[HPforGrownups] Did Snape Try to Warn James at GH? (Re: Here is an interesting Snape one)

[Vivamus]

No: HPFGUIDX 120534

> > Vivamus:
> > Doesn't the Fidelius charm mean that only the secret keeper can
> reveal the
> > location?  Therefore, if Severus was there, Peter must have chosen
> to give
> > the location information directly to Snape.  
> 
> Eloise:
> Only the Secret Keeper can reveal the location, but I don't 
> think we've established what happens once he does. Is the 
> Charm thereby completely broken? Does it mean that from that 
> point onwards, the secret is not magically protected from 
> *anyone* or that only the person who has been directly told 
> has access to it?

Vivamus:
Remember when Moody (I think it was Moody) showed Harry the writing from DD
that told him where the OOtP HQ was?   Moody could read the message, and
Harry could, to.  AFTER Harry read it, Moody destroyed it -- presumably
because the writing could continue to show OTHERS where the OOtP was hiding
-- all without breaking the Fidelius Charm.

One thing we have never been told yet is what happens if someone tries to
spill the beans if they have been told, but they are not the SK.  What if
Harry tried to tell someone else where the OOtP was, for example?   For some
reason, he wouldn't be able to, either because the magic would have kept him
from doing so, or because he could, but it would have broken the Fidelius.
Otherwise, Moody could simply have taken Harry in the door, or just told him
where it was.
 
> Sirius was aware that there was something wrong, which was 
> why he went to check on Peter. Was it because he had an 
> awareness that the Charm was no longer working, that *he* 
> could remember the Potter's whereabouts, or somehow knew he 
> would be able to find them? The Charm was certainly not 
> working by the time the rescue party got there, or else they 
> wouldn't have been *able* to find Harry.

Vivamus:
As their best friend, I assumed he would have been told where they were
living, just as Harry was told about 12GP.
 
> Eloise:
> Actually, I don't think we know exactly what the effect is on 
> those who already know the information before the Charm is 
> performed. If Godric's Hollow was the Potters' *home*, then 
> their location wouldn't exactly be a secret from their 
> friends. What I think the Charm did was to prevent anyone 
> from *finding* them even if they *did* know where they were, 
> unless the secret was divulged by the Secret Keeper. 
> So by that understanding, even if only Voldemort were able to 
> *find* the Potters, Snape or Lupin or anyone else could have 
> been there because they knew the location and been able to 
> shout a warning blind, as it were. 
> 
> I agree with others that it's highly unlikely that it was 
> Snape whose voice Harry heard as that would immediately have 
> blown his cover, which is inconsistent with his present role, 
> although there are problems with the latter anyway, not least 
> Voldemort's comments about the three missing DEs. I do hope 
> we get a convincing explanation of that and of why the 
> threats haven't been carried out yet (as far as we know) in 
> the next book.

Vivamus:
I agree that it is still a puzzle, but to me, the best explanation by FAR is
the one mooseming posted.  

Vivamus, who wonders if JKR is delighted or upset at the feeding frenzy over
mooseming