Alice Longbottom

Alice Longbottom née Prewett was an Auror who worked for the Ministry of Magic during Lord Voldemort's first rise to power. She was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix under Albus Dumbledore. She is married to Frank Longbottom. Together, they have a son, Neville Longbottom.

In the course of her duties as an Auror, Alice and her husband were tortured extensively with the Cruciatus Curse by Death Eaters Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange and Barty Crouch, Jr.. It was through her suffering of this curse that Alice was later deemed insane, and lost her capabilities to function in society. She was placed in the permanent ward of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where she resides to this day.

Because of Alice's inability to care for her son, Neville was raised in the care of his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom. Neville regularly visits his parents for Christmas and other holidays. Though his parents do not overtly make recognition of Neville on these visits, Alice customarily gives her son chewing gum wrappers, which he keeps.

Molly Weasley and Alice Longbottom are possibly related, as they share the same maiden name. This would also make her a relation of Fabian and Gideon Prewett and the Weasley family.

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 recognized 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 recognized 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."