James left Cloak with DD - Why?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 155496

aussie wrote:
> I know. I skimmed over it a few times without thinking. But Ron had 
> said, "they're really rare, and really valuable".
> 
> The Map is useful only at Hogwarts, but we have seen other things 
> the cloak is useful for since then.
> 
> RARE? - Snape has to use Harry's cloak in POA
> - I think we have only seen the Crouch's with a Cloak, no-one else.
> - OOTP get Harry to use it to leave Dursleys - but others didn't 
> have one
> - DD tells Harry to keep it with him all year in HBP.
> 
> So why did a person in hiding not need something that makes him 
> invisible? ... What greater purpose did DD have for it?
>

Carol responds:
Small correction: Mad-Eye Moody had two of them, one of which Sturgis
Podmore failed to return after he was Imperio'd and before he was
arrested. Moody, no doubt, used them in his work as an Auror, and he
lent first one, then the other, to the Order members who were watching
the entrance to the DoM. Mr. Weasley must have been wearing the second
one when he was bitten.

As for James's cloak, he probably thought he wouldn't need it when he
was going into hiding because of the Fidelius Charm, so he gave it to
Dumbledore for the Order members' use at the same time he informed
Dumbledore that he'd chosen Sirius Black as Secret Keeper. At least,
that's the best explanation I can come up with.

Carol, who agrees that Dumbledore would not have needed the cloak himself