Exposure

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

"Brilliant! A perfectly matched duel!" Professor Flitwick's shrill voice rose even higher with excitement as he started clapping first. "Flawless control, gentlemen!"

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

This exchange was less a duel and more a probing that unsettled him.

Lin Du's mastery over Magic Power was terrifyingly precise. Behind those seemingly casual deflections lay a depth that even he couldn't fully see through.

What disturbed him more was Lin Du's effortless demeanor throughout the entire match, clearly holding something back.

Snape could distinctly feel the power of Lin Du's spells increasing at an unsettling, steady gradient, like an unfathomable deep pool—you never knew how much water would surge out next.

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

Snape tried to sketch a clear outline of Lin Du's strength, but frustratingly found only a fog before him.

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

Lin Du calmly walked off the stage, and the crowd parted to make way for him automatically.

The young wizards' awestruck gazes darted back and forth between him and Snape.

"Merlin's beard! Snape is that strong!" Ron whispered, eyes wide. "I didn't even see how he raised his wand!"

Hermione bit her lip, brow furrowed. "What's scarier is Professor Lin... if he really is the mastermind behind the Chamber of Secrets, what do we do? Even Snape can only tie with him..."

Harry stayed silent, replaying that thrilling duel in his mind.

He could track every spell's trajectory, but if he were in it, he probably couldn't even dodge the most basic attacks.

That realization left him both frustrated and anxious.

Just then, Professor McGonagall stood up and tapped her goblet with her wand. "Now for practical exercises. Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Finnegan, please come up—"

"I object, Minerva." Snape's cold voice came from the shadows. "Letting Longbottom up? We'd likely be collecting Finnegan's remains in a matchbox."

Snickers erupted from the Slytherin table, and Neville's face flushed crimson.

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

"Malfoy and Potter." Snape's lips curled into a cold smirk. "Let them give their classmates a 'demonstration.'"

When Harry and Draco were reluctantly pushed to the center of the stage, Lin Du was already leaning against the cold stone wall, his gaze wandering, clearly uninterested in the "rookie brawl" about to unfold.

On stage, the two second-years began clumsily waving their wands. Obstruction Charms and Leg-Locker Curses flew crookedly at each other, most missing entirely, and the occasional hit only made the opponent stumble. The scene was chaotic and comical.

Lin Du's gaze seemed to pierce through them, landing somewhere far away, lost in thought.

He noticed Snape had somehow come to stand beside him.

"Those spells earlier, seemingly basic, but under your control, they underwent a qualitative change." Snape's voice was lower than usual, his eyes sharp as he scrutinized Lin Du. "I'm curious—what exactly did you experience in the years you left Hogwarts?"

Lin Du lazily glanced at the practicing students. "Just some wandering experiences, nothing compared to your stable life at Hogwarts."

"Stable?" Snape's mouth twisted into a sarcastic curve. "You call this stable?"

His gaze swept over the noisy Great Hall, then returned to Lin Du. "More importantly, your recent changes. After coming out of Dumbledore's office, you've been like a completely different person."

Lin Du twirled his wand lightly, the corner of his mouth lifting. "When you realize life is short, why always keep a straight face? Severus, put down those heavy burdens once in a while, and you'll find the world much more interesting."

"I didn't come here for your hollow philosophical musings." Snape's face darkened.

"Of course not." A sly glint flashed in Lin Du's eyes. "You're just curious about my strength and puzzled by my transformation, right? How does someone who studies Dark Magic suddenly start teaching seriously and become so 'cheerful' in personality?"

Snape didn't deny it, but his gaze grew sharper. "Every side of you is unfathomable. That makes me have to wonder..."

"Maybe it's just," Lin Du interrupted, his voice suddenly light, "that I've found watching these little ones go from barely holding a wand to being able to protect themselves is more rewarding than studying those dark spells? Teaching benefits both teacher and student—that saying's not wrong."

This 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 pause, he ground out through clenched teeth:

"I must have lost my mind, wasting time trying to figure out what you're thinking."

He was about to continue with a sarcastic remark when a sudden commotion from the stage interrupted his train of thought.

"Serpent's Unleashed!"

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

The whole hall erupted.

"You actually taught your students that kind of Dark Magic?" Lin Du raised an eyebrow. "I feel like between the two of us, you're more the Dark Wizard."

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

But before they could act, something hair-raising happened—

Harry let out a hissing sound, and the snake suddenly lay docile on the ground.

Dead silence fell over the hall.

Then, whispers spread like a plague: "Parseltongue... he's a Parseltongue..."

In the chaos, Harry was hurriedly pulled out of the Great Hall by Ron and Hermione.

Lin Du's gaze followed the three little ones as they left, then he turned to see Snape's complicated expression.

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

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

Lin Du didn't answer immediately. His eyes still lingered on the door where Harry had disappeared, his face wearing a thoughtful expression.

"What exactly are you thinking about?" Chao Feng tapped his shoulder impatiently with his tail.

Lin Du finally snapped out of it, his eyes sparkling with the light of discovery: "I'm thinking... if Harry really is a Parseltongue, then isn't he a descendant of Slytherin? That would mean he and Voldemort are related by blood."

His voice grew increasingly excited. "Merlin's beard, this really is a brilliant family drama—is it a long-lost relative turning into bitter enemies, or just another joke fate has played?"

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

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