Neville Longbottom

[Elf]

My opinion of Augusta is that she loved Neville. While she didn't physically abuse him Frank's torture was hard on her. She missed Frank and she felt that Neville should be more like his father and was always telling him that.

While not abusive I don't think that that would have been easy for Neville, who may have wished that his parents weren't so brave so that they would still be with him.

[apollo13]

In short, Neville's grandmother is an old woman. Now, I don't want to stereo-type here, but it is known that old people can be grumpier. There is psychological reason for this. Simply, they miss being young an youthful, and having more control over their lives. Although Augusta certainly does have control over her life, you must remember that not only is she a fiery woman who can obviously take care of herself, her son was too. Now, she raised this son, and he was alike her in personality. He was an Auror, so he was obviously very gifted at the core subjects, and from what we can tell from the books he was a brilliant Auror too.

Now, along comes Bellatrix and what happens? This spirited, talented young Auror is left severely brain damaged, unable to do even the easiest of tasks and confined to a hospital for the rest of his life. Neither he nor his wife even recognise their son, and no doubt every time Neville and his grandmother visit the hospital they must introduce themselves all over again.

So Augusta is left with a baby and the pain of knowing her son and daughter-in-law will never be the same again. The war is over and everyone is celebrating, but she is in so much pain. No doubt she was always quite sharp tongued, and, from what McGonagall said in HBP:

"I will drop Augusta a line reminding her that although she failed her Charms OWL, the subject is not entirely worthless."

We can gather that she has always been one of those people who feel that they always have to be the best in everything, or it is not worth learning. A bit like Hermione, I suppose.

Neville, bless him, is not a fast learner. This does not mean to say that he is stupid,or slow, it just means that he has a different type of mind to his grandmother and, we assume his father. His grandmother, who raised her son to be a top Auror is no doubt horrified at this, and probably secretly blames herself, believing that she has failed in raising her grandson. But, as we remember, when she failed her Charms OWL, she deemed the subject worthless, or, as she later told Neville, "a soft-option". So, she immediately reassures herself by telling herself that Neville is "worthless".

Although she does not think this in heart, she is partly trying to convince herself that he is. She is not the sort of woman who easily gives up, but at the same time she just can't be bothered with him any more, so she always compares Neville to his parents, and reprimands him when he doesn't understand. All she wants is to bring Neville up as she brought Frank up, but she feels that she can't, because Neville is an entirely different person. I tend to think that Neville takes after his mother.

On top of all this, Neville could have been the Boy Who Lived. We don't know whether Augusta knows this, as Neville doesn't but Neville's parents did, but if she does then no doubt she is expecting him to have this "power the Dark Lord knows not". She is expecting him to be a possible challenge for Lord Voldemort. She's expecting him to be like Harry. Instead, Neville is quite content tending his plants and learning charms; he is, after all, a very gentle soul.

~Evie

[OliveOil_Med]

When do you think Neville took up his teaching position at Hogwarts? Do you believe he ever went on a research expedition to studying Herbology, like Luna did to study magical creatures?

What did of teacher do you envision him as?

[cmwinters]

When do you think Neville took up his teaching position at Hogwarts? Do you believe he ever went on a research expedition to studying Herbology, like Luna did to study magical creatures?

What did of teacher do you envision him as?

I would hope it had been a few years after he left Hogwarts, so he could get some other life experience. Yes, the war is certainly a life experience, but I mean travelling and dealing with people who aren't in a student/teacher environment all day. When I see fics that have him become Head of Gryffindor House the year after the war, it really exasperates me.

Yes, I know it is most likely that McGonagall ended up becoming Headmistress. And I know that Snape became Head of House within two years of completing school. And I know that Neville's situation is just as much an exception as Snape's was. But it's *so* overly cliche as to be the easy way out and lazy writing.

Neville, in his school years, was a fantastic character and I love him to itty bitty bits. And he was brave and willing to do whatever it takes to get the right thing done, even at certain detriment to himself. But he really lacked in self-confidence, and I think, after locking horns with three fairly vicious Death Eaters all year, fighting in a war, leading an army and destroying the most evil magic the Harry Potter universe has to offer, he would certainly get that confidence.

But not the next day. He'd need some time to grow into it.

I think a research expedition is completely plausible, although maybe one not as scatterbrained as Luna's likely was.

[celipsis]

When do you think Neville took up his teaching position at Hogwarts? Do you believe he ever went on a research expedition to study Herbology, like Luna did to study magical creatures?

I think Neville began teaching 5-10 years after Voldemort's destruction. Logically speaking, he couldn't have begun immediately because Professor Sprout, an entirely competent teacher, still held the Herbology position. If he did wait around 5 years before becoming a teacher, he could have found more than enough to occupy his time in the way of post-war reformation efforts; rebuilding the Wizarding community from the terrors that Voldemort inflicted was work that spanned decades. Within a few years, though, Neville would be capable of taking over the position as soon as Sprout was ready to retire. I place a tentative maximum limit of ten years on this transition because Professor Sprout was getting on in age and (I assume) felt comfortable surrendering her post to her former student.

I think a research expedition is completely plausible, although maybe one not as scatterbrained as Luna's likely was.

I agree completely. Neville doesn't strike me as someone who would be adverse to the idea of a research expedition, particularly not with his newly-developed confidence. However, while Luna probably wandered on a whim, Neville would plan out any such journey before departing.

What sort of teacher do you envision him as?

I see Neville as being a kind teacher, the type who is willing to explain a concept to a struggling student as many times as necessary for that student to understand. Based on his own experiences with Professor Snape, he would not try to cow students into submission; however, that isn't to say that he would let students walk all over him either. I see Neville employing Lupin's teaching style: being kind and witty, while remaining dedicated to helping the students learn.

~celipsis

[OliveOil_Med]

What do you think Neville's Patronus is? There was a thread in the Ref Desk, but I don't feel like it ever really got anywhere.

I though maybe something to do with Herbology, like a bee or a hummingbird, but then I started thinking about all the courage Neville showed in DH, and thought maybe a lion.

Any comments? Ideas?

[Sonorus]

Well, in my fics I have it as a lion, but that's because I specifically wanted to highlight Neville's connection to Gryffindor, which he had doubted. The idea being that as a Patronus represents something a wizard is most closely connected to, his Patronus being the Gryffindor lion shows he truly belongs in Gryffindor. If you don't want to go with that, perhaps consider what is the thing that's most important to Neville in your story, and base the Patronus on that. It's a good way to make it part of the plot, rather than just some random animal.

[OliveOil_Med]

Since Neville becomes Hogwarts professor, it would be fair to call him an academic in his older years. Do you think he would ever be one to write a book? What do you think he would choose as a subject: Herbology in general, education, the magical plants of somewhere he traveled?

[Tim the Enchanter]

Somehow, I don't see Neville as the kind of person who'd write a book. I think of Neville as a very hands-on kind of teacher who assigns little to no written work for his class, and likewise wouldn't want to write a book himself, because writing it out and editing it would be time consuming, and I believe, boring for Neville.

However, I do see him possibly publishing, his (presumably) extensive notes on Herbology, perhaps complete with his doodles in the margins of him beheading Nagini or something like that...

Also, I have a thought that just occurred to me... does a Patronus even have to be an animal? I was just thinking that Neville might have a plant for a Patronus!

Tim the Enchanter

[Nundu]

I have a thought that just occurred to me... does a Patronus even have to be an animal? I was just thinking that Neville might have a plant for a Patronus!

Perhaps a Venomous Tentacula? (dangerous and tenacious)