Neville froze. He hadn't expected Professor Jack to praise him. It was one of the few times he'd received such genuine commendation.
At home, his family's constant suspicion and doubt tormented him. Some even believed he wasn't fit to attend Hogwarts.
He'd hoped things would be better at school, but instead, he faced mockery and bullying from his classmates.
Professor Jack was one of the very few who saw value in him!
Neville's heart felt as if it were bathed in sunlight, incredibly warm.
His eyes even grew slightly red, and he said with a hint of a choke in his voice, "Th-thank you for your praise, Professor Jack!"
Jack walked over to Neville and gently placed a hand on the boy's head.
This poor child... He witnessed his parents being tortured to insanity by Death Eaters with the Cruciatus Curse as a young boy. His grandmother was forced to use a Memory Charm, which damaged his mind.
Mocked at home, bullied at school... yet he still faced life with bravery.
Jack admired that spirit and genuinely wanted to help him.
"The reason I called you here today is to give you a reward for learning the Doppelganger Charm. This reward is different from a Combat Spell."
Hearing this, Hermione's expression shifted to one of understanding. Of course! Praising Neville so much and summoning him specifically in the afternoon... he must be getting a powerful Combat Spell!
Maybe even a B-Class one!
Neville's thoughts, however, ran in the complete opposite direction. The Professor said it was different from a Combat Spell, which meant he wasn't getting one.
He'd thought that even without a C-Class spell, he might get a D-Class one. But now, it seemed he wasn't getting any Combat Spell at all.
Neville's face paled slightly. But then he remembered the Professor's encouraging words and the warm hand on his head, and surprisingly, he didn't feel that upset.
"I intend to give you an item instead of the original reward," Jack continued.
"Of course, the choice is yours. If you refuse it, the reward stands as normal. I can teach you the C-Class Combat Spell, Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique, right now."
"If you accept it, the item is yours. But you will never receive any Combat Spell rewards from me in the future."
Hermione's mind reeled upon hearing this, a tidal wave of shock crashing inside her!
What item could Professor Jack possibly be giving Neville?
To forfeit all future rewards?! She knew her own Shadow Clone Jutsu had cost her two of this class's rewards, plus the Professor's personal appreciation, to obtain.
But the Professor was offering this unknown item in exchange for every single future reward! She didn't know what it was, but it had to be incredibly powerful!
So powerful that even Hermione felt a pang of envy. Just who is the class representative here?!
Watching Neville hesitate, Hermione felt an almost physical urge to accept on his behalf!
What is there to think about? Professor Jack wouldn't trick him!
Is Neville's brain not working properly? It's so unreliable!
What Hermione didn't know was that Neville's brain did, in fact, have problems.
Neville was currently wrestling with the decision. A C-Class Combat Spell is really powerful!
Everyone saw the destructive power of the Great Fireball Technique!
Is it worth trading the Great Fireball Technique and all future reward spells for one unknown item?
Neville felt lost. His already sluggish mind ached under the strain!
Hermione watched, growing more frantic by the second. Just as she was about to speak up, Neville finally found his voice.
He asked cautiously, "P-Professor Jack... c-could you tell me what this item is?"
Neville's timid demeanor amused Jack. He nodded.
"It's an excellent item. You can think of it as a piece of... growable equipment."
"While it's not a spell, it will provide you with immense help."
"Through it, you can become a truly powerful wizard—one who fears no one!"
"However... it starts off quite weak. You must improve it step by step."
"And the method to improve it is... extremely difficult. Extremely painful!"
"It requires you to endure suffering and hardship beyond what most people can comprehend."
"The benefit is, once you improve it, your strength will far surpass your peers. You could even overwhelm them completely."
"And when you raise it to its peak... no one in the entire wizarding world will be your match. Not even Dumbledore."
"But... it's also possible you might never manage to improve it in your lifetime."
"So you must think carefully. Do you want it, or do you want the spell rewards?"
You couldn't have both the fish and the bear's paw. To gain one thing, you had to lose another.
Although Jack could give Neville both, he chose to present him with this binary choice.
Jack was no saint, and certainly no philanthropist.
If Neville chose the Combat Spells, his life would likely follow a path similar to the original—perhaps just a bit stronger.
But if he chose to forsake the spells... his destiny would become completely different.
Jack watched Neville with keen interest, wondering what the boy would choose. Neville stood quietly, deep in thought.
/-\
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