‘There are all kinds of courage,’ said Dumbledore, smiling. ‘It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom.’
I just realized today how much more meaningful this quote is when you remember Dumbledore’s backstory. For years, Albus remained at Gellert Grindelwald’s side even as Grindelwald became more and more corrupt, simply because he was his friend. He turned a blind eye to the immorality of Gellert’s plans. He couldn’t bring himself to stand up to Grindelwald because he didn’t want to jeopardize their friendship. Even as an adult, he didn’t confront Grindelwald until it was nearly too late. Those ten points weren’t awarded to Neville just so Gryffindor would win the house cup. They were awarded because Dumbledore recognized that Neville, at the age of 11, was far braver than the young Albus had ever been. (via cobbledstories)
