#385 - Chapter 385 Encouraging Education Makes a Difference

Ron's appearance genuinely startled Sebastian.

His disheveled hair, heavy dark circles, the exhaustion and irritation in his expression, and his slightly hoarse voice all conveyed a single message to Sebastian: I desperately need psychological counseling!

Sebastian had his own unique methods for dealing with young wizards in this state.

"Quick, sit down, Mr. Weasley. Have some Coke to soothe your throat first."

He gestured for Ron to sit on the sofa while taking out a bottle of ice-cold Coke, filling a glass, and handing it to him.

Young wizards in this state often resisted drinking potions, but they were less wary of beverages like Coke.

According to Muggle scientific research, the sugar in Coke can be quickly absorbed by the body, stimulating the release of dopamine, a chemical in the brain responsible for transmitting "pleasure" and "reward" signals.

This natural chemical reaction not only alleviates anxiety but also allows Ron's tense nerves to relax slightly, regaining a bit of composure.

And this relaxed state is undoubtedly crucial for the conversation that will follow.

"Thank you, Professor," Ron said, taking the glass and gently sipping the Coke.

The rich bubbles kept bursting in his mouth, bringing a tingling sensation, which, along with it, made Ron feel a little bit better.

"Professor Swann, I have some emotional issues I need your help with."

Oh?

This kid's not bad; direct, open, and with a strong desire to confide.

He didn't start with something like, "I have a friend..." This way, the conversation would be more concise and efficient, and counseling him would be more effective.

Sebastian gave him an encouraging look and said gently, "Tell me, I'll listen carefully."

The gentle attitude made Ron more relaxed, so he told him all the bitterness in his heart, one thing at a time.

Sebastian quickly understood the root of Ron's distress.

In short, it was due to the inferiority complex developed during his upbringing.

Compared to most wizarding families, the Weasley family's life was relatively frugal.

Because of the large number of children, Ron mostly wore second-hand clothes from childhood, and even his wand when he first entered school was his brother's old wand.

This kind of life planted a seed of "not as good as others" in Ron's heart from an early age, especially with so many siblings in the family, everyone seemed to be more outstanding than him.

Bill and Charlie were the pride of the family, Percy was also an academic superstar, Fred and George's humorous talents were eye-catching, and Ginny, as the youngest sister in the family, was the center of everyone's affection.

This led to Ron always being a little invisible person at home, not valued by everyone.

After entering Hogwarts, this sense of invisibility was further amplified because his friends were all dazzling existences.

Harry was the savior in people's mouths, burdened with the fate of saving the wizarding world. Besides that, he was also a dueling expert and a Quidditch player.

Hermione was also a recognized genius, with her academic performance far ahead.

Compared to these two best friends, Ron couldn't compare in any way. This cliff-like gap made Ron unable to see any hope of catching up, so he simply chose to give up.

Anyway, Ron had been used to being a little invisible person since he was a child.

After understanding the problem, Sebastian immediately knew that encouragement was the best therapy for this kind of insecure child.

Of course, the encouragement couldn't be empty. Every word of encouragement had to be meaningful so that the child could believe what you said and get out of this predicament of inferiority.

"Ron," Sebastian began, using a more friendly form of address, "I want to ask you a question first. What is your current magic level?"

Magic level?

Ron was a little puzzled. He couldn't understand what the magic level had to do with his current situation.

However, he honestly replied, "I'm currently at Adult Wizard Level One."

"How far are you from Level Two? Approximately when will you be able to reach it?"

"I estimate I'll be able to reach Adult Wizard Level Two around Christmas."

"Great. Are you aware of what Adult Wizard Level One represents?"

Seeing Ron shake his head, Sebastian said with a smile, "When I first came to work at the school, the best level of the graduates that year was only Adult Wizard Level One, like your brother Charlie."

"In fact, many students didn't even reach Adult Wizard Level One until graduation day."

"So, you see, your magic level is actually very good. You have to know that you're only a fourth-year student right now."

The same as Charlie at graduation?

Hearing this, Ron cheered up a little, but thinking about the situation at school, he still couldn't muster much enthusiasm.

It's true that's what I said, but many students have reached this level now, so I'm still very inconspicuous.

"From what I understand," Sebastian said, "at the beginning of this year, you were only Apprentice Wizard Level Four, just a little short of reaching Apprentice Wizard Level Five."

"By the time of the Triwizard selection, you had already reached Adult Wizard Level One. To be honest, the speed of this progress impressed me."

"Moreover, what surprised me about you doesn't stop there. Do you want to know what it is?"

Sebastian's voice seemed to have a kind of magic, making Ron involuntarily ask, "What is it?"

"Many students entered a state of relaxation after being eliminated in the Triwizard selection. I originally thought you would soon return to that carefree state."

"Unexpectedly, not only did you not do that, but you spent most of your time in the library and the dueling hall."

"You have to know that it's not easy to go from Adult Wizard Level One to Adult Wizard Level Two, and you have to put in a lot of sweat if you want to reach Adult Wizard Level Two by Christmas."

"Professor," Ron said embarrassedly, "I may have disappointed you. The reason I did this was to catch up with Hermione."

"That explains a lot, doesn't it?" Sebastian gave him an encouraging smile.

"As far as I know, Miss Granger's magic level is also Adult Wizard Level One, and even at your rate of progress, you have a good chance of entering Adult Wizard Level Two before her."

"In fact, your magical talent is very good, no less than your brothers. As long as you have a goal and are willing to work hard, you can easily surpass most students."

Sebastian patted him on the shoulder, "You always say that Hermione is the smartest, but your performance in intelligence is not bad either."

Really?

Ron frowned, suspecting that the professor was fooling him.

"You may have forgotten one thing: you are the youngest bronze medalist in the International Wizarding Chess Competition."