In this chapter, I'm taking this story down an alternative road. This chapter is from Harry's, Hermione's and Kreacher's perspective. To give some prologue, in this AU, Ron never went on the Horcrux Hunt as Harry never forgave him for his abandonment in Goblet of Fire. This picks up with Harry and Hermione knowing the Umbridge has the Locket but so far having been unsure what to do about it. This thread is now no longer just fill in the blanks story or another perspective story. It is now going to be like a more AU version of Deathly Hallows retaining some similarities. Just consider this fic a more fully AU seventh year at this point.
Harry and Hermione were still stuck at Number Twelve Grimmald Place.
They had been comfortably living off of Kreacher's cooking and had been sleeping well enough, but they had not made any progress on how to acquire, let alone destroy, the Locket Horcrux.
If only we hadn't thrown it out two years ago," was a thought that both Harry and Hermione sometimes had in their frustration. Sometimes they would think this line in their heads and sometimes they would say it aloud.
Then, on the morning of Monday, November 17th, 1997, Harry had an idea.
It was ten in the morning and Harry had been deep in thought for an hour and a nanosecond while Hermione read Horcrux Hell: How Dark Souls Tick.
Carefully, Harry called for "Kreacher."
Next nanosecond, Kreacher apparated into the living room where Harry and Hermione were sitting down together on a small black couch.
The Blacks, proud of their family name, always used Black furniture whenever they could.
"Master Harry called?" asked Kreacher.
"I did," confirmed Harry.
Getting right down to business, Harry asked Kreacher.
"So?" Harry reminded Kreacher, "You know that Locket that Master Regulus ordered you to destroy that you never could?"
"Yes," nodded Kreacher, "Kreacher remembers Master Harry ordering him to fetch Mundungus Fletcher. The thief had stolen many things from poor Kreacher's cupboard. The sneak thief laughed at Kreacher while robbing him. "
"We learned," Harry reminded Kreacher, "That Mundungus gave that Locket to Dolores Umbridge to get out of trouble with her after he'd selling stuff in Diagon Alley without a license. Kreacher, is it your wish for the Dark Lord to fall?"
"Yes," said Kreacher squeamishly, "It is not lost on Kreacher that the Dark Lord intended for Kreacher to do his dirty work and then leave him to die. The Dark Lord treated Kreacher like a Barbie doll he had got sick of playing with and wanted to get some use of before disposing of it. It was NOT a happy day for Kreacher when he learned that the Dark Lord had risen again."
"We have a way to go before the Dark Lord can be killed or defeated," said Harry warningly, "I suspect we are still months away from that. My heart of hearts tells me that the Dark Lord will meet his true death on Saturday, May 2nd, 1998. Nevertheless, it needs to be noted that in order for the Dark Lord to be deposed of, one of the things that will have to happen is for that Locket to be destroyed."
Kreacher's eyes went wide at that.
"So," realized Kreacher breathlessly, "That is why Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to destroy that Locket. "
"Yes," confirmed Harry, "Master Regulus turned against the Dark Lord when he learned how the Dark Lord treated you, Kreacher."
"Regulus always liked Kreacher," said Kreacher fondly.
"Here's the deal," said Harry slowly and carefully, "The first step is to recover the Locket. Kreacher, I need to give you an assignment."
"Kreacher is happy to take on any assignment that will allow the Dark Lord to bite the dust."
"Kreacher," explained Harry, "We need you to go to the Ministry of Magic and access the courtrooms. Your mission is to find Dolores Umbridge, steal the Locket from her, and bring it back here to Number Twelve Grimmald Place."
"Kreacher can definitely do that," said Kreacher in a voice that was half confident and half edgy. This voice gave off a vibe of, "Damn straight I can do that!"
"Once the Locket is in our possession," explained Hermione, "We will need to be able to destroy it. Routine magic cannot destroy it. It is easy for the Locket to fix itself. What must happen for it to be destroyed is that it must sustain damage that is beyond the capabilities of magical repair. This is explained on page seventy seven of Horcrux Hell: How Dark Souls Tick. I know for a fact that one substance that can be used to destroy the Locket is basilisk venom. "
"Well," said Harry wryly, "It's not as though basilisks are common."
"That doesn't matter," interjected Hermione, "What we need is to retrieve basilisk fangs from the dead basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets."
"Kreacher?" inquired Harry, "Are you capable of accessing the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts?"
"Yes," confirmed Kreacher, "Kreacher can apparate in and out of the Chamber of Secrets. After Kreacher acquires the Locket, he will make a pit stop in the Chamber of Secrets to get some basilisk fangs. Kreacher will then bring both the Locket and the fangs back to Grimmald Place."
"Good plan," chroused Harry and Hermione.
Next nanosecond, Kreacher disapparated from Number Twelve Grimmald Place.
Kreacher apparated directly into the courtroom at the Ministry of Magic and had fate smile on him.
Dolores Umbridge, decked out in pink wearing her bleeping bow and all, was wearing the Locket!
Kreacher kept himself hidden and at a moment when Umbridge had her back turned, Kreacher used his powerful elf magic to knock the Locket off of Umbridge and onto the floor without it making any noise.
As Umbridge still had her back turned, Kreacher went up to the Locket, scooped it up in his right hand, and then used his strong Elf Mind Magic to erase Umbridge's memory of having ever possessed the Locket before disapparating.
Kreacher apparated into the Chamber of Secrets.
Kreacher had expected to have to put a significant amount of effort into getting the basilisk fangs.
However, back when Harry Potter had stabbed the basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor, he had knocked several of its fang loose of many of them had fallen out over the time since it had been killed.
Instinctively, Kreacher used his left hand to grab a fistful of the basilisk fangs.
Kreacher immediately disapparated from the Chamber of Secrets and apparated back into the living room of Number Twelve Grimmald Place.
Kreacher returned to where Harry and Hermione were sitting on the couch.
"Good job, Kreacher," praised Harry when he saw the Locket and basilisk fangs in Kreacher's hands.
"So," said Hermione Kindly, "Kreacher, you have a choice to make here."
"Which is?" wondered Kreacher.
"Well," said Hermione thoughtfully, "In a way, it would be symbolic if you could be the one to destroy the Locket. Considering how the Dark Lord treated you and what he meant to do to you, I think it would mean something to you to have a direct role in his downfall."
"It would," said Kreacher eagerly, with a hungry look on his face.
"Harry will have to open the Locket by speaking in Parseltongue," said Hermione a crystal clear voice, "The Locket may put up a fight. And this is where your decision comes in: You may be forced to see and hear terrible things and relive terrible memories and/or confront terrible fears. If you do not feel up to dealing with this, I can be the one to destroy the Locket by piercing it with a basilisk fang. But Kreacher, if you wish to be the one to destroy the Locket, I will grant you that opportunity. "
"Kreacher wants to destroy the Locket himself," said Kreacher bluntly, "Destroying the Locket would give Kreacher a great sense of closure, even independently of its role in causing the Dark Lord to eventually snuff it. Kreacher would gain peace by finally fulfilling Master Regulus's final order by destroying the Locket himself."
"I understand," said Hermione gently, "Harry, please open the Locket."
Speaking in Parseltongue, Harry demanded the Locket to open up."
Once the Locket had opened, Kreacher wasted no time slamming one of basilisk fangs through it.
The Locket did put up a fight, and Kreacher did see some disturbing images.
One image showed a disappointed Regulus telling Kreacher, "I should have known you would fail."
But Kreacher, determined and focused, stabbed the Locket with a second basilisk fang, and then a third.
The basilisk fangs successfully broke the Locket's chain and shattered its glass windows.
It was still largely intact, but Harry, Hermione, and Kreacher all "felt" the destruction of the Horcrux within themselves.
Testing it, Harry retrieved his wand from his right hand pocket with his right hand.
Harry pointed his wand at the now ruined Locket and cried, "Reparo!"
Nothing happened. The Locket remained in its ruined state.
Hermione followed suit by taking her wand out of her right hand pocket with her right hand and pointing it at the ruined Locket.
"Reparo!" cried Hermione.
Again, nothing happened.
"For our purposes," said Kreacher in a satisfied voice, "Kreacher has destroyed the Locket. "
Kreacher shed a few tears of emotion.
"This is a very meaningful moment for Kreacher," said Kreacher sincerely, "Kreacher has redeemed himself, avenged Master Regulus, and found a sense of closure to a long standing regret all in a one swoop."
Harry and Hermione nodded in understanding.
None of them fully understood, but, as Kreacher said, "Kreacher is certain now that this Locket is destroyed in the sense that it can no longer serve the Dark Lord. Kreacher is ignorant of how it was serving the Dark Lord, but he knows that it was. Master Regulus, Kreacher is sorry it took so long, but this moment is for you."
"There is still much work to do to rid our world of the Dark Lord," said Harry honestly, "But the Locket being destroyed with no ability to be restored to its original state is a step in the right direction."
So, I wasn't on much in late December or early January. I had planned to take some time away from here around Christmas and then I got sick late at night on December 26th and spent most of the 27th in the hospital. I didn't feel too great until New Year's and decided to take it easy for a few more days after that. I started the year here by updating my one shots threads. This is the first of my "true" fics to receive an update in 2025.
A shout out to the following members who have added Luna Lovegood and the Reformation of the D.A. to their favorites and/or follows lists since the last update:
deanna4403
Much love from Arizona for all the support. Love you all-Michael. :) ❤️