Neville's Wand

[Josh Warren]

No: HPFGUIDX 109458

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Boolean" <j.balfour at l...> 
wrote:
> Just finished re-reading the battle scene in the Dept of Mysteries 
in 
> OotP again, and have been thinking about dear Neville...
> 
> Will we see an improvement once he 
> has a new wand in HBP?

As the assumably more wealthy Longbottom was using a handmedown wand 
the same as Ron, one must assume that it is actually a fairly regular 
practice. Perhaps this have-your-own-wand is a bit of salesmanship by 
Ollivander? :) Regardless... even if there is a slight improvement 
due to the wand itself, Neville has _already_ improved... his 
performance in the DA meetings post-jailbreak testify to that. He 
simply needed a reason to surpass himself that could overcome years 
of Gran's doubts and putdowns.

While IMHO Neville did as well as Harry and Hermione in the DoM... 
anything lacking can easily be attributed to the fact that this was 
his _first_ battle. True, only Harry had thus far dealt with DEs in 
any way, but this was Neville's first time to be in harm's way.

Josh