Neville and the Clean Break

[entropymail]

No: HPFGUIDX 85624

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> I think Neville's wand was broken for a purpose. To see the purpose we
> must first look at Neville's Grandmother. She is holding Neville to
> the idealized standard of her once popular and now disabled son;
> Neville's father. And in doing so, is constantly critisizing Neville
> and thereby undermining his confidence, for not measuring up. He
> doesn't have the talent his father has. He's not up holding the family
> name. Etc...
> 
> Of course, Neville can never measure up against an idealized heroic
> martyred standard of his father because, first, he is not his father,
> and second, no one can live up to a standard like that. And let's not
> forget that his father was an older experience wizard, and Neville is
> just a little boy with little experience, few opportunities, and not
> much support.
> 
> Certainly, Gran gave Neville his father's wand in hopes that Neville
> would live up to him. In sense, she is trying to recast Neville in his
> father's mold. <snip>

This is, of course, assuming that Gran is just Neville's loving, if
misguided, caretaker. However, if you believe that she is truly
Evil!Gran, then her actions take on a new and sinister meaning.  What
if she is actually putting Neville down with the hopes of keeping his
confidence so low that he doesn't question his near-squiblike lack of
magical talent? If Neville believes in his heart that his talents are
negligible, then he wouldn't even question why he has to use his
father's wand, and wonder if he would do better after a proper visit
to Ollivander's.

She probably believed she had the whole thing all locked up and had
Neville convinced of his squibdom before good ol' meddling Uncle Algie
dropped him out of the window and forced a magical bounce out of him
(notice how "botanicals" keep coming to Neville's rescue...Algie=algae). 

One final thought: perhaps her motives for keeping Neville in a
bumbling state are not so evil after all. If Voldemort knows that
Neville is near to useless as a wizard can come, and his parents
remain in a curse-induced stupor, then he certainly would have little
or no interest in harming the family any further. Why bother with a
whole lineage that obviously no longer poses any threat? Maybe Gran
knows that a bungling, insecure grandson is better than no grandson at
all.

:: Entropy ::