Augusta "Gran" Longbottom

[[la_vie_boheme]]

I'm in the middle of writing a fic based around Neville during Deathy Hallows, but I keep coming against roadblocks with Gran's character. I don't know how she'd act around him around the house or how she'd act after Dumbledore's death and everything Neville's done.

Any help?

[snhpf]

I personally see Gran as the very stereotypical caring, warm, cookie baking grandmother on the outside. Since his parents died she's had to raise him, but she hasn't raised him to hate or judge others, even those who have wronged him. Neville has self confidence issues but I see his grandmother being a cheerleader of sorts for him, encouraging and supportive through and through. This, I believe, is especially true through DH, when Neville really comes out of his shell and in a way becomes a leader of the insurgency against Snape and the Carrows at Hogwarts.

With Dumbledore specifically I believe he would be held in the utmost respect. Artistic license grants you to make their relationship as personal as you want it to be, if they were passing acquaintences who both were against Voldemort or if Gran played a key role in the first war and came to call Dumbledore a good friend. You can always insert a story she tells Neville about the last war to show their relationship and then use that to justify the level of her response.

Around the house I think Gran would have been active in Neville's life. At St. Mungo's in book 5 when Mr. Weasley is attacked and the group see Neville visiting his parents, Gran mentions how Neville talks about his friends. She might ask him casual questions about them and their activities, Neville's studies, and she most certainly would help him out with homework and such so that he can achieve success. School in and of itself might be a bonding thing for the two of them.

I hope that helped at least somewhat.

~Snhpf

[[la_vie_boheme]]

Thanks so much! That really helped move my scene along.

[Racing Co]

That's an interesting question because the only time Harry ever sees Neville's grandmother is before the events at the ministry in OotP. After that, she only appears indirectly, via a quote (and Neville mentioning how she bought him a new wand). She is quoted in the Daily Prophet as praising Harry's deeds and mentioning her grandson in the same stroke in the early chapters of HBP.

Here's what we know (or suspect):

Despite basically losing her son and daughter in law to the Death Eaters during the war, Gran is still very supportive of Dumbledore. By extension, she is also supportive of the Order of the Phoenix and every effort that's made to bring down Voldemort. At the very least, she doesn't seem to be blaming either of these parties for her family's loss. She could have become bitter about it, but she considers the sacrifice a badge of honor — a badge she clearly wants Neville to proudly display at school.

Gran is a woman of high expectations, especially when it comes to Neville. After all, Frank and Alice were heroes, successful Aurors and extraordinarily brave. Neville has a lot to live up to, and I get the impression that Gran doesn't help that complex any. She wanted him to take a class "better" than Charms — though that was partially to overshadow her personal shortcoming in the subject.

That said, I think Gran was disappointed at Neville's efforts at school the first few years. He seemed to struggle in every class, save herbology. Surely Frank did not experience similar troubles! I think her view of Neville changed dramatically after he fought at the Ministry; he was finally living up to his parents heroics. I think this event brought the two of them close together.

Gran is surprising, in a way. It seems like she would have been very protective of Neville, considering she's the mother figure and Neville is the only child of Frank (I also am imagining that Frank was an only child — or at least the only child to have children). Gran seems to be the opposite of being overly protective; she seems to genuinely want Neville to take on dangerous challenges, if that's what's right to do.

I think before and during last year of school, Neville and Gran's relationship would have been a very close one. Maybe Gran shared stories she remembered of Frank and Alice. I think she would certainly have been more encouraging that she was when Neville was barely passing Charms. Once Neville turned the corner, I think their relationship did the same.

[psijupiter]

When we see Neville's gran in OotP, in the Hospital Wing, she is brisk, commanding, and strict. When Neville mentions her it always sees to be when he isn't living up to her expectations - and McGongall tells Neville it's time she learnt to be proud of the grandson she's got rather than the grandson she thinks she ought to have. (In GoF, doesn't she want him to enter the triwizard tournament to uphold the family's honour? Or perhaps Neville thinks she'd want him too? I've not got that book near me, sorry.)

While I don't doubt that she loves her grandson, she is very demanding of him, and he seems very overshadowed by this, especially in the earlier books. I think it contributed to his nervousness - because he had been raised with such high expections he was afraid that he would never live up to them.

We also know for DH that she's a powerful witch. Neville mentioned that they sent a Death Eater after her, and the DE was now in St. Mungos and Augusta was on the run.

[Equinox Chick]

Since his parents died she's had to raise him, but she hasn't raised him to hate or judge others, even those who have wronged him. Neville has self confidence issues but I see his grandmother being a cheerleader of sorts for him, encouraging and supportive through and through.

I don't think she's warm, at all. I see her as being overbearing, to be honest. She's not a cuddly Gran. She's certainly not the type of Gran who'd tell you you're wonderful even if you're rubbish (which is what a lot of Grans would do). He does judge people to an extent, (rightly actually) and he desperately wants revenge on Bellatrix. If you think about Augusta's speech in St Mungos, she's not at all afraid to tell people that they were 'tortured into insanity'. The fact that she praises Harry so often to Neville, suggests that she wants a grandson who will fight. She doesn't start supporting him until that final year - and that's only when she's on the run. She finally praises him in that letter and then again to his friends. But she says 'Naturally, he's my grandson.' which suggests that although she's proud, she sees a lot of it as down to his Longbottom genes - and it's not at all surprising.

Neville's Boggart is Snape, yes? But he also doesn't want the Boggart to turn into his Gran either, this suggests that he's scared of her as well. Or it may be that he's scared of confrontation. Of course the members of his family who did confront things and fought bravely ended up insane, so his nervousness isn't inexplicable.

If Neville showed very little magical ability before the age of seven (or whenever he was held out of the window by Uncle Algie), the Augusta, who was surely still mourning the loss of her son, would have naturally felt disappointed. She, we know, is a powerful witch, and her son was an Auror. She would be expecting great things of Neville.

After the Battle at the Ministry, I think her view of Neville starts to alter - but she's still telling him not to do Charms, because it's a 'worthless' subject. Augusta, it seems to me, is still trying to raise Neville to be another Frank.

I think she held Dumbledore in high regard because she would have known him as a teacher. He's also outspoken like she is, and Frank would have talked about him as the Order leader.

Carole
xxx