Chapter 55: Now That It Has Come to This, Let's Eat First

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The next day.

Maurice sat at the long teacher’s table, his gaze listlessly fixed on the cheese before him as he sighed deeply.

In truth, from the morning’s exercises, he had clearly sensed the three Gryffindor lions deliberately keeping their distance from him.

When the trio pretended not to see him and continued eating at the table, Maurice’s suspicions were further confirmed.

What other reason could there be for such a change, aside from the sighting of that three-headed dog in the fourth-floor corridor last night?

Yet, this was not the fundamental cause of his despondency today.

Maurice lifted his head, his eyes drifting through the hall’s window to the peaceful scenery beyond.

He ought to feel content—he had made the effort to participate and made his choices—but he was still powerless to alter the destined path, powerless to change that inevitable future.

That profound sense of helplessness cast an ever-heavier shadow over his heart.

The reason he chose to return to Hogwarts as a teacher was also connected to this “inevitable future.”

That fated future was a dream.

A particularly vivid nightmare.

But then again—

Now that things had come to this, he might as well eat.

Just as Maurice lowered his head, focusing on the cheese on his plate, a figure suddenly blocked his view.

He looked up to see Neville standing by the table, his expression somewhat uneasy.

Neville hesitated, searching for the right words. After a few seconds, he finally spoke: “Uh, Professor, I... I have a question, and I wonder if you might help me.”

Maurice gently nodded, signaling Neville to sit down. “What would you like to ask?”

Neville eyed the chair as though it were covered in thorns. Only after Maurice urged him three times did he sit—halfheartedly—and even then, he seemed uncomfortable.

“What is it you want to ask, Mr. Longbottom?” Maurice inquired softly, his gaze passing once more over the small remaining portion of cheese on the table before pushing it aside, patiently awaiting Neville’s words.

Neville lowered his head, his eyes wandering over the memory orb cradled in his hands.

After a few moments, the orb began to emit a faint red glow, while Neville furrowed his brow, his face clouded with confusion and anxiety.

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“Professor... I... I forgot why I came to see you.” His voice was barely audible.

Maurice looked at Neville’s pitiful, somewhat bewildered face and felt a pang of sympathy.

“It’s alright, Neville. Take your time. There’s no rush to ask your question—I’m here to listen.”

The two stared at each other until Maurice’s gaze furtively passed over the remaining bit of cheese for the forty-third time, until some students had finished eating and left the hall—

Neville finally remembered the true purpose of his visit.

“Professor, my memory... it’s always been poor. I wanted to ask if there’s any way to improve it, like... how you helped Ron and Harry.” He spoke softly, cheeks flushing with embarrassment and shame at his frailty. “I don’t want to always fall behind or be a burden to others.”

Hearing this, Maurice fell silent.

In truth, Neville’s memory issues were not congenital but acquired.

When he was young, he had witnessed his parents being cruelly tortured by Death Eaters using the Cruciatus Curse.

To prevent Neville from retaining those horrific memories, his grandmother cast a forgetting spell.

However, since her magic was not particularly skilled, the spell failed to erase his memories completely and instead caused various anomalies in his memory, resulting in his current predicament.

Had Gilderoy Lockhart performed the forgetting charm, perhaps the outcome would have been very different.

Of course, Neville’s “falling behind” was not solely due to his memory problems. Numerous complex factors compounded the issue.

First, Neville possessed considerable magical power—this was proven after he earned the title of “Gryffindor’s Sword Saint.”

Even at birth, this talent was evident: he could manipulate his blanket with magic to wrap himself more snugly.

Though his childhood magical talents were exceptional, they were often overlooked.

Whenever he displayed his magical potential, no one seemed to notice.

Consequently, over time, the Longbottom family began to suspect Neville might be a dud—a suspicion that terrified the entire family.

His grandmother, a stern woman, became even more frequent in her reprimands, accusing him of failing to uphold the family’s honor.

As the saying goes, “Too much care breeds confusion.”

It was this excessive concern and expectation that made Neville’s growth all the more difficult.

Behind all this lay a profound loneliness—no parents to accompany him, lacking support and understanding.

All these factors intertwined, ultimately leading to Neville’s early lack of self-confidence in his school years.

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Whenever he felt overwhelmed, the doubts and anxieties buried deep within surged like tides, leaving him more confused and lost.

Therefore, helping Neville meant far more than merely improving his memory.

Memory was just an external problem he faced. The real challenge was how to help him build confidence in himself, how to make him believe he had the power to take control of his life and change a fate that denied him acceptance.

This was a difficult problem, but Maurice happened to enjoy tackling challenges.

So, after a few seconds of simple thought, he prescribed the first course of treatment for Neville.

“Mr. Longbottom, tomorrow morning, by the Black Lake. Don’t be late.”

“By the Black Lake... tomorrow morning?”

Neville was momentarily stunned.

“Yes. If you’re worried you might forget, you can tell Mr. Potter or Mr. Weasley to go with you.”

Indeed, Maurice’s first remedy was training.

Regular exercise could improve memory.

At the same time—

It would also nurture Neville’s connection with the three Gryffindor lions, helping him become more outgoing.

Compared to the former, the latter was more important for Neville.

Only companionship, encouragement, and trust from friends could help him regain his confidence.

Though he did not fully understand the specific meaning behind Maurice’s “go to the Black Lake in the morning” task, Neville nodded eagerly.

With Professor Maurice taking charge... maybe there was hope for him after all.

Oh, right, his grandmother had seemed particularly insistent about something before he left for school.

What was it again...?

Well, he’d forgotten.

Now that things had come to this, he might as well eat first.