How did Hagrid know where to pick up Harry Potter if Pettigrew was their secret-keeper?

Question

I know there's lots of magical reasoning that's very logical for almost everything in Harry Potter, but this one has me stumped. If the whole purpose of having a secret-keeper is to only have one person know where they are, how did Hagrid arrive there? How did Sirius know where they were?

I don't remember either, I know they were in Godric's Hollow, but was it their home? What purpose would it have been to hide in their own home?

Answer 1

The charm that was used on the Potter house is known as the Fidelius Charm, the same one that is on Headquarters in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.



It is supposed to be that the secret (the location of the house) is implanted in the secret keepers soul. The secret keeper can then tell others of the location. They can do this by writing it down on a piece of paper and giving it to others who can than show to anybody they wish.



However you can only tell people if you are the secret keeper and only the secret keeper can write the location down therefore Peter could have told Sirius and Hagrid which he likely did and they could not tell others. Dumbledore could also have told Hagrid the location IF the charm broke and there was no longer a secret keeper.



It is not clear whether or not the charm did break as it would normally on break when the Secret Keeper died making all people that the secret keeper told, secret keeper themselves. So when Dumbledore died anyone who had ever been told by him where headquarters was, was made secret keeper.

Answer 2

Sirius was part of the switch, so I always assumed that he knew where it was. He was also James's best friend and Harry's godfather. The charm just hid their house, so they didn't move anywhere. Once Pettigrew told Voldemort, if that didn't break the spell, there was probably an enchantment done so Voldemort could see it and get into the house, and the rest would have been destroyed when part of the house was blown to pieces.



It was their home in Godric's Hollow. I always assumed it was a family home, since Harry's parents and Ignotus Peverell (Harry's great-great-ect. grandfather) were buried in the cemetery there. Harry was also born in Godric's Hollow. The spell hid the home from everyone but them and the secret keeper, like how the Black home was hidden unless you knew the password, or how Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic, the Quidditch World Cup, and the destruction of the Potter's home were hidden from muggles.



Basically, Voldemort could have looked right at the house an not seen it, until Pettigrew told him he was the secret keeper.

Answer 3

Yes, it was their home. But if you did not know the secret then you could not see it. Sirius was the original secret-keeper and then he switcted with pettigrew so thats how he knew. When Voldemort killed harry's parents, everyone knew the place where it happened. So, they knew the secret and could see the place. That is also why muggles cant see it, cuz they dont know. Anyway, Dumbledore knew that Harry was still alive and he knew where harry was so he told Hagrid who went there and picked up Harry.



I hope it all makes sense to you now!

Answer 4

Once Pettigrew revealed the secret and Voldemort killed them, the spell would have broken. A smoking ruin is probably pretty unusual, even in a wizarding village, and people would have known that Lily and James had once lived there. And since we know that Harry was born in Godric's Hollow, we can conclude that it was their home. Just like Sirius hid out in his own childhood home when he went on the run. Therefore we must conclude that the spell makes the location invisible even to people who once knew it was there, as the Death Eaters and Ministry must have known where the Black home was in Grimmauld Place.

Answer 5

When Pettigrew betrayed the location to Voldemort, it broke the enchantment. And also when the house blew up with the impact of the spell rebounding, it might have also broke the enchantment.

Answer 6

by way of fact sirius concept voldemort could come after him for the area of potter domicile..as he the closest frnd of james..thats y he made peter secret keeper becoz siriu concept voldemort could in no way dream that potters area is frequently used basically to weaking him..it says so interior the e book... wish it cleard ur doubts...