Fudge and Harry as Gryffindor's heir - In praise of Neville

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 108120

:

> Kneasy:
> >Neville is really a Huff. Not really good at anything. 
> 

Magda:

> 
> Not at all.  Huffs are the ultimate team players and
> all-for-one-one-for-all types.  They're the service-club-joiners, the
> Kiwanis-Club-leaders, the civic-munipal-politician types.  The group
> is everything.
> 
> Neville's a loner - off on his own and popping up on our radar screen
> only occasionally.  But whenever he shows up in OOTP, he surprises us
> with how much he's grown and developed.  And even without his own
> support network, he was capable of both physical courage (know anyone
> else in the series who's taken on Goyle and Crabbe singlehandedly?)
> and moral bravery (standing up to the Trio when they were about the
> leave the Tower in PS/SS).  Neville had more guts in his first year
> than Remus Lupin had in his fifth with the authority of prefect to
> boot.
> 

Julie:

I agree. Neville's problem is lack of confidence. His case actually makes
me believe the Sorting Hat does the actual sorting, however much it may
hem and haw, and give lip service to considering the student's preference.
I'm sure Neville didn't think he was Gryffindor material, and expected to be
sorted to Hufflepuff. But the Sorting Hat put him in Gryffindor anyway. (It
makes me wonder if the long time it took to sort Neville was because of
an ongoing argument between Neville and the Hat--"I'm sure I belong in
Hufflepuff.", "Hmm. Perhaps, but you would also do well in Gryffindor.",
"But I'm not brave enough!", "Courage reveals itself in many forms and 
deeds.", "But I'm not really good at anything. I'm just average.", etc, etc.)

I also wonder if the Sorting Hat has any preconception of what is to come
in the Wizarding World. Maybe it sorted Neville, Hermoine (who appears
on the surface a natural Ravenclaw), and the year's other Gryffindors 
partially 
based on the understanding that they were ones who would stand by Harry 
no matter what might come--certainly one true definition of courage. 

Julie 
(who thinks courage in the face of fear--Hermoine--and courage in the face
of self-doubt--Neville--are the strongest and perhaps purest examples of 
courage, since conquering something that comes hard is a far greater 
personal achievement than conquering something that comes easy)


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