In the days after obtaining the "Tranquil Spring Water," Hogwarts was shrouded in a steady, fine spring rain. Dampness seeped from the castle's stone walls, the courtyards stood deserted, and even the corridor torches seemed to burn less brightly than usual. An oppressive air of anticipation, like the humid air itself, permeated certain corners of the castle.
For Lin Yanqing and Snape, this waiting was more concrete and urgent. All the materials had been assembled: "Twin Moonlight Moss" shimmering with a silver-blue halo, "Tranquil Spring Water" lying still as solidified crystal, and a small pinch of "Star Gold Powder," which Snape had acquired from somewhere—perhaps Professor Slughorn's private stores, perhaps somewhere more dangerous—to serve as a magical guiding medium.
Yet the ritual itself had been repeatedly delayed.
The problem lay with the environment and Snape's state.
Through their soul bond, Lin Yanqing could clearly sense Snape's constant, highly strained mental state. He was evidently running through every step of the ritual over and over, weighing the tiniest details, his extreme concentration bordering on harsh perfectionism. Yet at the same time, a deeper unease and resistance had quietly begun to grow—an instinctive rejection of cooperating with another person on such a profound soul-level, and a fear of possible failure—or, from another perspective, of successfully binding them even more deeply.
More importantly, Snape insisted that the ritual had to be conducted in an environment that was "absolutely free from disturbance" and possessed a "stable magical field." He rejected the Room of Requirement ("Not secret enough. The magical currents are too chaotic"), rejected the edge of the Forbidden Forest ("Too many uncontrollable factors"), and even dismissed the West Tower clock tower ("Residual traces of magical backlash could interfere with the ritual").
He was searching for a perfect location, one that existed only in his theoretical calculations. This almost obsessive pursuit delayed the ritual's progress.
Lin Yanqing did not urge him. He used this time to familiarize himself more carefully with the flow of magic within himself and at the point where he connected with Snape, using the system-granted [Magical Perception] skill. He discovered that after they had jointly guided their magic at the clock tower, the magical bond between them seemed... to have softened slightly. It was no longer like two different metals forcibly welded together, full of stiffness and rejection.
That afternoon, after Potions class ended, the students packed up and gradually left. Lin Yanqing deliberately slowed down and remained behind. Snape had already packed his things, yet instead of leaving immediately as usual, he stood before the workbench, repeatedly polishing an already gleaming silver stirring spoon with a soft cloth, his gaze unfocused.
When only the two of them remained in the classroom, Snape finally stopped his meaningless movements. He did not look at Lin Yanqing when he spoke in a low voice, as though talking to himself, or making some kind of declaration:
"On the night of the full moon. On the first basement level, at the end of the abandoned house-elf laundry passage, there is an old archive room. The magical field there... is relatively inert."
He had finally decided on the time and place.
Lin Yanqing's thoughts stirred. A full moon was usually a period when magic was active. Choosing an environment with inert magic might have been meant to offset the full moon's effects and ensure the ritual's stability. That suited Snape's cautious—or rather, suspicious—style perfectly.
"What do you need me to prepare?" Lin Yanqing asked calmly, as though they were discussing ordinary homework.
Only then did Snape turn his head and glance at him with those unfathomable black eyes. There was scrutiny in his gaze, as well as a trace of exhaustion that was hard to notice. "Keep your magic in its most stable state." He paused, then added in his usual harsh tone, "During the ritual, any fluctuation in either party's magic... could lead to irreversible consequences."
It was both a warning and a reminder. He had laid the risks of failure plainly before them.
"Understood," Lin Yanqing answered briefly.
Just then, the classroom door was violently pushed open, and James Potter and Sirius Black burst in noisily, apparently having left something behind.
"Well, Snape, still messing around with your creepy potions?" James spotted Snape at once and reflexively mocked him. His gaze swept over Lin Yanqing beside him, and he raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Snape's face darkened instantly. The brief state of near-communication around him vanished without a trace, replaced once more by cold armor. He shot James a vicious glare, shoved the stirring spoon into his robes, and strode out of the classroom without a word. As he brushed past James and Sirius, he brought a gust of cold air with him.
"Hey! What kind of attitude was that?" James shouted indignantly.
Sirius, however, watched Snape's departing figure thoughtfully, then glanced at Lin Yanqing, who was quietly packing his things. A teasing curve formed on his lips. "Interesting... Snivellus and that Ravenclaw top student..."
Alarm bells rang faintly in Lin Yanqing's mind. The Marauders, especially the observant Sirius, seemed to have begun noticing the unusual "connection" between him and Snape. This undoubtedly added another variable to the upcoming ritual.
The night of the full moon arrived beneath an atmosphere that felt like the calm before a storm. The sky had cleared, and a full moon like a silver disk hung high above, casting its cold radiance over Hogwarts. Inside the castle, most students had already fallen asleep, and the corridors were silent.
As agreed, Lin Yanqing put on the Invisibility Cloak once more and made his way to the first basement level. It was colder here than upstairs, and the air was filled with the mingled smell of detergent and damp stone. Following Snape's vague directions, he found an inconspicuous wooden door at the end of a passage piled with discarded laundry baskets, so close in color to the wall that it nearly blended into it.
The door was unlocked. He pushed it open a crack and slipped inside.
Beyond it was a cramped, dust-covered room. The walls were built from rough stone blocks, and there were no windows. Only a few magical crystals set into the corner of the ceiling emitted a faint white glow, providing barely enough light to see by. An open space had already been cleared in the middle of the room, where Star Gold Powder had been used to trace an extremely intricate magic circle, filled with geometric beauty and ancient rhythm. The Twin Moonlight Moss had been ground into paste and dotted at several key nodes of the formation, giving off a dim silver-blue glow. The silver bottle containing the Tranquil Spring Water sat at the very center of the circle.
Snape was already there. He stood at the edge of the formation with his back to the door, his figure appearing even thinner in the dim light. Hearing the movement, he slowly turned around.
Lin Yanqing noticed that Snape's face was paler than usual, his lips pressed tightly together. But in those black eyes burned a nearly desperate resolve. He had changed into clean black robes and carried nothing unnecessary, with only his wand clenched tightly in his hand.
"Stand opposite me, at the Xun position." Snape's voice echoed through the cramped space with unquestionable authority as he pointed to one point of the magic circle.
Lin Yanqing followed his instruction and moved to the designated spot. Beneath his feet, he could feel the faintly cool touch of the Star Gold Powder and its extremely weak magical fluctuations.
Snape drew a deep breath and raised his wand, aiming it at the silver bottle in the center of the formation. His gaze swept over Lin Yanqing in one final confirmation.
"Once the ritual begins, follow my magical guidance. Do not resist in any way. Relax your consciousness..." He found it unusually difficult to say the word "relax," which clearly went against every one of his instincts.
Lin Yanqing nodded, closed his eyes, and began regulating his breathing, trying to make his magic as calm as the surface of a still lake.
Snape hesitated no longer. He began chanting a low, ancient incantation, and light flared at the tip of his wand, guiding the lines drawn in Star Gold Powder to light up one by one. The Moonlight Moss brightened with it, and the entire magic circle seemed to come alive as it began slowly rotating.
A gentle yet immense magical field spread outward from the formation, enveloping them both. Lin Yanqing felt an external magical tendril, cold and precise, cautiously probing toward the source of his magic.
Following the instructions, he did not resist.
The next instant, he felt as though his consciousness had been gently pulled away and cast into a strange, interwoven realm of silver-blue light and icy currents...
The ritual to stabilize the soul contract had finally begun. Its outcome would completely change the fate that had bound them together against their will.
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