Fidelius & Dumbledore

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 34028

Alexander wrote (about what Dumbledore knew and when he knew it):

>   What? Not enough facts?
>   He knows enough to instruct Hagrid to go to Godric's
> Hollow and take Harry from ruins (hence Dumbledore knew
> about Potters dead, Harry alive and Voldemort disappeared).

Yes, clearly in Ch. 1 of PS/SS, Dumbledore knows the Potters are dead 
and Voldemort has disappeared.  That's not what I'm referring to when 
I say Dumbledore didn't have all the facts yet.  More to follow.
 
Cindy wrote:

> c> 1. Dumbledore doesn't know that the Fidelius Charm was
> c> ever cast. The Potters could have changed their minds, or
> c> were attacked before they cast the spell.
> 

Alexander responded:

>   Nope. Attack happened 1 _week_ after the spell was cast.
> Surely timing of casting was arranged and discussed (such
> things are better made ASAP).
>   He definitely knew that Fidelius was cast and he knew
> Sirius was chosen to be the Secret Keeper (the persona of
> Secret Keeper was a subject of debate between Dumbledore and
> Potters).

I think you're taking a pretty big leap there.  Yes, Dumbledore knows 
the *plan* is for the spell to be cast.  There is nothing in canon 
that states that (on the night of the events in question) Dumbledore 
knew it had been cast one week earlier.  You're assuming that someone 
(say, the Potters) communciated to Dumbledore that the spell had been 
cast, but omitted the fact that the secretkeeper had been changed.  
For all we know, the Potters consult with Dumbledore, then go off and 
do this spell.  So Dumbledore wouldn't know whether they followed the 
plan of which they advised him.  And as we later learn, they didn't 
follow the plan; they changed the secretkeeper.


Cindy again:

 
> c> 2. Dumbledore doesn't know that the Charm was cast
> c> correctly. Also, as we recently discussed, there could be
> c> additional means to break the spell that we don't know
> c> about (Imperius Curse on the SecretKeeper).
> 
Alexander wrote:

>   Do you mean that in 7 days after the spell has been cast
> _nobody_ did bother to check if it works? IMHO it's a _very_
> optimistic approach...
>   If Imperius was cast on Sirius Black then he is enemy
> nonetheless (though an unintentional one). In fact, either
> he is a traitor or he is under Imperius. In both cases, his
> appearance at Godric's Hollow is not a thing to be ignored.

Eh, well, both of us are speculating now, no?  It is certainly 
speculation to say that someone would have checked to see if the 
Charm had been cast properly.  How do we know that this is possible?  
We do know that the spell is "immensely complex," which suggests that 
it can be botched.

The other reason I think Dumbledore might think Sirius was innocent 
that night (and therefore not react visibly to Hagrid's statement 
about Sirius) is that Sirius *acted" innocent.  Voldemort had fallen, 
and Dumbledore knew Sirius knew Voldemort had fallen.  Sirius did not 
flee.  Instead, he appeared at the scene of the crime.  If Sirius 
were guilty, he would have fled like other DEs.  That fact alone 
would be enough to make Dumbledore pause before reacting to the news 
that Sirius encountered Hagrid that night.

Also, Dumbledore doesn't seem like the kind of fellow who just reacts 
to things.  He is in the presence of McGonnagall and Hagrid.  Since 
Dumbledore doesn't have all the facts (IMHO), I think it is 
reasonable that he would hold his tongue until he had a chance to 
check out exactly what happened.  

Cindy