There's not much to go on

[Barry Arrowsmith]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "mooseming" <josturgess at e...> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> To me this is the foundation of a potential `disaffected' Neville, 
> one the reader could believe might betray Harry and his pals.
> 
> Why would JKR want us to believe that? Because Neville will be a 
> traitor and both we and Harry need to think we know why. However, 
> this won't be the real reason, Neville is acting under duress. 
> 
> JKR says Voldy chose Harry, specifically she says:
> 
> "In effect, the prophecy gave Voldemort the choice of two candidates 
> for his possible nemesis. In choosing which boy to murder, he was 
> also (without realising it) choosing which boy to anoint as the 
> Chosen One "
> 
> He chose one to `murder' but this doesn't mean he didn't chose 
> something else for Neville! Kill one, control the other, why not?
> 


You know what this reminds me of?
"Kill the spare."

Now if Neville had originally been Voldy's choice for some hanky-panky
then Harry would indeed have been the spare and therefore disposable.
Obviously he was thwarted in his dastardly plans by the protection
placed upon Harry, but as you say, a touch of infanticide in the night
does not rule out the possibility that he had plans for Neville. Indeed,
his plans may already have been put into motion -  hence the certainty
of the DEs that the Longbottoms would know of his whereabouts.

Harry becomes 'King' by accident, but if things had gone as Voldy
intended it'd be Neville. Neville is unfinished business.

Despite all the brou-haha about Snape and James, I've sometimes
wondered why Sevvy reacts so strongly to Harry. Could part of it be
because as an expert Legilimens he can sense Voldy lurking in the
depths of that adolescent mind? But why such a down on Neville?
Can he sense something in his mind too?

Kneasy