AurorAlice

[catherinemckiernan]

No: HPFGUIDX 85451

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)"
<catlady at w...> wrote:
<other snipt>
> Elfundeb wrote in
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/84467 :
> 
> << In GoF, there is absolutely no mention that Alice was an Auror.
> Crouch states that the Lestranges et al. were accused of "capturing 
> an Auror -- Frank Longbottom -- and subjecting him to the Cruciatus
> Curse" and further accused "of using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank
> Longbottom's wife." Dumbledore says later when Harry asks whether 
> they were talking about Neville's parents, "His father, Frank, was an
> Auror just like Professor Moody. He and his wife were tortured for
> information about Voldemort's whereabouts after he lost his powers, 
> as you heard."
> 
> In OoP, on the other hand, they were both described as Aurors. The
> difference is so striking, I'm left with the nagging feeling that
> Alice was promoted between books. >>
> 
> After GoF, many people, including me, were under the impression that
> both Neville's parents were Aurors, and canon-purists on list kept
> 'correcting' us that canon didn't say whether Neville's (as yet
> unnamed) mother was an Auror or not. OoP stated that both Frank and
> Alice Longbottom were Aurors. I believe that that was JKR's intention
> all along -- that us careless readers picked up on her *intention*
> rather than her words. The same for ferocious Lily Evans defender of
> the weak and feisty prankster Ginny Weasley the Quidditch ace.
>
I agree that JKR always intended to imply both Longbottoms were
Aurors. There's also a potential explanation (other than blatant
sexism) of why in GoF the DEs are referred to as going after Frank for
information and then torturing his wife when he didn?t reveal it.
Alice isn't tortured to make her crack (that's a fringe benefit), but
to make Frank reveal the info. the DEs presume he is hiding in order
to stop them torturing her. Alice herself is still on maternity leave
(she?s in a public service job, some provide up to 2 years leave,
sadly unpaid by this point) and thus not in the know unless Frank
tells her, hence the primary attack on Frank.

Catherine McK