Question #3

[kennyg1864]

No: HPFGUIDX 183360

How did Harry become "the boy who lived"?

I'm guessing the Daily Prophet had a huge story about the death of 
Voldemort ("You wouldn't believe how many extra copies we had to 
print!"), and then (in a day or so) another one about the death of 
the Potters, and Harry's survival (which itself may have been a later 
story).

But *how did this get out*?  The only ones who knew were DD, 
McGonagall, Hagrid, and Sirius.  All of them knew the importance of 
keeping Harry's whereabouts secret.

And there really wasn't any evidence remaining at Godric's Hollow for 
the inevitable reporters--just his parents' bodies, and a ruined 
second floor.  And a missing baby, but there's no reason to assume he 
survived.  Even if Bathilda dropped by (as a noted historian), she 
wouldn't have known anything more (assuming Hagrid snatched him away 
before she got there).

Possibility #1: Hagrid let it slip later in a bar, like he did with 
Norbert.  Maybe Rita used her charms on him (if she was a reporter in 
1981, that is).

Possibility #2: DD made it known on purpose, although I can't see the 
benefit.  Death Eaters already knew their master was gone.  
Publicizing that an infant was the cause would further humiliate 
them, but again, what's the benefit?

Possibility #3: I've read speculation that during the "missing 24 
hours" Hagrid took Harry to the MoM *before* taking him to Privet 
Drive (so that, I dunno, wizards could examine his scar or 
something). But would Dumbledore have authorized this risky move, 
even as head of the Wizenmagot?

3a. Or perhaps Hagrid took him to St. Mungo's.  It's reasonable that 
a wizard/witch doctor would check out an infant who received the AK 
curse, to make sure he's okay.

In either case, gossip could quickly spread at the MoM or at St. 
Mungo's.

But 3 and 3a assume events that aren't canon.  All that is canon is 
the missing time itself.

Possibility #4: DD had to explain to MoM officials investigating the 
Potter's house, since an infant was now missing.  Maybe he even had 
to make the case for placing the infant with Muggle relatives, 
especially since Harry's godfather was AWOL searching for Wormtail.  
This could also account for part of the missing hours.

But *that* assumes that DD even told the MoM that he knew about 
Harry, or that the MoM even knew that DD was involved.  Heck, for all 
the MoM investigators knew, the infant was vaporized by the AK curse.

OTOH, maybe the "wizard CSI" folks could detect that Hagrid had been 
there, or witnesses saw Hagrid and Sirius at the scene--which would 
lead back to DD.

(geez, now I'm arguing with myself :P )

Other possibilities?

(side note: shouldn't Harry have been known initially as "the baby 
who lived"?  And since there was no news of Harry since then, what's 
the impetus to upgrade the title?  Unless maybe the Daily Prophet did 
an issue each October 31, celebrating Voldemort's demise, and the 
passing of James and Lily)

(side note #2:  I'm surprise with all the interviews and chats, that 
no one has ever asked JKR about where Hagrid was with Harry!)

kennyg1864

(as always, my apologies if this has been covered previously)