OBHWF+

In PoA, when Lupin tracks Harry, Hermione, Ron, Sirius, and Wormtail into the Shrieking Shack, why the hell does he leave the Marauder’s Map on his desk? Wouldn’t it have been good to have just in case the kids et al. moved? Wouldn’t it have been better to just not have the map lying around no matter what? For serious, is Lupin an idiot?

Neville Longbottom: Odd man out is a very appropriate way to describe him. He doesn’t quite fit in with the main pairings (Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny), but he also can’t really be left out. Without divulging too much, it’s also possible to say this story hinges on him as much as it does Harry. So, what about Neville??

I don’t know. I don’t really know how I see him or where I see him ending up when the series concludes, but I do know this: he is incontrovertibly tied to Hermione. For instance:

• The first time we meet Hermione, she is paired with and helping Neville as he looks for his toad.
• The first time Hermione casts a hex it is on Neville and it’s a full body bind to boot–in essence giving her control of his whole body.
• Hermione helps him every chance she gets in class.
• He obviously has a crush on her–having asked her to the Yule Ball.

Yes, I see Ron with Hermione, but I can’t deny that the idea of Hermione pairing up with Neville is intriguing.

Of course, one can’t deny that Neville also clicks with Ginny. They actually attend the Yule Ball together and when Umbridge’s goon squad apprehends the gang in OotP, Neville gets himself caught trying to protect Ginny–even though he wasn’t in on the disturbance.