Reunion

Professor McGonagall paused, then continued, "As a professor, you naturally have the authority to deduct points from and award points to the respective Houses. Of course..."

A faintly teasing note suddenly entered her voice as her gaze swept over Lin Du's composed face. "I trust that, given Professor Lin's usual rigor and fairness, you will not abuse this authority and leave the castle's hourglasses... excessively unsettled."

Lin Du met her gaze and nodded solemnly. "Please rest assured, Professor McGonagall. Points should reflect a student's conduct and knowledge, not a professor's personal preferences."

"Very good." Professor McGonagall was clearly pleased with his answer.

Just as she was about to continue, footsteps came from the other end of the corridor—silent as a bat gliding through the air, yet carrying an unmistakable sense of presence.

Both of them turned to look.

Severus Snape was approaching from the dim end of the corridor, his black robes billowing behind him as though dragging a swathe of viscous shadow in their wake.

There was no expression on his sallow face. His dark eyes swept over Professor McGonagall first, then fixed firmly on Lin Du like searchlights, filled with undisguised scrutiny and a trace of his habitual gloom.

"Severus," Professor McGonagall greeted him in her usual tone. "Perfect timing. I believe you already know that Mr. Lin Du will be serving as our Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts for the new school year."

She turned to Lin Du and introduced him succinctly. "Professor Lin, this is Severus Snape, the school's Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin House. Your time at the school seems to have overlapped, so perhaps you are not entirely unfamiliar with one another."

Snape's lips tightened slightly, his voice low and even. "Mr. Lin."

His tone was neither warm nor cold, as though he were addressing any newly hired colleague.

"I remember you. Among Hogwarts students, you were one of the few who maintained perfect marks in Potions Class."

Lin Du remained calm and gave a slight nod. "Professor Snape. It is a pleasure to see you again. Your Potions Class benefited me greatly back then."

Professor McGonagall keenly sensed the subtle distance between them. She adjusted her glasses and said:

"Since you have already met, I will not keep you any longer. Professor Lin, your office is at the end of this corridor, the room on the right. It has mostly been prepared, so you may settle in first. If you need anything else, you may come to me at any time."

She glanced at Snape again, her tone businesslike. "Severus, regarding the inventory list for next term's potion ingredients, I expect it on my desk by this afternoon."

Without waiting for either of them to respond, Professor McGonagall turned and left with brisk steps, leaving the space to the two colleagues who needed to become acquainted.

Her figure soon vanished around the bend in the corridor, and the sound of her footsteps gradually faded.

The corridor fell quiet at once, leaving only the occasional soft crackle of the torches burning along the walls.

Snape's gaze lingered on Lin Du's face for a moment, his voice still even. "Ten years, Mr. Lin. Time appears to have been particularly kind to you."

Lin Du gave a slight nod, his tone modest. "It is in the blood of Easterners, Professor Snape. You, on the other hand, have not changed much from back then."

The corner of Snape's mouth twitched despite himself.

He remembered how this Eastern Exchange Student had performed during his time at school—

Always sitting quietly in the corner of the Potions classroom, his technique so precise that he seemed nothing like an impetuous Gryffindor.

If not for that unmistakable House badge, Snape might almost have mistaken him for a Ravenclaw.

"I remember that when you were at school," Snape drawled, "you always managed to avoid every situation that might result in points being deducted."

A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Lin Du's face. "During my brief time at Hogwarts, I did learn to act cautiously. After all, everyone knew that the Head of Slytherin House was never merciful when it came to deducting points."

The atmosphere between them remained at just the right distance, like an ordinary reunion between teacher and student, marked by polite estrangement.

In Lin Du's memories, this Potions Professor had always been a teacher so rigorous he was nearly harsh. Aside from occasionally pointing out tiny flaws in Lin Du's potion-making technique during class, they had had little further interaction.

Silence spread through the corridor for a moment before Snape abruptly changed the subject. "However, Mr. Lin, you have become rather well-known in Britain's magical world lately. There are not many wizards capable of handling several Aurors alone."

His gaze sharpened. "I am merely curious—why would someone who chose exile suddenly decide to come to Hogwarts... to teach?"

Lin Du met his eyes, his expression as calm as ever. "Everyone seeks change at the appropriate time, Professor Snape. Perhaps I simply felt that it was time to pass on what I had learned over the years to the next generation."

Torchlight cast wavering shadows between them, while the darkness deep within the corridor seemed to watch this meaningful reunion in silence.

After a brief pause, Snape seemed to feel that the necessary pleasantries had come to an end.

"Then," he said, his black robes stirring, "I shall not delay your settling in."

Watching Snape disappear around the corner, Lin Du picked up his dragonhide suitcase and headed in the direction Professor McGonagall had indicated.

The office was located on the western side of the castle. As he pushed open the heavy oak door, the familiar air of Hogwarts washed over him—

Aged parchment, polished wood, and the faint fragrance of potions.

Morning sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, casting bright patches of light across the stone floor.

Lin Du set down his suitcase and walked to the window.

Outside, the Black Lake shimmered with golden ripples beneath the rising sun, while the outline of the Forbidden Forest in the distant morning mist appeared mysterious and tranquil.

The vibrant scene overlapped with the images in his memory, leaving him briefly dazed.

"What, staring into space?" Chao Feng slipped out from the shadows and landed on the windowsill, tilting its head as it studied him. "Weren't you quite composed while speaking to that gloomy fellow just now?"

Lin Du did not answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the familiar view outside.

"I simply did not expect," he said softly, "to return here in this way."

"From the sound of it, you miss this place?" Chao Feng ruffled its feathers, bronze patterns glinting faintly in the sunlight. "I heard that when you left back then, you did so quite decisively."

Lin Du's fingertips lightly traced the windowsill, warm beneath the sunlight, and he fell silent for a moment.

"People change," he finally said, his voice quiet. "Back then, all I wanted was to keep moving forward. I thought this castle was merely one stop along the journey. Only after wandering outside for so long did I realize..."

He paused, seemingly weighing his words. "Some places leave their mark on your life once you have stayed there."

His gaze passed over the sparkling Black Lake and drifted toward the Quidditch Pitch bathed in morning light. Fragments of his years studying here quietly surfaced in his mind—

Though he had spent most of his time immersed in the library and empty classrooms, the running through corridors, the noise in the Great Hall, and the occasional glimpse of scenery outside a window one afternoon—those seemingly insignificant moments had now become silent ties linking him to this castle.

For once, Chao Feng did not tease him. Its amber eyes turned as it watched its contractor.

It sensed an unusual, almost relaxed calm about Lin Du.

"So," Chao Feng's voice softened as well, "coming back this time does not feel too bad?"

The corners of Lin Du's lips lifted ever so slightly.

"Perhaps... it is better than I imagined."

Hogwarts Castle in the morning light remained as solemn and warm as ever, quietly welcoming this wanderer who had returned with an entirely new identity.