Neville Longbottom

Who is Neville Longbottom?

Neville Longbottom is a Gryffindor in Harry’s year and one of the series’ most loved characters. He’s raised by his formidable grandmother, Augusta, because his parents, Frank and Alice, are in St Mungo’s Hospital. Both were Aurors who were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange.

Neville arrives at Hogwarts clumsy, forgetful and convinced he’s barely a wizard. His family had worried he was a Squib until he survived being dropped out of a window as a child and bounced.

Why Neville was sorted into Gryffindor

Neville’s sorting is the clearest proof that the Sorting Hat sees potential, not just present behaviour. He asked to be put in Hufflepuff, believing he wasn’t brave enough for Gryffindor. The Hat refused.

It took years, but Neville grew into the house completely. By Deathly Hallows he’s leading a resistance movement and defying Voldemort to his face. Read more in how the Sorting Hat decides.

Personality and traits

Neville is kind, loyal and quietly determined. He’s nervous and lacks confidence at first, especially around Snape, whom he fears so much that his boggart takes Snape’s form. But he has a strong moral core.

He’s also extraordinarily gifted at Herbology. Plants, he says, make sense to him in a way other magic doesn’t.

Magical abilities and skills

Skill	Details
Herbology	Exceptional; later taught the subject at Hogwarts.
Duelling	Improved dramatically in Dumbledore’s Army.
Leadership	Led the resistance at Hogwarts during Voldemort’s control of the school.
Courage	Stood up to his friends, to the Carrows and to Voldemort.

His magic improved noticeably once he got a wand of his own. For years he’d used his father’s old wand, which didn’t suit him.

Neville’s story, book by book

Book	Key moments
Philosopher’s Stone	Loses his toad, Trevor; stands up to Harry, Ron and Hermione, winning Gryffindor the House Cup.
Prisoner of Azkaban	Faces his boggart, Snape, and dresses it in his grandmother’s clothes.
Goblet of Fire	Goes to the Yule Ball with Ginny; witnesses the Cruciatus Curse in class, which upsets him deeply.
Order of the Phoenix	Joins the DA; Harry sees him visiting his parents at St Mungo’s; fights at the Department of Mysteries.
Half-Blood Prince	Fights alongside Ginny and Luna when Death Eaters enter Hogwarts.
Deathly Hallows	Leads Dumbledore’s Army against the Carrows; defies Voldemort; kills Nagini.

Key relationships

Character	Relationship
Harry Potter	Dormmate and friend; the other boy the prophecy could have meant.
Augusta Longbottom	His strict grandmother, who becomes deeply proud of him.
Frank and Alice Longbottom	His parents, lost to the Cruciatus Curse.
Luna Lovegood	Close friend and fellow DA member.
Severus Snape	The teacher he fears most.
Bellatrix Lestrange	Tortured his parents.
Hannah Abbott	His wife.

Strengths and flaws

Strengths: loyalty, kindness, courage that grows over time and great skill in Herbology.

Flaws: low self-confidence, forgetfulness and, early on, fearfulness.

Neville in the books vs the films

Matthew Lewis played Neville in all eight films. The films cut his visit to his parents at St Mungo’s, one of the most moving scenes in Order of the Phoenix. In the film of Goblet of Fire, Neville is the one who gives Harry Gillyweed; in the book it’s Dobby. His final-battle speech to Voldemort is kept and expanded.

Why Neville matters to the story

Neville is the series’ clearest example of growth. He starts as the boy everyone underestimates and ends as one of its heroes. He also shows how arbitrary fate can be: if Voldemort had chosen differently, Neville would have been the Boy Who Lived.

Fun facts

• His Remembrall turns red constantly because he forgets so much.
• His gran keeps a vulture-topped hat, which Neville’s boggart-Snape ends up wearing.
• Gran’s pride in him in Deathly Hallows is one of the series’ warmest small moments.
• J.K. Rowling has said he and Hannah Abbott live above the Leaky Cauldron, which Hannah runs.

Are you like Neville?

If you’re braver than you give yourself credit for, you might share his house. Take our house quiz.