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 inside, which reads,
To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B.
HBP pg. 609/569
But who is R.A.B.?
Some fans have guessed that the “B” of R.A.B. could be Borgin or Burke. This is a logical guess from the standpoint that they would want their Slytherin relic back. We don’t know Mr. Borgin’s first name, but we do know Mr. Burke’s first name is Caractacus, so that would lead us to believe that as his initials are C.B., he’s probably not R.A.B. However, in history there was an infamous 19th-century murderer and grave-robber who’s name was William Burke. Is J.K. dropping a clue here?
Interestingly, besides one other, there are no other characters in the Harry Potter books with the first initial “R” and the last initial “B”, except for two people mentioned by Hermione in relation to this question. Right before Dumbledore’s “funeral”, Hermione tells Harry,
There are a couple of reasonably well-known wizards with those initials — Rosalind Antigone Bungs … Rupert ‘Axebanger’ Brookstanton … but they don’t seem to fit at all. Judging by that note, the person who stole the horcrux knew Voldemort, and I can’t find a shred of evidence that Bungs or Axebanger ever had anything to do with him.
HBP pg. 636/593
Hermione, herself, rules out these people as possible suspects for R.A.B., and as we know, when Hermione says something in a book, she’s usually right. (Our H.P. Sleuth rules thanks to our friends at Wizarding World Press state that when Hermione says something, she’s usually right, unless she’s mad or upset, and whenever Ron says something, he’s usually wrong, unless he’s joking.)
So, going by Hermione’s own logic stated in the book, it has to be someone who knew Voldemort. Do we know anybody like that who also fits the R.A.B. initials? Yes!
Most fans believe it’s logical to assume that R.A.B. is Regulus Black, Sirius’ younger brother. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, while they are examining the Black family tree tapestry, Sirius tells Harry that Regulus was a Death Eater, but was killed by Voledmort:
…he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort’s orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you just don’t hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It’s a lifetime of service or death.
OotP pg. 112/104
If you put Sirius’ description of what happened to Regulus together with the note in the locket, it’s not a big leap of logic to assume that Regulus did more than simply want to stop being a death eater. It’s likely he knew what Horcruxes were because his parents were very much into the dark-arts, and he found Voldemort’s locket horcrux, intending to destroy it. When Voldemort found out, he of course would have killed Regulus, as we know Voldemort did because Sirius told us so.
If R.A.B. is Regulus Black, then what does the “A” stand for? Again, we have some plausible possibilities given to us by clues in the book.
Many fans think Regulus’ middle name is Abraxas. In Half-Blood Prince, Draco tells Slughorn that his grandfather’s name was Abraxas Malfoy. Since we know, from Sirius’ and Harry’s trip through the Black family tree in Order of the Phoenix, that the Blacks and the Malfoys are related, it is possible that Regulus was named after Abraxas Malfoy.
But there is an even closer relative who’s also a possibility. In the same scene where Sirius tells Harry about Regulus, he also mentions his uncle Alphard, who was good to Sirius, and left Sirius some gold, allowing him to move out of Grimauld Place permanently. If Regulus was Alphard’s namesake, it’s possible that Alphard had also been a good influence on Regulus, making him see the error of his ways and turn against Voldemort.
So, where is the real locket now? Regulus’ note says he intends to destroy it as soon as he can, but we don’t know for sure that he did.
If it’s anywhere, you’d suspect it’s someplace in Grimauld Place, where we assume Regulus lived with his parents. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when they are cleaning out the parlor in Grimauld Place, a locket is mentioned, but only briefly. In the list of nasty things in the glass cabinets, they found:
…a heavy locket that none of them could open…
OotP pg. 116/108
But is that locket the locket? There’s one important clue word that suggests that it is. In its brief mention, J.K. notes that it’s a “heavy” locket. In Half-Blood Prince, that word is used to describe Slytherin’s locket not once, but twice:
With a howl of rage, Gaunt ran toward his daughter. For a split second, Harry thought he was going to throttle her as his hand flew to her throat; next moment, he was dragging her toward Ogden by a gold chain around her neck. “See this?” he bellowed at Ogden, shaking a heavy gold locket at him, while Merope spluttered and gasped for breath.
HBP pg. 207/196
She slid back the fine filigree clasp and flipped open the box. There upon the smooth crimson velvet lay a heavy golden locket.
HBP pg. 437/409
So it’s a good chance the locket Harry saw in the cabinet in Grimauld Place was the locket. But, where is it now?
Some fans believe Kreacher has it. Later in Half-Blood Prince, Harry, Ron and Hermione visit Kreacher’s nest in Grimauld Place, so that Hermione can leave him a Christmas present. What they saw there included:
In a far corner glinted small objects and coins that Harry guessed Kreacher had saved, magpielike, from Sirius’ purge of the house, and he had also managed to retrieve the silver-framed family photographs that Sirius had thrown away over the summer.
HBP pg. 504/445
So, while it would have been in character for Kreacher to have stolen it, we can’t say for sure that he had it last. If he did, it would be bad news for us, because when Kreacher left Grimauld Place using the loophole in Sirius’ order to “get out”, he went right to Narcissa Black Malfoy, and the locket would certainly be back in the hands of Voldemort by now.
Welcome to Beyond Hogwarts!
Beyond Hogwarts is a site primarily about the Wizarding World, including the Harry Potter franchise and Fantastic Beasts but also covers a wide variety of other series including The Lord of the Rings.
You can also find news, editorials, features, list, and reviews for other movies, TV shows, and books!
Our Communities
Its possible that Mundungus could have stolen it too. Harry nearly strangled him in Hogsmeade when he learnt Dung was stealing Sirius’ artefacts. And if that’s the case, Harry’s going to have a hard time tracking him down than Kreacher.
I dont think locket is with kreacher. It was definitely at grimmauld place when it was last quoted, but the possibility of mundungus stealing it is very strong. Because i dont see any reason why the scene, where harry finds dung is stealing sirius stuff should be there,unless it was important to lead the story in that direction. Now the possible complication for harry is that dung could have sold it borgin or any other person.
Kreacher may still have played a part in securing locket because DD says that getting the locket (overcoming all obsatcles) was not oneman job. So there must have definitely been a second person. It must have been a underage wizard or “house elf” since the boat could carry only one person. So it appears that kreacher might have helped RAB secure the locket. Or was it some unknown ally who will reveal himself in last book?
i think the locket is the one harry found and that dumbledore is still alive but just hiding.
the locket harry found is not the locket. In HBP while harry is kneeling over dumbledore he notices the locket and knew autimatically that it was not as large as the locket that he had seen in the pensieve and it did not have the S that was slytherins mark on it. page 609 american version.
What if the initials were R AND B? The A could be an ‘and’. So more than one person could be involved.
Yeah, except that’s not what it says. The note says capital R period capitol A period capitol B period. No one writes “and” that way…
And the text of the note is written all by one person. It says “I know I will be dead… I want you to know it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen…” Not “we”…
Isn’t R.A.B. translated into different letters?
In Norway for example Sirius Black is called Siris Svart.
And the letters are R.A.S. This must mean R.A.B is Sirius’ brother.
Even if Mundungus did steal Slytherin�s locket, he�s in Azkaban now any way:
�Anyone we know �?� asked Ron, as Hermione scanned the headlines.
�Yes!� said Hermione, causing both Harry and Ron to gag on their breakfast. �But it’s all right, he’s not dead � its Mundungus, he’s been arrested and sent to Azkaban! Something to do with impersonating an Inferius during an attempted burglary��
So he doesn�t have the locket now unless he was wearing it the day he got arrested, which is very unlikely because the locket probably had a curse on it. As Dave quoted from �Order of the Phoenix�: �…a heavy locket that none of them could open…� (pg. 116/108), so it did have a bit of magic left in it, which suggests that R.A.B. did not succeed in destroying the Horcrux.
Now, about R.A.B. � I think R.A.B. was a death eater, because only a death eater would have known about the horcruxes and the prophecy except for Dumbledore, so this means it couldn�t be Borgin or Burke. However R.A.B. could be loads of other death eaters � Rodolphus, Rabastan, Rookwood (no wait, I don�t think Rookwood was a death eater, or was he?), but then Rodolphus and Rabastan had the surname Lestrange and Rookwood was Augustus Rookwood.
So the most appropriate candidate for R.A.B. seems to be Regulas (A.) Black because he was a death eater, so he must have heard Snape talking about the prophecy to Voldemort, and most important of all � the first and the last initials are matching and the locket is at Grimauld Place. I think that Voldemort must have asked Regulas to kidnap Sirius because he was his brother and the Potter�s (first) secret keeper, but Regulas did not want to do this and he stopped being a death eater after that. This is when he decides to find the locket. Voldemort somehow found out about this and killed Regulas, and switched to plan B to get to the Potters � by making Pettigrew the Potters� secret keeper.
One more thing – Regulas� middle name cannot be Abraxas, because this was Lucius� father�s name and Regulas was not related to Lucius, he was related to Narcissa. His middle name could have been Alphard.
Good points. On Abraxas, it’s still possible. The Lucius/Narcissa marriage is most likely not the only Black/Malfoy family connection. On page 113 of HBP, Sirius says,
“The pure-blood familes are all interrelated. If you’re only going to let your sons and daughters marry purebloods your choice is very limited, there are hardly any of us left. Molly and I are cousins by marriage and Arthur’s something like my second cousin once removed.”
When Harry saw Mundungus in Book 6, Aberforth’s with him (am I right?). And it’s some kind of “drawing his cloak to his throat” – something like that, so I guess the locket must have been obtained now by Aberforth, Dumbledore’s brother.
Yeah, that’s a little fishy. What was Dung doing with Aberforth? And why was Aberforth trying to hide from Harry? Well, I don’t think he’s a crook coz he’s DD’s brother but still, it seems something to ponder over.
mundungus has the locket and aberforth wanted to buy it from him.
I think JK would be cross with us for giving Voldemort a “pet” name… (“Morty”)
I, personally, prefer calling him “Valuemart”. 🙂
“Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself”
I think u guys are actualy right about R.A.B. is Regulus black because in the Dutch version of the book it’s R.A.Z.= Regulus Zwarts (Zwarts=Black).
RAB is Regulus A. Black. In a German copy, It’s RAS. The German word for black is schwarzes. They found the locket already when they cleaned the Black house. “also a heavy locket that none of them could open”.
I think most people believe that R.A.B being Regulus A. Black is a lead pipe sinch. Doesn’t mean it’s true, but most people believe it. Myself included.
Just for the sake of argument, what if DD did have some way of hiding some one and making others think they were dead…
What if Regulus has been “hiding in plane site” all this time?
Who would he be hiding as?
Would it have to be some one close enough to DD so they would remain safe and hidden?
Hmm� when asked who R.A.B is, I usually evade answering that question. Even though I have to admit, that everything points to Sirius brother Regulus. Which is exactly the reason I do not really want to believe it is him! Too easy…
After reading this comment about �Dumbledore hiding someone�
I remembered that my thoughts went in the same direction, only my idea was that maybe �STUBBY BOARDMAN� was in reality Regulus Black, acting as a lead singer in a popular singing group, called THE HOBGOBLINS (He is mentioned in OotP Chapter Ten, Luna Lovegood)
But this was denied by Jo a couple of weeks ago on her Website. So I abandoned this notion until reading the last comment on this site today.
It is true, Dumbledore told Draco Malfoy they would be able to hide him from Voldemort, in letting him think, he Draco was dead. Was Jo besides letting us know, that it would be possible to hide from Voldemort, giving us a hint?
While reading the last Chapter in the HBP the other day, (the funeral scene) and searching for Dobby,( who incidentally was not at Dumbledore�s funeral (!) I came across �THE HAIRY BASS PLAYER from THE WEIRD SISTERS. And I remembered my theory of Stubby Boardman. Wouldn�t that would be so genius of Jo? To give us that red herring about Stubby Boardman? When in reality she meant the bass player from the Weird Sister�s being Regulus
Mistral–I don’t remember the exact wording (and don’t have the book with me) but didn’t the Quibbler imply that Sirius Black was in a musical group. If so, maybe the Quibbler had the right idea but wrong brother.
To Linda
Yes, you are right THE QUIBBLER quoted a certain Mrs. Purkiss saying “The man people believed to be Sirius Black is actually Stubby Boardman, lead singer of The Hobgoblins, who retired from public life after being struck on the ear by a turnip at a concert in Little Norton Church Hall nearly FIFTEEN years ago”!
To be honest when reading this paragraph for the first time, it does not really make sense. It did point to Sirius because of the fifteen years but also to his brother Regulus! Who was “killed” around that time. But as I said in my above comment, Jo has said NO to this theory.
Interesting that our favourite author is declining that theory! Maybe there is more behind that singer than meets the eye?
If Regulus Black is hiding in plain sight, I would lean towards the hairy bass player from the Weird Sisters. Depending on hairy he was, the hair would disguise him and who really notices the bass player (compared to the lead singer) in a band. Plus would Voldemort or followers look for someone in a rock band–I think it would be beneath Voldemort….
OK…
So I’m likin’ the idea of the hairy bass player…
Any other candidates before we call for a vote?
Quick question… somewhere in this record of comments or in the article or something… it says that Kreacher may have saved it. But why would Mundugus look through all of Kreachers stuff to begin with?
I think all of these theories are quite plausible… but couldn’t Kreacher still be in possession of it? oh, well i guess we won’t find out until the book is released…
I think that when Dung went through 12 Grimmauld Place looking for valuable stuff to steal and sell (as we know he did) then it’s very logical to believe that Dung went through Kreacher’s lair looking for goodies, as he was around headquarters and knew Kreacher was hiding Black valuables away from the “cleaning” of the house…
if dumbledore had been hiding regulus all along, wouldn’t RB have enough sense to tell DD that he had known about the horcruxes all along and had already destroyed the locket? DD would have been able to tell if he had destroyed it or not by using Legacy, right? (or whatever its called Occlumancy or something? not really sure…)
I think Puggy makes a good point. Saying that DD was protecting Regulus, Regulus probably would have confided in DD that he had destroyed the locket and the horcrux was gone or some what destroyed.
Mistral from Switzerland
Yes, THE QUIBBLER quoted a certain Mrs. Purkiss saying “The man people believed to be Sirius Black is actually Stubby Boardman, lead singer of The Hobgoblins, who retired from public life after being struck on the ear by a turnip at a concert in Little Norton Church Hall nearly FIFTEEN years ago”!
I took this to be a sly wink at the old method of creating Jack O’Lantern out of hollowed out Turnips and Rutabagas and then using these Lanterns to ward off Hobgoblins or Robin Goblins as they were first named.
Hit a Hobgoblin with a Turnip and he goes away forever?
I think the easiest way to hide some one compleatly, is to hide them from themselves.
Put a memory charm on them, so they don’t remember who they were, and set them up in a new life.
If he couldn’t remember his past, he couldn’t tell any one what he had done.
Curious as to if the trio and others would have recognized an S on the heavy locket as Slytherins mark. But they didn’t know at that time that Slytherin had a locket so it wouldn’t have been a big deal. Sirius wanted it all thrown away so that’s what they were doing.
I think the idea of Regalus hiding in plain sight is hilarious…but possible. Well, what if he was drinking a polyjuice potion to be Aunt Petunia? Remember when Sirius escaped from Azkaban she looked out the window. I believe JK said “there is more to Petunia than meets the eye.” Maybe that’s why she knew about the dementors. Well, I think I am just being dumb…again.=-)
I think its unlikely that Regulus is Aunt Petunia…But if we’re thinking the Polyjuice Potion way, he could very well be Mundungus. Maybe the reason he keeps snooping around Grimmauld Place is because he’s looking for the Horcrux. Its possible that he faked his death to hide from the Death Eaters and is now Mundungus, his true identity known only by DD…?
I can agree with the idea that Regulus took POLYJUICE POTION to hide from Voldemort and the Death Eater�s.
But then it gets confusing with the theory that Regulus took the potion to be Aunt Petunia.
Erm… see the scenario… Regulus – alias – aunt Petunia – married to Vernon?
And where would the real PETUNIA be? As for running to the window, she probably met Sirius, since he was her brother-in-law�s best friend.
R.A.B. can also mean Regulas and Bagman or Rookwood and Bagman.or it can be Regulas Alphard Black as well.
And the mundungus-is-rugulus theory is cool!
maybe only Dumbledore knows abt that and thats why dung is scared of dumbledore!
It would also explane why DD is the only one who seems to really want ‘Dung around. Reamus just tells Harry having some one like ‘Dung around was “usefull”.
I have a few observations to make about some of the comments posted here. First of all, in POA, there is no doubt that Peter Pettigrew will play some part in helping Harry, per Dumbledore, it is “magic at it’s deepest”. He states that Harry will one day appreciate the fact he let Peter Pettigrew live. Secondly, as much as the Dursley’s HATE magic, there is no way Petunia does not know what’s going on. Of all the thing’s in the wizarding world to remember, she recalls the dementors and the wizarding prizon? Spits out the information liek it was nothing.!Please! I do find the fact that R.A.B. is hidden in plain site an interesting theory. Mundungus, no. Aunt Petunia, no. Seems to me it would be an off the beaten path character mentioned previously. Maybe the bartender at the other bar that everyone thinks is Alberforth. I do feel that someone from the past books will re-emerge from obsurity to come back to assist Harry. And also, I fel that Lucious and his family will turn to helping Harry to save themselves. Like all Slytherins, they will first save themselves. Harry will definitely need help from the opposite side for more insight into Voldemort’s doings. And the idea of the Special Award that Tom Riddle received is a horcrux is a major possibility. It could be the reason that Voldemort wanted the Defense against the Dark Arts job so badly.
After reading Linda�s comment on the topic of �Foreshadowings in Prisoner of Azkaban� I am returning to my guesswork that the �Hairy bass player of the Weird sisters� might possibly be REGULUS BLACK.
Her arguments of this theory seem so perfect that I want to stick with it now. Be that as it may, I listened afterwards carefully to some chapters of �OotP�. It is interesting that while listening,, instead of reading, we observe different things as important. I am talking particular about Chapter six �THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK�
Assuming it was Regulus who snapped the real Horcrux, would not the TAPESTRY in Grimmauld Place No.12 be the perfect hiding place? I noticed that it is KREACHER the elf who draws first attention to the �Black Tree� saying that Mistress would never forgive him if the tapestry was thrown out! I quote: �Kreacher must save it, Kreacher will not let Master and the blood traitors and the brats destroy it-�
When Sirius tries to blast the tapestry, nothing happens. It says he laughed sourly. So the tapestry is still intact and whatever hidden behind it, still there!
I hear you all say; what about the locket that Harry could not open? That could very well be a RED HERRING. Like some of you mentioned, Harry and his friends did not notice the �S� of Slythering on the locket! Almost certainly Hermione would of noticed a thing like that.
The Tapestry could be a Horcrux. There could be something behind the tapestry that is a Horcrux. Some of the known Horcruxes are items that are carried on one’s person (a student’s journal, for example) so that an unwilling host can be overtaken. Less so the cup and tapestry. Come to think of it, hiding a Horcrux away insures that it won’t find a random set of legs to mesmerize.
My personal entry in the “Name the Hogwarts Horcrux” contest is the sluffed snakeskin (Basilisk-skin?) down below in the antechamber of secrets. It would make several hundred nice pairs of boots — and jackets — and slipcovers.
Why would the Tapestry be a Horcrux? It has no special value as regards LV. We’re not talking about Regulus’s Horcruxes and its unlikely that he made any.
As for the snakeskin, I don’t think that’s a Horcrux either. LV did not make Horcruxes at school even though he committed murder. And after he’s left school, he’s definitely not been down in the Chamber.
I don’t think the tapestry could be a horcrux, do to theBlack family tradition of blasting the names of “Blood Traitors” off.
Pretty harsh treatment for the recpticle of a piece of some ones soul….
I agree that there could been something hiden behind it…..But one of Morty’s horcruxs…not likely.
The Blacks were not supporters of Morty, they just liked his ideas.
there is one more reason that it could be the younger brother of Sirius. In Dutch it’s R.A.Z. And in Dutch Sirius Black’s name is Sirius Zwarts. Can people check it in other languages?
It’s nice when people write about R.A.Z. in Dutch language. But that’s already been told for ten times or something. Come up with something new, please…
By the way, DD’s brother Aberforth is in Dutch Desiderius.
Regulus as an Animagus? Maybe Crookshanks! Regulus is a star name also known as Alpha Leonis & Leonis or Leo refers to lion (or cat). Sirius is a star known as the dog star, Canis Major, the Greater Dog. The only problem is that JK Rowling mentions that Crookshanks is half cat and half kneezle. Unlikely that someone would choose a crossbreed creature to turn into. I wondered about Mrs. Norris but Mrs. Norris is a she. And then there’s Fang but that doesn’t go along with the Canis Major idea. What about Arabella Figg’s cat? And I agree that if Dumbledore had helped hide Regulus, he would have known the horcux was already replaced.
Don’t forget Fluffy! (What kind of manure do you think Hagrid uses to get the giant pumpkins going?)
No one has mentioned the possible Horcrux for Snape soul now that his taking of DD life has split it while also loading Dumbledore’s into his wand. Priori incantatum indeed!
JKR has stated thet the sorting hat is NOT a Horcrux!
Rhonda: one doesn’t pick one’s animagus form! It is an outgrowth of one’s own psyche and tends to ingrain itself into your nature even deeper, as in Wormtail. Same can be said of the Patronus but when you change, your Patronus can change. Perhaps your animagus form does too. Maggie, (not the cat) as Macgonagal becomes overly effected by the death of Dumbledore as only someone who has danced the first dance at the Winter Ball with him CAN be effected. (wink wink)
Ken… I think the relationship between Macgonagal and DD could be a book unto itself…
I must say I’m loving the animagus angle… maybe a snake?
Can you not try using the first letters of the words in the message it might make sense:)…
While we know that Harry Potter books are filled with clues, I’ve never heard of anyone finding a clue in something like an anagram. I think you’ve been reading Da Vinci Code too much…:-)
Rhonda: i agree with your last part about DD would have known and everything about the replaced horcrux.
it does state in PoA that Crookshanks did help out Sirus, so maybe there is a chance that Regulus could be the cat… but i dunno…
LV in the GoF was in that old Riddle house, where he killed his father, perhaps he left a horcux there because he was proud of it, but what could he have put it in?
kevin
“I must say I’m loving the animagus angle… maybe a snake?”
That would explain the snakeskin outside the, then unopened, chamber of secrets. Outsides means that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Nicknamed could have visited the skin and not reopened the chamber itself. Opening the access from Myrtle’s watercloset is not opening the Chamber itself!
Our guys as Animagi? Ginny becomes a Phoenix, tough to keep slain! Harry as an 8-eyed Arthromantula instead of a 4-eyed wizard. Luna as a Dodo! I see Hermione as a crane and Ron as a Flamingo.