- Rabastan (was: The Gang of Slytherins)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 85600

Carol wrote:
*snip*(I'm still wondering about his brother Rabastan, mentioned 
in another post. Anyone for an analysis of that name and its 
possible significance?) 
 
Katrina responds:
While I could find nothing on "Rabastan," a quick search through
the astronomy sites for "Rastaban" turned up some very interesting 
information. <snip>
 
Catherine: <snip> Rabastan is
no more a common name than Rastaban, so why should JKR corrupt the
star name to create it? Surely the pure-bloods care about spelling?
Moreover his brother Rodolphus does not have a star name, and the
pure-bloods do name their families in sets, whether the astronomically
fixated Blacks, or the old-fashioned-feeling Weasleys. So I submit a
theory for Rabastan itself, that links the brothers, and justifies the
meaning (I hope).
<snip>
  

Carol: 
> OTOH, maybe his name really is Rastaban, and Rabastan is just an
> uncaught typo? The Lexicon lists the name as Rastaban, which indicates
> that it's spelled that way somewhere in the series:
> 
> http://www.hp-lexicon.org/azkaban.html
> 
> At first I thought I had misspelled the name, but my copy of OoP
> definitely says Rabastan (Am. ed. 788). He isn't named in the Pensieve
> scene you mention but as you say, he's either the "thickset man who
> stared blankly up at Mr. Crouch" or "the thinner, more nervous-looking
> man, whose eyes were darting around the crowd" (Am. ed. 594). For some
> reason I'm leaning toward the second description--maybe because it's
> more interesting. I think only a dull-witted man would have married
> dear Bella. (No evidence, only a hunch.) I'm also curious as to why
> Voldemort skips over him when he mentions the Lestranges. The space
> where he pauses to mention them is only wide enough for two people,
> not three (GoF 650 Am. ed.)
> 
> Does anyone know of any other place where he's named? Is he actually
> called Rastaban somewhere in the series? Maybe it would be mentioned
> in relation to the Longbottoms and the Cruciatus curse?
> 
> Steve, can you help us out, please?
> 
> Thanks,
> Carol

In response to my own post, he's also Rabastan on OoP 114 (Am. ed.),
where Sirius talks about the Lestranges being put in Azkaban with
Barty Crouch, Jr. So that lets out my typo theory. OTOH, Rabastan
could still be a corruption of Rastaban, tying in with the
astronomical names of the Blacks. That makes about as much sense as
giving him and his brother Germanic first names to go with their
French last name. But on the basis of the evidence, I have to agree
with Catherine even though Katrina's theory is more intriguing. Sigh!

There's still the question of what he's doing in the book and why
there are so many pairs of brothers (Albus and Aberforth, Regulus and
Sirius, Rodolphus and Rabastan), all with more or less matching names
but in some cases, contrasting personalities. (I'm waiting now for
Lupin's brother, Romulus.)

Carol