How the Fidelius Charm works: a theory

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 17240

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., catherine at c... wrote:
> --- 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!

Ooh, good question.  I actually do think the Imperius Curse has a 
mental hold on you--that you could be forced to kill your best friend 
AND feel okay about it.  (NO, I'm not suggesting that as a plot 
possibility...though now that I've said it...no, no, Ron!)  Otherwise, 
one would think that people under the IC would be in a constant state 
of remorse and guilt.  I think they walk around in a happy haze, doing 
horrible things, and don't realize that these things are out of 
keeping with their fundamental character until the IC is lifted.

I think the Fidelius has to regard someone under the control of 
Voldemort as an enemy and therefore make it impossible for him/her to 
find the protected person.  

But now, the more I write about this, the more I think others can't 
know where someone under the FC is.  Otherwise any number of people 
could be tortured for the information.  It's very clear that only the 
Secret Keeper is in that danger--no one else =can= tell.  Drat.  This 
is going to take some sorting out.

Amy Z
feverishly collecting information for the "nature of magic" essay 
coming up in several weeks, and wondering if she can conveniently 
forget to include the Fidelius Charm