RAB revealed?

Following the release of the sixth Harry Potter book, rumors have been abuzz concerning the identity of RAB, the mysterious character who left a note in the cave in the novel's closing chapters. So far, JK has remained relatively tight-lipped on the subject, although she said Regulus Black, Sirius' brother, was a "fine guess" in the MN/TLC interview last summer. Subsequently, (highlight)-->"Arcturus"<-- was suggested by fans as the late Death Eater's middle name after the name of a certain star.

Now, the Portuguese HP translator, Isabel Nunes, has reportedly confirmed this in an interview with a Portuguese fan site. Apparently, before Book 6 hit shelves, she contacted Jo about the character's gender, and was told the full name as well as the gender. Her reason for shedding light on the topic at this point is to "keep awake" the excitement for the seventh book. In the past, Nunes also clarified that Blaise Zabini is a man and Professor Sinistra is a woman.

EDIT: Some readers have written in letting us know that the interview where Nunes said this was conducted last November - you can see it here, page 15. Also, according to commenter Ismara, "A translator doesn't have to sign a contract of confidentiality... Translators can share that type of information as long as it's public. If JKR told her the middle name and the gender, it's public information." Jo hasn't confirmed or denied this - let's hope she doesn't so as to leave room for more conjecture - but take that for what you will!

Posted by Ciaran on Oct 9th | 305 Comments