Neville Has A Memory Charm? Not! (WAS Neville)

[heathernmoore]

No: HPFGUIDX 31832

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at h...> wrote:
> Slon wrote:
> 
> > Yes, yes, and yes again on Neville!  (except on the part about him 
> > being older than Harry et al-I think they're the same age-I have no 
> > proof, it's just a feeling!)  I have speculated from the begining 
> (at 
> > least from the first time I read GoF) that Neville us under some 
> type 
> > of memory charm.  I'm certain JK showed us the effects of a memory 
> > charm 'for a reason' (underlined and italicized!) not just to toss 
> in 
> > some extra wizarding world magic.  I think it was to help draw 
> > parallels between the people we know were under memory charms and 
> > Neville (forgetfulness, problems with magic, etc). I too believe 
> that 
> > Neville WILL be key to Voldy's downfall-he knows something I'm just 
> > sure of it.  SURE OF IT!  
> > 
> 
> Maybe it is time for another enthusiastic recuitment drive for 
> the "Neville Does Not Have A Traditional Memory Charm" support 
> group.  At present, we have one member (me) and two sickels clunking 
> around in the collecting tin.  Amy Z expressed some interest in 
> joining, but has not come forth with any cash, so I think she was 
> just looking.  :-)
> 
> Briefly, here are the reasons I think Neville does not have a memory 
> charm, and it is more likely that he has a "reverse memory charm."
> 
> 1.  Giving Neville a memory charm is a little obvious, and JKR 
> doesn't do the obvious.
> 
> 2.  Depending on how you do the math, Neville was 1 or possibly as 
> old as 2 when his parents were tortured.  Children that young can't 
> remember things that happen to them.  So why would anyone put a 
> memory charm on a toddler knowing that the charm will damage the 
> child's memory if the child can't remember the events anyway?  And if 
> Neville gets a memory charm, why does no one put a charm on Harry to 
> spare him the trauma he remembers, as Neville and Harry were both 
> born in 1981.  (The date calculation is complicated, so I won't 
> repeat it, but it is in Message 26,847.  The thread started on 
> Message 26,826).
> 
> 3.  How did the Lestranges and Crouch Jr. get caught?  Neville's 
> parents couldn't provide evidence, yet the perpetrators were 
> apprehended, possibly fairly quickly.  Recall that we are in the days 
> when Crouch Sr. was running Magical Law Enforcement, and he was quite 
> willing to use harsh measures to catch DEs.  There is only one 
> witness to the crime -- Neville.  So Crouch Sr. orders the aurors to 
> put a "reverse memory charm" on Neville to enhance his memory and 
> communication skills so that he can identify the Lestranges and 
> Crouch Jr.  It is this "reverse memory charm" that has damaged 
> Neville's memory.  A side effect of the charm is that Neville now 
> clearly remembers the torture, even to this day, much more clearly 
> than he otherwise would have remembered it.  That is why he has never 
> talked about his parents; it is just too painful.
> 
> 4.  OK.  If a benevolent relative didn't put a memory charm on 
> Neville, perhaps the Lestranges did it to evade capture.  Nope, I 
> don't think so.  The Lestranges wouldn't fear identification by a 
> toddler enough to bother.  (Also, Fearless Leader Mrs. Lestrange 
> seems sufficiently bent that she might not be troubled by the 
> possibility of being captured).  If they did bother, they should know 
> that memory charms can be broken, so they should know the only 
> reliable way to silence toddler Neville is to kill him.  I think they 
> committed the crime and ran.
> 
> 5.  Just for fun, I'll toss in that I think Real Moody was the one 
> who placed the Reverse Memory Charm on Neville on Crouch Sr.'s 
> orders.  Moody then goes off to capture Mrs. Lestrange, finding her 
> to be a real wildcat.  He loses his eye, leg and picks up some 
> scars.  This is why he is not present for her trial.  This makes 
> Crouch Jr.'s behavior (as Fake Moody) toward Neville very intesting.  
> On the one hand, Crouch Jr. would know of Neville's role in his 
> capture and might harbor a grudge.  On the other hand, Crouch Jr. 
> would know he has to be nice toward Neville because Real Moody would 
> feel guilty about having damaged Neville's memory.  So we have some 
> internal conflict for Crouch Jr. -- always a nice touch.
> 
> Anyway, I'll just sit here in my chilly cubicle, waiting to see if 
> anyone would like to join the Neville-Reverse-Memory-Charm camp.  I 
> won't even ask Tabouli for an acronym until we have some actual 
> members.
> 
> Cindy 



   I'll join! You could really draw some chilling parallels between your Reverse-Memory-Charm idea and the real-life tragedy of False Memory Syndrome.  Imposing damaging memories (either real, in the RMC scheme, or false, in the duh FMS sceme) can cause no end of secondary damage.

  neat concept, I buy it readily.

 -- heather (uma)