Aftermath and the Deep Pool

The ripples from the public confrontation spread quietly through Hogwarts, like stones dropped into Black Lake. For the first time in their lives, the Marauders, especially James Potter, had suffered such a significant public defeat, and at the hands of the "Snivellus" and a "nerdy Ravenclaw" they looked down upon. This was a humiliation they could not easily swallow. However, the brief silence was not a retreat, but a gathering of strength, brewing a more covert, and perhaps more dangerous, revenge. The other students in the castle, when they looked at Lin Yanqing and Snape again, their gazes held less pure curiosity and disdain, and more scrutiny, apprehension, and for some Slytherin students, even a twisted sense of "shared glory" stemming from Snape's displayed toughness and strength.

Snape met all these gazes with an even deeper coldness and indifference. It was as if nothing had happened; he remained solitary, immersed in Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and... a deeper exploration of soul contracts. The victory in that battle seemed to bring him little joy, but rather confirmed a theory he had been working on – this bond could indeed unleash unimaginable power when confronting a common external threat. This infused his research into contracts with a more urgent, almost obsessive, fervor.

Lin Yanqing could continuously feel Snape's prolonged, highly focused thoughts emanating from his side, sometimes concerning the connection between ancient magical runes and contract structures, and other times attempting to "filter" or "guide" the emotional flow within the contract channel using more refined magic control techniques. He was like an engineer facing a complex and precise instrument, hating its existence yet unable to resist the urge to completely control its every gear and circuit.

However, no matter how many dams Snape erected on a mental level, some things could not be completely isolated. For instance, the increasingly approaching end-of-term exams brought a palpable tension that permeated the entire castle. The shadow of OWLs and NEWTs loomed over the upper years, and even the younger students felt the pressure. This collective anxiety, like low atmospheric pressure, affected everyone.

This influence manifested in an unexpected way during the final practical exam for Potions.

Professor Slughorn's assessment required students to brew a complex Vigour Potion on the spot, a process that was tedious and demanded extreme precision in timing and heat control. A tense atmosphere filled the classroom, punctuated only by the subtle sounds of bubbling cauldrons and the handling of ingredients.

Snape's movements remained steady and precise, like a finely tuned instrument. Yet, through the contract, Lin Yanqing could vaguely sense that Snape was not entirely at peace. An extremely subtle sense of irritation, stemming from the collective external pressure and the countless eyes upon him – a feeling Snape himself might not have been aware of – stirred beneath the surface like an undercurrent.

Just as he reached the critical moment requiring the simultaneous, precise addition of three different ingredients, a Hufflepuff student next to him, nervous, fumbled and knocked over a crystal measuring cup. The crisp shattering sound was exceptionally jarring in the silent classroom!

This sudden, unexpected noise acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the subtle irritation simmering within Snape! Lin Yanqing clearly felt a slight pause in his magic, a momentary disruption in his rhythm!

At this critical juncture, Lin Yanqing, almost instinctively, transmitted the "absolute focus" and "invulnerable to external influence" mental state he achieved during deep meditation, like the purest ice water, through the contract bond!

There were no words, no actions, not even a clear intention, just a pure sharing of a state.

Snape's magical fluctuations abruptly stabilized, and the flicker of irritation, ignited by the accident, was smoothed away as if by an invisible hand. His gaze instantly became incredibly sharp and clear, his hand movements unhesitating. He completed the critical step of adding and stirring even faster and more steadily than planned, the timing executed to perfection.

In his cauldron, the potion emitted a flawless golden sheen and a rich aroma.

Professor Slughorn ambled over, examined it closely, and a look of almost rapturous admiration appeared on his face: "Perfect! Impeccable! Severus, my boy, you are truly born for Potions! Another twenty points for Slytherin!"

Snape nodded slightly, his face expressionless. But Lin Yanqing could feel, at the other end of the contract, beneath that icy rationality, a fleeting, extremely faint emotion akin to... "Thank goodness." He recognized the danger of that moment and the timely "assistance" from the external mental state.

This time, there was no anger, no resistance. Only a cold confirmation based on the result.

After the exam, Snape was the first to leave the classroom. But as he passed Lin Yanqing's workstation, a small, irregularly shaped object, warmed by being held, slipped quietly from his sleeve and fell at Lin Yanqing's feet.

It was a small crystal of Dragon Claw Powder. This was a rather rare catalyst, often used in advanced magic stabilizers and protective potions, and quite valuable.

Lin Yanqing bent down to pick it up. The crystal was slightly warm to the touch, still carrying the residual heat from Snape's fingertips and a hint of the chill from the dungeons. This was no longer a return gift based on a "transaction," nor a token after a battle. It was more like... payment, of equivalent value, for a specific "service." He regarded Lin Yanqing's momentary mental support as a valuable, precise "service" and paid for it with a material he could provide of equal worth.

He was using the only method he knew and felt safe with – equivalent exchange – to handle this increasingly frequent and deep "mutual assistance."

Lin Yanqing quietly put away the Dragon Claw Powder crystal. He knew that Snape was, in his own way, painstakingly constructing his own set of cold "operating rules" for this deepening connection.

However, the establishment of rules often accompanied the shattering of old, hard ice.

A few days before the end of the term, the OWLs exams finally concluded. The students, who had been under immense pressure for so long, were like beasts released from their cages, beginning to expend their pent-up energy throughout the castle. Among them, naturally, were the Marauders, brimming with pent-up anger.

On a lively evening, the Great Hall was abuzz with activity. Lin Yanqing was discussing his final essay with a few Ravenclaw classmates when he suddenly felt a strong, deliberately suppressed anger and a hint of... imperceptible embarrassment emanating from Snape through the contract.

He looked up towards the Slytherin table. Snape was sitting alone at his usual spot, and on the table in front of him, someone had used Transfiguration to create a line of constantly flashing, garishly colored pink words:

"Snape & Lin – Secret Best Friends Forever!"

Next to it were two crooked stick figures holding hands.

This childish yet extremely insulting prank drew low chuckles from many Slytherins and other students who glanced over. Those laughs pricked Snape's back like needles. He stared fixedly at the words, his face ashen, his fingers gripping his cutlery so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as if he were desperately restraining the urge to flip the entire table.

Through the contract, Lin Yanqing could feel his surging shame and rage, almost palpable enough to turn into substance, mixed with a sense of humiliation and irritability from such a low-level trick.

Just as Snape's patience was about to reach its limit, and he seemed on the verge of exploding in the next second, Lin Yanqing put down his quill.

He did not walk towards the Slytherin table, nor did he look at the words. He simply raised his wand, aimed at the unnoticed spot near the ceiling above the Ravenclaw table, and softly uttered a spell – not an attack, nor a defense, but a simple light and shadow charm that required good magical control.

A soft, steady beam of silver-blue light shot from the tip of his wand, slowly coalescing, transforming, and finally forming a complex and elegant, slowly rotating phantom image of the Ravenclaw eagle emblem above the Ravenclaw table. The emblem emanated a calm and wise radiance, drawing the attention of many in the hall.

This action seemed unrelated to Snape, merely a Ravenclaw student showcasing magic. But at this delicate moment, the appearance of the academy emblem, representing wisdom, calmness, and independence, acted as a silent declaration. It shifted everyone's attention from the low-level, childish prank to a higher plane – the beauty and power of magic itself.

The stifled laughter gradually subsided. Many people, including some professors, looked up to admire the exquisite magical creation.

The tension around Snape visibly eased slightly the instant Lin Yanqing cast the spell and the emblem appeared. He still did not look at the Ravenclaw table, nor at Lin Yanqing. But the hand gripping his cutlery loosened slightly. He stared at the still flashing, garish pink words in front of him, the rage in his eyes slowly fading, replaced by an extreme, cold disdain.

He suddenly felt that getting angry over something like this was an insult to his own intelligence.

He picked up his napkin and, expressionlessly, forcefully wiped away the words as if cleaning some disgusting filth. Then, he continued to eat in silence, as if nothing had happened.

However, through the contract, Lin Yanqing could feel that beneath that icy deep pool, something hard, something that had always been there, had quietly shattered a small piece, melted a tiny bit.

It was a complex feeling... of having the root of his anger understood, and of receiving the most powerful support in a way that did not compromise his dignity.

For Severus Snape, this was perhaps more irresistible than any direct help – like "moistening things imperceptibly."

The term, intertwined with this deepening, cold connection and understanding, slowly drew to a close.