Neville just can't! (Re: Which friend?)

[Strix <kethlenda@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48225


Yesterday I (Strix) wrote, on the subject of Neville:

> I think he just might be an example of how history doesn't have 
to repeat 
> > itself--Pettigrew was weak and fell to Voldemort, but Neville 
stays 
> > strong.

And Cheryl responded:

>        This is something I thought about too. History is not 
repeating itself 
> here, because of Hermione. Not the gender difference, but the 
fact that 
> instead of trying to persuade Neville to help them, Hermione 
paralyzed him. 
> After all, Neville, who's strong point is herbology, could have 
just as 
> easily solved the Devil's Snare problem. as it is, this gave 
Hermione two 
> solutions, the plant and the puzzle. What if Neville had come? 
Hmmm...
> 
>        Cheryl

Strix again:

Then he probably would have become a fourth member of their 
group.  The fourth and weakest, just like Pettigrew.  I remember 
my jaw dropping a few weeks ago when it occurred to me that 
the Devil's Snare might have been meant to be Neville's 
challenge.

So, if he had come along, he probably would have joined The 
Trio.  Remember how Pettigrew was accused by Sirius of always 
wanting the biggest, baddest friends to tag along with?  It would 
have been easy for Neville to go along with them, or at least to 
keep his mouth shut, even though he didn't think they were doing 
the right thing.  Instead he stood up to them.

Now, if when Neville defied them, Hermione had stated her case 
instead of petrifying him, who knows what might have 
happened?   I think that situation could have had three 
outcomes:

(1) Neville keeps his mouth shut and goes back to bed when the 
Trio tell him to.

(2) He stand up to them, refusing to let them go, and Hermione 
freezes him (the real outcome),

or (3) he goes along with them.

OK, so I'm not being very coherent...

Strix