Realization: when Harry first encountered the dementor and saw his parents’ murder, he noted that the neutral patterns of the memory shouldn’t have even existed. Maybe that’s because it’s a false memory? I note this now because it removes constraints from what V might have actually done that day.
It is very likely. Also from Chapter 3, when McGonagall told Harry about his parents’ murder:
And somewhere in the back of his mind was a small, small note of confusion, a sense of something wrong about that story; and it should have been a part of Harry’s art to notice that tiny note, but he was distracted. For it is a sad rule that whenever you are most in need of your art as a rationalist, that is when you are most likely to forget it.
Realization: when Harry first encountered the dementor and saw his parents’ murder, he noted that the neutral patterns of the memory shouldn’t have even existed. Maybe that’s because it’s a false memory? I note this now because it removes constraints from what V might have actually done that day.
It is very likely. Also from Chapter 3, when McGonagall told Harry about his parents’ murder:
Yes, but who cast it? If V did it before the inability to cast spells on each other went into effect, would the memory still be there today?
The absence of a Horcrux ritual would support your theory, but V could have done that with some guy he burned to death after the memory ends.
Voldemort had plenty of minions.
Voldemort didn’t have nearly as many minions after his apparent death, although I admit that there would be some possibilities still available.