"So, Regulus was R.A.B.," said Harry conversationally. "It all fits!"
"Yes," Hermione said as they approached Harry and Ron's bedroom. "Ronald I just passed it while you and
Ginny were gone, and he found it." She looked at her boyfriend affectionately.
"I know, I'm brilliant!" Ron said, beaming.
They all entered the bedroom, and Harry automatically sat on his bed, while Ron and Hermione sat on Ron's.
"Hey," said Harry softly, just remembering something. "In the note in the fake Horcrux, Regulus called Voldemort "the Dark Lord". Don't Death Eater's only call Voldie that?"
"That also makes sense," said Hermione, nodding. "And that brought us to another question: Did Regulus ever destroy the Horcrux as he said he would?"
There was a pause, and then Harry said, a little to loudly, "The Horcrux! Slytherin's locket! Don't you remember, there was a locket that couldn't be opened? In this house?"
"Exactly!" Ron exclaimed. "Merlin, who'da thought, a Horcrux in this house all along!"
"Have you guys seen it at all?" Harry asked apprehensively.
"No," Hermione said, now sounding disappointed. "There's a lot of things in this house, so it wouldn't be easy to find."
"True," said Harry, also looking crestfallen.
Someone suddenly knocked on the door.
"Dinner's ready!" rang Mrs. Weasley's voice.
The trio went downstairs to the kitchen, only to find one of Mrs. Weasley's good meals on their plates.
"But, that's not all just me," said Mrs. Weasley proudly. Everyone stared at her. Even Mr. Weasley, who had just arrived home, looked slightly bemused.
"I had some help from Winky!" said Mrs. Weasley fondly.
Winky the house elf appeared next to Mrs. Weasley at the sound of her name. She had brown tennis ball-sized eyes and had a clean pillowcase (instead of the old one she once had) she used as a toga.
Hermione dropped her fork on her plate with a clatter. Her expression was nothing short of indignity. Ron scooted away from her nervously.
"Why is Winky here?" she asked, her voice shaky.
"Oh, well," said Mrs. Weasley as Winky looked around at them with a toothy grin, looking completely sober. "A nice little elf named Dobby suggested she come here to help us. He's very fond of you, Harry - " She looked over at Harry. " - and thought she would like to come here since she wasn't doing very well!"
Winky did seem a great deal happier than she had the last time he saw her, when she had been drunk and wallowing over her former masters, the Crouch's.
Hermione looked round at Ron, still looking cross.
"Back me up, here!" she muttered through gritted teeth.
"She looks happy," he mumbled, not meeting her eyes and instead stared at his food.
Hermione looked as though she would explode.
While Harry was shoveling down his baked potatoes, he felt something poke him on his knee. He looked down, and saw Winky's smiling face.
"Oh, Harry Potter, sir," she said excitedly. "I is so happy to see you again!"
"It's good to see you, too, Winky," Harry said, smiling down at her.
"Mistress Molly Weasley has let me help in the Order!" she squealed, standing on the tips of her toes.
"Dobby wanted me to come here. So I says to myself, 'Why doesn't Winky help the Order?' So I do! It has helped me think of my former masters less, and more of helping the good side of this war!"
Her brown eyes grew wide with happiness and she hugged Harry around his waist. Then she trotted off past Ron and Hermione, but trotted faster by Hermione after glancing at her.
After eating all their stomachs could hold, Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up from the table and were about to leave when Mrs. Weasley said, "Oh, wait, you lot, there's some cleaning to do before you go to bed. There's doxies to spray in the drawing room - there are still more."
Ron groaned as they set off upstairs, spray cans in hand, cloths, and a garbage bag. Mrs. Weasley had already put the antidote in the drawing room when they arrived.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sprayed the small, dark doxies as they came out of their hiding spaces. These doxies seemed feistier than the other doxies they had sprayed a couple years ago, and they especially liked to aim for your face; Hermione almost got doxie spray in her eyes from Ron while he tried to spray the doxies she didn't see.
Harry looked down for a second, and noticed one doxie had fallen to the ground, probably when he had sprayed it, he hadn't thrown it away.
But when Harry bent down to pick it up, it was not a doxie at all. Instead, it was a dark locket, with an ornate "S" printed on it.
Harry gasped, picking it up.
"Ron, Hermione," he said hoarsely. "I dunno if you're having too much fun to notice, but I found a Horcrux."