Who knew that Peter was the Secret Keeper? (Was: After all this time...)

[mooseming]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Talisman" <talisman22457 at ...> 
wrote:
>
>
> >
> 
> Sure. It's clear that--by the time Hagrid got there--anyone could
> find the place. This points back to Anne's suggestion that the
> secret was carefully (and perhaps a bit oddly) worded.
> 
> Rowling has just gone to the bother of telling us that one Potter
> couldn't give away the location of another.  In the same manner, I
> don't see why one Potter death should destroy the protection for
> any surviving Potters.
> 
> Say, if James left the house from time to time, and something
> unfortunate happened, Lily and Harry should still be protected.
> 
> You would think the wording would take care of such scenarios--with
> Harry's life being the most protected of all. But this appears not
> to have been the case.
> 
> Moreover, if the secret simply gave the Potter street address as
> being the hiding place for J, L, and H (jointly and severally) 
there
> would be no reason for the secret to be voided by destruction of 
the
> building.
> 
> The plot of land under the rubble would still be identified by the
> street address, and any remaining Potter would have been protected.
> 
> Of course, in the event that such a surviving Potter was unable to
> leave the hiding place under his own power, said Potter would have
> been *protected* from rescue by DD & Co.  Can't have that.
> 
> If DD instructed the parties involved to use wording that released
> the secret once the house had been damaged...or upon the death of
> any one Potter...or of a particular Potter... my, wouldn't he be a
> far-sighted and cunning old darling, indeed.

If we take the other secret location as a model it was worded like 
this "The headquarters of the OotP may be found at 12 Grimmauld 
Place." Therefore we get something like 'the home/hiding place of 
James, Lily and Harry Potter may be found at 'some place', Godric's 
Hollow. 

This protects from questions like 'where are they, where can I find 
them, where do they live?' and would presumably 'break' if said home 
was destroyed. It leaves the infant Harry vulnerable to the 
simultaneous death of both his parents, the secret keeper and anyone 
else with the information but this would be a small risk in 
comparison to not going into hiding at all.

<snip>
> 
> *The only people who ever knew their [the Potters's] precise 
location
> were those whom Wormtail had told directly...*
> 
> That deflates the Wormtail-handed-out-little-notes theory, as well.

Does it? Why?

DD told Harry about 12 Grimmauld Place using a note, why couldn't 
Wormtail also communicate using handy post its? The note appears 
neither to have been addressed to Harry nor signed by DD (Harry 
recognised the hand writing).

Also at least one person, Moody, thought that note enough of a 
security risk to destroy it. The note didn't spontaneously ignite 
Howler style which is odd.

Altogether the whole thing smells fishy to me.

1st off why did people vote for this question? Well perhaps they 
were interested in what happened to 12 Grimmauld Place and its 
standing as headquarters for the OotP. Perhaps they were also hoping 
to trick JKR into saying something about the demise, or otherwise of 
DD. JKR answers the question, saying she is `surprised' it was 
popular and then doesn't answer with reference to the `dead' secret 
keeper but to the living one, doesn't mention DD at all, not even in 
passing.

Completely by the by in the faq section she also answers one 
regarding the school song and states:

"Dumbledore called for the school song when he was feeling 
particularly buoyant, but times are becoming ever darker in the 
wizarding world. Should Dumbledore ever suggest a rousing encore, 
you may assume that he is on top form once more."

Hum so she won't state on her fan site that DD is dead (even 
obliquely) and she indicates he might be around for future choral 
celebrations. Makes you wonder

even me and I was firmly in 
the `poisoned, shot, dropped from a great height how dead do you 
need him to be' school of thought.

Regards
Jo

Ps isn't anyone going to comment on my Mimbulus post?