Family Secrets

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 116017


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "basilhummus" <carla68 at a...> wrote:
> 
> 
> Has it been posited by anyone that Petunia could in fact be Harry's 
> Secret Keeper? 

bboyminn:

Well, others have already answered your question, but I'll add a litte
more. Indeed Harry being a /kept/ secret (ie: Secret Keepers Charm)
has been thought of by just about everyone at one time or another,
but, again as others have pointed out, it's flawed by the fact that
neither Harrry nor the place where he lives is a secret.

If Harry were the /kept/ secret then he couldn't be found. I think
this might have been what happened to his parents. In that case, it
wasn't the house at Godrics Hollow that was the secret in the sense
that Grimmauld Place can't be found because, among other things, it is
the /secret/ location of The Order. Again, at 12 GP, the location is
the secret. In the case of Harry's parents, I think THEY were the
secret. Remember Flitwick's explanation in PoA, he said Voldemort
could peek in the windows and he wouldn't be able to find Lily and
James. In that case, I speculate that the people rather than the place
were the /kept/ secret. Just a thought.

Back to the main point, people find Harry both in and out of #4 Privet
Drive, and people, magic and muggle, find the Dursley's house, that
imples no Secret Keeper Charm applied to him or the location.

> Carla:
>
> My husband wondered aloud whether this could be what compels Petunia 
> to continue to give Harry a place to call home. If Voldemort 
> gained "ultimate power" by killing Harry, it will not only bring the 
> wizarding world crashing down, but the muggle world as well. Her 
> housing of Harry could actually be the lynchpin that keeps both 
> worlds intact. Not to mention, that it seems as the the over-coddled 
> Dudley may also be part of this bargain in some way.
> 
> With Greatest Appreciation,
> Carla

bboyminn:

Now this is an interesting and original idea which Amy, in her reply
(#115995), expanded on nicely. Looking at it from this perspective
certainly could explain a lot about the Dursely and especially explain
a lot of Vernon's over-the-top reactions. 

And of course, it's true, if Harry isn't protected, if Voldemort
somehow manages to get rid of Harry, Voldemort will be unrestrained.
There will be nothing standing between him and total anarchy in both
worlds. 

I don't think Voldemort has any real plans to take over the muggle
world. I think he sees it as far too inconsequential. Remember those
of the radical pureblood mentality thing hunting, murdering, and
torturing muggles is great sport. 

That, by extension, implies that once Voldemort gains power, he plans
to repeal the Statue of Secrecy. It would be pretty hard for the rest
of the world to keep up the pretense that the magic world didn't exist
when hords of Death Eaters were hunting muggles for sport all over
Britain. That man really is quite mad; hopelessly mad.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn (was bboy_mn)