Chapter 34

Hide and Seek

Ron looked at every person passing by; he was bored beyond reason of having to listen to Elphias talking with Harry about Dumbledore. He had been sitting there for a while, and he couldn't help but to miss Hermione. He knew that the bond between them was over because she was not in love with him. He couldn't stand there another minute; he rose from his chair and went looking for Hermione. He was crossing the dance floor when he stopped abruptly in his tracks. Ron couldn't believe what he was seeing. The information that his eyes were sending to his brain didn't make sense. His brain seemed paralyzed for a few more minutes and then realization hit him hard. Hermione had been thinking all this time about another Weasley: his sister, Ginny.

Anger filled him, empowering his limbs, making him go where the two girls stood kissing. Ron felt an eruption of anger starting from his stomach. He felt the lava of his blood pumping through his veins, threatening to explode at any minute. His throat constricted and an imperceptible guttural sound escaped from his lips.

In that precise moment, an elegant silver lynx Patronus landed in the middle of the dance floor, making some of the couples stop abruptly, while the others near them turned their heads astonished.

Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice coming out of the Patronus' mouth said: "The Ministry has fallen, Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming, be prepared."

And then, a high-pitch shriek from the Weasley matriarch was heard: "No!"

The Protective spells surrounding the place had been broken and everything seemed to play in slow motion: people screaming, running, apparating somewhere else as Dead Eaters showed up, throwing spells at anyone they saw.

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand taking him upstairs as he called Ron. A minute later Ron had joined them as he ducked a green jet of light.

"Grab only what's important and meet me here in five," said Hermione, looking intently at both boys. When they nodded, she entered Ginny's room and grabbed a red velvet bag with golden cord that she had hidden under her pillow and started throwing a couple of clothes to change into the bag. She looked around the room, her sight fixating on Ginny's bed… She wished she had had more time with her…

In the middle of the confusion Hermione had lost sight of Ginny. One moment they were kissing, next, someone bumped into them, tossing them to the floor and as she got up; Hermione looked around looking for Ginny, but she was gone.

Hermione caught sight of Harry amongst the crowd and remembering Dumbledore's words to her not long ago, Hermione approached Harry. She decided to take him and Ron to safety but she had forgotten important things in her room that they would need later. She took them along with her to the top floor where they went separate ways to grab their things.

Diving into the bag, she pulled a sheet of parchment, wrote frantically on it and folded it. Then she kissed it and placed it on Ginny's bed, mentally saying good-bye. Hermione left the room and joined the boys outside…

Hermione took one more second to look around before they were then swirling into the air, apparating somewhere else.

Harry, Ron and Hermione landed in front of Grimmauld's Place number 12 in London…

"Why did we end up here, Hermione?" asked Ron.

"It's the first place that came to mind," answered Hermione.

"What if we're being followed?" Ron looked around with uncertainty.

"Let's not take any chances and get into the house," said Harry as he mentally pictured the house in his mind.

The house started stretching in front of them, showing up between Muggle houses 11 and 13. Its shabby and dark exterior made it look very creepy but they didn't have anywhere else to go that was safe. They silently entered the mansion and closed the door behind them quietly. The lights in the interior of the house were dim and all they could see in the distance was an illuminated portrait with a black gothic frame covered by dusky drapes. They looked at each other, unsure about walking any further. Grabbing some courage, Harry took a step further in and in that instant, Mad Eye Moody's voice echoed through the house, "Severus Snape?"

"No," said Harry with slightly trembling voice, "It's Harry, Hermione and Ron."

A breaking silence followed, not a single squeak from a mouse could have been heard and then, as they took another step, the lights turned on and the covers of the portrait swung open and the painting started flying towards them as it screamed with an eerie voice, "Mudbloods and traitors in my house will not be allowed to remain."

In terror, no spell came out of their wands and the painting was getting closer and closer. Ron, Hermione and Harry closed their eyes to what was to come but nothing happened. When they opened their eyes, the portrait was hanging in its place and had the curtains closed. They wondered what had happened, if it had been a figment of their imagination.

"It's all right," said Ron shakily, "It's gone now, whatever it was."

"It was one of the protections of the house," said a voice that came from the staircases. They looked towards its source to find Ginny coming down to greet them. Hermione didn't know whether to run towards the girl and hug her dearly or stand in her place, but her heart won and she found herself running towards Ginny, caught up with her at the bottom of the stairs and hugged her tightly.

"What are you doing here?" asked Ron irritated by seeing his sister there and by the way in which Hermione reacted to her presence.

Ginny reluctantly let Hermione go to answer her brother, "Well, I thought that you'd like to know that everyone is safe and they send their regards. The house and communications are being monitored. Dad asked me to tell you when I saw you guys," she winked at Hermione flirtatiously.

Harry saw Ron's face blaze with anger. He knew how Ron felt about Hermione and Ginny and Harry tried to warn him to stay calm "Ron,"Harry said. But Ron didn't listen, "Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe that Dad let you come?" said Ron angrily.

Hermione saw in Ron's argument a valid point and without realizing it, her brow twitched while looking at Ginny.

When Ginny saw Hermione's reaction to her brother's questions, she felt a bit sad, but let it slide and answered, "Mom and Dad let me come on the condition that I tell you they are safe, Ronald. I can be very persistent when I want something, as you very well know" she said to Ron, but looked at Hermione to make a point.

Ron was about to say something but Ginny beat him to it and continued, "And before you ask… I knew that you were bound to come here at some point since this place was the meeting point for the Order of the Phoenix two years ago."

Ron didn't reply, but his face said it all: he was still pissed. Harry decided to stop this useless fighting between siblings.

"Ron, please let's forget about it and let's move upstairs, there are more pressing matters at the moment. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted and need some rest," Harry said. He climbed the stairs towards the room that had been his and Ron the last time that they had been in the house. He winked at Ginny as he passed by. A couple of minutes later, Ron followed Harry. He didn't turn to look at his sister nor Hermione.

When the boys had closed the door, Ginny turned to look tenderly at Hermione who was still staring at her with inquisitive eyes. She took Hermione's hand and guided her to their bedroom. When they entered the room, Hermione waited for Ginny to close the door behind them to ask her a question, but she was never able to since Ginny captured her lips for a deep kiss.

The blissful moment was abruptly stopped as Ginny pulled away gently.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist it any longer. I had to kiss you," said Ginny hoarsely from the kiss. She paused briefly to catch her breath.

Disappointed, Hermione took the opportunity to ask, "Why did you stop?"

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but there are some things that we need to talk about," replied Ginny apologetically. There was nothing else that she wanted more at that moment than to continue kissing Hermione and show her how much she meant to her, but Ginny needed to be sure that Hermione loved her back, that she wasn't just imagining things. She needed to hear Hermione say to her that she loved her.

Hermione didn't want to talk, she felt aroused and wanted to keep kissing Ginny but nonetheless she kept quiet waiting for Ginny to start the conversation…

"Hermione, I don't know where to start… I guess I should tell you how I ended up here after splitting up at my brother's wedding."

"Yes," Hermione said, "Everything happened so quickly… I remember that one minute we were kissing, next someone bumped into us, I fell to the floor and next thing I know is that you're nowhere to be seen. What happened?"

"Well, after they bumped into us, I fell to the floor as well. As I stood, a Death Eater threw a spell towards me. I was able to dock it in time but there were so many people running from one side to the other, running away from the spells. One thing led to the other and I end up fighting along with Luna. I looked for you everywhere but I couldn't find you. By the time that I reached my room, you were gone and I saw the letter in my bed. I couldn't read it there with everything that was going on, so I apparated to a Muggle pub. I entered the pub and read your letter…"

Dear Ginny,

I wish I had had more time with you to tell you and show you what you really mean to me. Things are going to be hard from now on. Ron, Harry and I won't be coming back to Hogwarts. There are some important things that we need to do. I can't let Harry to go alone in this journey.
I'm sorry for having to say good-bye like this, but you have to understand that I can't let you come with us. Danger is ahead and I don't want you getting hurt because of me.

Love,

Hermione.

"I knew that since Grimmaulds Place was where the Order used to meet, that you were bound to go there and I had to talk to you after reading your letter. I apparated to Charlotte's place and through a Patronus told mom and dad that I would go looking for you. I knew full well that would mean not going back home but it didn't matter to me. All I cared was to find you and be with you, so I didn't accept no for an answer. They complied in the end with the condition that I'd tell you that everyone was safe and that the traditional means of communication were being monitored."

"Hermione, I need to know… Do you love me?"

Hermione looked at Ginny intently as she replied, "You already know the answer, Ginny."

"I need to hear you say it, Hermione. I need to know that it's true," pleaded Ginny.

Hermione looked at Ginny intently as she said, "I love you Ginny Weasley."

Ginny's heartbeat quickened at this admission, and from her eye a tear fell. Finally, Hermione had uttered the words that her heart had ached to hear. She crossed the distance between them and captured Hermione's lips in a soul-searing kiss.

Hermione melted instantly and kissed Ginny back. They kept kissing deeply and when Ginny moved her kisses to Hermione's neck, a moaned escaped from her lips. Their breathing became erratic, clothes started flying and between mouthful of kisses, Ginny guided Hermione towards the bed.

Ginny managed gently to position herself on top of Hermione and stood silently admiring the beauty before her for a few minutes. Hermione in turn, looked at Ginny fixedly, her eyes obscured with desire and love. In her mind, she wondered if Ginny liked what she was seeing, and sensing Ginny's gaze analysing every inch of her semi-naked body, felt her body grow hotter, her heart beat faster on her chest and felt wetness between her legs.

Hermione blushed and asked seductively, "Do you like what you're seeing?"

"My God…" said Ginny, still admiring her. Ginny looked at Hermione straight in the eye and added, "You're beautiful, Hermione," and kissed her tenderly. Then, she trailed kisses down Hermione's body, enjoying it immensely as she took off Hermione's bra.

When she reached Hermione's panties, she slowed down and took in her smell. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the aroma and without realizing she licked her lips. She kissed Hermione's legs gently, tauntingly, as she removed Hermione's underwear.

Ginny moved slowly towards Hermione's lips claiming them as her own. Her hand slowly moved downside, carefully caressing each part as she reached Hermione's mound. Ginny started caressing her clit with circular motions, making Hermione gasp and the wetness between her legs to increase.

Ginny couldn't take it any longer; she couldn't resist the urge of feeling Hermione. She gently introduced a finger inside of her and Hermione gasped even louder this time. Then, she pulled her finger in and out. She moved down towards Hermione's breasts. She licked her left breast in a circular way and then sucked her nipple. Ginny moved to the other one and did the same.

Hermione felt a wave of pleasure coming, as Ginny expertly kept penetrating her while touching her clit at the same time. Hermione's eyesight became clouded, as the sensations kept growing stronger and stronger, a powerful orgasm building inside of her. She cried Ginny's name out loud as she grabbed the pillow behind her firmly. As she came, Ginny moved to kiss her tenderly on the lips and laid down next to her waiting for Hermione's breath to calm down.

Hermione opened her eyes and found herself on one of the room's at Grimmauld Place; she turned sideways, finding Ginny in her underwear asleep next to her. At some point they must have fallen asleep.

Hermione looked at the sleeping girl and a smile spread through her lips. Her eyes followed every curve on Ginny's body, her hand moved to touch Ginny's arm but stopped midway afraid to wake her up. Hermione was motionless for a few more minutes, staring at the ceiling thinking about Ginny and her until a gentle knock on the door was heard.

Hermione snuck out of bed, quickly put on a long t-shirt and a pair of boxers out of her bag and opened the door slightly.

"Hi, Hermione," said Harry timidly when he saw what Hermione was wearing and blushed, "hope I didn't interrupt anything, but I need to talk to you. Do you mind coming with us?"

"You didn't interrupt anything, Harry," answered Hermione whispering, "Ginny is sleeping, I'll join you in a bit."

Harry nodded and went to his room. Hermione closed the door and looked at Ginny who was still sleeping peacefully. She sighed inwardly, mentally sending the younger girl a kiss and marvelling at her beauty. Hermione grabbed her trousers and slipped them on to join the boys in the other bedroom.

When Hermione entered the room, she saw that it was big and it had an aura of grandeur. There was a large dark mahogany four-poster bed with Celtic carvings on the headboard, a tall window was concealed by a long velvet curtain and a black chandelier with golden accents coated in dusk and solid wax hanging in frost-like drips. A heavy thick layer of dust covered the headboard and the pictures that were hanging on the walls. There was a wooden wardrobe matching the bed from which corner a large spider's web dangled; several Gryffindor posters plastered in the ceiling along with Muggle pictures taken from magazines of girls in bikini.

The floor, Hermione observed, was very messy. Papers were scattered everywhere. Ron, who was at the far end corner of the room, had crossed arms and a sour look while Harry stood near the bed, examining some documents. When Harry sensed Hermione, he turned to look at her, smiling.

"Come in," Harry said to Hermione, "take a look at this…" handing her the piece of paper that he had been examining.

Hermione took the paper in and read it carefully and said, "Where did you find this, Harry?"

"In here," said Harry, "between this mess of papers."

"I see… Was the room like this when you entered?"

"Yes, it was. Was it the same in Gi…Your room?" asked Harry.

Hermione blushed slightly. She hadn't paid attention to the room, not after she had felt Ginny's lips pressed against her. She couldn't admit it to Harry….

Harry noticed Hermione deep in thought, and saw her blushing. He didn't want her to feel bad, and knowing that Ron was in the room, Harry decided to change the subject by showing her a picture that he had also found on the floor.

Hermione saw in the picture an elated little Harry mounting a miniature-sized broomstick and a pair of legs chasing little Harry. She smiled.

Harry gave her a torn piece of paper but before she could say anything he added, "I've been looking for the rest of the letter but I can't find it. I've looked everywhere. Whoever was in the house before us, seems to have taken it. I reckon that they took it because it had information about Dumbledore… I wonder what it was." There was a long pause as the three pondered what the rest of the letter might have said. Harry leaned in and whispered, "There's something that I must tell you two, though."

"After Hermione left the table where Ron and I were sitting, Elphias Dodge, Aunt Muriel and I were talking about Dumbledore and she mentioned that Bathilda Bagshot lives in Godric Hollow and so did Dumbledore…" Harry looked at both of them briefly and then said, "and as I was going through the scattered papers, I found this…"

Hermione read the letter carefully for a few minutes, analysing every inch of it. After a few minutes, she said, "I hope that you're not seriously considering going to Godric's Hollow, Harry."

"Why not, Hermione?" asked Harry an inch higher than he intended.

"I understand that you'd like to talk with her about your mom and Dumbledore, but that would divert us from the task that Dumbledore gave us."

Harry said cautiously, "Hermione, I don't mean to be disrespectful with you guys, but Dumbledore assigned this task to me, the journey that I should take will be dangerous and I don't want to put your lives in jeopardy."

Despite their differences, Hermione and Ron joined forces. They looked at one another silently agreeing. Hermione spoke for both of them, "Harry, we've been friends for a long time. We've been through a lot together in all the years that we've been at Hogwarts and I know that I speak for both Ron and I when I say this: We won't let you go alone. You don't have to carry this burden alone."

Harry' eyes were tearful. His heart was filled with emotion and gratitude towards both of them. He mouthed a Thank you and embraced both of them tightly, conveying his feelings in that gesture.

Ginny woke up panting, her body drenched in sweat because of what she had been dreaming. The images of what she had seen scared her terribly: Watching Hermione wounded, defenceless, lying in the floor unconscious and waiting to be killed by the predator Death Eater that was walking towards her, wand at the ready to kill her. Ginny saw herself incapable of reaching out to Hermione as she was being restrained by two Death Eaters despite her effortless tries for release.

Ginny looked at her side, seeking comfort in Hermione, but Hermione was nowhere in sight. Disappointed, she rose from the bed and was about to walk out of the room towards the bathroom, when she saw a naked reflection of herself in the mirror. She cursed out loud. Taking a shirt out of her bag, Ginny headed for the bathroom to cleanse a bit.

Once presentable, she went to the boys' room in search of Hermione.

"Hello," said Ginny as she entered the slightly open door. Noticing that Hermione, Ron and Harry had gone silent, she said, "Did I interrupt anything?"

"I don't know about you," said Ron irritated, "but I'm starving. I'm going to the kitchen to have breakfast." He hit Ginny with his elbow on the arm as he passed by.

"Ouch," exclaimed Ginny, her temper rose at her brother's behaviour and before anyone could do a thing, Ginny followed him. Displeased, Hermione twitched her eyebrow and crossed her arms unwittingly. Harry came from behind and put a reassuring arm around her. Hermione shook her head once and said, "I wish these two would stop fighting."

"I know, Hermione. Let's go grab some breakfast while we keep an eye on them."

They were on the landing, just below the second floor when Harry noticed deep scratch marks on one of the doors and a sign that was barely visible.

"Hermione, wait," said Harry.

"What's the matter?" asked Hermione while looking at him.

"Look," he replied and pointed towards the sign.

Hermione saw then a door that she hadn't noticed before in all the time that they had spent in Sirius' home. She saw the scratch marks and a golden sign with a neat handwriting. The text was not readable from where they were. Kneeling down, they read:

Do Not Enter

Without Express Permission of

Regulus Arcturus Black

Hermione studied the sign and the scratch marks on the door carefully. Meanwhile, Harry was thinking about the sign.

"R.A.B." thought Harry. Those were the same initials that were in the locket that he and Dumbledore had found in their last trip together… at Tom's Riddle Cave.

"Well, I think that those scratches on the door were made by a dog. I think this room belong to Sirius' brother, Harry," said Hermione as she studied him carefully. "What is it?" asked Hermione as she saw him frowning.

"Just before Dumbledore died by Snape's hands, he and I had gone to a cave in which Voldemort used to terrorize other children. It was an immense cave with a quiet and disturbing black lake which had a barely visible floating island lighted by a green light."

"We managed to cross the lake and arrive at the island with a hidden boat. I took a look at the water, Hermione… It was awful. There were tons of burned bodies at the bottom. Don't ask me how it was possible for me to see them, as the water was so dark at one moment, yet in another, it wasn't. Dumbledore motioned me forward, until we reached a stone pillar, holding a dark basin containing some liquid."

"Dumbledore drank the liquid slowly, each time becoming more painful. I had to make him drink it all, for he had made me swear that I would do it. By the end, I had to give him a drink from the lake and the bodies that I had seen on the depths of the lake reanimated and started coming out of the water to attacks us. Dumbledore fought them off as I took a locket from the basin. We barely managed to flee."

"This locket," said Harry pulling it out of his right trousers pocket to show it to Hermione, "as you can see, has R.A.B inscribed at the back. I have been wondering what it meant, but with Dumbledore's funeral and everything that has happened since, I never had the chance to show it to you. I think… by looking at the sign on the door that this locket belonged to Sirius's brother, Hermione."

Hermione examined the locket carefully, and her brain absorbed every single detail about it. After what seemed a long time, she asked, "Why do you reckon that this locket belonged to Sirius's brother, Harry?"

"Sirius told me that his brother had been a Death Eater. He joined up when he was very young and at some point, he got cold feet and tried to leave. He never made it… they killed him."

"That certainly fits, Harry!" gasped Hermione. "He would have had access to Voldemort and his secrets, and if he became disenchanted, he would have wanted to bring Voldemort down!"

"Ron! Ron! Come up here, quick!"

Ron and Ginny rushed to the stairway. Ron arrived first panting a minute later, his wand ready in his hand. "What is it?"

Hermione said, "Look at this," and handed the locket for him to see. Then, she told him what Harry had said to her and pointed at the sign on the door.

Ginny, who had been standing behind her brother, said, "Well, there's only one way to find out." She pointed her wand at the door and said, 'Alohomora." A click was heard and the door swung open.

Ron was still very angry with his sister; he couldn't believe how she had been able to steal Hermione from him. He couldn't understand what Hermione had seen in his sister or what Ginny had done to change Hermione to what she was now. These thoughts ran in his brain obsessively, erasing more and more the brother-sister bond in his mind. There had been a moment, as they had been in the kitchen alone, arguing, where he could have punched Ginny hard but Hermione calling him from the stairs had miraculously saved her from that fate.

He didn't agree with Hermione spilling the beans in Voldemort's regard in front of Ginny, and not because he was feeling brotherly protective, but because he knew that if something happened to Ginny, their parents would not forgive him. He had always been afraid of their mom and the thought of seeing her angry and punishing him, was something that he couldn't stand. Yet, he didn't say a thing. Instead, he tagged along with the others, entering the room.

Regulus's room was slightly smaller than his brother's, though it had the same sense of grandeur. There was an exact replica of Sirius's four-poster bed and furniture yet the decoration changed drastically. While one was accentuated the red and gold colours, in this one, the emerald and silver prevailed, blossoming the walls, drapes and covering the bed. The Black family crest was placed in the centre of the wall where the bed rested. It was painted in a white canvas, along with the motto: Toujours Pur and was framed in wood, matching the rest of the furniture.

Next to Regulus's desk, there was what looked like a large collection of yellow newspaper cuttings that formed a ragged collage. Hermione went to examine them. She took a couple and sat in the dusty bed. A big puff of dust flew and she coughed briefly before saying, "They all are about Voldemort. Regulus must have been his fan, long before he joined the Death Eaters, Harry."

Harry was looking at the moving pictures in the desk and noticed that Sirius brother had played Quidditch. He examined the picture and noticed the position that the boy in the picture was occupying… 'He had been a seeker!' Harry thought.

Harry observed that everyone was busy, looking for clues around the messy room. Suddenly, Hermione gasped and all eyes set on her. "Oh my God!"

"What is it, Hermione?" asked Harry.

"There was a locket like this one, Harry." replied Hermione.

"When?" asked Ron.

"Ahhh," said Ginny, "Was it last time that we were here? When mom put us all to clean?" as she looked at Hermione.

"Yes. It was among all the things that we trashed, things we couldn't open or didn't work, remember?" Hermione asked everyone.

"Fuck!" yelled Ron, surprising everyone. Noticing that all eyes were set on him, he blushed and combed his hair with his hand and said, "Sorry."

Looking back at Hermione, Harry said, "Kreacher nicked lots of stuff from us, maybe he still has it."

"You could be right," mustered Hermione and they all went and searched through the Elfs' possessions.

They searched and searched but the locket could not be found. Harry in desperation, muttered, "This isn't over yet." He raised his voice and said, "Kreacher!"

There was a loud crack and the house-elf that Harry had inherited from Sirius appeared in front of them. He was small for a typical house elf, had big bat-ears, big dark eyes, hair white as snow and ragged clothes. His pale skin was hanging off him in folds.

Kreacher bowed low, "Master," and muttering to his knees, "back in my mistress's old house with the blood traitors Weasley's and the Mudblood."

Harry was very angry with the elf for calling his friends such nasty names. He was about to yell to him when he looked at Hermione and with just a glance, she told him to behave and treat him with dignity. Harry took a breath and said calmly, "Kreacher, I forbid you to call anyone blood traitor or Mudblood."

The elf bowing low again, his snout-like nose reached the floor as he answered, "Yes, Master." He was surprised for not being yelled at.

"Last time we were here, there was a big gold locket in the drawing room upstairs. Just like this one," said Harry showing him the fake locket. "We threw it out along with other things. Did you steal it back?"

After a short pause, the elf replied, "Yes."

"Could you please tell me where it is?" asked Harry politely. Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked cheerful.

The elf looked at Harry surprised, then, he looked at the others as if assessing them. After another pause, he closed his eyes, lowered his head painfully and said, "Gone."

"What do you mean it's gone, Kreacher?" asked Harry, his heart sinking to the bottom.

With eyes still closed, the elf replied, "Mundungus Fletcher stole it all: Miss Bella and Miss Cissy's pictures, my mistress's gloves, the Order of Merlin First Class, the goblet with the family crest and…" Gulping for air, his hollow chest rising and falling rapidly as his eyes flew open and he screamed painfully, "and the locket, Master Regulus's locket. Kreacher did wrong, Kreacher failed in his orders!" he began to cry disconsolately as he pulled his ears strangely and pulled from his clothes. He was about to lunge for the poker standing in the grate, but was stopped by Harry who foresaw what the elf was about to do and launched himself upon him, flattening him to the horror of Hermione and Ginny and the surprise of Ron. The elf tried to break free from Harry but it was useless, the weight over him was too much. He lay on the floor resignedly.

"Harry, let him up!" pleaded Hermione.

"I will not allow him to poke himself with the poker, Hermione," said Harry, not moving an inch.

Hermione looked at Kreacher and said, "I don't think that he will do that, Harry. "Right Kreacher?"

"How do you know that Mundungus Fletcher stole those things," asked Hermione. The elf half nodded to Hermione, willing to do anything to get free from Harry's weight.

Reluctantly, Harry stood up, allowing Kreacher to move. The elf looked at Hermione briefly, and in a thankful gesture he slightly bowed to her. Then he turned back to look at Harry and said, "Kreacher saw him stealing," Renewed tears appeared on Kreacher's eyes that poured over his snout and mouth, discovering a set of grey teeth. "He came out of Kreacher's cupboard with hands full of Kreacher's treasures. Kreacher told him to stop, but the snicker-thief laughed and ran away…"

Harry interrupted the elf's story asking, "You said earlier that the locket belonged to Master Regulus, Why did you say that?"

The elf was about to reply when Harry interrupted again, "Come here, sit up." said, motioning the elf to sit down."

The elf looked at Harry surprised. Then he looked at everyone once more, wondering if he was about to be harmed. He carefully sat down in a nearby chair and waited for Harry to continue.

Harry said, "Where did this locket came from? What did Regulus have to do with it? Please tell me everything you know about it"

Kreacher sat up, curled into a ball, placed his wet face between his knees and began to rock back and forth. He spoke almost in a whisper yet in the silence of the place was perfectly audible. "Master Sirius, being a bad boy ran away from home and broke my mistresses heart with his lawless ways. Master Regulus on the contrary, had proper pride; he knew about what the name of Black meant and the dignity that entailed. For years, he talked of the Dark Lord, who was going to bring wizards everywhere out of hiding to make themselves visible to Muggles and Muggle-borns to rule them under one government only, where the supremacy of the wizards prevailed."

"When Master Regulus was sixteen years old, he joined the Dark Lord forces. He was so proud, so happy to serve him and to bring honour to the House of Black…"

"A year after he had joined, one day, he came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher, always treated him fairly. He said to Kreacher…" The elf rocked faster and faster over the chair. "The Dark Lord requires an elf. I want you to help him, Kreacher. Would you be willing to do it, for me? For Master Regulus?"

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny all looked puzzled. "Voldemort needed an elf?" asked Harry aloud. Ginny wondered, "Why would You-Know-Who need an elf?"

"Oh yes," replied the elf. "Master Regulus had volunteered Kreacher. Kreacher would do whatever the Dark Lord ordered him to do. It would be an honour for Kreacher because Master Regulus asked me to do it and when Kreacher finished, to come home. Kreacher would have done anything for him." The elf rocked even faster, his breath coming in sobs now. "So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord took Kreacher with him to a cave beside the sea. Beyond the cave there was a cavern and a great black lake…"

Harry shivered, and the hairs in the back of his neck stood up. The elf's voice echoed in the kitchen one moment and the next he was transporting them to that night…

They saw what had happened as clearly as though they had been present…

"In the centre of the vast lake, was an island lighted with a glowing green light. There was a tiny dark boat that was glowing green as well and was hidden between the moist stones of the cave. It was bewitched to carry one wizard and someone else towards the island…"

"The Dark Lord and Kreacher reached the island and found a basin full of a green potion. He made Kreacher drink it…" and Kreacher shuddered, his face looked paled. "Kreacher saw horrible things as he drank. It hurt, it hurt so much, but he made Kreacher drink and drink. Kreacher's insides burned really bad. Kreacher cried for Master Regulus and for Mistress Black to save him, but Kreacher kept drinking until there was no more liquid left on the basin. Then, the Dark Lord dropped a golden locket into the empty basin and filled it with more potion."

"Kreacher cried over and over, the pain was terrible. The Dark Lord watched Kreacher and laughed, the harder Kreacher cried and yelled, the more that he laughed. Finally, The Dark Lord sailed away, leaving Kreacher behind… his laugher echoing through the walls of the cave."

"Kreacher needed water, he crawled to the island's edge. Kreacher saw several burned bodies in the bottom of the lake with stretched hands. Severed hands and other parts scattered through the ground, but Kreacher was thirsty… so Kreacher drank and those things reanimated and dragged Kreacher under the surface. His eyes stared right at Kreacher, burning with intensity. Kreacher thought he was going to die…"

"How did you get away, Kreacher?" asked Hermione almost in a whisper.

"Master Regulus told Kreacher to come back home," replied the elf.

"We know, Kreacher, but how did you escape the Inferi?" asked Harry

The elf did not seem to understand why he was being asked the same question twice. He looked at Harry and repeated, " Master Regulus told Kreacher to come back home."

Harry was about to say something when Ron beat him to it and said, "Well, it's obvious, Harry. He disapparated."

"But, you couldn't apparate in and out of that cave, Ron. I know from experience. Otherwise Dumbledore…" said Harry. Ron looked at him suspiciously.

Hermione interrupted, "Elf magic isn't like wizard's magic, Harry. You should know that by now. They can apparate and disapparate in and out of Hogwarts when we can't."

Harry thought about it for a few minutes and then said, "But… how could Voldermort make such a huge mistake?"

"You have to remember Harry, that for Voldemort the most important thing is the pureness of the blood. Elf-like creatures are inferior to him, they were and are worse than animals to him. So, it's natural to assume that it never occurred to him that house-elfs could have magic that he didn't," replied Hermione in a cold like voice.

Ginny, knowing Hermione and how much affected her elfish rights, moved a bit closer to her and placed her hand on Hermione's back to calm her.

Kreacher assessed what Hermione had just said by nodding and then pronounced solemnly, "The house-elf's highest law is his master's bidding…" "Kreacher was told to come home, so he did," added the elf proudly.

Hermione kindly said, "You did well, Kreacher." and the elf shook his head acknowledging it.

"When Kreacher came back, Kreacher found that Master Regulus was very worried. Master Regulus told Kreacher to remain hidden and not leave the house under any circumstance. A little while later, there was a night which Master came to find Kreacher in his cupboard. Master seemed strange, not as he usually was, disturbed in his mind. He asked Kreacher to take him to the cave where the Dark Lord had taken Kreacher…" "Kreacher did as he was told. Kreacher showed the cave to Master and made it to the island…" said the elf with trembling voice. He shook his head and started crying. Between sobs, the elf said, "Master took from his pocket a locket like the one the Dark Lord had placed in the basin and told Kreacher to replace the locket with that one, once the basin was empty. He wouldn't let Kreacher drink the potion…He drank it…" Kreacher's sobs came in great rasps now... "Kreacher knew the pain… so terrible… and all that Kreacher could do was to watch. Kreacher swapped the lockets. Kreacher was ordered to go home, to destroy the first locket and never disclose to my Mistress his fate. Kreacher couldn't leave, Kreacher watched as Master Regulus was dragged beneath the water…"

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny shuddered. Hermione wailed, "Oh, Kreacher!" On an impulse, she went beside the elf and tried to hug him. He jumped at once, landing on his feet and moved away before she could do anything. He looked at her strangely but didn't say anything.

"So did you manage to destroy it, Kreacher?" asked Harry and Hermione kept her distance from the elf.

When he spoke, his voice was distant, he was staring to something beyond the kitchen, "Kreacher tried everything to destroy it, but nothing made any mark upon it. Kreacher was sure that the way to destroy it, was to open it, but it never did. Kreacher failed Master Regulus…"

"Kreacher," said Harry, "I want you to do me a favour… Please go and find Mundungus Fletcher. We need to find out where Master Regulus's locket is. We want to finish what he started so that he didn't die in vain. Could you do that for us?"

Kreacher nodded and was about to leave when Harry stopped him. "Kreacher, before you go, there's something that belongs to you…" He pulled the fake locket out of his trousers and gave it to the elf. "I'm sure Master Regulus would have wanted you to have it,"

The elf looked puzzled, he looked at the locket and then to Harry as if to assessing whether this was true or not. He let out a howl of shock and misery and threw himself back on the ground.

It took the elf some time to compose but when he had finished, he bowed to Harry in gratitude for giving him a Black's family heirloom for himself and went to his cupboard to place it there. Then, he returned to the kitchen, bowed to everybody and dissaparated.