[HPforGrownups] Re: Godrics Hollow - What was the Secret?

[James Lawlor]

No: HPFGUIDX 116075

Fridwulfa:
> >
> > I quite agree with you. But I must add something, if it were the
> people, and
> > not the house, the objects of the Charm, then the Secret was not
> James and
> > Lily, but James, Lily and Harry. After all, it was the baby who
> Voldemort
> > wanted to find the most, not his parents. So Peter betrayed James
> and Lily,
> > but he betrayed Harry as well.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Fridwulfa
> 
> mhbobbin:
> 
> Uh-oh. If it was Harry as well, then we are back to the original
> question. Why is Harry suddenly no longer covered by the Fidelius
> Charm, allowing Hagrid to find him without having information
> directly from the Secret Keeper.
> 

James:

In thinking about it, I'm inclined to think that the Potters were the
object of the secret as well. Mainly, Flitwick's statement and it's
(pretty much) utter inconsistency with the Fidelius Charm's action in
Grimmauld Place (considering that no one could even peek in the
windows without knowing the secret).

Also, there's another quote (I'm thinking maybe from McGonnogal,
possibly in PoA as well? I don't know really) that Lily and James were
"living as muggles" in Godric's Hollow. Generally muggles don't live
in houses that disappear.

Now, why *would* Hagrid be able to find Harry? Of course, perhaps he
and Dumbledore were in on the secret (and possibly others). Perhaps
the secret was that "no one would know who is living in the house"
(and thus, with no house, no secret).

But another very workable explanation is that Lily cast the spell, and
she was dead (thus rendering the spell inactive). After all, there
can't be that many people who can cast the spell - it's supposed to be
very complex and whatnot. Now we have evidence of three people that
would be able to cast it: Dumbledore (because he's Dumbledore!),
Flitwick (since he's the charms professor, so it stands to reason he's
an expert in the field), and Lily (with her wand suited to charm work
- and that has to be important somehow considering we now have the
connection with James's Transfiguration-oriented wand and animagi).

Obviously, Dumbledore or Flitwick can't have cast the spell, or that
unravels the plot of PoA (unless you are an ardent MAGIC DISHWASHER
supporter - but I'm not - this situation would require Dumbledore to
have pretty much knowingly sacrificed the Potters as well as Sirius,
and I don't believe he'd do that for a minute).

I think that's enough rambling for now, but that explanation works for me. 

- James Lawlor
jlawlor at gmail.com