TBAY: Longbottoms and memory charms

[Debbie]

No: HPFGUIDX 132385

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(continued from message 132383)

Debbie was just climbing back into the Memory Charm paddleboat when 
she spotted a new vessel approaching the E.L.K.I.N.S. 
A.V.E.N.G.E.D.  It was a small vessel with a very large canon on 
board, sporting the catchy name C.R.O.U.C.H.I.N.G. T.I.G.E.R. 
H.I.D.D.E.N. P.O.O. (CROUCH INvolved in General, Tapestry of 
Intrigue Gets Extremely Ridiculous, Headmaster Involved, Dumbledore 
Decides to ENact Charm, Aurors Told Prophecy, Obviously 
Obliviated).  Dungrollin, at the helm with one hand on the wheel and 
the other clutching a half-empty bottle of firewhisky, offered a 
quick summary:

> DD wanted to set up Fidelius charms to protect the Longbottoms and
> the Potters, with himself as secret-keeper.  For whatever reason
> (though I'm happy to agree with Snape that it was James' 
arrogance),
> the Potters refuse, and go with Sirius.  The Longbottoms accepted
> DD's offer, and so he told them the prophecy, knowing that the
> information was safe with them.  After Voldy got gassed at GH, a
> number of DEs were still at large, and DD and Crouch knew that this
> meant the Longbottoms were in danger of revealing the prophecy. So
> they all got together, and Frank and Alice agreed to have their
> memories modified. At home, Barty Crouch Senior lets slip that he
> had to modify the memories of two of his best Aurors because they
> knew something important, and Barty Crouch Junior (assuming
> excitedly that this means they know where Voldy's hiding) scurries
> off to his Death Eater pals to plan an evening's Auror torture.

"Why, yes, Dungrollin!  We're all just speculating our way through 
the gaping holes in the Longbottom story, and yours is as plausible 
as any.  JKR has certainly been telegraphing to us that it's an 
important bit of backstory."
   
> To be honest, the only bit I'm sure of is that Crouch Junior and
> Bella and co tortured their way through a memory charm, which had
> been placed on Frank and Alice.  The rest is all trying to make
> sense of it.

"How about if I give you an extra bit of canon?"  Debbie tossed a can
(n)on onto the deck.  "It's circumstantial, but I think it will 
help.  Canon states that Frank was tortured first, and when he 
didn't talk, they tortured Alice.  Now it makes no sense to torture 
Alice if Frank has already lost his marbles.  Yet, the end result is 
the same.  If they tortured Alice until she went insane while Frank 
was still watching, why is he still alive?  These were Death 
Eaters!  It doesn't make sense that they went back to torturing 
Frank until the same thing happened to him.  So there must be 
another explanation."

"However, I'm a bit skeptical of the idea that Crouch knew about the 
Prophecy, though.  Dumbledore seems to like keeping information to 
himself and feeding it to others on a need-to-know basis.  

"Since the Prophecy doesn't provide any practical information, did 
the Ministry need to know at all?  I think it's more likely that 
Dumbledore only revealed the Prophecy to other Order members.  
Specifically, those members who were also Aurors -- Frank, Alice, 
and Mad-Eye, who might be able to use that knowledge in their dark-
wizard-catching activities."

Dungrollin protested:
> Anyone caught insinuating that I only involved Crouch and
> cobbled the thing together at all because I liked the acronym will
> be... ahem... correct.

"Well, then," Debbie replied, "we can always drop Crouch out of it 
and we'd be left with H.I.D.D.E.N. P.O.O.  After all, the 
possibility that Frank and Alice agreed to be Memory-Charmed is at 
least as plausible as my theory that Bella and co. did it."

Yet another ship, the D.R.I.B.B.L.E. S.H.A.D.O.W.S., closed in on 
the trio of Memory Charm theories.  Captain SSSusan, margarita in 
hand, waved.  Neri, who had been busy opening another tin of ship 
biscuits, broke in:

> If it is found that Frank and Alice are Memory Charmed, then what
> about Neville? Either he was MCharmed too (why?!) or his memory
> problems are merely psychological with nothing magical about them.
> That last possibility, IMO, would come out rather lame. 

SSSusan, captain of the D.R.I.B.B.L.E. S.H.A.D.O.W.S., added,

> I still can't offer an explanation as to why Neville would have 
been
> MCharmed at age 15 – 18 months (or thereabouts), but there 
certainly
> has been speculation by an awful lot of people that Neville's been
> MC'ed.  So maybe someone else will pitch in here with a suggestion
> for that?

Debbie broke in, "I think we can find something in the old Memory 
Charm Symposium.  How about a variant of Memory Charm Most Foul 
(Otherwise known as: "A Family Affair," "Amnesia Begins At Home," 
and "Ever So Evil Granny Longbottom")?"

Everyone present gave Debbie a horrified look.  SSSusan glanced 
nervously at the tattered FEATHERBOAS around Debbie's neck.  

"Don't look so scared.  I'm not going to suggest (as I once did) 
that Gran gleefully tortured Neville with the Cruciatus Curse.  But 
think about what Gran knows and doesn't know.  She probably doesn't 
know about the Prophecy.  But she might know that back before 
Godric's Hollow, Harry and Neville were at risk.  She's already 
effectively lost her son, and undoubtedly wants to keep her grandson 
alive at all costs.

"But she treats Neville a bit oddly, doesn't she?  She humiliates 
him in public, sending him useless items like the Remembrall (which 
doesn't help him remember anything), broadcasting to anyone who will 
listen that 'he hasn't got his father's talent' -- well, you get the 
picture.

"Wouldn't a Memory Charm -- or perhaps some of Neri's Forgetfulness 
Potion -- be a convenient way of making Neville appear to be 
hopelessly inept at magic?  Of course, she didn't tell Great Uncle 
Algie, and he kept trying to force the magic out of Neville until he 
succeeded."  

Dungrollin nodded.  All was quiet on Theory Bay as the twilight 
deepened and the boats in the bay became obscured by the darkness.  
Dungrollin's sharp eyes, however, spotted a M.I.N.I.S.U.B. lying in 
wait just beneath the surface, threatening to torpedo all four 
vessels with a dose of Evil!Neville.

Clutching her firewhisky, Dungrollin mused, 

"Perhaps we should set
> up a flotilla, all the Longbottom/Memory Charm theories huddled
> together for the storm.  Someone's bound to survive, and we can all
> hop on board as our theories are sunk, one by one."
  
Debbie nodded.  "We'll be ok, though.  The theories may sink, but 
there's always a life raft available for the theorisers.  No 
theoriser will go down with the ship when Hurricane Jo comes.  
Unless they want to.  And even a sunk theory is never truly lost.  I 
hear they're going to build a Memory Charm gallery in the Canon 
Museum."

Debbie rummaged through the pile of Memory Charm theories on board 
the paddleboat and finally found what she was looking for.  Pulling 
out a bottle of single malt whisky, Debbie poured herself a 
glassfull, then raised it high and shouted,

"A toast to Memory Charm theories!"

"Hear, hear," everyone responded as they downed their own glasses.  

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

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