Backlash

"Slytherin himself?" Hermione murmured, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "You mean... Parseltongue?"

Harry's face immediately became unnatural, and he mumbled in a low voice, "But... Parseltongue is an evil language..."

"Evil?" Lin Du raised an eyebrow lightly. "If speaking Parseltongue means you're evil, then by that logic, wouldn't you be the first one suspected of attacking Mrs. Norris, Mr. Potter?"

"It wasn't me!" Harry retorted sharply, looking wronged.

"Of course, I know it wasn't you." Lin Du's tone was calm. "What I mean is, language itself isn't good or evil; it depends on the person using it. Headmaster Dumbledore is fluent in Mermish and can even understand Parseltongue—is he evil too?"

These words stunned Harry; he had never considered this before.

"Parseltongue is just a talent, Mr. Potter, like some people are naturally good at Transfiguration, and others are good at Quidditch."

Lin Du continued, "You shouldn't feel ashamed or troubled by it."

Ron nodded thoughtfully, "Thinking about it that way, it doesn't seem like a big deal..."

Hermione agreed, "Professor Lin is right, Harry. You can't deny your ability just because Voldemort can also speak Parseltongue."

The atmosphere in the office visibly lightened. Harry's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and a hint of relief even appeared on his face.

"In fact," Lin Du looked at Harry, his eyes filled with curiosity, "I've always been interested in Parseltongue. If you don't mind, perhaps you could teach me a few phrases? I've always wondered how snakes communicate."

Harry looked at Lin Du in surprise. This was the first time a wizard had shown interest in his "quirk" instead of fear or disgust.

"I... I can try," he said shyly. "But I'm not sure how to teach it..."

"It's okay," Lin Du smiled. "We can start with something simple."

"Goodbye, Professor! Thank you!" Hermione's voice faded as the door closed.

Silence returned to the office.

The gentle smile on Lin Du's face vanished instantly. He rubbed his forehead and let out a long sigh.

"Hiss..." He resentfully tried the simple greeting syllable Harry had taught him again. What came out of his throat was still a dry, strange hiss, completely different from Harry's fluid "hiss."

That red-haired kid Ron had even learned it better than he had.

"Why are you suddenly so interested in this reptile language?" Chao Feng leaped lightly from the top of the bookshelf, landing on the desk and tilting its head to look at Lin Du.

"Speaking of which, I've been feeling like you're becoming more and more like someone lately."

Lin Du raised an eyebrow. "Dumbledore? It seems my wisdom and strategic thinking have indeed improved."

"Tch—" Chao Feng let out an impolite scoff. "I mean when you looked at those three little trolls leaving just now, that kind expression on your face was exactly like a young Dumbledore! What, have you really started seeing yourself as a gardener nurturing the Chosen One?"

Lin Du was momentarily speechless and glared at Chao Feng. "Don't talk nonsense. I'm just doing what a professor should do."

"And what a professor should do includes learning Parseltongue?"

Chao Feng flicked its tail and returned to the main topic. "You still haven't answered my question. Why are you suddenly so fixated on this? Didn't you and that old fox already agree to let Potter deal with the Basilisk? Why bother yourself with this?"

The last trace of ease on Lin Du's face disappeared. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze becoming solemn.

"We were too careless, Chao Feng," his voice deepened.

"Careless?"

"We violated the 'Moonlight Vow' with Selene."

Lin Du looked up, his eyes sharp as he looked at his contract partner. "We destroyed Riddle's diary."

Chao Feng didn't seem to care. "That was done under Dumbledore's nose; we were forced! Besides, that thing is a Horcrux, an evil creation of Dark Magic. Isn't destroying it only right and proper?"

"Contract magic doesn't care about these 'understandable reasons'," Lin Du gave a helpless wry smile.

"It only looks at the results. We participated in the process of destroying a Horcrux, learned the secret, and didn't inform her immediately... This has brushed against the edge of contract violation. The peace we've had during this time is just the backlash accumulating its strength."

As he spoke, he reached out and lifted a few strands of black hair from his forehead.

Chao Feng's previously lazy posture instantly froze. It leaned closer, its golden pupils contracting sharply. "Your hair!"

The strand of hair in Lin Du's fingers, near the scalp, had already been encroached upon by a glaring, ominous silver-white at the root.

That silver was quietly spreading upwards, its cold luster like being excessively soaked in moonlight, as if its vitality was being subtly drained by some invisible force.

"When... when did this start? Can't it be suppressed with a spell?" Chao Feng's voice carried a rare hint of panic.

"I discovered it this morning. This is the result after I used all my magic to suppress it," Lin Du lowered his hand, his expression grave.

"At this rate, in a month at most, this silver hair will be the least of the costs. In a worse scenario, my body could be eroded by the contract's mark, gradually weakening."

Chao Feng paced anxiously on the desk. "Damn Veela! Damn contract! Is there no way to break it?"

"There is," Lin Du's gaze drifted out the window, as if he could see through the walls to the depths of the castle, hiding a thousand-year-old secret.

"This contract magic, originating from an ancient bloodline, is extremely difficult to break with external force. But it's not entirely impossible. The simplest and most brutal method is to use another equally powerful magical force that acts on the very essence of life to forcefully impact, disrupt, or even overwrite the original contract magic."

Chao Feng stopped pacing, seeming to understand something. "You mean..."

Lin Du turned back, a cold and resolute glint flashing in his eyes:

"The Basilisk's gaze contains this kind of fatal curse power derived from ancient magical creatures. Its petrifying effect is essentially an extremely powerful application of Dark Magic."

"You're going to actively seek out that Basilisk?" Chao Feng almost jumped up. "Are you crazy?! That thing is deadly!"

"On the contrary, this is the safest plan," Lin Du analyzed calmly.

"Seeing the Basilisk directly means death, but through indirect means, one is only petrified. The Mandrake Restorative Draught can cure petrification, and at that time, the bonds of the contract will likely be 'petrified' and 'purified' by the Basilisk's power as well."

He paused, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone. "It seems the list of Basilisk victims will have to include one more Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Silence fell in the office, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fireplace.

Chao Feng finally sighed and resignedly lay back down on the desk.

"Alright, alright... you lunatic. What's the plan?"

Lin Du narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips tapping the desk unconsciously again.

"The plan is... to let 'accident' happen as scheduled."