Look, it's another theory!
ATTN: POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT. THE TITLE OF BOOK 7 IS MENTIONED.
So, it’s two in the morning, I’m writing Potterfic, and I’ve got it all planned out, Harry living in Godric’s Hollow with Ron and Hermione while searching for horcruxes… until I realize that there could be major problems with that.
The Potter’s house in Godric’s Hollow was under the Fidelius Charm. And while it can’t be said for absolute certain that Godric’s Hollow is STILL under the Fidelius Charm, I’d be willing to bet that it is. So, regardless of whether or not it becomes important for Harry in terms of book seven, if necessary, CAN Harry access the house, provided it’s still under the charm?
I’m not so sure.
Harry’s home was under the protection of that specific Fidelius Charm. From what we know of how the Fidelius Charm works, the Secret Keeper tells people where the protected place is located, and then those people can go into it, but they can’t divulge the location to anyone else. Technically, it’s possible that Lily, James, and Harry wouldn’t have to be told the address of their home to be able to be hidden in it - if they were inside when the Charm was cast. Of course, it’s more sensible to assume that Lily and James would be told the address so that they could get in and out of the house when necessary instead of never being able to find it again, but what about Harry? He could be told of course, as the charm might dictate if people can’t be inside the place initially - but what Moody says in OotP makes me think that more than just being told what the location is, a person has to memorize and think about it in order to be able to access it (if they leave it and try to get back in, since Harry was able to be hidden there initially).
“ ‘Here,’ Moody muttered, […] ‘Read quickly and memorize.’ ” - pg. 58, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, 1st American Hardcover Edition
“ ‘Think about what you’ve just memorized,’ said Lupin quietly. ” - pg. 59, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, 1st American Hardcover Edition
In my opinion, this points to Harry not being currently able to access his parents’ home at Godric’s Hollow, unless the Fidelius Charm was lifted and it was just never mentioned (which I don’t believe, because I don’t think JKR would make things that easy). He was a baby when his parents were murdered, and I don’t think there’s ANY way he would have remembered that information even if it had been told to him way back when.
Hence, I don’t think there’s any way Harry is getting into his old home without the assistance of Peter Pettigrew, the Secret Keeper. No one else can tell him the location of the house, and even if he was led there by someone who knew the location (like Hagrid, who rescued him from the house and would have had to have known the location, unless the Fidelius Charm was lifted), he wouldn’t be able to think of the location of the house and concentrate on it - because if he remembers it at his age, he’s seriously turned into one of those super-powered Gary Stus. Sure, he’s powerful, but as far as I know, JKRs plots aren’t that mindless. x.x
So! People always question Peter and what made him do what he did, and they talk about how he owes Harry a life debt. Dumbledore suggests that this “life debt” could be a very good thing. If we trust Dumbledore here, then Peter will be pretty useful in terms of the coming plot. There’s got to be a number of ways in which he can do this and be helpful to Harry, but if Godric’s Hollow comes back into the plot - I think it’s going to be VERY important, because Pettigrew is the only one who can tell Harry where it is. I don’t think Pettigrew is suddenly going to become a super helpful person to Harry for the whole next book, because that’s really not in his character, so I think his life debt is going to have to be repaid by one very big thing. Therefore, if Godric’s Hollow is included - that might just be how Peter pays off his life debt.
I don’t know why the house at Godric’s Hollow could be so important, but it is where Harry’s parents died and where his life was saved. It could also be the location of a horcrux, though so could almost any place else.
What does everyone else think?
Also, this is just a random comment, but…
Does anyone think a horcrux is hidden in Godric’s Hollow because of the new title relevation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? In reading JKR’s diary on her page, I’ve considered that the hall she mentions is part of the book’s namesake (hallowed halls?) and that if it’s anywhere we’ve already heard mentioned in the books, it could be the house at Godric’s Hollow. Apparently James had a bit of money to his name, and the halls of that house would definitely be “deathly” in some way (causing death, indicating death, morbid, in the manner of death, etc. [dictionary.com]). I know there’s a million theories on the title - I’m just wondering if anyone else has entertained that idea.