Qin Yu had always adored autumn at Hogwarts.
The air had just begun to cool, crisp and invigorating, wrapping the castle grounds in a kind of gentle clarity that made every breath feel like a fresh start.
That shiver earlier? Probably just because he hadn't dressed warmly enough.
Emerging from the dungeon-level Potions classroom and stepping up into the open air, he inhaled deeply. Instantly, the heaviness in his lungs seemed to vanish, replaced by a clean, bracing freshness.
The autumn breeze carried a faint, woody fragrance from the distant Forbidden Forest—a scent that reminded him of that golden unicorn, wild and joyful, galloping through the heart of nature…
Smack!
Lost in his appreciation of Hogwarts' seasonal beauty, Qin Yu was abruptly jolted back to reality by a sharp tap on the shoulder.
Annoyed, he spun around—only to find himself staring into Professor Snape's ever-frosty face. The Potions Master was calmly folding away a book, clearly the "weapon" he'd just used for the sneak attack.
"Don't loiter. Go eat your lunch," Snape said curtly, then strode off, leaving behind a solitary, imposing silhouette.
"Yeah, yeah…" Qin Yu rolled his eyes.
Of course, Snape wasn't actually concerned about his diet. Lately, he'd been giving Qin Yu special after-class "tutoring"—a phrase that, if taken out of context, sounded like the start of a questionable fanfic.
No, best not to sully the sacred image of Professor Snape. Qin Yu smirked inwardly at his own runaway imagination.
He made quick work of lunch in the Great Hall—chicken leg, two slices of oat bread, a hearty bowl of vegetable soup—then wiped his mouth and set off for the eighth floor of the main castle.
His destination: the Room of Requirement.
He'd barely reached the corridor when Professor Snape, black robes billowing and hair gleaming, appeared at the far end.
"Professor Snape, I have a question I just can't help but ask…" Qin Yu said, looking genuinely conflicted as Snape drew near.
"Then ask," Snape replied, expressionless.
"Did you get here early and hide somewhere, just so you could pop out the moment I arrived?" Qin Yu finally blurted out the question that had been bugging him.
He suspected Snape couldn't find the entrance to the Room of Requirement, but was too proud to wait in the corridor like a lost tourist—so he'd hidden instead. Childish, really. Not that Qin Yu was one to judge, considering the question he'd just asked.
"…."
Snape froze for a split second, eyes narrowing dangerously. "We'll be doing practical dueling today. I want to see what you've actually learned."
"What? Professor, isn't that a bit sudden? I've only been learning from you for two days!" Qin Yu protested, panic rising.
This was Severus Snape—a genius in both Dark Arts and Potions, a wizard who'd invented spells while still a student. Facing him in a duel? He'd be lucky to walk away in one piece.
Who wouldn't be nervous?
"Practice is the best teacher," Snape said, already striding toward the door that had just appeared.
"Can't we talk about this, Professor? I'm still just a kid! Maybe give me a couple more days?" Qin Yu pleaded, catching up.
"Spare me your pitiful acting. I'll be careful. You won't die," Snape replied coldly.
The claim of being "just a child" only earned a silent, inward sneer from Snape. If all children were like Qin Yu, the world would be in chaos.
"Um, I'm not great with pain. Could you… go easy on me?" Qin Yu tried, face drawn in mock misery.
"I'll try," Snape said, voice as light as a feather—utterly unconvincing.
Why did I have to open my big mouth? Qin Yu groaned inwardly.
…
According to Dumbledore's plan, Qin Yu needed focused training in two areas: emotional regulation, and responding to sudden crises.
Emotional control was obvious—Obscurus Power outbreaks always stemmed from the Host's emotional loss of control, especially negative emotions.
And as for sudden crises, every time Qin Yu had lost control of his Obscurus Power, it had been triggered by something unexpected. If he could handle those moments himself, he wouldn't need the power at all.
Both approaches struck right at the heart of the problem. Qin Yu had to admit, old Dumbledore really did see straight through him.
For the specifics: emotional training was handled by Professor Stephen Swenton; crisis response by Professor Severus Snape.
Since Snape's instruction involved defensive and offensive spells—potentially destructive and definitely noisy—Qin Yu had suggested the Room of Requirement for their sessions. It was spacious, discreet, and, best of all, soundproof.
"Hmph, you can find the Room of Requirement?" Snape had snorted, skeptical.
But Qin Yu had led him straight to the door, leaving Snape silently cursing the boy's uncanny luck.
Today marked the third day of Snape's training.
"We're doing nothing but Expelliarmus today," Snape announced.
Qin Yu let out a sigh of relief. "Understood, Professor."
Just Expelliarmus—not exactly deadly. He should survive.
Snape didn't waste any more words. He strode to the center of the room; Qin Yu followed, gripping his silver-grey wand.
Both raised their wands and bowed slightly in the traditional dueling salute. Then, back to back, they paced off to opposite ends and turned to face each other.
The duel was on.
Snape's expression was all business. Qin Yu straightened up, tension crackling in the air.
"Expelliarmus!" "Expe—"
They spoke almost in unison, but Qin Yu had barely started the incantation when—wham!—an invisible force yanked his wand from his hand.
Clatter! His wand hit the floor.
"Good timing, but your spellwork is still sloppy. Your wand movement isn't muscle memory yet. Thirty points," Snape critiqued, then barked, "Pick it up. Again!"
Qin Yu retrieved his wand, flexed his wrist, and took his mark.
This time, he silently rehearsed the incantation, waiting until he felt ready.
"Expelliarmurmus!"
He got the spell out first, even half a second ahead of Snape—but his wand still went flying.
"Spells require precision. In a real duel, you must stay calm. You rushed your attack and missed—wasted effort. Forty points. Pick it up. Again!"
Qin Yu tried a new tactic, darting around the field in unpredictable patterns.
"Expelliarmus!"
Snape's spell hit home, knocking the wand away yet again. "Foolish. Do you think an enemy will give you all that time? Fifty points."
Wait, he called me foolish but gave me a higher score? Qin Yu wondered as he picked up his wand.
No time to dwell—he braced himself for the next round.
For the next half hour, they faced off at least fifty times. Every time, Qin Yu's wand hit the floor.
It was demoralizing—he could almost hear the unicorn hair inside his wand whimpering in protest.
But with each failure, he learned. He adjusted his strategy, refined his timing. Once, he nearly hit Snape's hand, but at the last moment, the professor twisted his wrist in a bizarre, almost inhuman way and dodged the spell.
As the duel dragged on, Qin Yu was exhausted; Snape hadn't even broken a sweat. The "outlast the opponent" strategy was a lost cause.
If anything, Qin Yu was going to collapse first. Constant motion and vigilance were draining, and his hand felt swollen from all the disarms.
"Expelliarmurmus!"
Another simultaneous attack—Qin Yu lost his wand again. This time, fatigue sent him stumbling into a table.
"A wizard's body is his greatest asset. You need to learn to maintain it. Fifty-nine points," Snape said.
Before he could be told, Qin Yu retrieved his wand, this time pacing the field and focusing on his breathing to recover.
When he'd made it halfway across—standing where Snape had started—he felt steadier, his hand no longer trembling.
At that moment, he noticed Snape's gaze flick to something on the ground.
Opportunity. Qin Yu didn't hesitate.
He whipped his wand up and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
"Ex—"
A flash of white light struck Snape's right hand.
Clatter!
Snape's wand hit the floor.
"Merlin's beard! Did I actually win?!" Qin Yu shouted, unable to believe it.
"Perfect timing, decisive casting, flawless execution. Full marks," Snape replied, voice as flat as ever.
"Heh, Professor, I'm improving fast, aren't I? Do you ever worry your students will put you out of a job?" Qin Yu grinned, almost giddy.
After all, this was Snape! Disarming him even once was bragging rights for life.
But while Qin Yu was elated, Snape's expression grew strangely somber.
He bent down—not to retrieve his wand, but to pick up a card from the floor, which he then slipped into a book that had also fallen.
Both the book and the card had been on a nearby table. When Qin Yu had crashed into it earlier, the book had fallen, and the card had slipped out.
Qin Yu recognized it instantly: the bookmark Snape had made in class, sealed with a pressed lily.
"Professor Snape, I'm sorry—I didn't mean to—" Qin Yu began.
"You did nothing wrong. On the contrary, exploiting an enemy's weakness is commendable," Snape said quietly, closing the book.
What Qin Yu really wanted to say was, Sorry for knocking over your lily. (Lily.)
But that would have been far too familiar—maybe even dangerous, given Snape's mood. He wisely kept silent.
…
"I heard you managed to knock Severus's wand away? Impressive—the younger generation is catching up!" Professor Swenton teased that evening during their session.
"Heh, pure luck. Professor Snape was distracted. That's the only reason I managed it," Qin Yu said modestly—no way was he going to get cocky.
"Haha, you're a humble one. I like that," Swenton laughed.
Qin Yu had no intention of mentioning Snape's secret; he just let the subject drop.
Soon, Professor Swenton began teaching him techniques for emotional control.
His method? Meditation.
"As I've shown you—sit cross-legged, relax, let your mind settle… Don't force yourself to listen or not listen, to think or not think… let your spirit drift in the space between action and stillness… Don't force movement, don't force stillness…"
Swenton's words were circuitous, but his voice carried a subtle magic, guiding Qin Yu into a state of deep inner calm—a place between waking and sleeping.
It was a strange, wonderful sensation, as if he were asleep and awake at the same time.
In that space, Qin Yu began to sense the mysteries of the mind.
When he finally emerged from meditation, he felt stronger, mentally clearer—and even the exhaustion from dueling Snape had vanished.
Qin Yu couldn't help but look at Professor Swenton with newfound respect. Hogwarts truly was a place where dragons and tigers hid.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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