Neville Longbottom

"*We’re all going to keep fighting, Harry. You know that?*"
— Neville's bravery and determination.

**Neville Longbottom** was a character in the *Harry Potter book series*.

Neville was a pure-blood wizard. He joined Dumbledore's Army and led them during the Second Wizarding War, playing a key role in the eventual defeat of Voldemort. He was the only child of Frank and Alice Longbottom who were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters. He was raised by his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom. He was a good friend of Harry Potter.

After the Battle of Hogwarts, Neville was an Auror. He left to be the Herbology Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

## Biography

### Early life

Neville Longbottom was born on 30 July 1980, a few hours earlier than Harry Potter. He is the only child of Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom. When he was a baby, Voldemort heard that a child born at the end of July to parents who had thrice defied him could have the power to defeat him. Neville was a candidate until he also learned that the child would be considered his equal. He decided to target Harry instead of Neville because he thought it referred to the half-blood status he shared with Harry.

When he was one year old, the First Wizarding War ended. However, the Lestrange family and Barty Crouch Jnr. decided to target Aurors for information on Voldemort's disappearance. They tortured Frank and Alice into insanity which required life-long care at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Neville was raised by Augusta Longbottom.

For much of his early childhood, he didn't show the ability to perform magic. His family thought he might have been a squib but his great-uncle, Algie kept trying to scare him into using magic. When he was eight years old, Algie hung him out of a window but dropped him when Enid offered him a meringue. Neville used magic to bounce down the garden, proving he was a wizard. Augusta cried because she was so happy.

Even though Neville did have magic, it didn't appear to be particularly strong so his family were still worried he didn't have enough to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. ButWhen he receivrd his acceptance letter at the age of eleven, Algie was very proud so he gave Neville his toad named Trevor.

Augusta didn't let Neville near a broomstick growing up. It was likely due to his accident-prone and forgetful nature, but it made him very nervous about flying later in life. Neville was once sent a Howler by Augusta prior to September 1992 but it's unknown why.

### Philosopher's Stone

At the age of eleven, Neville started his education at Hogwarts. Harry Potter heard him telling Augusta at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters that he had lost Trevor again. Hermione Granger helped him find Trevor on the Hogwarts Express. At one point, he asked Harry and Ron in their compartment if they knew where the toad was but they didn't know. Harry told him not to worry because Trevor would eventually show up.

Later on, Hermione brought Neville back to Harry's compartment not knowing he had already asked him about Trevor. They told her the same thing. Neville eventually found Trevor at Hogsmeade Station when Rubeus Hagrid caught him and asked who he belonged to. That evening when Professor McGonagall called for him during the Sorting ceremony, he fell over in front of the whole school. Neville was sorted into Gryffindor house but he run off to the table still wearing the Sorting Hat. He had to run back to her while the whole school was laughing. He befriended his fellow House members in the same year during the Start-of-Term Feast.

Neville was very shy and had no confidence in his abilities. In his first Potions lesson, he melted Seamus Finnigan's cauldron which caused the Cure for Boils to fall over the floor and melt everyone's shoes. Neville had boils growing on him while Professor Snape shouted at him for being an "idiot". He was taken to the Hospital Wing. He was later sent a Remembrall by Augusta but when it turned scarlet, he could not remember what he had forgotten.

He was nervous about their first Flying lesson because he had never flown before. During the lesson, he kicked up from the ground far too early and kept going higher and higher until he fell sideways off the broom in fear and landed on the ground. He had a broken wrist and Hooch had to take him to the Hospital Wing. Poppy Pomfrey mended the broken bone in minutes. Neville was sent home from the Hospital Wing before 11pm, but he forgot the password to the common room. He was sleeping near the door when Harry, Ron and Hermione snuck out to duel Draco. They told him the password but the Fat Lady was not in the portrait. He was too afraid to be outside on his own so he went with them to the trophy room, but Draco had sent the caretaker Argus Filch instead. Neville knocked Ron over when they run away but they escaped and run to the out-of-bounds third-floor corridor.

They opened a door only to be confronted by Fluffy. They run away and Hermione pointed out that the dog was guarding a trapdoor. She and Neville didn't want to find out what Fluffy was guarding. Later, during a Charms lesson to learn the Levitation Charm, Neville wanted Harry to pair up but he did not look Neville in the eye, knowing he was not the best student. Neville attended the first Quidditch match of the year and wept when Harry's broom kept trying to knock him off.

After the Christmas holidays, Neville was jinxed by Draco with the Leg-Locker Curse. He fell through the door of the common room and Ron told him that he should have fought back but he said he was not brave enough to do that. Harry gave him a Chocolate Frog Card to cheer him up and told him he was worth more than Draco, pointing out that he had to be placed in Gryffindor for a good reason.

Draco taunted Neville during the next Quidditch game by saying he had no brains, but Neville fought back and told Draco that he was worth twelve than him. Draco began laughing and Ron defended Neville but when Draco insulted him too, they began fighting each other. Neville kept trying to punch Draco but the fight was broken up when Harry caught the Golden Snitch and won the game. Draco then knocked Neville out by punching him.

In April, Neville overheard Draco saying he knew Harry had a dragon and he was going to tell on them. He run out at midnight to warn them and was found by Professor McGonagall. After he was taken to her office, they found out that Filch had caught Harry and Hermione. Professor McGonagall thought they had lied to Draco to get him into trouble. Harry, Hermione, Draco and Neville were given detention and had fifty house points taken away each.

Other students stopped speaking to Neville for losing House points because had put Slytherin in the lead for the House Cup. For detention, they had to help Hagrid search for a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid put Neville and Draco into a team but Draco pranked him by scaring him. Neville sent sparks up into the sky to warn Hagrid they were in danger. Hagrid then switched Harry and Neville around. He spent the rest of detention helping Hagrid and Hermione.

In June, Neville found Harry, Ron and Hermione sneaking out of the common room again one night. He decided that he wouldn't let them because they would let Gryffindor down again. They denied they were sneaking out but Harry eventually admitted they were and told him it was very important. Neville told them that he would fight them. Ron told him not be an idiot which upset Neville. Hermione then cursed him using the Full Body-Bind Curse.

At the End-of-Year Feast, Dumbledore awarded Neville ten points for having the courage to stand up to his friends. Neville went white in shock when people were hugging him. It helped Gryffindor to win the House Cup.

### Chamber of Secrets

In September 1992, Neville returned to Hogwarts for his second year. On their first day, he advised Ron to open a Howler he had received because it was eventually going to open anyway. In the very first Defence Against the Dark Arts of the year taught by the incompetent Professor Lockhart, a group of Cornish pixies broke loose, picked him up by his ears and left hanging him from a candelabra. Lockhart had no idea what to do so he ran away. Neville was helped by Hermione.

Neville was worried when the Chamber of Secrets was opened and a monster Petrified Mrs Norris and Colin Creevey. He started taking a purple crystal and a newt-tail round the school to stop the Basilisk attacking him even though he was a pure-blood. Neville thought that he was in danger because he barely had any magical talent.

Neville attended a Duelling Club set up by Professor Lockhart. He and Justin Finch-Fletchley were paired up for a duel but they ended up falling over. Lockhart suggested having Neville and Justin up on the center-stage to show the club a duel, but Professor Snape told him that Neville struggled using even the simplest of spells so Justin would probably end up in the Hospital Wing. Neville's face went pink.

### Prisoner of Azkaban

During the summer holidays, Harry ran away from 4 Privet Drive. He thought he was in trouble with the Ministry of Magic for accidentally inflating his aunt. To evade capture, he lied to the conductor of the Knight Bus by telling him he was called "Neville Longbottom". Harry thought Augusta would be very upset if she knew that he was using her grandson's identity. A few days later, Neville and Augusta were shopping in Diagon Alley. He had lost their list of what they needed to buy. Harry saw Augusta telling Neville off for it.

## Appearance

Neville had a round face, he was chubby, short and had blond hair.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 11
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 7
3. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 7
4. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Chapter 30
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 6
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 9
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 6
8. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 8
9. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 10
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 11
11. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 13
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 15
13. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 16
14. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 17
15. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 3
16. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 4