Secret Keepers/JKR Poll Question - Confussion

[kiricat4001]

No: HPFGUIDX 148671

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
 
> bboyminn:
> 
> That's just it, ONLY the Secret Keeper can reveal the location. JKR
> said, if James, as the subject of the secret, were captured, he 
would
> have been unable to reveal the location of Lily and Harry. He is 
not
> the Secret Keeper, so he can not speak the secret. I have to assume
> the same holds true for Harry.
> 
> Just to confuse things, 

<<snippage of confusion - I just can't go there today!>>

 
> > Marianne:
> > 
> > I think that perhaps this part is getting needlessly 
complicated.  
> > If Peter, the Secret Keeper revealed the secret to Vmort, then 
the 
> > secret is essentially over. There was no more secret. ...

> >
> 
> bboyminn:
> 
> That is also a popular misconception. Dumbledore has revealed the
> 'secret' to dozens of people; The Order, Harry, Ron, Hermione, the
> Twins, possibly even Percy. So, the 'secret' can't be broken by
> revealing it. 
> 
> I suspect, and only suspect, that Harry was able to reveal the 
secret
> because 'headquaters' was in a new location, a location that was 
still
> secret and covered by the Secret Keeper Charm. In a sense, when 12
> Grimmauld Place and the 'secret' disassociated themselves, 12
> Grimmauld Place was no longer hidden. 
> 
> When Lily and James died, we have a similar disassociation. With 
their
> death their is no longer a secret that needs keeping. Sounds good,
> just one problem, Harry was still alive, and if we assume that the
> secret involves all three of them as JKR implies, then the secret
> continued. Perhaps like Grimmauld Place, the 'secret' moves with 
the
> subjects. In other words, the secret was the location of the 
Potters.
> When the Potters moved, the secret moved with them. Just as the
> 'headquarters' secret has moved from Grimmauld Place to it's new
> location. 
> 
> Now, I have to conclude that there is a way in which the 'secret' 
can
> be removed; that is, the Secret Keeper Charm can be canceled. 
Though
> that seems a huge flaw in the protection. If the secret was the
> location of the Potters where ever they may be, then Harry should
> still be protected. Since Harry is at Privet Drive, then Number 
Four
> should be a secret. The milkman and the postman should not be able 
to
> find it. But they can, so obviously there is a flaw in my thinking.

Marianne:

Well, I don't know if there's necessarily a flaw in your thinking.  
This is probably another one of those things that drive JKR crazy 
because she has all these thousands of obsessed fans who nitpick 
this stuff to death!

I wonder (not backed by canon certainly and not something I 
articulated yesterday) if this may be another area where intent 
plays a part.  The Secret remains with the SK and can only be 
revealed by the SK.  However, if the Keeper goes through this 
agreement/bond/whatever with people and then *willfully* breaks the 
intent of it, s/he breaks the charm.  Peter agreed to become the 
Potters SK, where everyone thought the intent was to provide them 
with protection.  Peter willingly betrays the secret, and thus 
breaks the magical underpinnings of the Charm. His actions revoke 
everything, so whatever protection was at GH or on the Potters 
specifically, is gone.  Anyone can show up and find the house and 
the bodies with no difficulty. This would explain why Hagrid and 
Sirius could find the house and/or the bodies of the Potters.

I know JKR didn't say anything about intent, but I would agree that 
there are still holes in this entire SK thing.

Marianne, who's head has stopped spinning