Longbottom's Torture to Insanity (Re: candy)

[Brenda M.]

No: HPFGUIDX 109902

>>> Kneasy wrote:
> Speak my name and I appear. <<<

Brenda:
*laughing her arse off* You a Genie in the bottle? ;P


>>> Kneasy: No, I don't really go for ESE!DD - he's much more 
devious and manipulative than that. <<<

Brenda:
I agree that DD can be quite devious and manipulative, but with 
every bit of honourable intention.  I mean if we don't have DD on 
good side then who can we *really* trust to fight Voldemort?  
Harry?  Pffft!  I happen to think villains are usually portrayed as 
the most devious characters in the plot -- unless you are talking 
complexity, much like Snape's.


>>> Kneasy: So if it's not the wrapper, what's left? The contents - 
the gum [snip] It produces bubbles [snip] Where can we find spheres? 
In the Ministry, in the Dept. of Mysteries, of course.

There's a fair chance that there is something in a prophecy globe 
that concerns Neville. Alice blows bubbles and they remind her and 
she's desperate to get the concept across to Neville. And I doubt 
that the globe is the same one as that Voldy was after. Mind you, it 
could be one of the two that were broken, the ones where we didn't 
quite hear the prophecies they contained. <<<

Bren:

Neat logic, I like it.  Alice's cognition being triggered, hopefully 
this will facilitate her recovery.  I think someone mentioned that 
this probably was not the first time Alice had given Neville the 
wrapper.  What other spheres do we know of that can be proven 
important?  I am thinking bubble gums are deflatable so perhaps not 
the moon... 

>>> Aggie with her great point:
> Perhaps she thinks that one of the members of staff is
> trying to keep them from recovering! That they are kept in a state 
of
> 'insaneness' to stop them spilling the beans about something they
> know [snip We *know* that Bode died there, what if this
> wasn't an accident?

>>> Terpnurse responded:
And you're absolutely right about Bode. He was on the same ward as 
the Longbottoms, and presumably shared a nurse or healer with them. 
Didn't Hermione even remark that someone at the hospital should've 
recognized the plant for what it was? Perhaps the spheres that Alice 
is possibly warning Neville about are those lights. Maybe some sort 
of spy device, like a crystal ball? Or perhaps there's something 
else inimical about them? <<<

Brenda:

Brilliant, I was just about to rant about why the heck it is taking 
so long for them to recover.  I mean, how *can* you torture a 
powerful wizard to insanity with Crucio! permanently?  I am assuming 
it is the worst spell for torturing, otherwise that would have made 
into Unforgivable Curses list as well.  Even the Dementors do not 
exert permanent affect on their victims, Azkaban prisoners seem to 
be recovering afterwards.  It was always nagging to me, IF the 
Longbottoms have been taken care of pretty well in St. Mungo's, they 
should have made at least some recovery by now, IMO.  If they were 
as respected and liked by the Wizarding community, it makes sense to 
me that WW at least paid their admiration by allocating some of the 
top healers in Britain.

As for the light globes at St. Mungo's being spy device, it rings a 
bell, no?  Those lights DD captured on 4 Privet Drive which might 
explain for the awful quick response from MoM whenever Harry 
performs magic (while Hermione's all the charm practice before 
Hogwarts has yet to cause her troubles
)

>>> Eustace_Scrubb: We only really know from canon that the attack 
on the Longbottoms occurred at some point after Godric's Hollow when 
most in the WW had begun to feel safe. As the celebrations on 
November 1, 1981 (if that was really the year), one day after 
Godric's Hollow, were open enough and boisterous enough to draw the 
attention of Vernon Dursley and the muggle newscasters, I would 
argue that the feeling of safety was almost immediate--not wise, 
perhaps, but there you have it. <<<

Brenda:
Thank you for pointing it out to me, I always thought the attack on 
Longbottoms was one year later.  I think I had it mixed with Crouch 
Jr. `died' a year after he was brought in to Azkaban.

>>> Eustace_Scrubb: I think that Bellatrix knew that Voldemort 
intended to attack both the Longbottoms and the Potters but not 
necessarily why (i.e., they didn't know about the prophecy and the 
importance of a baby). When it
became evident that Voldemort had vanished and the Potters were 
dead, Bellatrix and the others drew the conclusion that the 
Longbottoms had
somehow defeated or captured their master; in other words, his plans 
had gone awry not at Godric's Hollow but at his next stop. That's 
why the Longbottoms were tortured. <<<

Bren:
While I will still argue that Bella & co knew the partial content of 
the prophecy, I agree that they had plans to attack the Potters as 
well.  But Voldemort went after them BEFORE he sent his generals?  
Why?  Or perhaps the Potters were attacked as well, but they never 
got caught.  Could this be why all the Potters are dead?

Following your train of thought, I will postulate that Neville was 
placed in protection and THAT is why Frank and Alice were tortured.  
Poor parents for having magically powerful children
 

And as for Beth's speculation of Alice's maiden name, I simply have 
no idea



Brenda, who yelled out "Dang it, # 109901 is taken!  So much for 
palindrome!"  How nerdy, I know