10 Things Every Harry Potter Fan Wishes Were In The Movies
5. Frank And Alice Longbottom
The Longbottom's story is terrible. So terrible that Neville hides what really happened to his parents. It's only when Ron, Hermione and Ginny run into him at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries that they find out the truth.
Frank and Alice Longbottom were both aurors and members of the original Order of the Phoenix. That is, until they were driven insane after being tortured with the Cruciatus Curse by Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr., and others. They then became permanent residents at St. Mungo's, so lost that they don't even recognize Neville himself.
The scene in St. Mungo's is tragic. The readers see Neville so hurt that he is uncomfortable to even be around his parents. He's hidden this secret, not because he wasn't proud of them, but because he wasn't ready for people to know about his parents.
As he's leaving St. Mungo's, his mother, who cannot comprehend that he is her son, hands him a gum wrapper. His grandmother told him to throw it away, but Neville kept it. It's one of the most heartbreaking moments that fans have ever seen for Neville, and it really drives the reader's appreciation of the character.