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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 16)

And I'd like to say one more thing about Invisibility cloaks. I don't think they are 'as' rare as Ron said. I think they're just not in reach of ordinary wizards. Ron doesn't have a lot of money nor is his family blessed with any extraordinary magical power. But magically powerful wizards are liable to get one easily. And magically powerful implies good career and good money with the exception of LV.

Posted by Aditi Dani from Nagpur, India on October 5, 2006 11:28 PM

Just a thought:

till the events of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore was the only one who know the entire contents of the prophecy regarding Harry and LV. Suppose that Dumbledore, with all his wisdom and years of experience, kind-of-interpolated the 'mark him as equal' frase of the prophesy (known only to him) and guessed (among many possibilities) that an attempt by LV to Harry, would misfire; marking Harry as equal and leading to the temporal dimise of LV. Wouldn't it make sense for Dumbledore to plan ahead, to have an backup plan in case the Potters were betrayed and LV did attempt to Harry?

Borrowing the invisibility cloak from James, to be used much later by Harry seems to make sense. Also knowing of LV complete lack of love, couldn't he already have started pursuading Harry's aunt to take care of Harry in case of the of Lilly and James. Bit far fetched though, however Dumbledore doesn't strike me as someone who puts all his hopes on just keeping the
Potters safe. That would be underestimating LV.

Anyway, just a thought.

BTW: like the site

Posted by atvs from Zeist, the Netherlands on October 6, 2006 01:44 AM

It�s not necessary that a wizard has to be powerful to own an invisibility cloak. Remember Mundungus had one in �Order of the Phoenix.� Maybe he borrowed it from Mad-Eye or he probably stole it from someone. So that makes five invisibility cloaks, and there must be more members of the order who have an invisibility cloak.

So why would Dumbledore borrow James� invisibility cloak? Because James was already �safe� as he had a secret keeper and would not need the cloak inside his house. The cloak was probably used by another member of the order � this could have been Snape. We have seen invisibility cloaks being used before by the order for two types of tasks � following someone (Mundungus follows Harry wherever he goes at the beginning of �Order of the Phoenix�) and standing guard for something (the prophecy). We also know that Crouch uses the cloak to hide his son.

If Snape was using the cloak, then he was probably following someone. Maybe another eater (R.A.B.?). R.A.B. must have known about Voldemort�s horcruxes (he knew about at least one of them), so maybe Snape followed him when he went to the cave.

Posted by Javed from New Delhi, India on October 6, 2006 03:58 AM

Nagini is a horcrux because remember when the snake attacks Mr.Weasley, Harry also sees the attack from the view of the snake, but he had no connection with the snake. So Harry was seeing whatever Voldemort was seeing through the snake because Voldemort was controlling a part of his soul inside it. Remember Dumbledore says:

"If my calculations are correct, Voldemort was still at least one Horcrux short of his goal of six when he entered your parents' house with the intention of ing you. He seems to have reserved the process of making Horcruxes for particularly significant s. You would certainly have been that. He believed that in ing you, he was destroying the danger the prophecy had outlined. He believed he was making himself invincible. I am sure that he was intending to make his final Horcrux with your . As we know, he failed. After an interval of some years, however, he used Nagini to an old Muggle man, and it might then have occurred to him to turn her into his last Horcrux. She underlines the Slytherin connection, which enhances Lord Voldemorts mystique; I think he is perhaps as fond of her as he can be of anything; he certainly likes to keep her close, and he seems to have an unusual amount of control over her, even for a Parselmouth."

Posted by Javed from New Delhi, India on October 6, 2006 04:21 AM

About Harry being a horcrux. Voldemort intended to create a horcrux after he was going to Harry and the same night he also transferred some of his powers into him unintentionally. Does this mean that a seventh of Voldemort�s soul has been inside Harry all these years? Is this why Voldemort can use legilimency on Harry even when they are miles away? We know that Voldemort can control Nagini from miles away, but he has trouble possessing Harry.

I still don�t think Harry can be a horcrux, because why would Voldemort want to him then? He tried to him when he comes back to power at the end of �Goblet of Fire� and again at the end of �Order of the Phoenix�:

�I have nothing more to say to you, Potter,� he said quietly. �You have irked me too often, for too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!�

This is when Dumbledore arrives and saves Harry by making the statue come to life.

Posted by Javed from New Delhi, India on October 6, 2006 04:50 AM

I'd like to point out that the seventh bit of LV's soul was NOT destroyed when the AK meant for Harry rebounded on him. It simply robbed him of all his powers and his bodily form. That bit 'lived a spectral existence all these years' and Harry has yet to destroy it.

And I'm guessing that one of the unknown Horcruxes is LV's wand itself. He would have needed a Horcrux to regenerate whatever 'ugly baby body' he had in GoF. What better companion than the wand which goes with LV wherever LV takes it? Never out of his sight? He was way too weak to get to his other Horcruxes which were well-protected and one of which (he knew) was destroyed.

We do know there's a little bit of mystery surrounding the wand as to where it was when LV lost his powers. Maybe it has something to do with it being LV's horcrux. I'd bet on the wand over Nagini anyday. What do you think?

Posted by Aditi Dani from Nagpur, India on October 6, 2006 05:10 AM

I agree with John from Riverside, it doesn't add up that Harry is a horcrux, the reference to OOtP is a good example. LV was probably betting that DD would not Harry but still this is just one of several examples. GOF has another in the graveyard fight. LV was intending to Harry in front of the eaters, this would have unnecessarily destroyed LVs horcrux had he succeeded. The profecy (which LV has not heard all of) states LV would mark "him" as his equal. The tranfer of powers that happened when LV tried to Harry would be the accidental marking (including the speed-dial connection). Wasn't it a freak accident that LV transfered these powers to Harry? It just doesn't add up that the transfer turned Harry into a horcrux. If it did turn Harry into a horcrux, LV wouldn't have known because it wasn't LV intention. LV's intention has been to Harry. DD might have detected that it inadvertently happed though.

Are there any spells that can be cast to make someone else invisible? We know that DD could make himself invisible but could he or any other wizard make someone else invisible? Maybe DD knew or planned all along for Harry to see DD get ed. DD might not be all knowing but he seems pretty good at anticipating events or directing events to go his way. Maybe this deal between he and Snape goes way back and the only way for Harry to be the witness without being detected was to be under the invisibility cloak. Lame suggestion but it sure came in handy that Harry had his cloak on and DD was able to jinx Harry in such a way to ensure Harry was neither detected or interfered with DD's .

Posted by Rhonda from Pomona on October 6, 2006 07:10 AM

Aditi, It is my understanding that LV did not need a horcrux to restore his body. I originally believed that until a day or so ago (see previous posts). When LV was ed his body was destroyed, not his soul. The concept of the horcrux is a soul can only go on when all of it is going. If a portion of it is trapped in this world, all of it has to stay.

That is why we read no mention of a horcrux being used in GOF at LV's rebirth. Also tonya pointed out that LV's soul was split into 7 - so there were only ever supposed to be 6 horcruxes.

I am thinking the part of the soul from a destroyed horcrux must float around somewhere until it is freed - or maybe it hangs out with the one in LV. DD pointed out he is so screwed up (soul wise) he probably has no clue. This would make sense because if all the horcruxes are destroyed (notice JKR has them destroying horcruxes not parts of soul) and all the pieces are hanging out with LV, then when he gets ed they can all go away together.

But at this point the ring, locket and diary have been destroyed. LV has part of his soul and that leaves 3 left best as I can figure.

As far as the invisibility cloak Mundangus used, I have to check but I think it was MadEye's.

I not sure which would be worse - trying to second guess JKR or being a taster for bertie bott's every flavor beans.

Posted by John from Riverside, CA on October 6, 2006 09:48 AM

Yes, John. I agree with you. That until all seven pieces go poof, none of them do so individually, makes a lot of sense. What do you think about the wand being a Horcrux? Harry is definitely not one. Thank heavens for that!

And to Javed, Harry visited the snake's mind in OotP because 'that's where LV's mind was that time'. Its not 'because' she was a Horcrux. He was simply possessing her at the time.

Posted by Aditi Dani from Nagpur, India on October 6, 2006 11:46 AM

I dunno, this whole thing about Harry being a Horcrux actually makes sense. AND furthermore the ing act doesn't have to be evil OR permanant. Look at fawkes, He's a pheonix and thus is immortal. so the Order of the pheonix could be a group of people that made some horcruxes to help them live until the threat has been eliminated. Then the spell could be reversed. because obviously Fawkes can't be destroyed.

None of this has been mentioned AFAIK.

Posted by Isa from Charleston, WV on October 6, 2006 3:07 PM

Isa, I don't think all of the members of the Order of the Phoenix made horcruxes because JKR, in an interview said that Harry's parents are indeed . So, nothing can bring them back. DD tells Harry that at the end of GoF.

As for Harry, or his scar, being a Horcrux, I believe, it is entirely possible precisely because: LV went to the Potter's home to Harry; DD tells us that he (LV) was intending to make a Horcrux with Harry's (a particularly significant ); and the fact that he transferred his powers to Harry, although inadvertently, tells us that he transferred something of his to Harry. The AK went wrong, stripped him of his body (though one fragment of his soul remained behind), and gave Harry a scar. That scar is not the result of AK since we know that the AK curse does not leave any marks. JKR has stated that repeatedly. So what caused the scar? If not AK, then there must have been some spell that is performed before a that prepares a receptacle for the soul fragment. Isn't is possible that when everything went wrong for LV, his soul fragment entered Harry (who was right there in front of him) rather than its intended container--whatever that might have been (perhaps that container was destroyed in the blast?). The fact that LV has tried to Harry several times including in the graveyard at the end of GoF seems to indicate that he, indeed, doesn't know that Harry carries a part of his soul. DD told Harry that LV can't feel when one of his Horcruxes is destroyed, but if he didn't intend to make Harry the Horcrux only to create one with his , then it seems reasonable that he might not realize that Harry is one. Does that make sense to anyone else besides me?

Posted by Hannah from Los Angeles on October 6, 2006 4:39 PM

Hannah, I think it makes a lot of sense. I just can't figure out how that ties up the end of the story (to my liking of course!) If Harry is successful and destroys all of the other horcruxes, and there is still one residing in him, that means that the only way to completely rid the world of LV is for Harry to sacrifice himself. Nooooooooooo...... Is that what it means, really?

Posted by tracy on October 6, 2006 7:03 PM

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