Peter, Sirius and Secret Keeping (was: Re: Dumbledore's Spies)

[KathyK]

No: HPFGUIDX 81744

Iggy McSnurd:

>I think everyone's missing a few important facts about why Hagrid, 
Sirius, McGonagall, and Dumbledore knew where the Potter's lived, 
and why there was no dager of people finding the information out 
from them:

1 - Only the person who is the secret keeper can reveal the 
information. Even the people the keeper tells can't pass the 
information on at all.

2 - Hagrid, Sirius, McGonagall, and Dumbledore were all members of 
the Order of the Phoenix.<

KathyK:

Sirius knew where the Potters were because Peter told him.  As you 
said later in your post, Peter was trying to avoid suspicion.  If he 
refused to tell even Sirius where James and Lily were, Sirius and 
the Potters would know something was up with Peter.  As for others 
knowing, I believe that only Dumbledore knew besides Pettigrew and 
Sirius.  And Peter didn't tell him to his face.  As Catlady pointed 
out in message 81704:

"2) the Secret Keeper can tell the secret in writing (as 
Dumbledore "told" Harry that the headquarters of the Order of the 
Phoenix is at 12 Grimmauld Place and the house suddenly became 
visible to Harry). 

"Therefore, Pettigrew as Secret Keeper could have written "James and
Lily are hiding in their house in Godric's Hollow" on several notes,
and the people who read those notes would know. I suppose James
instructed him to write one note to Sirius, one to Dumbledore, and 
one to Hagrid. Peter could have written the ones for Dumbledore and
Hagrid in an imitation of Sirius's handwriting, so they wouldn't 
known that Peter was the Secret Keeper."

So the Potters and Sirius were the only ones who knew the truth 
about Pettigrew being Secret Keeper.  I suppose Hagrid could also 
have been informed, but I always assumed once Lily and James died 
that the secret was out and Dumbledore was free to tell Hagrid where 
to find Harry.  
 
 
>3 - It's logical that Peter would have told a few members of the 
OotP, even despite his alleigence to LV.  As crafty as he is, Peter 
would have realized that by telling a few others "just in case" 
would have drawn even more suspicion away from him when things did 
go down.  When all is said and done, one of Peter's first goals is 
to avoid blame and suspicion.<

I assume you mean by writing here or else the others would have 
known about Peter being the traitor rather than Sirius. 

grindieloe in 81725:

>>I've also always wondered regarding this topic why Dumbledore 
doesn't have some reaction when Hagrid brings Harry to Privet Drive 
on Sirius' motorcycle. Didn't Dumbledore believe at that time that 
Sirius was the Secret Keeper? Because if he had known that they 
changed secret keepers, he would have known all along that Sirius 
was innocent and PoA would have been a whole different story.<<

I don't think Dumbledore reacted to Hagrid's showing up on Sirius's 
motorcycle because: 
1) it wasn't important to the readers at the time who Sirius Black 
was and why Hagrid had the bike.  If Dumbledore or McGonagall had 
made a big deal of the fact, it wouldn't have fit at the time 

2) at the time perhaps Dumbledore was still trying to gather 
information on exactly how things played out at Godric's Hollow.  
Maybe he wanted to know why Sirius failed at Secret Keeper before 
condemning him 

3) Dumbledore rarely has great, noticeable reactions to things, as 
far as I recall.  Even that gleam that has been discussed oh so many 
times was just a fleeting reaction.  

4) Dumbledore knew that Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper and let 
Sirius go to Azkaban anyways because Dumbledore suspected Voldemort 
would return one day and Harry needed to be in the protection of his 
Aunt Petunia's house and he knew Sirius wouldn't allow Harry to be 
left in the care of relatives who despised him.  Yeah, that last one 
is really awful, but, who knows?  I know I've read someone saying 
something like this before but I can't remember who or when, so 
apologies to whoever owns the theory. 

KathyK (who could just talk all day long about Pettigrew, Sirius, 
and Secret-Keeping)