Why don't Ron and Ginny know? (WAS Gum Wrappers)

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 113163

Dumbledad wrote: 
> What I don't get is why some of those adults who clearly do know 
> about the Longbottoms do not treat Neville better? Take 
McGonagall, she must know Neville's sad family story and have known 
his parents, but when he indirectly gives Sirius the password to 
Gryffindor Tower she really really takes it out on him. Where's 
understanding gone then? Either JKR forgot that McGonagall would be 
always walking on eggshells with Neville, or McGonagall is pretty 
nasty. 
<snip> 
> 
> Imagine that you are teaching a boy who is struggling with his 
> education, and you know that he was brought up by his grandmother 
> because his parents were tortured close to death and now reside in 
a mental home. Would you be able to treat him as McGonagall treats 
> Neville?

Hannah now: I'm afraid I disagree with you.  Of course Neville has 
had a hard time, and deserves sympathy, but that doesn't mean he 
shouldn't be treated like any other student.  Neville did something 
very stupid which put himself and his classmates in mortal danger 
(or at least that was the case from McGonagall's pov, since no one 
knew then that Black was only after the rat, or that Hermione's cat 
had stolen the passwords).  

McGonagall doesn't treat Neville with excessive cruelty.  She gives 
him a harsh, but deserved, punishment.  What was she supposed to 
do?  Having asked who left the passwords lying about, and then found 
out it was Neville, she could hardly smile sweetly and say 'Oh, it 
was *you* Longbottom, that's OK then.'

In the real world, people who commit crimes have often had very 
unhappy, disturbed lives.  But that doesn't give them the right to 
commit crimes, or make it any better for the victims.

Whatever problems Neville has, he still has to be able to learn to 
act responsibly and take the consequences of his actions.  In actual 
fact, I think not punishing Neville would have made him feel worse.  
Neville is an hounourable person, and must have felt dreadful about 
what happened.  He would have felt he deserved to be punished and 
wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he hadn't.

Hannah