[HPforGrownups] Re: JKR site update SPOILERS

[Rebecca Bowen]

No: HPFGUIDX 158930

> Alla:
>
> Heeeee, true, so we can deduce that on the night of Potters died
> Snape was not using IC, but do you agree that he could have been at
> GH without IC?
>
> I mean not whether you agree in general, but whether you agree that
> she does not refute this possibility?

Rebecca:

If you're asking for opinions, I got one or two (don't we all.:))

Yup, I think Snape was *in the vacinity* of GH. I don't believe that he was 
under the IC while there - I'm not sure that the Secret Keeper(s) (either 
one of them) would have shared the exact location of the Potters with him. 
First SK Sirius, who abhores Snape totally (can't see him telling Snape a 
damn thing), then you've got SK Peter, who apparently in some manner told 
Voldemort.  In Peter's case, why would you tell Snape when you could have 
all the glory of telling His Dark Spookiness directly?

I ponder the satisfying possibility that Snape wasn't in the house or on the 
grounds, but maybe outside hanging upside down from a tree branch  in the 
area close to GH. (I get this idea from PS/SS movie contamination -some 
several frames appearing in that movie which don't serve any purpose in my 
mind being there, but that's a different topic area.)  I do not think he saw 
anything amiss until the house was devastated - and there's support in canon 
from PS/SS that the Muggle policemen started to swarm about so the 
residence/wreckage could be inferred to have been visible to everybody after 
Voldemort's curse rebounded.

 The key questions in my mind are:

1)JKR has alluded about the importance of those who knew about the prophecy. 
Who did?  Snape knew part of it (that can be disputed in some sense given 
what Trelawney tells Harry in HBP - he may have known it all); Dumbledore, 
then Potters and Longbottoms because either of their sons could have been 
affected and who needed know and go into hiding. Speculate for a moment 
about the Longbottoms being so popular and both they and the Potters 
disappearing from public view: wouldn't people wonder about that?  Wouldn't 
some of the DE's wonder what was up - did they get wind of prophecy gossip 
and one or two of them stake out some areas or attempt to spy on Voldemort 
himself?  The Daily Prophet? Wizards do appear to be a nosy gossipy bunch, 
don't they?

2) Since Dumbledore had the cloak before James died, one might assume 
several possibilities, except for the note Harry gets with it at Christmas: 
it was left in *Dumbledore's possession,* which to me, does not infer the 
Order's use, but more a "keep this safe for my son in case anything happens" 
kind of thing. That kind of thinking leads me to "Did James suspect 
Voldemort would most likely be paying the Potter a visit rather than the 
Longbottoms?"  If so, why? Via Ron, we're told IC's are rare- where did 
Moody's 2 (I think he has 2 - it's confusing to me) come from?  Where did 
James get his? Where did Barty Crouch get his to cover Jr in GoF?   For 
something Ron professes is so rare, we sure know of a few but we don't know 
who on the DE side or the "in between" wizards have them, too.

Too many question...so little time :)

Rebecca