7 Ridiculous Harry Potter Moments That Are Only In The Books
6. Neville Sets His Pants On Fire – The Half-Blood Prince
Poor Neville. He’s picked on and humiliated from the moment he arrives at Hogwarts, and even in his sixth year, he still runs into unfortunate circumstances.
In the chapter ‘Birthday Surprises’, Peeves jams a door on the fourth floor and refuses to let anyone through unless they set fire to their own pants. Predictably, Neville is the one who ends up being the victim of the poltergeist’s scheme, and he arrives at Gryffindor Tower smelling of singed material.
It’s a funny moment, but it doesn’t make much sense when you start to think about it. Neville proved to be a capable fighter in the previous book, so he should have no difficulty fending off a single poltergeist.
And why didn’t he use another route? Harry and Ron make their way to the Common Room by simply changing direction. You’d think after five-and-a-half years at Hogwarts, Neville would know his way around the castle pretty well.