Dad is now finished with Goblet of Fire, but I'm just now getting around to noting this remark he made upon finishing Prisoner of Azkaban last week: "Well, that was really good - probably the best one yet - but there's something I don't really understand. Why did the Potters have a Secret Keeper? Wouldn't it have been better not to tell anyone where they were?" And I couldn't help but think he had a good point, but I'm not all that clear on how that particular charm works. Is there added protection if someone else is involved? Like James and Lily literally were unable to disclose their own whereabouts once they had someone keeping their secret for them? Seems to me, though, if they're so secluded they didn't really have to worry much about saying something to the wrong person... Hmmm.
He also thought it was very stupid of Sirius to pass the secret keeper role to Peter because when it comes right down to it, you can only really trust yourself for sure, and he knew he wouldn't betray the Potters. Maybe he didn't, though; maybe he didn't trust how his resolve would stand up under torture and figured he almost certainly would be questioned. The switcheroo is an old and risky trick; if he'd only realized how untrustworthy Wormtail was!
Also, he found it odd that Durmstrang was so hidden that even other wizards couldn't find it. This sprung out of my wondering how many of the strange things Luna mentions actually exist. There's this huge wizarding world that the Muggles are totally unaware of; couldn't there be another equally deep layer of mystery, and Luna is one of the few in the wizarding world who are aware of it? I've always found Hermione's utter skepticism about the contents of The Quibbler a bit surprising. I would think, given her inquisitive nature, she would at least consider the possibility that some of these things might be real, or at least that there might be a nugget of truth to be found. Of course, she does get Harry's interview in that paper, so maybe that's an indication that her mind is a little more open to these things than it would appear.
Anyway, Dad found it strange that Durmstrang had this added layer of security and wondered what happened when it was that school's turn to host the tournament. Have all the extreme measures always been in place, or are they tied in with Karkaroff? Incidentally, I really like the fact that Dumbledore's eyes lingered on the Durmstrang students as he said that all their guests were welcome to return, as if to assure them that he did not hold any of them in lower regard because of the dark alliances of their headmaster. Such a Dumbledore thing to do...
2 comments:
It must be wonderful to have a chance to look at the series through such fresh eyes...and your Dad seems so perceptive! He really picks up on things!
I too wonder a whole lot about the "secret keeper" thing, and why it got handled as it did. If they needed one at all (which does seem debatable) then why not Dumbledore? No one more trustworthy or strong in the fact of possible torture that I can think of. I think you're right that Sirius might have thought the last-minute switch was a smart tactic, but I find it hard to understand how the marauders could have been around Peter that long and not sensed (at some really deep level, maybe even subconciously) that he was weak-natured, and tended to gravitate toward stronger personalities, thereby would be easy prey for Voldemort. Maybe they were banking on the fact that Voldemort tended to overlook or discount little guys or weak people and think of them as no account. And of course they had no way of knowing that Peter had already "gone over" to the other side.
The more confusing thing for me, among all the fog that surrounds that mysterious night in Godric's Hollow, is how everyone seemed to be able to rush there so fast after the fact. Sirius seems on the spot almost instantly, Hagrid (on Dumbledore's orders) shows up. How did the news get out so fast about the explosion? If no one was supposed to know where the Potters were, then it's hard to understand how all these folks could be keeping an eye on the place. And I'm pretty sure that the house gets called "the Potter's house" at some point, so did they actually live there? And if they did live there, how widespread was that knowledge before the secret went into effect? I mean, wouldn't the first place you'd look for someone be their residence? Unless somehow or other Dumbledore had made their residence unseeable/unplottable (like Grimmauld Place).
So much we don't know...
Yep, it's fun hearing Dad's reactions to things. I knew he'd like the books if he gave them a shot. Worked out nice that he started on them just around the time I finished re-reading HBP...
You would think James, Sirius and Remus would have had their doubts about Peter. Surely after all the time they'd spent together they'd have some idea that he was more of a tag-along than a real friend... Interestingly, Peter and Snape are essentially in the same position, as having an equal share in the Potters' death and in owing a life debt to one of the Potters - though Snape has saved Harry enough times by now the debt probably should be paid... Anyway, seems like their roles in the final book will probably be linked.
And you're right about everybody showing up to Godric's Hollow right away. That is strange. Maybe even after all that trouble, it wasn't such a well-kept secret after all...
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