discussion: Neville Longbottom, The Boy Who Lived

[shining_chaos]

Comments

[randomneses]

sorry, I'm too busy loling at that question mark.

[ethereal_dusky]

Would Neville still be the shy little boy who is always loosing his toad and is dreadful in his subjects if he was the boy who lived

[improved]

That McGonagall quote gives me this face:

[vinyamar]

random, but something in your comment spurred a thought I've always had.

Why doesn't Harry have grandparents? Lily and James were only 21 when they died - neither of them were orphans, so his grandparents either died young or had their children VERY late. I mean, I'm 23 and my mom/dad are only 60 (and that's old compared to most my friends parents)

Ever since finding out James/Lily's age this has just irked me - I understand, for story telling purposes, why he doesn't have them. I just find it odd it was never addressed.

[sugaraddict316]

JKR mentioned that James parents were very old even for wizards and he was their only child. They died of some wizarding disease I think. As for Lily's I think she may have mentioned that they died naturally at some point before Voldemort's downfall, but I'm not completely sure.

[improved]

[improved]

THIS IS MY FACE ALL OF THE TIME

[izbetterthanu]

would have done it all in one book tbh.

[ethereal_dusky]

LMAO! That's probably true!

[clarinet_geek_]

BEST COMMENT.

[4815162342x]

LOL.

[improved]

Not to say that Neville isn't a selfless or brave individual, because he definitely comes into his own over the course of the series, but I think Harry's personality and life circumstance created a perfect storm of events, so to speak. Harry's deep sense of empathy and altruism stems from his adverse childhood upbringing, away from the spotlight and a loving family. He had to develop a sense of self-preservation. I think Neville's actions are noble, but they come from a much different sense of self than Harry. Harry had no one to look up to for his early childhood, and Neville had to constantly live in his parents' shadow. It shaped their teenage to young adulthood struggles that ultimately defined how they'd handle being in Harry's position, imho, and I don't think things would have turned out the way they did had it been Neville.

Wow, sorry tl;dr

[anne_elli0t]

This. All of it.

[4815162342x]

I would agree to some extent. IDK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT. THIS DISCUSSION IS WARPING MY MIND.

[she_doesnt_care]

I completely agree with you!