[HPforGrownups] Neville's role in the series (Was: Neville's Gran)

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 85422

Joj wrote:

I am very suspicious of his Grandmother.  [snip]  Also, there's been speculation that someone may be drugging Neville's
parents in St. Mungos.  Granny could visit as often as she wants , and not
arouse any suspicion.

I could be crazy, but I think we might have Evil!Gran!

Debbie:

I can't claim to have invented Evil!Gran, but I was definitely an early proponent of her having perpetrated heinous crimes, and perhaps the first to have claimed that she uses her visits to St. Mungo's to make sure they never recover (#36889).  I had also argued that they did not lose their sanity from Cruciatus (though Bellatrix confirms in OOP that she did use that curse on them) but had lost their minds in the same manner as Bertha Jorkins when the MoM attempted to break through the charm in order to obtain evidence to convict the Pensieve Four (#38792, but more eloquently summarized in Elkins' Memory Charm symposium (#38848)).  There's definitely something odd about Gran's actions.

Carol wrote:

Just as readers were set up to suspect Snape in SS/PS, we're
being set up to suspect Neville's gran--only the clues and the
mysteries are more sophisticated now. I think that formidable as she
is, Gran is on the good side and woe to any Death Eaters if they go
near her, especially if they happened to be named Lestrange. 

Debbie:

Reluctantly, I now have to agree with Carol.  I more or less thought Neville himself laid to rest the Evil!Gran speculation in OOP ch. 11 when he said "[Gran] says it's the Daily Prophet that's going downhill, not Dumbledore.  She's cancelled our subscription.  We believe Harry."

But I think Gran's treatment of Neville is shabby nevertheless, if not emotionally abusive, the way she insists on putting him down in public.  I think Gran has a claim to a form of evilness even if she is not Evil!Gran.   

Sanityescapesme1979 asked:

Also, my question is: what is the deal with the plant he 
recieved for his birthday (fifth book pg.186 American version) 
Mimbulus mimbletonia? 

Debbie:
This has been discussed before.  Its name is similar to a real plant, mimulus mimbletonia, which is said to be  a remedy which draws out the quiet courage of shy, timid individuals.  

Sanityescapesme2000 continued:

Also, it's the password to get in to Gryffindor Tower.>>

Debbie:

It's the password to Gryffindor Tower because whoever set the password (the prefects, perhaps?) chose something Neville, whose inability to remember passwords is legendary, would be unable to forget.

In prior books Neville's inability to remember passwords was used to emphasize his forgetfulness.  In OOP, the presence of the mimbulus mimbletonia allows his forgetfulness to be downplayed in two ways:  Neville's courage shows through more clearly (though we know it was always there) and he doesn't forget the password (which, curiously, is never changed).

I think this was deliberate.  I don't think Neville is less forgetful than he was before, but it's being downplayed.  For example, when Snape rejected Harry's potion in ch. 12, Harry thought Neville's potion was as bad as his own, and Harry forgot an ingredient, so I'll bet Neville did, too.  But the mimbulus mimbletonia gives Neville the courage he needs to forge ahead in spite of his forgetfulness.   

What do I think this all means?  I think we shouldn't abandon all that Memory Charm speculation just yet.  I think that something important is buried in Neville's head, just as I believe his parents have important backstory information that is being suppressed. As Neville grows increasingly confident in his magical abilities, he'll be increasingly able to throw it off.  He's a *much* better wizard than Lockhart, and even he's regaining some memory.

Joj wrote:

I think she's spent her time
making Neville clumsy and forgetful and think she almost got away with
passing off as a squib, until his uncle ruined it by dropping him out the
window. 

Debbie:

Under the old Benevolent Memory Charm theories, Gran supposedly Memory Charmed Neville in order to protect him from horrible memories of the attack on his parents.  I think the WW is too harsh for that to be a reasonable scenario, but the idea that Gran is affecting Neville's memory and using psychological means to keep Neville from realizing his potential, or from accessing information, is more appealing.

The question, however, is just what she's protecting.  Is it Frank's memory? Is there a secret about Frank that would stain his martyrdom?  Or did she really think the DEs would return someday to pry out Neville's memories of what he witnessed when the Pensieve Four came to visit?  I don't know, but there's lots of time to speculate before Book 6 is published. ;-)

Debbie
who has believed in Memory Charmed Neville since first reading the books over two years ago 

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