Tangent: The Christening (was Re: Why DD did not ask Snape to kill him...)

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 166147

Dana:
> I am not saying you can't be right but it is not canon that he 
worked as a spy longer than being a teacher. It is also not canon 
that LV made up his mind long before he got a chance to strike. JKR 
suggests Harry's christening was hurried because they were ready to 
go into hiding but this does not have to be because LV made a choice 
but as a result of DD suggesting this because he knew LV got a part 
of the prophecy and Harry (and Neville) meeting the criteria.

Ceridwen:
Here's something I think about from time to time.  We've discussed 
the christening on the board before.  If the Potters followed the 
usual time frame, Harry would have been christened when he was still 
a babe in arms, as most children are, yet LV didn't attack the 
Potters until Harry was fifteen months old, well out of his 
christening dress and into his toddler age.  The Potters had only 
been in hiding with the Secret Keeper in place for a week when they 
were attacked and killed.  If they were ready to go into hiding at 
the time of Harry's christening according to JKR, the Creatrix of 
this universe, then how were they hiding before Peter Pettigrew 
became their Secret Keeper?  Or did they wait a while before having 
Harry christened?

I have a few possibilities to throw out which might support a later 
christening date.  I'm not advocating any of them, just playing 
around with this odd timeline.

1) At the time when Harry normally would have been christened, there 
was some family emergency which made it necessary to postpone the 
rite.  Maybe this is when James's parents, or surviving parent, 
died.  Maybe this is when Lily's parents, or surviving parent, died.

2)  The Potters were waiting in the hope that Voldemort would be 
defeated and they could have a normal christening, with all their 
friends and family.  But as time went on, they realized that 
Voldemort wasn't going away any time soon, so had it done quietly and 
quickly with just themselves and Sirius in attendance.

3)  The Potters weren't going to have a christening, but after they 
found out that Voldemort might be trying to hunt them down, they 
changed their minds and arranged for a quiet ceremony to ensure 
Harry's place in the Afterlife, just in case Voldemort did catch up 
to them and kill the child.  It would also provide for a godfather to 
raise Harry.

We've talked about this before.  Does anyone else have suggestions to 
add?  Anyone who might have possible explanations for the Potters in 
hiding before they made Peter their SK?

Ceridwen.