Hippogriff and the Silent Guardian

The Hogwarts of October, with its beech leaves dyed golden and the Black Lake rippling with fine waves in the autumn wind. Third-year classes displayed new depths, especially in the newly offered elective—Care of Magical Creatures.

This class was still taught by the optimistic but often messy Professor Kettleburn. On the first lesson in October, he brought a majestic Hippogriff, drawing the students into an excited yet fearful circle.

"Remember, children!" Professor Kettleburn's voice boomed, his empty sleeve swaying with his movements. "With a Hippogriff, respect is paramount! You must make eye contact, bow to it, and only approach if it bows back! Never offend it!"

Most students hesitated. James Potter wore an expression of eager adventure, but Sirius cautiously held him back. Lily Evans stood at the front, her eyes a mixture of nervousness and curiosity.

Snape stood at the edge of the crowd, his expression as indifferent as ever, as if the magical creature before them was no different from an illustration in a textbook. However, through their Contract, Lin Yanqing could sense an extremely subtle analytical state emanating from him—he was rapidly recalling and verifying the professor's key points, assessing risks and controllability.

"Who wants to go first?" Professor Kettleburn invited enthusiastically.

A silence fell. Just then, Lin Yanqing felt an extremely brief, almost instinctive impulse from Snape—not that he wanted to step forward himself, but rather a premonition of a rash action from someone present (most likely Potter) and the subsequent cold vigilance.

Almost simultaneously with Snape's impulse, James Potter couldn't hold back. He took a step forward, his face wearing his signature smile, a mix of confidence and recklessness.

"I'll do it, Professor!"

Before Professor Kettleburn could offer detailed instructions, James swaggered towards the Hippogriff named Buckbeak. He didn't stop bowing completely, merely nodding casually, his gaze even holding a hint of challenge as he met Buckbeak's eyes.

"Potter, wait! You have to bow!" Professor Kettleburn shouted urgently.

But it was too late.

Buckbeak let out a sharp, warning cry. Its massive wings snapped open, the feathers like steel rustling with the wind, and its sharp foreclaws were already raised! It was enraged by James's disrespectful actions!

"Watch out!" Lily and several other students shrieked.

The smile on James's face froze. He seemed not to have expected the situation to escalate so quickly and instinctively stepped back, nearly tripping.

At that critical moment—

"Petrificus Totalus!"

A calm voice rang out. It wasn't from the professor, nor was it aimed at Buckbeak (that would have completely enraged it). The spell's light shot out from the side and rear of the crowd, precisely hitting a protruding stone at James Potter's feet!

The stone instantly became as hard and smooth as ice! James, retreating in a panic, stepped onto it and his foot slipped violently. He fell backward in an extremely awkward, completely unexpected posture, narrowly dodging Buckbeak's enraged swipe!

The claw whistled through the air, grazing just above James's fallen body as he lay on his back, tearing only the front of his robes.

Everyone was stunned.

The one who cast the spell was Severus Snape. He still stood at the edge of the crowd, a faint glow lingering on his wand tip, his expression calm and unruffled, as if the perfectly timed and angled spell had nothing to do with him.

Professor Kettleburn recovered and rushed forward to soothe the startled Buckbeak, while sternly reprimanding James for his recklessness. "Potter! Minus twenty points! You nearly got yourself killed! Thanks to Snape..." He paused, seemingly finding Snape's method a bit strange, but added, "...for his quick reaction."

James, helped up by Sirius and Peter, looked flushed and pale, a mixture of fear and shame on his face. He glared fiercely at Snape, his eyes conveying a desire to devour him alive. He absolutely did not believe Snape had saved him; this was clearly a public humiliation! And in such a way... that seemed to save him, but made him even more disgraced!

Sirius helped James up, his grey eyes sharp as he looked at Snape, then swept over Lin Yanqing standing not far away. His gaze was deep, lost in thought.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Snape with a complex mix of gratitude and confusion.

As for Snape, he met all gazes with utter indifference. He put away his wand, as if he had merely brushed away an annoying pebble. But through their Contract, Lin Yanqing clearly sensed that beneath that icy facade, a fleeting, almost cruel satisfaction flashed. He had precisely calculated the angle and consequences, both avoiding serious harm to Potter (which would have caused great trouble) and maximizing his humiliation, while showcasing his own composure and... a certain kind of control to Lily.

This was a perfect counterattack and declaration, Snape-style.

The end-of-class bell broke the awkward atmosphere. The students dispersed, chattering amongst themselves.

On the way back to the castle, Lin Yanqing and Snape walked one after the other, separated by a not-too-close, not-too-far distance. There was no communication.

But as they passed an empty corner, Snape's steps paused almost imperceptibly. A rolled-up piece of parchment slipped from his sleeve, falling into the shadows by the wall.

Lin Yanqing naturally bent down, as if tying his shoelace, and picked up the parchment.

Back in the Ravenclaw tower, he unrolled it. It made no mention of the class incident, only a few lines of cold script listing several rare materials used to stabilize violent magical fluctuations, with precise dosages and processing methods annotated beside them. At the end, a small line was added:

Wolfsbane Potion, basic modification. Requires testing.

Lin Yanqing's pupils contracted as he read the line.

Wolfsbane Potion. Used to alleviate the pain of werewolf transformation. Snape was researching this? Was it for... Remus Lupin, who always took leave for a few days each month and looked pale?

He immediately recalled the secret research he had sensed Snape conducting before, concerning protection and... targeted magic. Had he long suspected Lupin's identity and was secretly researching ways to deal with (or... alleviate?) werewolves?

This was too dangerous. Not just the risks of the research itself, but it meant Snape might have touched upon the Marauders' most core, most dangerous secret.

He carefully put the parchment away. Snape wasn't asking for help; he was informing him of the next direction for their collaborative research. He had completely drawn Lin Yanqing into this dangerous plan and trusted him to understand and provide the necessary support.

The autumn sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the desk. Lin Yanqing could feel the soul connected at the other end of their Contract immersed in a cold, challenging excitement, and... a certain twisted sense of justice.

He wasn't just forging armor; he seemed to be trying to grasp a poisoned double-edged sword capable of piercing the enemy's most vital point.

And he himself had become his indispensable, silent accomplice.