BEASTS (III) - CENTAURS, HIPPOGRIFFS & THESTRALS

Today, The Weasleys and The Grandma have met some magical creatures that live in Hogwarts or near there, in the Forbidden Forest. They are centaurs, hippogriffs and thestrals and they have helped to protect Hogwarts many times.

A Centaur is a magical creature whose head, torso, and arms appear to be human and are joined to a horse's body.

They are, however, their own individual species, and thus are not half-breeds. They also have a rich history and are known for being naturally talented in Healing magic, Divination and Astronomy. Despite possessing human intelligence, centaurs are classified as Beasts by the British Ministry of Magic, at their own request, as they were unhappy at having to share Being status with Hags and Vampires, known dark creatures.

Like horses, centaurs can come in a variety of colours, ranging from deep black to white. A centaur by the name of Firenze had white-blonde hair, a body light in colour, and possessed astonishingly blue eyes. Magorian on the other hand possessed black hair and was chestnut in colour. Centaurs have the body of a horse, and the torso, arms, and head of a human. Also Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil found the centaur Firenze physically attractive.

More information: Wizarding World

Centaurs are not in fact half-breeds, but an entirely different species on their own. They are not very pleased to be insulted, particularly where their lineage is concerned, as Dolores Umbridge found out to her cost.

Centaurs are also natural born Seers, in particular the Centaur Firenze who taught alongside Sybill Trelawney in Divination class at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Centaurs are known to be gifted in Divination. Indeed, the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest regularly made vague allusions to seeing the future, as when the centaur Firenze told Harry Potter that they were fated to meet again, and when he and Bane spoke of the intermission of sorts, between the First and Second Wizarding Wars. He also mentioned to his class at Hogwarts, that centaurs spend years trying to master their particular art of divining the fates.

Centaurs on the whole seem also to be rather proud of their species, which was evident in their testiness whenever anyone even accidentally alluded to them being used or in any way employed by humankind, as when Firenze was chastised for allowing Harry Potter to ride to safety on his back, after the young wizard encountered Lord Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest -his fellow centaurs considered allowing such a thing tantamount to becoming a 'common' mule.

They attempted to murder Firenze for his decision to enter into human servitude, which was seen as a great and base betrayal. Centaurs also decided to be placed in the Beast Division instead of the Being Division in the British Ministry of Magic archives, because they wished to not be associated with hags and vampires, whom the Ministry designates Beings.

Centaurs also seem to favour nature over technology, the extent of their tools visibly in use being their bows and arrows. Instead, they cast their attention upon reading signs in nature, and living in forests appropriated by the Ministry of Magic.

They are territorial creatures by nature, as Rubeus Hagrid mentioned, upon seeing a herd of centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, whose land was being consistently reduced, and that they might revolt against the Ministry as a result. 

Later the same year, they proclaimed that even Rubeus Hagrid was no longer welcome within their forest, as he had forfeited the friendship of the centaurs, and that their tolerance was waning, in reference to Rubeus Hagrid's half-brother, Grawp, whom Hagrid was hiding in the forest at the time.

More information: Greeks Legends & Myths

Centaurs do have a sense of honour, being unwilling to harm the young, as the herd within the Forbidden Forest refused to harm Rubeus Hagrid due to the young Harry Potter and Hermione Granger accompanying him at the time. However, this patience and generosity can wane, as later they saw Harry and Hermione deliberately lead Dolores Umbridge into the forest to use the centaurs to eliminate her; this, along the fact that both teenagers are nearing their adulthood, led the herd to attempt to attack the two.

Centaurs do not use wands for magic, but are known to be well-versed in magical healing, Divination, archery, and Astronomy.

Centaurs burn herbs such as mallowsweet and sage to refine their stargazing findings. In fact, the centaur Firenze taught Divination at Hogwarts. They also can perform non-verbal magic while duelling, as shown when Torvus duelled against Jacob's sibling without a wand or an arrow.

Centaurs are forest-dwelling, and, in each country where colonies exist, the wizarding authority has set aside land exclusively for their use. One such colony exists in the Forbidden Forest, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, centaurs have their own methods of concealment and avoid contact with both wizards and witches and Muggles, as they are not fans of humans. They generally live in herds of ten to fifty individuals.

Starting in 1811, centaurs were offered Being status, when Grogan Stump decreed that a being was any creature that has sufficient intelligence to understand the laws of the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws. However, they declined because of the associations with other creatures, such as vampires and hags, that being status would give them. The merpeople made the same decision a year later. Subject teaching material thus notes on why they are classed as Beasts and that they should be treated with great respect.

Despite being highly intelligent creatures, centaurs were still officially classified as of near-human intelligence by the Ministry of Magic, per the text of Law Fifteen B, as laid down by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Centaurs take this phrase to be a great insult, as Dolores Umbridge found out the hard way, as they find that their intelligence, thankfully, far outstrips humans.

A Centaur Liaison Office still exists in the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, though no centaur has ever used it. In fact, the phrase Being sent to the Centaur Office has become an in-joke at the Ministry, meaning that the person in question is about to be sacked. A centaur was also represented in the Fountain of Magical Brethren at the Ministry of Magic, at least before the fountain's destruction during the battle between Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort.

Centaurs have also been known to save wizards from harm, one instance being Firenze saving Harry Potter, when Lord Voldemort was in the forest, though this was highly looked down upon as centaurs were not supposed to interfere with what is to come.

When Harry Potter and Hermione Granger ended up leading Dolores Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest, a group of centaurs appeared with some of them carrying off Dolores while the rest were scared away by Grawp in an event known as the Skirmish in the Forbidden Forest. It was mentioned that Albus Dumbledore negotiated for Dolores' release when he was rehired by the Ministry of Magic.

The centaur herd in the Forbidden Forest also fought against the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts.

More information: Greek Mythology

 

 

 Forest-dwellers who have the torso

of a human but the body of a horse,

and who are gifted in Divination.

J.K. Rowling

A Hippogriff was a magical beast that had the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs and tail of a horse. It was very similar to another magical creature, the Griffin, with the horse rear replacing the lion rear.

The breeding of fancy Hippogriffs was an established wizarding career, with known breeders including Newton Scamander's mother. Images of fancy Hippogriffs were sometimes put onto calendars.

A hippogriff was one rare possible corporeal form of the Patronus Charm.

Hippogriffs had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking.

Hippogriffs were carnivorous and were extremely dangerous until tamed, which should only be attempted by a trained witch or wizard.

The diet of the Hippogriff consisted mainly of insects, birds, and small mammals such as ferrets. They would sometimes paw at the ground for worms if no other food was readily available.

When breeding, Hippogriffs built nests on the ground, and laid only a single, fragile egg. The egg usually hatched in twenty-four hours. Infant Hippogriffs were capable of flight within a week, but it took many months before they were strong enough to accompany their parents on long journeys.

It was stated that, once you get over the initial shock of seeing something that's half horse, half bird, you start to appreciate the hippogriffs' gleaming coats, which changed smoothly from feathers to hair. Hippogriffs came in several different colours, including: stormy grey, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

When Humans approach Hippogriffs, a proper etiquette must be maintained to avoid danger. Hippogriffs were intensely proud creatures, and an individual must show proper respect by bowing to them, and waiting for them to bow in return before approaching. Eye contact should be maintained at all times, without a single blink.

More information: All You Need to Know about The Hippogriff

The Hippogriff should be allowed to make the first move, as that was polite. If offended, it might attack. Hippogriffs were tamable, but only by experts in their care, such as Rubeus Hagrid, Care of Magical Creatures Professor and Gamekeeper at Hogwarts.

Although proud, Hippogriffs could also be fiercely loyal and protective of those who had earned their trust, as demonstrated by Buckbeak on at least two occasions: when he attacked Severus Snape in defence of Harry Potter during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and again when he led Hogwarts' Thestrals in attacking Lord Voldemort's giants during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Owners of Hippogriffs were required by law to cast a Disillusionment Charm on the creature every day to prevent it from being seen by Muggles.

Using Hippogriffs for personal transportation was also illegal under the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. A herd of Hippogriffs were kept at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Rubeus Hagrid used them in his first Care of Magical Creatures class.

During the Yule Ball at Hogwarts, Hippogriffs were mentioned in the Weird Sisters song, Do The Hippogriff. The song encouraged listeners to do a dance that drew its inspiration from this creature, flyin' off from a cliff and swooping down to the ground...

In the winter, Sirius Black sang a Christmas Carol, God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs.

A Hippogriff was discovered by Mathilda Grimblehawk and her partner to have attacked Gordon Horton, Quidditch keeper for the Chudley Cannons, while defending its nest and young in the Old Bell Tower. It was subsequently relocated.

Derived from the Greek word hippos meaning horse, and the magical creature known as the griffin. In this case, it has the body of a horse as opposed to a lion, but keeps the head of an eagle.

More information: Meet Buckbeak

 Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud. 

Easily offended, hippogriffs are.

Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do.

Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move.

It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait.

If he bows back, yeh're allowed to touch him.

If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish,

'cause those talons hurt.

Rubeus Hagrid

The Thestral is a breed of winged horse with a skeletal body, face with reptilian features, and wide, leathery wings that resemble a bat's.

They are native to the British Isles and Ireland, though they have been spotted in parts of France and the Iberian Peninsula.

They are very rare, and are considered dangerous by the British Ministry of Magic. Thestrals are, undeservedly, known as omens of misfortune and aggression by many wizards because they are visible only to those who have witnessed death at least once or due to their somewhat grim, gaunt and ghostly appearance.

Due to Thestrals' classification as XXXX, only experienced wizards should try to handle Thestrals. Breeding as well as owning these beasts may be discouraged or even illegal without Ministry consent; in fact, wizards that live in areas not protected against Muggles are forced by law to perform Disillusionment Charms on their Thestrals regularly.

A Thestral is also one possible corporeal form of the Patronus Charm.

Thestrals have quite a disturbing appearance and the wizards who are capable of seeing them often only describe these creatures as being sinister and spooky. This is because they are seen as having big, bony figures and their dragon-like faces which bear white, glittering eyes that lack both expression and pupils. 

Additionally, they are lured by the scent of blood. Being a type of winged horse, most of their anatomy is identical to a horse, excluding their large wings that sprout from their back. Unlike the Abraxan, another breed of winged horses, Thestral's wings do not possess any feathers at all; they have vast, black and leathery wings that are more similar to those of bats.

Their fleshless, lustrous bodies are covered with a translucent and glossy coat. This smooth and dark skin is a bit slippery and so thin that Thestral's bones are clearly defined through the entire extension of their sleek bodies. These eerie horses have long black manes, as well as a large tail, either with flowing black hair, like horses or ending in a tuft, like zebras. Another distinction is their sharp fangs used to seize and slash their prey.

Thestrals are social creatures who live in herds. Professor Rubeus Hagrid states that they are dead clever. In fact trained Thestrals are smart enough to understand their rider's words when they ask to travel to a specific location.

More information: Wizarding World

These magical creatures can be found in dark environments and the forest is their natural habitat. They communicate with each other through a shrill and strange shriek that resembles some sort of monstrous bird. They appear to be loyal creatures, able to discern a friend from an enemy and offering help to humans in need of transportation.

Thestrals would forcefully attack anyone or anything they see as a threat and in the unusual case of domesticated Thestrals, any enemy of its owners.  

Thestrals are not marks of ill omen, nor their spooky appearance notwithstanding are they in any way threatening to humans, always allowing for the fright that the first sight of them tends to give the observer.

In the Battle of Hogwarts, Hogwarts' trained flock of Thestrals cooperated with Buckbeak, the Hippogriff, to attack the Giants fighting for Lord Voldemort. It's unclear whether or not wild herds can similarly cooperate with other species.

Thestrals are carnivorous animals and are attracted to the smell of blood. Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank mentions that they often attack birds. This indicates that, naturally, they hunt not only for food in the ground, but also to pursue flying prey.

The Thestrals that live within the Hogwarts grounds, in the Forbidden Forest, are properly fed and well trained. They don't attack other creatures or students unless seriously disturbed.

The Thestral tail hair is a powerful and tricky substance that can be mastered only by a witch or wizard capable of facing death. It should be noted that this substance can be used as a core in a wand's conception and it was used to create the most powerful wand known by wizards, the Elder Wand.

The most well-known ability of these beasts is their invisibility to those who have not seen death. In other words, they are only visible to people who have seen someone dying and fully accepted, understood and internalised the concept.

Thestrals have an extraordinary sense of smell and will easily recognise the smell of blood and fresh flesh, even if the source of the scent is rather distanced.

More information: Screen Rant

They also have quite a useful sense of direction. The Thestral can understand exactly where their riders need to go. If their riders have a certain destination in mind, they only need to say the destination and the creature will diligently carry them to the intended location -much like owls do with letters.

These gentle, winged beasts are very capable and fast fliers and can travel long distances hardly beating their large wings. For example, six members of the Hogwarts herd ridden by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood were capable of flying from Hogwarts (Scotland) to the Ministry of Magic (London) in a brief amount of time.

It is possible that they were faster than even the fastest broomstick, as when Harry Potter rode his, he did not think he had ever moved so fast, and he was the owner of a top-of-the-line broomstick, the Firebolt. Their powerful wings are capable of lifting, at least, the burden of two humans plus their own weight.

Thestrals can be domesticated and mounted, so they are used as an alternative to brooms, Apparition, and other methods of transportation. Once trained, they are very diligent and will quickly carry their owners wherever they wish to go.

 

However, travel by Thestral is technically illegal, as it is a breach of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Even with all their useful abilities, Thestrals are rarely used as methods of transportation due to their reputation as omens of evil and their somewhat dreadful and even distasteful appearance.

When riding a Thestral, the traveller usually holds the creature's mane to ensure balance. To aid the mounting, the wizards also place their legs behind the wing joints to provide safety.

Flying on the back of a Thestral during a long journey is frequently an unpleasant experience, particularly to those who dare riding them without seeing the creature. The high speed flight on an invisible steed can be terrifying. The wind will, eventually, cause a temporary deafness and will force the riders to close their eyes. It is often difficult to keep balance on their slick backs.

The Hogwarts herd is gentle towards humans, they react satisfactorily to caresses and avoid attacking owls. However, taking into consideration the Ministry of Magic classification as dangerous, this behaviour may be exclusive to well-trained Thestrals, or just mere prejudice from the Ministry.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has a very loyal flock of Thestrals used mainly to pull the carriages that lead elder students from Hogsmeade station to the gates of the Castle.

To people who cannot see Thestrals, it appears that the carriages are autonomous.

The herd at Hogwarts started with a male and five females. A number of them have been born since, beginning with one named Tenebrus, which is a special favourite of Rubeus Hagrid's, the Hogwarts gamekeeper.

Harry Potter and a group of students flew Thestrals from Hogwarts to the Ministry of Magic in an attempt to rescue Sirius Black. They were also used by Albus Dumbledore, when he needed to travel but didn't care to Apparate.

Rubeus Hagrid, the trainer and breeder of this specific herd, strongly suspects that this is the only trained large group of Thestrals in the whole of Great Britain.

The name thestral comes from the archaic English word thester, meaning dark or gloomy, and the suffix -al, meaning of or pertaining to. Together, the name ultimately means of/pertaining to the dark or to gloom.

More information: Thestrals

But they're really, really unlucky!

They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune

on people who see them.

Wizarding superstition

THE LONGBOTTOMS & NEVILLE, BOY OF THE PROPHECY

Today, The Weasleys and The Grandma have met the story of one of the most important families of wizards and witches in Hogwarts, The Longbottoms.

 

Before this, they have said goodbye to M, one of the most amazing and interesting teachers of Hogwarts, who has helped the family to improve their speaking skills. Thanks M and good luck!

 

More info: ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Later, the family has been practising Conditional Tense and Second Conditional structure.

 

More information: Second Conditional

 

The last few generations of the Longbottom family have strong connections to The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army and they have discovered the figures of Frank and Alice Longbottom explained by Augusta and Neville Longbottom.

Augusta Longbottom is the mother of famous Auror Frank Longbottom, mother-in-law to Auror Alice Longbottom, and grandmother to Neville Longbottom.

Neville Longbottom is the son of famous Aurors Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom and grandson to Augusta Longbottom.

Before listening to the amazing story of this saga, The Grandma has offered a new Cambridge Key English Test A2 Example to her family.

Download Cambridge KET Exam Model-Listening (33)

  

Download Cambridge KET Audio-Listening (33)
   

Download Cambridge KET Results Sheet-Listening (33)

Augusta Longbottom is a pure-blood witch and member of the Longbottom family through marriage.

She is the mother of famous Auror Frank Longbottom, mother-in-law to Auror Alice Longbottom, and grandmother to Neville Longbottom.

Little is known about Augusta's early life except that she may have had at least one sibling. In her school years she failed her Charms O.W.L., causing her to later label it a soft option. It's likely that Augusta went to school with Minerva McGonagall and attended under Headmaster Dippet. It is also noted that she wanted her grandson to take Transfiguration, implying that while in school, she did well in that subject.

At some point, Augusta married Mr Longbottom, a wizard. They had at least one child, a son, Frank.

Neville's granddad, most likely Mr Longbottom, put a fanged gerbil in Augusta's handbag as a prank, causing her to always keep a mousetrap inside it from that point onward. At some point Mr Longbottom died and his grandson was witness to it.

During the First Wizarding War, Augusta's son Frank was both an Auror and a member of The Order of the Phoenix, as was his wife Alice.

The highly respected couple survived the war, but shortly after Lord Voldemort's defeat, they were attacked by Death Eaters who tortured them into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse. The couple had to be institutionalised, and their infant son Neville was placed into Augusta's care.

More information: Wizarding World

Augusta was clearly strict with her grandson, who she initially feared was a Squib. Even after Neville proved to be a wizard, his grandmother was stern and demanding of him, sending him Howlers when his behaviour displeased her and pressuring him to uphold the family honour. She often took Neville to visit his incapacitated parents at St Mungo's, stating that he should be proud of their sacrifice.

Augusta supported Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore when they claimed that Lord Voldemort had returned to power, as did Neville.

Her support even led her to stop subscribing to The Daily Prophet, due to the newspaper's vicious smear campaign against Harry and Dumbledore. When she found out that Neville has not told anyone of his parents' condition, she was furious at him for thinking he was ashamed and told Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley about it.

Sternness soon turned to pride, as she finally became proud of Neville after his involvement in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

After Death Eaters had taken control of the Ministry of Magic, Neville was one of the leaders of the student rebellion against Alecto and Amycus Carrow at Hogwarts.

In an attempt to force Neville to be more cooperative, Auror John Dawlish was ordered to capture Augusta and take her hostage to ensure Neville's behaviour. Augusta, however, put up a fight, which Dawlish wasn't expecting; according to Neville, she put Dawlish in St Mungo's. After this, Augusta went on the run.

She later re-emerged at the Battle of Hogwarts to assist Neville when he called everyone to arms against the Death Eater army. She was the last to come through the secret passageway between the Hog's Head and the Room of Requirement, so sealed it to prevent any Death Eaters from breaching the school, as Aberforth Dumbledore was no longer protecting it. Augusta expressed great pride in her grandson for following in his parents' footsteps. Augusta fought during the battle and survived. Little is known of Augusta's life after the war.

Augusta Longbottom is described as a formidable looking witch. She was tall, thin and bony. She commonly wore a hat with a stuffed vulture on it and carried a bright red handbag.

Augusta is a Latin name and the feminine form of Augustus, meaning great or venerable, derived from the Latin verb augere, to increase. Augustus was the name given to the first emperor of Rome, and subsequently Augusta was sometimes used as a title for empresses of the Roman and Byzantine empires.

More information: Tor

 

My son and his wife were tortured into insanity

by You-Know-Who's followers.

They were Aurors, you know,

and very well respected within 

the wizarding community.

Highly gifted, the pair of them.

Augusta Longbottom

 
Longbottom is the surname of a pure-blood wizarding family, and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They are related to the Black and Abbott families, and more distantly to the Weasley, Crouch and Potter families.

The Longbottoms do not appear to hold prejudice based on blood purity, although there are indications that they are considered more respectable than The Weasleys. For example, Callidora Black was not disowned by her family for marrying Harfang Longbottom, implying that he was not considered a blood traitor. Their respectability may also stem from both Frank and Alice's popularity as accomplished Aurors.

The last few generations of the Longbottom family, however, had strong connections to The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army. This clearly opposed notions of pure-blood supremacy, as the organisations fought on behalf of Muggles and Muggle-borns.

Harfang Longbottom was a pure-blood wizard who married Callidora Black. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter.

Frank C. J. Longbottom and Alice Longbottom were pure-blood wizard, Aurors for the Ministry of Magic during Lord Voldemort's first rise to power.

Frank was the son of Augusta Longbottom. She and his wife were original members of The Order of the Phoenix and fought against Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War.

At the end of the war, when their son Neville was only an infant, Alice and Frank were tortured into insanity by a group of Death Eaters. She and her husband were subsequently placed in the Janus Thickey Ward for irrevocable spell damage at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where they were residing.

Frank and Alice Longbottom were the parents of Neville Longbottom. They were both Aurors and members of the original Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War before they were tortured to insanity by Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange; and Bartemius Crouch Jr.

The Longbottoms were placed in the Janus Thickey Ward for spell damage at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where they stayed permanently. As a result, their son Neville was raised by his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom.

Throughout his school years, Neville was mostly a shy, clumsy, introverted boy who was constantly being told by his grandmother that he was not good enough or living up to his parents' accomplishments. He and his grandmother would frequently visit his parents in the spell damage ward at St Mungo's. However, in his later years, he showed that he possessed great courage and perseverance: he became an important member of Dumbledore's Army, an organisation taught and led by Harry Potter.

More information: Wizarding World

Neville would later fight in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts. During the Battle of Hogwarts, having refused Lord Voldemort's invitation to join the Death Eaters, he destroyed the seventh and final Horcrux when he beheaded the snake Nagini.

He also co-led the D.A. during his final year in opposition to the Death Eater professors. Augusta later re-emerged at the Battle of Hogwarts to assist Neville when he called everyone to arms against the Death Eater army. She expressed great pride in her grandson for following in his parents' footsteps. Augusta fought during the battle and survived.

Longbottom, in addition to being a compound word, means long valley.

The name itself is considered quite humorous, but bottom is an old word for staying power. This seems to accurately fit Neville's personality and overall devotion to Harry Potter.

Frank is an English word meaning free or truthful. His name could also be from Frank Sidebottom. The Franks were a Germanic tribe that settled in France and the Netherlands. The name is derived from a word meaning spear.

The name Alice is derived from the French name Adelais, which is in turn derived from the Germanic name Adalheidis, from the Germanic word elements adal, meaning noble, and heid, meaning type.

More information: Factinate

 Fourteen years ago,

a Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange

used the Cruciatus Curse on my parents.

She tortured them for information,

but they never gave in.

I'm quite proud to be their son.

But I'm not sure I'm ready

for everyone to know just yet.

Neville Longbottom

Professor Neville Longbottom is a British pure-blood wizard, the only child and son of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Neville's parents were well-respected Aurors and members of the original Order of the Phoenix, until they were tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange and three other Death Eaters with the Cruciatus Curse when he was about sixteen months old. They were placed in the Janus Thickey Ward at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, leaving Neville to be raised by his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom.

Neville began school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into Gryffindor House, along with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley. Throughout his school years, he was mostly a shy, clumsy, introverted boy who was constantly being told by his grandmother that he was not good enough or living up to his parents' accomplishments.

However, in his later years, he showed that he possessed great courage andperseverance: he became an important member of Dumbledore's Army, an organisation taught and led by Harry Potter with the goal of helping other students learn spells to attack and defend themselves.

Neville would later fight in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries (1996), the Battle of the Astronomy Tower (1997), and the Battle of Hogwarts (1998). During the Battle of Hogwarts, having refused Lord Voldemort's invitation to join the Death Eaters, he destroyed the seventh and final Horcrux when he beheaded the snake Nagini. He also co-led the D.A. during his final year in opposition to the Death Eater professors.

Neville Longbottom was born to Frank and Alice Longbottom, a pair of Aurors. Moments after his birth, Neville was able to adjust his blankets so that he was swaddled more snugly, but no one witnessed this unusually precocious display of underage magic. The midwife who attended the birth assumed that his father had tucked him in more tightly. Neville was born several hours before his classmate, Harry. 

As a pure-blood wizard, he was likely related to other wizarding families such as the Weasleys, Crouches, Potters, and the Blacks. Neville's parents were members of The Order of the Phoenix and in these roles, they defied Lord Voldemort at least three times.

Neville was one of two infants referred to in a prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney about the person with the power to defeat the Dark Lord. The other was Harry Potter, and it was Harry whom Lord Voldemort targeted making Harry his equal and leading to his first defeat.

Shortly after, a handful of Lord Voldemort's most loyal followers attacked The Longbottoms. Frank and Alice were tortured into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse by Death Eaters Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rodolphus Lestrange, her brother-in-law Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr.

More information: Wizarding World I & II

The four Death Eaters were all sentenced to Azkaban for their crimes, while Frank and Alice were sent to St Mungo's Hospital, where they would live the rest of their lives, not being able to recognise their own son. Neville was subsequently raised by his paternal grandmother, Augusta Longbottom. At some point early in his life, he also witnessed the death of his grandfather.

Neville's grandmother was a stern and formidable woman who was concerned when her grandson did not exhibit early signs of magic.

Neville did, however, show faint signs of magic in him throughout his early years, something which his family persistently missed  -the first such sign took place moments after birth, when Neville managed to magically shift his blankets more snugly over himself, something which went unnoticed by midwife who attended his mother. She often chided Neville for not living up to his family's honour and was partly the reason for Neville's lack of self-confidence early in his school years.
 

His relatives feared that Neville might be a Squib, though this wasdisproved when his great-uncle Algie was holding him out of awindowby his feet when he was offered some lemon meringue and let go.

Neville bounced. Previous to this, there were various attempts to make him show signs of magic, including dropping him off Blackpool pier, where, according to Neville, he nearly drowned. Neville inherited his father's wand at the age of eleven when he started to attend Hogwarts. This wand was later broken during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

Neville began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While with his grandmother at platform 9¾, he lost his toad Trevor. Once on the train, he met Hermione Granger, who agreed to help him find his lost toad, and then Harry Potter and Ron Weasley when he entered their compartment tearfully looking for Trevor. After arriving at Hogsmeade Station, Neville managed to retrieve his toad from Rubeus Hagrid. 

Neville felt intimidated by Gryffindor's reputation for bravery. During the Sorting ceremony, he silently argued for a long time to be placed in Hufflepuff, but the Sorting Hat won in the end, and Sorted him into Gryffindor. 

Neville was so nervous that when the Sorting Hat shouted out his house, he ran across the Great Hall with the Hat still on his head; he had to return to the stool to hand the Hat to the next student. On the way to Gryffindor Tower after the Welcoming Feast, Neville had a bundle of walking sticks dropped on his head by Peeves the Poltergeist.

More information: Wizarding World I, II & III

During Christmas break, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny learned that Neville's parents were not dead, but patients in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, having gone insane after being tortured by a group of Death Eaters at the end of the First Wizarding War. Harry was the only one who already knew this, having found out in the Pensieve, but he had told no one, keeping Neville's secret safe.

Before Neville left, his mother handed him an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper; while his grandmother wanted him to throw it away, Neville instead pocketed it.

When it was learned that ten Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban, including three of the ones responsible for the torture of Neville's parents, Neville did not speak of it, but it wrought a strange and even slightly alarming change in him, according to Harry. He worked harder than anyone in D.A. meetings, and was the fastest to pick up new spells aside from Hermione.

Neville participated in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. Along with Luna Lovegood, he was the only member of Dumbledore's Army to reply to the summons via the coins. 

Neville stood guard outside the Room of Requirement with Ron and Ginny, waiting for Draco Malfoy, who evaded them by using Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.

Neville suffered an injury that kept him in the hospital wing for some time, though he was able to attend the funeral of Albus Dumbledore shortly afterwards, where Luna helped him into his seat.

Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry of Magic. While Muggle-borns were rounded up and Harry, Ron, and Hermione went on the run to search for Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, Neville returned to Hogwarts, and, along with Ginny and Luna, restarted Dumbledore's Army.

The D.A. opposed the new headmaster, Severus Snape, and the two new Death Eater professors, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, who taught anti-Muggle propaganda and the Dark Arts.

Neville got in trouble with the Carrows for refusing to practise the Cruciatus Curse on other students as a method of punishment, as well as for standing up against their bigotry and cruelty.

The revived D.A. helped protect fellow students from being bullied by the Death Eater teachers, and generally rebelled against authority, such as writing Dumbledore’s Army, still recruiting on the Hogwarts walls and freeing students from detention.

Neville, Luna and Ginny also attempted to steal Godric Gryffindor's sword from Snape's office, but were caught on the way out. In his own way to subvert the Carrows' manner of discipline, Snape only gave them a detention, sending them into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid.

More information: Wizarding World I, II & III

Neville eventually decided to cease their open rebellion after Michael Corner was caught and brutally tortured for freeing a chained-up first year.

Neville was eventually left alone to lead the rebellion efforts, as Luna was dragged off the Hogwarts Express by Death Eaters around Christmas to coerce her father into ceasing his political dissidence in The Quibbler, and Ginny did not return to Hogwarts following the Easter holidays, as her family went into hiding following Harry, Ron, and Hermione's escape from Malfoy Manor. By this time, the Carrows were aware of Neville's role in the rebellion, and he suffered beatings and torture. The Ministry also targeted Neville's grandmother to try to intimidate him, but she evaded capture and went on the run.

Neville enthusiastically greeted Harry, Hermione, and Ron, and led them from the Hog's Head into the Room of Requirement. While in the tunnel he explained to the trio the nature of his injuries and the reign of the Carrows at Hogwarts. He also informed the trio that the D.A. had been reinstated and was currently resisting the new regime.

Believing that their return meant the overthrow of the Death Eater professors, Neville signalled the rest of the D.A. to return to Hogwarts. As students returned, along with The Order of the Phoenix, Lord Voldemort and his Death Eater army approached, laying siege to the school in the hopes of capturing Harry Potter.

During the first round of battle, Neville used various plants to attack Death Eaters, and helped transport the injured and dead when a temporary cease-fire was called. He briefly spoke to Harry, who told him that it was top priority to kill Lord Voldemort's snake and Horcrux, Nagini.

When the Death Eaters approached with a dead Harry, Neville stood up in defiance of Lord Voldemort. He was subsequently forced to wear the Sorting Hat as it burned because he refused to join Lord Voldemort. Fortunately, due to Harry's sacrifice, Neville was able to shrug off the Full Body-Bind Curse with relative ease.

Because of his tremendous bravery shown on the battlefield, Neville was able to pull Godric Gryffindor's sword from the burning hat, in the process proving himself a true Gryffindor, something that was doubted constantly throughout due to his apparently weak-willed, shy, and bumbling nature. In a single stroke, he carried out Harry's final order, slaying Nagini, destroying Lord Voldemort's last remaining Horcrux.

Neville subsequently teamed up with Ron Weasley as the defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters were forced into the Great Hall and defeated Fenrir Greyback. Also during the Battle Neville duelled Scabior on the Covered Bridge. Scabior fell to his death when the bridge fell down.

Neville witnessed Harry Potter's final defeat of Lord Voldemort and survived the Second Wizarding War.

Neville is an English name originally derived from Norman French for new town. It was the surname of a noble and a powerful warrior lineage family prominent in England in the medieval period, as well as the given name of a Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, whose role in history is controversial.

Neville Chamberlain is infamous for his policy of appeasing dictator Adolf Hitler just prior to World War II, which is ironic, considering that Neville Longbottom never faltered in his defiance of Lord Voldemort.

Longbottom is the name of one of the Hobbits' villages at the Shire, known for its best pipe-weed.

Longbottom is a family name around Bristol, where J.K. Rowling spent part of her childhood.

More information: Screen Rant I

Trevor is Neville Longbottom's pet toad, whom he frequently lost during his first year at Hogwarts.

Trevor was a gift from Neville's Great Uncle Algie in recognition of the first time Neville showed magical ability and thus gaining admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Eventually, Trevor wandered off and joined the other amphibians in and around the Black Lake.

Neville's great uncle Algie used to own Trevor until he gave him to Neville as a gift from him for receiving permission to go to Hogwarts.

Neville lost Trevor many times. For example, the first time he came to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express, Neville lost Trevor but was soon helped by Hermione Granger who met Harry Potter and Ron Weasley during her search.

Neville eventually found Trevor once reaching Hogwarts in one of the boats after Rubeus Hagrid asked Neville about Trevor.

Professor Filius Flitwick once made Trevor fly around his Charms classroom to skilfully demonstrate the Levitation Charm.

During the night Harry, Ron and Hermione went to penetrate the Underground Chambers, the trio left the common room but was confronted by Neville and a croaking Trevor until Hermione froze Neville using the Full Body-Bind Curse.

In Neville's third year, Trevor was part of the Frog Choir when they performed Double Trouble.

Later on the school year, Professor Severus Snape made Neville test his Shrinking Solution on the toad with the warning that if made incorrectly, it would likely be poisonous. After Trevor drank the potion, he successfully transformed into a tadpole, much to Neville's delight. However, Professor Snape was displeased and spitefully deducted five points from Gryffindor because Hermione had helped Neville create the potion.

Harry used Trevor to practise the Summoning Charm in his and Neville's fourth year.

When Harry encountered Neville in the last carriage of the Hogwarts Express in their fifth year, Neville had a one-handed grip on a struggling Trevor. Later, Neville dumped the toad into Harry's lap so that he could demonstrate the defensive mechanism of his Mimbulus Mimbletonia. This was to Harry's regret when Cho Chang then visited the compartment, as he would not have chosen to be sitting with Neville and Luna Lovegood, clutching a toad and dripping in Stinksap.

Trevor made a bid for freedom on the Hogwarts Express, but Neville caught him again.

At some point, Trevor escaped into the Lake. Both the pet and the owner felt a sense of relief.

More information: Screen Rant II

 

 

The one with the power to vanquish 

the Dark Lord approaches...

Born to those who have thrice defied him,

born as the seventh month dies...

and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,

but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...

and either must die at the hand of the other

for neither can live while the other survives...

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord

will be born as the seventh month dies.

Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy