Corridor Confrontation and Proof of Silence

In the following days, Lin Yanqing adapted to life at Hogwarts while constantly looking for opportunities to complete his new task. However, having a "non-conflict dialogue" with Snape proved much more difficult than providing materials. They were in different houses, their classes didn't overlap, and their only shared class, Potions, had already ended. Snape was like a wary bat, always keeping to himself and quickly disappearing down the corridors leading to the Slytherin dungeons.

An opportunity unexpectedly arrived on a Thursday afternoon. Lin Yanqing emerged from the library, carrying a stack of books on Magical History and Basic Transfiguration, preparing to return to the Ravenclaw tower. As he walked through a secluded corridor connecting the main castle to the north wing, familiar shouts and magical fluctuations transmitted through their soul bond, clearer and more intense than ever before.

He quickened his pace, rounded a corner, and saw the scene he had anticipated.

James Potter and Sirius Black, one behind the other, had Snape cornered in the middle of the corridor. Remus Lupin stood a short distance away, a troubled expression on his face, while Peter Pettigrew peeked out from behind him.

"Give Lily's notes back, Snape!" James pointed his wand at Snape, his tone aggressive. "I saw you take them when she wasn't looking!"

Snape's back was to Lin Yanqing, but his tense shoulders and clenched fists showed his anger. "I didn't take Evans' things, Potter," his voice was low and cold. "Use that thick skull of yours – why would I take her notes?"

"Because you're jealous!" Sirius leaned casually against the wall, but his eyes were sharp. "Jealous she talks to us, jealous she's in Gryffindor? Who knows what someone like you, crawled out of a sewer, would do?"

"I said, I didn't!" Snape suddenly turned, seeming to want to force his way past, but James blocked his path.

"We'll know if we search you," James said, moving forward.

Lin Yanqing's heart clenched. He knew this wasn't a famous conflict from the original story, but one of the countless minor skirmishes in the early days of the older generation. But he couldn't just stand by and watch. Not just because of the mission, but because of the overwhelming anger, humiliation, and helplessness that flooded through the contract, threatening to drown Snape, making him feel it as if it were his own.

"Wait!" Lin Yanqing called out, walking over with his books.

All eyes instantly focused on him.

James frowned. "Ravenclaw? This doesn't concern you."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, a look of interest on his face, as if curious what the new student who had shown such promise in Charms class intended to do.

Snape saw it was him, and a flicker of extremely complex emotion crossed his dark eyes – surprise, more wariness, and a hint of… embarrassment at being seen in such a disheveled state?

Lin Yanqing didn't look at Snape, but faced James, trying to keep his tone calm. "Potter, I think there might be a misunderstanding. I just… I think I saw Miss Evans heading towards the greenhouses a moment ago. Perhaps the notes are still with her?"

It was a clumsy excuse, but he couldn't think of a better one at the moment. He just needed to break the stalemate.

"You saw her? When?" James asked suspiciously.

"Just… a little while before I came out of the library," Lin Yanqing said, forcing himself to continue.

Just then, Lily Evans herself ran breathlessly from the other end of the corridor, her red hair like a flame. "James Potter! What are you doing!" Her emerald green eyes blazed with anger. She glared at James first, then turned to Snape, her tone softening. "Severus, are you alright? I just found my notes tucked inside my Transfiguration textbook. I made a mistake myself. I'm so sorry!"

The truth was revealed.

James's face instantly turned crimson, and he awkwardly put away his wand. Sirius let out a snort, unsure if he was laughing at James or at the whole farce. Lupin visibly relaxed.

"I knew it…" Peter muttered under his breath.

"S-sorry, Snape," James mumbled, clearly reluctant.

Snape ignored James's apology; he didn't even look at Lily. His gaze was fixed intently on Lin Yanqing, his eyes seeming to want to skin him alive to see what was hidden inside. Did this Ravenclaw anticipate Lily would come looking? Or was he just pure luck, his fabricated excuse happening to come true?

Either way, it made Snape extremely uncomfortable. He hated this feeling of being seen through, or being "helped."

He didn't say a word, just cast one last icy, bone-chilling look at Lin Yanqing before shoving past the still-guilty James (who didn't stop him) and quickly disappearing into the shadows of the corridor.

"Host! Dialogue opportunity! Hurry and chase after him to say something! Like 'Are you alright?'! (≧?≦)?" System Cub urged anxiously.

Lin Yanqing gave a wry smile in his mind. Chase after him? If he chased after him now, Snape would probably curse him directly. That look just now said it all. This "rescue" hadn't eased their relationship at all; it seemed to have made things worse.

"Mission… failed? (′;ω;`)" The System detected Lin Yanqing giving up the chase and let out a dejected sound.

Lily walked up to Lin Yanqing, her face filled with apology and gratitude. "Thank you, Lin. If you hadn't stalled them just now, I was really afraid James and the others would do something excessive. Sev… he's just not good at explaining things."

"It's alright, Miss Evans. It's good that the misunderstanding is cleared up," Lin Yanqing smiled at Lily. He could feel the girl's sincerity.

James snorted from the side, and after a glare from Lily, he sheepishly left with Sirius and the others.

Only Lin Yanqing and Lily remained in the corridor.

"Your name is Lin Yanqing, right? From Ravenclaw?" Lily asked. After receiving an affirmative answer, she smiled and said, "I remember you, you're very good at Charms. Thank you again. Sev… he's not a bad person, he's just…" She seemed unsure how to describe it and finally sighed.

Through this interaction, Lin Yanqing confirmed that Lily Evans was indeed a kind and bright girl, and he also felt her slight awkwardness caught between her childhood friends and her new friend.

That evening, while Lin Yanqing was rushing to finish his Magical History essay in the Ravenclaw common room, he received his punishment.

[Mission Failed, Punishment Activated: Randomly Lock Acquired Spell [Lumos] for 24 Hours. (╥﹏╥)]

He tried to cast the lighting charm, but the tip of his wand only flickered weakly before extinguishing completely. Fortunately, the Ravenclaw common room was brightly lit, so it didn't affect his reading, but the punishment was indeed quite frustrating.

However, not long after the punishment took effect, he suddenly felt an extremely faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation from the other end of the soul bond. It was no longer pure anger or rejection, but a kind of… chaotic thought, filled with intense confusion and a hint of inquiry.

Snape seemed to be repeatedly replaying what had happened in the corridor that afternoon.

Why did that Ravenclaw step forward?

Were his words about Lily's whereabouts a coincidence or…?

What did he ultimately want?

There were no answers. Only deeper mist.

But this continuous thinking directed at him was itself a subtle change. Snape's attention could no longer be diverted from this forcibly established connection and Lin Yanqing, the "unexpected factor."

Lin Yanqing put down his quill and looked out at the Hogwarts starry sky. Although the mission had failed and he had lost a lighting spell, it seemed… not entirely without gain. At least, he had thrown a stone into Snape's closed world, creating ripples.

And he knew that this kind of forced attention was a beginning that no plan or mission could force.