The Regulus Story

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 162170

While we're on the topic of Regulus, I stumbled across a an interesting
short story over the holiday weekend (in a multivolume collection of
"Children's Classics" published way back in 1920). entitled "Bravery of
Regulus"  This may be old news, but I don't recall ever hearing about this
story before.

According to the story, Regulus was a third century B.C. Roman who commanded
an army sent to fight the Carthaginians.  The Carthaginians captured him and
decided to send him to Rome with their ambassadors to request terms of peace
and an exchange of prisoners.  If he did not secure these goals, he was to
return to Carthage as a prisoner.



Upon his return to Rome, Regulus delivered the Carthaginians' message, but
(outside the hearing of the ambassadors) told the Romans to persevere in the
war and not to exchange prisoners because it would give the Carthaginians
the advantage.  He also claimed that the Carthaginians had given him a slow
poison and that he would die shortly.



The Romans decided to reject the terms offered by the Carthaginians, and
begged Regulus not to go back to Carthage.  However, Regulus insisted on
returning (even though he expected the Carthaginians to torture him to
death) because he would not break the terms of his deal with the
Carthaginians.  "Slave as I am to Carthage, I have still the spirit of a
Roman.  I have sworn to return.  It is my duty to go."  Reports later
reached Rome that he had been tortured to death, using various means which
were not spelled out in the story.  His wife, who had two Carthaginians as
slaves, avenged his death by treating the captives "with savage cruelty."



Did JKR know this story?  Did she follow it?  It sounds pretty close to me:



   1. Regulus Black was lured to join the DEs, and thereby became
   Voldemort's slave.
   2. He was given a task in connection with the locket (or, at least
   that's a reasonable bit of speculation).  Having figured out what the
   locket was and the advantage Voldemort's whorecruxes would give him, he
   engineered the switch.  To accomplish this, he must have had to drink
   the liquid in the basin, as Dumbledore did, even though he suspected it was
   a poison that would kill him.  He likely had an assistant or witness
   with him (the ambassador), who either didn't see the switch or (if it was
   Kreacher) was ordered not to tell.
   3. Voldemort had Regulus killed.  If Regulus Black's story accurately
   follows the Roman Regulus' story, then Regulus would not have actually
   attempted to back out, as Sirius claims.  He would have obeyed
   Voldemort, but without the fawning devotion that Voldemort seems to crave
   and that so many others ::cough Malfoys cough:: are happy to give him.

This sounds pretty consistent with the story we've already pieced together.
And Regulus would be, in fact, a 'right little hero.'


One other thought.  Regarding #1 on the list above, who would have lured
Regulus to join the DEs?  He was younger than Sirius and therefore wouldn't
have been a direct contemporary of Snape and his gang.  However, he may have
been the same age as Barty Crouch Jr.  As another son of a pureblood, they
seem like logical companions.  Crouch joined to spite his father, and
because he was twisted enough to enjoy it.  Regulus, perhaps unduly
influenced by his family's pureblood mania, must have thought it was a good
idea at the time, but figured out quickly that Voldemort wasn't worth his
true allegiance.

Perhaps the question isn't whether Regulus is alive to convey the truth
about Harry; who will be the agent by which we learn the truth about
Regulus?



Debbie

Who once subscribed to the Stubby Boardman theory, but whom JKR has managed
to convince that Regulus is most sincerely dead


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