The Big Bangers and Neville

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 35883

Kimberly wrote:

>Seriously, though - how is Neville's 
> story any more talk show-y or less bangy than Harry's, (aside from 
> the fact that Harry's still in constant conflict)?  

I think Faith's version of Neville's backstory, while Faithful, is a 
great deal less Bangy than Harry's.  I mean, Harry's backstory is a 
Cherry Bomb -- big, bad, unpredictable and dangerous.  Neville's 
backstory is just a sparkler -- initially appealling, kind of 
pleasant to hold, but it won't get anyone's attention really, and it 
eventually kind of fizzles out -- the kind of thing a small child 
can manage on her own. :-)

How much Bangier is Harry's backstory?  Well, we all know almost all 
of it, so I won't repeat the whole thing here.  But we know we have 
a toddler who basically gets blasted out of his mother's arms, on 
Halloween, no less.  We know the whole house is destroyed around his 
tender head, but still he triumphs against the Most Powerful, Most 
Evil, Most Forgetful Dark Wizard ever.  We know he gets the standard 
Disney Cinderella treatment at the Dursleys, including being left on 
the doorstep with a terse note pinned to him.  Lots of backstory 
fireworks there, I think, and Harry's story hasn't even really 
started yet.

This suggests to me that JKR is . . . a closeted Banger.  Her 
natural instinct is toward the Big Bang.  Witness Moody's entrance 
in GoF: Moody is a frightful mess, lightening is flashing (not once 
but twice), his leg is clunking, his eye is swiveling.  Witness 
Sirius' entrance in PoA:  Sirius is a frightful mess, and his first 
line is "Expelliarmus."  JKR *loves* a big ol' Bang if she can get 
it.  

In spite of her Big Bang tendencies, it is possible that JKR hasn't 
conceived of any Big Bang backstory for Neville.  After all, 
*everybody* can't have a Big Bang Backstory.  Maybe there are only a 
few to go around.  Hagrid is certainly going to get one, what with 
all the hints about Giants in GoF.  Harry already has one.  Maybe 
there's no room for Neville to have an elaborate Bangy backstory.

Sheez, I hope that isn't true.  If JKR tossed in that bit in GoF 
about the fate of Neville's parents just to wind me up, and if she 
doesn't go somewhere with it, well . . . she would never do such a 
thing to me.

Would she?

> Cindy, shoulders aslump and head hanging, writes:
> > 
> > This is the polar opposite of both Big Bang and Steady State. 
> 

Kimberly wrote:

> ::Giggles forgotten, Kimberly bites her lip in concentration and 
> looks around for a third pole that could somehow be the opposite 
of 
> *two* other poles.::

Uh, yeah.  Right.  The Third Pole.  I meant to say that.  I meant 
Polar Opposite in the sense of being exactly at the mid-point 
between Big Bang and Steady State.  It's a math thing, I think.  :-)

Cindy (who will *never* stop laughing if any of our insane 
backstories turns out to be true)