Alice Longbottom

Alice Poppy Longbottom (b. June 28, 2006) is a sixth year Hufflepuff attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Born the middle child Neville Longbottom and Hannah Longbottom (nee Abbott), Poppy spent most of her younger years around the Leaky Cauldron, a popular inn and pub in London owned by her mother that serves as a gateway between Muggle and Wizarding London. Once eleven years old, Poppy began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into Hufflepuff in her first year.

Birth and Childhood
Poppy was born on a rather hot day one June, a few years into her parents’ marriage just a year after her brother. She was a sweet child; wide-eyed and with an angel-face that still hasn’t hardened and thinned. It was evident from the beginning that she would inherit her father’s rounder face, but the rest of her was just like her mother. Poppy grew as any other child did, though she was surrounded by the bustle and noise of the Leaky Cauldron, the establishment of which her mother purchased after the War.

The Cauldron, strangely enough, was a wonderful place to raise a child, or two, maybe three, as they soon discovered when Poppy’s brother came along a few years later. There was always a watchful eye to make sure they kept out of trouble, especially as Poppy grew older and into her curious tendencies coupled with the persuasion of her elder brother, she got into quite the trouble. And people always loved seeing the sweet-faced children wandering around; it was a sight to brighten anyone’s day. Poppy would sit on the bar with her toys for hours while her mother set about helping the patrons of the tavern/hotel, content in just drawing with her crayons on a piece of paper while woman spoke gibberish to her and expected her to answer.

Much of her childhood days were spent like this; running around the Cauldron, talking to guests and keeping them entertained once she learned to use her words. After a while, Poppy grew into tasks in the inn, and became a great help to her father and mother, especially when her father was away teaching at Hogwarts. She would help in the kitchen, clean the tables off, wait on the patrons and bring them their food. Anything her mother wished for her to do, she was always ready to help. Often times, she did get caught up in the banter of the customers and would forget what she was doing to lend an ear or a shoulder, even if she was just a young child. She loved listening to the stories people had to tell her, and she made many friends of all shapes and sizes this way. People were always passing through the Inn, and Poppy had the chance to watch all of them.

Accident
The summer after her first year at Hogwarts, Poppy had her accident in the kitchen of the Leaky Cauldron. She’d been using a kitchen torch to brown the tops or some dessert or other, and had tripped on her pants legs and burnt right through them. Luckily her mother was close by and got hold of the situation before any major damage was done. She spent only a few days in St Mungo’s recovering from her burns. The scars are very visible, but are reminders to Poppy that she does not like pants.

Education at Hogwarts
When the owl delivered her Hogwarts letter, Poppy wasn’t sure whether to be happy or to cry. She was going to miss her home so much, but the castle presented opportunities or friendship and laughter that she had never had before. For years Poppy watched parents and their children pass through the doors of the Leaky Cauldron to go to Diagon Alley to purchase what they would need for their schooling, including her brother, of whom she was endlessly jealous of for going off without out, and had gotten a cat named for him as something to keep in London while he was in school. It was an odd thing, joining in with the crowd. After this, she was just going to be one more Hogwarts student, with nothing special about her. Poppy decided she wasn’t going to let this happen however, and strived to be herself in everything she did. Starting with the rainbow coloured quills she had somehow convinced her father to let her buy.

On the train, Poppy became known fairly quickly. Not just for being the Professor’s daughter, but just her sweet demeanour, and that she was brave enough to speak to anyone, despite their age, house, or blood. It was something that most students wouldn’t really forget. For the rest of her Hogwarts years thus was, Poppy was dubbed the ‘sweetheart’ a badge that she wears with pride. Everyone had already known that Poppy would be in Hufflepuff; the kindness she showed would overpower anything else. Even so, the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, with her father watching from his place on the dais and her brother from his position at the Gryffindor table, and proclaimed her a Hufflepuff without much thought. She smiled brightly, thanked the hat and twirled off the find her seat among the others of her house, to wait for the rest to be sorted. After that, Hogwarts didn’t seem that bad.

Etymology
They named her after her paternal great-grandmother, and the poppy flower. A rather odd, but lovely story, sprouted this name, but in short; some men bring roses, Neville Longbottom brought poppies.