Sorting Hat & Neville

[Lumen Dei]

No: HPFGUIDX 19180

Robert and Catherine wrote about Neville when discussing the sorting Hat

Robert wrote:
> On reflection, you're right.  The hat does conduct a dialogue with
> each student; it pointed out to Harry the advantages of Slytherin;
> it took a long time over Neville - he was my other misplacement,

and Catherine 

... I also don't think that we have seen enough of Neville yet to 
establish whether he belongs in Gryffindor or not.
BTW: it has been suggested that Neville has had a memory charm 
performed on him.  I had never really thought about this before, but 
it makes sense.  I am listening to the audio versions a lot, and 
whenever Neville is described, JKR always draws attention to his bad 
memory.  Perhaps Neville is only an ineffective wizard because he has 
this memory problem - and perhaps the hat can see the potential in 
him ie. see beyond the reality of Neville the forgetful boy and see 
what he was truly like.  


Oh dear, I may well be told again I am being poetic, but I truly love little Neville and think that within the structure of his personality he shows tremendous courage.  When in PoA Professor McGonagall asks who left the passwords lying about, Neville raises his hand.  That was an act of profound courage, moral courage.  He did something stupid and he openly acknowledged it.  He could have remained silent...who would have known?  The question was not addressed to him personally.  
I suspect (maybe again it will seem I am reading too much into it...) but I think there is a reason why JKR is forever placing Neville at the side of the three heroes: he rides in their boat, in their carriage, finds Fluffy with them, goes to warn them about Draco in Philosopher's Stone.  What more could you want in courage than little Neville diving into battle against Crabbe and Goyle?  It is one thing to sling mud from behind the safe shield of an invisibility cloak, quite another to lunge against the massive muscles of those two as Neville did in Phil. Stone.   Great things will come of him....can poets be prophets?  
"Neville, is he doomed?"  www.geocities.com/lumen_dei/wenk.html

I don't remember who proposed the theory about the memory charm, but it was absolutely brilliant.  I intend to repeat it far and wide...always acknowledging it wasn't my own, of course.  Just brilliant!

Maria
(L.D.)
Lumen Dei
Harry Potter's Philosopher's Shop  -- "Have Wand, Will Wave"
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To keep it short and simply let anyone who is interested follow the whole at the site....


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