The Ring and the necklace...

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 162545

Mark wrote:
> 1. After Dumbledore died, what happened to the Gaunt's ring? Will it
> have any significance to further developments? I doubt it, but it
> seemed funny that he felt compelled to wear it when he picked harry
> up from the Dursley's in THBP. I wonder that, even if it was
> shattered, did it offer some sort of protection, or why would he
wear it?

Carol responds:
The ring is cracked, the Horcrux/soul bit destroyed, and the curse
left the ring and attacked DD, prevented from killing DD but not from
blackening his hand by Snape's timely action. IMO, it is now just a
badly damaged ring with an ominous history. Dumbledore wears it to
visit Sllughorn because he knows that Slughorn will recognize it (Tom
Riddle wore it when he asked about Horcruxes) and because he wants
Harry to see it. It has nothing to do with the Dursleys but everything
to do with the lessons Harry will be learning.
> 
Mark:
> 2. What happened to the necklace that Katie Bell touched? I know it
> was delivered to DD, but I think there is still a place for it to
re-emerge in book 7.

Carol responds:
It wasn't delivered to DD; it was delivered to Snape, who not only
examined it to determine what curse was on it so that he could stop
the curse in its tracks and save Katie Bell before she was sent to St.
Mungo's for further treatment. I'm guessing that Snape, with his
knowledge of the Dark Arts and DADA, removed the curse from the
necklace, which would otherwise be too dangerous for anyone, even
Snape himself, to handle. I don't think we'll hear any more about it,
except possibly in retrospect. It isn't a Horcrux, and I don't see
what plot purpose it could serve (except as a reminder of Snape's DADA
skills).
> 
Mark:
> 3. It's well established that Harry will probably speak to Mundungus
> in book 7....but I'm interested to find what happened during the
> conversation Mundungus had with "the tall thin barender" immediately
> preceeding his encounter with Harry. Assuming the bartender is
indeed DD's brother, I would bet that at some time Harry speaks to him
to find clues as to  where Dung is hiding. Can't wait to read the
chapter when he finds him!

Carol:
Dung isn't hiding. He's in Azkaban, having been arrested for
impersonating an Inferius. I agree that there's some connection
between him and the bartender, who is almost certainly Aberforth,
besides Aberforth having kicked him out of the Hog's Head some twenty
years before (a cover story like the "slow reflexes" to explain DD's
blackened hand?). I think, for one thing, that they're both members of
DD's extensive spy network, though who they report to now is unclear.
And I think there's a connection to the locket Horcrux, which may have
passed into Aberforth's keeping as "stolen goods" (Dung as thief;
Aberforth as fence) though neither would know the significance of that
particular object. I don't know what's going on, either, except that
there's more to Mundungus than being a "smelly sneak thief." (He may
be a traitor, for all I know, someone whom DD was wrong to trust,
which will lead Harry to think, wrongly, IMO, that DD shouldn't have
trusted Snape, either.) as for Aberforth, who may now be the Heir of
Gryffindor(!) and the inheritor of Fawkes, he can give us background
on DD and he witnessed Snape's eavesdropping. Maybe Harry will pay him
a visit if he ever puts two and two together, Snape-style. He can be a
bit slow sometimes!
> 
Mark:
> 4. How much, exactly, is Kreacher under Harry's control? Since the
> Kreacher had a habit of hauling items back to his lair, I wonder
what else he might have hidden from the OOTP? I know if Kreacher was
at the Black residence, Mundungus probably wouldn't have been able to
> make off with any of the black heirlooms.

Carol:
But Kreacher was at Hogwarts, so the Black heirlooms were unprotected.
And without doubt, not all of Mundungus's motives were honorable.
("This solid silver, Sirius, mate? That [the Black family crest]'d
come off, though.") I do think he wanted to make a profit, but if
Aberforth is the fence, at least the items are still in the Order's
keeping. As for Kreacher hauling items into his lair, that's another
possibility for the Horcrux, and once Harry figures out that RAB is
Regulus and remembers the locket that no one could open, he'll
probably look for it there. I don't think he'll find it, so he'll
summon Kreacher and cross-examine him and we'll hear the story of
RAB/Regulus through him. At least, that makes sense to me.
> 
Mark:
> 5. Finally, I think that the dissapearance of Olivander will come
> into play- the DE's wouldn't have nicked him just to hold him
> prisoner...

Carol:
Yes, we've seen Ollivander often enough that he's a real character
(unlike Florian Fortescue, who also disappeared), and he seems to have
a connection to Dumbledore, having informed him when the Phoenix-core
wands, were sold (or was it only the second one?). I think he, too,
was a member of DD's spy network and possibly of the Order. But I
don't think the theory that LV will want a new wand is the reason for
the kidnapping/disappearance, as some posters have theorized. There
are other ways of getting around the brother wands effect, chiefly by
disarming Harry. LV's wand, with its yew wood and Phoenix-feather
core, symbolizes his goal, earthly immortality, and it's the wand he
used to commit most of his murders and create all of his Horcruxes. He
won't trade it in for another one, not if I know the superstitious,
souvenir-loving Voldemort.

Carol, just guessing and not theorizing here