As huge fans of the Harry Potter series, we feel as though we know Neville Longbottom the same way we would a close friend. But there’s always something new to learn! So here are a few pieces of trivia that you may have missed…

Neville ended up marrying Hannah Abbott

After everything that Neville went through, he certainly deserved to live happily-ever-after, and we were so pleased to learn that he did. Even though the film version of Neville seemed to have a crush on Luna, J.K. Rowling revealed that it was Hannah Abbott (a Hufflepuff from his year at school) that he ended up marrying. The pair of them even lived together above the Leaky Cauldron – which sounds like a lot of fun to us.

He taught Herbology

Neville always had a passion, not to mention a real talent, for Herbology. He was happiest when learning about magical flora and fungi or tending to his beloved plants, such as his Mimbulus mimbletonia. Remember when Neville was so excited to demonstrate its defence mechanism? And it spurted Stinksap throughout the carriage on the Hogwarts Express – drenching everyone? Anyway, when we heard that Neville had gone on to become a Herbology Professor, we were thrilled. He even taught Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione’s children… even if they were reluctant to pass on their parents’ warm wishes.

Hermione
Rose. Remember to send Neville our love.

Rose
Mum, I can’t send a professor love!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Neville’s parents defied Voldemort three times

When Professor Trelawney made her infamous prophecy, it talked of a boy who had been ‘born to those who have thrice defied’ Voldemort. Now we know that while Voldemort chose to believe the prophecy was about Harry, therefore marking him as his equal, it could also have applied to Neville. This means Neville’s parents had also resisted Voldemort three times – giving us a small insight into how brave Frank and Alice Longbottom were. A pair of highly skilled Aurors, they fought hard during the first wizarding war to bring about Voldemort’s defeat. And while we know their tragic fate, their courage is something to be admired – and their son clearly takes after them.

His admission to Hogwarts wasn’t guaranteed

There is only one way to gain admission into Hogwarts, and that is if your name has been written into the Book of Admittance by the Quill of Acceptance. When a child first exhibits any sign of magic, the Quill will try to write their name in the Book. However, the Quill is more lenient than the Book, which will sometimes snap shut and not allow the Quill to write down the name of the child, until they’re satisfied that they’ve seen sufficient evidence of their magical ability.

This is what happened to Neville. As soon as he was born, the Quill tried to write his name down… but the Book was not having it. Everyone failed to notice the signs that suggested Neville was magical – for quite a number of years. For example, in the moments after he was born, he managed to shift his blankets to ensure he was tucked up tight. While the midwife spotted that he was looking a little more snug, she assumed his father had been the one to do it. It wasn’t until Neville’s great-uncle Algie dropped him out of the window, and he survived, that the Book was suitably convinced and allowed his name to be written.

He used his father’s wand for years

Unfortunately (and rather unfairly), Neville’s magical capability was something that was often called into question. However, as we discovered in Order of the Phoenix, it turned out that Neville had been using a wand that belonged to his father. As we know, the wand chooses the wizard, so it might not have been a great match for him – and could have made learning magic even more tricky. Just as Harry never felt comfortable with the blackthorn wand, Neville could have been experiencing something similar, but for five years! While we won’t know for certain, it does raise the question of whether all of Neville’s struggles were down to his supposed lack of ability…

‘My gran’s going do kill be,’ said Neville thickly, blood spattering from his nose as he spoke, ‘dat was by dad’s old wand.’
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And he was possibly the last person to buy a wand from Ollivander before the second wizarding war

Neville was in desperate need of a new wand after his father’s broke during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Luckily for him, his gran was so thrilled about the courage and daring he demonstrated that night, she happily obliged. Neville purchased his wand right before his sixth year at Hogwarts and as it turns out, it was right before Ollivander was kidnapped by Voldemort…

‘Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity,’ said Neville, ‘but she was really pleased. Says I’m starting to live up to my dad at long last. She bought me a new wand, look!’

He pulled it out and showed it to Harry.

‘Cherry and unicorn hair,’ he said proudly. ‘We think it was one of the last Ollivander ever sold, he vanished next day – oi, come back here, Trevor!’
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Matthew Lewis wasn’t allowed to fix his teeth for ten years!

Neville Longbottom has a very distinct look. From the moment he made his appearance in the books he was depicted as a ‘round-face boy’. And as the films liked to stick quite closely to the description from the book, this caused Matthew Lewis, the actor who played Neville, a bit of a headache. As he revealed in an interview with The Independent, to try and capture the essence of Neville he wasn’t allowed to have his teeth ‘fixed’ for ten years! It was even written into his contract. While we are grateful that Matthew stuck it out and brought such a beloved character to life, we can’t help but feel a bit sorry for him...

‘And, yes, he did get his teeth “done”, which is basically shorthand for wearing braces. Not until he was through with being Neville, though; he was under contract not to fix his “pretty bad teeth” until filming had finished.’

Neville asked to be placed in Hufflepuff

While we all know that Neville was a true Gryffindor (how else would he have pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat?), when he first started at Hogwarts, he was determined that wasn’t the case. He actually asked the Sorting Hat to place him in Hufflepuff, as he was intimidated by Gryffindor’s reputation for bravery, but the Sorting Hat didn’t agree. They debated it for so long, that he was close to being what is known as a Hatstall, which is a term for any student whose Sorting takes longer than five minutes. Hatstalls are very rare and the only other person in his year to come close to being one was Hermione Granger. The Sorting Hat eventually won, and we think it made the correct choice.