LV: Where'd He Go and How did Frank Know "Something"

[rebecca]

No: HPFGUIDX 150783

So, lots of discussions thus far about Snape (good Snape, bad Snape, just 
general Snape-itis) - all good and all great points. After looking back 
through my non Snape notes, I thought I'd ask the patience of the group 
whilst we explore that seeming unanswerable question, "why did LV choose 
Harry" to mark as his equal at GH.  And who might have known the Dark Smarmy 
Lord was going to visit and perform the dasterdly deeds he did that fateful 
night Harry rec'd his car and his first motorcycle ride. ( Yes indeedy, 
those of us Harley- obsessed are happy to have another convert in our midst)

We all know what we've been able to pick up in the books about this. We also 
know that Neville Longbottom could have just as been easily chosen as the 
Other in the prophecy, but wasn't.  And who knew about the Prophecy? 
Dumbledore did, of course, as apparently did Snape. As DD says in OoP, both 
the Longbottoms and the Potters were in the Order and I think were alerted 
to the prophecy or danger at some point. Surely someone in the Ministry knew 
of the prophecy's existence. The Potters, we know, chose to go into hiding. 
What did the Longbottoms do if they knew?

The question this all begets is why *Frank Longbottom* would be tortured for 
information about LV's whereabouts after GH?  I say Frank first because the 
way that the Penseive passage is written; it *starts* with Frank being 
tortured and then his wife when Frank wouldn't talk - Barty Crouch in DD's 
Penseive scene of GoF is what we base our understanding upon.

Would not talk about "what"? How would Frank know anything about where LV 
went?  Couple this with JKR's statement that the LeStranges weren't in on 
the secret of the prophecy - and according to herself, Bella et all were 
sent directly to the Longbottoms only a few weeks after LV's disappearance 
but not to kill Neville. They specifically were the ones the DE's wanted. 
(Another question: who the hell *sent them* if LV was MIA? Don't blame me 
for asking, blame Rowling for her site's answer to the question of the 
choice.)

Wouldn't that line of thought perhaps lead one to the speculation Frank saw 
what happened at GH? JKR's also mentioned before that  we maybe haven't  see 
the last of the time turners -could it be that Ministry would have allowed a 
time turner's use to find out just what happened to the most notorious 
terrorist in years? In PoA, time isn't to be meddled with and bad things 
happen to wizards who do; per Hermoine, noboby but nobody is supposed to 
change time. Frank could have witnessed the whole thing and since we know 
Ministry employed DE's exist, maybe the rumor got out....

The other alternative is one that I feel slightly queasy about, and hate to 
even mention.  What if Gran's darling Frank did something that might not be 
so Order-ish - like trying to save his family in lieu of the Potters' 
demise.

rebecca, who thinks this is reaching but can't account for another reason 
why the Longbottoms would be singled out