Mundungus and the Locket

[exodusts]

No: HPFGUIDX 147799


Donna:
<SNIP>
> My feelings are Mundungus will play a large part in finding the 
horcrux's 
> because he's a sneak, a thief, under handed, snoopy, and sly.  I 
think he
> knows more about the locations of the horcrux's than anyone even 
though he
> may not know what a horcrux is. 
>
> 

My two cents on this: Mundungus is a red herring for Harry to chase, 
to fill out the plot.

When Harry realised that Mundungus was stealing from 12 GOP, he told 
Tonks, who told Dumbledore. See HBP:

'"Sir," said Harry tentatively, "I met Mundungus in Hogsmeade."
"Ah yes, I am already aware that Mundungus has been treating your 
inheritance with light-fingered contempt," said Dumbledore, frowning 
a little. "He has gone to ground since you accosted him outside the 
Three Broomsticks; I rather think he dreads facing me. However, rest 
assured that he will not be making away with any more of Sirius's old 
possessions."'

Next thing we hear, Mundungus has been arrested and is in Azkaban. 
Assuming the locket WAS in his suitcase, what are the options?

1) Mundungus was caught with the locket. It is in a Ministry of Magic 
confiscation department (an excuse for Harry to end up back inside 
the Department of Mysteries for an adventure)? Why not just get 
Arthur / Order insiders to recover it? No story potential there.

2) Mundungus was caught with the locket. It is in Azkaban. Harry must 
go to Azkaban and get it from the officials. Why not just ask Arthur 
to arrange its delivery? It is his legal property, as are all the 
accompanying Black heirlooms. The only possible further story is a 
legal paperwork problem (mmm, exciting!), or if a mass breakout means 
it is taken by Death Eaters, in which case LV probably gets it. What 
can Harry do about that? Nothing, until the final confrontation. Bad 
for subplotting.

Both of these scenarios are slimly possible ONLY if Dung took to 
wearing the locket because he thought it was "pretty". Realistically, 
I think he'd much rather treat it as more merchandise (for beer-
money). So...

3) Mundungus has stashed the locket in a safe house. What is the 
story potential here? Harry leads a raid on Azkaban that frees Dung - 
ok, good. Dung takes Harry to the safehouse and gives him the locket. 
Bad. Where's the drama? Unless the house wasn't so safe, and has been 
raided by X, Y or Z, but then the internal logic of the story takes a 
strain. Dung is a professional thief. It is a contrivance if, for 
this one time, his cover has been most unfortunately blown. Bad 
writing.

4) Mundungus SOLD the locket to Aberforth before he got arrested. 
Harry leads a raid on Azkaban that frees Dung - ok, good. Dung tells 
Harry to go see Aberforth. Aberforth tells Harry some Important Stuff 
about Dumbledore - good. He gives Harry the locket - bad. Far too 
easy to make a good story. It's better, but still not great.

***My theory***
5) The locket was NEVER in the suitcase. How does this help? Harry 
realises it MIGHT have been (when Hermione points out that R.A.B. is 
Regulus Black, reminds him of the locket they found at 12 GOP, and 
they search the house for it in vain). He rushes off to Azkaban to 
mount an extensive rescue mission by brooms, with Order assistance. 
He liberates Stan Shunpike and Dung. Possibly, Death Eaters turn up 
at the same time to liberate THEIR crew, and there is a Big Fight. 
Maybe they don't, and there is just a Big Fight with the guards. Stan 
turns out to be the magical "Late Bloomer" that JKR has talked about. 
Rescued, Dung tells Harry that he sold everything in the case to 
Aberforth. He can't remember if there was a locket there or not. 
Harry goes to see Aberforth. Aberforth tells Harry some Important 
Stuff about Dumbledore - good. Aberforth has the stuff Dung sold him, 
but the locket is NOT amongst it - good. Harry is stumped. Only later 
does he realise where it is. It was MOVED, with a pile of other 
valuables, after the house-cleaning in OotP (OR at Dumbledore's 
request, when he realised Dung was stealing from 12 GOP). Where was 
it moved to? The owner's Gringotts vault of course. (And what has 
happened to the contents of Sirius' vault? They have been moved into 
Harry's.) The locket has been in Harry's vault all along, either 
since Sirius' death, or since Dumbledore gave the moving order. If 
the former, this might explain why JKR went out of her way to 
emphasise that Harry did not go to see his own gold in HBP (Bill gets 
it for him) - so that he couldn't realise it was in there.

exodusts