Thoughts on the Fidelius

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 158445

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" wrote:
> <snipping me previously>
> 
> Carol responds:
> I disagree that the secret has to be "proprietary." I think it 
> simply has to be a legitimate secret. "Malfoy manor is the 
> headquarters of the Pigeons" is not a real secret and would not 
> work to conceal Malfoy manor from its owners, and "the Potters are 
> hiding from Lord Voldemort" is not a secret. Everyone in the Order 
> and most of the Death Eaters already knew it, not to mention 
> Voldemort himself. The secret has to be something along the lines 
> of "The Potters are hiding at [specific address], Godric's 
> Hollow." <snip>

Mike:
Yeah, I see where you're coming from. I like the idea that the 
Potters would have to include a location to *limit* the knowledge 
dispersion of the 'secret' down to a reasonable level. I still want 
to include the objection of Voldemort into the secret. Something 
like: *We, the 3 Potters, are hiding from Lord voldemort at 10-31 
Hollow Lane*. 

It's always been my impression that the Potters were told that LV 
himself and only himself was after them. (at least, that's how I 
picture DD phrasing it without actually spilling the beans about the 
prophesy). I also have the impression that the Potters didn't cast 
an airtight Fidelius, they left themselves some outs which also left 
some holes in their defenses. No canon really to support this, just 
my overall impression after putting all the pieces together.

As to propietary, here I've got to disagree. Let me spin a little 
fictitious scenario for ya. Let's say Sirius' good buddy from 
Azkaban, a Mr. Heeliecta Buttin, was visiting Sirius at 12 GP 
*before* anybody decides to call it the HQ and *before* DD casts the 
Fidelius. Now, Mr Buttin meets all these Order mambers and asks 
Sirius what's going on here? Sirius explains the situation with LV 
and the Order. Mr Buttin, although he isn't an Order member himself, 
decides that #12 would make a good HQ and furthermore it should be 
under a Fidelius Charm. So, without permission from Sirius and 
without DD's knowledge, Mr Buttin casts a Fidelius Charm making 12 
GP the 'secret' HQ of the OotP and himself as Secret Keeper.

How does that play for you? See, I think *proprietary* has to be 
integral to the ability to cast a *proper* Fidelius.

> Carol again:
> I don't think that the Potters could come and go freely.
> <snip>
> If James couldn't leave the house (or yard) without breaking the 
> charm (if he leaves, he's no longer hiding there, right?) <snip>

Mike:
Well, he could unprotected while 'out' then re-protected when he 
comes back 'in'. This is where I *feel* the Potters inexperience 
came in. I think they included LV's preclusion of knowledge in 
their 'secret' so they would have a little more freedom of movement 
and a little less restriction of access to themselves. It's how the 
whole scenario **reads** to me. They were counting on DD's words 
that LV wanted them personally (as Fudge told us in PoA), and 
probably believed they could get away with just precluding LV or 
maybe LV and his DEs. I'm not saying it was the smart thing to do, I 
just read the story that way. If anyone likes a different take on 
it, fine with me. But I also think my scenario ties all the factors 
together real nicely and answers all the questions satisfactorily.

Mike