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Neville Came A Long Way
Warner Bros.
When he is first introduced, Neville Longbottom is a scared 11-year-old boy searching for his toad Trevor. He can not correctly ride a broom, struggles to stand up for himself, and, while a friendly kid, does not show that much potential to become a powerful wizard. Neville shows a hint of whom he will eventually become when he is willing to stand up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they sneak out of the Gryffindor common room in the group’s first year. However, rather than join in on the dangerous storylines, Neville had a way of sticking to the background and enjoying his time with plants. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a turning point with Dumbledore’s Army.
Although Neville is not the star student, he shows his capabilities through practice and during the battle at the Ministry of Magic. Neville is one of the last remaining members of Dumbledore’s Army standing other than Harry as the battle starts coming to an end. But, it is his role in his seventh year at Hogwarts that highlights some of Neville’s most significant changes, even if they do not play a big part in the novels or are mentioned much throughout the movies. With Harry, Ron, and Hermione gone, Neville rebuilds Dumbledore’s Army and finds an important use for the Room of Requirement. Along with Ginny and Luna, he tries to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from the Headmaster’s office. In the final battle, Neville is the only person brave enough to step forward and address Voldemort directly, proving himself so much that Neville is worthy of pulling the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat.
An Unexpectedly Essential Ally
For the most part, Harry relied on Ron and Hermione more than anyone. His two closest friends knew everything about what Harry needed to do to defeat Voldemort, the truth about Sirius’ innocence, and several other things. Although Neville is never in Harry’s inner circle, he ends up becoming one of his best and most important allies. Unfortunately, Harry never has time to tell Neville that Sirius is innocent. However, that does not stop Neville from joining Harry’s quest, even if Neville’s awareness of the situation beforehand would have suggested Neville believed Sirius was guilty.
There were times when even Ron was less loyal to Harry than Neville. But, in the end, Neville became one of the most essential people in Harry’s life. Harry helped Neville grow as a wizard, and Neville had unwavering loyalty to Harry.
Neville’s Role in the Battle of Hogwarts Victory
During the book’s portrayal of the Battle of Hogwarts, there is a vastly different version of the significance in how Neville’s role involves killing Nagini. Although novel and movie counterparts of Neville commit the act of destroying the Horcrux within Nagini, it happens in two different instances. In the movie, Neville arrives just in time to save Hermione and Ron from Nagini in a secluded corner of the castle as war rages on. For the most part, it is a private affair as Harry’s battle with Voldemort continues separately. In the novel, Neville steps up far more publicly.
The movie allows for a shortened version of a similar scene. Neville stands up to Voldemort, delivering a speech and portraying a beacon of hope the light side desperately needs as Harry lies dead in Hagrid’s arms. But, in the books, Neville’s speech continues with him pulling out Gryffindor’s Sword and killing Nagini in front of everyone. It is an epic moment in general, but especially for a character who had never seemed so willing to enact violence. Still, this also occurs in the novel because Harry had told Neville to kill the snake, warning Neville this was an essential piece of the puzzle to defeating Voldemort. Neville does not have this information in the movie, killing the snake instead to protect his friends.
