Inside the Duelling Club, Neville Longbottom stood in a corner, his hands tightly gripping his wand, his forehead covered in sweat.
Ever since he heard the Professor's instructions, he had been trying desperately, but no matter how hard he concentrated, trying to recall his happiest moments, the tip of his wand only flickered with a faint light at most.
Silver-white smoke?
Not even a phantom had appeared!
Neville's face grew darker and darker, his eyes filled with unease.
He secretly glanced at his classmates around him, seeing Percy's lively weasel happily running on the ground,
Cedric's sheep, adorable and pleasing,
the twins' magpies, lively and agile,
and Harry's elegant stag that he had just summoned, all of which made him feel increasingly frustrated.
Why can't I ever do it well?
Is the Patronus Charm too difficult, or am I too stupid?
Neville's heart was filled with frustration; he hadn't expected to be able to cast a corporeal Patronus in one go like those geniuses.
He only wished he could be like most of his classmates, releasing silver-white smoke from the tip of his wand.
Unfortunately, he found that after trying for a long time, the effect was similar to some second-year students; although no one said anything, this severely hit his self-esteem.
"Don't rush, don't rush," Neville murmured to himself, "I always learn spells much slower than others."
"But as long as I don't give up and practice more, I'll eventually learn it."
Neville silently encouraged himself, then gritted his teeth and raised his wand again.
"Expecto Patronum."
He tried hard to recall happy memories in his mind, whether they were memories of family gatherings or warm moments at Hogwarts, but none seemed to give him the power to summon a Patronus Charm.
The tip of his wand still only emitted a faint white light, with no change compared to before.
Just then, he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. Longbottom, I notice your brow has been furrowed; have you encountered a problem?"
The sudden voice made Neville shiver violently, and his wand almost slipped from his hand.
His face visibly turned pale, as if his whole body had frozen in fear.
He stammered as he turned around, his eyes filled with panic, saying, "I-I'm sorry, Professor, I… I didn't manage to… I…"
His voice grew softer and softer, as if afraid of incurring further blame.
Neville's strong reaction drew glances from the surrounding students; Harry and his two friends stood not far away, unable to help but cast concerned looks.
Sebastian's hand froze in the air; he paused for a moment, then casually lowered his hand.
Awkward!
Look how scared the kid is.
Am I that terrifying? Why does Neville look at me like he's seeing Snape?!
Looking at the boy in front of him, who was so flustered he didn't know what to do, Sebastian felt a slight pang of pity.
This is a typical "late bloomer" character; at first, he seemed a bit clumsy and unconfident.
Aside from Herbology Class, his performance in other subjects was not particularly 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 a door.
It can be said that in the early stages of his academic life, Neville was always a character who was mocked and teased; many people, including himself, felt that he was not suited for Gryffindor.
It wasn't until the Death Eaters occupied the campus that he displayed courage far beyond his peers, becoming the bravest warrior.
He is the kind of person who seems ordinary, even a bit clumsy, on the surface, but possesses a strong and undeniable inner strength.
It is this inner resilience and fearlessness that makes Neville one of the most respected characters at Hogwarts.
Thinking of this, Sebastian smiled gently and said softly, "I apologize, 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 haven't encountered any problems; it's just that practicing the Patronus Charm isn't going very smoothly, and I'm a little anxious."
"Everyone needs time, don't rush," Sebastian said encouragingly, "The Patronus Charm is a very complex magic, difficult for even many adult Wizards to master."
"The fact that your wand can summon light is already a very good start."
"But…" Neville glanced at his classmates around him and said unconfidently, "Other classmates can already release non-corporeal Patronus Charms; I'm really too stupid."
"Everyone has their own pace," Sebastian gently comforted him, "There's no need to blindly compare yourself to others."
"The only person you need to surpass is always yourself."
"Based on my observations, your effort is something many people can't match, and your spell level has actually surpassed at least half of the third-year students."
"You are actually very excellent; all you need to do is become confident. Don't forget, magic is the power of belief."
"How about this, cast the Patronus Charm once now, and I'll help you see what the problem is."
Hearing Sebastian's encouragement, Neville's eyes widened in surprise.
More than half of the third-year students?
Am I that good?
The Professor isn't lying to me, is he…
Despite still having some doubts, a hint of joy uncontrollably emerged in his heart, and his body even straightened up a bit.
He raised his wand and once again chanted the spell: "Expecto Patronum!"
Sebastian released his magical perception, focusing all his attention on Neville.
In a short while, he figured out the crux of the matter.
First, Neville was simply too unconfident, even to the point of inferiority.
He always felt that he was foolish and clumsy, and he always doubted whether he could succeed.
Under this psychological suggestion, he simply did not have the strong willpower to control his magic.
Secondly, Neville's wand was not a good match for him and could not 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 a spell than for others.
The Duelling Club training was nearing its end unknowingly; as the clock pointed to nine forty-five, Sebastian announced that tonight's practice was over.
The students put away their wands, their faces beaming with excitement, and walked out of the Duelling Club in twos and threes, happily discussing the Patronus Charm they had just learned.
Many students, as they passed by Sebastian, did not forget to bid him goodnight.
Sebastian stood at the entrance of the Duelling Club, his gaze fixed on Neville.
Despite his assistance, Neville only barely managed to summon a wisp of silver-white smoke until the very end, still far from a non-corporeal Patronus Charm.
A heart ailment requires heart medicine.
To make Neville confident and display the demeanor of a Gryffindor Sword Saint as in the original work, it would still be necessary to start with his family.
He should find time to have a good talk with Neville's grandmother later.
Just then, a burst of noise interrupted Sebastian's thoughts.
"Professor Swan," Fred's face was filled with an expectant smile, "Could you fulfill our small wish and let us see your Patronus Charm?"
"Yes!" George immediately chimed in, "We've been curious all night; if we don't see your Patronus Charm, we definitely won't be able to sleep tonight."
Hearing the twins' shouts, the students became interested and gathered around Sebastian.
"Professor, just show us a bit of your skill."
"Yes, Professor, we've seen most of the Professors' Patronus Charms tonight, and yours is the only one left; you can't be stingy."
"Come on, Professor, be generous. Let us all have a look."
Listening to the Little Wizards' incessant heckling, Sebastian felt a headache coming on.
Actually, a Patronus Charm is not something that needs to be kept secret, after all, this spell cannot be used as a trump card.
If it were before, he would have cast a Patronus Charm without hesitation.
However, ever since he practiced Animagus with dragon blood, the form of his Patronus Charm had undergone a drastic change, transforming from a swan into a dragon.
Looking at the students' curious expressions, Sebastian shook his head helplessly.
Alas, the students were too enthusiastic.
He had originally wanted to keep it a secret for a bit longer.
Since that's the case, he might as well take this opportunity to make a grand display.
He extended his wand and softly chanted, "Expecto Patronum!"
Accompanied by a dazzling white light, a giant dragon made of silver-white light soared into the sky.
Under the stunned gazes of the Little Wizards, it flapped its wings, roaring as it charged towards the school gate, startling countless dark shadows.
Fred and George exchanged glances and couldn't help but shout loudly.
"This is so cool!"
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