How the Fidelius Charm works: a theory

catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk
Fri Apr 20 16:16:32 UTC 2001


No: HPFGUIDX 17236

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
> Amanda wrote:
> 
> >Then how did the Weasley boys find him, when they came to rescue 
him
> >with the car? It seems to me that everyone seems to know that Harry
> >stays with his awful Muggle relatives, down to Ernie Macmillan. Of
> >course, you could know where he is but still not be able to find 
it, 
> but
> >still, how did Fred, George, and Ron find him if the Dursley house 
is
> >hidden under the Fidelius charm?
> 
> I know we've talked about this a lot before, but I had a tiny bit 
of a 
> new (I think) thought about it.
> 
> As others have said, it seems that the FC couldn't conceal you from 
> =everyone= or life would be very difficult.  The whole idea, it 
seems, 
> is to allow you to hide only from the people you need to hide from. 
> 
> So, the FC makes you unfindable by certain people.  Who?  Surely, 
in 
> the case of James and Lily, the DEs as well as Voldemort, for a 
start. 
>  Perhaps everyone who has the Dark Mark, or even better, everyone 
> whose loyalty is given to Voldemort whether they've been given the 
> Dark Mark or not.
> 
> So what happens if someone who knows the whereabouts of someone 
> protected by an FC becomes a DE afterwards?  Do they lose their 
> ability to find the person?  I'd say yes.  It didn't happen with 
Peter 
> because he was the Secret-Keeper.  But if Joe Blow down the street 
> popped in to the Potters' on Wednesday and became a Voldemort 
follower 
> on Thursday, the knowledge of their whereabouts would mysteriously 
> vanish from his mind.  The charm automatically updates, as it were, 
to 
> incorporate those who must not know.
> 
> Whaddayathink?
> 
> Amy Z

Do you think this could cover the imperious curse?  What would happen 
if, for instance, one of the Weasleys were put under the imperious 
curse and forced to take Voldy or a death eater to Privet Drive?  
Would they be able to?  Or what if they were put under the imperious 
curse and told to kill Harry?  There loyalty wouldn't be to Voldemort 
as it is an entirely physical, not mental hold the curse has on 
people.
This gets more and more complicated!
Catherine





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