TBAY: Re: DD and Godric's Hollow (Long) Draught of Living Death, DD&Snape in HBP

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 145967

> > Kaylee Tonks-Lupin is strolling along the beach of Theory Bay, 
> > when she sees Brothergib standing on the shore. He looks rather 
> > lost. She walks up to Brothergib and politely asks, "May I help 
> > you?" He nods.

Brothergib:
> I feel like I'm intruding!! And despite a thorough search, I cannot
> find the suitable ingredients to make a margarita - so I am
> (unfortunately) completely sober!

SSSusan:
I'm sorry, Brothergib!  Definitely not how we want people to feel 
around here!  Sometimes people who work on a TBAY together develop 
idiosyncrasies... and one of them for the DRIBBLE SHADOWS is that our 
crew enjoys margaritas.  But that's neither here nor there to what 
the theory is about.... 

Brothergib:
> However, if your theory is correct, DD was desperately trying to 
> find Sirius, so he could apply this ointment. Therefore, at the 
> time of Voldemort's defeat he didn't know Harry was at Godric's 
> Hollow. So who told DD that Harry had defeated Voldemort? You seem 
> to suggest that Snape was at Hogwarts ready to apply the ointment. 
> Someone must have told DD?

SSSusan:
Actually, finding not Sirius, but Snape, for applying the ointment.  
Sirius didn't really play into the mix in DRIBBLE SHADOWS (unless he 
was the one who alerted DD about the attack).  Where DRIBBLE SHADOWS 
started was in an attempt to tie together the protective properties 
we know about dragonhide and suspect about dragon's blood... with 
Harry's distinctive eyes/eye vulnerability... with wondering why in 
the WORLD it would take 24 hours for Hagrid to have delivered little 
Harry Potter to 4 Privet Drive.

Many people have speculated about what might have happened during 
those "missing 24 hours" between when the GH attack occurred and when 
Hagrid appeared on Sirius' motorbike with Harry.  The trip itself 
surely shouldn't have taken that long.  So what might have been 
happening during that time which would account for the delay?

No one knows for sure *how* DD learned of the attack.  There have 
been all kinds of proposals, from a portrait in the GH home which had 
time enough to report in that something was amiss before the house 
exploded...  to there having been another person present that night 
who contacted DD (even Sirius, before he took off to hunt down 
Pettigrew)... to the possibility that once people die who've been 
protected by the Fidelius Charm, the charm is lifted and the secret 
is no longer secret, so that perhaps there was a mechanism in place 
to alert DD once it had all gone so wrong and James & Lily had 
perished.

Anyway, that's not really here nor there, except that we propose that 
by *some* means DD was alerted to the disaster at GH and sent Hagrid 
to assess the damage and retrieve baby Harry.

DRIBBLE SHADOWS proposes more about what might have happened after 
this and before the gathering at Privet Drive.  What I think is 
possible are the following:

1) Even before the attack, but knowing one was likely coming, DD 
wanted to come up with as many protections for the Potters as he 
could.  And after the attack, DD did not believe that Voldy was gone 
for good, but rather DD strongly suspected he was still around in 
some form and would manage to return someday.  Thus, having ways to 
protect Harry beyond what Lily had already done through her sacrifice 
would be essential.  DD himself came up with the "Return to Privet 
Drive each year" protection.  Voldy himself said, "He has been better 
protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by 
Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future" 
(GoF, ch. 33).  Note the way*s*, plural.

2) Snape had turned from Voldy's side to the Order's, and one of the 
reasons DD trusted him was not only his willingness to TELL DD about 
the imminent attack on the Potters but also his willingness to DO 
something to try to protect Harry.  I think that Snape, with his 
incredible knowledge of potionmaking (and after HBP we now know about 
this more fully, as well as his creativity in creating new 
spells/tweaking potions recipes), was working on developing a potion 
(or ointment – hey, I had to get an "O" in SHADOWS) which would 
provide Harry with supplemental protection.  I also believe that DD – 
as the person who discovered the 12 uses of dragon's blood, (which 
JKR has carefully NOT revealed to us beyond the oven cleaner one ;-)) 
suggested that Snape utilize dragon's blood in it.  I also believe 
that Hagrid came into the picture because *someone* had to be able to 
extract dragon's blood, and I doubt Snape wanted to mess with THAT 
task.  

If the three of them were working on a protective potion/ointment, it 
nicely explains the depth of trust DD always displayed towards Snape –
 he was DOING something to try to help the Potters; he was backing up 
his talk with action.  It would also explain why Hagrid never doubted 
Snape either.

3) The GH attack occurred before Snape could apply the ointment -- 
or, alternatively, as Jen Reese suggested, James &/or Lily might have 
refused it!  Either way, since DD was taking charge of Harry's future 
and believed Voldy wasn't gone forever, he had Hagrid *first* take 
Harry to wherever Snape was, left Baby Harry there to have this 
protection applied, then returned to pick Harry up for the trip to 
Little Whinging.  Perhaps DD was off making arrangements or 
discussing plans with Order members at the time?  Anyway, it may have 
taken some time for this trip, the application, and the second trip.

4) Potioncat even suggested (in TURBAN) that Harry might have a 
*memory* of Snape's having applied this ointment, which manifested 
itself in a dream Harry had in SS/PS (chapter 7) which, unusually for 
Harry, he DOESN'T NEXT DAY REMEMBER HAVING HAD.  It was a mishmash of 
images, including Snape, the green flash of light, a flying 
motorbike, and a turban (Potioncat thought maybe he'd wrapped Harry's 
head in a bandage).

This whole thing (esp. if Jen is right about James/Lily refusing 
Snape's help) could even explain one reason why Snape is so hateful 
to Harry. Harry, after all, has NO IDEA what Snape's already done for 
him, and Snape receives no credit for his efforts. 

It *might* even explain why Harry was able to hold out against Voldy 
in the graveyard duel, mightn't it? The extra protection? Harry's 
dragon-like ability to hold out against powerful spells? 

That's the gist of it, though I have a feeling it sounds rather 
confusing. ;-)  If you or others are interested, the most substantial 
additions to DRIBBLE SHADOWS came through responses to Neri's 
critique of it, esp. from Potioncat and Jen Reese.

Potioncat's:  
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/128795

Jen's:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/128778
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/128892

Siriusly Snapey Susan, pleased that her little ship's still teetering 
and tottering in the Bay and especially that Snape's spell and potion 
creativity received support in HBP.


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