The Longbottoms

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 158646

---  "spookedook" <spookedook at ...> wrote:
>
> What did Alice and Frank Longbottom know to bring on
> such crueltorture? ... I know they were Aurors but I 
> find it very hard to believe that Bella would clutch 
> at straws when her success would have her masters 
> return in the balance?
> 
> If this topic had already been chewed over please can
> someone direct me to a theory. If not does anybody have
> one?
> 
> Tinktonks
>

bboyminn:

Oh!.... oh!.... ou! I've got one!

This is actually a very old theory; been ages since we 
discussed this, so I can't really point your back to it.
Also, since all the regulars have heard it several times
before, it doesn't generate much discussion. But, here it
goes.

In the time between the Death of Harry's parents and the
time when he is delivered to the Dursley's, 24 hours has
past. Where was Harry during that 24 hour period? Well,
of course, he was with Hagrid, but exactly where were 
they? 

I have always speculated that the second safest place for 
Harry was with the other 'Prophecy Boy' and his family;
namely, Neville and his parents.

I suspect that after Voldemort's fall word got around that
Harry had stayed temporarily at Neville's. That would give
the Death Eater reason to suspect the Longbottoms might
know some deeper details of what happened the night 
Voldemort fell.

It seems to me the alternative was that the DE's were
attacking and torturing Aurors at random, which really
doesn't make any sense at all. They had to have specific
motivation for specifically attacking the Longbottoms. 
They must have had a reason to believe that the 
Longbottoms knew something that others didn't know. I
conclude that belief in the Longbottoms knowledge came
from their association from Harry and others immediately
after Voldemort's downfall.

Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong, but none the less that
is my theory. 

Steve/bboyminn