As Pomona left the castle, she could see the faint afterglow of the sun staining the western sky red.
She pulled on her cloak. This should have been the warmest time of the year, but the Dementors had made it as cold as autumn.
She followed the path toward the greenhouses. From a distance, she could see that one of them was lit up—the greenhouse where Neville was.
Although Neville had bluntly told Scamander that he would come last in his final exams, that did not mean he did not work hard. At the very least, when writing essays, he did not deliberately write in huge letters just to fill the required length.
Severus had known more spells than half the seventh-years when he first enrolled. Of all the talented people she had encountered, Neville's "talent" could almost be said to be nonexistent. Slughorn probably would not even spare him a glance.
She let out a long breath and continued forward. When she reached the greenhouse, she peered through the glass and found Neville standing with his back to her, looking at the magical plants.
She knocked on the glass, drawing Neville's attention, then went to the door.
"Password!" Neville called loudly from inside.
"Wolfsbane," Pomona answered from outside.
The door opened at once, and she swayed her bucket-thick waist as she walked into the greenhouse.
"Good evening, Professor," Neville said calmly, without his earlier excitement.
"Good evening, Mr Longbottom," Pomona greeted him as well. "Sorry I'm later than usual today and made you miss dinner. Go to the kitchen before returning to your dormitory. I think you know the way."
"I'm not hungry, Professor. Simon brought me food," Neville replied.
She knew Simon was Neville and Harry Potter's roommate, but she was still surprised that he had come all