Neville Longbottom

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 40786

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "ftah3" <ftah3 at y...> wrote:
> Clareysage wrote:
> > it always seems to me as if Neville is being
> > set up as a dunce to surprise us all and give
> > him room to develop -  ie basic motivations 
> > are just as important as cleverness.
> 
> You know, this is my inclination as well.  I like your speculation 
> that Neville's aptitude for herbology foreshadows him discovering 
> something important like a cure for his parents' (possibly implied) 
> insanity, too.  
> 
> Also, I think that the fact that he's less a dunce/less
> sniveling than he appears might be supported by the fact 
> that he not  only had the guts to stand up to 
> Harry/Ron/Hermione at the end of  SS/PS but also that he 
> had the gumption to ask Ginny to the dance in  GoF.  
> 
> ... ... ... EDITED ... ... ...  
> 
> On the other hand, Neville has never groveled around HRH.  
> ... EDITED ... 
>
> Also, when he has a moral disagreement with their actions, he stands 
> up to them - he stands up to The Famous Harry Potter to protect 
> Gryffindor from losing more points at the end of SS/PS!  Heck, he
> even  offers to fight them if they didn't go back to bed.  
> ... EDITED ...
> 
> I don't actually think that Neville parallels anyone from recent 
> (reign of Voldemort/death of Lily & James) history, at this point.  
> Unless he parallels his own parents - if they were like him: good 
> people, loyal and brave friends - in which case perhaps their fate 
> would be his.  ...but I hope not, I really like Neville!
> 
> Anyhoo, really enjoying the discussion of Neville....
> Mahoney

I REALLY like Neville and I think he will show us that he is a very
powerful force of magic.

I write fan fiction (sorry can't go into detail, too far off topic)
but in one of my stories, I characterized Neville as a great wizard
hidden under a shroud; hidden under a veil of fear and insecurity.
Can't we all indentify with that? Isn't the full potential in all of
us supressed by a some veil of insecurity? 

Getting back on track, think about the first flying lesson. Who's
broom was the first one to take off and soar effortlessly? Harry? NO.
Draco? NO. It was Neville. Clearly he demonstrate a substantial
magical force for flying. Others couldn't even get their brooms to
respond. Neville flew effortlessly and with tremendous magical force
but that force was corrupted and made uncontrolable by fear. To push
the analogy of my characterization, Neville couldn't fly well because
he was blinded by that shroud of fear. 

To me, that powerful flight shows the powerful wizard hidden
underneath. Sometime, when circumstance are right, even the most
frightened person can set aside that fear and do great things. I think
this is what will happen with Neville. He will reach a point where the
demands of his own internal needs and the demands of external
circumstances will become so great that he will have no choice but to
drop his fear, and show us his true mettle.

BBoy_MN