[HPforGrownups] Sneaking suspicion about Neville's parents...

[The Crashing Boar]

No: HPFGUIDX 72033

<<< tharqueen 
  <snip>I've been wondering why Neville's parents were tortured and an 
  answer just hit me. It all ties into the prophecy of course.

  Perhaps Voldy did think of the possibility of Neville and Harry 
  being the foretold ones. So, he sends Bellatrix (who seems to be 
  his most loyal follower) to find Neville. She cannot find him since 
  his parents have hidden him. She proceeds to torture them 
  using the Cruciatus curse to find out his whereabouts which they 
  never tell her.  Meanwhile Voldy is told of Harry's location from 
  scummy Wormtail and events unfold as we know them. <snip>>>>

  I agree, I think the attacks were timed so that LV could deal with the more troublesome Potters, while Bellatrix got the location of the Longbottom child from his parents, so LV could deal with him afterwards.  Why?  The Potters had gone into hiding as a family.  As Aurors, the Longbottoms couldn't justifiably leave the fight, so they had hidden their child somewhere else.  I believe it was always LV's plan, as it was relatively simple to locate the Longbottoms, that when he gained the location of the Potters, he would strike as soon as possible while the other location was being extracted, and attack the logistially simpler target once the Potters were out of the way.  As we know, he never got that far.

  And Neville?  I think he was put into hiding with his grandmother, who was given a rudimentary idea of the prophecy when she was briefed on the situation.  As a result, when she found what had been done to his parents, she was determined to continue to protect him in her own way.  She consequently constantly undermines all of his achievemebts and his confidence, convincing him he has no 'dangerous' magical skills until his uncle, in desperation, throws him out of a window to force the situation.  She then goes about convincing him that he is incapable of safely controlling what 'little' magic he has.
  I still think that there is a chance Neville could be the one the prophecy is about, the 'marking' of Harry just a coincidence (Baby Harry did not defeat LV, his mother's sacrifice did), and I believe that the Order, at least to begin with, see this as a possibility.  Harry was sent to the Muggle world to be protected better by his mother's blood, Neville was allowed to disappear into obscurity.

  Is the fact that Snape rides them *both* hard a clue, too?


  Dawn





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