Fidelius (WAS Re: SecretKeeper needed at the Dursley's house)

[tcyhunt <tcyhunt@earthlink.net>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48971

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "corinthum <kkearney at s...>" 
<kkearney at s...> wrote:
> Meira wrote:
> 
> > I think (and I 
> > hope I'm not pilagiarizing anyone's ideas, my apologies if I am) 
> >that the 
> > Fidelius is not around a *location* but around a *person*.

snip

 
> Me:
> 
> It is actually never stated that the Fidelius Charm conceals the 
> whereabouts of a person at all.  Professor Flitwick describes it in 
> PoA (The Marauder's Map, pg. 205 US hardcover) as follows:
> 
> "'An immensely complex spell,' he said squeakily, 'involving the 
> magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul.  The 
> information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, 
and 
> is henceforth impossible to find- unless, of course, the Secret 
> Keeper chooses to divulge it.  As long as the Secret-Keeper refused 
> to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lilly and 
James 
> were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his 
> nose pressed against their sitting room window!'"
> 
> Note that he says *the information* is impossible to find, not a 
> person.  Note the change in tenses: the first two sentences refer 
to 
> the Fidelius Charm in general; the last one referred to its 
specific 
> use with Lily and James.  The charm basically takes information out 
> of the realm of public knowledge and makes it impossible to 
access.  
> In the case of Lily and James, the secret information happens to be 
> their location.  In the absence of the charm, a person could look 
> into their window, see Lilly and James, and *poof! suddenly know 
> their location (not a hard connection to make, right?).  But with 
> Fidelius in play, that final conclusion, however obvious it might 
> seem, is no longer possible.    
> 
> So could Fidelius really be used to protect Harry at the Dursleys?  
> What would the secret information be?  As others have mentioned, it 
> certainly isn't his identity; too many people recognize him.  I 
doubt 
> it would be his location.  If it were, wouldn't that mean that no 
one 
> could ever find him?  From Flitwick's description, the charm seems 
to 
> keep the information from absolutely everyone except the secret 
> keeper.  But hundreds of people know Harry's location when he's at 
> school, and many more know where the Dursleys live (whether they 
have 
> ever been there or not).  Fred, George, Ron, and Mr.Weasely have 
both 
> been to that house and seen Harry in it.  
> 
> So the secret isn't Harry's identity or location.  I can't seem to 
> attribute Harry's protection at the Dursleys to the Fidelius 
Charm.  
> Although perhaps the charm is protecting something else about 
Harry...
> 
> -Corinth, wishing everyone happy holidays!

Me:
I'm new to HPfGU and have been searching for info/theories about the 
letter Dumbledore left with Baby!Harry at Privet Drive...so please 
forgive if I'm covering old ground...

All of the above gives great food for thought.  How about this to 
chew on:  Can the Fidelius Charm be used and partially broken?  For 
example, if the Fidelius Charm were used to protect Harry's 
whereabouts while with the Dursley's and the Secret Keeper were A. 
Figg - could she choose to divulge the information to a select few 
(Weasley Family, Sirius, etc.) and still keep the charm *active*?  Or 
is in no longer effective at all once broken?

btw - it's great to discuss HP with adults...my *adult* friends think 
I'm mad and I'm beginning to scare the neighborhood kids!

--Tcy