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Picture[]

The picture just added needs to be changed. That is of Harry and Hagrid on the motorcycle flying to the Burrow. The Burrow wasn't protected by the Fidelius Charm. You could use a picture of 12 Grimmauld Place or Shell Cottage. ~Gryffindor1991 13:55, July 2, 2011 (UTC)

Apparition Inside[]

The trio Apparated in and out of Grimmauld Place, is this because they were primary secret-keepers? Moody was unable to apparate when he was the secondary secret-keeper. So can only on the primary apparate in and out of the area where this charm has been cast? --KhanWiz - Guardian ~ (talk) ~ (email) Oasis-wordmark 13:45, August 20, 2011 (UTC)

They apparated to the top step. You cannot apparate inside a property that has had the Fidelius Charm placed upon it. Jayden Matthews 14:41, August 20, 2011 (UTC)
However, on a related note, I think they did become primary secret keepers, because that's what happens to secondary ones once the primaries die——Green Zubat (owl me!). 21:29, August 20, 2011 (UTC)
It's not clear at all this is what actually happens. Hermione seems to think that, because Dumbledore has died, they are secret keepers now, but she may be wrong. And I think she is: Jo made it very clear that once the Keeper is dead the secret remains as it was at the moment of his or her death, that is, no more people would be able to know it. I think the characters are wrong and Jo is right.177.16.206.117 02:47, November 21, 2012 (UTC)

Incantation[]

In the spell list, the pronunciation is (fih-DAY-lee-us). Since when was the pronunciation for what the spell's name is put on there? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 99.246.206.192 (talkcontribs).

Godric's Hollow[]

Peter pettigrew was the secret keeper for the potter home and after the first destruction of Voldemort the charm still stood, as Pettigrew never died or divulged the secret to someone else besides lord Voldemort. There is a gaping plot hole as to how Hagrid could get Harry from there and numerous other problems sprawling from there. Dumbledore cast the spell, as told in book 3, so he would know who the secret keeper was. Why was Black imprisoned then for betraying the potters? This goes off on a wild tangent, so I'll keep it at this. 87.214.128.176 11:30, October 22, 2011 (UTC)

I think that's because the people whose secret the location was are dead...that's what rowling says that probably happened in the seventh book at least...

I don't remember anyone saying it was Dumbledore who cast the Fidelius Charm on Godric's Hollow. Other than that, it's clear to me that other people - Hagrid for example - already knew the location of the house (and its function as hiding place) before the casting of the charm, so he would continue knowing it. He wouldn't be able to tell anyone after the charm was cast, but he wouldn't forget what he already knew.177.16.206.117 02:43, November 21, 2012 (UTC)

Wrong Picture[]

That picture, of Harry & Hagrid on the motorcycle, is nothing to do with The Fidelius Charm change it now please 91.225.19.229 09:13, December 12, 2011 (UTC)

The page is not protected so you are welcome to change the image yourself if you don't like it. -Shorty1982 12:38, December 12, 2011 (UTC)

Single Secret-Keeper[]

In the article it is stated that there could initially be "multiple secret-keepers."  Perhaps this comes from the video games.  However, Flitwick makes it perfectly clear in the book that the secret is concealed in a "single, living soul."  Therefore, I would suggest that given our hierarchy, we have to take it that there can initially be only one secret-keeper.

The other issue from Behind the Scenes is why Snape did not tell Voldemort and the Death Eaters the secret of 12 Grimmauld Place after Dumbledore's death when he became a secret-keeper. Dumbledore makes clear to Harry that Voldemort ignores and has no understanding of the magic he despises.  The Fidelius Charm is based on friendship and trust, two things that Voldemort despises, and ignores to his peril.  Thus I think it is likely that Snape simply told Voldemort that when the secret-keeper dies, the secret is lost forever, and no one can then reveal it.  Voldemort and his Death Eaters would have no knowledge of the charm (remember, magic that Voldemort despises...) therefore they would have no reason to doubt Snape.  It would also reinforce Voldemort's paranoid nature ("so foolish to trust..."), so he would be naturally inclined to believe the lie.  We also know that Snape has consistenly been able to successfully lie to Voldemort - else he would have already been dead.

Also, I don't know if it is a formal rule of this website, but I think "questionable items must always be resolved so as to be consistent with the rest of the story."  Taking this as a rule, I think we can conclude that the Fidelius Charm was placed on both Shell Cottage and Muriel's house after the escape from Malfoy Manor when the Death Eaters realized that Ron was with Harry, and the Weasley family was in danger.  The text in the book strongly suggests this.  In addition, if they were all still going to work (as stated in The Ghoul in Pajamas) and Ginny was still at Hogwarts, it would make no sense to have the Fidelius Charm in place when they could be easily grabbed at workor at school.  The Weasley's were protected by their pure-blood until the escape from Malfoy Manor, so there was no reason for the Fidelius Charm before that point.Wva (talk) 19:49, May 24, 2016 (UTC)

Typewriter[]

Well, someone knows if they explained in any of the books if the Fidelius Charm could protect if someone try to write it in a typewriter? As far as I know, no one could speak or write it, but exist many ways to write with a typewriter, even with a nose.

Setokayba (talk) 16:03, September 19, 2016 (UTC)

Only the Secret Keeper will be able to divulge the information. Only they can write it on the typewriter willingly. Anyone they tell - and by that logic, anyone who reads what they have written on the typewriter - will be bound by the Fidelius Charm in a way that will make it impossible for them to tell anyone, even if they then tried to type it up. --Kates39 (talk) 17:23, September 19, 2016 (UTC)

Flitwick quote[]

Hey Kates39 - when you have a moment can you confirm the wording in the UK version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 10 (The Marauder's Map) - "An immensely challenging spell involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul." The US first edition version has complex, and I don't have the UK text to cross-reference (at least until the Illustrated Edition comes out in October :) and it's not listed as a difference at the HP Lexicon list. Thanks! Ironyak1 (talk) 17:10, April 21, 2017 (UTC)

Hey! I checked both the UK eBook and the hardcover edition and they both say complex as well so I'm not sure where challenging came from :) -- Kates39 (talk) 20:11, April 21, 2017 (UTC)

Protection of 12 Grimmauld Place[]

Also, the Fidelius Charm appears to be impervious to a Taboo Jinx, such as the one placed on Lord Voldemort's name after the Fall of the Ministry of Magic. Several times, unaware of the Taboo, Harry and Hermione say Voldemort's name without the Fidelius Charm being broken on 12 Grimmauld Place or even the Death Eaters appearing to be aware that the Taboo was crossed.

This is not quite correct logic. Yes, 12 Grimmauld Place seems to be protected against the Taboo Jinx, so that the Trio could easily speak about Lord Voldemort without being detected, but it doesn’t mean that it was the Fidelius Charm which did it. It is said that the Black family was quite paranoid so the house had been for long time covered with the thick layer of various protective spells (some of which probably even unique or generally unknown) and on the top of that it is presumed that Alastor Moody & al. covered the Headquarters of the Order of Phoenix with additional layers of protective spells, so that 12 Grimmauld Place was one of the most heavily guarded places in whole Britain (yes, [citation]). So, the protection against the Taboo Jinx may be created by any other protective spell put on the household.

Mcepl (talk) 12:52, July 13, 2017 (UTC)

Albus Dumbledore[]

What grounds do we have for stating that it was even possibly Dumbledore who cast the Fidelius to hide the Potters? I find that unlikely; it's not unreasonable to assume that the caster must by some mechanism appoint the secret keeper. As he apparently did not know that the secret keeper was in fact Peter Pettigrew and not Sirius Black, Dumbledore cannot possibly have been the one to cast it. I think it's far more likely to have been Lily or James. AdamPlenty (talk) 00:54, 2 October 2021 (UTC)

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