Dumbledore's spy network (Was: AND AT THE END - POA)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 166892

>From Sherry and Alla:
<snipping the other questions to focus on this one:>
> 6.	"Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against
You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies.
> 
> One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once."
> 
> Would we ever learn the identities of Dumbledore's other spies? If 
> the answer is yes, would they be of some use in book 7?

Carol responds:
I think we know who this particular useful spy was. ;-) But aside from
Snape, I think we've met a number of these spies already, many of them
in the original Order (I don't think Snape was in the Order at that
time; he was working separately, under tight cover, IMO).

The ones I can think of at the moment are Mundungus Fletcher for the
Knockturn Alley crowd, Mrs. Figg for the Muggles (particularly the
Dursleys from the moment DD knew that the Potters were in danger?),
Dedalus Diggle, who's always showing up in odd places during Harry's
childhood, and, particularly, Aberforth Dumbledore at the Hog's Head.
(He's the one who informed Albus about the DEs traveling with
Voldemort at the time of the job interview.)

I don't think that Mad-Eye Moody could have spied within Aurors; he
was too conspicuous and too openly a friend of Dumbledore's. The
Longbottoms could have done that, though, considering how popular they
were and how innocent-looking Alice L. must have been. She might
overhear confidences that would be useful to DD. He must have had
someone within the Ministry in addition to the Aurors, possibly Mr.
Weasley. Given his lowly position, though, it's not clear how much he
would know.

There's another Order member we haven't heard much about, Elphias
Doge. Could he be some sort of spy? I think we see him only at the
Dursleys when the Order comes to escort Harry in OoP. Add Hestia Jones
and the newly released Sturgis Podmore to that "maybe" list as well. I
have absolutely no idea what their duties are aside from watching
Harry and standing guard duty in the MoM.

I think that Ollivander may have been part of DD's spy network since
he informed Dumbledore who bought the two Phoenix feather wands (and
he's now missing). Florian Fortescue may have been another; he's a
real question mark at the moment. McGonagall doesn't seem to have been
in the original Order, but she could have kept an eye on the students
for DD without considering her job to be spying. Or maybe Filch fills
that job, along with the night-prowling Snape.

And I count the portraits as part of his spy network, limited though
their capacity must be.

I think, however, that the most important of the spies (other than
Snape) will turn out to be Aberforth, whom I hope will enlighten Harry
with regard to the eavesdropping incident and more. (We never learned
the "thrilling tale" of Snape's saving DD from the ring Horcrux. Maybe
Aberforth--or Phineas Nigellus, who twice objects to Harry's
"impertinence" regarding Snape--will provide Harry those details.)

That's all I can think of at the moment. Of course, DD also had loyal
supporters who weren't spies, including some of the old OWL examiners
and Gran Longbottom.

Carol, thanking Alla and Sherry for a topic that isn't the DH covers