Secret Keeper / charm questions (was Re: My Pet Snape Theory (Long))

[eloise_herisson]

No: HPFGUIDX 130286

> wherr009:
> 
> This brings another question to mind.  Was Harry protected by 
> the charm?  Or even more specific, what is the secret that Peter 
> was "holding"?  Was it the location of GH or was it that the 
> Potters were *in* GH?  Just a couple of more questions for 
> everyone out there in HPFGU land.
> 

Eloise:

I think it's more complicated than that.

I don't think that the location of Godric's Hollow was a secret, 
possibly not even that the Potters lived there, but we are told that 
even if Voldemort had his nose pressed up against their sitting-room 
window, he wouldn't have been able to find them. So I think he could 
have known precisely where they were from another source, but unless 
*Pettigrew* chose to tell him, he would be unable to find them. It's 
not so much the knowledge that's protected, but the ability to use 
that knowledge.

I guess it's a bit like a magnification of the effect you get when 
you know exactly where your keys are and you look there three times 
before you actually manage to see them. Only much more.

The description of how it works in PoA doesn't *quite* tally with 
Harry's experience in OoP. There, 12 Grimauld Place is completely 
invisible - in fact not even occupying any space, apparently - until 
the secret is divulged to him. It's difficult to see how anyone could 
have their nose pressed up to the living room window there. But then 
again, it could be that the building has always occupied a magical 
space and been invisible to those who didn't know about it. It would 
be belts and braces to have the presence of the Order there protected 
with a Fidelius as well.

~Eloise