Neville: Extremely out there speculation...

[Heather Moore]

No: HPFGUIDX 29436

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., princess_sara_r at y... wrote:
> Well...I read somewhere that JKR picked the name Harry Potter b/c the 
> last name was a name of a family on the street where she grew up (and 
> she liked the way it sounded) and she was fond of the first name 
> Harry, thus Harry Potter. I also think that she wanted her main 
> character to have a "normal" name, so insinuate that he was an 
> average everday boy who suddenly had wonderful things happen. Much 
> like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...
> Compare the name "Potter" to Malfoy and other Slytherin names. Crabbe 
> and Goyle sound so ancient and evil!! Potter, Weasley and Granger 
> however, sound very much like modern English names. 
> 
> I believe that she had a picture of a character in her head before 
> she began writing the books and picked their names based on things 
> around her. For all we know, Neville may have been a child at her 
> kid's daycare or at the park. It just happened to fit the character 
> she wanted described. Neville would not be the same if his name was 
> Steven or Michael would he??
> 
> princess_sarah
> 


 My own wild speculation runs thus: during the last two books, Neville will finally come into his own, the last of the "Gryffendor Scoobies" to gain his birthright of self-confidence. We will see some sort of crisis in which it is *Neville* who saves one or more of the Weasleys from danger and/or being led astray. Afterward, he will go on to avenge what was done to his parents in some way, and will be the "fourth Marauder" of this second generation. 
Neville will be among those who survives the confrontations with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. 

 At the conclusion of the seventh book, JKR will give us an epilogue revealing the adult fates of our principle characters.  Here it will be revealed that Neville ultimately rises to the head of the Ministry of Magic, becoming de factor Prime Minister for the sorcerous population of the United Kingdom -- thus, a play on WWII Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, whom I suspect was Jo's inspiration for the character's name.

 (I also fearlessly predict that Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley will be married in the long run.)