TBAY: ELKINS AVENGED (4 of 4)

[Debbie]

No: HPFGUIDX 132383

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Debbie was ensconced in her office in the old fortress overlooking 
Theory Bay when, much to her surprise, she heard voices down on the 
long-quiet beach.

> "But Faith, we have received some new and important information
> regarding Neville and his parents in the last months, and how can 
we
> possibly go and read HBP now without an updated Neville theory?"

A new *Neville* theory?  Peering out the window, Debbie spied a 
VASSAL busily loading up a new vessel.  She could just make out the 
letters E.L.K.I.N.S. A.V.E.N.G.E.D. on the prow. This conversation 
was definitely worth a listen, so she opened the window wide and, 
abandoning all pretense of work, listened carefully, beginning to 
end.

> Captain Neri waved from the helm. "See
> you after the hurricane!"

Debbie leaned her head out the window.  "Neri, wait!  I want to talk 
to you!"  Dashing out of her office, down the stairs and out onto 
the parapet, Debbie scanned the shoreline for a suitable boat.   
Aha!  The old Memory Charm paddleboat was still resting onshore 
nearby, though it was camouflaged by a network of prophecy theories 
that were threatening to engulf it.  Debbie got to work untangling 
the boat from the weeds, and then pushed it into the water.  As 
expected, it was quite seaworthy, and Debbie allowed herself a brief 
satisfied smile before setting to the hard work of paddling across 
the Bay toward Neri's gleaming vessel.  Finally, Debbie reached the 
E.L.K.I.N.S. A.V.E.N.G.E.D. and, after securing the paddleboat to it 
with a length of rope, she climbed on board the larger vessel, waved 
to the enthusiastic crew Neri had recruited, and reached her hand 
out to him.

"I have to congratulate you on this one.  Excellent reinterpretation 
of the Neville theories."  As she walked across the deck of the 
ship, she heard several of the planks creaking.  "While I'm here, 
though, let me test the strength of some of the planks you've used 
to build the ship."  

Debbie stopped at a very creaky plank.  Neri's voice was heard 
saying:  

> [F]or years we have all believed that
> Neville's story parallels Harry's story. 

 But several weeks ago, JKR herself told us that
> this parallelism only goes *this* far. Neville is a might-have-
been,
> but he's not prophecy boy and not a replacement.

Debbie shook her head.  "I'm not sure parallelism is the right word 
for what we've been saying about Harry and Neville.  Neville is 
Harry's literary double.  Well, he's one of Harry's doubles; Tom 
Riddle is another.  A literary double is like a mirror, and as 
Elkins once said, what the mirror reflects, it also reverses."

Debbie walked over to the Pensieve and began to reach for the wand, 
then stopped.  "May I?"

Neri nodded.  Debbie dipped the wand into the Pensieve, gave the 
silvery-white contents a swirl, and a blurry Elkins appeared:

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/38398

Neville: Memory, History, Legacy, Power
> In terms of their respective coming-of-age stories, Harry and 
> Neville seem to me to represent mirrored archetypes.  Harry's 
> story is that of the orphan boy revealed to be the heir to the 
> throne.  . . . His story then, the coming of age story that 
accompanies 
> his own particular archetype, is one of acceptance, of "coming 
> into ones own" by proving oneself worthy of the legacy that one 
> has inherited, and by learning to accept that legacy's negative 
> aspects along with its positive ones.
> 
> Neville, on the other hand, I tend to read as a representation
> of the opposing archetype: the prince renunciate, the abdicator or 
> the apostate. . . . He has always known that his father was a kind 
of a war hero, albeit 
> a martyred one.  And he has always been aware -- far too well 
> aware, I'd say -- of the role that he is expected to play within 
> his society. . . . His 
> story, the coming of age story that accompanies Neville's type, 
> is one of renunciation, rather than of acceptance, of "coming 
> into ones own" by finding the strength to *reject* the legacy 
> and to forge instead a new destiny of ones own choosing.  
 
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Debbie pulled the wand out again.  
 
"So.  The differences between Harry and Neville have always been 
apparent.  Now, the most interesting part of JKR's response, IMO, 
was this:

********************************************
http://www.wizardnews.com/story.200505163.html

"Yet I was making what I felt was a significant point about Harry 
and Voldemort, and about prophecies themselves, in showing Neville 
as the also-ran. If neither boy was 'pre-ordained' before 
Voldemort's attack to become his possible vanquisher, then the 
prophecy (like the one the witches make to Macbeth, if anyone has 
read the play of the same name) becomes the catalyst for a situation 
that would never have occurred if it had not been made. Harry is 
propelled into a terrifying position he might never have sought, 
while Neville remains the tantalising 'might-have-been'. Destiny is 
a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic 
consequences."

*************************************

Debbie continued.  "The literary double is a vehicle to explore the 
kind of might-have-beens that JKR describes.  Absent the Prophecy, 
the legacy might have belonged to either Harry or Neville (both of 
whose parents had defied Voldemort three times), or both of them.  
Or neither of them.  It was their choice.  However, Voldemort 
unwittingly bestowed the legacy exclusively on Harry.  

"By giving Neville the symbol of his legacy -- Frank's wand -- and 
reminding him constantly of his failures, Gran may have treated 
Neville as though the legacy was his to lose.  But in OOP the symbol 
of the false legacy was broken, while Harry's legacy was revealed to 
him.  Harry must now decide whether to accept his legacy, while 
Neville must accept that this legacy is not his and, as Elkins 
suggests, 'to forge a new legacy of his own choosing.'   The mirror, 
or parallelism as you call it, is not broken."  

Debbie helped herself to a biscuit, then continued walking the deck 
until she reached another creaky plank.   Neri's voice was heard to 
say:

 "JKR also told us that the
> Lestranges were *not* sent after Neville, but after his parents, 
and
> *not* because of the prophecy. This too breaks the parallelism 
between
> the two families. There is now no special reason to assume that the
> Longbottoms were attacked at their home, as the Potters were, and 
that
> Neville was present, as Harry was. There is no canon for that at 
all,
> AFAIK not even a suggestion or an allusion, except for the now-
broken
> parallelism. It is now much more reasonable to assume that the
> Longbottoms were attacked while doing their job as aurors. I submit
> that Neville did not witness the torture of his parents because he
> wasn't even there."

"Well, you know," said Debbie slowly, "some of us Memory Charmers 
are perfectly happy to assume that Neville did not witness 
anything.  But I don't believe canon supports that Frank and Alice 
were captured while doing their jobs as Aurors.  Canon tells us, 
erm, what does it say again?  Accio GoF!"  The volume flies out of 
Debbie's office window, across the Bay and into her hand.  "Chapter 
30:  The Pensieve.  'The four of you stand accused of capturing an 
Auror -- Frank Longbottom -- and subjecting him to the Cruciatus 
Curse, believing him to have knowledge of the present whereabouts of 
your exiled master . . . .'  And later, Dumbledore says, 'His 
father, Frank, was an Auror . . . .'

"Why were the Pensieve Four accused only of capturing *Frank*? Alice 
isn't mentioned as an Auror anywhere in GoF.  So they couldn't have 
been out on Auror business, or Alice's status would have been 
mentioned.  Therefore, unless Frank and Alice were captured while 
out having a romantic dinner, the most likely place to have found 
them together would've been at home."     

Debbie took a step forward, hitting another plank that creaked in 
Neri's voice:

Deep inside the Longbottoms'
> tortured minds must be hidden some big secret, and I mean BIG. 
> I think
> it's a way to vanquish Voldemort. A way that even Dumbledore 
doesn't
> know about. Now *that* would be big enough for me."

Debbie sighed.  "The Big Bangy Secret."

> "So here is a theory to explain all the above: After Voldemort was
> vaporized in Godric Hollow, Crouch Sr. secretly devised a plan to
> find, capture and annihilate him for good. . . . 

> "So where did the plan went wrong? Crouch Sr. himself, out of
> carelessness, or more likely out of an urge to brag, let slipped
> something about it to his son. Young Barty, unknowingly to his 
father
> already a junior DE, realized that the Longbottoms were the key to
> locating Vapor!mort, and immediately recruited the Lestranges to
> attack them."

"I like they way you've identified Barty Jr. as the one who set the 
Lestranges after the Longbottoms.  After all, Voldemort does 
identify him as a faithful servant, and only a faithful servant 
could have done that.  

"But doesn't it make more sense that Auror Frank had been assigned 
the job of tracing Vapormort, and that this was the information that 
Crouch Sr. carelessly revealed to his son?  Because I do find it a 
bit hard to believe that Crouch had a secret plan to vanquish 
Voldemort once and for all.  Because the arc of the series strongly 
implies that *Harry* is going to figure out how to do it -- flying 
by the seat of the pants as he approaches his own doom."

Neri protested, "But I said it didn't matter what the secret was."  

"Yes, you did.  But I guess I'm not sold on the idea that Frank has 
*any* secrets to tell."  Debbie stirred the silver mist again until 
she saw her own reflection again.

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/57107

<<Moreover, notwithstanding that the elder Longbottoms are still 
alive, I'm not expecting them to somehow recover their memories, 
because I see Frank & Mrs. Longbottom's condition -- dead to Neville 
and yet not dead -- as a companion image to Neville's condition. 
Both represent a past that has been irretrievably lost.>> 

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"I see dealing with the loss of one's past as an important theme of 
the series.  And Harry's and Neville's stories illuminate this 
theme.  Both Harry's and Neville's parents are effectively dead.  
And what happens when someone dies?  They are *eulogized*.  All of 
their best characteristics and their greatest deeds are lauded.  And 
that's what everyone remembers.  Their mistakes?  Never mentioned 
again.  Nobody tells Harry that James was an arrogant bully.  Harry 
only learned this by surreptitiously perusing someone else's 
memories.  And Neville receives daily reminders of his parents' 
glorious past."

Debbie smiled, a bit wickedly, then added, "If there is a Longbottom 
secret, it's that Frank, like James, was not as saintly as Gran 
makes him out to be.   Maybe Frank was Voldemort's spy and that's 
why Bellatrix thought he knew where Voldemort was hiding."

Faith stared incredulously at Debbie.

Debbie shrugged.  "Well, you don't have to believe that part.  Just 
leave it that Frank and Alice are emblematic of something that has 
been lost.  If they recovered their memories, the parallels -- and 
differences -- between Harry's and Neville's approach to their lost 
pasts would suddenly become meaningless.

"But let's move on to the Memory Charm element of your theory.  You 
began with my theory that 'the Longbottoms are *not* insane and 
traumatized for years because of the torture. No, in fact they are 
both Memory Charmed.'

"Actually, the version I like best posits that Fudge (of course!) 
broke through Memory Charms previously placed on them in order to 
determine who the perpetrators were because Crouch Sr. was desperate 
to round up some suspects.  This conveniently explains why 
Dumbledore (who would have no reason to know this) was uncertain of 
their guilt.  Take a look," said Debbie as she once again stirred 
the mist in the Pensieve:

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/38792
 
> it's possible
that the real problem with the Longbottoms is that [snip]
the MOM attempted to break their Memory Charms so they could testify 
but in
doing so damaged their minds beyond repair, as happened to Bertha 
Jorkins.
But in 
> doing so damaged their minds beyond repair, as happened to Bertha 
Jorkins.  
> And so the MOM claimed that the Cruciatus Curse caused their 
insanity, to 
> cover their own tracks.  

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"In this version, Neville needed a Memory Charm because he knew his 
parents were *not* rendered insane by a little spot of Cruciatus.  
But what I liked best about this version is that it registers much 
better on the Bang scale.  Instead of a few renegade Aurors (we'll 
name them Liddy and Hunt), the coverup could reach right to the top.

"And," Debbie continued, turning to Faith, "what you should like is 
that Neville did not have to witness the attacks for this theory to 
work.  Fortunately, though, Neri didn't end his speculation with the 
notion of a Big Bangy Secret."

Debbie took a few more steps toward the ship's mast, but heard nary 
a creak.  Debbie jumped up and down, and finally Neri's voice was 
heard again:

I'm going to further improve Debbie's idea by suggesting
> that the Longbottoms *weren't* blasted with the usual Memory Charm.
> Instead, Fudge have been sending them, during all these years,
> bubblegum that was treated with Forgetfulness Potion."

"WOW.  That's the most fabulous thing I've heard in the Bay in 
years, Neri.  Even though I think that thematically a recovery makes 
no sense, I love the way you've marshalled the evidence.  Not only 
that, I think you deserve a L.O.O.N. award for the thoroughness of 
your analysis."

"But let's run through your last few points."  Debbie took a step 
backward and jumped again:

> "I think the thematic role of the Longbottoms family might be to
> represent the pureblood families that are good, yet weak," said 
Neri.

"Hmm.  Alice and Frank were able to defy Voldemort three times,just 
like James and Lily did.  That doesn't seem like weakness.  

Neri's voice continued, "We now know that she
> wanted to make it clear that Neville, while being very brave and
> noble, could have never survived the dangers that Harry survived." 

"I must respectfully disagree."  Debbie picked up the wand again and 
dipped it into the Pensieve.  The silver mist swirled and the elfin 
image reappeared.

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/129017:

> So, Dumbledore "does not believe" that Neville has what it takes.  
Why
> not?  How would Dumbledore know what qualities Neville *would have
> had* if his circumstances had been the same as Harry's?  [snip]
> 
 If Neville was disabled
> by a memory charm, this reinforces JKR's point about destiny, 
because
> it might mean that Neville did have what it takes after all, but 
that
> events have sent him down a very different path.

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Debbie turns from the Pensieve to Neri.  "Jo didn't tell us whether 
Neville could have defeated Voldemort.  Instead, she tells us what 
Dumbledore believes.  I think her statement is a huge bit of 
misdirection."

Debbie reached the last untested plank, and the assembled crew heard 
a loud creak:

So
> by taking and keeping the "presents" his mother gave him, Neville 
was
> making a noble choice, and of course, being Neville, he did it 
badly.
> But in the end it would be the *right* choice, because if he hadn't
> took the wrappers, nobody in Book 6 would have the evidence to 
deduce
> what's going on with the Longbottoms. Neville's choice will save 
both
> his parents and himself in the end."

"Neville didn't do it badly, Forgetfulness Potion or not!  Neville's 
choice was the right choice because it's right for him to treat his 
mother with simple respect for her dignity as a human being.  It's 
what makes the scene so poignant, especially with Gran, for whom the 
condition of her son and daughter-in-law is obviously an 
embarrassment to the family pride, nattering at him to put the 
wrapper in the trash already!

"Perhaps the Longbottoms -- including Gran and Great Uncle Algie -- 
represent the old warrior ways of the Wizarding World.  OTOH, 
Neville's quiet courage and his willingness to do the right thing 
whatever the consequences may represent the new legacy he is forging 
for himself."  

Faith began nodding enthusiastically.
 
> "Yes, but Neville's memory problems aren't absolutely necessary 
for my
> theory," said Neri. 

Debbie lowered her voice to a whisper.  "Even I'll admit that Memory 
Charm theories aren't unsinkable.  That's why I keep so many of them 
on my little boat."

> The sun sent its last ray of light before disappearing behind the
> clouds, and the name on the little ship's bow shone suddenly:

Debbie paused to admire the shining letters on his vessel's bow:

> E.L.K.I.N.S. A.V.E.N.G.E.D.
> 
> Enthralled Longbottoms Know the INside Secret: the Ability to 
Vanquish
> the ENemy is Guarded in the Elusive Department.

"I wish I had a catchy acronym.  We used to get our acronyms from 
Tabouli's Acronym Generating Service (T.A.G.S.), but when I asked 
for an acronym for my theory, Tabouli was on holiday, the TAGS 
machine was down, and *look* at what I got!"  

The letters "T.N.R.A.M.C.N.T.S.H.P.B.T.A.F.A.S.E.T.U.D.W.O.I.T." 
wrapped completely around the Memory Charm paddleboat.

"You try to pronounce that!"

(to be continued)

Debbie

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* F.E.A.T.H.E.R.B.O.A.S. = Foaming Enthusiasts of Ambush, Torture 
and Hostility, Embracing Really Bloodthirsty Operations and Savagery