Why did Dumbledore have James’s Invisibility Cloak?

[felicitys_mind]

Note: First is my original theory and then after "Update" is my revised theory.

JK Rowling recently updated her website to include the following entry:

"NAQ

... which means, 'never asked question'.

Why did Dumbledore have James' invisibility cloak at the time of James' death, given that Dumbledore could make himself invisible without a cloak?

Prior to

Comments

[felicitys_mind]

The problem with the explanation that James simply gave the IC to Dumbledore for general use is that there's nothing "crucial" about that explanation. What Rowling wrote on her website in the last couple of days is this:

"NAQ
... which means, 'never asked question'.

Why did Dumbledore have James' invisibility cloak at the time of James' death, given that Dumbledore could make himself invisible without a cloak?

Prior to posting this I had a quick look on-line, and realised that some fans have been speculating about this question. However, nobody has ever asked me about it, and they really should have done. Just to allay the fears of the justifiably suspicious, this isn't what we in the know call 'a Mark Evans situation.'* There IS a significant - even crucial - answer."

Question: Is Fidelius put on a location or on a person? If it's just a physical location, then why on earth did they stay in the house at Godric's Hollow? Doesn't it stand to reason that they should've moved to a house that no one knew about, and then been safe(er) to walked about the village? However, if Fidelius works on a person, as in a kind of "look not" spell, then it would have worked to keep James & Lily safe, even if they needed to go out.

The Fidelius Charm is put on a location from what we've learned (HBP2 Snape to Bellatrix that he can't divulge the location of the OotP headquarters). I don't follow your question exactly since the Potters wouldn't have been able to hide simply by moving to a different village if Voldemort really wanted to find them (an owl could be sent to them and followed).

My idea is that Figg would provide contact and news, not just grocery running. The Potters wouldn't be able to get owls without attracting attention, but Figg under the IC would be able to visit them, give them news, provide occasional company, run errands, etc. And I do believe Dumbledore would have trusted her with that mission, especially if she could be hidden under an IC when she went to visit the Potters.

[izhilzha]

The Fidelius Charm is put on a location from what we've learned (HBP2 Snape to Bellatrix that he can't divulge the location of the OotP headquarters).

Wish I had my books to look this up properly. In PoA, when the Fidelius charm is being explained, doesn't Flitwick something to the effect that someone could walk up to a house and peer in, but if he hadn't been told by the Secret Keeper, then he wouldn't even "see" whoever/whatever was under Fidelius? I was under the impression it could be placed on either a location (as 12 Grimmauld Place) or a person.

I don't follow your question exactly since the Potters wouldn't have been able to hide simply by moving to a different village if Voldemort really wanted to find them (an owl could be sent to them and followed).

No, otherwise the Ministry could have used this method to find Sirius. Iirc, it's possible to make oneself unfindable/"unplottable" with magic. (I'm sure JKR has said as much, even if it's not made explicit in the books; it's certainly implied by cases such as Sirius'.)

[felicitys_mind]

IMO there is no evidence in the books that a Fidelius Charm can be put on a person. When Sirius was hiding in the tropics, he kept switching birds and telling Harry to do the same so that no one would pick up a pattern. When Sirius was hiding in the cave in Hogsmeade, he had to steal newspapers and eat rats to stay hidden. When he was at 12GP, Dumbledore wouldn't let him leave the house because it was too dangerous.

Sirus was in the cave and 12GP at Dumbledore's suggestion, so if the Fidelius Charm could be used to hide a person, that's what Dumbledore would have done and allowed Sirius to walk in public like a free man, whether in Hogsmeade or London.

I don't think there is any "unplottable" magic that can be applied to a person the way it is applied to a building.

Invisibility cloak

[gflixfix]

I am not entirely sure but DD is able to see through the IC, isn´t he?
Firstly DD knows that Harry (and the second time Ron, too) has found the mirror.
The last time he searches for his mum and dad (mirror) DD was also in the room waiting for him.[Philoso. Stone]
And in the Chamb. of Secrets where Malfoy Senior wants DD out of school. Malfoy, Fudge, DD (Harry and Ron under the IC) are in Hagrids cabin. There DD looks to Harry and Ron when he says that he is only gone from Hogwarts when nobody to him is loyal.

Maybe Volde also is able to see who is using the IC. I don´t think that an IC is enough to hide from Voldemort.

There is something with the food theorie (Mrs. Figg)
When Dumbledore tells Harry that Merope died (because she was poor) Harry was astounded. He says something like: " But she was a witch and could use her wand"
He means that she had been able to conjure the food out of nowhere.
But there is a contradiction because books must be bought, wand must be bought.
I often ask myself what had to be bought in the Wizarding World and what not.

Sorry for my English but I am from Germany. I would be happy if you sometimes correct some main mistakes.