More thoughts on the Cloak

[Hagrid]

No: HPFGUIDX 158472

> Nate Hennessey wrote:
>
> The Fidelius charm works on the building, not on the individual. 
So, if James and Lily left the house in Godric's Hollow, they would 
be vulnerable. Is it possible that Dumbledore confiscated the cloak 
to stop James from leaving the house? He didn't know that James was 
an illegal animagus, so he probably thought that taking the cloak 
would stop James rushing out on any errands/mad ideas. On the other 
hand, Dumbledore may have confiscated the cloak if he discovered 
that James had been spying on someone, perhaps Snape (Dumbledore 
would be able to see James standing there, even if he were wearing 
the cloak). We know that there were some suspicions about a spy in 
the Order. As a responsible father trying to keep his family alive, 
James may have tried to discover who the rat was.
>    
>   Another two questions 
>   a) why didn't the Potters use Dumbledore as their secret keeper? 
He seems to be the strongest option.
>   b) what defenses were in place to protect the Longbottoms, the 
other family believed to be part of the prophecy? We know that the 
Lestranges and Crouch Jnr were able to get at them soon after the 
Potters' demise.
>    
>   Nate, who thinks too much.
>

aussie:

Guess what? We discussed JKR's NAQ (Never Asked Question) in July 
(See message #155457 for thread).

After doing a bit of back reading, we can get rid of some 
possibilities, and toss around some others.

DD didn't need the IC for RAB. "career advisor" (#155491) pointed 
out, RAB wrote his letter before James was attacked, so possibly 
dead long before then (Unless he was the "cannot find you if you are 
dead" person DD spoke of)

Q a) Nate asks why James didn't use DD as the SK. If DD confiscated 
the IC from James, and suspected him of being the spy, then James 
may have been bitter towards DD. It may have influenced DD sending 
Hagrid to rescue Harry instead of going personally.

James wasn't a school boy anymore. To confiscate the IC may have 
included a bit of hexing (though I hope not).

Q b) Nate also asked about the Longbottom's defenses. Once Voldemort 
was defeated, owls were flying / magical fireworks were like 
shooting stars / wizrds hugged muggles ... and the Longbottoms may 
have felt safer for Neville. 

We don't know how much time passed between James dying and the 
Longbottoms being attacked.

Another reply suggests Barty Jr may not have been at the 
Longbottoms. True. what were the Death Eaters really needing to find 
out and how? The DE didn't need them to talk if there was a wizard 
good at occlemancy with them.

Bellatrix could teach Draco, so she may have probed their minds with 
almost as devistating an effect as Bertha Jenkins.

Did we hear if they were captured and taken somewhere, or was this a 
house break-in and the torture went on in their home. If so, could 
Neville have been under James' IC. A last act of Alice's to save her 
son from being a part of the attack.

aussie (wondering if Neville had flash backs like Harry did about 
Lily dying. -During the Dementor on the Train time, Harry asked if 
anyone heard screams, only Ron answered "no". Ginny sobbed and 
Neville didn't volunteer anything)