At the start of Neville Longbottom's education at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry it's safe to say that not one person ever expected him to be an extraordinary wizard, or even an extraordinary person. But clearly by the time his school years at Hogwarts were over, he had proven himself to be as brave, capable, and heroic as Harry Potter himself.
And although the shy, awkward boy who seemed terrified of absolutely everything did ultimately show that he was more courageous and strong than practically anyone, it has always seemed readily apparent that this Gryffindor icon seemed like he was a pretty clear and natural fit for Hufflepuff house. His career at Gryffindor will undoubtedly be the stuff of legend, but it's interesting to consider who Neville Longbottom would be if he wound up in Hufflepuff instead. Here's 5 reasons why Neville should have really been in the house of the badger, and 5 reasons why he was always a lion.
Team Hufflepuff: Because They Would Have Let Him Come Into His Own On His Own
It's true that sometimes suffering can make you stronger, but it's also true that there are likely much easier and more pleasant ways to get stronger too. Neville was pretty much destined to get a hard time from other Hogwarts students from the jump, but being in a house like Hufflepuff that values team unity and doesn't judge people based on anything aside from their integrity and hard work would have been the best, most supportive environment for Neville to flourish in.
He obviously always had greatness inside him, but Hufflepuff may have been able to bring that out of him by building him up.
Team Gryffindor: Because Gryffindor Made Neville What He Could Be Instead Of What He Was
At his core, Neville Longbottom was always a sweet, shy, and good hearted boy. And in that sense, Hufflepuff seemed like the ideal house for him. However, Hufflepuff would have catered to the person that Neville already was, whereas being in Gryffindor carved Neville into the person he was always meant to be.
On some level everyone always aspires to fulfill their greatest potential, and by being in Gryffindor house Neville did just that. Neville didn't need anyone to bring out his Hufflepuffian inner qualities, those were already on the surface, but he did need Gryffindor to bring out his bravery and strength.
Team Hufflepuff: Because They Would Have Valued His Hard Work
When it comes to witchcraft and wizardry, Neville Longbottom isn't what anyone would call a gifted wizard. His family actually believed he might be a squib for quite a while (that is until an unfortunate incident where one of his relatives dropped him out a window, and he luckily bounced instead of going splat).
But out of all of the Hogwarts houses, Hufflepuff is really the only one that specifically values hard work over natural talent. Neville may not have had the talent he needed at first, but he may have discovered his abilities much faster in a supportive environment that told him that so long as he worked at it, he could do it.
Team Gryffindor: Because It Taught Him How To Be A Leader
Anyone who's an introvert knows that it can be really hard to put yourself out there and take the lead in any situation, let alone a situation that is dangerous and requires a lot of strong leadership skills. And Neville certainly wasn't naturally inclined to sitting at the front of the class, but he pushed himself to be that way because Gryffindor taught him how to be brave and stand for what really matters to him.
If he had not been in the house of the lion he may have been more than content to stay quiet and keep following the bolder kids in class.
Team Hufflepuff: Because They Wouldn't Have Rejected Him For His Weaknesses
Another interesting aspect of Hufflepuff house versus all of the other Hogwarts houses is that the other houses choose their students based on what they are, whereas Hufflepuff chooses it's students because of what they do. Neville was never the one to get things right on his first try, and people could often times be needlessly cruel to him because of that.
But even after being bullied and teased for his weaknesses, he was always ready to try something again. That is the kind of attitude that Hufflepuff values, and they likely would have been able to overlook his lack of abilities just because he really did try every time.
Team Gryffindor: Because His Fellow Gryffindors Gave Him Something To Aspire To
Something that certainly benefited Neville in the long run about being sorted into Gryffindor was simply that he was sorted into Gryffindor. He wasn't a brave kid, he was painfully shy, and he was never going to be the cool guy in school.
However, the fact that the Sorting Hat chose him for Gryffindor told him that he was worthy of standing alongside all of the other brave and bold Gryffindors. So once he knew he had that capability in them, he could look at his fellow Gryffindors and realize that even if he wasn't there yet, he could eventually be just as lion-hearted as the rest of them.
Team Hufflepuff: Because He Needed The Kind Of Acceptance Hufflepuff Offers
Now, we shouldn't paint Hufflepuff house as some sort of utopia of unity and acceptance. It's a school full of immature children, so even in Hufflepuff they're going to go a little Lord of the Flies every once in a while. But Neville's shyness and lack of confidence is easy to understand when you consider the fact that he was constantly rejected for all of his shortfalls and failings.
Being in Gryffindor eventually did give him confidence in himself, but being in a house like Hufflepuff that would have accepted him as he was, warts and all, undoubtedly would have helped him a lot too.
Team Gryffindor: Because It Forced Him To Grow Into His Bravery
Even right from the start it was evident that beneath all of that insecurity there was a brave boy in Neville Longbottom's heart. But Gryffindor gave him the power to both stand up to his friends, and to stand up for his friends.
Their bravery in the face of great danger certainly inspired his own bravery, but the fact that he was so often pulled into dangerous situations also essentially forced his inner bravery to reveal itself. It took a lot of trials and tribulations to get there, but Neville's experience growing up in Gryffindor undeniably gave him no option other than to grow into his inner bravery.
Team Hufflepuff: Because Hufflepuff Suits His Inherent Kindness
The Harry Potter series obviously isn't some teen comedy, but the houses at Hogwarts sort of fall into the traditional teenage stereotypes in a weird way. Slytherins are the spoiled rich kids, Ravenclaws are the brains, Gryffindors are the jocks, and Hufflepuffs are the kids who just want everyone to get along.
And it only takes one glance at Neville to see that he is very much that kid who just wants to be nice and get along with everyone. Neville's natural kindness is one of his best qualities, and it would have been nice to see him in Hufflepuff so that could really shine through.
Team Gryffindor: Because He Was Always A True Gryffindor
Some people may say that the Sorting Hat doesn't lie, but it's an irrefutable fact that the sword of Godric Gryffindor definitely doesn't lie. Plenty of kids at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry wind up in house Gryffindor, but it takes an exceptionally extraordinary student for the sword of Gryffindor to appear to them.
But Neville Longbottom apparently proved himself more than worthy, and when the sword of Gryffindor appeared to him he killed Lord Voldemort's Horcrux, Nagini. Neville undoubtedly would have enjoyed an education in Hufflepuff house, but in the end he is just undeniably a true Gryffindor.