Beyond Hogwarts


Search Beyond Hogwarts:

Reference Desk:
Beyond Hogwarts FAQ
Wizard to Muggle Currency Converter
Harry Potter Spelling Reference


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?

> Read the full article

Pages:  <<  <  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ...  >  >>

Reader Comments: (Page 4)

Final thought before you dismiss Harry's scar as a Horcrux. I have considered that IF Harry's scar is a Horcrux why would LV be determined to Harry (thereby destroying one of his own Horcruxes). We know that LV has gone farther than anyone else regarding creating a Horcrux -having split his soul numerous times rather than just once. In turn, he may have accepted a "partial" life (he's so un-human now) - with having a physcial body being the most important aspect to him. Now that he has that, he may accept the fact that he has to one of his own Horcruxes because this particular Horcrux could backfire on him & destroy him once and for all (should Harry be able to find & destroy the other missing Horcruxes). In this way, it's better for him to remain eternally partial and safe rather than risk having the Horcrux destroy him in the end. In addition, Harry/Dumbledore would never suspect Harry's scar as a Horcrux as LV wants to destroy Harry. Harry, however, in the end figure this out & sacrifice himself to destroy LV. Also, this would fit with the last word of the 7th book being "scar."

Posted by AJ SENAPE from BUCKS COUNTY, PA on September 15, 2006 07:23 AM

I know that Jo said Dumbledore was definitely . but what if like someone stated earlier Dumbledore did create a horcrux. After all in Sorcerer's Stone on pages(bottom of)102-(top of)103 "ALBUS DUMBLEDORE-Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945...", it nevers says how Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald. So terchnically Dumbledore may or may not have ed someone, Jo never completely comes out and tells us how Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945. Apparently how ever Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald caused Grindelwald to never try to return to power. What if Dumbledore did Grindelwald, then his soul would've been split regardless of whether Dumbledore meant to or not. This leaves me to question when Dumbledore began questioning the existence of Voldemort's horcruxes whether he realized that due to James's bloodline connection to Godric Gryffindor if he may have used the cloak as a horcrux and since his defeat of Grindelwald had already split his soul, then why not put a piece of himself in it since the cloak may have once belonged to Gryffindor, thus possibly stopping Voldemort from using it against Harry. Just a theory I realized a few days ago.

Posted by Matt Johnson from Hornbeak, TN on September 15, 2006 07:27 AM

I agree with the bulk of the previous posts - it's unlikely that the cloak is a horcrux, or that Dumbledore or James would ever creat such a thing. But, I'm intrigued by the idea that for every evil there is a good counterpoint in magic.

If we consider the pictures in the Head's Study, though the souls of the previous heads are not preserved, their experience and character are. the mechanism for this is not unbderstood, but perhaps the cloak is a gift from Jame to his son in more ways than one - a gift of experience. He seems to have passed on the cloak to Dumbledore with a purpose - perhaps knowing his own end was coming, he wanted to pass something along as protection, as well as Lily's love sacrifice. So far we have never considered what his father's sacrifice might have been.

Also, as a side thought, Dumbledore seems to be the only persons capable of seeing Harry et al when concealed beneath the cloak. When Hagrid is arrested in COS, Dumbledore clearly knows that the kids are there in the hut, and faces them directly to give his instructions.

I don't know what this may mean, if anything!

Posted by Goff Morgan from Newport, South Wales on September 15, 2006 08:07 AM

Ok, since all of us are in speculation mode, I have another query to ponder. Does it ever state in the books that a person has to take another person's life to create a horcrux, or is it just from the of another human being. I just wonder if DD was present in GH, at the time of James and Lily's , that at the time of their by the avada kevadra curse, that somehow DD could have created a horcrux for Harry out of the invisibility cloak.

Posted by Mike from College Station, TX on September 15, 2006 08:45 AM

Ok, I'm coming into this late, but I don't understand how Dave's suggestion that this could be a horcrux could have gone off in such a crazy direction. James was a good guy, Dumbledore was a good guy, neither would have produced a horcrux, in fact, Dumbledore's comments on what would be left of a person who did create one match LV, not DD or James. I thought the point was either that it was a relic Voldemort might use, or one he had used for the purpose. It's possible. It's also a possibility that -- as great as he is -- Voldemort _can't_ make himself invisible and the cloak would have been of use to him. Dumbledore is the only greater wizard than LV, according to all references, except for the dark magic which DD thinks that LV may have an edge on. In fact, it was seemingly only in the 6th book that Dumbledore came to the conclusion that LV was making horcruxes, though he may have suspected earlier. I'm guessing that the cloak is about something else. Maybe the invisibility thing. You don't see a lot of that in the wizarding world, so far:-) (yeah, right, how would we know?)

Posted by Alan from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on September 15, 2006 09:18 AM

Ok What if Aberforth is James Dad that fits as too who was at godric's hollow that night also he is Dumbledor's brother that is the bartender at hogshead. It would fit for being of the griffendor bloodline. He could be living near hogwarts to be closer to Dumbledor and to be near his grandson Harry and may have been the one that looked after him the night of the attack. If u need the cloak to get into godric's hollow then he could have gave it back to Dumbledor after he left there with harry.

Posted by John Rinaldi from Fairlee VT on September 15, 2006 10:25 AM

I haven't time to read all that everybody said. Sorry!
But why can't Dumbledor have ed someone, and made an horrocrux? What about 1945 when he defeted Grindewald. Perhaps he ed him, and thought that it was a good oppertunity?

(And I'm sorry about my dreadful english:S )

Posted by Linn from Arvika, Sweden on September 15, 2006 12:35 PM

Was just wondering on a different site whether the cloak could be part of the veil from the Department of Mysteries-perhaps made from the tatters- and is actually a secret doorway to 'Beyond the Veil'. The veil certainly makes things invisible- voices can be heard talking beyond, but not seen, and Sirius vanishes without trace. Maybe at a crucial moment Sirius somehow get back (briefly of course ) to help Harry in his final battle. (....and Dumbledore, and his parents in fact all his line of protectors)

Posted by Scoobi from UK on September 15, 2006 1:31 PM

James and Lily knew they were marked by Voldemort. Before Harry, no one had survived being Avada Kedavraded. So, why would James and Lily think that, if they d, Harry would survive? There's a simple answer they wouldn't. So, it seems incredibly unlikely that James would have left it with Dumbledore to give to Harry in the event of their .

Posted by Anne from Chicago, IL on September 15, 2006 4:14 PM

Jo's comment was that the reason why Dumbledore had James' cloak is significant-even crucial. So, in her own words, it isn't a red herring nor a throwaway clue. I like the theory that Harry need it to find and enter Godric's Hollow but according to Jo, it isn't only the cloak that is important but that Dumbledore had it. Why did James give it to him for safekeeping? Dumbledore couldn't have retrieved it himself or had someone else get it for him because in the note in Sorcerer's Stone, DD said, "Your father left this in my possession before he d." The Potters did know that LV was looking for them so it makes sense that anything they knew was important should be given to DD for safekeeping. But, what is its importance? I believe that it was once the property of Godric Gryffindor himself. Harry described it as very old and fragile (not in those words) in Book I. James, being a pureblood, would have known that and would have wanted to keep it safe. By giving it to Dumbledore, James insured that it could not become a horcrux for LV which would have "contaminated" a Gryffindor relic with a part of a Slytherin soul. How it serve Harry in the final confrontation? There are so many "maybes" Maybe it act as a shield to protect Harry. Maybe, in the right place at the right time, it summon the spirit of GG (Fawkes, anyone?) to give Harry the courage he need to vanquish LV and fulfill the prophecy. Maybe, the cloak is to Harry what Excaliber was to Arthur. There must be lots of possibilities! I can't wait to read Jo's explanation.

Posted by Hannah from Los Angeles, CA on September 15, 2006 5:03 PM

The only problems are that, from what we know, "noble" people would never commit , so it isn't very likely that Godric Gryffindor would someone, then make a horcrux. Also, it can't be James's horcrux, because he wouldn't be when Voldy tried to him. It would have kept him alive, but split his soul like it did to Voldy. And any theories that James or Sirius (no offense Scoobi) are gonna come back, are impossible. You're forgetting that a couple months ago JKR said "in this genre...the hero has to go on alone." Just like she said, "Dumbledore's not gonna do a 'Gandalf'." James and Sirius won't either. No, I think it's not a horcrux, or if it is, it won't be someone that come back an help Harry (and if not that, than what's the point? if it was one of Voldy's, why would James have it? And wouldn't Dumbledore have destroyed it?) I don't have any theories of my own, and please don't get mad, I was just pointing out a few facts that make me disagree with other theories, not the people who made them.

Posted by HPlover from Hogsmead.... on September 15, 2006 5:10 PM

Ok... I don't understand how ANYONE could think that Albus Dumbledore, James Potter, Lily Potter, or Godric Gryffindor could make a horcrux. Go back to the 6th book and read the chapter where Harry sees the real memory from Slughorn. Horcruxes are EVIL! None of the people you are suspecting to have made a horcrux are evil!

I do have a theroy though and it's kind of out there. You know how James and Lily defied Voldemort twice? Maybe one of the times was to steal the cloak from Voldemort. Voldemort could have made it into a Horcrux. Maybe Dumbledore or James knew it was one and stole it. James stole it so voldemort potentially lost a horcrux and James gave it to Dumbledore for save keeping... That is kind of out there but it's just a theroy. What do you guys think?

Posted by Alexis from Buffalo, NY on September 15, 2006 5:10 PM

Pages:  <<  <  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ...  >  >>



Featured Discussions | The Septology | Harry's World | Harry Potter Movies | Dumbeldore Is Not Dead | FAQ


BeyondHogwarts.com is not affiliated with or approved by
Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros., or J.K. Rowling
Original Content Copyright © 2006-2010 David Haber, All Rights Reserved