After reading the FAQ on the missing 24 hours -- a thought

[marephraim <htfulcher@comcast.net>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52291

I just read over the FAQ on the missing 24 hours and the 
accompanying references to earlier discussions. A thought struck me. 
I don't believe the 24 hours are that mysterious at all. Consider 
the following scenario...

The discussion over the 24 hours assumes that Dumbledore knew 
instantly that You Know Who was, indeed, dead or defeated. What if 
he doesn't know this, or is not immediately convinced? And is it 
absolutely necessary that he immediately considers Sirius Black to 
have turned traitor? What if the confusion of subsequent events 
(with Pettigrew, etc.) are what lead Dumbledore to conclude that 
Black had betrayed the Potters?

Hagrid is dispatched by Dumbledore to find out what happened at 
Godric Hollow. This would seem to be due to 'news' that something 
very dramatic and tragic has happened. He knows that He Who Must 
Not be Named is after the Potters and now there is word that their 
home has been blown up. (We'll omit arguments about the Secret 
Keeper and how anyone could know the location, etc.) Hagrid gets 
there around the same time as Sirius Black. They discover the house 
in ruins, Lily and James dead, and little Harry no doubt crying his 
little green eyes out. Sirius already is suspicious of Pettigew, so 
after initially wanting to protect Harry (PoA p 154 UK pb AE) he 
would naturally go looking for Pettigrew. He gives Hagrid his motor-
bike and goes off in search of him. 

Hagrid at some point sends a post owl or uses flu powder (a la 
Diggory and Black in GoF) to update Dumbledore on what he has found 
and that he has Harry. This is consistent with PS p 46 (UK pb AE) 
as "'Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. 
Brought yeh to this lot...'" need not be assumed to indicate more 
than a sequence of events -- Hagrid was ordered to do A and later 
told to do B.

Dumbledore is a wise and intelligent Wizard. He would want 
verification (beyond Hagrid's report) that You Know Who was gone. In 
fact, one can imagine that the immediate aftermath of Godric Hollow 
would be mass confusion. What happened? Wizards coming out of 
trances? Condemnations and denials? Putting the pieces together 
would take time, and it is more likely that Dumbledore had Hagrid 
hide Harry. 

And where would he have hidden him? What if Hagrid had taken Harry 
to Hogwarts and hidden him in his hut? Secrecy would dictate that 
Harry not be taken to Hogsmeade, or Diagon Alley or the Castle 
itself -- too many witnesses. But Hagrid's Hut? If McGonigall went 
looking for Dumbledore early in the morning after the tragedy, she 
might go out to the Hut looking for him; but if Harry was asleep and 
Hagrid didn't happen to invite here in (and she would be in a hurry) 
he could have bumbled out something typically Hagrid-esque 
like, "Oh! er... Professor Dumbledore? Why no, Professor 
McGonigall, ... er um, I hain't seem Dumbledore since late last 
night when he said something about taking little Harry to live with 
them muggle relations of Lily's ... Oh!.. I shouldn't a told yeh 
that!" She then leaves instantly and takes up her position at Privet 
Drive and waits.

Dumbledore would have been concerned for the safety of the 
Potters but he would also have had other concerns -- this was 
something of a war, eh? So the news of a tragedy at Godric Hollow 
would be one of many things he had to worry about that night and the 
next day. As time passed and the reports came in of broken spells, 
etc., he would begin to comprehend that out of the Potter tragedy He 
Who Must Not Be Named had, in fact, been defeated. As other wizard 
might have lived in or around Godric Hollow word of little Harry's 
survival of the curse would have begun to travel. 

By mid-afternoon, Dumbledore might have verified to his own 
satisfaction that You Know Who was, indeed, gone. There would be the 
news of Black's showdown with Pettigrew, that Black and the Dark 
Lord had been behind the whole Godric Hallow incident, and that 
Black was 'safely' in custody.  Now would come the charms and spells 
to protect Harry -- aside from the one he inherited from Lily. It 
would remain only to wait until evening to conclude plans (Araballa 
Figg, etc.) and go to Privet Drive.

The 24 Hours does not necessarily have to be flint or a matter of 
speculation. Verifying what had happened, ensuring that no other 
threat to Harry was imminent, planning what to do with Harry, etc.. 
would all take time.

Note further however. Sending Harry to live with the Muggles must 
have been fairly well known as when Harry and Hagrid first enter the 
Leakey Cauldron Tom the Barman says, "Welcome back, Mr Potter, 
welcome back!" (PS p. 54 pb AE) This _does_ harken back to the 
nature and number of the charms protecting Harry.

Does any of this sound reasonable?

MarEprhaim