Natsuhi's Undercurrent and Distant Anchor Point

The Hogwarts Express once again sent the students back to their respective worlds. Unlike last year, this time, Lin Yanqing could clearly feel the existence connected to the other end of the soul bond. As the train headed towards London, his emotions weren't completely submerged in icy stillness. It was a more complex state, a mixture of ingrained melancholy, disgust for Spinner's End, and a sliver of… an extremely faint and indiscernible sense of security derived from possessing a constant "connection."

Returning to the quiet Muggle apartment, Lin Yanqing immediately threw himself into two tasks: first, to continue deepening his Legilimency practice, striving to protect his core secrets during Snape's potential deeper exploration of Contracts; second, to utilize the System's functions and limited channels to more systematically collect and stockpile various magical materials, especially those obscure, dangerous, or hard-to-obtain types. He had a premonition that this summer, that connection might be "activated" again.

The "signal" from Spinner's End was unusually weak in the first few days, as if Snape was using all his strength to seal himself off, adapting to that suffocating environment. But that oppressive and restrained background noise, like a never-ending low growl, continued to be transmitted through the Contract.

On a sweltering night in early July, a change occurred.

It wasn't a crisis, but a… continuous and highly focused state of research. Snape's emotions became extremely "singular" and "sharp," filled with deductions, calculations, and faint sparks of occasional inspiration. Clearly, in the cramped room at Spinner's End, he was wholeheartedly immersed in the in-depth study of soul contracts, or related magical fields.

Lin Yanqing could often feel fragmented thoughts being transmitted—about the shaping influence of Ancient Runes on magic power channels, about the conversion efficiency between emotional energy and Guardian magic, and even some dangerous conjectures involving forbidden areas of soul magic. Snape was like a plant in a dark corner, madly absorbing nutrients, rooting himself in the abyss of knowledge regardless of the cost.

This state lasted for nearly two weeks. Lin Yanqing didn't disturb him, merely acting as a passive "perceiver" and "recorder." Occasionally, based on the direction of Snape's research, he would anonymously mail relevant reference materials, not from the Restricted Section, to Spinner's End via owl (with the sender information obscured).

However, the exploration of excessively deep forbidden knowledge often came with risks.

On a stormy night in mid-July, Lin Yanqing was awakened from his sleep by the System's sharp alarm and violent magic power spasms from the other end of the Contract!

This time, it wasn't an external attack, but research backlash!

Snape seemed to have encountered a dual backlash from his own magic power and the Contract's strength while attempting an extremely dangerous magical configuration involving the forceful simulation of soul bond severance! Through the Contract, Lin Yanqing felt that what was transmitted from the other side was no longer mere pain, but a soul being torn apart by an invisible force, magic power rampaging within his body in extreme chaos, and the fear of imminent disintegration!

He could even vaguely "see" fragmented illusions—overturned instruments, flickering eerie lights, and Snape's pale, contorted face with black eyes filled with horror and unwillingness.

"Host! Bound target's soul stability is rapidly declining! Magic core overload! (;?Д?i|!)" The System Cub's voice carried unprecedented panic.

He couldn't transmit supplies remotely; that wouldn't solve the fundamental problem! He needed more direct intervention!

Lin Yanqing shot up from the bed, forcing himself to calm down. He recalled Snape's previous sharing of research insights on Contract emotional channels and magic power circulation, including an extremely bold conjecture—that in extreme situations, by strengthening the positive emotional connection, the soul bond might be temporarily "reinforced" to resist tearing forces.

This was an unproven theory, with immense risks. But he had no other choice.

Lin Yanqing closed his eyes, no longer attempting to transmit "calm" or "order." Instead, he began to recall, condense, and amplify those non-negative connection moments between himself and Snape with all his might.

—In Potions class, that sliver of cold confirmation after successful collaboration.

—In Care of Magical Creatures, the brief tacit understanding during precise coordination to resolve a crisis.

—In the library, the pure rational resonance during silent exchange of research insights.

—Even, the almost imperceptible sense of security that crossed his heart when the other party put on that winter robe.

—And, the complex feelings of understanding the underlying meaning each time he received those cold "return gifts"…

He cast aside any sympathy or pity, treating these subtle, cold, yet undeniably real "connections" purely as objectively existing "facts." Then, through the Contract channel, like weaving a tenacious invisible network, he stably and continuously transmitted them towards the center of that storm of chaos and tearing!

This was not emotional support; it was cold factual anchoring based on shared experiences! It was telling the other party: the existence of this bond was constituted by these established facts, and it was strong enough to resist temporary tearing!

The process was more arduous and perilous than imagined. Lin Yanqing felt his mental energy pouring out like a breached floodgate. The barrier of Legilimency fluctuated violently under the pull of two forces, as if it would shatter at any moment. He could feel Snape's instinctive resistance from the other side, but the tearing pain was evidently greater. In the end, that external, fact-based anchoring force was, like a drowning man grasping a life-saving straw, painstakingly and partially accepted by Snape in the storm.

The chaotic magic power seemed to find a temporary, stable fulcrum and began to slowly, painfully return to control. The fear of the soul being torn apart gradually receded, replaced by an extreme weakness and exhaustion akin to surviving a near-death experience.

The storm subsided.

Lin Yanqing was almost completely drained, his pajamas soaked with sweat. He felt as if he had just run a marathon. He could sense that Snape at Spinner's End was in an equally bad, if not worse, state, as if he didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.

For the next two days, both ends of the bond were unusually "quiet." Both seemed to have exhausted their mental energy in this sudden crisis and needed time to recover.

After recovering, the research state transmitted from Snape's side underwent a subtle change. It was no longer so aggressive and risky, but became more… cautious and precise. He seemed to be re-evaluating and planning his research path, incorporating Lin Yanqing's successful "factual anchoring" intervention as an important data node into his considerations.

In early August, Lin Yanqing received a package from Spinner's End. This time, it wasn't delivered by owl but appeared out of thin air under his doormat, just like last year.

There were no potions or materials in the package. Only several pages of parchment densely filled with complex calculations and magical structure diagrams. It was Snape's theoretical analysis and effect evaluation report on that "factual anchoring" intervention, written in cold, objective language, as if composing an academic paper. But at the end of the report, he added a line in slightly heavier handwriting:

"Anchor point effective. Response mechanism needs optimization."

Lin Yanqing looked at this line and remained silent for a long time.

"Anchor point." He had become a verifiable, effective "anchor point" for Snape in his exploration of the dangerous abyss of magic.

"Response mechanism needs optimization." This meant that Snape not only accepted his intervention but had even begun to consider how to make this intervention more efficient and systematic. He had officially incorporated Lin Yanqing into his "safe research system."

This was not an emotional closeness; it was an upgrade in survival strategy.

He carefully put away the parchment. The scent of summer wafted through the window, carrying the clamor of the Muggle city. And in two corners of the magical world, two young men, in their unique ways, were continuously redefining each other's place in their lives amidst crisis and exploration.

This summer, the undercurrents still surged, but that distant "anchor point" had been firmly established.