The Rare Cloaks

[Diana]

No: HPFGUIDX 87000

Diana L.wrote:
> If the Malfoys do have one, it's not been
> mentioned at all in any of the first four books, which I would find
> odd.

Derek replied:
>>Remember, though, that the books are written from Harry's
perspective. If the Malfoys *did* have an invisibility cloak,
we would only know it if Harry knew it. And Harry would presumably
have the same problem learning of the Malfoys' cloak that Draco has
learning of Harry's: an invisibility cloak facilitates secrecy, and
secrecy makes it harder to discover things like invisibility cloaks.
It helps conceal itself. :-)<<

Diana L. responds:
Yes the books are written from Harry's perspective, however, Harry 
is extremely perceptive as evidenced by his casual observations 
about the people he meets and scenes he witnesses.  If Draco did 
have an invisibility cloak, Draco would have used it at Hogwarts to 
do something by now, IMO.  And Draco's actions would have strange 
consequences that would seem mysterious to everyone except to Harry 
who has his own invisibility cloak.  Ron and Hermione would probably 
guess the truth as well because they know about Harry's IC.
  I could see Harry wondering how Draco could do some of the things 
he would do if he had an invisibility cloak, but it wouldn't take 
Harry long to figure out that Draco must have an invisibility cloak 
to do those things.  In all five books so far, there have been no 
incidents, no matter how small, that would indicate any student 
other than Harry has an invisibility cloak at Hogwarts.  
  Whether Lucius Malfoy has an invisibility cloak, as Derek notes 
above, we wouldn't know that for sure because the books are from 
Harry's perspective.  However if Lucius did have an IC, why wouldn't 
he have used in the Prophecy room in OoP?  Wouldn't one DE hidden in 
an invisibility cloak be a better way to steal the prophecy from 
Harry than a whole group of DEs, all but one of whom were captured 
by the Order and turned over to the Minister of Magic?  Of course 
the logic behind the DEs actions and Voldemorts plans in OoP are of 
much discussion right now in another thread, but if Lucius does have 
an invisibility cloak, he doesn't seem to use it at all or at least 
not in a way that pertains to the events in any of the books.

Diana L. wrote:
> If these cloaks can be bought, like at Diagon Alley, I wonder how
> much they'd cost?

>Derek replied:
<snip>
Maybe they're available in Knockturn Alley, though. There does seem
to be something a bit Dark Magicky about a device whose main purpose
is to allow the wearer to be places he's not supposed to be and do
things he's not supposed to do...

Diana L. responds:
I could see them being a black market, back-room item in Knockturn 
Alley.  A wizard would probably have to make inquiries with the 
right people to acquire an IC at an extraordinary price.  The aurors 
are probably allowed cloaks due to the nature of their work.  
 
> Diana L. wrote:
> At this point, we don't know for sure if Draco knows or suspects 
that Harry has an invisibility cloak, but I would bet that the
> minute Draco finds out Harry has an invisibility cloak he'll tell
> his dad and demand one of his own.

>>Tom replied:
Draco *knows* that Harry has an invisibility cloak. In PoA at
the Shrieking Shack he sees Harry's head and runs to tell Snape.
Don't have the book in front of me to give Chapter and quote, but I'd
say that Draco could put two and two together and figure out that it
must have been an invisibility cloak.<snip><

Diana L. (me) responds:
I had forgotten about Harry's head appearing in front of Draco in 
PoA.  LOL   Draco's reaction to Harry's head appearing out of thin 
air was one of fear, not a calculated response reasoning that Harry 
must have an invisibility cloak otherwise Draco would certainly have 
called Harry on the carpet for it right then, IMO.  I'm sure Draco 
was probably quite ticked later IF he put together the events at the 
Shrieking Shack and the existence of invisibility cloaks, but I 
don't see evidence that he did.  
Snape doesn't strike me as a person who lets things slip 
accidentally, even to Draco.  If Snape did slip the idea of an 
invisibility cloak to Draco (when Draco told him about Harry's head 
the Shrieking Shack) we've seen no evidence so far that Draco 
figured out, with or without a hint from Snape, that Harry has an 
invisibility cloak.  Draco loves to taunt Harry and would love 
nothing more than to flaunt his knowledge of Harry's IC in front of 
Harry.  I could see veiled threats and hints about it every time 
they meet if Draco knew or even suspected Harry had an IC.  Unless 
JKR is purposely NOT revealing Draco's knowledge of Harry's IC, then 
why wouldn't Draco say anything, not even a comment?  C'mon, it 
would drive Draco crazy!  
    If he knew, Draco would certainly have told Umbridge about it in 
OoP, because another educational decree would have been issued 
immediately so Umbridge could confiscate it much like she did 
Harry's firebolt.  For these reasons, I think Draco does not know or 
suspect Harry has an invisibility cloak.  Snape didn't know at the 
time Draco came to him in PoA that Harry had an invisibility cloak, 
so he might even have thought Harry had cast a disillusionment charm 
or other such spell on himself that was failing, thus making just 
his head appear.  And Snape could have let this idea slip to Draco – 
and Draco would think Snape would be correct and wouldn't advance 
to "Harry must have an invisibility cloak".  Remember, Snape had no 
reason to suspect James had an IC cloak he had left to Harry, as far 
as we know (which isn't much).  
   Snape knows about the invisibility cloak later in PoA because he 
actually finds the cloak by the Whomping Willow and uses it.  Snape 
does mention it in front of Filch and Barty!Moody when Harry's stuck 
in the stairs in GoF, which I found interesting as Filch hasn't 
acted on this new-found knowledge, yet.  It's entirely possible that 
Snape may have gone to Dumbledore at the end of PoA or before GoF 
about Harry having an IC cloak and Dumbledore told Snape to leave it 
alone.    

And Moody has had THREE cloaks that we know of.  The "good" cloak 
was captured with Podmore outside the DoM. (OoP)  The 'inferior' 
cloak was still being used by the order. (OoP)  And the third cloak 
was buried over the transfigured dead body of Barty Crouch Sr. in 
the forest outside Hogwarts. (GoF)  I suppose it's possible that the 
real Moody or Dumbledore could have retrieved the IC over Crouch 
Sr.'s body, but it is unlikely.  Barty Crouch Jr. has his soul 
sucked out not long after confessing all to Dumbledore and wouldn't 
have been in any condition to direct them to where to dig for Barty 
Sr.'s body and the cloak.  Since Dumbledore was concerned about 
Harry at the time, I don't think even the idea of retrieving the 
cloak would have mattered to Dumbledore at all. 
Moody is portrayed as extremely paranoid, so having three IC cloaks 
does strike me as someone who is overly cautious by collecting three 
very rare and expensive items.  

Diana L.