Love Heals

Fred yanked the curtains of Mrs. Black's screaming portrait shut.

"So what's going on?" Ron asked. "This place is Headquarters again?"

"Well, Harry said it's all right, so yeah," said Fred. "And they're finally letting us in it."

"Okay, so where is everybody?" Harry asked.

"Inside already," said George. "Come on."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny followed the twins into the dining room of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. They were summoned there by Remus Lupin, who was annoyingly vague and left them with many questions. As the door to the room closed behind them, many of the old members of the Order turned to look at them. McGonagall seemed to be heading the meeting, placing herself at the far end of the long table, facing everyone. She looked, as usual, very serious. On one side of her sat Lupin, and on the other Arthur Weasley. Mrs. Weasley was seated next to her husband, and looking very disapproving at the entrance of the teens. It was obvious that she was against their inclusion.

A few greetings were made, and then McGonagall told them to take a seat. "Do you have any news, Remus?" She asked.

"Greyback's going even crazier," Lupin replied. "There are kids getting bitten all the time now. It's not just kids, though. He'll go for anyone he thinks is on our side."

"Not surprising," said Mad-Eye Moody. "He decided to go for Bill Weasley when he wasn't even transformed, didn't he?"

"Well, there's really not much else," said Lupin. "There's one that absolutely venerates Greyback. We're going to have to start looking out for him soon."

"What's the name?" inquired Kingsley.

"Goes by Fortan. He's brutal. The only thing we've got going for us is that he's a complete idiot."

"You know what?" Harry had spoken up. The others turned to him, not hiding their confusion. "This is," he continued, "I don't mean to be rude...this is stupid. For me, I mean. Not for you. It's very beneficial for you...I'm sorry. I just, I have so much to do, and this is not going to affect me, and I'm an idiot." He was babbling, but he didn't make an effort to stop. "I feel really bad being here, and not telling you what I know. I have to go directly to the source...Where's Kreacher?"

Not one of his audience comprehended the speech, and the twist ending really threw them off. Not even Hermione seemed to understand.

The twins, however, seemed to find it rather amusing.

"What the hell, Harry?" Said George, smiling.

"Where's Kreacher," he repeated. The thought had just come to him. Regulus was a Death Eater, Kreacher liked him. Regulus...Regulus trusted him. And the locket...they'd seen a locket here. They hadn't been able to open it...He needed to talk to Kreacher.

"He's in his room," said Remus. "Harry, what--"

But Harry was already off. He knocked on Kreacher's door, and the angry faced elf opened it.

"What is it?" he said curtly, but with feigned politeness.

Harry, thinking fast and breathing hard, knelt down to the elf's height, pulled out the locked he'd mistaken as the Horcrux. "Kreacher...here." He offered it to the elf. "This was Regulus's. You should have it. I know you care about preserving the belongings of--" He was cut off by Kreacher's appreciative wails.

"Oh, Master Harry, you are so kind!" He continued crying his thanks as Harry tried to calm him down.

"Come on, man, calm down. Can I ask you something?"

Kreacher immediately composed himself. "Of course, Master Harry! What is it you be wanting?"

"There was...another locket here. It was Regulus's. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Kreacher's face dimmed. "Yes, I do, Master Harry."

"Um, where is it?"

"I do not know." He looked truly distressed about this. "That Mundungus Lump took. What does Master Harry want with it?"

"It's...do you know what it is, Kreacher?" he asked desperately, unable to find a way around the questions.

"Kreacher knows it the Dark Lord's. Kreacher helped Master Regulus steal it."

Harry couldn't decide whether to close his eyes in exasperation, or widen them in disbelief. Kreacher told him the story of how he drank the liquid for his master, used his magic to get through the barriers, worked their way through the traps by manipulating Voldemort's impression of superiority.

"And you don't know where it is now?" Harry asked at the end of the tale.

Kreacher shook his head. "Kreacher doesn't know where it is, but he knows who has it."