Exposure

Lin Du and Snape's demonstration completely ignited the atmosphere in the Great Hall.

"Brilliant! A battle between evenly matched opponents!" Professor Flitwick's high-pitched voice rose even higher with excitement as he began applauding. "Perfect control, gentlemen!"

Snape retreated into the shadows with a grim expression, his black robes billowing like storm clouds.

Rather than a duel, that exchange had been a probing test that left him deeply unsettled.

Lin Du's control over Magic Power was exquisitely terrifying. Behind those seemingly casual counters lay a depth of skill that even Snape could not fully fathom.

What unsettled him even more was how effortlessly Lin Du had handled the entire duel. He had clearly been holding back all along.

Snape could clearly sense that the power of Lin Du's spells had been steadily rising in an alarming progression, like a bottomless pool whose next surge could never be measured.

By the time they had tacitly stopped, had that truly been his limit?

Snape tried to sketch a clear outline of Lin Du's strength, only to discover in frustration that all he could see was a thick fog.

This former student, now colleague, had already surpassed the range of what he could accurately assess.

Lin Du calmly stepped down from the platform, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

The young wizards' awed gazes shifted back and forth between him and Snape.

"Merlin's beard! Snape is actually that powerful!" Ron exclaimed in a hushed voice, his eyes wide. "I couldn't even see how he raised his wand!"

Hermione bit her lip, her brow furrowed. "Professor Lin is even more frightening... If he really is the mastermind behind the Chamber of Secrets, what are we supposed to do? Even Snape could only fight him to a draw..."

Harry remained silent, the breathtaking duel replaying over and over in his mind.

He had been able to see the path of every spell, but if he had been standing in their place, he probably would not have been able to dodge even the most basic attack.

The realization left him both discouraged and anxious.

Just then, Professor McGonagall rose and tapped her goblet lightly with her wand. "Now, practical training will begin. Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Finley, please come up—"

"I object, Minerva." Snape's icy voice came from the shadows. "Longbottom, onstage? We may have to put Finley's remains into a matchbox."

The Slytherin table erupted into snickers, and Neville's face instantly turned bright red.

"Then what do you suggest?" Professor McGonagall pressed her lips together.

"Malfoy and Potter." A cold smile curled across Snape's lips. "Let them give their classmates a 'demonstration.'"

By the time Harry and Draco had been unwillingly shoved to the center of the platform, Lin Du was already leaning against the cold stone wall, his gaze wandering. Clearly, he had no interest at all in the impending rookie brawl.

The two second-years onstage awkwardly began waving their wands. Obstruction Charms and Leg-Locker Curses flew crookedly at each other, most of them missing. The occasional hit only made the other stumble, turning the scene into a chaotic farce.

Lin Du's gaze seemed to pass straight through them and settle somewhere far away, his mind wandering beyond the hall.

He noticed that Snape had somehow come to stand beside him.

"Those spells looked basic, but under your control, they underwent a qualitative change." Snape's voice was lower than usual as he studied Lin Du with a sharp gaze. "I'm very curious. What exactly did you experience during those years after leaving Hogwarts?"

Lin Du lazily glanced at the students practicing. "Nothing more than a life spent running about. Nothing compared to your peaceful days at Hogwarts."

"Peaceful?" Snape's mouth twisted into a mocking curve. "You call this peaceful?"

His gaze swept over the noisy Great Hall before returning to Lin Du. "More importantly, it's the changes in you lately. Ever since you came out of Dumbledore's office, it's as though someone replaced you."

Lin Du lightly turned the wand in his hand, a faint smile at the corner of his lips. "When you realize life is short, why keep such a stern face all the time? Severus, set down those heavy burdens once in a while, and you'll find the world far more interesting."

"I'm not here to listen to your hollow philosophical musings." Snape's expression darkened.

"Of course not." A mischievous glint flashed in Lin Du's eyes. "You're simply curious about my strength and confused by my change, aren't you? How did someone who studies Dark Magic suddenly start teaching seriously, while becoming so... cheerful?"

Snape did not deny it, but his gaze sharpened further. "Every side of you is impossible to read. I have no choice but to suspect..."

"Perhaps it's simply because," Lin Du cut him off, his voice suddenly brightening, "I discovered that watching these little ones go from barely being able to hold a wand to being able to protect themselves is more fulfilling than researching those dark spells. Learning and teaching enrich each other; that saying isn't wrong."

The overly simple answer left Snape momentarily speechless.

He stared hard at Lin Du, as if trying to find the hidden truth in his smiling eyes.

After a long while, he finally forced out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"I must be out of my mind to waste time trying to figure out what you're thinking."

He wanted to continue with another cutting remark, but a sudden uproar from the platform interrupted his train of thought.

"Serpent's Unleashed!"

A black snake shot from the tip of Draco's wand and landed on the wooden floor with a thud, raising its head and hissing as it slithered toward Harry.

The entire hall erupted.

"You actually teach this kind of Dark Magic to your students?" Lin Du raised a brow. "Why do I feel that, between the two of us, you're more like the dark wizard?"

Snape ignored him and lazily drew his wand. "Don't move, Potter."

Before either of them could act, however, something horrifying happened—

Harry made a hissing sound, and the snake suddenly lowered itself meekly to the floor.

The entire hall fell silent.

Then whispers spread like a plague. "Parseltongue... He's a Parselmouth..."

Amid the chaos, Harry was hurriedly dragged out of the Great Hall by Ron and Hermione.

Lin Du watched the three children leave, then turned and saw the complicated look in Snape's eyes.

At that moment, Chao Feng silently appeared on Lin Du's shoulder.

"Do you think he loves or hates that child?" Chao Feng said in a voice only Lin Du could hear. "If it's love, letting him expose his Parseltongue in front of everyone isn't exactly a good thing."

Lin Du did not answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the doorway through which Harry had vanished, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What exactly are you thinking?" Chao Feng impatiently flicked his tail against Lin Du's shoulder.

Lin Du finally came back to himself, his eyes shining as though he had discovered a new continent. "I'm thinking... if Harry really is a Parselmouth, doesn't that make him a descendant of Slytherin? And if so, doesn't that mean he and Voldemort are related by blood?"

His voice gradually grew more excited. "Merlin, this is a spectacular family drama—are they long-lost relatives turned bitter enemies, or is this another joke fate is playing?"

Chao Feng rolled his eyes speechlessly and decided to ignore his master, who had suddenly fallen into a frenzy of gossip.