Why not Dumbledore as Secret Keeper?

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 53550

Patricia:
> What I want to know is why the Potters didn't take up Dumbledore's 
offer
> to be Secret Keeper.  Yes, they loved and trusted Sirius completely 
and
> Sirius is a pretty powerful wizard, but he's nowhere near 
Dumbledore's
> level.  The only thing I can imagine is that they let their 
emotional 
> attachment to Sirius get in the way of their critical judgement.  
Can 
> anyone come up with a better explanation?

Finwitch(me):

As to why James trusted Sirius so much - they were always together as 
much as we hear from others, as close as Fred&George if not closer.
I don't see Fred/George trusting ANYONE more than his twin-brother. 
If either would take Fidelius Charm to protect wife&child, he'd 
absolutely insist for his twin-brother as Secret Keeper.

And I think that Sirius&James were pre-Hogwarts friends and more. I 
think it's likely that they lived next-door, visited each other night-
wise so often that it was like they were brothers. If they also were 
both half-orphaned as babies, breast-fed by the same woman, looking 
at same man as father-figure, though the two didn't share a 
relationship, only agreed to raise the kids together; James&Sirius 
doing blood-brother ritual or some such, to largest extent...

I see them as being and feeling as _one_. Might even be that they 
*both* loved Lily evenly much (but they didn't fight; they asked 
Lily); That Sirius joyed for James' behalf in that; that Sirius as 
Harry's godfather shared James' fatherhood...

That James trusted and *knew* he could trust Sirius as much as 
himself! And Sirius IS trustworthy- he *would* die rather than betray 
his friends. He is a canine animal, and feels most strong *loyalty* 
to his pack, (much like Lupin, who'd feel betraying *friendship* by 
betraying his only friends: James, Sirius and Peter...) - but the 
little rat was not loyal.

No, I don't think it was feelings over wits; it was confusion. Sirius 
trying to excess wits (Peter is too stupid and low-magic to be DE-
spy, lets make him the Keeper and let everyone think that I am-- so 
we both can be heroes) over feelings(Remus can't be the spy, not 
after all that animagi/werewolf-stuff, no way or I'd never betray 
you, I'd die first), was what *spoiled* it. They trusted their 
*wits*, not the Secret Keeper! I'm *sure* Trelawney would have 
predicted failure because of that!!!

-- Finwitch