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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 3)

I read the theory of Dumbledore or James possibly storing their souls in James' invisibility cloak as a Horcrux, thus giving one or the other the possibility of coming back. The wickedness of doing this is explained away by claiming that it is only the that is evil, not the creation of the Horcrux itself. I don't think this is true. I think that both the or ing is meant to be evil and trying to artificially preserve one's life in a Horcrux is also evil. JKR makes great pains to explain through Dumbledore again and again that it is wrong to see as the worst thing that can happen to a person. In fact, he mentions as the next great adventure, I believe. Dumbledore did not fear nor shrink from and criticized Voldemort for doing so. He would not use a Horcrux to try to prevent his own . He might fake his to fool Voldemort, but I don't think he would try to cheat the same way Voldemort did. And I don't think James would either. One reason for that is back in Sorcerer's Stone. Dumbledore gently reminded Harry that the Mirror of Erised does not reveal truth only desire. Harry's greatest desire was to see his parents alive again. James won't be back.

Posted by Mike Bruni from Jamesburg, NJ on September 14, 2006 10:21 PM

I feel that this is going in the wrong direction.
As for Grifendors relic, look no further then Fawkes.
With many of Jo's magic items they usually have more then one function. I suggest that the cloak does something else.
(Most likely something that would help Harry this comming year)

Posted by J.B. Moore from Columbus, Ohio on September 14, 2006 10:45 PM

hye guys i dont think that cloak is a horocrux of james or dumbeldore..
i think one or other godric thing are required as a pwd/entry pass to the godric hollow....u know suspicious time..those where..!
What i think is somebody was present in the potter's house that nite....who can either from vo side or order's side? (it may be significant to the cloak mystery)...
Otherwise How come DD know that Lily sacrificed her life to save harry...? I mean DD can guess about the charm but he can not guess the way she stepped in front of harry..and etc!

Moreover Pettigrew is in possession of Voldy's wand when he is with Vol in Albania...so the big question is how he got hold of his wand...was the ministry unable to find his wand in Godric Hollow...?
If we look back then there is nothing written about his wand after the night in GH when he lost his human form... he was marely a spirit which means he can't possess a wand...So was voldy acting alone that nghit or wormtail was also with him?

which takes us back to the same subject... was there anybody else in GodircHollow dat nite?

Secondly where was hagrid and DD that night after the attack...who was taking care of 1 year old harry...?
When we try to track the whereabouts of Hagrid betveen the attack in Godric's Hollow and his arrival on Privet Drive, we find a huge gap of almost 24 hrs.(please refer books)
Where did Hagrid take Harry? and DumbleDore was also missing...did they took harry to some relative of James just u know for a last farewell of 11yrs...!
And how come harry survived in those 24hrs alone in the house (if present there) when whole house was a wreck..?(we can find hagrid telling harry in first book that whole house was a wreck)

Thirdly Where was Harry?
DD asked Minerva back in the 1st chapter that did Hagrid told her that she find DD there in privet drive? and she replied yes it was Hagrid who told her...so Hagrid met her after the attack coz otherwise why she be that interested for that topic...now lets see another thing...when Hagrid finally brought Harry to Privet Drive McGonagal was looking at harry like she was meeting her for the 1st time after the attack... like seeing the scar and asking DD what is it and can't it be removed and all... So where was Harry when mcgonnal met Hagrid after the attack? where was harry at that time if he was not with Hagrid?

I still stand with my opinion that Hagrid or DD or probably both of them took Harry to some relative of James Potter for a final gudbye of more den 11 or 17 yrs....and somebody else was present in the GH that nite?

Posted by Ginny from Bangalore on September 14, 2006 11:15 PM

This is a great site! If Dumbledore, James or Gryffindor had made the cloak into a horcrux then they would have come back to life straight away wouldn't they/ or not been ed in the first place, but just lost their powers... isn't that why Harry survives the Avada Kedava but Voldemort lives as a shadow of himself with few powers?

Posted by Susan from Sydney, Australia on September 14, 2006 11:45 PM

By creating a horcrux you would have to and split your soul....this has been given by dumbledore that this is a very desperate measure to take and not one that someone is likely to make. I dont belive the cloak is a horcrux. Perhaps JKR is trying to hint more towards why and how dumbledore could make himself invisible...but cloak....definately not a horcrux for james or dumbledore...they're too nice to starting splitting up their souls.

Posted by P Rudd from UK on September 15, 2006 12:55 AM

Maybe Dumbledore and James were involved in some major secret task together that needed invisibility, and a)Dumbledore always looked after the cloak for convenience, or b) they were actually out on this secret task when an emergency arose and James handed it over for safe keeping, or c) this secret task was actually in Godric's Hollow at the time of the Potters' . So maybe the task still needs doing and Harry need the cloak to achieve it.

Posted by Gill Davies from Staffordshire, UK on September 15, 2006 01:43 AM

First of all: This is a great page! Been looking for a decent HP Forum for ages now, and I've finally found it! Yeah!

All the theories here makes some sense. But not entirely, in my opinion. GG Horcrux could be the cloak, the sword or even Fawkes.
Harry need the cloak to check out Godric's Hollow(maybe the only use of it, is that it makes him invisible), I am sure of it. Harry goes on a mission and probably be wearing the cloak most of the time in book 7. To remain hidden. He can allways take out the dementors.

A lot of people say that horcruxes are evil. But isn't there usually a good counterpart to everything evil?

Dumbledore defeated the great dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, and we must therefore conclude that he ed him.
Maybe he made sort of a "horcrux" back then. I know it's farfetched but maybe this could be the rabbit Jo pulls out of the hat.

Just a few thoughts(I have a lot more)...

Posted by Adam Bruun from Denmark, Copenhagen on September 15, 2006 02:07 AM

I am the person who asked J.K. Rowling this question at Radio City Music Hall. I am amazed that she actually answered it and loves the theories that have come from it.

I like the idea that you need it to get into Godric's Hollow. If Dumbledore is a decendent of Griffindor then the bloodline did not with him since J.K. Rowling has said that we learn more about Dumbledore's brother in the last book. I think that his brother may be the bartender in the bar where the students first discuss Dumbledor's Army. (I just can't remember the name off the top of my head.)

Please keep the ideas coming. I myself just wait for the answer from J.K. herself.

Posted by Martha Hoover from Seneca, Pennsylvania on September 15, 2006 04:57 AM

Could Dumbledore have been at Godric's Hollow and given the cloak shortly before James and Lily's ? If so, maybe he could have seen something? Maybe he could even have helped save Harry's life?

Posted by Holly from London on September 15, 2006 05:12 AM

I may be wrong but isn't the Potter's house in Godric's Hollow a complete ruin?

Posted by Alex from Salzburg, Austria on September 15, 2006 05:37 AM

For the people who said that Dumbledore was a descendant of GG, and the bloodline had now d out - doesn't Dumbledore have a brother?

Posted by Megan from Columbus, OH on September 15, 2006 06:34 AM

I like the theory that the cloak may be required for Harry to enter Godric's Hollow. Godric's Hollow certainly play a significant role in the final book.

I'd like to mention 2 other theories that no one has touched upon.

First, on JK's site, she mentions a larger connection between Harry and Snape - if fact, she refers to it being as important as Harry's relationship with Dumbledore. Could Snape and Lilly have had some sort of relationship - perhaps prior to James winning her over? I know this sounds crazy but if Snape harbored secret feelings for Lilly this may explain part of his loathing for James and then Harry. This also fits with Snape supposedly denouncing the dark side and entering Dumbledore's fold as a tribute to Lilly. Also, Lilly and Snape are/were both excellent potions masters - perhaps Lilly tutored Snape in the subject or vice versa. Snape despises Harry for NOT being adept at potions (calling his ss lamentable) - telling him something along the lines that he lacks the patience, discipline and finesse needed for the fine art of potions making.

Second, perhaps Harry is a decendent of GG. If LV knew/guessed of the family's heritage - perhaps he went there that night to Lilly & James & create a Horcrux out of the invisibility cloak (which may explain why Dumbledore was given the cloak for safe keeping) - instead, however, Lilly's actions foil this plan and Harry's scar becomes a Horcrux -- inadvertantly producing a Gryffindor Horcrux (Harry/his scar) for LV.

One final thought - the occulmency lessons between Snape and Harry still disturb me. Any thoughts on what's going on there. Was Snape trying to probe for info into LV's actions or was he really trying to help Harry?

Posted by AJ Senape from Bucks County, PA on September 15, 2006 06:38 AM

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