Certainly a very good theory, but I doubt that JKR did something like that. I remember her saying in an interview that we'd heard of the character before... or maybe I'm just insane. But I don't think they are anything more than initials. Of course with my previous record of guessing what will happen in the books I may be completely wrong .

 

Just, for referance:

'A fine guess?' What do you all think she means?

MA's the interviewer from the leaky cauldron. Full interview is here

 

Maybe she was on drugs?

 

I don't care what she means, I just think she's crazy.

 

Sometimes I think she started out with a plan for it to be Regulus and now that it seems too obvious she searches for something else.

 

I agree, I used to think it was regulus, it all made sense, the initials, and the locket at grimmuald place, but now I'm not so sure. Maybe the initals, as said before are a password that activate the locket? I don't know.

But, now, I bestow upon you the true meaning of R.A.B....
Rocky and Bullwinkle.

 

In reality, I think Rowling's going to make it be Regulus. She's just too stupid to make it anybody else.

But I think Necrule Paen has a great idea for a plot bunny. RAB doesn't exist. Voldemort transfigured the locket and wrote the letter himself. That way, anybody who gets past the defences believes somebody else has the locket and wastes a lot of time and energy searching for an RAB that doesn't exist. In reality the fake locket is the real one. And it could do a great amount of damage if ignored. Think of Ginny and the diary. It's brilliant and really Slytherin.

 

I may have blocked it out of my memory with the rest of the book but didn’t the note say “I” a lot in it referring to one person. If it were more than one person it is rather egotistical to say “I” did it, and if the person was trying to protect others by leaving the note it would have been better to leave no note at all.

 

This passage from Wikipedia will, I think, confirm it's Regulus Black:

======================

In several foreign-language versions of the series, the surname Black has been translated into the respective language to carry the same meaning (the colour black). In those cases, the 'B' in R.A.B. has been changed accordingly. For example, the Dutch edition uses the initials R.A.Z. (as in Zwarts) in the note, the Norwegian edition has R.A.S. (as in Svart), the Finnish edition has the letters R.A.M. (as in Musta).

The fact that the translation of the name Regulus Black and the initials R.A.B. are consistent across various language editions gives fair support to Regulus Black that other known characters do not have. However, translation of the Harry Potter books into authorised editions in other languages are performed by translating co-authors other than J. K. Rowling, although she would undoubtedly have approval and veto authority over any crucial plot details. Nevertheless these alternate editions might not be considered absolutely canonical. The author is not fluent in many of the languages and cultures that the series is printed in, and therefore must relinquish much literary license to the translators. The translations of R.A.B. and Black themselves could conceivably have come about coincidentally, or the translators may have switched both the name and the initials based on their own assumption that R.A.B is "Regulus Black". The translating authors may have even been instructed as to what names and initials to use, as a carefully planned deception to throw readers off the "real trail" to the true identity of R.A.B. Therefore, the mere observation that the translations support the "R.A.B. is Regulus Black" theory, does not necessarily provide conclusive proof of the matter.

===================

~liath

 

I'm not too sure... the theory makes sense, I'm not arguing with that, but if you search the danish wikipedia for 'horcrux' you get a summary of them in the Harry Potter books:

I'll admit that I don't know anything when it comes to translating German, but I can see that they've written it as R.A.B, not R.A.Z. The only reason I could see this mistake happening is if the article was written by a bilingual reader of the English Harry Potter books (which is actually quite possible, considering wikipedia is editable by the public).


EDIT: I now actually think that the article was written by someone who read the English version of the books. The list of character names in other languages shows some of the in the quote above with different names for different languages. The names don't match to the German version of the book, so it makes sense that the R.A.B. wouldn't be translated either. It's possible that your theory is right liath, it might be solved if one of out members from Europe has an alternatively translated book that they could check in.


but either way, I still think it's most likely to be Regulus

 

In the german edition, Sirius' name stayed as Black since the third book. They made an error because he was as Sirius Schwarz mentioned in the first book. So the german locket must refer to R.A.B.

 

Darn you liath, I was just going to open up another browser window to look for this because I had seen it as well and you beat me too it. *shakes fist*

 

I always thought R.A.B. stood for Regulus Arcturus Black. I could be wrong, but that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Unless, of course, JKR proves us all wrong (or right) and finally gets around to telling us in book seven...LOL

 

I don't think it's him. There is no way JKR would have made it that easy. It's probably going to end up being intials backwards or something that no one expected. Of course, if book 7 is anything like the half baked plot, then she will probably look up the most original fanfictions and go from there.

 

I like the theory about it being Sirius' younger brother, Regurlius. (SP?) As that who what I had assumed
it was even before I knew that J.K was questioned about him. (I only just found out then.)

I hope it was him as I think that would be a very nice twist in the plot.

I like the point that liath has about the name beaing translated into other languages but it could just be another HUGE mistake that J.K has made whilst writing the books.
But there is a possabilitly that I could be wrong about this, but It has to be a person who swapped the Horcrux's (Sp?) around. So wouldn't the name be changed according to the language that the person is named in?

Another thing... How did people find out what his middle name was?

 

Honestly i think it is regulus, because jk hasnt been coming up with great twists recently. I think that she is tired of this series and just wants it done, this is the easiest way. I cant see her introducing some secret society so late into the series. As for voldemorts plan to throw everyone off, that was genius... which is why again i dont think jk would use it. The locket, having regulus killed by voldy, and everything just seems to fit.

On another note, im geussing dumbledoor isnt dead since she has confirmed someone dying in book 4 and 5, while i dont think she said someone would die in book 6. I think she probably just read all the overused phoenix animagus fanfictions and decided that people really wanted somebody to be a phoenix so poof dumbles is now a phoenix.

just my two cents

 

...Holy shit people. Read the damn article. It's everywhere, J.K has stated multiple times Dumbledore is dead; the trio will survive; and Snape is good.