Snape's Defense Broken

After a morning of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to the four houses of third and fourth years, Lin Du felt a fatigue unlike that of researching magic.

This fatigue stemmed from the need to constantly adjust strategies and expend patience when facing a group of students with uneven skill levels and generally weak foundations.

Homework was, of course, unavoidable.

Whether it was Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, or Gryffindor and Slytherin who would have class later, he assigned tasks that could be described as "catastrophic"—

Twenty repetitions of the key points for casting the Impedimenta charm, a pre-reading report on the principles of the Summons charm, plus detailed information on ten common dark creatures (from Cornish Pixies to Red Caps), also to be copied and memorized twenty times. He announced that a random spot check would be conducted the following week.

The classroom immediately erupted in groans.

Gryffindor and Slytherin, in particular, became even more chaotic when faced with the "shape-shifting into test papers" pixies. This forced Lin Du to temporarily shelve his original plan to announce a "midterm exam"—

He worried that dropping this bombshell too early would crush the fragile nerves of these poor young wizards.

After finishing his half-day of teaching, Lin Du left the classroom and walked towards the Great Hall, preparing to have his late lunch.

The shadow on his shoulder stirred slightly, and Chao Feng's head, topped with a jade horn, emerged. Its amber eyes darted around, filled with undisguised disdain.

"Tsk tsk," it sneered, "I say, has Hogwarts lowered its admission standards? Look at that group of little monsters today, chased around like headless chickens by the lowest-grade Cornish Pixies. They can't even hold their wands steady!"

Lin Du's footsteps didn't falter, his expression calm. He was long accustomed to Chao Feng's sharp tongue.

"A large base means a mix of good and bad is normal. Most people indeed lack effective guidance and practical awareness."

"Lack awareness? I say they lack brains!" Chao Feng persisted.

"That Ravenclaw who shouted 'Vada Vasi' at the pixie, trying to turn it into a cup? And the one who just screamed like a goblin when his ear was grabbed?"

"Not everyone is so incompetent," Lin Du retorted mildly, picturing a few figures in his mind.

"Ravenclaw's Crivat and Butt reacted decently, applying basic spells appropriately. As for Hufflepuff's Cedric Diggory..."

When he mentioned this name, Lin Du's tone carried a rare note of approval.

"Oh? That dark-haired kid?" Chao Feng tilted its head, recalling, "He was rather interesting. Froze pretty quickly, didn't give those little things much room to maneuver."

"It wasn't just speed," Lin Du corrected. "It was calmness, precise judgment, and knowing to eliminate the most threatening targets first in chaos. He has the potential to be an excellent wizard."

"Potential?" Chao Feng scoffed, scratching the jade horn on its head with its claw.

"What good is potential? Who knows if he can withstand your later 'Red Caps' and 'Hinkypunks'? Don't let him be the first to wet his pants out of fear, wasting your ten House points and your role as class representative."

"That's why practice is needed," Lin Du's gaze calmly drifted towards the light and noise emanating from the Great Hall doors at the end of the corridor. "Plenty of practice that closely resembles reality. For Cedric, and for everyone else. Talent needs guidance, and cowardice needs tempering. Hogwarts doesn't lack potential seeds; it lacks the pressure and methods to help them sprout."

"Hmph, well said. Isn't it just that you want to save yourself the trouble and find someone to help you grade that pile of homework that could drown a person?" Chao Feng pierced through his words with a single blow, then lazily retreated back into the shadow, leaving only a final mumble:

"Whatever you say. It's not me who's being tormented anyway. I hope your 'good seedlings' don't wither prematurely under your 'careful cultivation'..."

Lin Du ignored its teasing and reached out to push open the heavy doors of the Great Hall.

The aroma of food and the roar of voices washed over him. His arrival as the new professor caused the few long tables near the entrance to fall silent for a moment. Countless eyes refocused on him, their mixed emotions more complex than before—

His "fierce reputation" and "strictness" had clearly spread throughout the castle, along with those twenty-page homework assignments and the "practical combat drills" in class.

Just as Lin Du stepped into the Great Hall's foyer, a low voice came from the side.

"It seems your first class was quite... 'lively,' Professor Lin."

Severus Snape emerged as if from the shadows of the wall, standing a few steps away with his hands tucked into the sleeves of his black robes.

His tone betrayed no emotion, but his dark eyes were sharply scrutinizing Lin Du.

"Necessary chaos is better than fatal peace, Professor Snape," Lin Du replied calmly. "At least they now know wands aren't just decorative."

Snape's lips seemed to twitch. "The direction is correct. Better than that useless Quirrell before."

He paused, finally asking the question that had been interrupted during their last patrol:

"But I still don't understand. With your abilities, even if recruited by the Ministry, your future would be brighter than managing a bunch of little monsters here. Why did you choose Hogwarts? It doesn't seem like your style."

Lin Du felt there was nothing to hide and stated frankly, "Headmaster Dumbledore promised that as long as I hold this position, he would allow me to continue my research into Dark Magic within the framework of Hogwarts."

Snape's facial muscles instantly tensed, as if he had heard something utterly absurd.

"Dumbledore... allows it? He personally agreed to let you research those things at Hogwarts?"

Lin Du met Snape's sharp gaze, which seemed capable of piercing him. Though he didn't understand why the other man was so agitated, he nodded affirmatively:

"Yes. It was part of the agreement. He believes research in a controlled environment is more stable than letting me explore alone outside."

Snape was clearly furious now.

Lin Du, seeing his unusually pale face, finally, belatedly, sensed something was amiss. He frowned slightly and asked, "Professor Snape? Are... are you alright? You don't look well."

This question, born of basic courtesy, gently shattered Snape's barely maintained composure.

He took a sharp breath and, almost through gritted teeth, squeezed out a few words: "I... am fine."

With that, he turned abruptly without waiting for any further reaction from Lin Du. His black robes billowed violently from the sudden movement, creating a gust of cold wind.

Lin Du stood rooted to the spot, watching Snape's almost fleeing back, his brow furrowed even tighter.

He clearly felt the strong, suppressed anger emanating from Snape, and... a sense of indescribable loss?

"Did I say something wrong?" he murmured, feeling a rare moment of genuine confusion about something outside the realm of magic.

Just then, a suppressed chuckle came from the shadow on his shoulder.

"Pfft... Hahahahaha!" Chao Feng couldn't hold back any longer, shaking on his shoulder as it laughed, its jade horn trembling. "You blockhead! Can't you see? He's so jealous he's about to go crazy!"