Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Peter

Chapter 93 Neville's Attempt

Under everyone's gaze, Neville Longbottom stepped down from the stands. His face was pale with nervousness, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead. When he was walking up the steps of the stage, he almost tripped. Fortunately, Peter reached out his hand in time to catch him. Hold on.

Snape said in a low voice: "Dumbledore, are you sure you want Longbottom to come? He can make the simplest disarming spell the most lethal, and he might burn himself to a pile of ashes. That's when we had to put his remains in a matchbox and take him to the hospital—"

"Thank you, Severus." Dumbledore interrupted him with a raised hand, and said in an unquestionable tone, "I'll stop by my office after the public lecture, don't make excuses, your injury is very serious, If you continue like this, your life will be in danger.”

Snape stopped sullenly and didn't argue with Dumbledore anymore. Their voices were so low that the students in the audience couldn't hear what they were saying, and most of them were staring at Neville who was trembling like a Stiff planks were escorted onto the stage by Peter.

Dumbledore walked up to Neville, put his hands on his shoulders, and sent him to the middle of the stage, "Very well, Neville, don't be nervous, and memorize the spell first—'Vulcan clears the way'."

Dumbledore taught Neville the spell patiently, syllable by syllable. He bent down and put his face close to Neville's cold ear, as if pecking Neville's cheek with his bent nose, "Okay, take it easy , don't rush the second syllable—very well."

Neville practiced it a dozen times in a trembling voice. He was always too impatient when he pronounced the second word of the spell, but both Dumbledore and Peter corrected him over and over in encouraging tones, telling him to slow down a little and use Say the mantra as clearly as possible.

Snape leaned against the steps of the stage, panting to himself. He watched Dumbledore and Peter's attempt from a distance, showing a disapproving expression. In his eyes, Neville was almost a pile of ashes. There were also some discussions in the stands, and everyone was not optimistic about Neville's performance.

"What you lack is self-confidence," Dumbledore whispered in Neville's ear, "Your parents were both very powerful Aurors, and you also have the potential to become an Auror. With extraordinary courage, imagine what you would do if the Death Eaters were right in front of you?"

Neville clenched his lips, took a few deep breaths, and began to practice chanting spells again. Then Dumbledore began to grab his wrist and teach him how to swing his wand, "This is good, take it slow, don't be too impatient... "

When Neville had practiced spells and wand-waving postures proficiently, Dumbledore began to teach him how to mobilize the magic in his body, "While waving the wand, imagine a flame, imagine its warmth and brightness, and you feel your There's a gust of wind coming out of the tip of the wand, yes, waving the wand and imagining..."

"You've learned very well, Neville," said Dumbledore. "The next step is to combine spells, actions and imagination. Don't be too stressed and let it be. It's not too rigid and formal, you have to learn to do whatever you want..."

Peter looked at Neville's focused expression, his face was not as pale as when he first came on stage, his eyes were firmly fixed on a point diagonally above the auditorium, as if there was really an Inferi or a dark wizard there.

"One more time," said Dumbledore, gently squeezing Neville's wrist, "it's good enough - say a spell, okay, then imagine, imagine the magic gushing from the tip of your wand like a gust of wind..."

Peter didn't know whether Neville would be successful, he looked at Neville with some concern, Snape leaned against the side of the stage and watched coldly, his body seemed to have slipped a few inches, I don't know if he was seriously injured and couldn't hold on, or he was afraid of Neville Wai hurt him when he burned himself to ashes.

"Very well," Dumbledore patted Neville on the shoulder encouragingly, "Spells, wands, imaginations, now you can try."

Neville took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself, Peter took a few steps back to make room for him, and the tall Dumbledore stood behind Neville, guiding the movement of his wrists.

Following Dumbledore's lead, Neville began waving his wand, as Dumbledore had taught him, and as the tip of his wand traced a quarter-circle through the air, he shouted: "Fire— Vulcan clears the way!"

Dumbledore smiled and nodded frequently to show encouragement. Neville's wand turned another quarter of a circle and came to the top of his head. Neville prayed, and Snape pursed his lips in the distance.

With a poof, like lighting a slightly dank wizard firecracker, an orange, very thin arc was ignited. Neville hurriedly swung his wand the other half circle, and a very thin orange vapor enveloped him and Deng. Dumbledore, Dumbledore's smile grew wider.

"Very well, slow down, blow the magic power into the flames like a breeze, don't be too anxious, or it will backfire." Dumbledore pointed out.

Neville bit his upper lip and slowly raised his wand with trembling hands. Sparks jumped out from the tip of his wand, and several clusters of mottled flames danced dangerously around him.

"Very well, Neville, hold still, and imagine that there are many Inferi around you attacking you, and you want to stop them, let them separate from you."

Neville nodded and tried his best to concentrate the magic power, but the flames were still very thin. From time to time, a few wisps of underburned red flames flashed by, but this had already made Peter smile in relief, while Snape in the distance was not happy Narrowing his eyes, his body slid down a few inches.

"Next, you're going to draw the flame back on the tip of your staff so that it doesn't get out of hand," said Dumbledore. "Hold on—"

Neville's wrist twitched, and the flames let out a piercing pop. It began to lose its original shape, but Dumbledore unhurriedly drew his wand, and with a flick of his hand, the flames condensed into a A flamboyant flamingo danced across the stage, causing Fox to click his beak in displeasure.

"Very well, Mr. Longbottom has learned well," Dumbledore announced cheerfully, and Neville stood beside him with a relieved smile, "For his courage, we add fifty points to him! "

Dumbledore took the lead in applauding Neville, and there was a burst of applause in the auditorium, occasionally mixed with the sighs of some students who missed the opportunity to add points. Peter stepped forward and tapped Neville's duel badge with his wand. The score on it changed from 120 to 170 After increasing to [-] points, Neville stood there, so excited that he didn't know where to put his hands.

"Next, I will ask Professor Peddie to announce everyone's points ranking." Dumbledore said happily, he put his arms around Neville's shoulders, and sent the bewildered Neville back to the stands. Peter stood in the center of the stage, All eyes were on him.

"Please take out your badges and make sure nothing else is hooked on them," said Peter, raising his wand.

(End of this chapter)