Snape Wars vs Ship Wars was re: Cultural standards for Snape abusiveness/

[colebiancardi]

No: HPFGUIDX 144608

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lagattalucianese" 
<katmac at k...> wrote:
>
> > Another thought: How old was Neville when his parents were 
tortured? 
> Was he on the scene, the way Harry was when his parents were 
killed? 
> How much can we assume Neville actually remember about what 
happened? 
> Or is his knowledge of what happened just these two ruined people 
his 
> grandmother takes him to visit? I guess what I'm asking is, is his 
> fear based on first-hand experience, or is it hearsay, only from 
the 
> ears up?
> 

according to the lexicon, it happened in 1981, after Harry's parents 
died on Oct. 31st, 1981.
"Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, 
and Bartemius Crouch Jr. are arrested for using the Cruciatus Curse 
on Frank and Alice Longbottom in an attempt to discover the 
whereabouts of Voldemort; all of the accused are sent to Azkaban 

Frank Longbottom and his wife Alice are committed to St. Mungo's 
Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, driven insane from the 
Cruciatus Curse "
http://www.hp-lexicon.org/timelines/main/timeline_1970-1990.html

so, Neville would have been the same age as Harry when his parents 
were driven insane - about 18 - 20 months.

Neville could have memories from this time, not all children remember 
the same way. Some people can remember things from at this tender age
(not me!!).  Which could explain why Neville is such a sensitive 
soul.  Also, Neville's parents were thought of very highly in the 
wizarding world(canon in some book - I think it is OotP) and probably 
heard stories about them all the time from his gran & family.  His 
gran tells Neville that what happened to his parents is nothing to be 
ashamed of - but I don't believe Neville is ashamed of them because 
of their condition, but rather he is a very private boy.

I don't think Neville or anyone else witnessed the torturing from 
Bella&Co - but I do believe that Neville has fond memories of his 
parents before they were driven insane.

if anything, Neville's parents and their plight strikes such a 
sympathic cord with me - I wish(although I doubt it will happen) that 
Rowling will *cure* the Longbottoms at the end of book 7.


colebiancardi