Heroes Assemble!

Tripping Down Memory Lane

"Master is early."

Harry's eyes closed in resignation. He didn't want to be here.

"Master said next week or the week after," Kreacher continued.

It wasn't the admonishment that once upon a time Kreacher would surely have used but it definitely held a note of ... disappointment or reproachment maybe?

"I know I did Kreacher," Harry replied, "but my plans changed."

"Kreacher will go prepare dinner," the ancient house elf stated. Then, after a bow and a, "Mistress," he shuffled away towards the kitchen.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to him," Daisy admitted.

A wry grin flittered across Harry's face.

"He's an acquired taste. Just be thankful you didn't meet him when I first did," Harry said. "He was a cranky, evil little toerag. No, Kreacher's alright, he's just never been good with change."

"What changed?" Daisy asked as she took him by the hand and led him towards the kitchen.

Harry waited until they were seated at the ancient wooden table before speaking. His eyes watched Kreacher as the house elf moved about, working steadily and methodically at his task.

"I guess that that's as good a place as any to start," Harry mused.

"Start?"

"Explaining why we're here," Harry elaborated.

"Good," Daisy said and leant over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Do you have any idea how much it's taken to hold my tongue and just be a good little wife and go along with coming here with no notice and no explanation?"

"Oh, I've got some idea," Harry grinned as he turned to her, captured her lips and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

"You keep that up, Magic Man and I'm not going to get my explanation," Daisy said breathlessly, her mouth mere millimetres from his. "So, get talking so we can continue this sooner rather than later."

Her words were like a dash of cold water, bringing him back to not just the here and now but to years long past. Sitting up, he took a deep breath.

"When I first met Kreacher and first stepped foot here into Grimmauld Place, neither he nor this place was something that you'd recognise. The house hadn't been cleaned properly in years. It was infested with dark creatures and even darker magic. And one of the darkest of objects that was hidden here tormented Kreacher, not just because of the magic that it contained, but also because that he was unable to destroy it like his Master Regulus had ordered."

"But Master promised and Master did," Kreacher interjected.

"Well, technically, Ron did, but I'll admit that it took the two of us to get the job done," Harry stated.

"Regulus?" Daisy questioned.

"My godfather, Sirius' younger brother," Harry explained. "Regulus had discovered the object, the necklace, that Voldemort had secreted away and he knew that in order for Voldemort to be killed, then the necklace had to be destroyed first."

"You've told me some of this before," Daisy said, "that there were objects that you, Hermione and Ron had to find and destroy before you could finally kill Voldemort. You were seventeen, right?"

"Yep. Not a fun year, but we got the job done," Harry nodded and while his eyes may have been directed at the tabletop in front of him, all he could see was the time in the tent, the hunt and the battle.

He wasn't sure how long he was lost in his memories, in the sights and sounds and smells from that hellish time, but it was a touch on his hand that brought him back. With a jerk, he sat up straighter from the slump that he'd taken on and gave a small smile to his wife.