[HPforGrownups] Cedric and Pettigrew (was Re: Faking Sirius' Death?)

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 91776

Kneasy wrote:
>OK, lets recap a few salient points, with questions.

>2. Somebody informs the interested parties, which probably means DD and
>the Order, but let's not forget that the rest of the WW heard almost as
quickly.
>Who? Who was there and got the word out?

I've thought this over many times, but the only conclusion I can come up
with is that DD had advance knowledge that the attack was coming. It would
be easy to conclude from what Hagrid says in PS/SS and POA that DD sent him
_after_ the event to get Harry out. But who could have told DD?

The Potters? James tries to hold Voldemort off, Lily runs upstairs,
scribbles a quick note, ties it to an owl, and chucks it out of the window.
I would reject that one because of DD's response. The normal DE mode of
operation is that Voldemort arrives with a clutch of his lieutenants and
acolytes when they decide to commit an atrocity. When the Order arrive in
OoP to escort Harry from Privet Drive, they come mob-handed. But DD sends (I
would argue) a maximum of 3 people to confront Voldemort himself? Can't
believe that he would waste his resources that way.

Peter or another DE present? Just possibly, Peter could have tried to redeem
himself by rescuing Harry and then alleging that Voldemort had kidnapped him
and used Imperio to force him to reveal that he was the Secret Keeper.
Unlikely but possible, always be questions over him but at least he goes
free. Possibly the Fidelius is proof against Imperio. In the event Peter
decides discretion is the better part of valour and runs for his life. I
don't think he's highly regarded by the DEs anyway. If the full DE posse
were there, then the books would never have been written anyway. When
Voldemort doesn't emerge, in go the other DEs and find he's not there but
Harry still is. "The Dark Lord isn't here, there must be some sort of
protection on the child. Let's take a quick detour over the Irish Sea and
drop him in a deepish part of it and rendezvous back at Malfoy Manor for a
quick nightcap and a council of war on how we take our Glorious Cause
forward from here". Harry goes to feed the mackerel and that's the end of
the story.

Snape or another member of the Order? Why tell DD and not rescue Harry while
they're at it?

A wizardly neighbour? Why tell DD? Unless they've been to Hogwarts
themselves, he's just that guy on the Chocolate Frog cards. They'd tell the
Ministry and the people who rescued Harry would be Fudge's cleanup team.

So the only conclusion is that DD knew in advance.

Kneasy again:
>3. So far as we know, Hagrid (sent by DD?) is first on the scene.
>Why Hagrid? Wouldn't an Auror be more logical given that the Potters were a
>known target of Voldy and his DEs?

It's a very good question. Hagrid's a good guy in a fight but sending him
single handed against Voldemort is sending him to certain death. I can't
escape the conclusion that DD sends at least one other person. No canon
support, but possibly the Longbottoms are there too - they have an
involvement with the Prophecy, and it could also explain why the DEs went
for them later. When Sirius arrives, they are off stage somewhere, possibly
patrolling to make sure there aren't any stray DEs around. But they then
tell the Prophet and the Wireless what's happened in time for the early
editions. They also tell DD. (It's clear from their conversation at the
start of PS/SS that Hagrid and DD haven't spoken that day).

But it's still far too few for a potential major fight. Why isn't DD there
himself (as he was at the Ministry in OoP)? Even if (as I've argued
elsewhere) he not only has foreknowledge of Voldemort's attack but also the
fact that only Voldemort and Peter will be there, why not make a more
serious attempt to save James and Lily's lives?

We know how DD manipulates people and events according to his grand plan.
Were James and Lily just "spares"?

Kneasy again
>6. At the Shrieking Shack Sirius tells us that the DEs in Azkaban accept
>that Peter betrayed the Potters. The DEs also assumed that Peter betrayed
>Voldy, but was now presumed to be dead.
>So how come it was a secret to the rest of the WW? Why would the DEs hide
>his role in the affair?

I don't think that the DEs have any desire to pass on _any_ information
about _anything_. After all, it's not going to get them out of Azkaban.
Also, having accepted that Sirius was the traitor, why ask them.

The one person who _would_ have known that Sirius wasn't the traitor and who
didn't reveal the information was (of course) Snape, who I'm sure smirked
inwardly when his tormentor from school was sent to prison for life. Revenge
is a disk best eaten cold.

Kneasy:
>To stretch the envelope a bit, suppose what he has to hide is some sort
>of association with Voldy, just as Peter suggested in the Shrieking Shack.
>He'd really want to keep  that quiet. Voldy  was gone, James was dead,
>Lily was dead - now who else needs tidying up? Ah, yes! Peter.
>Grief-stricken friend hunts down filthy traitor and zaps him in the street.
>Unfortunate but understandable. Poor chap. Too upset to call the Aurors
>and get Pettigrew taken alive for questioning.
>Now no-one need ever know.

Lends a new dimension to the conversation in the graveyard, doesn't it? Just
as DD had more than one spy in the DEs, it's quite believable that Voldemort
had more than one traitor in the Order...

But JKR alone know all

Cheers

Ffred

O Benryn wleth hyd Luch Reon
Cymru yn unfryd gerhyd Wrion
Gwret dy Cymry yghymeiri