neville's story

[eliasheldon at ivillage.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 5303

I agree with the other people who posted, I think that it makes sense 
that Ron and the others don't know what happened to the Longbottoms.

A related theory came to mind when I read this post:  Perhaps Neville 
has had a memory charm placed on him.  His poor memory is mentioned 
several times throughout the canon.  Perhaps he actually witnessed 
the torturing and had to have his memory modified (even as a small 
boy).  He might have had his memory modified by those who had 
tortured his parents so that he could not bear witness against them.  
Or, he might have had his memory modified by doctors who thought that 
this memory would cause problems for him when he grew up.  Perhaps 
that is why Dumbledore insists that Harry know the truth, because he 
sees what memory charms have done to people and doesn't like the 
resuolt. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

BTW - Congratulations, Penny, on your great news!  I am really happy 
for you and your husband!


--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Susan McGee" <Schlobin at a...> wrote:
> We had a thread a while back about why few knew that Lord
> Voldemort had once been Tom Riddle at Hogwarts.
> 
> What is more unbelievable is that none of his classmates
> knew Neville's parents' story.
> 
> In GoF we learn that Frank Longbottom was an Auror and
> he had his wife were tortured with the Cruciatus curse
> by the Lestranges and Barty Crouch, Jr. to find the
> whereabouts of L.V. We hear that the wizard/witch world
> was enraged (because they thought they were safe after the demise 
of 
> L.V). We find out that Frank and his wife are insane and 
> don't know Neville and that Neville is raised by his grandmother
> and visits them periodically.
> 
> What strains credulity is that no one told Ron Weasley about this..
> not his parents or his brothers...we hear that the Longbottoms
> were popular...etc..
> 
> No one has told Ron not to question neville?
> 
> Dumbledore tells harry and then tells him not to question neville,
> but this should have been something that was common knowledge...
> 
> Was there a conspiracy of silence, not to tell the children
> the horrors of L.V. Yet Ron knows enough to be shocked by harry's
> use of L.V.s name..
> 
> ???
> 
> Susan