When were the Longbottoms attacked? (was Re: Did the Potters know the prophecy?)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 117525


Juli wrote: 
I don't think Barty Jr was with the Lestranges when he was caught, he
could have been with any other DE but he was convicted with the
Lestranges.
> 
> Ginger responded:
 I had assumed that he had been caught with the Lestranges.  
> It read that way to me at the trial.  On page 603 (GoF, US
paperback) Harry asks Dumbledore if Barty was involved, to which DD
replies that he doesn't know.  Interestingly, Barty doesn't confess to
it under Veritaserum.  But then, DD never asked.
> 
> In all, I think that there was more than just a little time between 
> LV vapourizing and the Longbottoms' torture.  I also believe Barty 
> was guilty based on what little evidence we have.

Carol adds:
I agree with Ginger that Barty Jr. was caught with the Lestranges.
Most of the other DEs had already been arrested (or had gotten off on
a plea of being Imperio'd) when they were brought in. I realize that
Sirius Black says in GoF that Barty was found with people "I'd bet my
life were Death Eaters," but JKR can't have him saying, "found with my
hated cousin Bellatrix, her husband Rodolphus, and his brother
Rabastan, all of whom were Death Eaters." It would be awkward and
would take up unnecessary space in the dialogue, which has to focus on
the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the dangers Harry is facing at the
moment. It's more convenient to bring in the names, and the
relationship between Bellatrix and Sirius, at other points in the
story (the Pensieve chapter of GoF and the "Most Noble and Ancient
House of Black" chapter in OoP).

I also agree that Barty was as guilty as the Lestranges were.
(Somewhere in an earlier post I argue that he had to have learned how
to cast a morsmordre and the Unforgiveable Curses before he went to
Azkaban. There's no way he could have done that--or developed his
fanatical loyalty to Voldemort--in Azkaban or under his fahter's
Imperius Curse.)
 
I'm not sure about the time element, but I've always thought the
attack on the Longbottoms was at least a month after Godric's
Hollow--enough time for most of the DEs to have been captured and for
people to feel that life had gone back to normal.

Carol