“Are you sure, sir?” asked Neville nervously.
“Quite,” replied Dumbledore. “I have discussed this with Madame Pince and she agrees that it is time for some changes.”
The headmaster swept his hand around the library. “The Hogwarts library is full of ancient tomes and research materials, but the books are difficult to access and the study spaces are out-dated. Furthermore, the library is not accessible to all students, and many older students complain that they don’t have time to read everything in it before exams.”
“I’ve been doing some research and I believe that this problem could be solved by modernising the library,” continued Dumbledore. “I’ve found that many schools in the United Kingdom have a coffee shop with a library area. It’s a place where students can have a coffee, take a break and study or read magazines, or even borrow books to read.”
“I like the idea,” said Neville. “But—“
“I’ve already discussed it with Madame Pince,” Dumbledore interrupted. “She has agreed to do so on the condition that the library be called the Hogwarts Library, and the books will retain their original classification system.”
He paused. “Not to worry,” he added, smiling. “There will be a section with the new books, and a section with the original ones. It will be a little bit disorganised at first, but eventually we’ll have to make some decisions about what to keep and what to throw away.”
“That’s fine,” said Neville, nodding.
“I’m pleased,” said Dumbledore. “I will give Madame Pince a copy of the plans and the funding should be arranged.”
“I’ll tell Ernie and Hannah to draw up some plans for the interior,” said Neville.
Two weeks later, Neville was showing Hannah, Ernie and Seamus around the new library. It was beautiful, there were new computers, nice sofas and several coffee machines. It was everything that Neville had imagined.
“This is the best idea since the invention of the fire,” said Hannah, grinning.
“I’m glad you like it,” said Neville, grinning back. “I’d like to show you something.”
He led Hannah over to the counter and pointed to the coffee machine. “If you can drink the coffee here, you can drink the coffee anywhere.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “You mean, you can make latte art?”
“That’s what I’ve heard,” replied Neville. “I’ve wanted to learn for a long time and now I have the perfect place for it.”
“And the perfect job for it,” added Ernie. “I’m glad you got the job, Neville. You’ve been looking for one for ages.”
“I’m having the time of my life,” said Neville. “I want to show you something else.”
He pulled out a stack of books, pointing to a small sign at the bottom. The sign read, ‘Affordable textbooks’.
“You can buy your textbooks here,” he said. “I’ve got some old ones from my seventh year. They’re almost brand new and I can sell them to you for a lot less than the usual price.”
“Awesome,” said Ernie, grinning. “I’ll get a coffee, a textbook and a donut.”
“I’ll get a hot chocolate,” said Hannah, “and I’ll look for a book.”
“I’ll have a coffee and a donut,” said Seamus.
It was a long day, but Neville loved it. He spent the day making coffee, chatting with students and helping them find the books they needed. At the end of the day, Dumbledore stopped by and complimented him on his latte art and Neville felt like the luckiest person in the world.