'!" snarled Harry, but the elf was already punishing himself.
"And you need to remember that I'm your Mistress. Sirius made me the heir of Black since Harry is the oldest and heir of Potter." Tracey said.
He fell to the ground and banged his forehead on the floor.
"Stop him – stop him!" Hermione cried. "Oh, don't you see now how sick it is, the way they've got to obey?"
"Kreacher – stop, stop!" shouted Harry and Tracey together.
'Damn he's hard to calm down.' Tracey said.
'I know.' Harry said back.
The elf lay on the floor, panting and shivering, green mucus glistening around his snot, a bruise already blooming on his pallid forehead where he had struck himself, his eyes swollen and bloodshot and swimming in tears. Harry had never seen anything so pitiful.
"So you brought the locket home," she said relentlessly, for he was determined to know the full story. "And you tried to destroy it?"
"Nothing Kreacher did made any mark upon it," moaned the elf.
"Kreacher tried everything, everything he knew, but nothing, nothing would work … So many powerful spells upon the casing, Kreacher was sure the way to destroy it was to get inside it, but it would not open …Kreacher punished himself, he tried again, he punished himself, he tried again. Kreacher failed to obey orders, Kreacher could not destroy the locket! And his mistress was mad with grief, because Master Regulus had disappeared and Kreacher could not tell her what had happened, no, because Master Regulus had f-f-forbidden him to tell any of the f-f-family what happened in the c-cave …"
Kreacher began to sob so hard that there were no more coherent words. Tears flowed down Hermione's cheeks as she watched Kreacher, but she did not dare touch him again. Even Ron, who was no fan of
Kreacher's, looked troubled. Harry sat back on his heels and shook his head, trying to clear it.
Harry and Tracey looked at each other then back at Kreacher.
"We don't understand you, Kreacher," Harry started finally.
"Voldemort tried to kill you, Regulus died to bring Voldemort down, but you were still happy to go to Narcissa and Bellatrix, and pass information to Voldemort through them …" Tracey continued.
"Harry, Tracey, Kreacher doesn't think like that," said Hermione, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. "He's a slave; house-elves are used to bad, even brutal treatment; what Voldemort did to Kreacher wasn't that far out of the common way.
What do wizard wars mean to an elf like Kreacher? He's loyal to people who are kind to him, and Mrs. Black must have been, and Regulus certainly was, so he served them willingly and parroted their beliefs. I know what you're going to say," she went on as Harry and Tracey began to protest,
"Tweeky and our family have gotten along together for years. We treat them like a family member." Tracey said.
"that Regulus changed his mind … but he doesn't seem to have explained that to Kreacher, does he?"
"And I think I know why. Kreacher and Regulus's family were all safest if they kept to the old pure-blood line. Regulus was trying to protect them all."
"Sirius is pretty nice to him."
"Sirius isn't as good as his brother to Kreacher, Harry, and it's no good looking like that, you know it's true. I'm sure 'Miss Cissy' and 'Miss Bella' were perfectly lovely to Kreacher when he turned up, I've said all along that wizards would pay for how they treat house-elves. Well, Voldemort did … and Sirius could treat him a little better."
Harry and Tracey looked at each other again and nodded.
"Kreacher," said Harry after a while, "when you feel up to it, er … please sit up."
It was several minutes before Kreacher hiccupped himself into silence. Then he pushed himself into a sitting position again, rubbing his knuckles into his eyes like a small child.
"Kreacher, I am going to ask you to do something," said Tracey.
They glanced at Hermione for assistance. He wanted to give the order kindly, but at the same time, he could not pretend that it was not an order. However, the change in his tone seemed to have gained her approval: She smiled encouragingly.
"Kreacher, we want you, please, to go and find Mundungus Fletcher. We need to find out where the locket – where Master Regulus's locket it. It's really important. We want to finish the work Master Regulus started, we want to – er – ensure that he didn't die in vain." Harry said.
Kreacher dropped his fists and looked up at Harry.
"Find Mundungus Fletcher?" he croaked.
"And bring him here, to Grimmauld Place," said Harry. "Do you think you could do that for us?"
As Kreacher nodded and got to his feet, Harry had a sudden inspiration. He pulled out Hagrid's purse and took out the fake Horcrux, the substitute locket in which Regulus had placed the note to Voldemort.
"Kreacher, I'd, er, like you to have this," he said, pressing the locket into the elf's hand.
"This belonged to Regulus and I'm sure he'd want you to have it as a token of gratitude for what you—" Harry said.
"Overkill, mate," said Ron as the elf took one look at the locket, let out a howl of shock and misery, and threw himself back onto the ground.
A few hours later Harry was in the process of lowering the newspaper when a deafening crack echoed around the kitchen.
For a split second, he did not take in the mass of struggling limbs that had appeared out of thin air right beside his chair. He hurried to his feet as Kreacher disentangled himself and, bowing low to Harry, croaked,
"Kreacher has returned with the thief Mundungus Fletcher, Master and Mistress."
Mundungus scrambled up and pulled out his wand; Hermione, however, was too quick for him.
"Expelliarmus!"
Mundungus's wand soared into the air, and Hermione caught it. Wild-eyed, Mundungus dived for the stairs. Ron rugby-tackled him and Mundungus hit the stone floor with a muffled crunch.
"What?" he bellowed, writhing in his attempts to free himself from Ron's grip.
"Wha've I done? Setting a bleedin' 'house-elf on me, what are you playing at, wha've I done, lemme go, lemme go, of – "
"You're not in much of a position to make threats," said Harry.
He threw aside the newspaper, crossed the kitchen in a few strides, and dropped to his knees beside Mundungus, who stopped struggling and looked terrified.
Ron got up, panting, and watched as Harry pointed his wand deliberately at Mundungus's nose. Mundungus stank of stale sweat and tobacco smoke. His hair was matted and his robes stained.
"Kreacher apologizes for the delay in bringing the thief, Master, Mistress," croaked the elf. "Fletcher knows how to avoid capture, has many hidey-holes and accomplices. Nevertheless, Kreacher cornered the thief in the end."
"You've done really well, Kreacher," said Tracey, and the elf bowed low.
"Right, we've got a few questions for you," Harry told Mundungus.
"Why the 'ell am I being 'unted down by 'ouse-elves? Or is this about them goblets again? I ain't got none of 'em left, or you could 'ave 'em –"
"It's not about the goblets either, although you're getting warmer," said Harry. "Shut up and listen."
It felt wonderful to have something to do, someone of whom he could demand some small portion of truth. Harry's wand was now so close to the bridge of Mundungus's nose that Mundungus had gone cross-eyed trying to keep it in view.
"When you came out this house of anything valuable when Sirius left," Harry began, but Mundungus interrupted him again.
"Sirius never cared about any of the junk –"
There was the sound of pattering feet, a blaze of shining copper, an echoing clang, and a shriek of agony; Kreacher had taken a run at Mundungus and hit him over the head with a saucepan.
"Call 'im off, call 'im off, 'e should be locked up!" screamed Mundungus, cowering as Kreacher raised the heavy-bottomed pan again.
"Kreacher, no!" shouted Harry.
Kreacher's thin arms trembled with the weight of the pan, still held aloft.
"Perhaps just one more, Master Harry, for luck?"
"We need him conscious, Kreacher, but if he needs persuading, you can do the honors," said Tracey.
"Thank you very much, Master, Mistress," said Kreacher with a bow, and he retreated a short distance, his great pale eyes still fixed upon Mundungus with loathing.
"When you stripped this house of all the valuables you could find," Harry began again, "you took a bunch of stuff from the kitchen cupboard. There was a locket there."
Harry's mouth was suddenly dry: He could sense Tracey, Ron and Hermione's tension and excitement too.
"What did you do with it?"
"Why?" asked Mundungus. "Is it valuable?"
'I'm starting to regret letting him in when Sirius left.' Tracey said.
'Yup.' Harry said.
"You've still got it!" cried Hermione.
"No, he hasn't," said Ron shrewdly. "He's wondering whether he should have asked more money for it."
"More?" said Mundungus. "That wouldn't have been effing difficult . . .bleedin' gave it away, di'n' I? No choice."
"What do you mean?"
"I was selling in Diagon Alley and she come up to me and asks if I've got a license for trading in magical artifacts. Bleedin' snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an' told me she'd take it and let me off that time, and to fink meself lucky."
"Who was this woman?" asked Harry.
"I dunno, some Ministry hag." Mundungus considered for a moment, brow wrinkled. "Little woman. Bow on top of 'er head."
He frowned and then added,
"Looked like a toad."
Harry dropped his wand: It hit Mundungus on the nose and shot red sparks into his eyebrows, which ignited.
"Aquamenti!" screamed Hermione, and a jet of water streamed from her wand, engulfing a spluttering and choking Mundungus.
Harry looked up and saw his own shock reflected in Ron's and Hermione's faces.
"This isn't going to be fun or easy." Ron said.