Neville Longbottom

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Harry Potter character
Neville Longbottom
Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
House	Gryffindor
Actor	Matthew Lewis
First appearance	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Neville Longbottom is a fictional character in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series. He is described as a round-faced Gryffindor student in Harry's year. Throughout the series, he is often portrayed as a bumbling and disorganised character, and a rather mediocre student (though he is highly gifted at Herbology). However, the character's personality appears to undergo a transition after he joins Dumbledore's Army in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The encouragement he receives gives him confidence in his magical abilities, turning him into a more competent wizard. As the series progresses, he becomes close friends with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna.

Neville has been played by Matthew Lewis in all of the Harry Potter films to date.

1 Character background
2 Appearances
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Character background

Neville's birthdate is July 30, 1980, the day before Harry's. His parents are Frank and Alice Longbottom. Along with Alastor Moody, they are remembered as being three of the greatest Aurors the Ministry of Magic ever had. The Longbottoms were also prominent members of the Order of the Phoenix during the first war against Lord Voldemort. According to Albus Dumbledore, they had "thrice defied" Voldemort by 1981.

Their success, however, was cut short, as Frank and Alice were tortured to the point of insanity with the Cruciatus Curse by a group of Death Eaters, led by Bellatrix Lestrange. The torture of the Longbottoms is remembered by the Order as one of the most horrific crimes committed by Voldemort's followers. Since then, Frank and Alice reside in a closed ward of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Neville's paternal grandmother, Augusta, has raised him from a young age. Neville and his grandmother visit Frank and Alice over the holidays. Neither of them recognise him as their son, but Alice rather recognises Neville as someone she likes. The loss of his parents to madness affects Neville greatly, and he keeps their condition a secret. Harry, however, learns of their fate in Dumbledore's Pensieve, and, in the fifth book, Ron, Hermione and Ginny discover the truth accidentally in St Mungo's.

A wizarding photograph depicting Frank and Alice Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Early on, it is established that Neville is terrified of his grandmother, who is a very strict disciplinarian, a perfectionist, and a no-nonsense witch, especially towards Neville, and sometimes complains of his lack of talent. She appears to want Neville to follow his father's example, regardless of his desires or suitability. It was even feared by Neville's family, especially his grandmother, that he was a Squib during his childhood. Neville describes a time when he was younger and his great-uncle Algie attempted to "scare the magic out" of him by throwing him off one of Blackpool's piers to see if he would float (or at least not be harmed), as well as dangling him out of a window, before accidentally dropping him; Neville's magic caused him to bounce into the street. Neville's family is relieved, therefore, when he receives his letter inviting him to Hogwarts. Indeed, Algie is so proud that he presents Neville with a pet toad, which he names Trevor. In addition to Trevor, Neville also has something of a pet in his Mimbulus mimbletonia, an extremely rare plant resembling a grey cactus covered in boils, which was a birthday present that Algie got for him in Assyria.

The Longbottoms are not as poor as the Weasleys, and they seem to be considered a more respectable family in pure-blood circles: Cedrella Black was disowned for marrying Septimus Weasley, but her sister Callidora, who married Harfang Longbottom, remains on the Black family tapestry. However, unlike other purebloods, such as the Malfoys, Augusta Longbottom is proud that her grandson is a friend of the half-blood Harry Potter, and admires Muggle-born Hermione Granger for helping Neville out in class.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] First four books

Although a secondary character in the first four books, Neville appears often in the role of comic relief. He is one of Harry's strongest supporters over the course of the series, and takes part in some of the trio's first adventures. Neville makes one significant contribution in his first year at Hogwarts: by attempting to stand up to Harry, Ron and Hermione when he sees them about to break the rules and possibly do more harm to Gryffindor house, he earns the respect of Dumbledore. For this act Dumbledore mentions him especially at the end of year dinner, pointing out the bravery required to stand up to one's friends and awarding him the final 10 points necessary for Gryffindor house to beat Slytherin. Rowling revealed in an interview that "there's a lot of Neville in me - this feeling of just never being quite good enough... I felt that a lot when I was younger".^[1] For that reason, she wanted Neville to do something brave. She also said in that interview that it was "...a very important moment for me too in the first book".

Matthew Lewis as Neville in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, despite being a Pure-blood wizard, Neville fears that Slytherin's monster would attack him because he is "almost a Squib", as he is poorly skilled at school. However, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Remus Lupin is one of the first to help Neville develop his true power by asking him to confront and destroy a Boggart, which Neville successfully did. His boggart is revealed to be Severus Snape, whom Neville is terrified of because of the treatment the potions teacher gives to the boy. Rowling said that the "worst, shabbiest thing you can do" as a teacher is to bully students.^[2] Also in that book, Neville loses a paper that listed all the passwords to enter Gryffindor Tower, allowing Sirius Black to enter the tower and look for Peter Pettigrew.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the author reveals for the first time why Neville was raised by his grandmother. During one of the fake Alastor Moody's lessons, Neville introduces the Cruciatus Curse to the rest of the class, for it was the curse that permanently incapacited his parents, and is terrified upon viewing the effects of the curse used on a spider. The fake Moody later gives Neville a Herbology book so that he could assist Harry in getting Gillyweed to survive the second task in the Triwizard Tournament; however, Harry never asked him for help as the fake Alastor Moody intended him to. He asked Hermione to the Yule Ball but was declined, so Neville was accompanied by Ginny at the Ball instead.

[edit] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

As stated by the author, the fifth Harry Potter book "was a real turning point for Neville", due to the bigger role he played in this and in later books.^[3]

During his fifth year at Hogwarts, Neville's magical abilities improve dramatically under the tutelage of Harry during meetings of Dumbledore's Army. Neville then devotes himself to Harry's training regimen, and becomes second only to Hermione in terms of aptitude amongst Harry's pupils. He also receives far greater characterisation than he has in the past, with Harry, and thus the reader, coming to understand him on a deeper level, beginning when Harry's friends learn about the fate of Neville's parents at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. In this book, Neville's mother Alice gives him a Droobles bubble gum wrapper during his visit at Christmas break, and Neville puts it in his pocket even though his grandmother tells him to throw it away, saying that he already has enough to "wallpaper his bedroom". The significance of this incident was hotly debated by fans, but this debate has recently been put to rest in an interview with Rowling, in which she stated the event has no further implications towards the plot of the story, but was merely based on events of a friend and his mother with Alzheimer's.^[4]

Neville saves Harry's life during the battle in the Department of Mysteries, and plays a key role, if inadvertently, in keeping Voldemort from knowing the prophecy made about "Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter"^[5]. He and Harry are also the only students left standing after the battle, despite a Death Eater breaking both Neville's nose and his father's wand. His usefulness is impaired by his nose being broken, which alters his voice and renders his spell casting ineffective. Because the prophecy was destroyed during the battle, neither Harry nor Neville manage to hear its contents. Dumbledore, to whom the prophecy was originally made, explains that it concerns "the Chosen One", a wizard that would have the power to vanquish Voldemort. This "Chosen One" would be born "as the seventh month dies", and thus could refer to either Neville, born July 30, 1980, or Harry, born July 31, one day later.^[6] It is Dumbledore's opinion that Voldemort indeed marked the "Chosen One" by attacking Harry rather than Neville. According to Rowling, this "does not give Neville either hidden powers or a mysterious destiny ... Neville remains the tantalising 'might-have-been.'" She acknowledges that this "dull" answer may disappoint some fans.^[7]

[edit] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

While initially concerned Neville was not living up to his father's legacy, his willingness to go into battle against Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries seems to give Augusta a new respect for him. Neville receives a new wand, made of cherry wood and unicorn hair, as his previous wand was destroyed while fighting Death Eaters in Order of the Phoenix. He proudly asserts that his new wand was one of the last which Mr Ollivander sold before disappearing. The wand appears to have added further improvement to Neville's school performance. It has been commented on several occasions "the wand chooses the wizard," and that one "never gets as good results with another wizard's wand"; Neville had previously been using his father's wand. During the train ride to Hogwarts, Neville is invited to join Horace Slughorn in his cabin, along with several other students, to join the Slug Club, but apparently did not pass Slughorn's first test as he was not invited again.

It is revealed that Neville achieved an "Outstanding" in Herbology, and he did well in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms, earning an "Exceeds Expectations." He earned an "Acceptable" in Transfiguration, and is disappointed when Professor McGonagall will not allow him to join her N.E.W.T.-level class. Instead, he continues to Advanced Charms. When Neville tells McGonagall that his grandmother feels Charms is a "soft option" and prefers that he take Transfiguration, McGonagall informs him that she will write to Augusta, as "It's high time your grandmother learned to be proud of the grandson she's got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have.".^[8]

Neville wants the D.A. meetings to continue, as he feels they have helped him and the others to improve their skills, however they stop as Harry now says there is no need as they now have a "proper teacher". When a group of Death Eaters guided by Draco Malfoy attack the castle, Neville answers the call for help, and he fights against the Death Eaters once again, though he suffers minor injuries. During Dumbledore's funeral Neville is accompanied and assisted by Luna, and Harry felt a "great rush of affection" for them because they were the only two D.A. members that helped Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in the struggle with the Death Eaters. When asked about Neville and Luna developing a romantic relationship, Rowling replied that she sees "Neville and Luna as very different kinds of people and while they share a certain isolation within Hogwarts, I don't think that's enough to foster true love - friendship, perhaps, although I think that Neville would always find Luna's wilder flights of fancy alarming".^[9]

[edit] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

With Harry's absence and the control of Hogwarts in the hands of Snape and Death Eaters Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Neville spends much of his seventh year as the resistance leader against Voldemort's takeover. Together with Ginny and Luna, Neville reactivates Dumbledore's Army, stepping into the leadership position in Harry's absence and helping students who were tormented under the new regime. Neville reveals that the Carrows beat him and that the Death Eaters targeted Augusta when Neville was acting up at school. The Ministry official Dawlish is sent to arrest her but does not succeed and winds up in hospital when she apparently fights back before going on the run.

Neville goes into hiding in the Room of Requirement, which he shows an incredible ability to control, because he, along with a number of other students, had such a great need for its protection. It has transformed into a large ship-like circular room, with hammocks and banners of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw hanging from the walls. Upon Harry's return to Hogwarts, Neville sends messages to Dumbledore's Army, which in turn gathers the Order of the Phoenix. Augusta also arrives to the battle to assist her grandson. Just before she sallies off to do battle, she asks Harry where Neville is. When Harry tells her that Neville is fighting Death Eaters, she replies, "Naturally." Possibly influenced by the letter from McGonagall in the sixth book, and then bolstered by Neville's leadership of Dumbledore's Army during his seventh year at Hogwarts, Augusta ultimately becomes extremely proud of him.

Neville is a leading figure among the students during the Battle of Hogwarts. He is spotted twice by Harry using his knowledge of Herbology to help ward off the attackers. With Professor Sprout and a dozen other students, they hurl aggressive and violent plants at the Death Eaters from the castle walls. He is later seen helping Oliver Wood carry the body of Colin Creevey. Before his penultimate confrontation with Voldemort, Harry asks that Neville destroy Nagini, Voldemort's snake and will-be final Horcrux, if the opportunity presents itself.

When Voldemort returns with Harry's apparently lifeless body, Neville defies him. After Bellatrix identifies Neville, Voldemort offers him a place among the Death Eaters due to his pure-blood status and his bravery, but Neville refuses by yelling, "I'll join you when hell freezes over... Dumbledore's Army!" to the applause and cheers of the remaining Hogwarts defenders. Voldemort responds by placing Neville in a Body-Bind Curse, summoning the Sorting Hat, placing it on Neville's head and setting it on fire, as a sign of showing both his control over Hogwarts and a warning to those who continue to fight against him. However, Harry's attempted self-sacrifice has rendered Voldemort's curses ineffective against those fighting for Hogwarts, so when reinforcements arrive and Voldemort is distracted, Neville breaks free, pulls the Sorting Hat off his head, draws the Sword of Godric Gryffindor from it, and decapitates Nagini, thus destroying the final Horcrux, and making Voldemort mortal once again. When the battle goes to the Great Hall, he is shown assisting Ron in taking down Fenrir Greyback. After the battle is won, Neville is shown surrounded by a group of admirers.

[edit] Epilogue

In the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ginny mentions that he has gone on to be the Herbology professor at Hogwarts. In an interview, J.K. Rowling also mentioned that he shows off his D.A. coin to many admiring students and tells them about his adventures.^[10] Rowling revealed more information about Neville when she stated that he married Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff classmate, who became the landlady of the Leaky Cauldron^[11]