Anne Hutchinson & Neville Longbottom,

Albus Dumbledore once said "‘It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."  Now, when I read Harry Potter for the first time, this quote did not impress a great truth upon my young mind.  Being eight years old, there were more important things to be learned.  Did Gryffindor finally win the house cup away from Slytherin or not?  Neville was just a wet blanket who went against our heroes, trying to stop them on their way to defeating the bad guy.  Sure, it was sad that he got Petrificus Totalus cast upon him, but a dark recess within young Beth's mind assumed that he deserved it for not the supporting the protagonists.  They were clearly right because it was three against one and he should have seen that.

Now, with my older (and hopefully wiser) perspective on things, I had a realization.  Neville was perhaps one of the bravest characters within the series.  It does take a great deal to stand up to our friends and companions, not knowing how they'll react.  According to Westerkamp "A deviant exhibits certain behaviors, supported by a specific belief system, that place him or her on the outside, perhaps in opposition to, that mainstream."   This was written in regard to the great dissenter Anne Hutchinson.  However, some of the parallels are simply uncanny.  Both are deviants who try to change the norm.

While reading another article about Anne Hutchinson (called The Risk of Dissent: The Story of Anne Hutchinson by Dorothy Oslin) it mentioned that her family was targeted, her fight becomes all the more real.  Before it was just some crazy lady who heard the voice of the Lord.  Everyone thought that she was wrong and that was her main quality.  But add in the humanizing factor of her family being persecuted and ridiculed along with her...that takes guts.  

The governing body turned against Anne Hutchinson, the mainstream saw her as a threat.  Her friends disassociated themselves from her.  She stood up for what she thought anyway.    She stood up for her beliefs, trying to grant a great understanding of her world; to make it a better place.  Neville Longbottom had the governing body turn against him, he was seen as a threat both great and small, his friends and family were tortured and scared.  He refused to remain silent.  He actively fought for a better life.

The long and the short of my little rant here is this: Anne Hutchinson was more courageous than I gave her credit for.  On the first reading, she comes off as an unhinged woman with no real personality trait other than being contrary.  However, on the reread, she, just like Neville Longbottom, has a great deal more depth and courage than our "main" characters.  Both go against the mainstream for their own beliefs.  Both are ridiculed and persecuted, but because they remain steadfast, we remember them as heroes.