Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. Today we’re going to be exploring a what-if scenario where Neville Longbottom, not Harry Potter, was the chosen one.
Would Voldemort still have been defeated? Would Neville’s parents have been killed like Harry’s? What role would Harry play in a world where he was no longer quite so special? How would characters like Snape, Dumbledore, and the Order of the Phoenix respond to Neville as the chosen one?
How would Neville’s leadership style and decision making differ from Harry’s? Would Neville form close relationships with Ron and Hermione in Harry’s place? How would Neville’s upbringing and personality have shaped his journey as the chosen one?
We’re going to be exploring all of that and more in today’s what-if scenario.
The Prophecy and Its Impact
As many of you will know, the trajectory of Harry Potter’s life was determined before he was even born.
Just weeks before his birth on July 31st, 1980, a somewhat inadequate soothsayer named Sybil Patricia Trelawney provided the wizarding world with a prediction that would forever change the course of history.
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.
Based on Trelawney’s appointment as the divination professor soon after, it’s believed that she made this prophecy in June of 1980, mere weeks before the birth of Harry Potter.
After Harry’s birth, the reasons for Voldemort targeting the Potter family are rather easy to explain. Most obviously, Harry was born on July 31st, the end of the seventh month.
As for the born-to-those-who-have-thrice-defied-him bit, that’s a bit less obvious, but we do know that Lily and James Potter, Harry’s parents, were both asked to join the Death Eaters while at Hogwarts and turned down the invitations.
They were also part of the original Order of the Phoenix, which means they would have been part of the missions to fight against Voldemort and his followers.
As the war against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters was ongoing, they most certainly had many opportunities to defy Voldemort repeatedly.
So, all of this adds up as to why Voldemort targeted the Potter family and believed Harry to be the wizard described in Trelawney’s prophecy. But the real question is, what if he went after the Longbottoms instead?
Neville Longbottom as the Chosen One
Their family fit many of the same criteria. Alice and Frank were also members of the Order of the Phoenix. They also would have likely been previously invited to join the Death Eaters.
And, most importantly, they gave birth to their son Neville on July 30th, 1980. Just one day before Harry Potter. What this means is that Professor Trelawney’s prophecy very well could have been about Neville Longbottom.
After all, Neville’s childhood wasn’t much better than Harry’s. Neville’s childhood had been blighted by Voldemort just as much as Harry’s had, but Neville had no idea how close he had come to having Harry’s destiny. The prophecy could have referred to either of them, yet, for his own inscrutable reasons, Voldemort had chosen to believe that Harry was the one meant.
Would Neville’s Parents Have Protected Him?
Had Voldemort chosen Neville, it would be Neville sitting opposite Harry bearing the lightning-shaped scar and the weight of the prophecy.
Or would it? How would Neville’s mother have died to save him, as Lily had died for Harry? Surely she would, but what if she had been unable to stand between her son and Voldemort? Would there have been no chosen one at all? An empty seat where Neville now sat and a scarless Harry, who would have been kissed goodbye by his own mother, not Ron’s?
Different Outcomes and Possible Changes
So, if Voldemort had chosen Neville and not Harry, what would have been different? Just as Harry lost his parents at a young age, Neville also experienced a tragic separation from his own.
While Alice and Frank Longbottom were still alive, they had been driven to insanity by Death Eaters soon after Voldemort’s downfall. Had the Longbottoms been singled out by Voldemort instead of the Potters, there is a likelihood that they could have met a similar fate.
It’s possible that Dumbledore may have implemented protective measures for both families, but the question remains—would the same protective magic have saved Neville?
Who is to say that Neville’s parents wouldn’t have protected Neville in the same way that Harry’s parents did for him? Would they commit a loving sacrifice for him like Lily did for Harry? An important point to note here is that Voldemort was not given the entire prophecy.
For this reason, he had no idea that he was potentially risking his own downfall by going to kill Harry. He heard only the beginning, the part foretelling the birth of a boy in July, to parents who had thrice defied Voldemort. Consequently, he could not warn his master that to attack you would be to risk transferring power to you and marking you as his equal.
So Voldemort never knew that there might be danger in attacking you, that it might be wise to wait, to learn more. He did not know that you would have power the Dark Lord knows not. For this reason, if Neville had been the subject of the prophecy, it’s likely that Voldemort would have met a similar fate, at least the first time around.
Neville’s Life as the Famous Wizard
But that leaves just about the rest of Neville’s life. The first change of note is that from the moment Voldemort was defeated, killed by his own rebounding killing curse, Neville Longbottom would become a wizarding world household name.
No longer would passersby whisper Harry Potter, but instead Neville Longbottom, as they bear witness to the prominent scar on his forehead. He’ll be famous, a legend. I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Neville Longbottom Day in the future.
There will be books written about Neville. Every child in our world will know his name. But I don’t think Neville’s scar would be a lightning bolt like Harry’s. After all, the shape of Harry’s scar didn’t really bear any significance, therefore it’s reasonable to assume that Neville’s would have turned out differently.
I imagine that Neville’s scar, if you squinted your eyes just the right amount, resembled the leaf of a mandrake plant. But aside from the whole dead parents thing, not much would be different for Neville during the first 11 years of his life, at least where his home life is concerned.
Neville’s Upbringing
As Neville’s parents were unable to raise him in both scenarios, one in which they were tortured to insanity and another in which they were killed, Neville would have been raised by his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, no matter what.
The only difference is that he would have been bound to her dwelling through ancient protective magic. Dumbledore would have cast a charm on Augusta’s dwelling that harnessed the sacrificial magic protecting Neville during the attack from Voldemort, similar to the charm he placed on the Dursley residence.
I expect Dumbledore would have explained this to Augusta in person. While you can still call home the place where your grandmother’s blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort.
Although, given that Augusta was Neville’s grandmother on his father’s side, it’s possible that it was actually Frank that made the loving sacrifice, and not Alice.
Consequently, Neville’s formative years would have been characterized by the same strict and often challenging upbringing under his grandmother’s care. However, I do think that his upbringing would have been easier in a number of ways.
Fame and Its Impact on Neville
First of all, Neville would have grown up famous. As opposed to Harry, who grew up in an oppressive, muggle household away from it all, Neville would have been the subject of considerable attention from a very young age.
And would this have changed Neville’s personality? Absolutely. There’s even a quote from Dumbledore in the Philosopher’s Stone, where he discusses how growing up in the Muggle world was much better for Harry.
It would be enough to turn any boy’s head, famous before he can walk and talk, famous for something he won’t even remember. Can’t you see how much better off he’ll be, growing up away from all that until he’s ready to take it?
Therefore, it is entirely plausible that if Neville had grown up in an environment where he was celebrated as a hero from a young age, it could have gone to his head. The wizarding community would have recognized him as the boy who survived and defeated Voldemort.
If Neville had grown up with this constant recognition, he could have struggled to stay grounded and maintain a sense of humility. It is easy to get carried away with fame and the attention that comes with it, particularly if it is something you’ve grown up taking for granted.
Moreover, Neville might have felt an intense pressure to live up to people’s expectations and maintain his hero status, even if that meant making choices that were not necessarily true to himself. This upbringing would have influenced how Neville perceived himself and interacted with others.
Unlike Harry, who discovered his fame upon entering the wizarding world, Neville’s identity as a hero would have been ingrained in him from the start. While Harry struggled to adapt to his fame, Neville would have developed coping mechanisms and a greater sense of self-confidence.
Knowing he was celebrated, Neville might have felt a stronger motivation to live up to his reputation and continue striving for greatness. But I suspect he also may have become a bit arrogant.
Neville’s Magical Abilities
Adding to this even further, I suspect that Neville wouldn’t have had to deal with many of the same obstacles, particularly those associated with the manifestation of his magical abilities.
“Well, my gran brought me up and she’s a witch,” said Neville, “but the family thought I was all muggle for ages. My great-uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off guard and force some magic out of me.
He pushed me off the end of Blackpool Pier once, I nearly drowned. But nothing happened until I was eight.
A great-uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles, when my great-aunt Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go.
But I bounced, all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was crying, she was so happy.”
In the existing Harry Potter timeline, Neville had a difficult time with magic during his early childhood. In fact, it was so bad that his family began to suspect that he was a muggle. However, I think that in this scenario, his magical abilities would have surfaced much sooner.
First of all, Neville would have had a piece of Voldemort’s soul inside of him, and it’s possible that this fragment of Voldemort’s soul could have acted as a dormant catalyst that affected his magical development.
While Neville struggled with magic before, this connection to Voldemort’s soul might have created a unique connection to the magical world that pushed him beyond his previous limitations.
It is possible that the close proximity to Voldemort’s soul fragment could have stimulated his magical powers and allowed them to manifest sooner.
Wide-Ranging Consequences
We suspect that this change in Neville’s magical development would have wide-ranging consequences. Instead of facing doubts about his magical abilities and feeling overshadowed by his peers, Neville may have exhibited magical prowess from a younger age.
Furthermore, his early display of magical abilities could have potentially boosted his self-confidence and self-belief, enhancing his level of magical proficiency even further.
Though Neville’s challenges in asserting himself and living up to the expectations placed upon him may have remained, I suspect that faster emerging abilities would have given him a better start.
Relationship with His Grandmother
And, on top of all of that, I suspect that Neville would have had a drastically different relationship with his grandmother, Augusta. Throughout the books, Neville’s grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, is portrayed as a strong and stern matriarch.
She was a severe woman who held a strong belief in upholding family heritage and values. And in the existing timeline where Neville struggles with his magical abilities during his early years, Augusta is very demanding of Neville, pushing him to work harder at his studies, and only showing disappointment whenever he fell short.
These high expectations stemmed from her desire to see Neville uphold the esteemed reputation of the Longbottom family. However, if Neville had been the chosen one and showed remarkable magical prowess at an earlier age, I suspect that Augusta’s attitude toward him may have differed.
For a long time she worried about Neville. She worried that he might be a squib, she worried that he might not get into Hogwarts, and she worried that he would never fill his parents’ footsteps.
But in a reality where Neville was the chosen one and had demonstrated magical proficiency from a young age, I think she would have been a lot easier on him. Would she have been the same old strict matriarch intent on upholding her family’s legacy? Yes, but would she have been proud of and potentially a little easier on Neville? Certainly.
Her stern personality would have also been quite good for Neville in a world where he grew up famous, and her presence could have potentially preserved some of his humility.
And so, Neville would have grown up at his gran’s house, scar and all, with an improved sense of confidence. And despite his parents’ deaths, I suspect that Neville would have had a much better upbringing overall. And that about sums up Neville’s formative years, with his next chapter being Hogwarts.
But if you want more like this, then let me know down in the comment section below.
