Contract

The night was dark, and the wind howled through the Forbidden Forest.

Lin An Alvin Bones left the dormitory and descended the stone steps into the dark woods. The air was thick with dampness, and a blue-glowing magical mark floated ahead, guiding his way.

Following its trail of light, he had not gone far before a dark figure emerged from the shadows of the trees.

Severus Snape.

He still wore that stern expression, his black robes snapping in the night wind like a bat lurking in the shadows.

"Lin An Bones," Snape said quietly. "It has been five years since we last met, yet you still have not given me the final proof."

"Proof?" Lin An remained calm. "I thought I had already convinced you that everything I said was true."

"That is true." Snape's gaze remained icy. "But the final piece of the puzzle is still missing. Do not forget that you are bound by the magical contract as well."

Lin An sighed softly. "If that is the case, then I will let you see it with your own eyes."

With a flick of his fingers, the air tore apart. The two vanished from the Forbidden Forest.

It was a memory from Lin An's sixth year at Hogwarts.

At the time, Snape had only recently begun teaching, and his office was filled with the scents of herbs and dragonhide.

Lin An entered and handed him a piece of parchment. It was a magical contract.

Snape glanced at it, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Mr. Bones, are you making a fool of me?"

The contract stated clearly—

As long as Snape signed his name, Lin An would gain the right to share all of his magical knowledge, including his improvements to spells and potions. In other words, everything Snape created would belong to Lin An.

With Snape's pride, how could he possibly tolerate such a demand?

"Professor, please do not refuse so quickly," Lin An said evenly. "Hear me out. You may find it interesting."

"Go on," Snape replied coldly. "But do not waste my time."

Lin An gathered his thoughts, and his tone turned low.

"After my parents died, I began studying death. I wanted to know whether there was a form of magic that could bring the dead back to life. Unfortunately, the answer was no—at least, for wizards."

Snape frowned. "Not even the greatest Alchemist can recreate life, much less a soul."

"Indeed." Lin An nodded. "The body and soul are the two sides of death. When the body decays or the soul is damaged, life ends. Souls are almost indestructible; not even the Killing Curse can harm them."

His speech was steady, yet it carried a chilling calmness.

"So I thought that if one could recreate the body and then call back the soul, perhaps the dead could be brought back to life."

Snape's breath caught. "Absurd. No one can replicate a perfect body."

Lin An smiled faintly. "Alchemy cannot, but Muggle technology can.

Through genetic cloning, they have already managed to duplicate living organisms. At the time, the technology was still immature, so I—persuaded several of the most brilliant Muggle scientists to work together and accelerated the process."

Snape stared at him, his expression stern.

"Even so, what about the soul?"

"That requires a legendary relic." Lin An spoke softly. "Besides the Philosopher's Stone, there are three other Deathly Hallows—the Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand, and the Invisibility Cloak."

"Ridiculous." Snape sneered. "They are nothing but fairy tales."

"You are wrong. They truly exist." Lin An's tone remained calm. "The Elder Wand and the Invisibility Cloak are both in Dumbledore's possession. The Resurrection Stone, meanwhile, is protected by dark magic, so I cannot take it for now. But that is only a matter of time."

Snape drew a deep breath. "Your story is fascinating, but what does it have to do with me?"

Lin An leaned forward slightly. "Professor, you and I both know—you deeply love that green-eyed girl. You know what she left behind, and you know where the Invisibility Cloak came from.

So you should understand what I am trying to say."

The Silence. The air nearly froze solid.

Snape instinctively tightened his grip on his wand, his knuckles turning white.

That night, he ultimately did not make a move.

The next day, he quietly went to the Muggle world and visited the technology company Lin An had mentioned—the result was exactly as Lin An had said.

The following morning, Snape signed the contract.

Back in the present, the dark shadows of the Forbidden Forest emerged once more.

The two Apparated to a ruined stone house.

The Gaunt Shack.

A ring set with a black stone lay silently on the table.

Together, they spent half an hour dismantling the cursed traps Voldemort had set. Lin An reached out and removed the ring.

Snape's gaze was instantly drawn to it, and his breathing quickened. The stone on that ring—the Resurrection Stone.

Seven years of research and obsession erupted at that moment.

His fingertips nearly touched the stone's surface.

Lin An stopped him.

"Do you want to die?"

Snape froze for a moment and reluctantly withdrew his hand. "Sorry... I lost myself for a moment."

"Normal." Lin An said blandly. "You are not the first wizard to be tempted."

The two left the house. Lin An looked back and waved his wand, sealing everything once more.

Under the night sky, his gaze met Snape's.

"Severus, no one can be allowed to know about this."

"I know how to keep a secret."

Lin An's tone suddenly turned cold. "No, you do not.

This ring will be used for a greater plan. If you reveal even a word, I guarantee—you will reunite with Lily in the Underworld."

Killing intent swept over him as though it were tangible. Snape's body stiffened, and he took half a step back.

That crushing pressure reminded him of Voldemort.

"I will swear an oath. I will not reveal a single word."

"Very good."

They exchanged glances. Magic intertwined, and the oath was formed.

Lin An turned and left.

The moment he walked out of the Forbidden Forest, the presence behind him vanished into the night.

When he reached the school gates, he suddenly stopped.

"Come out."

From the depths of the shadows, an unfamiliar presence slowly emerged.