Ginny Weasley, Neville, thestrals and memory charms

[arcum42]

No: HPFGUIDX 89525

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "elfundeb2" <elfundeb at c...>
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "shrijnana" 
> <dh.shrijnana at v...> wrote:
> 
> >    I might be making something out of nothing here but even on 
> first 
> > reading of the book I had some doubt as to the reason Neville
gave 
> > for being able to see the thestrals. When Umbridge asks Neville 
> > "Whom did you see die?", he replies, "My...my grandad." (Chapter 
> 21, 
> „« US version pg 449).  [snip]
> 
> That answer *does* seem a bit contrived, doesn't it?  Which is
not 
> Neville's usual modus operandi.
> 
> >    I think there's a chance that the death that Neville 
> experienced 
> > in order to make him capable of seeing the thestrals may not 
> really 
> > be his grandad. A memory charm is capable of wiping someone's 
> memory 
> > but it can't wipe away the fact that the experience itself 
> occurred 
> > which would explain why Neville is still able to see the
thestrals.
> 
> I think so, too. And putting all of these pieces together, I reach 
> the conclusion that Neville has both seen death *and* had a near-
> death experience himself.  Yet his parents aren't dead, and Neville 
> wasn't affected by the dementors like Harry was.  Which suggests 
> that Neville is suffering the effects of a memory charm.   
> 
> The possible near-death that immediately comes to mind is that 
> Voldemort somehow tried to kill Neville, too, and marked him as he 
> marked Harry.  (Neville, like Harry, could handle the prophecy.)  

Also, Neville was dropped out of a upstairs window. If it was high 
enough up, this could have been a near death experience. 

Of course, it could be that he saw his grandad die, but it wasn't 
of natural causes.  He could, for example, have been killed by
Death Eaters:

"'It's Longbottom, isn't it?' sneered Lucius Malfoy. 'Well, your
grandmother is used to losing family members to our cause...
your death will not come as a great shock.'"
-OoF 

This could just be referring to Frank & Alice's insanity, but
the word losing seems to imply at least one death. Also, 
from GoF (emphasis mine):

"The Longbottoms were very popular," said Dumbledore. 
"The *attacks* on them came after Voldemort's fall from power, 
just when everyone thought they were safe. Those *attacks* 
caused a wave of fury such as I have never known. The Ministry 
was under great pressure to catch those who had done it. 
Unfortunately, the Longbottoms' evidence was - given their 
condition - none too reliable."

Notice how DD says *attacks* in the plural. This would seem to
imply that the Longbottoms have been attacked more then once.
Perhaps Nevilles grandfather was killed in one of the other attacks?

--Arcum