Neville Longbottom. My hero. (Re: In defense of Hermione and Neville)

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 34881

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "lucky_kari" <lucky_kari at y...> wrote:
 
> > I mean, let's face it.  Neville's ability to find himself a date 
for 
> > the Yule Ball, his willingness to brave romantic rejection, makes 
> > both Ron and Harry look like a couple of utter wusses.  ;-)
> > 
> > The kid's a trooper.  He's got loads of courage.  It's just not 
the 
> > sort of courage that his culture values, sadly.

He's the bravest person of them all. Not because he isn't afraid of 
rejection (or is he?) - but because he repeatedly faces his worst 
fear, both public and alone.
 
> Or Harry, at first. But Harry's learning, and I'm sure the culture 
> will learn. I was so thrilled when Harry finally was shocked into 
> appreciating Neville. 

Harry has found Neville braver than himself ever since Neville told 
him his parents were in hospital - as they met the first time! It's 
just that doesn't know how to express himself.

As to - when Harry's praised, he either feels embarrased, or 
considers the praise given with sarcasm/irony. Harry can't even 
recieve such compliment, much less give one.

Harry thought Neville's rarely credited - but Harry himself was never 
credited as a child, only mocked...

> > (And I also desperately want to believe that the real reason that 
> > Neville took one of Hermione's S.P.E.W badges was *not*, as Harry 
> > thought, because he was browbeaten into it, but because she 
> convinced 
> > him that she was right about the House Elves -- and because he 
> really 
> > is *brave.*)
> 
> Of course, Harry's wrong. Since when was Neville brow-beaten into 
> anything? He's also a kind and compassionate soul, who would care 
> about the house elves's plight if he was convinced of it. Does it 
say 
> in the book if he wore the badge around? 

Neville's nice and caring. He may indeed feel for the house-elves... 
 
> > I mean, warrior courage is of course very admirable -- and it is 
> also 
> > exceptionally valuable, especially in a time of war -- but there 
are 
> > other types of bravery.  What about the courage of compassion?  
Or 
> of 
> > non-conformism?  Or even of principled pacifism?
>  
> Neville a la Frodo Baggins? For the record, I don't like principled 
> pacifism strictly, any more than any other principled wrong idea 
> (imho), so I'd probably flip my lid if Neville became an out-and-
out 
> pacifist.(Projecting my own beliefs on the story.) However, I can 
> really admire people who are pacifists in certain wars. This, 
though, 
> might not be it.
> 
> X: But Voldemort is going to kill us.
> Neville: We must practice pacifism.

Not like that. Neville would simply refuse to practise any kind of 
violence for any reason. Not even if he himself gets hurt to keep it.

> On the other hand, JKR could kick up plenty of unjust wars for 
Neville 
> to protest against. How about novels about Neville grown up? 
> 
> > 
> > What I would really like to see Neville do, once he "finds 
himself," 
> > is to serve as an exemplar of some *other* type of courage.  I 
want 
> > him to lead sit-down protests in front of the Ministry of Magic.  
> 
> Wouldn't it be fun to see Percy trying to remove him? Of course, 
> sit-down protests in the wizarding world would be a VERY dangerous 
> thing. Who knows what the Ministry would do you? A perfect 
opportunity 
> for Neville to be brave.

Yes, it'd be really fun. Because *both* would be convinced of doing 
the right thing!
 
He'd put up for human-rights - the right to be *presumed innocent* 
until proven guilty, for one - and gets Sirius Black, the Trio, 
Dumbledore - possibly all Gryffindors behind it being *practised* 
after the war(instead like they did to Sirius.. Not even trial!)
 
> > I want 
> > him to deliberately lose 200 points for Gryffindor as an act of 
> > protest against the institution of the House Cup. 
> 
> LOL. 

Oh, that'd be... more like Hermione's or F&G style than Neville's.
 
> >I want him to 
> > adopt an unusual dress style and not care what McGonagall has to 
say 
> > about it.  
> 
> Muggle clothes! In solidarity with Muggles. Or a tea-towel, in 
> solidarity with House-Elves!

Yes, Neville could do that... What about Neville going about NAKED to 
protest uniforms/in sympathy to Muggles/House-elves, all at the same 
time?
 
> >I want him to marry a Muggle.  
> 
> I want him to marry Ginny, but I like that touch. 

Yes, it'd be nice for Neville to get married... with Hermione!