HP North Star's Radiance

It's hard to say. Although she was five years old when she was abandoned, Praris has no memory of what happened before that. It's said that Mr. Matthew, who was having an affair with Sister Maine, found her in a corner and hurriedly called Father Dorian. The kind priest gave her some hot water and cold medicine, and only went to the police after the Christmas activities were over.

Unfortunately, no one on Tulip Street lost a child—nor any further away.

The people at the convent believe that her parents may have abandoned her at the convent during the Christmas festivities when there were many people.

Father Dowling pondered for a long time and said, "She came here at Christmas, and we happen to be the Mary Convent. Perhaps this is a blessing from God, let her stay!"

Her parents left her almost nothing, except two words embroidered on her clothes: Praris Prince.

This was one of the reasons why Praris was ostracized; everyone in the monastery had the surname "Joseph," while hers was "Prince."

Did my parents ever love me?

Why did my parents abandon me?

Have my parents ever regretted their decision?

Every Christmas Eve, little Prarese would drift off into thinking about this question during Mass, until she grew up and stopped thinking about it altogether.

It's no use, Prarese thought as she grew up. What has happened can never be changed, and after experiencing so much, she can never go back to the time when she was still loved.

The next morning, Praris overslept, while Pansy and the others were all unwrapping their presents. Praris was surprised to find a present on the corner of her bed. She tucked her loose hair behind her ear and crouched down to look at it.

Millicent, who knew her best, gave her a book; Daphne gave her a bottle of magic perfume (each press sprays out different colors and shapes); Pansy gave her a large pure cashmere shawl; Malfoy gave her a pair of American-made magic whistle candies (blowing them produces different magical animal sounds); and Stella gave her a Portuguese cork bag—enchanted so it could hold more and bigger than itself. There were also other gifts from teachers and classmates, miscellaneous and too numerous to list.

Praris was relatively worry-free, since she really had no money. The nuns at the convent would teach the girls how to sew, so she distributed all the small wallets, hairbands, handkerchiefs, and other items she had made in previous years.

The nuns taught the girls sewing for several reasons. First, for the girls' own use within the convent. The black dress Snape wore when she met Pramanix was one she had made herself. Second, to teach the girls a skill to pass the time and to help them in the future. Third, to raise funds through a charity sale, using the proceeds to help the poor and support the children in the convent.

The third point is just a side effect, of course. Those items don't sell for much money, but it's still a way to interact with believers.

"You actually made this yourself!" Milison exclaimed in surprise. "How am I supposed to use it? I've never used a hairband before."

Praris smiled and said, "You should ask it, 'Hey Jenny, what hairstyle should Millison have today?'"

The silk scarf, modified by Praris, flew up and moved around in Milison's hair, quickly weaving itself into Milison's hair.

"Oh, this is great!" Millison looked at herself in the mirror again and again, extremely satisfied. "Now I don't have to worry about my hair when I wake up in the morning."

“You still need to comb it. Jenny will be angry if it’s too messy,” Praris said, stopping Milison from giving up.

"Have you opened all your gifts?" Milison asked.

Praris shook his head: "Not yet, there's one here that's unsigned."

To Miss Prince,

Wishing you a happy Christmas.

Half-blood prince

This was the only letter Praris had received in all those years, and each time the sender would enclose a small amount of pounds. The envelope was blank on the surface, the paper was just any ordinary white paper, and the handwriting on the letterhead was all typed.

As a child, Prarese had fantasies that the other person might be a relative or something else. After all, the other person was a "prince," and she was also a "prince." "The Half-Blood Prince" could also be interpreted as having half the blood of a "prince" flowing through her veins.

Unfortunately, no one could answer her questions, just like this mysterious and unchanged letter that has remained so for so many years.

This year, the pound sterling turned into Galleons, and the other party knew everything about her past.

“Oh, Draco is so… He gave me a whole box of chocolates, I can’t possibly finish it all,” Pansy said, cupping her face in her hands.

There's always a slightly different meaning behind giving chocolates between boys and girls, even though Malfoy is still a first-grader.

Pansy gradually shows her affection for Draco Malfoy, although she can't explain why she likes him.

As the first girl in the dormitory to experience first love (a little too early), she inevitably became the subject of teasing from her roommates.

“I can help you eat,” Milison said, one hand on his hip. “I’ve always been someone who’s happy to help others. If you’re worried about not being able to finish your food, I’m happy to help you.”

Pansy's face immediately fell, and she turned away from Millison, saying, "Daphne, Draco gave me chocolate."

“Isn’t that because you like to eat chocolate?” Milison couldn’t understand.

Pansy let out a long sigh: "Mirison Burst, do you really have to learn this from Prince?!"

Praris, caught in the crossfire, turned around in confusion: "What are you copying?"

Milison laughed heartily: "Frankness, precious frankness, hahahaha."

Daphne laughed out loud: "Pansy, she did it on purpose, just teasing you."

Chaos erupted in the Slytherin girls' dormitory.

Praris sat on the bed watching Pansy lightly slap Milison, the two of them playfully bickering.

Prarese felt she was starting to like Christmas, when she could feel the love others had for her without having to observe it, whether it was from gifts or a letter written on a typewriter.

Hogwarts was on Christmas break, and all the girls had gone home, leaving only Prasris in the dungeons. However, the teachers didn't go home either; most of the teachers at Hogwarts were single and unmarried.

"Is this some kind of curse, like Defense Against the Dark Arts, that's why none of the teachers at Hogwarts have husbands or wives?" Millison once asked.

Oh, it seems that's really the case.

However, most wizarding marriages are loose, without legal constraints. They stay together when they love each other, and don't maintain a sham marriage when they no longer do. So, this phenomenon is actually quite common at Hogwarts. For example, Madam Padve has had three husbands, each one a passionate and intense love affair, to the point that she still believes in love and encourages young couples to meet at her tea house.

Praris had a very fulfilling Christmas holiday.

The Slytherin common room has long black leather sofas, and the closet contains some silver tea sets, as well as tea leaves, coffee beans, sugar cubes and white sugar prepared by Marcus and his friends, and local specialties brought back by the students for each holiday.

In short, when it comes to leisure and enjoyment, Slytherins are far ahead of the rest. With a pot of tea, they can sit in the common room all day long.

But Praris did not do that; instead, she went to the library to complete her unfinished "task".

There are eleven schools in the wizarding world, among which the closest to London are Hogwarts in England, Durmstrang in Scandinavia, and Beauxbatons in France.

According to information gathered by Praris from extensive reading, schools admit young wizards living in the area where the school is located as students; for example, Hogwarts is situated in the British Isles.

Prarese was abandoned in London. Most people wouldn't go to such lengths to abandon a child, and the fact that the "half-blooded prince" knew about her situation suggests that her parents and relatives were likely students at the three schools mentioned above.

Some books in the library bear traces of students' visits, such as "The History and Victories of the Hogwarts Quidditch Team," which includes the names of the team members; and books about student gatherings, such as "The Hogwarts Historical Research Society" and "The Hogwarts Wizarding Chess Club."

Prarese needed to find someone with the surname Prince, specifically someone from within the last fifty years. She had previously found several: Erin Prince, Ryan Prince, Sylvia Prince, and Anna Prince.

Arlene was the earliest, a Slytherin student, and president of the Gobstone Club; Ryan was a few years later, a Ravenclaw member, and a member of the Wizards' Chess Club; Sylvia appeared more than a decade ago, a Gryffindor student, and president of the Muggle Research Society; Anna was a student four years ago, a Ravenclaw student, and a Quidditch hitter.

This time, Praris is here to supplement the information.

The term "half-blood prince" sounds more masculine, but Ryan Prince's name appeared in an obituary in the corner of the Daily Prophet, confirming his death at the hands of Death Eaters more than a decade ago. This obituary also revealed his relationship with Sylvia, who was Ryan's daughter.

Four years ago, Anna was a sports journalist for the South American Sports Daily.

Anna Prince in South America has been ruled out, as have the elderly and deceased Ryan and the older Eileen. Sylvia is the most suspicious.

A day later, Praris finally located Sylvia; the issuing body was the Magical Law Enforcement Team. Sylvia had been arrested for attacking Muggles and was imprisoned in Azkaban.

Death Eaters attack Muggles and Muggle-born wizards. Ryan dies at the hands of Death Eaters, but Sylvia does the same thing as the Death Eaters, attacking Muggles.

Prarese views these histories as if wearing glasses—they are indistinct, blurry, and he cannot see their true nature.

Chapter 13 The Cruel Truth

The fireplace in the Slytherin common room was lit, making it warm and cozy. In the soft red glow of the fire, Praris's face was half illuminated and half shrouded in darkness.

The lounge was underground, so there was no snow in sight, but Praris felt extremely cold, as if the snow of Scotland were falling on her.

No child in an orphanage doesn't have beautiful fantasies about their family, hoping that their parents are kind and loving, but they have to give up on themselves because of some unavoidable circumstances.

“What else can we do? What else can we do but fantasize? Should I think they are murderers, arsonists, and inhuman villains?” Fiona once said to Sofia.

In his novel *Night*, Galshin says that the worst lie in the world is deceiving oneself. But the orphans have no choice. Without illusions, all that's left is the naked, bloody, and cruel reality. What will they rely on to keep going?

Even before entering Hogwarts, Praris already knew that this place could give her an answer.

But not everyone can bear the weight of the truth. The closer she got to the truth, the more unusually afraid Prarese felt. She forced herself to do something: read, help the teachers, and provoke some people.

"I have too many things to do, so I can't investigate," Prarese told herself, even if the truth was only a thin veil away from her.

But the Christmas holidays still arrived, and no one needed her help; her knowledge already surpassed most of her peers... there was nothing more to do. The letter from the half-blood prince became her alarm clock, forcing her to wake up.

Sylvia Prince murdered her Muggle husband in January of the year following Prarese's fifth birthday, less than a month after she became an orphan.

This is Praris Prince's mother, a thin, crazy woman with the same dark hair as her.

Let's go back to two weeks ago.

“That’s too cruel for her,” Ms. Sprout said to Dumbledore. “She’s still a child, and a very kind one. We don’t need to put everything in the open.”

“Pomona, nothing can remain hidden forever. We should trust Prarese; she can do it,” Dumbledore said, glancing at the silent Snape beside him.

Dumbledore was paying attention to a number of students, including Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville from Gryffindor; Cedric and Susan from Hufflepuff; Cho Chang from Ravenclaw; and Draco and Prader from Slytherin.

Undoubtedly, these people possess some special qualities and abilities.

Tonight, Praris's dinner is bread boats, which are large loaves of bread with a hole cut out in the middle, filled with a big piece of cheese, and sprinkled with some rosemary powder.

Praris ate a lot, which was unusual for him, and finished the entire bread boat, leaving Draco, who hadn't gone home yet, dumbfounded.

“You look like a giant that’s eating like a madman,” Draco said, his lips twitching.

Praris glanced at him sideways: "Ha, if your IQ hadn't been eaten by this troll, you'd find that I'm in a rather unpleasant mood. You should also know that staying away from an exploding cauldron is the best way to avoid getting blown up."

“No, the best way to avoid being blown up is to extinguish the fire under the crucible and stop its reaction,” Draco instinctively retorted.

Praris withdrew his gaze, feeling utterly bored: "Fine, you silly Banaba, if you'd like to dance with a troll."

Draco scoffed: "Prince, I've never seen anyone insult themselves as well."

“Then you should thank me for broadening your horizons.” After saying that, Praris walked up to Marcus: “You haven’t had this before, have you? It’s mine.”

“No. Hey, no, Prince, minors shouldn’t drink!” Marcus quickly looked up and said.

Before he could finish speaking, Praris had already downed his drink in one gulp: "Marcus, you're not an adult either!"

“Please, I’ve already celebrated my birthday, I’m seventeen!” Marcus took the glass. “There won’t be a next time.”

Praris waved his hand: "Malfoy was drinking red wine in the lounge last time."

"Hey, what's it to you! I mean, it's no big deal to drink a little, right? My dad gave me some too."

Malfoy's voice faded behind Praris, growing fainter as he was left behind.

After that day, the Slytherin students went home one by one to reunite with their families, leaving Prareus alone.

"Hmm, isn't that weird?" Harry thought.

Although Harry has recently become fascinated with the Mirror of Erised, it cannot be ignored that, besides him and Ron, the Slytherin girl was also among the first-year students who stayed at school for Christmas.