A Great Deal of Courage: a blog entry in honor of J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter’s Birthday

July 31^st is J. K. Rowling’s birthday.[1]  It is also the birthday of her famous fictional hero, Harry Potter.[2]  For their birthday, continuing a tradition I started last year,[3] I’ve decided to write an essay about an aspect of the Harry Potter series.  This year, the topic of my essay is Neville Longbottom’s inner courage and how he learned over the years to believe in himself and his abilities, which is a story we can all learn from.

Neville Longbottom is a forgetful, bullied boy who lacks self-confidence.  His feelings of inadequacy are best shown by the form his boggart takes during a third-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class.  The boggart takes the form of Severus Snape, a professor who makes Neville fearful and nervous.[4]  The intimidation he faces from Professor Snape serves to enhance his already-existing fears of not being a good-enough wizard.  These characteristics of self-doubt and uncertainty are ones that many people can relate to; many of us can remember the teacher who made us nervous, the feeling that we would not live up to the expectations of others or to our expectations for ourselves.  One of the reasons why Neville’s story is so relatable is because he is not perfect; he must overcome both inner doubt and outside intimidation to become the person he wants to be.

Though plagued by self-doubt, Neville shows that he has within himself moral sense and the ability to do the right thing.  During his first year at Hogwarts, he tries to warn his housemate Harry Potter that Draco Malfoy, the school bully, might be trying to get him in trouble.[5]  At the end of the year, Neville catches three of his housemates (Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger) sneaking out of the dormitory.  He doesn’t know their plan, but thinking that they are up to some mischief that will further damage Gryffindor House, he tries to stand in their way.[6]  This why Professor Albus Dumbledore says, when awarding Gryffindor House ten points for his actions, “There are all kinds of courage.  It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”[7]  This innate courage that Neville possesses shines through when he is motivated to do the right thing to help his friends or his House.  Though he does not always believe in himself, he does understand that there is a difference between right and wrong, and that there are certain situations in which there is a right thing to do.  His inner goodness shines through, and we see in him a person who could accomplish so much if he believed in himself.  There is, inside us, the knowledge that there is something we should do, even if we don’t always have the confidence to do it.  We might watch others performing acts of great goodness and bravery and think that we would never be capable of doing what they did, that we never be good enough.  There are times, however, when we can gather up the courage to take action to help our friends, which makes us realize that we have that ability, too, if only we expect it of ourselves.

Knowing the harm that can be done by the wicked and the difference that can be made by those who risk their lives to do the right thing contributes to Neville’s transformation.  The son of two Aurors who were tortured into insanity because they fought against Lord Voldemort,[8] Neville knows quite personally how horrible it is to be affected by those who hurt others.  Although his parents suffered as a result of their willingness to fight the good fight, he knows that they risked themselves because, if they hadn’t, even more people would have been hurt.  It is because of his parents that, during his fifth year at Hogwarts, Neville gains the confidence, not just for the occasional fight against Draco Malfoy or argument with a friend, but for a fight against enemies much more dangerous than a school bully.  When news about a mass breakout from Azkaban is reported in the Daily Prophet, many students in the school (especially those from wizarding families) are fearful.  They remember relatives who were killed when Lord Voldemort was powerful during the first wizarding war.  The members of Dumbledore’s Army become even more motivated to learn defense, especially Neville.

Harry was pleased to see that all of them, even Zacharias Smith, had been spurred to work harder than ever by the news that ten more Death Eaters were now on the loose, but in nobody was this improvement more pronounced than in Neville.  The news of his parents’ attacker’s escape had wrought a strange and even slightly alarming change in him. [ . . . ] He was improving so fast it was quiet unnerving and when Harry taught them the Shield Charm, means of deflecting minor jinxes so that they rebounded upon the attacker, only Hermione mastered the charm faster than Neville.[9]

Knowing that the person who tortured his parents has escaped from prison motivates Neville; he knows how dangerous the Death Eaters are, and he wants to make sure that they cannot do more harm.  Later in his fifth year, Neville is one of the students — along with Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny — who volunteer to go to the Ministry of Magic with Harry.[10]  When he was younger, Neville risked detention to help his friends by warning them about a school bully, and how he’s willing to risk his life to help others who might be harmed by Lord Voldemort and Death Eaters.

Knowing that another person is in danger can motivate us to do what we might have thought ourselves in capable of before.  Because we know the harm that can be done, because we have felt the pain of seeing our loved ones hurting, we know that there are indeed causes worth standing up for.  There are people like Neville, who know someone who was affected; there are others who may not personally know someone who was affected, but know there are others who are suffering.  People work to help defend those who are victims of violence, discrimination, or disease, because they know that there are people in the world whose lives will be improved if they act, rather than just staying silent.

Another important factor that contributed to the confidence Neville gains is the presence of other people in his life who are there for him and encourage him to stand up for himself.  Although there are school bullies like Draco Malfoy and intimidating, insulting teachers like Severus Snape, there are also kind friends and understanding teachers who have a great influence on him.  When Neville confesses that he’s most afraid of Professor Snape, Professor Lupin doesn’t chastise him but rather encourages and teaches him to overcome that fear by using humor.[11]  At the beginning of Neville’s sixth year at Hogwart, when the students in his class are about to start N.E.W.T. level classes, Professor McGonagall tells Neville that he would probably not be able to handle the coursework in the N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration class and asks why he wants to take it, since she didn’t think he enjoyed the subject. He says that his grandmother wants him to.  Professor McGonagall responds, “It’s high time your grandmother learn to be proud of the grandson she’s got, rather than the one she thinks she out to have — particularly after what happened at the Ministry”.  She suggests that he take the N.E.W.T. level Charms class, because he got a higher grade in the O.W.L. exam for that class.[12]  Teachers like Professors Lupin and McGonagall place great emphasis on learning and have high expectations of their students, encouraging them when they most need it.

In our own world, teachers also make a great deal of difference. They have a lot of influence on their students, and have the ability to educate, motivate, inspire, and encourage.  A student may feel that others look down on them, but a good teacher can be the person who gives that student hope for a better future.  Teachers can make us see the potential we have inside ourselves, even if we don’t see it at first, and help us figure out how to make ourselves better people.  They touch our lives in an important way, and we thenceforth affect the lives of others based on what our teachers have taught us.

During his seventh year at Hogwarts is when Neville helps lead Dumbledore’s Army while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are hunting horcruxes.  He stands up to Death Eater professors who tell students to use the Cruciatus Curse on those who’ve gotten detention and give lectures encouraging hatred towards Muggles.  Even though Neville is physically punished for standing up, he still defies these professors.[13]  During the Battle of Hogwarts, he even stands up to Lord Voldemort himself and kills Nagini.[14]  Neville shows courage that he would have thought himself incapable of during his earlier years.

Neville Longbottom’s story shows the transformation of a shy and bullied boy who lacks self-confidence into a brave young man who does what’s right even when his life is in danger.  His story is one that we can all look to for inspiration when we doubt ourselves.  He reminds us that even when we feel fear, it is still possible to do the right thing, still possible to show a great deal of courage.

Happy Birthday to J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter!  Happy Belated Birthday to Neville Longbottom, who was born on July 30^th![15]

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References

[1] J. K. Rowling.  Entry at the Harry Potter wikia.  Retrieved on 27 July 2011 from http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/J._K._Rowling.

[2] Harry Potter.  Entry at the Harry Potter wikia.  Retrieved on 27 July 2011 from http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Harry_Potter.

[3] Sharmin, Ani.  Morality and the Unknown:  a blog entry in honor of J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter’s Birthday.  Posted on 31 July 2010 at The Eternal Bookshelf.  Retrieved on 30 July 2011 from http://eternalbookshelf.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/morality-and-the-unknown/.

[4] Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2003, Ch 7, p. 134-7.

ISBN:  0-439-13635-0

[5] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 1997, Ch 15, p. 242-3.

ISBN:  0-590-35340-3

[6] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 1997, Ch 16, p. 272-3.

ISBN:  0-590-35340-3

[7] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 1997, Ch 17, p. 306.

ISBN:  0-590-35340-3

[8] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2003, p. 512-5.

ISBN:  978-0-439-35806-4

[9] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2003, Ch 25, p.544-53.  [Direct quote from p. 553]

ISBN:  978-0-439-35806-4

[10] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2003, Ch 33, p. 761-3.

ISBN:  978-0-439-35806-4

[11] Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2003, Ch 7, p. 134-7.

ISBN:  0-439-13635-0

[12] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2005, Ch 9, p. 173-4.  [Direct quote from p. 174]

ISBN:  0-439-79132-4

[13] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2007, Ch 29, p. 571-6.

ISBN:  978-0-545-01022-1

[14] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2007, Ch 36, p. 731-3.

ISBN:  978-0-545-01022-1

[15] Neville Longbottom.  Entry at the Harry Potter wikia.  Retrieved on 31 July 2011 from http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Neville_Longbottom.