Neville Longbotttom

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 165051

stanner91 wrote:
>
> I am sure this has been addressed before but does anyone else have
the feeling that Neville will play a key, if not pivotal, role in the
last book, ie Neville dies/kills Voldemort/saves Harry?  Neville has
come a long way since Philosopher's Stone, particularly in the last 2
books. He is more confident and certainly more skilled in magic. The
fact that his character in the books has been more fleshed out is telling.

Carol responds:
I agree that Neville has developed dramatically in the last few books.
His courage, demonstrated from the very first book, has always been
underestimated by everyone, including himself. He now has his own
wand, the experience of confronting Death Eaters and surviving, and
the respect of Harry Potter, who previously had dismissed him (along
with Luna and Ginny) as the last person he'd want to take with him to
the MoM. 

However, Neville is not the hero of the books, nor is he the Prophecy
Boy. I don't think he'll kill Voldemort (destroying Voldemort is
Harry's job, and if anyone is going to help him do it, it's probably
Snape). I think that the experiences of the last two books have built
Neville's self-confidence, and it's just possible that he learned more
from Snape's DADA class than Harry did. (We don't see any
confrontations between Snape and Neville in HBP--no cauldrons to melt
in DADA class, and he's already learned some defensive spells from
Harry that he can use as he tries to master nonverbal spell-casting.)
At any rate, being Cruciod by Bellatrix in the MoM probably showed him
what he really has to fear--not a sarcastic teacher who can't tolerate
ineptitude but the Death Eaters who Cruciod his parents into insanity,
and Bellatrix in particular. (If his Boggart hasn't turned into her,
I'll be very surprised. And dressing her in his grandmother's clothes
won't help him overcome that fear.)

I will be surprised--and horrified--if Neville kills *anyone* in HBP.
That's not what DADA is all about. I think he'll confront Bellatrix,
defeat her, and show her mercy by choosing *not* to kill her--which is
not the same as forgiving her or letting her go free. She deserves a
life sentence in Azkaban as much as anyone in the books. At any rate,
Bellatrix is Neville's nemesis as Voldemort is Harry's. So, yes, I
predict that Neville will be a hero, making his old grandmother proud,
but it will violate his character and the theme of mercy vs. revenge
if he kills anyone.

Carol, predicting that Neville will survive to become the Herbology
instructor at Hogwarts after Sprout retires (or maybe she'll be
conveniently killed off to make room for him)