Double Secret Keepers?

[catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 26793

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., cynthiaanncoe at h... wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., catherine at c... wrote:
If Sirius was 
> > originally 
> > > > going to be their Secret Keeper, then why couldn't James or 
> Lily 
> > be 
> > > > his Secret Keeper?  That way all of them would have been 
> > impossible 
> > > > to find.
> > > > 
> > > > Why didn't they think of that?
> > > > 
> > > > Catherine
> Let me see if I've got this straight, Catherine.  You're saying 
James 
> and Lily should have used Peter as their Secret Keeper and also 
> functioned as Secret Keepers for Sirius, right?

Well, no, not exactly.  I meant that they could have kept Peter out 
of the picture entirely.  The double bluff wouldn't be necesaary if 
Sirius and the Potters were secret keepers for oneanother.  They 
would both know where each other was, but no one would be able to 
find either of them, so they wouldn't be captured and have the secret 
tortured out of them.  Peter would have been unnecessary.


> I don't think we know whether it is impossible for Sirius to use 
Lily 
> and James as his Secret Keeper, while Peter serves as Secret Keeper 
> for the Potters (I'll call it a Secret Keepers triangle).  We do 
know 
> that the Fidelius Charm is very complex, so if they switched to 
Peter 
> at the last second, then they simply may not have had time to do an 
> additional Charm.  Or perhaps they were planning on doing just what 
> you suggest, but Peter betrayed the Potters before Sirius could set 
> it up.
> 
> But consider this:  I think we can assume that there are 
limitations 
> on how many layers of Secret Keepers you can have.  If there were 
> not, then the Potters don't need Sirius as Secret Keeper at all.  
> Lily can be Secret Keeper for James, and James can serve for Lily 
> (I'll call it Reciprocal Secret Keepers).  So the fact that they 
> don't do this suggests that it is not possible.  And if Reciprocal 
> Secret Keepers won't work, then maybe a Secret Keeper triangle 
won't 
> work, either.
> 
> Or, at least, that's my take.  
> 
> Cindy (who is getting a little dizzy just thinking about this)

I know what you mean.  Yes, you are quite right about how Lily and 
James being able to be secret keepers for one another may not work.  
I hadn't actually thought of that.  But perhaps it is because Lily 
and James will be together they are, in effect, keeping the same 
secret?  Therefore, it is not really reciprocal, but belts and 
braces?  ie. two different concepts.  Of course, the same would apply 
if Sirius were to go into hiding with the Potters, so either way it 
may not work.

Catherine, who is now getting hopelessly confused with her own theory.