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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 72)

Maybe James left the cloak to Dumbledore in his ...

Posted by Gemma from Derry on July 17, 2007 12:05 PM

I think maybe harry was wrapped in the cloak when hagrid was delivering harry to dumbledore, as to hide harry if any eaters attacked him while he was traveling. Then seeing as harry wouldnt need it as he was with the Dursleys he kept it with him while harry grew up. But more importantly why didnt dumbledore just go and get harry? it wouldve made SO much more sense.

Posted by garth from wisconsin on July 17, 2007 3:57 PM

Making a horcrux is (as explained in the Half Blood Prince) one of, if not the most, evil piece of magic to ever be discovered. I dont think Godric Gryffindor or any of the Potter's would be selfish enough to commit to prolong their own lives.

I think that JK Rowling may have made the tiniest of errors in the wording of that little note back in the first of the series. However, being the gifted writer that she is, she would have found an important place for the cloak in the final installation.

We can only guess.

Posted by Haylz on July 17, 2007 11:50 PM

what if wormtail was under the cloak? he had voldemort's wand didn't he? i still think that is what he used to the 13 people and blow up the street, he didn't know how powerful the wand was. in GoF voldemort told him to bring him his wand then later harry and voldemort's wands connected.

Posted by Pamrla sue from ark on July 18, 2007 8:37 PM

JKR. have made it very clear that horcrux's are very dark magic. it's unlikely that dumbledore / james / gryffindor would have a horcrux, and it's even more unlikely because dumbledore tells harry in the 6. book that voldemort has underestimated the power of a whole soul. and dumbledore has also said that is only the beginning of another journey.. after all, he does NOT sound like a man who would want to live for ever.

Posted by me from denmark on July 19, 2007 10:20 AM

Okay, here's the deal. Horcruxes are DEEPLY DARK magic. No good wizard would ever make one. Even voldemort had trouble finding out what one was or how to make it. I doubt that Dumbledore or James or Sirius would go so in depth into dark magic to find out how to make one. That would be ridiculous. I think we are all (myself included) forgetting one VERY important thing: That ANYTHING could present itself from JKR's mind. We are trying to figure out the answers to questions from the information we already know, and I think that is impossible. Se is going to throw twists and turns from every angle tomorrow morning, and there is no way we can know what happen. Plus, This exact question of James cloak is one of her NAQ (not asked questions) and I think that she would not have asked it if it was something we could possible fathom an answer to. She is not going to put something out there that is very pertinent to the plot, I think this be a very very minor point in the story with a very simple answer. I think we are all thinking way too deeply on this one.

Posted by Parry Hotter from Tampa, FL USA on July 19, 2007 10:22 AM

I think James left Dumbledore the cloak right after he left school, and that Dumbledore has had the cloak for a very long time. In the very first chapter, Dumbledore appears silently. Apparating creates a loud crack. I've been wondering about this, and it just hit me that Dumbledore could've simply pulled the cloak off, without making a sound. This would show that Dumbledore had had the cloak for a long time, and could've done anything to it.

I finaly understand the first chapter of book 1 now! oh ya!

Posted by Jake Christensen on July 19, 2007 1:12 PM

Ok you guys are all off. It's not a horcrux it wasnt left in the ...James gave it to Dumbledore the night he d.

Think about it. In HBP Dumbledore was muttering when he was taking the potion. Read and you can think that he was there that night. It fits. James gave Dumbledore the cloack and told him to hide.

Why make Dumbledore hide?

Simple. Because Dumbledore did not want to interfere with the prophecy and once it happened Dumbledore had to watch over Harry just in case.

Posted by Eric from New City, NY on July 19, 2007 4:30 PM

The locket was taken from the cave before or around the time Harry was born (assuming it was taken by Regulus, he d around the time Harry was born)....15 months before Voldemort attacked the Potters. If the memory Dumbledore is reliving is one of Voldemort attacking and torturing someone it would have to have happened before he lost his powers...the last possible time would have been the night he attacked the Potters. So theoretically it could be James speaking in the memory. (Was it James' fault that Voldemort chose the Potters did he do something to swing the balance then...)

If the words Dumbledore utters in the cave when he drinks the potion are actually James' last words...how do they get into Dumbledore's head i.e. into Dumbledore's memory? I suppose he could either have been there or he could have seen the memory of the event from someone else who was there...who? But why would he speak as James in the memory?
If he was impersonating James, then where was James and why would Dumbledore be impersonating him and how did James ? Seems to go against the idea of the simplest explanation being the most likely...too many complications I think...but possible.

The words Dumbledore speaks in the cave could possibly be James' last words....but how Dumbledore has them in his head if they are and why he should speak as James is a mystery to me! I guess we'll know soon enough!

Posted by Joe from England on July 20, 2007 02:42 AM

the order currnetly uses cloaks, so why not before? but that wouldnt explain why its crucial...

Posted by kiah from tasmania on July 20, 2007 03:32 AM

I doubt it if Dumbledore was there at the night when james and lily were ed. but I certainly don't think that Dumbledore, James or Godric made a horcrux, and I definitly don't think that James could be alive again to help harry, becuase we have all read the whole progress Voldemort had to stand to get a body again. I can't imagine that that could happen.
And what has the Godrics Hallow to do with it? I think is missed something there...

Posted by Eva from Dordrecht Holland on July 20, 2007 03:48 AM

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