The Threshold of the Ritual

A few days after obtaining the "Tranquil Spring Water," Hogwarts was enveloped in a persistent, fine spring rain. Moisture seeped from the castle's stone walls, the courtyard was deserted, and even the torches in the corridors seemed to burn less brightly than usual. A stifling, expectant atmosphere, much like the damp air, permeated certain corners of the castle.

For Lin Yanqing and Snape, this waiting was more specific and urgent. All the materials were ready: the "Twin Moonlight Moss" shimmering with a silver-blue halo, the "Tranquil Spring Water" as still as solidified crystal, and a pinch of "Star Gold Powder" that Snape had procured from an unknown source (perhaps Professor Slughorn's private storeroom, or a more dangerous one) to serve as a medium for guiding magic power.

However, the ritual itself was delayed.

The problem lay with the environment and Snape's state.

Through their soul bond, Lin Yanqing could clearly sense Snape's continuous, highly tense mental state. He was clearly replaying every step of the ritual, scrutinizing the smallest details, his extreme focus bordering on obsession. But at the same time, a deeper unease and resistance were quietly growing—an instinctive rejection of collaborating so deeply on a soul level with another person, a fear of potential failure (or, from another perspective, the possibility of binding even more deeply).

More importantly, Snape insisted that the ritual must be performed in an environment that was "absolutely undisturbed" and had a "stable magic field." He rejected the Room of Requirement ("not secret enough, magic flow is too chaotic"), rejected the edge of the Forbidden Forest ("too many uncontrollable factors"), and even dismissed the West Tower's bell tower ("residual magic backlash might interfere with the ritual").

He was searching for a perfect location that existed only in his theoretical deductions. This almost paranoid pursuit delayed the ritual's progress.

Lin Yanqing did not rush him. He used this time, through the System-rewarded [Magical Perception] skill, to become more intimately familiar with his own magic flow and the connection point with Snape. He discovered that after jointly channeling magic power in the bell tower, the magic bond between them seemed... slightly smoother. It was no longer like two dissimilar metals forcibly welded together, filled with stiffness and repulsion.

That afternoon, after Potions class, the students packed up and began to leave. Lin Yanqing deliberately slowed his movements, lingering behind. Snape had already packed his things but, instead of leaving immediately as usual, stood by the workbench, repeatedly polishing a 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 aimless actions. Without looking at Lin Yanqing, he spoke in a low voice, as if talking to himself or making a declaration:

"Full moon night. The abandoned house-elf laundry passage in the dungeons, at the very end, there's an old archive room. The magic field there... is relatively inert."

He had finally decided on the location and time.

Lin Yanqing's heart stirred slightly. A full moon usually meant active magic; choosing to perform the ritual in an inert magic environment was perhaps to counteract the full moon's influence and ensure the ritual's stability? This was very much in line with Snape's cautious (or perhaps suspicious) nature.

"Is there anything I need to prepare?" Lin Yanqing asked calmly, his tone as if discussing an ordinary homework assignment.

Only then did Snape turn his head, looking at Lin Yanqing with those deep, dark eyes. His gaze was scrutinizing, with a hint of imperceptible fatigue. "Keep your magic in its most stable state," he paused, adding with his usual coldness, "During the ritual, any fluctuation in either party's magic... could lead to irreversible consequences."

This was a warning, and a reminder. He laid the risk of failure bare before them.

"Understood," Lin Yanqing replied concisely.

Just then, the classroom door was abruptly pushed open, and James Potter and Sirius Black burst in noisily, apparently having forgotten something.

"Yo, Snape, still messing with your dark potions?" James spotted Snape immediately and, as usual, taunted him. His gaze swept over Lin Yanqing beside him, and he raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Snape's face instantly darkened. The brief moment of near-communication vanished, replaced by an icy armor. He glared fiercely at James, shoved the stirring spoon into his robes, and left the classroom without a word, a gust of cold air following him as he brushed past James and the others.

"Hey! What's his attitude!" James shouted indignantly.

Sirius, however, looked thoughtfully at Snape's retreating back, then glanced at Lin Yanqing, who was quietly packing his belongings. A playful curve formed on his lips. "Interesting... Snivellus and that Ravenclaw top student..."

Lin Yanqing's internal alarm bells rang. The Marauders, especially the keenly observant Sirius, seemed to be noticing their unusual "interactions." This undoubtedly added an extra variable to the impending ritual.

The full moon night arrived amidst an atmosphere of impending storm. The sky cleared, and a silver-disk-like full moon hung high, casting a cool radiance over Hogwarts. Inside the castle, most students were asleep, and the corridors were silent.

As agreed, Lin Yanqing donned the Invisibility Cloak again and descended to the first basement level. It was colder here than upstairs, the air filled with a mixture of detergent and damp stone. Following Snape's vague instructions, he found an inconspicuous wooden door at the end of a passage piled with discarded laundry baskets, almost blending into the wall.

The door was unlocked. He pushed it open a crack and slipped inside.

Inside was a small, dusty room. The walls were built of rough stone, with no windows. Only in the corners of the ceiling were a few magic crystals embedded, emitting a faint white light that provided barely enough illumination to see. In the center of the floor, a clearing had been made, and a magic array, extremely complex and filled with geometric beauty and ancient rhythm, had been drawn with Star Gold Powder. The Twin Moonlight Moss, ground into a paste, was dotted at several key nodes of the array, emitting a faint silver-blue glow. The silver bottle containing the Tranquil Spring Water was placed in the very center of the array.

Snape was already there. He stood at the edge of the array, his back to the door, his figure appearing even more gaunt in the dim light. Hearing the movement, he slowly turned around.

Lin Yanqing noticed that Snape's face was paler than usual, his lips tightly pressed together, but in those dark eyes burned a look of almost desperate resolve. He had changed into a clean black robe, with no extra items on him; only his wand was held tightly in his hand.

"Stand opposite, in the Xun position," Snape's voice echoed in the small space, carrying unquestionable authority, pointing to one direction of the magic array.

Lin Yanqing obeyed and moved to the designated spot. He could feel the cool touch of the Star Gold Powder beneath his feet and a very faint magic fluctuation.

Snape took a deep breath, raised his wand, and pointed it at the silver bottle in the center of the array. His gaze swept over Lin Yanqing, confirming one last time.

"Once the ritual begins, follow my magic guidance, without any resistance. Relax your consciousness..." He said the word "relax" with apparent difficulty, clearly going against all his instincts.

Lin Yanqing nodded, closed his eyes, and began to adjust his breathing, striving to make his own magic as calm as a still lake.

Snape no longer hesitated. He began to chant low, ancient incantations, the tip of his wand lighting up, causing the lines drawn by the Star Gold Powder to illuminate one by one. The light of the Moonlight Moss brightened, and the entire magic array seemed to come alive, beginning to rotate slowly.

A gentle yet vast magic field spread out from the array, enveloping the two of them. Lin Yanqing felt an external, cold, and precise magic tendril cautiously probe his magic core.

As instructed, he did not resist.

The next moment, he felt his consciousness being lightly pulled, drawn into a strange, interwoven realm composed of silver-blue light and cold water streams...

The ritual to stabilize the soul contract had finally begun. And its outcome would completely change their fated, forced connection.