The Longbottoms

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 54550

> Audrey: 
> 
> Or it could be that the Longbottoms know who *didn't* torture 
them,  
> perhaps the fact that the son of a very highly placed Ministry 
> official had nothing to do with it at all.  Who is more likely to 
> believe Lucius' claims that he had not been a willing Death Eater, 
> Crouch Sr. or Fudge?  Even Dumbledore said he wasn't positive about 
> Barty Jr.'s guilt when Harry asked him about it after seeing the 
> trial in the pensieve.  I could see Lucius keeping the Longbottoms 
> incapacitated by way of payoffs to St. Mungo's in order to keep 
Fudge 
> in power whether Lucius was actually involved in their torture or 
> not. 

That could well be the case! And that- that might put an end to 
Fudge, raise suspicion whether anyone *else* Crouch Sr. sent to 
prison was in fact innocent (like Sirius). Then, there *could* be a 
summoning-spell Harry could use on Pettigrew (because of the life-
debt) - maybe even _accio_ would work (handy spell to get what you 
need, isn't it). Hmm.. Neville banished Flitwick, but couldn't summon 
anything... Could it be that accio doesn't work on people unless they 
owe you a life-debt? So Harry *could* summon Peter Pettigrew and 
Ginny Weasley (for practising the spell?) as well as Justin F-F (to 
show him beyond doubt that Harry *saved* his life from that snake in 
the Dualing Club...) Of course, it's likely to take the book's worth 
for Harry to figure all that out and act on it... Sirius may well be 
freed in the end of it... (at least I hope he will be).

-- Finwitch