Think about Neville

[Barry Arrowsmith]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "nkafkafi" <nkafkafi at y...> wrote:
> 
> Neri:
> We are likely to get a hint regarding this soon. In the FAQ pole in 
> JKR's website, the leading question (by a huge margin) is "what is 
> the significance of Neville being the other boy to whom the prophecy 
> might have referred?" It must have been at least three months since 
> this pole was set, so she must answer it soon (or at least I hope 
> so). She must have had a good reason to include this question in the 
> first place.
> 

Thing is, would anyone believe her if she said it had no significance?
And what does she mean by 'significance' anyway? That it matters that
there was a second boy or that it matters it was Neville? Or that it has
a significance to the future plot arc? Or to past events and backstory?
If we get an answer other than one that boils down to "Yes" and with 
little or no indication of what the actual significance is, I'll be totally
gob-smacked. And so would almost everyone else, I think. 

Not only is Jo very careful about how she answers questions, she's very
careful about how she frames them too. Mind you, she may have got
caught short on this one - most of the sites have a moderate to heavy
infestation of SHIPpers who would perhaps be expected to be panting
for the merest hint that their sad and bizarre eccentricity has the slightest
validity. Must admit, I was a bit surprised (and encouraged) that Q.3. got 
such low support.

Past hints, nudges and winks encourage us to believe that the Longbottoms
(including Neville) are important to understanding what went on at the
time of GH - and importantly, they're still there. Is it unreasonable to
assume that future events will involve them and will, at the very least, lead 
to a major background filler. With my casting of Lockhart as the Obliviate!
maestro probably associated with the DEs and perhaps the despoiler of 
Frank and Alice's minds, I sometimes muse on what would be the reaction
if on his amblings about St Mungo's he happened to wander into their ward. 

Without  a doubt Neville has the potential to be a key part of a major plot
twist. The more one thinks about his place in the plot  the more it gives
one to wonder. Even JKR said that book 5 was a turning point for Neville.
So if he's no longer the well-meaning bumbling kid that the others have
to look out for, just what is his role?

Kneasy