Lucius Malfoy and St. Mungos

[Devika]

No: HPFGUIDX 54568

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Christine Acker 
<hphgrwlca at y...> wrote:
> <snip>
> 
> Let's consider what we know about the Longbottoms for
> a moment.  We know they were Aurors, and a very
> popular couple.  We know that they are in St. Mungo's
> after being driven mad by Voldemort.  We know Voldie
> used the Cruciatus Curse on them.  We know they have a
> son named Neville, whom they don't recognize.  We know
> that son is not a very good student; he is very
> forgetful and unconfident.
>
>  Now, look more closely at what we know.  It is popular
> belief (here and in the WW) that they were driven mad
> after V used Cruciatus to obtain info from them.  NOT
> FACT.  I personally believe that the Longbottoms were
> pressed for information using Cruciatus, and then V
> discovered how much they really know and Memory
> Charmed them into mental oblivion.  Also, he may have
> done so after inadvertantly giving them info to which
> they should not have been privy.
> 

Actually, Voldemort was not the one who used the Cruciatus Curse on 
the Longbottoms.  Death Eaters (Crouch Jr. allegedly being one of 
them) tortured the Longbottoms for information about Voldemort's 
whereabouts *after* Voldemort had been defeated by the Potters.  It 
is unclear whether or not the Longbottoms actually had information 
about what had happened to Voldemort in the first place.  It is 
possible that after using the Cruciatus Curse on the Longbottoms, the 
DEs also used powerful Memory Charms on them, causing their current 
mental states.  There are two reasons that I can think of for why the 
DEs would do this:  

1.  The Longbottoms actually did know, and told the DEs, where to 
find Voldemort.  The DEs then Obliviated them to prevent them from 
repeating this information.
  
2.  The DEs simply Obliviated the Longbottoms to prevent them from 
being able to identify their attackers.  This could have happened 
regardless of whether or not the Longbottoms had any information 
about Voldemort.


> What does this have to do with Neville?
> 
> Well, it is obvious that Neville was already alive
> when this happened (they would not have had a child in
> SM's, plus it was right before he found the Potters). 
> I think Neville was there when all this happened to
> his parents, and Voldie, knowing the power of the
> subconsious, would have Obliviated Neville as well to
> erase any info he might have accidentally absorbed. 
> 
> Why, then, didn't he kill Neville?
> 
> I don't know.  Maybe the same reason he might not have
> killed his parents: as a warning.  Look out, there are
> fates worse than death, and I am not afraid to send
> you there.  He planned on still being in power when
> Neville was grown up, and seeing the effects he had on
> Neville.  He probably also figured people would put
> together what V did to Neville and glean a lesson from
> that as well.


Well, although Voldemort could hardly have planned to be in power at 
this point (see above), the DEs who attacked the Longbottoms had the 
hope that they could find and resurrect him (Pensieve scene, GoF).  
I'm not sure why they did not kill the Longbottoms.  Perhaps they 
were caught and arrested before they had the chance?


> Whew!  I sure hope there aren't any holes in this
> post, and that no one has posted this idea before. 
> (I've been following this thread, so I don't think
> they have, but of course I could be wrong.)
> 


No major holes, if you replace "Voldemort" with "DEs."

I know that a number of people have postulated the Memory Charmed!
Neville theory before, although I can't think of who they are at the 
moment.  Perhaps one of them could direct us to their posts on the 
topic.  I seem to remember that people have also raised the 
possibility that a well-meaning family member might have used the 
memory charm on Neville to spare him the memory of seeing his parents 
being tortured.  

Hope this helps to clear things up :)

Devika