Neville Longbottom

[banjoken at optonline.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 22958

> This may have been discussed before, but I couldn't find the posts. 
> In GoF, Dumbledore tells Harry about the torture, and subsequent 
>insanity, of Neville's parents.  Does anybody have any thoughts as 
>to who might have been their torturer (it took place after 
>Voldemort's fall) 

It's generally believe to be the Lestranges, a DE couple still in 
Azkaban at the time of GoF. I don't think, however, that it's ever 
been proved. I haven't read GoF in about two months, so my memory is 
a little shaky. Guess it's time to dig it out again! :)

> Also, why do you think Snape is so mean to Neville?  Is it just 
>because he's a mean guy and Neville is afraid of him and does things 
>incorrectly in his class?  Or is there something else going on there?

I can't even begin to speculate (I'll leave that to the real Snape 
fans!). One thing, though, that strikes me in thinking about it is 
how little we really know about Snape. We have no idea how he became 
a DE, what he did at great personal risk to help Dumbledore out 
against Voldemort; there's been endless debate about what his task 
was at the end of GoF, etc. I think he's one of the most interesting 
characters in the series precisely for this reason. I for one, am 
very anxious to find out more about Snape.

Ken