Secret Keepers & Sirius Black

[Scott <snorth@ucla.edu>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51705


> Scott Northrup wrote:
> 
> > 
> > I think the obvious question is, why didn't they use Dumbledore?
> > To which of course, the answer is "Then there wouldn't be a basis 
for
> > the series."


Grey Wolf:
> 
> I dislike that sort of answers intensively. Those are the worst 
form of 
> sloppy witting, and I refuse to think that JKR is that bad. 

Eh?

>There are 
> many possible reasons for not choosing Dumbledore, the first and 
> foremost is that he would be an even more obvious choice as secret 
> keeper than Sirius could be, and thus the Potters might have 
decided 
> against it. Then again, a spell this powerful might cause some sort 
of 
> strain in the individual working as secret keeper, a strain that 
> Dumbledore (at that point loosing the war against voldemort) might 
not 
> have been able to sustain (even if he might have selflessly thought 
he 
> could), especially at a time when Dumbledore needed all his powers 
> intact in case of a possible confrontation with Voldemort.
> 
> The bottom line is that we don't really know how the Fidelius Charm 
> works. It might require total dedication from the secret keeper. It 
> might tie both keeper and kept to specific locations. It might not 
work 
> within Hogwarts, etc. And of course, the fact that only Peter and 
> Sirius knew of the change means that, if Peter hadn't been the spy, 
> no-one would've known for a long time, which is a good strategy in 
> itself.

Well, obviously, that's not the story reason, but once you get down 
to brass tacks, if Dumbledore had been the Secret Keeper, it probably 
would have drastically changed the story.

Anyway, I seem to recall that Dumbledore actually suggested to James 
and Lily that he act as Secret Keeper (once again, if that's wrong, 
please correct me), which would rule out most of your possibilities.

If it makes you feel better, imagine whatever reason you want, but I 
won't assume anything until JKR gives a Canonical reason for not 
using Dumbledore as Secret Keeper.  It probably won't be answered in 
the books, but feel free to ask her if you ever get the chance.

-Scott