Secret Keeping (was) The Longbott[o]ms

[Petra Pan]

No: HPFGUIDX 54514

Tonya:
> >Hi all,
> >Last night I was reading GOP for about
> >the 10th time and I wonder if there 
> >could be something that the Longbottem's
> >know.  Before the Quiddich World 
> >Cup when the Malfoys came into the top
> >box the Fudge said "Mr. Malfoy have 
> >just given a huge donation to St. Mungo's".
> >
> >Why would Malfoy donate to St. Mungo's?
> >
> >What could the Longbottems know that
> >Voldemort wants to keep hidden??
> >
> >Tonya

To which Mr. Ed replied (in complete 
speculation):
> I've wondered if Secret Keepers can
> unwillingly be put into their position.  
> That, to me, would explain why the
> Longbottoms are alive, especially given, 
> sad to say, how easy and 'clean' it is
> to kill in the Wizarding World.
> 
> If a secret can be stored in a living
> soul -- and if that soul is deemed 
> "crazy" or is actually mentally impaired
> so much to be non-communicative, 
> what better soul (from the dark
> perspective) to burden with a nasty yet 
> important secret can there be?

Within the construct of the narrative, your
speculation is warranted.  But I have to say,
if Secret Keepers can be compelled to be 
Secret Keepers against their will, or even 
without their knowledge, for me the narrative 
power of the whole idea of Secret Keepers 
would be diminished.

Thematically, the Secret Keepers symbolize 
many aspects of trust, one of which is 
making the commitment to the secret 
holder(s).  For me, that commitment would 
mean less if it's one that the Secret Keeper 
did not consciously make him/herself.  After 
all, Pettigrew's betrayal would be toothless 
if he didn't consciously choose to snitch on 
his best friend.

As Professor Flitwick puts it ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"An immensely complex spell," he said squeakily, 
"involving the magical concealment of a secret 
inside a single, living soul. The information is 
hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper,
and is henceforth impossible to find -- unless, of 
course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. 
As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, 
You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily
and James were staying for years and never find 
them, not even if he had his nose pressed against 
their sitting room window!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ PoA

I always pegged "chooses to divulge" and 
"refused to speak" as the operative phrases 
here; free will seems to be key and the fact 
that the Secret Keeper COULD divulge and COULD 
speak (COULD give into temptation) but chooses 
to exercise will power in refusing to do so is 
what, IMO, gives the spell its immense power.

Having said that, the Longbottoms could 
very well be twisted versions of the Secret 
Keepers but I would be very disappointed 
if the way the spell works remains the same; 
we should see that there are ramifications 
to the manipulation of trust.

> Mr. Ed (who wonders why Tonya consults
> so frequently with the US's Republican 
> Party to answer her excellent questions
> about the British Wizarding World!)

<giggle>

Well now, couldn't GOP stand for Good Ol' 
Potterica?

Petra
a
n  :)

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