Extra Credit blog 4: Neville Longbottom

            Neville Longbottom has come such a long way throughout the Harry Potter series.  From the beginning of the books, Neville was seen as that character that always seemed to lack confidence, especially in potions class and when it came to dealing with Draco.  Snape had always intimidated him, which didn’t help his poor performance in his class.  In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when facing the boggart in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Neville’s turned into Professor Snape.  It was often wondered whether Neville was chosen for the right house.  Gryffindor’s are known for their bravery, and Neville seemed to lack it.  During Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the audience sees some of his bravery show through when helping Harry fight the Death Eater in the Ministry of Magic.  Even with a broken nose, he still rushed after Harry to help duel the Death Eaters.

            The last novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, really showed the audience, as well as the other characters that Neville was truly meant to be in Gryffindor.  When Harry, Ron, and Hermione make their way back to Hogwarts towards the end of the novel, they are met by Neville to lead them back into the school from the Hog’s Head.  It is learned that Neville has stood strong against the Carrows, who were Death Eaters now in charge of discipline at the school.  Neville would refuse to practice the unforgiveable curses on first years, which led them to seriously injure him.  He was not afraid to resist the Death Eaters and to try and help others from being tortured.  He was truly a brave person.  By the end, when everyone believes Harry to be dead, Neville, out of the whole crowd of people, stands up to Voldemort proclaiming that he will never stop resisting the Dark Arts.  Neville then proceeds to kill the last Horcux, Voldemort’s snake, with the sword of Gryffindor.  Neville has pulled this sword out of the Sorting Hat.  This reverts back to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when Harry pulls the sword out of the hat to kill the basilisk.  Dumbledore says that only a true Gryffindor could pull that sword out of the Sorting Hat.  From this, the reader sees that Neville was truly meant to be a Gryffindor, where the brave dwell at heart.