Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Regulus Black's Locket====== =====Object Information===== * **Type:** [[Horcrux]] Replica, Magical Locket * **Owners:** [[Regulus Arcturus Black]], [[Albus Dumbledore]] (briefly), [[Harry Potter]] (briefly) * **Maker:** [[Regulus Arcturus Black]] =====Description and Appearance===== Regulus Black's Locket was a magical replica created to be physically identical to [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket]], one of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s [[Horcruxes]]. It is described as a heavy, gold locket approximately the size of a chicken's egg. The front is decorated with an ornate, serpentine "S" inlaid with small, glittering green stones. Unlike the real [[Horcrux]], which was empty, this replica contained a small, folded piece of parchment. On this parchment was a handwritten note from its creator, [[Regulus Arcturus Black]], addressed to the [[Dark Lord]]. =====Magical Properties and Usage===== The primary function of this locket was to serve as a decoy. [[Regulus Arcturus Black]] created it to swap with the real [[Horcrux]] in the enchanted basin within the [[crystal cave]]. By placing this replica in the basin, he ensured that [[Lord Voldemort]] would not immediately realize his [[Horcrux]] had been stolen. The note hidden inside was magically protected from the [[Emerald Potion]] in the basin. The note's text served to inform [[Lord Voldemort]], should he ever check on his [[Horcrux]], that his secret was known and that someone had set out to destroy the real object. The note 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.// While the locket itself did not possess the dark magical properties of a [[Horcrux]], it was protected by all the same formidable enchantments that guarded the original within the cave, including the basin filled with the [[Emerald Potion]] that induced despair and terrible visions. =====History===== Upon discovering [[Lord Voldemort]]'s use of [[Horcruxes]] to achieve immortality, [[Death Eater]] [[Regulus Arcturus Black]] experienced a change of heart and resolved to destroy one. He correctly deduced that Voldemort had used [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket]] and hidden it in the seaside [[crystal cave]]. Regulus created this perfect replica and wrote the defiant note to place inside it. Accompanied by his [[house-elf]], [[Kreacher]], he journeyed to the cave. To spare [[Kreacher]], Regulus drank the [[Emerald Potion]] himself. In his weakened state, he ordered [[Kreacher]] to take the real locket, replace it with the fake one in the basin, and leave to destroy the [[Horcrux]]. Regulus was subsequently dragged to his death by the [[Inferi]] in the lake. The replica locket remained undisturbed in the enchanted basin for nearly two decades. In 1997, [[Albus Dumbledore]] and [[Harry Potter]] traveled to the cave to retrieve what they believed was the genuine [[Horcrux]]. After a harrowing ordeal in which Dumbledore was forced to drink the potion, Harry retrieved the locket. Later that same night, following Dumbledore's death, Harry discovered the locket was a fake when he found the note from "R.A.B." inside. This discovery was initially a devastating blow, making him believe that Dumbledore's sacrifice had been for a worthless object. =====Role in the Story===== Regulus Black's Locket serves as a major plot twist at the climax of //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//. It transforms the apparent victory of securing a [[Horcrux]] into a mystery, casting a shadow over [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s final sacrifice. The discovery of the note inside is the crucial first step in [[Harry Potter]]'s quest during //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows//. The initials "R.A.B." become a central clue, leading Harry, [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]] to uncover the tragic and heroic story of [[Regulus Arcturus Black]]. This revelation not only provides vital information about the real locket's whereabouts but also redeems the character of Regulus, showing that bravery and defiance can come from unexpected places. The replica locket is therefore instrumental in setting Harry on the path to find and destroy all of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s remaining [[Horcruxes]]. =====Behind the Scenes===== In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//, the discovery of the locket and the note within it is the final scene before the credits. Harry is shown reading the note aloud to a distraught [[Hermione Granger]] in the [[Astronomy Tower]], emphasizing the emotional weight of their seemingly failed mission (film).
