The Big Bangers and Neville

[moongirlk]

No: HPFGUIDX 35972

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at h...> wrote:
> Kimberly (that's me!) wrote:
> 
> > When I think of 
> > Neville's backstory I get all misty-eyed and impressed.  To me 
> it's 
> > tragic and terrifying and... something else that starts with a 
T.  

Cindy questioned:

> Uh, oh.  I need some help here.  Does the third T stand 
for "True"?  
> What exactly are you trying to say there, Kimberly?  ;-)

Oh cool!  I came off as being dodgy and mysterious when really I just 
couldn't think of another T word and felt the need for three to make 
the alliteration worthwhile.  Yay!

> Kimberly again:
> 
> > So then, did you *like* my insane backstory?  <snip my whinging 
so I can do some more futher down>

Cindy: 
> Oh, not to worry.  I love Faith.  She's pure, she's thoughtful, 
> she's well-groomed, she's the girl-next-door, she probably wears 
> plaid skirts and tights.  She's disciplined enough not to stray 
from 
> canon *at all* -- what's not to like?  

Oh no - see, you don't have to pretend to like Faith, that's ok 
(although she is Tough, in her way - her tights are really stockings 
and her maryjanes have 4-inch heels).  What I really meant was I was 
worried that you didn't appreciate all the effort I put into the 
*insane* backstory I came up with for Harry *and* Neville wherein 
Neville's the real threat to Voldemort because he's James' real son, 
and Harry's the love-child of Snape and Lily.  Remember?  Remember 
how it Banged and whistled and did all sorts of Big things?  I 
thought you'd like it...

> I'll let Faith in on a little secret (Faith is probably very good 
at 
> keeping secrets).  It's *tremendously* important to me that Neville 
> have a Bangy backstory, see.  Neville isn't Edgy.  Or Tough (no, 
> standing up to his friends and enduring a full-body bind does not 
> count).  Or Funny.  Or Competent at the Big magical arts.  Or good 
> under pressure.  There's not a whole lot to admire there, for me 
> anyway.  He's kind of just vulnerable and rather weak at the 
moment, 
> IMHO.

See, that's the *beauty* of Faith's Neville.  He *is* vulnerable and 
rather weak at the moment (although Faith points out that he's not 
*too* weak.  He's braver with girls than Harry and Ron and he's got a 
little of Frank Bryce's steel to him - keep on plugging even if life 
isn't all it's cracked up to be and nobody's got your back).
 
> For the first three books, I wrote Neville off as someone to read 
> past to, uh, get to Lupin.  But now, JKR has suggested that there's 
> something going on with Neville.  If she leaves the backstory 
> exactly where it is now, that is, exactly as Faith has it, well, it 
> might not be enough to rehabilitate Neville in my eyes.

You're looking for all the Bangs in the backstory, but Faith is 
hanging back, relaxing by the pool and resting up for the really BIG 
Bangs.  Because isn't it Bangier if Neville manages to do something 
great and fantastic *despite* all of his feelings of fear and 
inadequacy?  Despite the clumsiness and the forgetfulness and the 
cute little pudginess?  When a real underdog saves the day, you get a 
big, solid Bang.  And don't forget, Faith finds it perfectly possible 
that Neville *remembers* the torture of his parents, which allows for 
a lot of stuff you like - like the big revelation scene where he 
tells Harry all about it.  So you see, you get Bangs, plus you get to 
see Neville *becoming* Tough.  Being Tough is great and all, but 
Becoming Tough is even Tougher, I think.  

kimberly
glad I'm not the only one afraid of Sissy Spacek