Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch explains why Luna and Neville weren’t right together
The eighth and final Harry Potter film hit theaters around a decade ago, but fans are still discussing and debating the series, its conclusion, and who some of the main characters ended up with in the end.
Many of the franchise’s obvious couples get happy endings in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Boy Who Lived himself marries Ginny Weasley, and Ron and Hermione finally get together after years of mutual pining. There were two characters, however, who fans expected to get together but never did: Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom.
Harry Potter fans had long assumed these two might wind up together, likely because they were both close friends of the series’ core trio and outcasts in their own right. The books never hinted at feelings between these two, but the final film did tease a possible fling between them following the Battle of Hogwarts.
Since there’s never any indication that their relationship progresses beyond that, however, it’s probably safe to assume things didn’t go very far. Evanna Lynch, who portrayed Luna in the movies, certainly doesn’t think they’d work together long-term. Speaking with US Weekly, she explained why she believes the brief, flirtatious scene between her character and Neville was just a fleeting thing:
"I see it more as like a wartime romance. I think it was all the moments. I think everyone’s caught up in the trauma and the idea that they might die, and they were fighting for an honorable cause. They were just like, ‘I quite like you and let’s see, and maybe we’ll die, and this will be beautiful.’ But I think that ended and then they both survived. And I think they’d probably both realized, you know, this is not quite right."
Why Evanna Lynch believes Luna and Neville wouldn’t work together
It’s true that life-or-death scenarios can lead characters to make decisions they wouldn’t normally consider. However, Lynch’s thoughts on Luna and Neville go deeper than that. Asked why Neville and Luna probably wouldn’t be a perfect match, Lynch admitted that Neville is “probably a little too down to Earth” for her character.
“He wants to have a stable job at Hogwarts,” she added. “And Luna is a bit too kooky and out there for him and she wants to go out and travel the world. And their lifestyles just wouldn’t mix. So that’s how I see it.”
It’s a fair point, and one that other series aimed at young adults could learn from. Many films and television shows have a tendency to pair their lead characters off at the end, equating romance and marriage and giving us a one-size-fits-all happy ending.
In reality, plenty of young people realize they want different things after high school, so it’s realistic and natural that Luna and Neville would come to that conclusion — and that’s assuming their romance went anywhere in the first place.
Luna and Neville’s ending may not be exactly as Harry Potter fans predicted it, but it certainly is relatable. It may be disappointing for the shippers out there, but on the bright side, most of the series’ characters did get to end their stories with someone they loved.
Next. Harry Potter star talks book scenes missing from the movies. dark
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