"Good morning, Professor!"
Neville suppressed the excitement in his voice, strode into the office, and, with practiced familiarity, sat down across from Tver.
"...Good morning." Tver waved to him helplessly.
"By the way, how are your parents recovering?"
For more than ten years, the Longbottoms' bodies had been continuously affected by the Cruciatus Curse. If Healer Melem hadn't been caring for them so meticulously all this time, they probably wouldn't have made it to now.
So although the two of them had regained their sanity, their bodies still bore a great deal of irreversible damage and needed to be nursed back slowly.
Still, for the Longbottom family, this was already the best possible news.
"Madam Melem says they're recovering very well. That's thanks in large part to the potion formulas you gave afterward. A lot of them were even better than St. Mungo's," Neville said happily.
His parents' recovery was the best Christmas gift he had received last year, and the best one he had received in any year before that.
"You should thank the Half-Blood Prince."
Tver didn't dare take the credit. He really was skilled with healing potions, but to produce results better than St. Mungo's, he still needed Snape's "little" bit of help.
"Half-Blood? Prince?" Neville paused in confusion.
"That's not important." Tver had no interest in dwelling on that slightly embarrassing title. "Let's end the small talk here."
"So first, is there anything you enjoy that you'd want to turn into a future career?" he asked, putting on a thoroughly professional expression.
"Uh..."
Neville was still not quite used to this side of the professor, and muttered, "Studying the Cruciatus Curse?"
"...You're not trying to tell me you plan to become a Dark Wizard, are you?"
"Of course not," Neville corrected himself in a panic. "I think I'd really rather study Herbology!"
Exactly the answer he expected.
"Very good."
Tver nodded calmly and continued, "So, do you have a particular career in mind? Something related to Herbology."
"For example, becoming Hogwarts' Herbology professor, or... I've heard there are now quite a lot of herb greenhouses and plantations outside the school. They have all kinds of magical plants, and the pay is supposed to be very good..."
He said it casually, as if he had only happened to hear about it.
Neville looked so surprised he almost seemed a little dazed.
"There are herb greenhouses and plantations outside the school?"
The reason he wanted to become a Herbology professor was precisely because Hogwarts had plenty of greenhouses. The magical plants grown there were mostly for student lessons, but the variety was still impressive.
Outside the school, however, because of the Statute of Secrecy, herb cultivation was usually done on a small scale by individual wizards, who then sold what they grew to merchants or potion masters who needed them.
For a wizarding world with such a small population, that method of supply was enough to keep everything self-sufficient.
If people grew too much, it became harder to sell it all.
"Yes. It seems a few potion merchants have developed improved potion formulas and have started buying herbs in large quantities to sell all over the world."
Tver smoothly fed Neville the standard line they used to satisfy the Ministry.
After all, all those extra herbs and potions needed a respectable explanation for where they were going. As for whether this "all over the world" also happened to include the Muggle world, that was hardly Tver's concern...
If the Ministry itself hadn't managed to untangle the truth, Neville certainly wasn't going to figure out the hidden motives in it. He genuinely thought these herbs were simply being exported to magical communities in other countries.
"But... I like studying herbs more than growing them..." Neville said hesitantly, still a bit baffled by the professor's sudden enthusiasm.
"Then you're an even better fit. As far as I know, these plantations and greenhouses are constantly recruiting Herbology experts to form a laboratory."
"To research large-scale and efficient herb cultivation. And if you can improve the properties of those herbs, even better."
In reality, what they were researching was how to reduce herb cultivation's dependence on wizards.
After all, no matter how little werewolves were paid, they still had to be paid in Galleons. That made things troublesome to convert, not to mention far more expensive than Muggle farmers...
Of course, Tver knew that non-magical cultivation of magical herbs was impossible at this stage. The goal was only to introduce more technological methods into the growing process and cut down on the waste of manpower and materials.
Neville immediately fell into hesitation.
If he became a Herbology professor, he would be around magical plants every day, but his main responsibility would still be teaching.
If the professor wasn't lying, though, then working in off-campus greenhouses seemed like it would allow him to focus more fully on herb research...
"There's no need to rush into a decision. You still have two years to think it over. And if you need anything, you can always come see me."
Tver's voice was gentle, and he didn't put too much pressure on him.
He genuinely thought highly of Neville's talent in Herbology, but there were plenty of capable Herbology experts in the wizarding world. It wasn't as though he absolutely had to recruit Neville.
Besides, Neville still had a while before graduation. There was no need to rush.
But Neville was still too stunned by the news to come back to himself.
In the end, he didn't even say goodbye to the professor. He simply shuffled out of the office like a walking corpse, staring blankly ahead...
Which left Harry, who came in after him, feeling thoroughly unnerved.
Neville's overall grades were fairly average, but at least he excelled in Herbology. For that kind of profession, being outstanding in one subject was enough to qualify him for a great many jobs.
Harry was different. His best subject was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and on its own, that wasn't enough for the job he wanted.
Especially because he wanted to become an Auror.
"What are you standing there for?"
Tver had to raise his voice before Harry finally snapped out of his uncertain daze.
Seeing Harry look half-dead before they had even started talking, Tver let out a helpless sigh.
"Let's talk. I heard you want to become an Auror, right?"
"Uh..."
Harry blinked twice, finally focusing again.
"I don't think I've ever told anyone I wanted to be an Auror..."
Tver's old face flushed red. He hurriedly took a sip of pumpkin juice to cover it up.
"...I guessed. With your Defence Against the Dark Arts marks, it would be a waste if you didn't become an Auror."
"Or is it that you don't want to become one?"
"Of course..."
"Good morning, both of you. I heard Professor Fawley has returned to school and plans to offer the students career guidance, so I came by specially to observe."
Umbridge abruptly shook off Draco's arm as he tried to stop her, and her fake smile immediately appeared in the office.
Draco helplessly rubbed his aching arm.
"Sorry, Professor. Umbridge insisted on coming in..."
"It's Professor Umbridge. Ten points from Slytherin," Umbridge said suddenly.
Tver, however, smiled.
"It's fine. Your decision to maintain order was correct. Fifteen points to Slytherin."
Umbridge's false smile froze for a moment. Her hate-filled eyes locked onto Tver, and the muscles in her face twitched with rage.
"Is there a problem, Professor Umbridge?"
"No problem. You have the right to award students points, but I assume you still don't realize that I now have the right to inspect every professor's teaching ability," Umbridge said through gritted teeth.
"In other words, you cannot refuse to let me stay here and observe how you instruct your students."
"I have no intention of refusing." Tver looked at her meaningfully.
"Of course, if you can't bear to leave, then there's nothing I can do about that."