Potion in the Cave: The Case for Regulus

[ellecain]

No: HPFGUIDX 145858

 Hi! Elyse here, not having posted in a while, I thought I would add 
my 2 knuts to the RAB theory so here goes:

> Carol wrote:
> 
> This scenario (I'm not calling it a theory yet) would explain how
> Bellatrix knew that LV wasn't dead when he was vaporized at 
Godric's
> Hollow and how Regulus could know about the locket Horcrux and 
where
> to find it. It also ties in with Kreacher's devotion to Bellatrix,
> with her words to Snape about being trusted with LV's "most 
precious"
> secrets or missions, and with Kreacher's all-too-evident insanity.
> 

Elyse:  If I may tinker around with your theory, making  some 
changes here and there, we might be able to fill up the holes.
To begin with I have to say that while I dont think LV would ever 
give anybody knowledge of his Horcruxes (hes too paranoid for that 
IMO)
this scenario reqiures that he did give it to one of his Death 
Eaters, with the task of putting it into the cave to hide it.
So this would be assumption number one.
Other explanations abound of course, but none of them explain how 
Regulus knew about the cave.

>From Bella's bragging one can assume that she was the one entrusted 
with the mission, but for all we know that may be all hot air.
Then again seeing as she is the only other fanatically loyal DE 
other than Crouch!Moody, that would tip the scales heavily in her 
direction. And it would provide a neat setup for Regulus to find out 
about it.

Carol : 
The potion (which I agree is a kind of poisoned memory,
> appropriately colored a venomous green like Nagini and the blinding
> flash of an AK) would be there as a deterrent to anyone (not
> specifically Dumbledore) who got past the other magical protections
> (with the water and the Inferi as further protections against 
anyone
> who succeeded in removing from the pensievelike bowl) to prevent it
> from being taken from the cave once it was retrieved.

Elyse: I dont know...I think that the potion acted more like a
Legilimensing agent, extracting a persons worst memory and then 
storing it within the basin. 
Oh and of course Voldemort made it himself! It sounds quite in 
character for him.
The reason this idea appeals to me is because of what Dumbledore 
said about Voldemort not wanting to kill the person in the cave 
immediately. He would have wanted to know why they were there, how 
they came to know about the Horcruxes, and so on.

So basically you'd have to buy the idea that the potion extracts 
your worst memory or worst fear while playing it at the same time. 
Maybe LV thought that the memory, along with the weakening side 
effects, and the need for water, would be quite enough to deter the 
Horcrux thief from getting out of the cave. Hence we come to 
assumption number two: the potion extracts your worst memory (or 
worst fear) and stores it.

So going forth with this, here is your Regulus scenario:

> Carol:
> After hearing the Prophecy and realizing that the mere existence of
> his Horcruxes is not sufficient to guarantee his immortality,
> Voldemort assigns the fanatically loyal Bellatrix the task of 
hiding
> his locket, giving her the exact location of the cave and 
directions
> to follow in hiding it and providing her with the potion/memory to
> place in the pensievelike bowl, which for the sake of simplicity 
we'll
> assume is already in the cave. 

Elyse: So far, so good.

Carol:
To impress on her the importance of her
> mission, he actually entrusts Bellatrix with the secret that it's a
> Horcrux (though not that it's one of six). Bellatrix, feeling both
> honored by this assignment but afraid that she can't do it alone 
(and
> well aware of the consequences of failure), borrows her dear aunt's
> devoted house-elf, Kreacher (whom we know to be devoted to "Miss
> Bellatrix"), to help her with her task. 

Elyse: Hmmm, I'm still a bit iffy on the Bellatrix-knew-it-was-a -
Horcrux part, but thats just a matter of preference.
I agree though, that Bella probably took Kreacher along, made him 
drink the potion and addled his brains permanantly. 


Carol:
(Regulus overhears this
> request.) Trusting entirely to Kreacher's loyalty and not crediting
> him with intelligence equal to a human's, she lets slip that the 
thing
> she's hiding is a Horcrux.

Elyse: Nope, nope. Dont like it. If shes that loose tongued she'd 
have blabbed to Snape in Spinner's end IMO.
This reminds me of a post by Valky long ago, which made me laugh, 
but was convincing all the same. I'm quoting part of it here, hope 
Valky doesnt mind...

Valky wrote long ago:
"First, let's see, R.A.B. has to know what Horcruxes are. Its
a banned subject at Hogwarts, so if it's a young/ish/ character. Say,
from Marauders era if we are postulating Reggie, then this person is
either a. Not schooled at Hogwarts, or b. very into Dark arts..
perhaps a friend of Severus Snape.."

"Otherwise, it's someone from an older generation, also very into 
Dark
Arts. But I am not sure that it has to be good character, since
uncovering Voldies secret was actually made rather easy for the bad
guys.. Let me show you.."

"LV gives Lucius his diary - tells him that he should plant it at
Hogwarts - Lucius is stupid enough *once* to use this powerful object
to further his own ambition..."

"Bella is always bragging about her "in"ness with LV - actually 
anyone
who gets a little tidbit from LV tends to brag a bit don't they, 
seems
in character for a DE, no?"

"So heres how I see it, Lucius is doing some bragging, he's the Dark
Lords most favoured servant today because LV has entrusted to him,
this *really* powerful object.. (whiny bragging tones)."

"Oh, what is it Lucius? Whats this really important thing that LV 
gave
you to guard for him?"

"Uhh I don't know exactly, but it can open the Chamber of Secrets and
command the Monster."

"No it can't Lucius you dope, only the Heir of Slytherin can do 
that.."

"Two weeks later..

Hey Reggie, says Bella, Did you know our Master is the Heir of
Slytherin.. Pretty cool huh?"

"Forehead slap three weeks later. OMG that thing is not what I think 
it
is... is it...?"

"Rumours are pretty dangerous aren't they? <eg>"

"So simple its ridiculous, Voldie has *no* idea, ROFL. seeing as it 
was
*this* easy for the DE's to know what was going on if they could put
two and two together. Clearly not Crabbe and Goyles specialty but the
*smart* DE's alternately... well.."

"Okay so then Voldies bragging on and on about *how* immortal he is,
"I'm more immortal than Grindelwald was..." he's singing as he skips
through the daisies. And darn it this R.A.B person is onto something
here. Could Voldemort make this any *easier* to know?"
<end quote>

Elyse again: From this point onwards I agree with the rest. Regulus 
wants out of the DE's, decides to steal locket, makes Kreacher take 
him to the cave a second time, forces Kreacher to drink the potion a 
*second* time so that Kreacher's brains are totally addled without 
hope for recovery (hee hee..LOL...you get the idea that I really 
dont like Kreacher?), takes locket home to Grimmauld place, goes out 
to buy some milk to make tea before trying to destroy the locket, 
gets AKed as soon as he steps out, and the locket lies in 12GP until 
Kreacher/Mundungus saves it from Sirius' purge of the house

Whew! And I thought this was going to be my "2 knuts"!

Elyse