Extra Credit: Harry and Neville

            From the first to last book of the Harry Potter series, all the characters have grown and developed.  As all readers see, Harry Potter has distinctly grown as a character.  Harry started as this confused adolescent and became a fighter and stronger character at the end of the series.  Readers notice this because in the beginning and throughout the series Harry refused to die, but at the end of the series when Harry realized, in order to kill Voldemort, he would have to die, Harry became a stronger character and accepted his fate.  Also, we notice that throughout the series we see Harry as this character that is protected by others including his mother’s love spell.  By the end of the series, Harry is able to prove that he can defeat Voldemort without this because he is able to use his own powers.

            A character in the series that has also grown is Neville Longbottom.  Although Neville isn’t identified as a main character, I find others overlook Neville.  In the beginning of the series, Neville was an outcast, and he was expected to be in Hufflepuff not Gryffindor.  We first see Neville’s character in the first book when he stands up the Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and also in the fourth book when Neville helps Harry with the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  However at the end of the series Neville pulls the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat, which the only person who has been able to do that was Harry.  Neville slays the last horax, which was Nagini.  I feel like Neville is a hidden main character. 

            When looking and both Neville and Harry, they are similar and different.  Similarity is that both Neville and Harry were outcasts.  Harry’s parents are dead, and although Neville parents aren’t dead, there lack of mental health shows that they aren’t really there.  The differences between these two characters are that everyone expected Harry to do great things.  You almost knew that Harry was going to do something amazing at the end of the series, however, with Neville know one would of thought he would be able to get ahold of the Sword of Gryffindor.  Neville’s bravery was more of a surprise to all of us, because no one would expect he would be able to do it.  If anything, the readers would of thought Ron and Hermione would be able too.