- "My son and his wife were tortured into insanity by You-Know-Who's followers. They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the wizarding community. Highly gifted, the pair of them."
- — Augusta Longbottom in 1995[src]
Frank Longbottom was a pure-blood wizard, an Auror for the Ministry of Magic during Lord Voldemort's first rise to power. He was the son of Augusta Longbottom and the husband of Auror Alice Longbottom. At some point he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Frank and his wife, Alice were original members of the Order of the Phoenix and fought against Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. At the end of the war in 1981, when their son Neville was only an infant, he and his wife were tortured into insanity by four Death Eaters. He and his wife were subsequently placed in the Janus Thickey Ward for irrevocable spell damage at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where he currently resides.
Biography
Early Life
Little is known about Frank's early life. After graduating from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Frank became a well-respected Auror, as did his wife, Alice. At the time Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters were growing increasingly powerful, Alice and Frank joined the Order of the Phoenix to oppose them.
First Wizarding War (1970s-1981)
- "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those to have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."
- — Sybill Trelawney's first Prophecy[src]
The original Order of the Phoenix
Frank and Alice welcomed their only child, Neville, on 30 July 1980.[2][3] Shortly after being born, Neville managed to magically adjust his blankets so that they were wrapped more tightly around him, but no one witnessed this remarkable feat.[4] The midwife who attended the birth assumed that Frank had tucked the newborn boy in more snugly.[4]
As Aurors and Order members, Frank and Alice defied Voldemort three times. This made their son, Neville, one of the two young infants who was the possible subject of a prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney about the person who could defeat the Dark Lord. The other infant was Harry Potter, son of Order members James and Lily Potter. Trelawney's prediction was overheard by Death Eater Severus Snape, who informed Voldemort.
The Dark Lord targeted Harry, because he was also a half-blood, and was defeated for the first time on 31 October, 1981. It is not known if the Longbottoms were told about the prophecy, as it is not known they disappeared into hiding, nor undertook any action to prevent the Death Eaters from harming the family after Voldemort's fall.
Permanent incapacitation (1981-?)
- Bellatrix Lestrange: "Neville Longbottom, is it? How's mum and dad?"
- Neville Longbottom: "Better now that they're about to be avenged!"
- — Bellatrix Lestrange taunting Neville in 1996[src]
Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange along with Barty Crouch Jr are tried before the Council of Magical Law
Shortly afterward, Alice and Frank were attacked by Death Eaters Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, and Bartemius Crouch Jr. They were captured[5] and tortured extensively with the Cruciatus Curse, and although the Death Eaters were caught and sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban for their crimes, their victims would never recover. Frank was deemed insane, and lost his capability to function in society. He and Alice were placed in the permanent ward of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries,[6] where they would reside for the rest of their lives not being able to recognise their son.[7]
Augusta and Neville visiting Frank and Alice
Because of Frank and Alice's inability to care for their son, Neville was raised in the care of his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, Frank's mother. Neville regularly visits his parents for Christmas and other holidays, although they do not overtly recognise Neville on these visits. Neville was taunted about his parents' state by one of their attackers, Bellatrix Lestrange, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.[8] Neville witnessed the death of Bellatrix at Molly Weasley's hands during the Battle of Hogwarts.[9]
Personality and traits
Frank was a well-respected Auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix. It is said that he and his wife were very beloved among the wizarding world. After they were tortured into insanity, he couldn't recognise his son, but Neville still loved them.
Magical abilities and skills
- Auror skills: Frank was a well-respected Auror, along with his wife and Alastor Moody. Frank and his wife were able to defy Lord Voldemort on three separate occasions. They were eventually tortured to insanity by Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr, seeking information about their master's downfall.
Relationships
Family
Neville Longbottom, his son and only child
Frank and his wife were Aurors and members of the first Order of the Phoenix. They had a son named Neville together. When Neville was only a year old, Frank and Alice were tortured to insanity by four Death Eaters. The Death Eaters were imprisoned for life in Azkaban, but Frank and Alice required permanent care at St Mungo's.
Alice Longbottom, his wife
Neville was very sad about his parents, and visited them in the hospital, although they could not recognise him, he was also "quite proud" to be their son as he told Harry Potter in 1995. Augusta Longbottom, Frank's mother, was also very sad. She too had a high opinion of them and was very proud when her grandson fought in several battles, like his parents, she even stated that he was finally starting to "live up to his father at last."
Order of the Phoenix
Other members of the Order of the Phoenix appeared to have had a good relationship with Frank and Alice during the First Wizarding War. Some of them, such as Alastor Moody, were very sad that the Longbottoms were tortured into insanity. Moody also stated that the Longbottoms would have preferred to die than live in insanity.
Etymology
- Frank is an English word meaning free or truthful.
- His name could also be from Frank Sidebottom.
- The Franks were a Germanic tribe that settled in France and the Netherlands. The name is derived from a word meaning "spear."
Behind the scenes
- Frank Longbottom was briefly portrayed by James Payton in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only) (Appears in flashback(s))
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Mentioned only) (Appears in photographs)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (Appears in photographs)
Notes and references
- ↑ When Neville was born in July 1980, Frank was an Auror (Confirmed by Bellatrix who describes Neville to Voldemort as "the son of the Aurors". in DH). Three years of Auror training would put Frank's graduation from Hogwarts, at the latest, in July 1977. To graduate from Hogwarts in 1977, Frank would have been at Hogwarts from September 1970 to July 1977. To be eleven years old in 1970, Frank would need to have been born between September 2nd 1958 - which would have made him just too young for the 1969 school year and almost twelve - and August 31st 1959 - which would make him just old enough to start in 1970. As well as this, Frank defied Voldemort at least 3 times ("thrice defied" like Lily and James) and may also not have gone straight into the Auror service, so there is at least another year to accommodate for, putting Frank's birth - at the latest - at some point between September 2nd 1957 and August 31st 1959 to fit for him being an Auror at the time of Neville's birth.
- ↑ J. K. Rowling's official site - F.A.Q. questions (archived here via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 37 (The Lost Prophecy)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Quill of Acceptance and The Book of Admittance" at Pottermore
- ↑ In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) Igor Karkaroff says: "I know for a fact that this person took part in the capture, and by means of the Criuciatus Curse, torture of the Auror Frank Longbottom and his Wife!" thus confirming that Alice and and Frank were captured and then tortured.
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
- ↑ NBC Interview with J.K. Rowling: Beyond the Epilogue
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 34 (The Department of Mysteries)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
