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Why did Dumbledore have James' cloak?

by David Haber

On a new post on her official web site, J.K. Rowling admitted she made a mistake in New York when she was asked, what question have you never been asked that you ought to have been asked? She now says the question should have been, Why did Dumbledore have James' invisibility cloak at the time of James' death, given that Dumbledore could make himself invisible without a cloak?

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Reader Comments: (Page 14)

Yeah DD could've taught Snape. After all, Voldemort is the second most powerful wizard we know of. Maybe he can see through invisibility cloaks too! And anyway, it'd be more convenient for Snape too, rather than using a cloak. He's a good enough wizard to learn that and the amount of trust DD placed on him, why would he not teach him? Thank you Salo!

Posted by Aditi Dani from Nagpur, India on October 4, 2006 12:53 PM

James and Sirius were very close - best of friends we learn in POA, GOF and OOtP. DD is old enough to be their GrtGrtGrtGrandfather. Seems obvious who the natural choice of godfather would be.

So far as Snape being taught how to be invisible, we can be sure he did not master that s as of POA or he would not have used Harry's cloak.

Does that makes sense?

Posted by John from Riverside, CA on October 4, 2006 3:11 PM

just a quick question as to the whereabouts of the cloak. when harry left the tower to chase after snape he left the cloak behind. As far as I know he did not go back and get it. however we do know the minister was in the tower after because he mentions seeing the two brooms, but did not say anything about seeing the cloak. any ideas where it is?

Posted by tonya from cordele, ga on October 4, 2006 9:24 PM

Oh yeah John...I didn't think of that! And just for a fact, we know of 4 not 3 cloaks. Barty Crouch had one too. Seems like every powerful wizard who didn't know how to become invisible otherwise has one...Well, almost every.

To Tonya, I think either it must be with DD again, or one of the members of the Order.

Also, I don't know whether its been mentioned before but I'm pointing it out anyway. After DD's so-called , the Anti-Apparition Jinx over the castle should've been lifted but Snape apparated outside the grounds after shouting that you couldn't apparate within the castle. Fishy?

Posted by Aditi Dani from Nagpur, India on October 4, 2006 10:57 PM

I was just thinking why Snape would need an invisibility cloak anyway. I mean he wasn't a 'spy', he was a 'double-agent'. LV thought Snape was on his side (even if wasn't really). And we gather that Snape was pretty close to him. Why would he need to spy in an invisibility cloak if he already knew what was going on? Just a thought...

Posted by Aditi Dani from Nagpur, India on October 4, 2006 11:32 PM

Javed! What an important clue you just put in front of us!

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep his wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you...."

Process that.

Snape found an invisibility cloak at the foot of the Whomping Willow in the dark and...somehow...he knew it was Harry's! How would he know the cloak belonged to Harry?

Nowhere in the preceeding books do we see Snape learning that Harry has an invisibility cloak. Nowhere. Let alone that particular cloak.

When did Snape last see this cloak and learn that it belonged to Potter(s)?

Posted by Jan-Marie from Adirondack Mountains, NY on October 5, 2006 03:49 AM

Tonya, It's just a suspicion of mine but I'm guessing that Dobby may be involved somehow. Dumbledore's wand is missing too...I'm thinking that he retrieved the cloak and the wand to later return to Harry (?) What do you think?

Posted by tracy on October 5, 2006 06:36 AM

VERY good point Jan-Marie! I can't think of any passage anywhere that would suggest that Snape knows that the IC belongs to Harry.

Posted by Tracy on October 5, 2006 07:03 AM

Ya' know I was just thinking that over a little more (about Snape knowing that the cloak belongs to Harry)
Do you think that he (Snape) should/would have assumed that the cloak belonged to Sirius? He was after all sneaking into the castle unseen. He didn't assume that...He knew it belonged to Harry.
I forget though, how did Snape get there in the first place? Was it something about the marauders map?

Posted by tracy on October 5, 2006 07:19 AM

Yes tracy it was the marauders map. Remember he went to give Lupin the wolfsbane potion and seen it lying on the desk. and I do believe dobby may have something to do with being in the tower too I just wanted to make sure it was nothing that we know for a fact or just some more guess working going on

Posted by tonya from cordele, ga on October 5, 2006 07:35 AM

Wow. That's something to really think about. Obviously if he knew it was Harry's it would previously have to be owned by James as Lily was Muggle-born and Sirius was in Azkaban. Now, if Snape knew it was James', would he use it? He hated James!
Which makes me think whatever purpose the cloak was with DD, it wasn't for Snape. It was for Harry. And it had more than more use. Apart from providing invisibility of course.

Posted by Aditi Dani from Nagpur, India on October 5, 2006 08:39 AM

4 cloaks now.... Hmmm. Aditi, Snape would not have needed the cloak while with LV, but with DD so nobody else would know he was a spy. My understanding is nobody knows who are really eaters even though most are suspected for what they are. I think the real risk to Snape would be that somebody innocent might see him and consequently be zapped by a DE, tortured and let the info that they saw Snape with DD slip.

So far as Snape recognizing the cloak as Harry's - wow. Another fascinating insight that ironically could support my theory. Which could also account for some of the jealousy Snape expresses towards Harry. There is a chance he deduced it from the evidence. He knew Potter got around and had the map. He could be pretty sure it wasn't Lupins, Hermoine's or Ron's. the 3 kids would not have been allowed to just walk out of the castle. Snape has a sharp calculating mind - HOWEVER those words 'very useful' have so much subtle Snape like undertones it strongly suggests HE PERSONALLY KNEW HOW USEFUL.

I like the Doby returning the cloak to Harry idea. It is in character for a house elf and Doby is fiercely loyal to Harry. DD wand though - I'm not sure it wasn't with DD or not and I'm not sure Doby would risk having it or what its purpose would be.

I don't believe we ever found out what happened to the 4th cloak. Barty Jr. had it when he was recaptured by his dad and logically it was still with the Crouch's when LV took over. So suddenly, the bad guys appear to have an invisibility cloak.

I am still firm that DD is since his picture is hanging in the headmasters office (and JKR said it).

Now what about the horcrux count. the way I see it, LV wanted 7 horcruxes - so his soul was in 8 places - 7 in horcruxes and what ever else was left in him. He terminated when he blasted Harry and lost whatever soul was with him at the time. 7 left. Harry destroyed on in COS. 6 left. LV used one to be reborn (I suspect his fathers bone personally). 5 left. DD destroyed 1 (HBP). 4 left. RAB apparently destroyed one (necklace at OOtP HQ). 3 left.

Did I miss any or goof?

Posted by John from Riverside, CA on October 5, 2006 08:41 AM

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