In The Fight To Survive (Golden Trio Era) {4}

Deeper Understandings

"Kreacher!" There was a loud crack and the house elf that Harry had inherited from Sirius appeared out of nowhere in front of the cold and empty fireplace. He was still wearing the filthy rag in which they had first met him, and the contemptuous look he bent upon Harry showed that his attitude to his change of ownership had altered no more than his outfit. "Master," croaked Kreacher in his bullfrog's voice, and he bowed low as he muttered insults to his knees, "back in my Mistress's old house with the blood-traitor Weasley and the Mudblood–"

Harry quickly cut in forbidding Kreacher in calling anyone any type of slur. "I've got a question for you," Harry began, his heart beating rather fast as he looked down at the elf, "and I order you to answer it truthfully. Understand?" Kreacher bowed lowly, confirming that he understood Harry's order. "Do you recognise this?" Harry asked as he pulled the locket from his pocket, Kreacher's eyes widen at the sight of the locket, "Yes, it's Master Regulus' locket." Ron and Hermione brightened up at the confirmation that R.A.B was in fact, Regulus.

"But there was two, wasn't there? It was in this house, where is it now?" Harry asked not letting himself celebrate just yet. Kreacher closed his eyes as though he could not bear to see their reactions to his next word, "gone." Kreacher revealed solemnly, "gone?" Harry echoed "what do you mean, it's gone?" Kreacher shivered at Harry's follow up question, "Mundungus Fletcher came in the night. He took many things including the locket." Kreacher told them with his eyes sealed shut as if the news caused him physical pain.

"Mundungus Fletcher stole it all, he took Miss Bella's and Miss Cissy's pictures, my Mistress' 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 blood curdling 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 tackled the elf before ordering him to stay still.

He felt the elf freeze and released him, as Hermione yelled at him over tackling Kreacher but Harry didn't listen. Kreacher lay flat on the cold stone floor, tears gushing from his sagging eyes. "Harry, let him up!" Hermione whispered. "So he can beat himself up with the poker?" snorted Harry, kneeling beside the elf. "I don't think so. Kreacher, sit up and tell me everything you know about that locket, and everything Regulus had to do with it!" Kreacher 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' heart with his departure to live unpure ways. But Master Regulus, he knew what it meant to carry 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. Just like my Mistress and Master Orion did, and he was so happy to serve..."

Kreacher stopped rocking but remained curled up, tightly gripping his knees to his chest. "But one day, not long before his eighteenth birthday, Master Regulus came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. And Master Regulus said that the Dark Lord required an elf and he had volunteered Kreacher. It was an honour, said Master Regulus, an honour 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 began rocking again, much faster than before and his breath was 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 as Kreacher continued to describe what Voldemort had brought him to do. How there was a boat that was ghostly green and tiny, bewitched so as to carry one wizard and one victim toward the island in the centre.