She no longer had the plump, happy-looking face Harry had seen in Moody’s old photograph of the original Order of the Phoenix. Her face was thin and worn now, her eyes seemed overlarge and her hair, which had turned white, was wispy and dead-looking. . She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions towards Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand." —Alice after being tortured into insanity[src]

Alice Longbottom was a pure-blood witch, an Auror who worked for the Ministry of Magic during Lord Voldemort's first rise to power. Alice and her husband Frank Longbottom, were also members of the original Order of the Phoenix and fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War.

At the end of the war in 1981, when their son Neville was only an infant, Alice and Frank were tortured into insanity by a group of Death Eaters. She and her husband were subsequently placed in the Janus Thickey Ward for irrevocable spell damage at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where they were residing until at least January 1996.

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Biography

Early life

Little is known about Alice's early life. She may have attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. During her education, she must have achieved at least five N.E.W.T.s, of 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher.[4] At some point, Alice married Frank Longbottom.

First Wizarding War (1970s-1981)

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who 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]

After graduating, Alice became a well-respected Auror, as did her husband. At the time, Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters were growing increasingly powerful. In response to this Alice and Frank joined the original Order of the Phoenix to oppose them.[5] The Order was a secret society established by Albus Dumbledore in order to contain the present threat. It can be assumed that Alice and her husband played a vital role in the Order. In time, Frank and Alice earned the wrath of Bellatrix Lestrange by virtue of the fact that they were very efficient, and was responsible for a lot of captures, arrests and imprisonments of their Death Eater enemies throughout the First Wizarding War.[6]

Alice gave birth to their only child, Neville, on 30 July 1980.[7][8] Moments after his birth, Neville was able to magically adjust his blankets so that he was swaddled more snugly, but no one witnessed this remarkable feat.[9] The midwife who attended the birth assumed that Frank had tucked the newborn boy in more tightly.[9]

As Aurors and Order members, Alice and Frank defied Lord Voldemort himself three times. This made their son 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, perhaps because he was also a half-blood, and was defeated for the first time on 31 October, 1981.[10]

Permanent incapacitation (1981-?)

Main article: Attack on Frank and Alice Longbottom

Augusta Longbottom: " Again? Very well, Alice dear, very well — Neville, take it, whatever it is… Very nice, dear" Neville Longbottom: "Thanks, Mum." — Alice gives her son a gum wrapper[src]

Shortly afterward, Alice and Frank were attacked by Death Eaters Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, and Bartemius Crouch Jnr. They were captured[11] 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. Alice was deemed insane, and lost her capability to function in society. She and Frank were placed in the permanent ward of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries,[5] where they would reside for the rest of their lives, not even being able to recognise their son.[12]

Because of Alice's inability to care for her 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. Though his parents do not overtly recognise Neville on these visits, Alice customarily gives her son chewing gum wrappers, which he keeps. Neville was taunted about his parents' state by one of their attackers, Bellatrix Lestrange, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.[10] Neville witnessed the death of Bellatrix at Molly Weasley's hands during the Battle of Hogwarts.[13]

Physical appearance

Alice is a round-faced woman with short hair, and her son Neville resembles her quite strongly. By the mid-1990s, however, her face became thin and worn, and her hair had become white, wispy and dead-looking,[2] which was most likely due to her insanity from the Cruciatus Curse along with older age.

Personality and traits

Alice was a well-respected Auror and member of the original Order of the Phoenix. It is said that she and her husband were much beloved among the wizarding community. After they were tortured into insanity, Alice was not able to specifically recognise her son, although she relates to Neville as someone she is fond of.

Magical Abilities and skills

Relationships

Longbottom family

Well, we'd better get back. Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now." —Neville's grandmother instructing Neville to throw away the wrapper his mother had given him[src]

Alice and her husband 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, Alice and Frank 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.

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, Alice's mother-in-law, 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 rather die, instead of what had happened to them. Most members of the order had been slaughtered by the end of the First Wizarding War, and only a few survived.

Etymology

The name Alice is derived from the French name Adelais, which is in turn derived from the Germanic name Adalheidis, from the Germanic word elements adal, meaning "noble", and heid, meaning "type".

Behind the scenes

J. K. Rowling stated in interview the significance of the candy wrappers: "That idea was one of the very few that was inspired by a real event. I was told what, to me, was a very sad story by someone I know about their elderly mother who had Alzheimer's, and the elderly mother was in a closed ward. She was very severely demented and no longer recognised her son, but he went faithfully to visit her twice a week, and he used to take her sweets. That was their point of connection; she had a sweet tooth, she recognised him as the sweet-giver. That was very poignant to me. So I embroidered the story. Neville gives his mother what she wants, and (it makes me sad to think of it) she wants to give something back to him, but what she gives back to him is essentially worthless. But he still takes it as worth something because she's trying to give, so it does mean something, in emotional terms." [14]

Alice Longbottom was portrayed by Lisa Wood in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.[15]

Appearances

Alice Longbottom. The Harry Potter Wiki has 15 images related to

Notes and references







