#255 - Chapter 255 Neville: Am I that good?

Sebastian sat in the chair, leaning forward slightly, his hands clasped on the table, his gaze gentle but firm as he looked at Augusta Longbottom.

"Madam," Sebastian said with a smile, "as a Muggle Studies professor, I'd like to share with you a 'bamboo rule' that is widely circulated among Muggles."

Bamboo rule?

What does this have to do with Neville?

Augusta Longbottom raised her eyebrows in confusion, looking at Sebastian with a hint of puzzlement.

"The bamboo takes four years to grow only three centimeters, and these three centimeters are deeply buried beneath the soil," Sebastian continued, his voice low and persuasive.

"But, from the fifth year onwards, it will grow wildly at a rate of thirty centimeters per day, and in just a few weeks, it can grow to fifteen meters high."

"Muggles say that it's because in the first four years, the bamboo has been rooting, so that it can grow rapidly in the fifth year."

Sebastian chuckled softly, "Of course, I'm not a botanist, so I'm not sure about the scientific basis of this rule. But we might as well learn from the reasoning behind this story."

Sebastian turned to Neville and asked gently, "Neville, tell me, how long does it take for a Mandrake to grow from a seedling to maturity?"

Neville trembled slightly, looked up, and whispered, "Almost a year."

"Very good." Sebastian nodded, his tone encouraging. Then he continued to ask, "Then, how long does it take for dittany to grow?"

"About three months." Neville replied quickly, his voice much firmer than before.

Sebastian smiled and patted him on the shoulder, praising, "Well answered, Neville."

Then, he looked at Augusta Longbottom and said seriously, "Madam, the growth cycle of each plant is different, we can't force a Mandrake to mature like dittany in three months."

"Moreover, no one can say that a Mandrake that takes a whole year to mature is inferior to a dittany that matures in three months, wouldn't you agree?"

Augusta Longbottom nodded slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

"In fact, people are the same," Sebastian's tone was gentle but firm, "Everyone is an independent individual, with their own pace of growth."

"Blindly comparing oneself with others will only bring anxiety, pressure, and a lot of negative emotions."

Sebastian looked at Neville, then raised his head and said softly, "Madam, you just said that Neville's performance is not as good as a Squib, I personally disagree with that very much."

"Neville is a very good child, and in school, his grades are actually above average."

"You just saw that I casually asked him two questions about herbs, and he answered them fluently. He is Professor Sprout's favorite Herbology assistant."

Hearing this, Neville secretly raised his eyes to look at Sebastian, a surge of indescribable warmth rising in his heart.

Since childhood, he had rarely heard anyone praise him to his grandmother.

The feeling of being praised made him feel a little overwhelmed for a moment.

Sebastian continued, "Neville's learning pace is a little slower than others, and his memory is not as good as other students, but he has a quality that most students do not possess, and that is perseverance."

"Perhaps, things that others can learn in one go, Neville needs to practice five or ten times, but he never gives up easily."

"In the Duelling Club, Neville is often the one who practices the latest, and his homework is always completed very seriously."

Admiration appeared on his face: "As a professor, from my point of view, Neville's performance has already exceeded more than ninety percent of the students. If it were me, I wouldn't necessarily do as well as him."

Augusta Longbottom pursed her lips tightly, her expression slightly moved, although she still maintained her usual seriousness, the hardness in her eyes seemed to have softened somewhat in Sebastian's words.

"As the owner of Swann Alchemists, I'm always accurate in judging people," Sebastian's tone was full of confidence.

"Over the years, I have discovered countless talents. I can say with certainty that Neville is the kind of late bloomer. As long as you give him a little more patience, he will definitely achieve brilliant success."

A late bloomer!

Am I really as good as the professor praised?

Hearing this, Neville's eyes were already red with emotion, he secretly raised his sleeve, gently wiped away his tears, his heart full of gratitude.

At this moment, Sebastian had become the professor he most respected and loved.

Sebastian gave an example: "Due to the Dementors, in the past month, the school's professors have been teaching the students the Patronus Charm."

"As a third-year student, Neville can already steadily produce a non-corporeal Patronus."

Sebastian smiled slightly, "Madam, you know the difficulty of the Patronus Charm. You should be able to appreciate how amazing it is that Neville can do this with the limitations of his wand."

A month?

Steadily produce a non-corporeal Patronus?

A look of surprise and gratification flashed in Augusta Longbottom's eyes, she couldn't help but look at Neville and asked proudly, "Neville, why didn't you tell me?"

Neville looked up, a hint of awkwardness on his face, and explained softly, "I... I wanted to tell you after I successfully cast a corporeal Patronus."

Augusta Longbottom's gaze softened completely, she looked at Neville and said the first word of praise today: "Neville, your performance is indeed beyond my imagination."

"Even your father and mother didn't successfully cast a non-corporeal Patronus at your age."

"They would be proud of you."

Looking at Augusta Longbottom, Sebastian said smoothly, "Neville is already working harder than others, so we can't let this wand continue to hinder him."

"At the very least, changing to a wand that suits him better will definitely improve his learning efficiency and save him learning time."

"After changing the wand, I am confident that Neville will successfully cast a corporeal Patronus before Halloween."

A month?

Let Neville cast a corporeal Patronus?!

Augusta Longbottom smiled and shook her head: "I understand the difficulty of the Patronus Charm, no matter what, a month is too exaggerated."

"You know, many powerful wizards can't cast a complete Patronus in their entire lives."

"I would be very satisfied if Neville could master the Patronus Charm within a year."

"How about this," Sebastian said confidently, "If Neville can do it, I hope you can agree to one condition."

"That is, don't be so strict with Neville in the future, and try to be more tolerant and encouraging towards him."

"I believe that for Neville, encouragement from family is more effective than strict supervision."

"You've convinced me, Professor." Augusta Longbottom nodded slightly, looking at Sebastian with a hint of respect and gratitude, "Hogwarts is truly fortunate to have a professor like you for the students."

"Thank you for your recognition, Madam."

Augusta Longbottom glanced at Neville and said goodbye to Sebastian.

"Thank you for everything you've done for Neville, Professor Swann."

"Now, I'll take Neville to Diagon Alley to buy a new wand."

With that, she stood up, tidied her handbag, called Neville to leave the coffee shop together, and strode towards the public fireplace in Hogsmeade New Town.

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