Longbottom/Potter Friendship

[hermionegallo]

No: HPFGUIDX 82440

Bohcoo wrote:
> How does this sound?
> It struck me when re-reading about the torture of the Longbottoms 
> that perhaps they, and their infant son Neville, were visiting the 
> Potters that fateful evening when Lord Voldemort came to call. Why 
> else would Belladrix torture them to insanity, convinced that they 
> knew where Voldemort was, unless they had been there when Voldemort 
> disappeared? 
> 
> Since the Potters were dead and Voldemort suddenly gone, it makes 
> sense that the Longbottoms would know where he was, but only if 
they had been present at his disappearance. Why else would they be 
> targeted as a source of this information?

hg replies:

The first thing that would eliminate this as a possibility is that 
there was a secret keeper, keeping the location of the Potters 
unknowable to anyone.  Unless the Potters and the Longbottoms were in 
hiding together -- which doesn't seem to make sense, as then the 
Longbottoms would have more say in who the secret keeper should be.

However, you bring up an interesting point that Kneazle255 and I have 
been discussing off-board -- the Longbottoms were indeed targeted, 
and they were a source of information, some information that the DEs 
really wanted and couldn't get, perhaps some information that is 
still critical.

The question we've brought up is why would the Lestranges leave them 
alive? Furthermore, what information would the DEs have that would 
lead them to believe that the Longbottoms might know where Voldemort 
was?  This is your original question, and although I don't think the 
answer lies in the Longbottoms being at GH that night, I do think 
it's a question that needs to be asked.

Kneazle and I have tried to backtrack and answer those questions.  
One possibility we've arrived at is that perhaps the Longbottoms, 
being Aurors, interrogated Sirius after the events of 10/31/81, and 
gained some information that sent them into an investigation.  We 
recalled that Sirius had no trial, but that doesn't negate the 
possibility of him being questioned, only the possibility of Crouch 
et al listening to his testimony/defense.  As Aurors and as Order 
members, their interview with Sirius would be allowed by the Ministry 
and simultaneously valuable to the Order (under radar).

hg.