Neville Longbottom |📜🦁💔

Neville was said to bear a strong resemblance to his mother. He was round-faced,[9] short, chubby, and had blonde hair.[55] He also had somewhat of a dog's teeth. Pansy Parkinson had once called him "fat", but this may have been an exaggeration, as she frequently made disparaging remarks about Gryffindor students.[13]

When he was younger, Neville was clumsy, forgetful, shy, and considered by many to be unsuitable for Gryffindor House because he appeared timid. However, Neville proved that the Sorting Hat had seen the bravery beneath his insecurity, as he stood up for his only friends as a first year[9] and later became one of the bravest members of the DA.[35] Part of Neville's problem seems to have been poor self-esteem, as he referred to himself as "a nobody" and "almost a Squib"[20] at times. This was likely caused by his grandmother's belief that he did not live up to his parents' achievements, and being bullied by other students and people such as Professor Snape. Although he came from a pure-blood family, he was not prejudiced against half-bloods and Muggle-borns.

Neville seemed to suffer from a certain degree of PTSD, as the torture of a spider via the Cruciatus Curse by Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as Alastor Moody was enough to cause him to have a severe anxiety attack. This was likely due to his own experience with his parents being subjected to the worst possible outcome of the curse: the onset of permanent and complete insanity. This familiarity with what the Cruciatus Curse could do in expert hands was more than enough to terrify him.

With the support of his friends, encouragement from Professor Lupin to face his fears, and motivation from the knowledge that his parents' tormentors were on the loose, Neville became braver, more self-confident, and more dedicated to fighting Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. [38] This was proven by his participation in many battles and his revival of the DA in the face of threats and torture at the hands of the Carrows in his seventh year, as well as his defiance of Voldemort himself during the final battle. [46]

Neville's assistance in class and with schoolwork. However (as confirmed by McGonagall[56]), some of this was probably caused by the use of another's wand, low self-esteem, and anxiety caused by the incessant bullying of many of his peers and Snape. As he found courage and self-confidence in his later years, Neville's magical abilities as a wizard grew and he proved to be a powerful wizard in his own right.

Herbology: As confirmed by Professor Sprout, who taught Herbology at Hogwarts, Neville was particularly talented in Herbology. In his first year, Neville's Herbology score was so good that it even made up for his failures in Potions, and he was the fastest student in the class: in 1996, he was the first to extract a capsule from a Snargaluff plant. [57] He went on to earn an "Outstanding" grade in his O.W.L. exam,[58] helped Professor Sprout organise the defences around Hogwarts with the Devil's Snare, employed Mandrakes in the Battle of Hogwarts to attack Death Eaters, and worked as the Hogwarts Professor of this subject after the Second Wizarding War. Neville's Herbology skills would later serve him well in his brief career as an Auror. He would improve his already considerable skills in the field to the extent that he was eventually hired as the Herbology professor at Hogwarts, succeeding his mentor, Pomona Sprout.

Defence Against the Dark Arts: Once motivated and confident, Neville proved proficient in Defence Against the Dark Arts. He achieved an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. exam, allowing him to advance to NEWT level. [58] Neville's talent with defensive and counter-attacking spells and his Hexes were also tested in the Second Wizarding War, as well as his post-war work as an Auror. Dueling: Neville proved to be a surprisingly skilled and competent duellist after gaining the required confidence and motivation: he survived the Battle of the Department of Mysteries without serious injury, and was notably the last person other than Harry Potter standing until the Order of the Phoenix arrived to rescue them. During the Battle of Hogwarts,[59] he defeated Fenrir Greyback, along with Ron, and was one of the survivors. It was also highly likely that due to his practical experience from serving as an Auror, his skills in duelling magic later increased considerably.

Charms - Neville was shown to have a talent in Charms, scoring an 'Exceeds Expectations' in his Charms O.W.L. exam. [58] Aside from Hermione, he mastered the Shield Charm faster than anyone else in Dumbledore's Army. [60] He could also perform simpler charms, such as the Femaportus[56] and the Repulsor Charm (although his aim was not very good at this). He could also produce a non-corporeal Patronus, which was very advanced magic, as well as proof of superior magical ability. It was likely that he eventually managed to produce a full, corporeal Patronus, and also improved his overall Charms work during his work as an Auror.

Transfiguration: Although not excellent at Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall stated that Neville's work just lacked confidence. With that she said that Neville managed to score an 'Acceptable', but was unable to continue to NEWT level. [58] However, it was likely that his skills in the subject improved to some extent after his service as an Auror, given that Transfiguration is commonly used in the workplace, and thus he would have had more experience in using it. Leadership Skills: During the 1997–1998 school year, Neville co-led Dumbledore's Army alongside Ginny and Luna. His leadership proved so effective that the Death Eaters were forced to resort to trying to control him through his grandmother, who was forced to go into hiding. Neville's leadership skills would later aid him in his career as a Herbology professor at Hogwarts in later life.

First wand: Neville's first wand was inherited from his father (Frank Longbottom). Its length, wood, and core material are unknown. Second wand: Neville's second wand was 33.02 cm long, made of cherry wood, and had a unicorn hair core. This wand was made by Garrick Ollivander sometime in or before 1996. Bedroom: Neville's bedroom was located in Augusta Longbottom's house. Augusta once joked that her mother had given her enough candy wrappers to paper her room. Trevor: Trevor was Neville's pet toad. He was given to Neville by his great-uncle Algie upon Neville's admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

As Neville's parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom, had been permanent residents of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries since Neville's childhood, he never knew them as the popular and talented Aurors they were reputed to be. However, he held them in high regard, much as his friend Harry admired the parents he never met.

Neville regularly visited his parents at St Mungo's with his grandmother, where he would try to talk to them and bring them sweets, keeping the wrappers given to him by his mother, even when his grandmother told him to throw them away. [37] Her torture clearly tormented him, as he was greatly shaken upon seeing the Cruciatus Curse demonstrated on a spider in his fourth year.[29]

When the Lestranges escaped from Azkaban in 1996, Neville did not speak of it, but became very dedicated to his training in Dumbledore's Army. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, his parents were taunted by Bellatrix Lestrange, who also briefly subjected him to the Cruciatus Curse, but Neville remained defiant. [41] Neville would later continue their legacy as a resistance fighter against Voldemort's regime at Hogwarts, and later in his brief career as an Auror.