Hi, I'm here through someone's friends list and just wanted to join the discussion...
Now that you mention it, it is a bit strange that Dumbledore didn't catch on. It's not as if the Order was that big, and they did know they had a spy among them. Plus, Sirius says Peter leaked info for a whole year before the Potters' deaths. No matter how competent and sneaky Peter may have been, I find it really hard to believe that he could keep it up for that long right under Dumbledore's nose, especially if the Order knew somebody was spying. True, Dumbledore runs a school and has many other things to do, but still. I don't think DD would have shied away from using Legilimency on people without telling them - after all, the safety of the Order was at stake. Plus, I think there are suggestions in a few places in the books that he might have used Legilimency on Harry.
The only solution I can think of is that the Fidelius Charm was used to hide Peter's activities. Voldemort could have become Secret Keeper. If the secret hidden was "Peter Pettigrew spies on the Order", this would ensure Peter's safety. Plus, the Order would still know that someone was the spy, they just wouldn't know who. This leads to everyone starting to suspect each other, for example Sirius & Remus, and spreading discord in this manner is exactly right up Voldemort's alley, wouldn't you say?
The only kink in this theory is that Sirius knew in PoA that Peter was the spy, which he shouldn't have if Peter was protected by Fidelius. I suppose it's possible to argue that once the Potters died, Peter's status was not a secret any more and Sirius could easily deduce the rest despite the Fidelius Charm - especially if the Fidelius is weakened given that the Secret Keeper (Voldemort) doesn't have a body at that moment.
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Date: 2004-07-15 06:30 am (UTC)Now that you mention it, it is a bit strange that Dumbledore didn't catch on. It's not as if the Order was that big, and they did know they had a spy among them. Plus, Sirius says Peter leaked info for a whole year before the Potters' deaths. No matter how competent and sneaky Peter may have been, I find it really hard to believe that he could keep it up for that long right under Dumbledore's nose, especially if the Order knew somebody was spying. True, Dumbledore runs a school and has many other things to do, but still. I don't think DD would have shied away from using Legilimency on people without telling them - after all, the safety of the Order was at stake. Plus, I think there are suggestions in a few places in the books that he might have used Legilimency on Harry.
The only solution I can think of is that the Fidelius Charm was used to hide Peter's activities. Voldemort could have become Secret Keeper. If the secret hidden was "Peter Pettigrew spies on the Order", this would ensure Peter's safety. Plus, the Order would still know that someone was the spy, they just wouldn't know who. This leads to everyone starting to suspect each other, for example Sirius & Remus, and spreading discord in this manner is exactly right up Voldemort's alley, wouldn't you say?
The only kink in this theory is that Sirius knew in PoA that Peter was the spy, which he shouldn't have if Peter was protected by Fidelius. I suppose it's possible to argue that once the Potters died, Peter's status was not a secret any more and Sirius could easily deduce the rest despite the Fidelius Charm - especially if the Fidelius is weakened given that the Secret Keeper (Voldemort) doesn't have a body at that moment.