#243 - Chapter 243 The Professor's Patronus is So Cool
Inside the dueling hall, Neville Longbottom stood in a corner, his hands gripping his wand tightly, his forehead covered in sweat.
Ever since hearing the professor's instructions, he had been working hard, but no matter how much he concentrated and tried to recall his happiest moments, the tip of his wand only flickered with a faint light at most.
Silvery-white smoke?
Not even a vague image had appeared!
Neville's face grew increasingly dim, his eyes filled with anxiety.
He stole a glance at his classmates around him, seeing Percy's lively ferret running happily on the ground,
Cedric's sheep were adorable and lovable,
The twins' magpies were lively and agile,
And then there was the elegant stag that Harry had just summoned, all of which made him feel increasingly frustrated.
Why couldn't he ever do things well?
Was it because the Patronus Charm was too difficult, or was he just too stupid?
Neville's heart was filled with frustration; he hadn't expected to be able to cast a corporeal Patronus like those geniuses.
He only hoped that he could be like most of his classmates and release silvery-white smoke from the tip of his wand.
Unfortunately, he discovered that after working so hard, the effect was about the same as some second-year students.
Although no one said anything, it was a serious blow to his self-esteem.
"Don't rush, don't rush," Neville muttered to himself, "Learning spells always takes me longer than others."
"But as long as I don't give up and practice more, I'll eventually learn it."
Neville silently cheered himself on, then gritted his teeth and raised his wand again.
"Expecto Patronum."
He tried hard to recall those happy memories, whether it was the memories of family gatherings or the warm moments at Hogwarts, but none of them seemed to give him the power to summon a Patronus.
The tip of his wand still only emitted a faint white light, with no change compared to before.
Just then, he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. Longbottom, I've noticed that you've been frowning the whole time. Are you having some trouble?"
The sudden voice made Neville shudder violently, and the wand almost slipped from his hand.
His face turned visibly pale, and he seemed to freeze in fear.
He turned around tremulously, his eyes filled with panic, and stammered, "S-Sorry, Professor, I... I couldn't do it... I..."
His voice grew softer and softer, as if afraid of incurring blame again.
Neville's intense reaction caused the surrounding students to look over, and Harry and his friends, standing not far away, couldn't help but cast concerned glances.
Sebastian's hand froze in mid-air. He paused for a moment, then casually put his hand down.
Awkward!
Look at how scared the child is.
Am I that terrifying? Why does Neville look at me like he's seeing Snape?!
Looking at the panicked and flustered boy in front of him, Sebastian felt a slight pang of sympathy.
This was a typical "late bloomer" character; initially, he seemed clumsy and unconfident.
Except for Herbology, his performance in other subjects was not so outstanding.
His memory wasn't very good, and because of this, he often made small mistakes, such as dropping his wand, casting the wrong spell, or forgetting the password to open a door.
It could be said that in the early stages of his school life, Neville had always been a character who was laughed at and teased, and many people, including himself, felt that he was not suitable for Gryffindor.
It wasn't until the Death Eaters occupied the school that he showed courage far beyond his peers and became the bravest warrior.
He was the kind of person who seemed ordinary on the surface, even a bit clumsy, but possessed a powerful and undeniable inner strength.
It was this inner resilience and fearlessness that made Neville one of the most respected characters in Hogwarts.
Thinking of this, Sebastian smiled gently and said softly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Longbottom, I didn't mean to scare you."
"N-No need to apologize to me, Professor," Neville waved his hands frantically, "No need to call me Mr., you can just call me Neville."
"I didn't encounter any difficulties, I'm just not having much luck practicing the Patronus Charm, so I'm a little anxious."
"Everyone needs time, don't rush," Sebastian said encouragingly, "The Patronus Charm is a very complex magic, and it's difficult to master even for many adult wizards."
"The fact that your wand can summon light is already a very good start."
"But..." Neville glanced at the students around him and said unconfidently, "The other students can already cast non-corporeal Patronuses. I'm just too stupid."
"Everyone has their own pace," Sebastian gently comforted, "Don't blindly compare yourself to others."
"The only person you should ever surpass is yourself."
"According to my observation, your efforts are unmatched by many people, and your spell level has actually surpassed at least half of the third-year students."
"You're actually really excellent, all you need to do is be confident. Don't forget, magic is the power of belief."
"How about this, you cast the Patronus Charm once now, and I'll help you see what the problem is."
Hearing Sebastian's encouragement, Neville widened his eyes in surprise.
Surpassed half of the third-year students?
Am I that good?
The professor wouldn't be lying to me, would he...
Despite some doubts, a hint of joy couldn't help but appear in his heart, and he even stood up a little straighter.
He raised his wand and recited the spell again: "Expecto Patronum!"
Sebastian released his magical senses and focused all his attention on Neville.
Before long, he figured out the crux of the matter.
First of all, Neville was really too unconfident, even to the point of being self-deprecating.
He always felt that he was foolish and clumsy, and he was always doubting whether he could succeed.
Under this kind of psychological suggestion, he simply didn't have the strong willpower to control his magic.
Secondly, Neville's wand didn't match him and couldn't release spells very well.
According to Sebastian's inquiry, he learned that this was Neville's father's wand, and he wanted to carry on his father's will.
Under these two conditions, it was naturally much more difficult for Neville to successfully cast the spell than others.
The Dueling Club training was unknowingly coming to an end. As the clock pointed to 9:45, Sebastian announced that tonight's practice was over.
The students put away their wands, their faces filled with excited smiles, and walked out of the dueling hall in twos and threes, happily discussing the Patronus Charm they had just learned.
Many students didn't forget to say goodnight to Sebastian as they passed by him.
Sebastian stood at the entrance of the dueling hall, his gaze falling on Neville.
Despite Sebastian's assistance, Neville only managed to summon a wisp of silvery-white smoke in the end, far from a non-corporeal Patronus.
A mental problem requires a psychological solution.
If he wanted Neville to become confident and show the demeanor of Gryffindor's sword saint in the original work, he still had to start with his family.
He should find some time to have a good chat with Neville's grandmother.
Just then, a burst of noise interrupted Sebastian's thoughts.
"Professor Swann," Fred said with an expectant smile on his face, "Could you satisfy our little wish and let us see your Patronus?"
"Yeah!" George immediately chimed in, "We've been curious all night. If we don't see your Patronus, we definitely won't be able to sleep tonight."
Hearing the twins' shouts, the students became interested and surrounded Sebastian.
"Professor, just show us your skills."
"Yeah, Professor, we've seen most of the professors' Patronuses tonight, and yours is the only one left. You can't be stingy."
"Come on, Professor, be generous. Let us all feast our eyes."
Listening to the little wizards' relentless clamoring, Sebastian's head ached.
Actually, the Patronus was nothing that needed to be kept secret, after all, this spell couldn't be used as a trump card.
If it had been before, he would have released his Patronus without hesitation.
But since practicing Animagus with dragon blood, the form of his Patronus had undergone a drastic change, transforming from a swan to a dragon.
Looking at the students' curious expressions, Sebastian shook his head helplessly.
Sigh, the students are too enthusiastic.
He had originally wanted to keep it a secret for a while longer.
Since that's the case, he might as well take this opportunity to show off.
He stretched out his wand and gently chanted, "Expecto Patronum!"
Accompanied by a dazzling white light, a dragon composed of silvery-white light soared into the sky.
In the little wizards' shocked eyes, it flapped its wings and roared towards the school gate, startling a sky full of shadows.
Fred and George exchanged a look and couldn't help but shout loudly.
"That's so cool!"
......
...
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