Great Uncle Algie

Great Uncle Algie is the great-uncle of Neville Longbottom. A member of the Longbottom family, Algie is remembered for his dangerously eccentric, yet ultimately well-intentioned, attempts to force magic out of a young Neville, whom the family feared was a Squib. His actions, while perilous, confirmed Neville's magical ability, and he later became a source of unusual gifts for his great-nephew, including his pet toad, Trevor, and a Mimbulus mimbletonia.

Great Uncle Algie is a peripheral but impactful figure in Neville Longbottom's early life. Convinced that Neville was not a Squib, Algie went to extreme lengths to provoke a magical reaction from him. On one occasion, he pushed Neville off the end of Blackpool pier, an act which resulted in Neville merely bouncing across the water. The incident that finally revealed Neville's magical nature occurred when Neville was eight years old. Great Uncle Algie was holding him by his ankles out of an upstairs window when his wife, Great Auntie Enid, offered him a meringue. In his distraction, Algie accidentally let go of Neville. Instead of falling to his death, Neville bounced all the way down the garden and into the road. The family was overjoyed, and a delighted Algie bought Neville his pet toad, Trevor, as a celebratory gift, which Neville would later take to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Years later, for Neville's fifteenth birthday in 1995, Algie gifted him a rare and unusual plant, a Mimbulus mimbletonia, which he had acquired in Assyria.

Algie's physical appearance is never described in the novels. His personality appears to be that of a proud, somewhat bumbling, and eccentric wizard. His methods for testing Neville's magic were reckless and highly dangerous, suggesting a lack of foresight or an extreme belief that Neville's innate magic would protect him. However, his delight at Neville's survival and subsequent magical display, and his thoughtful if unusual gifts, show a genuine affection and family pride. His fondness for meringues is also noted as a character trait, as it was the direct cause of him dropping Neville from the window.

As a wizard, Algie possessed magical abilities, though the extent of his skills is unknown. The fact that he was able to travel to and procure a rare magical plant from Assyria suggests he was a reasonably competent and worldly wizard.

• Trevor: A toad Algie purchased for Neville Longbottom to celebrate the confirmation of his magical abilities.
• Mimbulus mimbletonia: A rare, pulsating magical plant that Algie obtained in Assyria and gave to Neville for his fifteenth birthday.

• Neville Longbottom: Algie is Neville's great-uncle. He was determined to see Neville prove himself a wizard and shows his pride and affection through gifts. Despite the danger Algie put him in, Neville speaks of him with a tone of resigned familiarity rather than fear or resentment.
• Great Auntie Enid: Algie's wife. Their only noted interaction is when she distracts him with a meringue, leading to the accidental discovery of Neville's magic.
• Augusta Longbottom: As Neville's grandmother, Augusta was aware of Algie's attempts to force magic out of Neville. They both shared a deep-seated desire for Neville to live up to the Longbottom family name.

“Algie” is a common diminutive for the name “Algernon.” The name Algernon is of Old French origin, derived from als gernons, meaning “with moustaches.” In England, the name has an aristocratic and somewhat old-fashioned connotation, which aligns with the status of a proud, pure-blood wizarding family like the Longbottoms.

In the film adaptation of `Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone`, Neville Longbottom mentions that his Uncle Algie gave him Trevor, but the anecdotes about being pushed off a pier or dropped from a window are omitted from the film. (film)