Chapter ten; A trip down memory lane.

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Olivia stood before a place she never thought she'd see again, watching as it materialised from the flats surrounding it. Out of everything that had happened that night, this put the icing on the cake. The cherry on top even. She wasn't ready for a trip down memory lane and yet here she was, stood before 12 Grimmuald Place once more. She sighed deeply to herself, a hundred and one unwanted memories surfacing simultaneously.

She waited for Harry, Ron and Hermione to step past her, but it was Hermione who took her wrist and guided her forwards, "We need to keep off the streets Liv." She said quietly to her as Harry and Ron walked up the steps leading to the house, "This is the only way."

Olivia looked up to the house and back down to Hermione uncertainly, "I know, I just," She sighed again, shaking her head, "I don't even know anymore, I've lost my mind tonight .. and myself."

"You'll feel better after we get some rest, c'mon." She said, tugging on her right wrist and guiding her up to the door the two boys were passing through. Olivia shut the door behind them while someone fished for the lights. They flickered on and hung dimly above them, lighting up the small corridor around them. The house was eerily silent, much so that it made the hairs on the back of Olivia's neck stick up. She reached for her wand for protection. A thick mist of fog resided on the ground and pooled at their ankles, seemingly swirling to meet in the middle.

The mist grew upwards in height and continued to do so until a sort of boggart form of Albus Dumbledore materialised in front of them and charged down the small corridor. A shrill-short lasting scream sounded from Hermione while the others stepped back. Just as it reached them it disappeared around them, the mist falling to the ground in its wake.

"What's that all about?" Ron asked quickly, breathing out.

Hermione sighed, "Probably Mad-Eyes idea incase Snape decided to come snooping."

"Sounds like Mad-Eye." Olivia mumbled as they fell into a silence, too shocked and too afraid to step forwards. The only sound around them was Harry's heavy breathing until a thud echoed around them. Olivia took a cautious step around Ron, raising her wand into the air, "Please Satan, not today." She whispered under her breath.

"Revelio." Hermione said waiting for something to come of the spell. When nothing happened Hermione visibly relaxed and both her and Olivia dropped their wands to their sides, "We're alone."

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Olivia shot up quicker than lightening, a shrill scream passing through her lips. She'd drifted from nightmare to nightmare throughout the little sleep she'd acquired and finished with what was either another nightmare of Voldemort or a vision of some kind. She couldn't tell. Either way it startled her awake and left her heaving for breath while Ron and Hermione stumbled awake around her.

"Wh-what's going on?" Ron asked groggy, sitting up with one eye open, "Who's dying?"

"No one." Olivia breathed out with her heart drumming against her chest quickly, "Sorry 'bout that."

"Bloody hell." Ron mumbled, rubbing his face.

"Nightmare?" Hermione asked.

"Couldn't tell you if I wanted to." Olivia sighed, standing up, "I have no idea." Ron and Hermione shared a concerned look, "I'm gonna have a look around, see what was left before my dad died." She said monotonous while pulling herself into her jumper and stepping over Ron's legs.

Watching her retreating figure Ron and Hermione waited until she was gone before looking to each other again, "Is it just me or—"

"Is she acting as if nothing happened yesterday?" Ron finished, "Yeah."

"I'm surprised. After last night I didn't expect her to be like this." Hermione said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"What do you reckon it has something to do with when her and Alex stepped outside at the wedding?" Ron asked sceptically.

"It's possible I suppose." Hermione agreed, "we'd have to ask her about it."

The kitchen was as bleak as it was empty. In fact Olivia quickly found the whole house was bleak and empty. It was as if no one had lived at 12 Grimmuald Place for centuries when in fact, she'd resided there roughly two years ago. But when she came to think about it, it was around that time two years ago she fell down the stairs after collapsing. A simple smile graced her lips as she found the same staircase leading upwards.

She placed her hand on the wood of the banister, the chipped black paint coming away and flaking around her feet. Swinging around she began the decent upwards when Ron's voice called from above her, "Guys where are you? I think I've found something." Looking up Olivia took the steps quickly to find Ron's voice, arriving on the first floor at the same time as Harry and Hermione.

Ron was stood at one of the many doors on the floor with it pushed open. Olivia frowned confused, "Is that it?"

Ron shook his head as Hermione stepped past him and into the room. Olivia settled besides Ron and watched from the outside. To no surprise it was a bedroom and it fell in line with the rest of the dim house. Everything in it looked deserted and there was things all over the floor. Books, clothes, scarp pieces of parchment scattered the floor, almost making it invisible. Whoever's room this had been, it had been ransacked.

Like Hermione, Olivia curled her nose up in disgust, it was worse than the mess the twins had the tendency to create, "Lovely." Hermione muttered, turning to face Ron. The ginger reached forwards and pulled on the door handle of the bedroom, pulling the door closer towards them. He looked up to the sign hanging on the door and Olivia followed his gaze.

"Regulus Arcturus Black." Hermione recited.

Olivia's eyes fluttered to a close while she dropped her head back. A long sigh drew passed her lips that almost escalated into a groan, "R.A.B."

"Wait a minute, it was a Black that stole the Horcrux?" Ron asked of Olivia bewildered.

Olivia shook her head having heard the name too many times, "He wasn't just a Black. He was Sirius brother .. my uncle."

"I thought Sirius' brother was a Death Eater?" Hermione mumbled.

"He is, was." Olivia nodded, "Died when he was eighteen, remember dad telling me."

"So if Regulus was a Death Eater why did he steal the real Horcrux?" Hermione asked.

Olivia crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips, "I reckon it had something to do with The Dark Lords methods. You've got a be a complete psychopath if at the age eighteen you whole heartedly agree with his ways."

"I suppose." Hermione said after a while of silence.

"To be honest," Ron began, shaking his head and crossing his arms, "I don't know how anyone can agree with that."

Olivia's eyes flickered to the floor where the floor boards suddenly became interesting, "Neither do I, it's barbaric."

"He's barbaric." Harry agreed, speaking for the first time.

They fell into a comfortable silence for a while, all seemingly contemplating different things. Still stood outside of her uncles room Olivia looked to Harry nervously, "By chance, did you happen to have a dream about him last night?"

Harry met her doubting eyes and nodded ever so slightly, "I don't think it was a dream Olivia."

She swallowed harshly, "No. Neither do I." She huffed, "C'mon, we should probably take a look at that Horcrux again. Start forming a plan to get the real one so we can destroy it."

Hermione nodded, "Yeah, good idea."

"Have you got it?" Olivia asked of Harry.

He nodded with uncertainty, "I mean it was in my rucksack so—"

"So I have it then?" Hermione asked, walking through them and towards the stairs, "Good to know."

"It's not like it's the real one." Ron called after her retreating figure as she descended down the stairs. Harry followed her, leaving Ron and Olivia stood outside of Regulus' door.

"I hope that wasn't an attempt to make her feel better," she looked up to him, "because if it was, it was pathetic." She said, patting his arm and then walking to the stairs. Turning to descend she caught sight of Ron's incredulous, yet offended face and shook her head, "Come on Ron, you know what they're like."

Olivia took the steps carefully, not fancying falling down them again and walked in the direction of the kitchen when she reached the bottom floor. Harry and Hermione were already seated at one end of the table, the former holding the fake Horcrux. Strolling over, she casually picked it out of Harry's hand and took a seat next to him while examining it. Ron joined them just short of a few seconds later and took the seat next to Hermione.

Olivia opened the Horcrux where the note was skilfully folded and cleared her throat, "To The Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it—"

"R.A.B was Sirius' brother?" Ron interrupted.

"Yes, but I thought we'd already established this Ron not five minuets ago?" Olivia said, furrowing her brows.

Hermione shook her head, "The question is, did he actually destroy the real Horcrux?"

Olivia looked back down to the small note again, starting to read it over when something rustled at the bottom end of the kitchen. The noise came from what looked like the broom cupboard and Olivia looked to Harry suspiciously. He rose from his seat, the other three following him before walking slowly over to the cupboard and pulling it open. There Harry continued to pull whatever was inside out and the sound of someone grunting filled their ears.

Harry let it go, "Suppose you've been spying on us." He snapped.

Olivia took the time to step to the side of Harry to see whoever had hidden behind the small table in front of them. When she caught sight of him she groaned loudly, "Are you fucking kidding me?" She muttered under her breath.

The loyal elf to the House of Black looked to be contemplating even replying to Harry. Eventually though Kreacher met Harry's furious gaze, "Kreacher has been watching."

"Maybe he's seen the real locket before." Hermione suggested.

Olivia pushed herself up off leaning on the table and over to the house-elf. She dropped the locket out from where it had been clasped in her palm, the chain was threaded through her fingers to prevent it from falling, "Have you ever seen this before?" Harry said.

Kreacher grunted and cowered away from the two. Olivia sighed, unimpressed, "Kreacher." She warned.

"I—uh-uh— it was Master Regulus' locket." The house-elf stuttered, still half hiding behind the table.

"But there were two, weren't there? Where's the other one?"

Kreacher looked torn, hiding behind the table and Olivia clenched her jaw as he began to stutter again, "Kreacher doesn't know where the other locket is."

"Yes but did you ever see it? Was it ever in this house?" Hermione asked desperately.

Kreacher scowled at Hermione, "Filthy mudblood—" Ron moved forwards quickly with a candle stick where he went to hit Kreacher until Hermione caught his arm, "Blood-traitor Weasley." The elf spat.

"Kreacher." Olivia shouted over the noice, her voice louder than the rest as she grew impatient, "answer her."

Kreacher contemplated his words as Olivia continued to dangle the locket in front of the house-elf. Eventually he stepped back, "Yes .. it was here, in this house. A most evil object."

Olivia looked to Harry, "How to you mean?" The boy asked.

Kreacher continued to back away, "Before Master Regulus died he ordered Kreacher to destroy it but no matter how hard Kreacher tried he could not do it."

Olivia had backed the elf into the wall, "Well where is it now?" She asked, "Did someone take it?"

"He came in the night." He said, "he took many things .. including the locket."

"Who did?" Harry pressed, "Who was it Kreacher?"

The elf squeezed his eyes shut before narrowing in onto the locket, "Mundungus," He said, looking up to Harry and Olivia, "Mundungus Fletcher."

Olivia's head dropped back in exasperation as she dropped the locket to her side. She turned away from the house-elf furiated, "That fucking wanker." She swore.

"Find him." Harry ordered firmly. The familiar sound of the crack of a disapparation following closely behind.

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I don't really have words for this chapter, it's pretty shite tbh so I apologise for that