Neville's home life [was: Shippping - We don't have a clue!]

[Meredith]

No: HPFGUIDX 97386



Sylvia wrote:
> I don't really give a hoot about HH or HR but I really, really want 
> Neville to end up with Ginny, if only to bring him into the warmth 
of 
> the Weasley circle and give the poor lamb a chance to experience 
the 
> love and security of a close family.  Neville has had a really 
> horrible life so far, what with Snape at school and his grandmother 
> at home, not to mention the terrible experience of the visits to 
what 
> is left of his parents.  Ginny could give him the confidence he 
lacks 
> (I love the way she stands up for him) and Molly and Arthur could 
be 
> the parents he has never had.  And the kind of teasing the twins 
> would give him as a family member would do him the world of good.
> 

Luckie:
Ah, another similarity between Neville and Harry. Aside from their 
parents (defying the dark lord thrice and being in the order) and 
having the same birthday, being gryffindors, etc. But I would argue 
that Harry had a worse homelife growing up than Neville. Neville's 
Gram may be intimidating, but she obviously cares for him and has 
raised him in place of his parents. While the Dursleys have always 
refused to talk about Harry's parents, and talked negatively about 
them when they do, Neville's Gram was quite proud of her son, Frank, 
and his wife, as evidenced from the St. Mungo's scene in OotP, the 
fact that she gave Neville Frank's wand, and the fact that she and 
great-uncle Augie (Gram's brother?) were estatic to find out Neville 
wasn't a squib and may yet follow in Frank's footsteps. Compare that 
to the Dursley's finding out about Harry's true nature. The Dursley's 
have tried to ignore and squash Harry's inner wizard, the Longbottoms 
have tried to bring it out. Gram has set the bar high for Neville, 
which COULD be just as damaging as the Dursley's tactic. We know from 
potions class that Neville doesn't respond well to pressure, and this 
could mean his early life was hard. Being compared with a parent or 
older sibling often is. But the motive behind Gram's way of raising a 
child and the Dursley's is quite different. Look at the way Frank - 
and Neville - have turned out compared to Dudley. But I can compare 
Gram to McGonagall - a strict woman who wants the best for, and out 
of, Neville (or, in McG's case, for all her students). I like 
McGonagall. And I think those two would be friends.

I'm not saying Harry "deserves" the Weasley family more (as Amy says 
in Little Women, "I do not wish to be loved for my family" or 
something like that), but the argument can apply to both sides.


~Luckie, who has no opinion on the N/G or H/G ships, but suspects 
Harry will end up alone.