Attack on the Longbottoms - why Neville can't be the one

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 73584

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lily_paige_delaney" 
<lily_paige_delaney at y...> wrote:
> I know some people are saying that the prophecy might refer to 
> Neville instead of Harry but there is one big thing against this.
> 
> The Longbottom's were attacked AFTER Voldemort had tried to kill 
> Harry and lost his powers.  Dumbledore tells Harry in GoF that the 
> Longbottom's were very popular and that the attack on them came at 
a 
> time when everyone thought they were safe (post Voldemort).  
> 
> Dumbledore also says that Frank was an Auror and he was tortured 
> because Bellatrix and co. thought he knew where Voldemort was (for 
> whatever reason)and when he wouldn't tell them they attacked 
Alice.  
> 
> For this reason I think the whole Neville thing is a red herring.
> 
> LPD

To be honest, I don't really understand why the fact that the 
Longbottoms were tortured after Voldemorts downfall means, that 
Neville can't be the prophecy boy. There are some convincing 
arguments that it isn't Neville (although I am still not 100% sure, 
mainly because of Firenzes warning that the future have been read 
wrongly even by centaurs), but I don't get your argument. IMO, it is 
not only possible, but likely, that both, the Longbottoms and the 
Potters were in hiding after the prophecy. Dumbledore hardly could 
know, which boy Voldemort would mark, so it would IMO have been very 
irresponsible, not to hide Harry and Neville. Than later, when the 
Potters were attacked, it seemed clear that Harry is the boy from the 
prophecy and the Longbottoms came out of hiding. Than the Death 
Eaters could still have been enough time to torture them

Hickengruendler