The Longbottoms revisited

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 55272

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Gregory Lynn" 
<gregorylynn at a...> wrote:

> ...edited...
> 
> ..., why were the Longbottoms tortured?  Answer: Because 
the Death Eaters were trying to locate Lord Voldemort.  And yet, it 
was just the Longbottoms who were tortured, why is that?  ...edited... 
 Is there anything to suggest that the Longbottoms were involved in 
Voldemort's downfall?  
> 

bboy_mn:
I will answer your theory with an old theory, and we'll see how they 
stack up against each other.

Hagrid takes Harry from his parents house around midnight (close 
enough) then midnight the next night he delivers him to Dumbledore at 
the Dursley's. So where were Harry and Hagrid during those 24 hours? 
This of course, is an endlessly debated issue, and a mystery with few 
clues. 

Hagrid could have gone back to Hogwarts, but most of us assume there 
is a reasonably large distance between Gordic's Hollow and Hogwarts, 
although there is no definite proof of that. So where could he find 
some trusted and powerful wizard who lived close by. How about the 
Longbottoms? 

Mr. Longbottom is a very well like and respected Auror, and should 
certainly be powerful and well trained enough to protect Harry. 
Mrs. Longbottom has a son the same age as Harry so she is easily able 
to take care of a child. Seems like a good idea, so they stay at the 
Longbottoms.

Now a year later, Harry and Neville are about two years old, a group 
of Death Eaters are desparate to find out what really happened the 
night Voldemort disappeared. The only living person who was there is 
Harry, but he can't talk. First person on the scene was Hagrid. Second 
person on the scene, Sirius, is locked up in prison, so we can 
eliminate him from the equation. 

The first person, Hagrid, talked to was the Longbottoms, that plus Mr. 
Longbottom was a top Auror who was probably still active in the search 
for Voldemort and the on-going investigation. So the Longbottoms would 
be the one person they, the Death Eaters, could get to who would be 
likely to have the information they needed. 

Two year old Neville witnesses his parents torture and may have been 
tortured himself. So Neville's problems are related to the torture 
itself and/or a memory charm that was placed on him so he could forget 
the nightmare of the torture. 

Who... what... when... where... and why... a complete equation. Or at 
least it is if you ignore all the unknowns and unfounded speculation.

Just an alternate theory.



> Gregory Lynn continues:
>
> My sort of half formed theory is this:
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> We know that Professor Trelawney made a previous legitimate 
prediction.  ...edited...
> 
> I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that the prediction 
involved the Potter/Voldemort conflict more specifically something to 
the effect of a Potter (or Gryffindor's heir) ending Voldemort's reign 
forever.  So not knowing whether Voldemort was alive or dead, they 
sealed that prediction up inside Neville and made him forget that he 
even had it.
> 
> ...edited...
> ___________
> Gregory Lynn


bboy_mn:

Your theory does give a possible explaination for the events. The one 
problem I see is the assumption that only Trelawney and who ever heard 
her, knew about the prediction. Would a parent be likely to let their 
two year old child be used to store a secret without any explaination 
other than we have a secret we want to hide. Next, do we know that 
secret keepers work on any and all secrets, or is it only the magical 
consealment of the location of a person. That's how it was described, 
but no indication was given whether it was limited to the location of 
a person.

Now the secret itself. It is very likely that the Centaurs know; they 
seem to have a great deal of knowledge of Harry's fate and the course 
of the future. Who ever heard Trelawney's prediction must have told 
Dumbledore, unless Dumbledore was the original and only person to hear 
it. If he was the only person, is it reasonable to assume the he would 
discuss it with no one? 

I think the most difficult part of your theory to accept is the idea 
that anyone would use a young innocent helpless unconscenting child as 
a secret keeper.

I think most of us are in agreement that something is up with Neville. 
He is too far into the foreground of the story, his bad memory gets 
brought up just a little too often. There is definitely something 
going on there. Something significant happened to Neville, and I 
suspect it is somehow tied to Harry. I also thing that Neville is a 
far more powerful wizard than he appears to be, and I think something 
will happen that will unblock him.

Just a few thoughts. It's alway good to hear a new theory.

bboy_mn