Chapter 254 Stern Old Lady Longbottom

Seeing Neville close the door to his office, Sebastian sighed slightly.

To be honest, Neville's insecure character is largely related to his grandmother's education method.

Neville was afraid of his grandmother since he was a child because she was a strict perfectionist and her way of training Neville was extremely strict.

After all, Neville's parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, were once famous heroes in the wizarding world.

Not only are they brave Aurors, they have also made countless contributions in the fight against Voldemort.

However, such an outstanding wizard couple met with a cruel fate.

After Voldemort disappeared, they were tortured insane by the Cruciatus Curse cast by Death Eaters such as Bellatrix Lestrange, and were eventually forced to stay in St. Mungo's Hospital.

After all this happened, Neville's grandmother, Mrs. Longbottom, as the only pillar of the family, withstood the blow, firmly supported the Longbottom family, and took over the responsibility of raising Neville.

She knew very well how great wizards Neville's parents had been, so she had high expectations for Neville.

She was almost demanding of Neville, always hoping that he could be as outstanding as his parents and become the pride of the Longbottom family.

These expectations of her often manifest themselves in the form of harsh reprimands and comparisons with his parents.

However, Neville has been gentle and introverted since childhood, and his magical talent is mediocre.

What's more, in order to make Neville forget the scene of his parents being tortured by the Cruciatus Curse, he was released with the Forgetfulness Curse, which caused him to have a bad memory for a long time.

Therefore, the forgetful Neville does not have many good grades, which makes it even more difficult for him to meet his grandmother's standards.

This excessive expectation and strict attitude made Neville less and less confident, and more and more cautious, fearing that he would make mistakes.

.........................

At ten o'clock on Saturday morning, there was a slight chill in the air of the new town of Hogsmeade, and the sunlight shone on the shop windows on both sides of the street, gleaming with a warm glow.

Sebastian, dressed in a neat wizard robe, walked into a cafe owned by Swann Alchemy with a slightly nervous Neville.

The cafe is known for its modern, bright style.

The large floor-to-ceiling windows allow sunlight to pour in naturally, and accompanied by soft music, the entire space appears warm and cozy.

The environment of the cafe is very attractive, so many senior students like to come here on weekends, order a cup of fragrant coffee, and then start doing their homework beautifully.

When Sebastian walked in, he saw several senior students gathered at a table nearby doing their homework. They talked in low voices from time to time, looking relaxed and happy.

Seeing Sebastian coming, the shop owner's eyes lit up and greeted him with a bright smile: "Professor Swan, it's an honor today!"

As he spoke, he enthusiastically led Sebastian and Neville to the reserved VIP seats on the second floor.

The environment on the second floor is more elegant, with light screens separating each private seat, providing private space.

These screens are high-end alchemical props. People can sit in the private rooms and chat, and people outside cannot hear a thing.

This ingenious design makes this place not only suitable for gatherings, but also an ideal place to discuss private matters.

About ten minutes later, the shop owner came up with old Lady Longbottom.

She was wearing a green wizard robe, holding a large red handbag in her hand, and a tall hat with an eagle specimen on her head. She looked extremely imposing.

"I'm sorry, I'm late." Old Lady Longbottom spoke apologetically. Her voice was loud and full of energy.

"It's not late at all," Sebastian said with a polite smile, "I brought Neville here early. We can't let you wait for us here."

Old Lady Longbottom nodded slightly, shook hands with Sebastian, and sat down opposite him.

Sebastian ordered a cup of coffee, Madam Longbottom asked for black tea, and Neville quietly requested a glass of juice.

After a few pleasantries, the topic gradually turned to the main topic.

"Ma'am," Sebastian said gently, "I think Neville's wand doesn't suit him. If possible, could you help him pick out a wand that's more suitable for him?"

Hearing this, old lady Longbottom frowned slightly, turned her head to look at her grandson, and after a moment of silence, she pursed her lips and said.

"Doesn't it match?...I understand. After all, Neville has always used his father's wand."

She sighed slightly: "In fact, before he entered the first grade, I once intended to buy him a new wand."

"But he insisted on using that wand, saying that he wanted his father's wand to accompany him as he grew up."

There was a hint of helplessness and nostalgia in her tone: "I saw that he was so persistent, so I just let him do it."

"But, his performance now..." Her voice gradually became cold, "To be honest, it doesn't matter whether he changes his wand or not."

“His achievements put me to shame every year.”

Old Madam Longbottom paused, her eyes fell on Neville who lowered his head and remained silent, and her words revealed deep disappointment.

"To be honest, it would be fine if it was just his poor grades, but what disappoints me is that I don't see any trace of his parents in Neville."

"Professor Swan, you have worked with Frank and Alice before, so you should know how excellent they are."

Her voice trembled slightly due to emotional fluctuations.

"They are all top Aurors, brave and fearless. Even when facing the torture of the Cruciatus Curse by four Death Eaters, they never gave in."

Old Madam Longbottom picked up the tea and took a sip, trying to calm down through this brief action.

After a brief silence, she spoke again, with a hint of apology in her voice.

"Sorry, I get a little emotional when I talk about Neville's parents."

Sebastian nodded silently. Neville's face turned even redder. He said nothing, twisted his fingers together awkwardly, and stared at the juice glass in front of him.

Old Madam Longbottom sighed, a hint of fatigue flashing in her eyes.

“I should be satisfied.”

She whispered, her eyes softening, "After all, I've always worried that Neville might be a Squib."

"When he was a child, he never showed any magical talent until one day, when his uncle accidentally threw him off the building. Then he showed his magical talent."

There was an indescribable complexity in her tone.

"I just never thought of Neville as being any better than a Squib."

Neville clenched his fingers together tightly at these words.

He tried not to look into his grandmother's eyes, but just lowered his head and sat quietly, as if that was the only thing he could do.

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