Seeing Neville close the office door, Sebastian sighed softly.
Honestly, Neville's lack of self-confidence was largely due to his grandmother's parenting style.
Neville had always been afraid of his grandmother since he was a child, because she was a strict perfectionist and extremely harsh in her approach to raising Neville.
After all, Neville's parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, were once famous heroes in the Wizarding World.
They were not only brave Aurors but also made countless military achievements in the fight against Lord Voldemort.
However, such an excellent Wizard couple met a cruel fate.
After Lord Voldemort disappeared, they were driven to madness by the Crucio curse cast by Death Eaters like Bellatrix Lestrange, and were eventually forced to live in St. Mungo's Hospital.
After all this happened, Neville's grandmother, Madam Longbottom, as the sole pillar of the family, withstood the blow and bravely supported the Longbottom family, taking on the responsibility of raising Neville.
She knew very well how excellent Neville's parents were as Wizards, so she had extremely high expectations for Neville.
Her demands on Neville were almost harsh, always hoping that he could also be as excellent as his parents and become the pride of the Longbottom family.
These expectations often manifested as harsh reprimands and comparisons to his parents.
However, Neville had been gentle and introverted since childhood, and his magic talent seemed mediocre.
What's more, in order to make Neville forget the scene of his parents being tortured by Crucio, he was subjected to a Memory Charm, which caused him to have poor memory for a long time.
Therefore, the forgetful Neville did not excel in many subjects, which made it even more difficult to meet his grandmother's standards.
This excessive expectation and strict attitude made Neville increasingly unconfident and cautious, fearing that he would make a mistake.
....
At ten o'clock on Saturday morning, the air in Hogsmeade New Town was slightly cool, and the sunlight sprinkled on the shop windows on both sides of the street, shimmering with a warm glow.
Sebastian, dressed in a neat Wizard robe, led the slightly nervous Neville into a coffee shop under Swan Alchemy.
This coffee shop is known for its modern and bright style.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows allowed sunlight to pour in naturally, accompanied by soft music, making the entire space feel warm and cozy.
The coffee shop's environment was extremely appealing, so many older students liked to come here on weekends, order a cup of fragrant coffee, and then happily do their homework.
When Sebastian entered, he also saw several older students gathered at a table nearby doing their homework, occasionally whispering to each other, looking relaxed and happy.
Seeing Sebastian's arrival, the young shop owner's eyes lit up, and he greeted him with a bright smile: "Professor Swan, what an honor today!"
Saying that, he enthusiastically led Sebastian and Neville to the reserved VIP seating area on the second floor.
The environment on the second floor was even more elegant, with light screens separating each seating area, providing private space.
These screens were high-end alchemy tools, and people sitting in the seating areas could chat and talk without being heard by anyone outside.
This clever design made it ideal not only for gatherings but also for discussing private matters.
About ten minutes later, the young shop owner led Madam Longbottom upstairs.
She was wearing a green Wizard robe, carrying a large red handbag, and wearing a tall hat with an eagle specimen on her head, looking extremely imposing.
"Sorry, I'm late." Madam Longbottom said with a slight apology, her voice was very loud, full of vigor.
"Not at all," Sebastian said with a polite smile, "I brought Neville too early, I couldn't let you wait for us here."
Madam Longbottom nodded slightly, shook hands with Sebastian, and then sat down opposite him.
Sebastian ordered a coffee, Madam Longbottom asked for black tea, and Neville quietly requested a glass of juice.
After a few pleasantries, the conversation gradually turned to the main topic.
"Madam," Sebastian said gently, "I believe Neville's wand is not well-matched with him. If possible, could you take him to choose a more suitable wand?"
Hearing this, Madam Longbottom frowned slightly, turned to look at her grandson, and after a moment of silence, pursed her lips and said.
"Not well-matched... I can understand, after all, Neville has always used his father's wand."
She sighed slightly: "Actually, before he started his first year, I had intended to take him to buy a new wand."
"But he insisted on using that wand, saying he wanted his father's wand to accompany him as he grew up."
Her tone carried a hint of helplessness and nostalgia: "Seeing how persistent he was, I let him have his way."
"But, his performance now..." Her voice gradually became stern, "To be honest, it's the same whether he changes wands or not."
"His grades embarrass me every year."
Madam Longbottom paused, her gaze falling on Neville, who was looking down silently, and her words revealed deep disappointment.
"To be honest, if it were just bad grades, it would be fine, but what disappoints me is that I don't see any trace of his parents in Neville."
"Professor Swan, you used to work with Frank and Alice, so you should know how excellent they were."
Her voice trembled slightly due to emotional fluctuations.
"They were both top Aurors, brave and fearless, never giving in even when tortured by the Crucio curse from four Death Eaters."
Madam Longbottom picked up her black tea and took a small sip, trying to calm herself down with this brief action.
After a short silence, she spoke again, her voice tinged with a hint of apology.
"Sorry, I get a little emotional whenever Neville's parents are mentioned."
Sebastian nodded silently, Neville's face turned even redder, he said nothing, his fingers nervously intertwined, his gaze fixed on the juice glass in front of him.
Madam Longbottom sighed, a hint of weariness flashing in her eyes.
"I should actually be content."
She whispered, her gaze softening: "After all, I used to worry that Neville would be a Squib."
"When he was little, he never showed any magic talent, until one time, his uncle accidentally dropped him from upstairs, and only then did he reveal his magic talent."
There was an indescribable complexity in her tone.
"I just never thought that Neville's performance wouldn't be much better than a Squib's."
Hearing these words, Neville's fingers clenched tightly.
He tried not to look into his grandmother's eyes, just sat quietly with his head lowered, as if that was the only thing he could do.
...
...