Vater

They did not find anything too useful at the orphanage. Anyone who had been there during Riddle's time was dead, either naturally or artificially. It was as if Voldemort had decided to kill off any Muggle who had been associated with him. They returned to Grimmauld Place, but not before Harry set up a 'Tom Riddle Fund' at the orphanage to pay for ice-creams after Sunday dinners for the children. The trio thought it was a brilliant joke, and Harry had half a mind to write to Voldemort about it, but decided it wouldn't be fair to risk Hedwig or any other owl.

"No Horcruxes," muttered Ron glumly.

"I hadn't expected any," said Harry.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Voldemort doesn't repeat places...one Horcrux was found in his mother's house...one in the cave - that is related to the orphanage, isn't it? - another was related to the Chamber of Secrets...I bet there is one in Godric's Hollow."

"No," said Hermione. "He planned to make one at Godric's Hollow, Harry, but you stopped him. I doubt if there's anything there..."

"The Sorting Hat!" cried Ron. "It's Gryffindor's isn't it? I bet he wanted that...it would be a great place to put one's soul in; no one would even think to destroy it!"

"I doubt if he'd have managed that, Ron," Hermione said. "But that must've been his intention when he came to Dumbledore - after all very few know of Gryffindor's sword..."

Harry nodded.

"And if Dumbledore thought that it was unlikely that anything else of Gryffindor existed, I guess we can take it that he was right...at least until we have exhausted all other options," Ron remarked.

"How about Ravenclaw?" Harry asked.

"But we don't know of anything that belonged to her..." Hermione said.

"Do you think the Sorting Hat might know?" Ron asked.

"That's an idea..." Harry muttered, "up for a trip to Hogwarts?"

"Sure...but we'll have to write to McGonagall first," Hermione said.

Ron frowned.

"She'll want to know why we need to go there," he said.

"Well, we can tell her that we need her help with our Animagi project; I'm sure she'll appreciate that," Hermione said.

"Fine, then...Hermione, you'd better do this...you are her favourite after all..."

"Right, Harry. I'm borrowing Hedwig."

Ron and Harry waited quietly while Hermione sent a note to McGonagall. When she was done, she resumed her seat near them.

"I have a feeling Hufflepuff's Cup might be in or around Borgin and Burkes," she said.

Harry nodded.

"Yes, that's where he went to after Hogwarts..."

"How do we find out?" Ron asked.

"We go there," said Harry simply.

"Now?"

"No, Ron. I remember my promise. After the wedding."

"Harry..."

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I think...I think the Ravenclaw Horcrux could be with Snape...I mean, Voldemort gave the diary to Lucius, didn't he? He probably gave one to Snape as well...I - er - Snape is his favourite, isn't he?"

Harry's eyes flashed for a moment before turning pensive.

"Yes, it is possible...and it is quite likely that Snape is protecting it. Where could it be?"

Hermione shrugged.

"I'm hungry," said Ron, "lend me your cloak, will you, Harry? I'll get enough for all of us from downstairs."

Harry handed his invisibility cloak to Ron.

Ron returned ten minutes later, looking very excited. He dropped the food in Hermione's lap and said eagerly, "Harry, I may have found out R.A.B.!"

Harry sat up.

"I just saw the Black Family Tree when I was coming up...R.A.B., as we thought, had to be someone who knew Voldemort, right? Quite possibly someone who was a Death Eater himself, for they used the epithet 'The Dark Lord'; do you think it could have been Sirius' brother Regulus? His full name was Regulus Arcturus Black. Sirius told us that he'd been a Death Eater and had been killed when he wanted to quit...could it be that Voldemort killed him because he stole his Horcrux?"

There was complete silence for some time.

"You're right, Ron," Harry said, "it probably was Regulus...but how do we know whether the Horcrux was destroyed or not?"

"It is likely that Voldemort killed him because of that," Ron said.

"I don't think Voldemort knows that someone stole his Horcrux, Ron," Hermione said slowly, "we have to make sure that Regulus destroyed it, and if he didn't, we have to get it ourselves. Call Kreacher, Harry."

"Kreacher!"

The old House-elf appeared immediately, looking as sullen as ever.

"Tell him to get that locket we couldn't open," Hermione said.

Harry did so.

"Master threw it away," said the elf, a sneer on his face.

Harry lost his temper.

"Kreacher, I order you to bring me that locket from wherever it is hidden! NOW!"

The old elf's ears drooped and he disappeared, muttering nastily.

When Kreacher appeared with it, Harry asked, "Did Master Regulus bring this, Kreacher?"

"Kreacher won't answer!"

"Answer me now, Kreacher," Harry said dangerously.

"Yes," came the sullen reply, and Kreacher started muttering under his breath again.

"Give it to me, Kreacher."

The elf glared at Harry, but did as he was told.

Harry gasped as the artefact in his hand. It was the locket Dumbledore had died for...all this while it had been at a place he visited so often...

Tears sprang into his eyes, and he stared at the ground, blinking furiously. If he had looked up at his friends, he'd have noticed that they had tears running down their cheeks as well.

After what seemed an eternity, Harry managed to regain control. There was no doubt about it; this was the same locket he'd seen around Merope's neck. It bore Slytherin's symbol.

"How do we destroy it?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice, wiping her eyes.

"I don't know," Harry said, putting it in his pocket. "You may return to Hogwarts, Kreacher. Thank you."