Thoughts on the Fidelius

[Jordan Abel]

No: HPFGUIDX 158338

> bboyminn:
>
> I don't think that is how or why the house was destroyed,
> but it does bring up one the biggest unresolved mysteries
> in the series. Exactly what, in terms of phrasing, was
> the 'Secret'. Once again I point out the note Dumbledore
> gave Harry. I post it again to refresh your memory -
>
> "The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be
> found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London."
>
> Is seems that the 'secret' is /not/ 12 Grimmauld Place,
> but 'Headquarters of the Order'. Twelve Grimmauld Place
> is only relevant because it is the /current/ location of
> 'headquarters'. I suspect, if 'headquarters' moves, as it
> did, the secret moves with it.

Random832:
I disagree. I think the whole sentence is the secret. If the HQ moves,
the Fidelius will have to be recast. The point here, I believe, and
the reason that the house is "disappeared", is because of the exact
wording - the headquarters _may not be found_ at that location by
anyone who has not been told the secret - if they're standing in front
of it, their eyes slide over it, and just as you cannot perceive your
own optic-nerve blind spot, it's impossible to notice anything amiss
about that area of your field of vision.

I think the problem is that because this is the only demonstration we
have of the Fidelius, fanon has latched on the most "obvious"
interpretation - that fidelius _necessarily_ applies to a piece of
land and everything on it. Fanfics have detailed descriptions of runes
or circles to be drawn on the foundation / at the corners of the
property bounds / etc, none of which is at all evident in the books
themselves, because that's how people "want" magic to work. It's a
simple space-time distortion, straight out of SF except you substitute
"magic" for "science". Except, none of that's in the books, and none
of it is _at all_ consistent with the description that we are given.
It conceals a secret, not a piece of property.

Also, given that the description says that it "takes a secret", i.e.
it's a secret in some sense before the casting of the charm, I think
something generally known like "the earth is round" cannot be the
subject. I'd speculate that perhaps the charm requires everyone who
knows the secret beforehand has to be gathered for the casting of the
charm, and to voluntarily give up their knowledge of it.

Perhaps even (though this is unlikely given the description) those who
already know before do indeed still know, they simply can no longer
tell anyone, and the only value added by the charm is that the secret
can now only be discovered by new individuals in one way - by being
told by the Secret Keeper.

bboyminn:
> Logically, the location secret would not be as vague as
> I have made it above, it would be more like-
>
> 'The house at number six Killarney Street is the place
> where the Potters are hiding.'

I thought of another question - a bit silly, but. What if the town
decides to rename the street?

bboyminn:
> Your idea that Snape destroyed the house, makes me ask,
> how could he find a house that couldn't be found, much
> less destroy it?

Nuke GH from orbit? (I thought the "house destroyed" theory revolved
around _Peter_ destroying the house)

bboyminn:
> Lastly, there are endless complications with the Charm
> actually being on the Potters and not the location.
> First, the Secret Keeper is still alive, so the secret
> /should/ still be intact,

Random832:
But the Potters are no longer in hiding. The idea that there must be a
person/place/thing that is the "subject" of the fidelius charm strikes
me as being nearly as wrongheaded as the idea that it must be a place.

bboyminn:
> Peter doesn't know where Harry is

Sure he does. Everyone knows where Harry is (whenever he's at either
4PD or Hogwarts, anyway, and I assume 4PD is what you meant).

> and he likely
> doesn't know where Lily and James' graves are.

Who's to say he didn't attend their funeral as Percy's rat? But all
this is irrelevant, so anyway.

In conclusion, _my_ opinion is that the secret ceased to be relevant
after the attack, and the secret of 12GP will cease to be relevant if
and when the Order moves or disbands. I think the secret specifically
protected Lily and James, and only Harry because since he was being
raised by them, his location would be unimpeachable evidence of their
location (which, I suspect, any such evidence would also be protected
by the Fidelius. There's a reason Voldemort can't just observe the
known Order members' comings and goings and then burn down the block.)

-- 
Random832