neville

[Centaur Lord]

Muggle number 6... You asked why JKR would put the part that Neville could be the chosen one into book 5. The answer is because she wanted to establish that Voldemort had to make a choice. Instead of choosing the pure-blood wizard, who he thinks are better than everyone else, he chose the half-blood like himself. And anyway, there is no part where Neville "could" be the chosen one because he cant. He could have been before Voldemort made his choice to try to kill Harry, but Dumbledore made clear that Harry IS the chosen one because Voldemort tried to kill him.

[highsorcerer]

Voldemort made a rash choice - but one he could escape from. The Potters were protected by Peter as the secret keeper. The Longbottoms were not. In the end, both were destroyed; the Potters by killing curses; the Longbottoms by insanity curses.

Lord Voldemort made a rash choice - but in the end, was he wrong? Harry is more powerful than Neville (though Neville is improving a great deal). But Neville was second-best. With injuries and broken wand, he still stood up to the death eaters, willing to die. He, like Harry, now understands what it is like to face great evil in the face, and live or die by their wits. I'd bet his love for his insane parents would be more than a match for Bellatrix Lestrange any day, just like in book 1.

[L. M. Lupin]

I SERIOUSLY don't think that Neville is the chosen one:

Quote:
'Then - it might not be me?' said Harry.
'I am afraid,' said Dumbledore slowly, looking as though every word cost him great effort, ' that there is no doubt that it is you'

Plus, do you really think that Dumbledore would put an innocent boy in danger by allowing people (especially LV) to think that Harry is LV's equal when in reality he is not?

For that matter, would Harry's parents have risked their son's life to save Neville?

Sorry, there is just too much evidence weighing against this idea.....

[muggle number 6]

At the risk of being repetitive, perhaps the very reason that every "word seemed to cost great effort" was because Dumbledore knew he was lying. Lying to the last person in the world he wanted to lie to. But he knows he has gone this far to protect Neville so he has no choice.
I guess the issue here is that grown-ups have to make grown-up decisions - even sometimes about life and death. Actually it's an interesting point that Dumbledore has actually helped to save Harry on two separate occasions - guilt maybe??

As to Harry's Mum and Dad putting Harry at risk - as I see it, it wasn't their choice. Voldemort Knows the prophecy predicts its Harry or ????. So the obvious thing to do is get rid of Harry.

[Sara8830]

This is a total stab in the dark.... but here goes

TWIST: DD knew Neville was the chosen one. But to protect him, needed a distraction (Harry) to draw attention away from Neville until he was ready to do battle with LV. Yes it may seem cruel, but everyone's lives rest on the head of the 'chosen one' and he must be protected at great cost. So we all believe Harry is the chosen one and are shocked when it is revealed that he is not! This could cause alot of grief for Harry at school.

THE SECOND TWIST: When the chips are down and Neville is finally at bat we find out all along that DD was mistaken. Neville is not the 'chosen one'. Once again Harry proves great bravery by saving Neville's neck even though he thinks in his head he himself is not the One. Still he willing to try to save his friend. When all is said and done, Neville is relieved that he is not the 'chosen one' and Harry accepts what he has always felt in the depth of his heart... that it is he... Harry, that must be the one to face LV.

[Meg Boyd]

oooooh.....I like those twists Sara....

[choki]

I think people will be totally confused at the end of the whole series.
I doubt DD will do such a thing to protect the chosen one.

[Athena Appleton]

I don't buy it for a second... I might have believed that up until the talk Harry and Dumbledore have at the end of book 5. I also think it's against DD's character to hurt one person who is not able to make a choice (Harry having to grow up orphaned) to protect another... Nope, nope, Harry is the chosen one because Voldywart chose him... Neville's gonna do some pretty cool bootie-kickin though!

[wizard_gurl4ev]

nellive is not the choose one they both are the have the same signes rowling might make them both the choose one nellive was never inportant in any of the book but the 5th that it if he was she would have him do more things like help the with something

******* *******
wizard_gurl4ev

[Meg Boyd]

Neville will become more powerful, and serve as a more loyal side kick to Harry then ever possible...my bet is that they will fight together...

Unless...

Whatever he was the choosen one? And maybe he will sacrifice himself to save the world as the prochepy demands that neither may live while the other survives? Maybe Harry was just a pawn...

On the other hand I don't really buy it...i have my own theories on what neither may live while the other survives really means...maybe i'll share it but not now i have to go to school!

[Athena Appleton]

In another topic I share my ideas about the importance of Neville based on the awarding of final points in the first book. I think Harry will do the lion's share of fighting (no pun intended), but that Neville will finish him off. Neville's a cool kid, and is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters.

[darkcloak]

Taken from: http://journals.tuxreports.com/emh/archives/000683.html

Okay, so you´ve probably heard that Droobles Best Blowing Gum, with the letters rearranged is ¨Gold bribe below St.Mungos¨ Most people connect this to the Longbottoms- a few in a real stupid way. The gum wrapper that Neville´s mum handed to him in book 5 is no a secret message for him- it´s for the readers! A few people have said that frank and Alice aren´t really insane- they are pretending...ah-ha, *real* likely...And pray, how on earth did a bubble gum company stumble upon this evidence against Mungos...honestly, some people. Jk is using the wrapper in that sappy scene with Neville to make sure the reader makes the connection: some one is bribing Mungos not to cure the Longbottoms (they might have vital knowledge agianst Voldie etc). Now the only question remaining is who is that someone...obviously someone with a lot of money...Lucius Malfoy, remember in book 4 when Fudge introduces the Malfoys and makes that comment about Lucius being his guest because of a most generous contribution he made to ST MUNGOS...That scene struck me as odd, I mean Malfoy´s loaded, he can afford top box tickets on his own so why did JK put that in? To show that Malfoy has a strong influence over the Ministry? Nope, God knows Draco harps on about that enough...¨My father...¨ this and ¨My father...¨ that, we get a good measure of Mr. Malfoy from other characters too so there would have been no need for that line. So I think I may be onto something! Then again, JK´s too clever for that, I expect the twist in book 6 will simply knock our socks off with something completely unexpected!

[Athena Appleton]

OOOO!!!! OOOOO!!!! I JUST posted something about this a few minutes ago on "Bad happenings at St. Mungo's"!!!! I'm going to copy what you wrote and post it there, if it's okay.

Yes, the person bribing St. Mungo's could be Malfoy, but I've also heard some talk about a not-very-mentioned but possible bad character, Celestina Warbeck. In my post at "bad happenings" I couldn't remember what was so bad about her, but I looked it up and remembered. Celestina is a reference to heavenly things (celestial, etc), but "Warbeck" is the last name of a famous British imposter, Perkin Warbeck. So, her name would be something like a heavenly imposter... someone who appears good but is really not. Celestina Warbeck, if you've missed the passing remarks about her, is a radio personality of some kind who gives liberally to St. Mungo's.

[Meg Boyd]

wow that is all so insightful.

I can't believe I missed it all.

Hmmm...

wow...I need to check out the "bad Happenings" thread

[Aberforth]

Why would "the chosen one" be gifted at herbology - essentially gardening and looking after plants.

Surely, one of the key qualities of "the chosen one" is to defend themselves against the dark arts ie Harry.

Unless Neville is going to set his mimbulus mimbletonia on LV then forget it. (I think this interesting plant will reappear in bk 6 though).

The bit about DD spending great energy with each word - surely it must be quite difficult to have to tell a 15 boy that he will become a murderer or die in the near future. THat is why it was diffiicult for DD - not because he was lying.