Introducing a New Memory Charm

[lucky_kari]

No: HPFGUIDX 42575

A long long time ago, in a museum basement far far away, a group of 
Theory Bay's zaniest sailors gathered under the direction of the dread 
captain Elkins for a symposium on memory charms. The transcript of the 
meeting can be found here. 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/38812

There are three parts and many interesting responses, so if you feel a 
little confused about where this post is going, feel free to dip 
through these. 

The Memory Charm issue has been traditionally divided into two 
questions: WHO? and WHY? I intend to finger a very common suspect in 
these proceedings, but to suggest not only a very different reason, 
but a very different account of what happened with the Longbottoms. 

The direct inspiration for this theory was a marriage of the Memory 
Charm Symposium and my "Speaking Frankly" post 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/40762

In "Speaking Frankly," I wrote:
"You see, Frank had a rather intriguing life. He was an auror, and 
extremely popular, but he managed to eclipse these accomplishments by 
being tortured by DEs to discover where Voldemort was.

"Time after time, listies have pointed out that the DEs were probably 
wrong. Frank had absolutely no knowledge of where Voldemort was. How 
could he? He didn't divulge the information because he didn't know it. 
It's perfectly rational, but I don't buy it.

" In a world where Peter is Scabbers, I refuse to believe that JKR 
sets up this fascinating possibility that Frank knew something, 
something that could still influence the plot as a complete red 
herring. It's well, as one my masters taught me when I was a young 
padawan learner,  not BIG BANGY. If JKR passes up on this chance, I 
will be very disappointed."

However, in the Memory Charm symposium, Elkins wrote:
"So all in all, I feel fairly well convinced that poor Frank 
Longbottom really didn't know a thing."

But why, Elkins, why?

Tabouli wrote:
"I dunno. I'm just not convinced that many people *really* get 
tortured to death without spilling the beans."

Elkins wrote:
"No, neither am I, and I don't think that JKR is either. The HP books 
are written in a fairly heroic idiom, but they're not written in 
*that* heroic an idiom."

BUT GUYS! What sort of Big Bang is that? It was all a case of mistaken 
identity? How's Neville going to remember the secret to destroy 
Voldemort.... err... well... 

But wait a second....

Haven't we been assuming all along something that we had no right to 
assume? Assuming that Frank didn't spill the beans? Assuming that Mrs. 
Lestrange and co. didn't get the information they came for that night?

You see, something that has bugged me a lot about these "Neville has 
Frank's secret stored away in his mind" theories is that they are all 
due for a yellow flag violation. Nowhere in the Potterverse is there 
yet any demonstration that this is an option. However, if one hears a 
secret, one can definitely have it stored away in one's mind. The only 
way Neville can be the messenger is IF Frank was tortured into 
revealing the secret IN NEVILLE'S HEARING!

So far, very good, but whodunit?

Dicentra wrote:
"I'm not ready to claim that Fudge tortured the Longbottoms, but I'll 
always vote for him covering up something evil."

Elkins wrote:
"Yeah. You know, I try, I really do try, to resist the seductive lure  
of Ever So Evil Fudge. I fight against it with all of my might. See, 
I'm just way too fond of reading Fudge and Crouch as literary doubles 
in GoF, and that reading goes all to *pieces* once you start wagging 
your finger at Fudge and crying "FIE!" It really does. It throws 
everything hopelessly out of balance."

Well, well, well... Let me paint a picture for you.

Fudge is first on the scene in the Longbottom affair just as he was 
with Sirius Black. He takes charge of the situation, including a 
traumatized two-year Neville. However, within a few minutes of doing 
so, he becomes very frightened. Little Neville is saying words that 
indicate he overheard something big about Voldemort, about going after 
Voldemort. Now, right now it's just the incoherent and upset ramblings 
of a two-year old, but Fudge knows that once Law Enforcement gets wind 
of this, they can probably get some testimony out of Neville, 
especially as the Potterverse has proved through Harry that a 
one-year-old's auditory memories are retrievable through dementors. 

Now, if there's one thing Fudge is, he's a coward. Voldemort has gone 
away. He doesn't want to think about it. He doesn't want Crouch Sr. 
undertaking something risky, something that may upset the new world 
that "we've tried to build." The status quo is much better. It would 
be for the best for everyone, including Neville (for Fudge is always 
doing the kindly politician thing and would probably justify himself 
with the classic memory charm theory), if this was to be swept under 
the rug. And so, Fudge goes ahead.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Lestrange and co. never get a chance to go ahead with 
the knowledge that they've obtained, because Moody takes them in. 
However, years later what was it that Bertha Jorkins overheard Crouch 
Jr. saying to Winky that convinced Voldemort Crouch was still his 
loyal servant? I submit that Crouch Jr. was referring to the knowledge 
they got from Frank and how he was going to use it. And for Fourth Man 
devotees, Avery has a very guilty conscience about never acting on 
that knowledge, when he was the only DE at liberty to do so.

Now, comes the end of GoF, and the new memory charm theory makes 
Fudge's behaviour more and more explicable. Fudge has already burnt 
his bridges. Voldemort can't be returned. He just can't. Because if he 
has, then Fudge has already destroyed their only way out of the 
situation. Rather than face up to this, Fudge refuses to believe 
Dumbledore.

So there you are. All it needs now is a spiffy name.

Eileen