Neville as Witness (was Re: TBAY: Memory Charm Neville

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 38874

Naama wrote:

> Erm. Am I the only one with a dark enough mind to realize that if 
the 
> torturing DEs had Neville there, in the house with his parents, 
they 
> would have used torture on him as the best and quickest means to 
get 
> what they want from the parents? Can you imagine a parent not 
> breaking down under threat or actual torture of her child? 
> That's one of the reasons I just can't buy the Neville as 
eyewitness 
> theories. If he was there, he would have either gone through 
terrible 
> torture (in which case, why isn't he insane also?) or already be 
> dead. 

There might be a few reasons why Neville didn't receive his own 
extended round of the Cruciatus Curse:

1.  According to Crouch Sr., the DEs tried something similar to what 
you suggest.  They tortured Frank, and then "when he would not give 
you information" they tortured his wife.  At this point, even if the 
DEs considered moving on to torture Neville, the DEs may have either 
figured Frank really didn't have information or he was insane.

2.  Even DEs aren't evil enough to torture a small child.

3.  Maybe DEs know that if you torture anyone long enough, they'll 
Crack if they have the information.  There was no benefit to 
continuing the torture with Neville.

4.  Perhaps the assault was interrupted before they had the chance 
to move on to torturing Neville.

Personally, I favor Option 2.  That allows our DEs to have a 
conscience, to have depths to which even Evil DEs will not sink.  
That gives us the tension that, at a crucial moment, a DE will 
refuse to do something especially wicked.  

That might come in handy when it is time for Peter to kill Lupin 
with his silver hand.

Now as for me, I'm still waiting for an answer to why the DEs didn't 
use the undisputed quickest and most efficient way to get the 
information out of Frank -- The Imperius Curse. 

Anyone?

Cindy