Information = confusion!

[Alz]

I wasnt sure where to post this one, so I thought here might do the trick based on it could be a key ...

We are told by JKR that the Longbottoms were attacked post Voldemort's death ... we are told they attacked the Longbottoms for information on Voldemort's whereabouts ....
We know that Frank was an auror - this might indicate a possible reason ... but what did they think he knew?
Were the Death Eaters not in possession of the facts that Voldemort had died that night he tried to kill Harry?
Is it possible that Voldemort told the Death Eaters that he had a choice and decided to go for the Potter kid rather than the Longbottom child?
As suggested by CTS - could he have attacked Neville/Longbottoms prior - and then proceeded to the Potters?
Why is JKR keeping the Longbottoms alive and also unable to talk and communicate?

[Kingsley]

My whole take on that is why didnt they kill the Longbottoms--is it that "V" is the only one who seems to kill everyone he comes across--Belatrix should have at least been a killer as well in theory

So will the Longbottom's memory unlock some well needed secret?
I think that there might be more to this than we thought--hence St Mungo/death eater influence

maybe the Longbottoms always knew Voldemort secrets

[Nagini]

I think the fact that some of the Death Eaters - Bellatrix, her hubby and Barty Crouch junior amongst them went to the Longbottoms was probably that Voldemort had mentioned who the two most likely suspects of the prophecy were. Perhaps they were desperate but it seems strange that the Longbottoms would know anything and that is the only link that I can see.

But maybe those Death Eaters didn't know what happened to Voldemort? Maybe they didn't go with him to the Potters that night? Perhaps Snape and Pettigrew went along with Voldemort, I still think its unlikely he would go alone. Then Snape, being so disgusted at Voldemort attacking a baby or indeed gets scared and runs to Dumbledore and offers to turn spy for him?

[Tinkerbell]

I do wonder whether Nagini is on the right track when she said that perhaps the DE's didn't know what had happened to Voldemort - perhaps it was a planned double edged attack - that Voldemort go for the Potters and the DE's go for the Longbottoms - I hate to bring in another biblical reference - but a little like Herod who had heard that a Jewish baby had been born who would become king of the Jews, he ordered that all baby boys be killed. Perhaps Voldemort, having had some indication of the prophecy (thinking about the eavesdropper when Trelawney had her moment of glory in the Hogshead) thought he would kill any boy born in July to parents who had previously fought against him?

[Alz]

Yah, I can see all the points and they are good!
But I got the impression the attack took place later and that the Death Eaters were looking for information about the whereabouts of Voldemort ... this suggests to me they didnt know what hapoened but I can not belive given even just Lucius contacts they couldnt find out what took place and where Voldemort was suspected to be - dead ...
There seems to be more to this - they believed that the Longbottoms knew information about the whereabouts of the Dark Lord ...

This suggests to me that it happened post attack, they didnt know what happened to Voldemort during the attack and some time expired between the Potters attack and them looking for Voldemort ... but why the Longbottoms!

[Nagini]

The attack did take place some time after the Potters were killed. The books dont say what the period of time between the attacks were, but Dumbledore tells Harry after he has seen Bellatrix etc. in the pensieve in Dumbledore's office that everyone was really shocked and saddened by the attacks. They were shocked that it happened as they had started to relax after Voldemorts. Here is what Dumbledore says.

The attacks on them came after Voldemort's fall from power, just when everyone thought they were safe. Those attacks caused a wave of fury such as I have never known. The Ministry was under great pressure to catch those who had dont it. Unfortunately, the Longbottoms' evidence was - given their condition - none too reliable.

Anyone spot it? The Longbottoms GAVE evidence, that means they must be able to talk or at least could!!!

Bellatrix etc. had vowed to find Voldemort so they must have known he wasn't dead. Of course they knew the steps he took for immortality, but maybe they thought the Order were holding him prisoner or that the Ministry was and that was why they went to the Longbottoms??

[Weasleyfanforever]

Bellatrix etc. had vowed to find Voldemort so they must have known he wasn't dead. Of course they knew the steps he took for immortality, but maybe they thought the Order were holding him prisoner or that the Ministry was and that was why they went to the Longbottoms??

I like the idea that they might have thought he was being held prisoner, but if they thought it was the Order, wouldn't they have gone after Dumbledore, and if they thought it was the Ministry, wouldn't they have gone after Fudge, as he is "top dog" at the Ministry? I think that the Longbottoms hold very important information. In fact, I think that they may have heard the entire prophecy, along with Lily and James,. With Lily and James dead, Frank and Alice incapacitated, and Trelawney unable to remember, that only leaves Dumbledore to reveal it. But if the Longbottoms recover, they could reveal the prophecy in it's entirety. Maybe that is why the DE's attacked them... They knew that they had heard the entire prophecy somehow, and they wanted to know what it was...

[catchthesnitch]

Perhaps also then there was some backfire or problem using legillimens to get the information out of them....needed to be covered up by the Cruciatus curse?

Maybe they really went mad because of the use of occlumency to prevent the DE's from discovering?

But that's for another thread, eh?

[Lily]

It appears that Voldemort went to kill Harry on his one - possbily because he didn't trust any of his DE on completing such an important task. However, then it is possible that no one else would've know where the Potter's lived - since you have to be told of the location by the secret keeper. So, even though the DE may have known that Voldemort set out to kill Harry, they wouldn't know where to find his body (and Peter had already gone into hiding). Thus, the DE went after the Longbottoms - after the Potters, they were probably the one of the lead people of the Order and if anyone was to know things, they would. They were probably after where the location was, and what happened to Voldemort. Since he wasn't dead - where was he?

[Boing]

Hmmm, interesting note about needing to find out the location through the secret keeper.

Can we assume that the Longbottoms were also in hiding, given the fact that their son was also a possible candidate for fulfilling the prophecy and therefore, for execution by the Dark Lord? It seems probable - and if they weren't, they sure should have been!

So, perhaps, after they found out what had happened, they decided to come out of hiding (as they knew the Dark Lord had chosen young Harry) and went back to their lives, hearing that Voldemort was no longer around. Then, the DEs come to them in search of Voldemort or whatever information - perhaps the DEs knew there were two choices (as has been mentioned above), knew what had happened at Harry's and were wondering if Voldemort had also gone to the Longbottoms' house that night - or since then - as the attack on Harry didn't seem to work.

It *does* get confusing when you try to work it out!

[Alz]

Going to Gini's excellent point - did they actually give evidence at the trial or was information they gave in evidence used in the trial?
I am loving some of these things you are all coming out with - but has to be said Boing makes a great point - where the Longbottoms also in hiding?
And if they werent - why the hell not? :eek:
It is hightly plausible the DE's went on the premise that Frank was an auror for the MoM and as such had some great information - but why the hell didnt they kill the Longbottoms after - why keep them alive but mental - on the chance that they could one day talk and perhaps offer more 'information' like what Gini pointed out?

[Weasleyfanforever]

I think it is very likely that the Longbottoms were in hiding, but after hearing about the Potters and Voldemort, they came out of hiding, assuming they were all safe.

The question about why they were not killed though is the one that intrigues me. We are shown many times how the DE have no qualms about killing people, and even entire families to further their cause, so what was it about the Longbottoms that they didn't want to, or couldn't kill them? Did the Longbottoms hold some all important knowledge that will be revealed to us when they come out of their stupor, (as they are bound to do, there is no other reason to keep them alive) or was there something that stopped them from killing them? Did someone arrive at the house amid the attacks, causing the DE to try and escape? I think this is a likely scenario, as how else would they have been caught? Someone else might have given evidence as well, but if so, who was this person? Did, or do, they know anything that could help the Longbottoms now?

[Jenelle]

It is hightly plausible the DE's went on the premise that Frank was an auror for the MoM and as such had some great information - but why the hell didnt they kill the Longbottoms after - why keep them alive but mental - on the chance that they could one day talk and perhaps offer more 'information' like what Gini pointed out?Since Bellatrix was the one that did it I believe I'm not sure but I think so(I still dont have my OoTP book) she gets great pleasure out of torturing people and not murdering them. She wasnt trying to kill Sirius when he fell into the veil, she was stunning him and such. That just leads me to believe that she loves torturing and seeing the result like Voldemort likes killing and seeing the result.

WFF I agree with the response about the Longbottoms getting help, howelse would the perps get caught and the Longbottoms be brought to the hospital.

[Alz]

The fact remains that when Death Eaters attack - they kill and leave no-one alive normally - and in this case all the Longbottoms were left alive ... that in itself is strange and unusal!

Bellatrix liked to play with her victims - but all the evidence suggests death does occur.
That is what make the Longbottoms attack pretty unusal and worthy of investigation further - thier madness was a result of the attack there can be no doubts - but alive all the same ...

[Ana C.B.Rodrigues]

So this suggests what I thought... what if There is more about Neville that we thought.
I've been wondering if he is not the real chosen one, the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord... I mean.. Yeah I like the Idea that Harry's the chosen one but J.K.Rowling said that he was born in the end of the month... and
was marked as an equal...
Neville was ashamed of his parents as well as Voldemort was... Harry was never ashamed of his parents, even when he was a child and was told they died on a car crash, and.... all those stupid things the Dursleys said...

[Alz]

I think JKR did confirm that the prophecy is very much about Harry and not Neville - just that Voldemort was presented with a choice as two boys met the criteria but he opted for the one most like himself.
Dont get me wrong - Neville still has a great deal to do with this - not least for righting the wrongs against his parent with Bellatrix but I still feel his parents are going to wake up in book 7 and what they come out with will help shed more light on the past events - remember it was never explained why the DE's were sent to the Longbottom's - and they were sent - it was never explained why they felt the Longbottoms would have known where Voldemort was etc ... and most importantly why they were kept alive and not killed!