[Harry Potter] Who else was at Godric's Hollow that night?

Read this little article before casting a vote.

So what do we know about Godric's Hollow? Nothing. All we know is it was the hiding place of Lily & James and they were killed there. There's more to what happened that night then what we've been told. So what do we know so far? Well, we know Lily, James, Harry and Voldemort were there. But was there someone else? Was there more then one person? If so, why has it been hidden from us (Harry)?

Let's use this thread to not only poll the choices, but let's also use this thread to debate why someone else would be there and did they do anything to stop Voldemort? Did Voldemort know they were there?

Also, how does the Invisibility Cloak get in the hands of Dumbledore? Here's a post from someone that I copied from another forum:

"The person who was at Godric's Hollow that night may have taken the cloak after James and Lily were murdered and returned to Dumbledore wearing it. That might be how Dumbledore found out about the murders. I used to think that Snape would not have been the person at Godric's Hollow, but now I am not so sure. What if he was the one who returned to Dumbledore in the invisibility cloak and that is why Dumbledore trusts him? This needs more thinking about."

 

Snape, the only way to prove Snape is good and make it believable is to give him a mayor part during that night and have him do something heroic.

 

I like that Snape theory. Cuz Snape is as evil as a daisy.

 

Why wouldn't Snape do anything if he was there? Was he really thinking ahead? Was he silent so that he can remain on the inside of Voldemort's group?

If Snape was there, I don't think Voldemort knew it.

 

Snape was there, but so was Wormtail. Snape didn't do anything because i) he couldn't, and ii) he didn't want to break his cover, and iii) afterwards, when he may well have turned in anger to Voldemort... well, Voldemort was 'dead' anyway.

 

Good points. I forget, how long was Sirius the secret keeper? I ask this because in order to find out who was there, we need to know who Wormtail would've told. He certainly wouldn't have told Dumbledore, but if Sirius was the secretkeeper for a day or two, he could've told Dumbledore. That's the only way I can see Dumbledore being there.

 

I think Snape was definitely there, and was the one who brought the cape.

This raises the question of when Snape turned. I always assumed after the Potter's died, ie after Voldemort had been 'defeated' by Harry, though I see now that that doesn't make sense.

In any event, can't say I have much respect for the person who wrote the mugglenet article: the reference to Sirius at the beginning of PS/SS struck me immediately when I reread it after having finished POA. And strikes me every time I see the movie. And the faith Dumbledore has always shown for Hagrid should answer any questions she has as to why he didn't send someone else.

I don't think Hagrid was there until after the kilings too place, having been sent by Dumbledore to fetch Harry. Does raise the question of when and where he met up with Sirius, and opens the possibilty that Sirius was at the house, thogh again, I suspect after LIly and James deaths. Had he been there during, I can't imagine he would have just stood by and watched them die. In fact, I suspect he was there because he realised Wormtails treachery and took off to try and save them.

And there's no way Dumbledore was there. If he had been, he would have stopped Voldemort. And wouldn't have needed to send Hagrid to pick up Harry.

 

Severus Snape. Bitter, maligned Snape.

Regardless of whether Dumbledore's trust in him is misplaced or not, there has to be some reason why Dumbledore trusted him in the first place. I'm of the opinion that Snape did something at Godric's Hollow, or didn't do something (join in?), or brought something back, that won Dumbledore's trust.

 

If you are a secretkeeper, but then switch secretkeepers, do you still know the secret or do you have to be re-told?

For instance, when Sirius and Wormtail switched, did Sirius still remember the secret or does the spell start all over again?

 

IIRC, Sirius was never the secret keeper. He was supposed to be, but they switched to Peter at the last moment.

If Peter had told DD, then DD would have known that Sirius was not actually the secret keeper. So how did DD know where to send Hagrid? Does the spell end on their death? Maybe Sirius knew because the Potters made Wormtail tell him.

As for who it was, since Tom had his wand in Goblet, and Wormtail was the one who aided him, I would have to say that it was Wormtail at Godric's Hollow. Remember Snape did not answer Tom's call in Goblet until a few hours had passed.

 

Snape.

 

I'm gonna go with Snape.

 

I agree with this. I think Snape is bad, but we definitely need something that cements Snape and Dumbledore's relationship beyond the hints, nudges and winks of 'I would trust Snape balh blah blah'.

 

I thought Snape turned spy for Dumbledore when Voldemort was still in power. That's why DD trusted him. Because he turned before Voldement "died". So the events at Godric's Hollow wouldn't be where Snape earned his trust.

You're probably right. Maybe Sirius never was the secretkeeper. And if that's the case then DD could not have been there because he would've known about the switch. Plus I doubt Wormtail would've told him.

I also wonder if this spells ends. When does this Fidelus Charm end? The charm was made to protect Lily, James and Harry. So you can't say it ends when the people die, because Harry lived. So if the spell was still in place how does Hagrid, DD, and supposedly Siruis know where to look?

 

The one on the Black House didn't end when Sirius died, so I guess it wouldn't end when the Potter's died. Unless with the Black's House it was concealing the location of the Order as a whole and not just Sirius.

Peter could have given DD a letter with the location (a letter in which he foraged Sirius' handwriting) I suppose (like how Harry got one from the Order). But that's probably stretching things.

We probably don't have enough info to know.

 

That's why I know we're going to be venturing into this topic in Book 7. He keep getting bits and pieces about what happened that night and I think Book 7 is going to lay it all out for us. It's still confusing to figure out though. Assuming the charm is still in place, does it hide the place or just the people? If it's the people, then no one would be able to find Harry so that can't be it. So the charm must've been placed on the location. So how is Harry going to find it?

Back to the question though, I think most can agree that there wasn't just four people at Godric's Hollow that night. No way. Snape is everyone's first choice, but I think there was someone else. Someone we wouldn't expect. After all, that's Jo's style: misdirection.

 

Double post.

New info from Jo's website:

Comment: Snape was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak on the night the Potters died

Answer: No, he wasn't.

 

Of course he wasn't hiding. He was there with Voldemort's full knowledge.

 

Nice answer, but it doesn't prove that he wasn't there, only that he wasn't hiding. And neither it proves otherwise, so both possibilities (Snape was there - Snape wasn't there) are equally possibly.

I personally, am with Boogster on this...

 

If Snape was there and not Wormtail, how does Tom have his wand in GofF?

 

Definitely Snape. And I feel this will be a huge part of the plot in the last book.

 

I'm thinking it was definitely Snape. There's something that made Dumbledore trust him.

 

Snape being there does not preclude Wormtail also being there. It is also distinctly possible that Wormtail went there afterwards, or that Snape (or Dumbledore) realised that Voldemort was not completely dead and had the foresight to return the wand etc to Wormtail.

 

QFT..

 

I think Black was there in an attempt to make sure that Pettigrew didn't roll. When Volemort showed up, it was too late an over too quickly for Sirius to do anything. About that time Hagrid showed up on Dumbledore's orders to take Harry and Sirius lent him the motorbike, then went looking for Pettigrew.