"I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible. . . Least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter . . . Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend . . . Second best, always, eternally overshadowed . . . "
-- the voice of the eye inside the locket Horcrux (DH19)
After rescuing Harry and the Sword of Gryffindor from the icy pool in the forest, Ron uses the Sword to destroy the locket horcrux. The horcrux doesn’t give up without a fight, however, and the visions Ron sees showing Hermione and Harry excluding him and being romantic nearly cause Ron to lose heart. In the end, he stabs the locket with the Sword and the horcrux is no more (DH19).