Every year and every House had a few particularly outstanding students and a few who brought up the rear. Simon Finnigan and Neville Longbottom could be called a pair of fellow sufferers.
In first-year Potions, he and Neville had been assigned to the same group. Then, working "together," the two of them blew up their cauldron. Not only did the boil-curing potion turn into something that raised blisters, it splattered everywhere and afflicted half the classroom.
In second-year Charms, he had been assigned to work with Harry. It was a very simple Wingardium Leviosa to make a feather fly, yet he blew something up again.
He did not blow anything up in third year. In second year, when the Chamber of Secrets incident had put the school at risk of closing, Simon had thought the exams would be cancelled as well, but things had not gone as he expected. By third year, he had stood in the Great Hall with a newspaper, saying Black had been spotted near the castle, spreading panic to a certain extent. Yet the exams had not been cancelled, so he placed all his hopes on the questions Hermione Granger had predicted.
Neville's Divination partner was Dean Thomas. Dean Thomas and Simon Finnigan were inseparable. Dean Thomas had also been there when Simon brought the predicted questions to the greenhouse. His grades were just as terrible, though he was a little better than Neville and Simon.
His talents leaned more toward drawing, but Hogwarts was not an art school.
Pomona hoped Neville could make a few friends. The best way was for them to spend the summer together. In any case, she needed to draw up a list to submit. Of course, she was not giving students "internship" opportunities to save money.
Dean had artistic skills.