JKR's FAQ answer about Neville

[Debbie]

Debbie peers up from her keyboard, where she has been juggling far 
too many tasks, and plucks a ball labeled "theorising" out of the 
air with one hand, while five other balls drop neatly into the 
canvas bag by her side, just in time to hear Miss Havisham remark:

"Well, this isn't what she is saying exactly, is it? She says that 
[Dumbledore thinks that] Neville would not have had the right 
qualities to defeat Voldemort, although Neville would have been 
protected from the AK in the same way as Harry, had his parents died 
for him as Lily did."

"Dumbledore isn't always right, though, is he?  Isn't that the point 
he makes in hideously melodramatic fashion in ch. 37, 'The Lost 
Prophecy'?  He didn't think Harry could handle it, either."

Debbie returns to her laptop for a moment, typing furiously, and 
after a long pause, the printer begins to churn out a long 
parchment.  Debbie picks it up and hands it to Miss Havisham.  It is 
a list of the 171 posts catalogued to 3.8.4.1 Memory Charms.

"I think there are some clues here to why Dumbledore doesn't think 
Neville has what it takes.  See, JKR always tries to close doors 
when she speaks, but in this case I think she's cleared the cobwebs 
from a very large window."

While Miss Havisham is pondering this, Debbie glances over to the 
next carrel, where Jen is arranging a party.  "Potioncat, I'm 
thinking it's time for that 
party now! You have the cake, right? And Ginger will supply vocal 
stylings for our listening pleasure. Debbie is going to swipe 
butterbeer from the stock at MEG....." 

"Oh, yes!  MEG has agreed to provide all the butterbeer we could 
want, as long as we keep sending progress reports."  Debbie pulls a 
couple of six-packs out of her bag.  "And for those with 
discriminating tastes, I cleared the remaining stock of single-malt 
whiskey from the old abandoned Fourth Man Hovercraft."

Debbie tosses the bagful of balls into the air again, and this time 
one marked "coding" falls into her hand, along with this message 
from Jen about Catlady's posts:

"The truth is, many of the individual sections in each post would 
*not* be coded in a stand-alone post. The information is too brief, 
or refers to past discussions or would simply be coded to FAQ/Adds 
nothing new."

The pearls *are* hard to find among the mere agreement and fanfic 
speculation.  I find they average one good thought ever other post 
or so; the rest is all repetition.  I assume that some of the early 
posts were saved, so I wouldn't feel too guilty about tossing most 
of the rest.


Debbie
who acknowledges an obsession about Memory Charms but refuses to 
enter a 12-step program until after HBP