Based on the fact that gum wrappers were blown toward you when the Gringrotts safe was opened on JKRowling.com, I believe that the Lion-Man described in the passage is in some way connected to the Longbottoms. How connected? Well, lets go through our options.

The way I see it, there are three ways this man could be connected to the Longbottoms:

1)He is indeed Frank Longbottom.
2)He is Neville's grandfather and we only see him through memory.
3)He is a Healer and is working on a way to cure (or has found a cure for) Frank and Alice.

Let's start with number one. This might be a bit far-fetched, but it's my favorite of the three. Think back a bit and try to recall exactly what Frank Longbottom looks like. Well, we know what he used to look like, but we have no idea what he looks like now. In the hospital we only see Alice. So what does Frank Longbottom look like? Well, I can imagine that after being cursed over and over again, he might have developed a limp, and possibly even bad vision. Living in a hospital for fifteen years could also cause a person to look a bit strained and unkempt--even old beyond their years. So the real question here is: are we getting a glimpse of Frank Longbottom in the hospital, or after he has recovered?

Next, we have the possibility of the Lion-Man being Neville's grandfather. I find this one a bit unlikely; we have no knowledge of Neville's grandfather and why he isn't around. Unfortunately, this is all speculation and I have nothing to back it up.

Lastly, Lion-Man is a healer. I like this theory too, probably because that means the Longbottoms get better. I'm thinking that maybe Neville figures out the mystery behind the gum wrappers. Maybe a cure that the Longbottoms heard about while in the hospital? Is this healer someone Neville has to find? Is it possible that maybe the gum wrappers are actually a clue as to who this man is? I hope so, because I would really like to see the Longbottoms cured.

9/11/04