The Half-Blood Princess

Chapter 52- Robbery

Sabrina gestured to her living room, so that the group could all sit down.
She then waved her wand, and made a warm drink of tea for them all, which she hoped would make the discussion less awkward.
"What has Kreacher told you, abour how I came to possess the Horcrux locket?" Asked Sabrina, once the tea arrived.
"Well, me and Dumbledore found the fake locket Horcrux in the cave, the night he died. So Kreacher filled in the gaps, and told us how Regulus found out about the Horcrux, and placed a fake one into the basin on the island. He said that Regulus instructed you both to destroy it" answered Harry.
A tear rolled down Sabrina's cheek as she thought back to that terrible night in the cave, where she had lost Regulus.

"When Kreacher told us what the dark lord made him do, we spent days researching what Salazar Slytherin's locket could have been turned into, which is when we realised it was a Horcrux. We then instructed Kreacher to take us inside the cave. However, since the small boat on the lake could only hold 1 person and an elf, I had to wait on the shore. Which meant I could do nothing but watch, as Regulus was dragged under water by the Inferi" revealed Sabrina.
Kreacher approached Sabrina, and rested his hand on her leg.
"There was nothing you could have done Miss. Master Regulus wanted you to be safe, which is why he instructed Kreacher to take you home" reminded Kreacher.

"I know. I just wish I could have done something to save him" admitted Sabrina sadly.
"I'm sorry about Regulus. He died doing the right thing, but everyone will just remember him as a death eater" replied Harry.
"I know. It was so hard being the only one who knew the truth. I'm glad that I've finally been able to tell someone how brave and selfless my fiancè really was"
"So, when you got back from the cave you destroyed the Horcrux?".
Sabrina sighed and shook her head, "No. I was never able to destroy that blasted thing. The casing on it was too strong, so none of my spells even made a dent on it".

"Is that why you got rid of it?" Questioned Harry.
"I never got rid of the Horcrux. I could never part with the one thing Regulus left me in charge of. I kept it on my person at all times, so that I didn't lose it" admitted Sabrina.
"So what happened to it?" Asked Hermione.
"It was stolen" answered Sabrina.
"By who?" Quizzed Ron.
"Mundungus Fletcher" revealed Sabrina.

"How did he take it from you?" Asked Harry curiously.
Sabrina looked down at Kreacher, before looking back up to Harry.
"Not long after Sirius Black died, Kreacher came to me in a panic, and said that a theif was stealing Black Family heirlooms. Since some of the things in Grimmauld Place once belonged to me, I went back with Kreacher to apprehend the theif. But when we arrived, Mundungus bolted and began to head for the door. The two of us collided, and we began fighting while rolling around the floor. Unbeknownst to me, the locket had fallen out of its pouch. And when Mundungus pushed me away, he lunged for the locket and disapparated before I could stop him. It was only after he had gone that I realised the locket was missing" revealed Sabrina.

"Why did Kreacher think that you still had the locket?" Questioned Harry.
"Because I was too ashamed to tell him that I had lost the very thing that Regulus had given his life for" admitted Sabrina.
"Did you try going after Mundungus?" Quizzed Hermione.
"I couldn't risk it. I am supposed to be dead. So I can't just go looking for him in Diagon Alley" replied Sabrina.
"But this is you-know-who's Horcrux we're talking about. Wasn't trying to find it worth the risk?" Frowned Harry.
"It's not as simple as you think, Harry. I'm in hiding. Maybe if it was just the Ministry after me, I would have risked it. But with the dark lord back, I couldn't risk going out and searching for Mundungus" informed Sabrina.

"But we need to find that Horcrux. Without it, we will never be able to stop him!" announced Harry.
"Don't you think I know that already. Look, I know you have lost a lot because of him, but you're not the only one who wants to see the dark lord stopped, once and for all. I did terrible things in his name. And only when he is gone, will I finally be able to be free. I haven't been hiding from the Ministry for all these years. I've been hiding from the dark lord, because I knew he would return, even though many thought him dead. I want him to be destroyed, so that I never have to worry about him again" replied Sabrina.

"Well none of us can exactly go looking for Mundungus either, since Harry is a wanted criminal, Hermione has supposedly moved to Australia with her parents, and I'm meant to be at home dying of Spattergroit" admitted Ron.
"Maybe we don't have to be the ones to find him" mumbled Harry.
"Come again?" Frowned Ron.
Harry ignored him and instead turned to face Kreacher.
"Kreacher, I need you to find Mundungus Fletcher for us, and bring him to Grimmauld Place" ordered Harry.
"Find Mundungus and bring him to you" replied Kreacher.

"Yes. We need that locket to make sure that Regulus did not die in vain. We will finish the work that he started" promised Harry.
"Kreacher will do this task gladly" informed Kreacher.
"Good luck" whispered Sabrina.
Kreacher nodded his head and disapparated on the spot.
"Even if you find the Horcrux, there's no guarantee that you will be able to destroy it" said Sabrina quietly.
"We will" insisted Harry.
"I never managed it. And I had it in my possession longer than you've been alive" reminded Sabrina.

"We have loads of books on Horcrux's from the Hogwarts library that Dumbledore left us. Trust me, we will find a way to destroy it" announced Hermione.
"Well, I hope you are right. For all our sakes" mumbled Sabrina.
Harry placed his hand inside his pocket and pulled out the copy of Slytherin's locket.
"This was Regulus's. I think it's only right that you have it now" admitted Harry, as he handed the locket over to Sabrina.
"I still remember the day Regulus got this on his birthday, so many years ago. Thank you for returning it to me Harry" replied Sabrina as she placed the locket around her neck.
She felt happy, as if a part of Regulus had returned to her after so many years.
And she had to restrain herself from giving Harry a big hug, since she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.