Neville Longbottom

Lore & Background

Neville Longbottom was born into the respected Longbottom family, one of the few remaining pure-blood lines. His parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, were Aurors and members of the original Order of the Phoenix. During Voldemort's reign, they were tortured into insanity by the Cruciatus Curse used by Death Eaters including Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr. Neville was raised by his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, who had high expectations. As a baby, he showed little to no signs of magical abilities, leading his family to believe he might be a Squib. At Hogwarts, he was known for clumsiness, lack of confidence, and fear of failure—he fell off his broomstick during flying lessons and feared Professor Snape. His confidence grew after joining Dumbledore's Army in his fifth year, with Harry Potter as a mentor. In his seventh year, Neville took a leadership role within Dumbledore's Army and helped organize the resistance while Hogwarts was under Death Eater control. During the Battle of Hogwarts, he fought Scabior, retrieved the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat, and killed Nagini, the last remaining Horcrux of Voldemort.

In Their Own Story

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Neville first appears on the Hogwarts Express, befriending Harry, Ron, and Hermione. After he confronts his friends about their willingness to break school rules, headmaster Albus Dumbledore awards him ten house points for his bravery, allowing Gryffindor to win the House Cup. In Chamber of Secrets, Neville fears Slytherin's monster will attack him because of his poor magical abilities. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin helps Neville defeat a Boggart. In Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore reveals to Harry that Neville's parents were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters. In Order of the Phoenix, Neville's magical abilities improve under Harry's tutelage, and during the battle at the Department of Mysteries, he accidentally breaks the prophecy made about Harry and Voldemort. In Half-Blood Prince, Neville is invited to the Slug Club by Horace Slughorn and achieves high marks in Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Charms. In Deathly Hallows, Neville revives Dumbledore's Army and leads the resistance against Voldemort's takeover of Hogwarts. He outruns Death Eaters led by Scabior, defeats Fenrir Greyback alongside Ron, and kills Nagini with the Sword of Gryffindor. In the epilogue set nineteen years later, Ginny mentions Neville is now the Herbology professor at Hogwarts.

Reader's Guide

Neville Longbottom is a Gryffindor student in Harry Potter's year, described as round-faced. Early in the series, he is shy, lacking self-confidence, and portrayed as an incompetent wizard and a generally poor student except in Herbology, where he excels. In Chamber of Secrets, he admits his family feared he was a Squib. In Prisoner of Azkaban, he is terrified of Professor Snape. After joining Dumbledore's Army in Order of the Phoenix, his magical abilities improve, and in Deathly Hallows, he becomes a leader in the organization. His defining moments include standing up to his friends in his first year—an act Rowling called 'true moral courage'—and destroying the final Horcrux, Nagini, with the Sword of Gryffindor. The Sword appearing for Neville confirms he is a true Gryffindor, as he had always doubted his placement. After the Second Wizarding War, Neville becomes the Herbology professor at Hogwarts and marries Hannah Abbott, a fellow Hogwarts alumna. Rowling said in an interview that 'there's a lot of Neville in me—this feeling of just never being quite good enough' and that she wanted Neville to do something brave in Philosopher's Stone, where he 'finds true moral courage in standing up to his closest friends.'

Did You Know?

• Neville's parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, were Aurors and members of the original Order of the Phoenix who were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters using the Cruciatus Curse.
• In his first year, Neville was awarded ten house points by Dumbledore for standing up to his friends, which allowed Gryffindor to win the House Cup.
• Neville destroyed the final Horcrux, Nagini, using the Sword of Gryffindor, which he retrieved from the Sorting Hat during the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Rowling said in an interview that there is 'a lot of Neville in me—this feeling of just never being quite good enough' and that she wanted him to show 'true moral courage' in the first book.
• After the war, Neville became the Herbology professor at Hogwarts and married Hannah Abbott, a fellow Hogwarts alumna.