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Who is R.A.B. and where is Slytherin's Locket?

by David Haber

In the dramatic climax of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore and Harry recover a locket from Voldemort's secret cave. Only after Dumbledore "dies" does Harry open the locket and find the note from R.A.B. But who is R.A.B., and where is the locket now?

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Reader Comments: (Page 36)

She has not said definitively that RAB = Regulus. When asked by certain interviewers, she said: "Well, I think that would be, um, a fine guess." Not definitive, although one could argue that she's basically saying yes. And as for the translations, well, if it isn't Regulus, but she wanted to lead you on to think that it is, I believe she would see to it that the translations were, well, translated accordingly. Who here didn't think Peter was the spy that told Voldemort about the prophesy because "You'd been passing information to him for a year before Lily and James d!" and it just so happened that the prophesy was made about a year and a half or so prior to their s?

I still think it's Regulus, but I always leave that door open for Jo to throw a wrench into the theories.

Posted by monkeeshrines from Orlando, fl on March 16, 2007 3:44 PM

Hey guys, RAB is surely Regulus Black
Because in the Spanish version of HP, RAB is RAN and N for Negro. Negro means Black.
And i thank David Haber for putting up this great site

Posted by Shashank Sreedharan from Vadodara, Gujarat, India on March 17, 2007 12:14 AM

Ok first I would like to say what a great website this is my mind is buzzing with all these theories.

I would also like to mention that Dumbledore said in reply to Harry's question "Will it hold both of us? Will we be to heavy together?" Dumbledore said "Voldemort not have cared about the weight, but about the magical power that crossed his lake. I rather think an enchatment wiill have been placed upon this boat so that only one wizard at a time be able to sail in it" he also said that an underage wizard won't count as a wizard therefor Dumbledore and Harry be able to sail in it. I think this means that Regulus Black brought Kreacher along in the boat being a house-elf he would certainly not register as a wizard. So he would be able to force Kreacher to drink it and probably having little respect for Kreacher didn't credit him with finding the Horcrux and so he wrote "I" in the message rather than we. Why mention Kreacher tho? Why didn't he go alone? Because as Dumbledore says "The protection was...after all...well-designed, one alone could not have done it..." because the drinker of the potion would not have been able to get the locket or fight the Inferi.

Oh and another thing the person who wrote the message refers to Voldemort as the Dark Lord not Voldemort or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and only Eaters say the Dark Lord so I think it had to be Regulus Black.

Posted by Dominic from Michigan on March 17, 2007 4:56 PM

I was talking to my mom about this and I told her that one kid had checked in English, Spanish, Dutch, French, German, and... Chinese? Im not sure but they checked in six different languages and my mom says you are maybe a little bit too dedicated... so go you if you checked in six languages what "black" is and what the note says in that language.
I think it is Regulus. I have thought this from the beginning, and I can't see how Hermione looked over it. But you never know, Jo could be planning it to be that way so that it surprises us in book 7.

Posted by Ashley from Missouri on March 17, 2007 7:25 PM

If RAB is Regulus, I wonder how old he was when he found the horcrux. It seems possible that he was underage considering how young he was to already be a eater when he d. And we know that Voldemort allow under age wizards to join (Malfoy), so there seems to be a chance of someone else knowing. The only problem being the "I" in the letter.

Another possiblity to support the Kreacher theory though...Since house elves can apparate in circumstances that prevent wizards from apparition, what if Regulus crossed alone, then realized he needed help. The only way to get help would be to return later or summon someone to help him complete his task. Who else could he summon that could appear quickly enough and keep complete secrecy? Dumbledore says that he can summon Dobby immediately in the Ministry and he summons Kreacher instantly on Privet Drive. Seems like a good idea if Regulus realized he was unable to proceed without assistance. He then could have either already written the letter referencing himself alone, or he could have said "I" to keep Voldemort from knowing that someone else knew the secret.

I'm pretty sure RAB is Regulus. I don't have OOTP in front of me, but I think when Sirius was telling Harry about Regulus, she was in the room, but not a part of that conversation (I think she was across the room with everyone else). So then Harry may be the only one Sirius told, at least in OOTP. I'm not sure if Regulus was mentioned in any other book in front of her.

Posted by Lisa from NC USA on March 17, 2007 11:18 PM

Lisa, thanks to you i just checked out OOTP and i found something which might be helpful..or might not be...you see when Sirius mentions about Regulus it is mentioned that all the others are around him. Hermione not guessing Regulus' name must be because of the A...she possibly couldn't guess that Alphard....and see when Harry read Regulus' date it is givin in brackets...some fifteen years previously or so....now if you think that actually coincides with the year harry's parents d....what do you think could have happened?

Posted by smk on March 18, 2007 08:53 AM

"A heavy gold locket carrying Salazar Slytherin's mark (an ornate serpentine S)". Wouldn't Sirius, Hermione, or any competent member of the "Order of the Pheonix" had spotted this, IF it was at the Blacks house.

Posted by Doug Evans from Victoria, Texas on March 18, 2007 2:31 PM

Doug--
I seriously doubt that anyone in that room was paying close attention to the actual locket enough to see the mark of Slytherin. Think about it- everyone there in that room was trying to decontaminate the house, and Sirius wasn't about to reminisce about the house that he despised so much, so he probably wasn't paying much attention to what he was throwing away.
And anyway, the Black family is pureblood and proud so I wouldn't be surprised if they had several pureblood relics to their name.
Also, think about this-- Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Harry are the only three people that we are positive know about the Horcruxes anyway. Dumbledore wasn't there for the cleaning, Harry didn't know about the Horcruxes until the next book anyways, and Voldemort most certainly wasn't at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. So even if any of them recognized the mark of Slytherin, none of them would know the danger of the locket, so they just stuffed it into the rubbish sack.
Speaking of which, has anyone gone as far as the speculate where the contents of the rubbish sack went?

Posted by Ashley from Missouri on March 18, 2007 5:32 PM

Ashley, the most likely theory is that Kreacher rescued it. After that, who knows? There has been speculation that Mundungus helped himself to it, given that we know he stole the Black family silver. This is of course assuming that it is the locket they saw at Grimmauld Place and that Regulus took it.

I'm betting on Regulus having taken the locket from the cave with Kreacher's assistance, probably making Kreacher drink the potion. This might even explain why Kreacher is so dotty.

Posted by Elizabeth from Australia on March 18, 2007 5:53 PM

SMK, I also looked in OOTP today and noticed that Hermione was there when Regulus was mentioned, so there goes the theory that she didn't know about him. But it could be that she has simply forgotten, or not made the connection yet like Harry forgetting about Flamel in PS/SS. I think the date of Regulus's is important. I always liked the way JKR worded that, she is being very ambiguous. However, I think that "some fifteen years previously" would be the year Harry was born because he is fifteen when he saw the tapestry. That could mean that his was around the time of the prophecy though, which may explain the part of the note where RAB says "I face in the hope that when you meet your match, you be mortal once more" HBP, pg 609. Maybe Regulus knew the prophecy, that would explain how he knew that Voldemort would one day meet his match. Of course, he could just be saying that...

Posted by Lisa from North Carolina on March 18, 2007 7:37 PM

Lisa, it's just possible that Regulus was there when Snape told Voldemort about the prophecy. Perhaps what horrified Regulus was that Voldemort planned to a baby. His brother's godson, no less. Sirius thought that Regulus got cold feet about something. Maybe that was it. It seems Regulus d before he could tell anyone else about the horcrux. Obviously he only knew about the locket, or he wouldn't have thought destroying it would be enough to make Voldemort mortal again.

Posted by Elizabeth from Australia on March 18, 2007 11:20 PM

Ashley,
"Dumbledore,Voldemort and Harry are the only three people that we are positive know about the Horcruxes."

I think Snape must know quite a bit about them, and the other Eaters must know something of them also. If Regulus, as a Eater, witnessed the making of the locket into a Horcrux, that would explain his ability to switch lockets.
During the cleaning of the Black house, I am sure the locket would not have particularly drawn anyone's attention.

I wonder if there is any history between Regulus and Snape, both being in Slyterin, and both becoming Eaters. I wonder if the animosity Snape and Sirius felt for each other would carry over, or if Regulus and Snape would hit it off with mutual dislike of Sirius. I wouldn't go so far as to suggest actual friendship between Snape and anyone else, but maybe a slightly less intense dislike of each other?

Posted by Patty from Quincy,Massachusetts on March 19, 2007 05:36 AM

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