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Reader Comments: (Page 21)

There's a lot of great stuff here, and an admirable discipline about not getting too crazily abstruse. There are three points that I'd like to throw out:

1) "'(W)hy Snape is so hateful towards Neville' and Neville so terrified of Snape?" The obvious motivation is perfectly likely, but the converse, or something like it, that for some as yet unknown reason these two must be kept apart, or more specifically, that Neville must remain away from Snape and Snape is actively trying to ensure that, seems at least as likely. I also think this applies to Harry as well. While Harry's resemblance to his Father is mentioned as evoking Snapes' hatred, it is too easy to forget that Lily's eyes must equally evoke Snapes' love, and not always painfully, as it is all he has left of her. While Harry is the hero of the sage, Snapes is (perhaps) its tragic hero, the Achilles or Oedipus who commits one infamous sin in a fit of anger or resentment and destroys his life, and many others, as a result.

2) There's no happy way to say this, but I believe it is Hermione who is the "bad" one. I can't help but notice what an ordeal the life must be to her, because of the, let's face it, meval and often cruel politics of the wizarding world. To have to endure the spitefulness and condescension of "full-bloods" toward her and toward the muggle world in general, which, except for magic, is far more advanced in most other ways, and no worse in terms of cruelty, , etc.; a world in which, with her talent, intelligence, determination, and industry, she could look to a future filled with far more fame and status than that of the wizarding world she is stuck in. SPEW was supposed to be a joke, but it wasn't at all, really, was it? She would never ally deliberately with Voldemort, not at first anyway, but it is easy to see how such a person could, especially with a particular motivation, such as Ron's , eventually find herself in a position she would never have meant to be in. JKR parallels quite a bit of 20th century history, and there are a lot of Hermione's in it who started off wanting to do good and ended up...well, there are still some around.

3) Finally, the US book cover. I don't think it is that Voldemort is trying to ward or repel something, but rather to bring it under his power, while Harry is trying to openly persuade it to come to him; I would guess it is Neville.

For what it's all worth...

Posted by Joe Y from Bridgeport, CT on July 17, 2007 2:34 PM

Neville has long ago been hinted as the "probable other chosen one". He might have been one too, however in my opinion he would not be the one to vanquish the dark lord. So in my opinion JK should atleast make him a very important charachter in the 7th and final book, like maybe giving him the right to destroy atleast one of the horcrux or even better to give him the right to bellatrix, avenging the plight of his parents.

Posted by surhud joshi from pune, india on July 18, 2007 03:12 AM

Thanks for your comments everyone...yeah, I know this is straying away a bit from the topic, but I can't help but think of the awkward backtracking that the films are going to have to do if Neville turns out to be of importance in the end. One thing's for sure: although I did enjoy the new HP film, watching it makes me want to read OOTP again.

Posted by Ryan from Cincinnati, Ohio on July 18, 2007 11:38 AM

Dumbledore does not insist that it only could have been Harry he insists that when Voldemort marks him as the prophecy says he then and only then can it not be Neville because Voldemort chose him. Oh that and there's this quote from JKR herself. She said, "The prophecy refers to Harry, and not in any way to Neville."

Posted by Aaron from Omaha, NE on July 18, 2007 2:06 PM

ok here is what i think is going to happen, i think harry is a horcrux that is why there is talk of him ing himself! but neville has nothing to do with this. harry destroys all of the horcruxes, but he figures out that he is the last one and he realizes that he must sacrifice himself in order to voldemort! i also think that ron hermione and ginny also . i think the name harry potter and the ly hallows means that every one harry has loved has d (ly) and has left a hollow (hallows) so he finally decides to himself to voldemort!

Posted by raven from silex mossouri on July 19, 2007 10:33 AM

this is out there but what if bellatrix knew of the prophecy and after voldemort vanished as did harry from the wizarding world, what if they went to the longbottoms to get to neville, did the crucio cruse on the longbotoms and they went insane but not from the deateaters trying to get to voldemort but longbottoms went in sane from the torture trying to keep the eaters away from neville. it would make since, you would try and protect your child at all cost as did lilly what if love and self sacrifice also protects neville and it be the power voldmort knows not. what if they also did the curcio on neville to see if he was the chosen one, it would explain why he so forgetful.

Posted by Pamela sue from ark on July 19, 2007 12:22 PM

Thanks to those who said i had made good points.
Joe Y - your points about hermione do make sense... i just cant imagine her actually ending up on the dark side. i have this little theory that her and ron realise they are in love, and then ron have to sacrifice himself so he and it be really awful because he and hermione have only just finally got together. either that or ron try to sacrifice himself but hermione wont let him and she instead. its the sort of thing she would do she has a big heart and is very brave. also you made a good point about both voldemort and harry trying to draw neville to them, it makes sense that both want him on their side and neville feels lost because he doesnt know what to do anymore - maybe for once he just wants to be the chosen one and that's why he's tempted to join voldemort.

does anyone have any theories about the reasons behind, in POA, harry saying his name was neville longbottom? i thought nothing of it until i read this sight and now i think it's really relevant!

Raven - i kind of agree with your theory, it would make sense for harry to sacrifice himself, especially if he has nothing else to live for. but somehow i dont think JK everyone off. maybe ginny . but in a way if she s everyone off it stop other people trying to write sequels. can you imagine - hermione granger and the...

oh and i think hagrid have a major part. JK has developed hagrid so much, we have loads of background info on him and he is so close to the trio, plus the first magical person harry offically met... hagrid introduced us to the whole prospect of hogwarts... hagrid be there at the end too? i'm looking forward to the epilogue where JK tells us what happens to everyone afterwards, i want to know what becomes of hagrid (if he survives) and of everyone else. oh well we only have to wait one more day and then we'll see if any of us were right!

Posted by Rebecca from England on July 19, 2007 4:36 PM

Okay, there are many good points made on this site. That being said, there is no way Neville is a horcrux or Harry for that matter. In HBP Slughorn tells Tom Riddle that " A horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed a part of their soul" HBP pg 497.

Therefore I do not believe a person can become one. Later Dumbledore speaks of nagini the snake and wonders if Voldermot made her a horcrux says it is not wise to use something that has thoughts of their own.

I dont believe harry or neville are horcruxes at all.

As for neville being charmed by a memory curse I believe that. I think his Gran was trying to protect him and screwed up the charm and thus the bad memory. The fact that his gran sent him a remembrall is not related to blocking a bad memory. A remembrall makes you remember homework, washing clothes, turning in a paper on time, it is NOT a pensive. So if a memory was blocked a remembrall would not retrieve it.

Posted by Sue from Massachusetts on July 19, 2007 8:57 PM

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