TBAY: Matching Armchair Rethink

[amy_marblefeet]

No: HPFGUIDX 88893

Amy sat at the end of the dock of Theory Bay, her bare feet dangling 
over the edge, scanning the horizon with her omnioculars.  It was 
quiet all round, the Yellow Flag on the SAD DENIAL fluttering softly 
in the wind.  There were new theories floating everywhere around the 
bay these days but Amy was more interested in the older ones.  Ones 
that hadn't been seen on the bay since last June.

It was true that some had not survived and many were now littering 
the floor of the bay, most bearing the name Florence Lestrange.  The 
Hover Craft still lay in pieces on the beach front and LOLLIPOPS had 
not been seen in months.  The Big Bang, too, had been mysteriously 
quiet.

Something winked at Amy on the horizon.  She turned the `zoom' knob 
and focused in.  Perhaps it was the Imperius Arthur boat. Amy had 
been meaning to speak to someone about that.

It wasn't that though.  Amy wasn't sure what it was and squinted 
through the glasses.  She had definitely seen it before.  It looked 
like it could be one of a pair or perhaps part of a set.  At it 
floated round Amy got a better view.  She suddenly realised what it 
was.  It did look comfy from this angle.  But what was it doing out 
there?

Amy clicked her heals three times, pressed her belly button and when 
that didn't work apparated to the matching armchair.

<"))><

Ah yes, those old memory charm theories circling round Neville.

Neville's behaviour is very different in OoP from how he behaves in 
the previous four books.  He masters a spell almost as quickly as 
Hermione, he physically goes for Draco when the Slytherin insults St 
Mungos and he accompanies Harry to the Department of Mysteries.

Doesn't sound much like the Neville "I don't want no trouble" 
Longbottom that we met in the first book.  So what happened?  Well 
the resurrection of Voldemort, the most feared wizard in 100 years 
and the escape of your parents torturers would be enough to make any 
Gryfindor start to take control.  But was that it.  Something has 
been itching my brain about the attitude of Neville and the theories 
around it.  While it is perfectly fine to say that Neville only 
needed this slap in the face to wake himself up to the very powerful 
magical talent he controls is it enough to cover his behaviour before 
OoP? Pre-OoP it wasn't that he was lazy or unwilling to master his 
magical talent it was the fact he was under a memory charm.

Now I am not about to go into all the variants of memory charm that 
Neville could possible be under as my computer would literally crack 
under the weight but I do recommend attending Elkins three part 
symposium on the subject. (Messages 38812, 38813, and 38848.)  Just 
make sure that you get a seat at the back and look out for splinters.

For my theory I propose that Neville is under a self inflicted, 
botched memory charm. Simply put Neville saw something awful when he 
was younger that so traumatised him that the infant, using his own 
uncontrollable magic, blocked it from his mind.

So far so good for Neville.  He doesn't want to look on this memory 
and he doesn't have to.  The trouble for Neville is that now, some 
fourteen years after he cast the spell, it is wearing thin.  We know 
that Memory Charms break down and wear away.  Gildoroy Lockheart is 
slowly regaining his memory and the hex that back fired upon him was 
meant to make Harry and Ron loose their minds.  Even one that 
powerful is slowly being worn down.

Of course we know that a memory charm can be broken much faster 
through torture.  Perhaps when we think of that we must remember that 
there are different intensities of Memory Charm: those to remove 
certain and discrete events, those to remove an entire memory of self 
and all the ones in-between.  Perhaps a softer, weaker charm could be 
removed with less damaging side effects.  The only person so far, 
that we have heard of, who has had a memory charm broken is Bertha 
Jorkins.  Lets face facts though, Crouch probably slapped her with 
the strongest memory charm that he could safely get away with, 
probably went round to top it up once in a while too.  Perhaps that 
is why Bertha's mind is so wrecked by the time Voldemort is done with 
her.  He didn't just have to break one charm, it was several.

But what, I hear you cry, has this got to do with the MATCHING 
ARMCHAIR (Marooned At The Court Hearing Ill-fated Neville Got A 
Reverse Memory Charm Hatching Amnesia-Invoking Results).  That theory 
states that Neville received a Reverse memory charm when he was 
younger and already remembers everything.

Well my theory is not that Neville remembers everything now but that 
he will remember everything in the future because in book six or 
seven he will be placed under a Reverse memory charm.  This will 
allow him to see clearly what is already seeping through.  I just 
pinched the word ARMCHAIR from Cindy's theory really as it handily 
contained the letters RMC in a row and she was the one who came up 
with the charm in the first place.  So no one should toss a yellow 
flag in this direction by the fact that a Reverse Memory Charm is not 
exactly canon.

Please.

So what if we were only slightly off the mark when it came to our 
memory charm theories of the past?  What if JKR does not have a 
MATCHING ARMCHAIR hidden in the back story of Neville?  What if in 
the future she starts to play ARMCHAIR OLYMPICS?  Yes! What if in 
book six or seven Neville gets: A Reverse Memory Charm/Hex And In 
Response Our Longbottoms Youths Memory Previously Inaccessible Comes-
back Suddenly?

Yes, yes I know it is a little fudged at the end but a little fudge 
never hurt anyone.  It's when he gets into a position of power and 
starts pelting you with owls asking for advice that you start to 
worry.

If Neville's is wearing down then perhaps all he needs is a short 
sharp burst of the Reverse Memory charm to finally break down the 
last few barriers that stand in the way. The effect would be rather 
like ripping off a plaster.   I would like to point out at this point 
that I do not rule out that a Reverse Memory Charm comes from the 
same family as the Cruciatus Curse, an interesting side-effect 
discovered by a wizard of few morals.

But what could this memory be?  We know that Neville knows what 
happened to his parents.  What if he is aware of what is happening 
inside his own brain and believes that when the charm finally breaks 
down he will see his parents being tortured?  I could see Neville 
fighting this idea with all his strength.  Desperately trying to keep 
everything swept under the carpet.  However, what finally might push 
him into regaining his memory, is the fact that he wants to know what 
happened that night, exactly, and to see if he can remember anything 
of his parents before the attack.

Remind you of a certain Mr Potter's problem with the dementors?  In 
that case it was important for Harry to block out those memories to 
fight off the dementors.  In this case I believe that it will be 
important for Neville to look upon this memory that he has tried to 
hide from.

I don't think this memory will be of his parents attack though.  I 
think it will be something else, probably to do with Snape.  And I am 
afraid for Neville.  I am afraid the content of his memory can only 
be good news for the reader.  It will be awful.  Truly horrific.  A 
memory so bad that it will make all those featherboa wearing 
theorists rub their bloody little hands together and crack a sly 
smile.  The chapter title will justifiable be called "Neville's worst 
memory"  For it will be.  And dare I say, dare I even whisper, just 
seven months after the disappointingly dud worthy OoP:

It will bang.

<"))><

The Armchair wobble precariously as it bobbed further away from the 
bay.  Amy splashed her feet in the cool water in an attempt to propel 
herself back to shore.  What she needed was an oar
 or a paddle
 a 
big paddle.  Amy sighed as she lifted her gaze to the Big Bang, 
remembering the last time a big paddle had come into contact with a 
matching armchair that it had left in more pieces than Harry's 
Nimbus.  Best not bother the owner of all that artillery anyway.

A soft rushing sound was growing louder in the air.  Amy shifted 
nervously on the cushions and looked around.  She wondered if, as the 
Captain herself had once threatened, Theory Bay really was flat.  No 
need to find out Amy thought as she gripped the sides of the Armchair 
and apparated back to the beach.

She landed with a soft flump on the warm sand. The armchair was no 
where to be see.

<"))><

Amy

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