HP North Star's Radiance

Prarese preferred to call it a scheme, even if the other party was her enemy.

In the mind of every Slytherin, a plan implemented for victory, no matter how despicable, will only be called a brilliant scheme, not a conspiracy, as long as it achieves its purpose.

Getting back to the main point, if that's the case, then it must be related to Horcruxes.

Dumbledore said gently, “Plares, I must say I admire your intelligence. After obtaining the Cup, I found the fourth Horcrux in Voldemort’s home. It was a ring passed down through his mother’s family.”

The earliest is likely the diary representing life in the Muggle world. The relics representing the three giants' student days are from their time at Hogwarts.

The ring, perhaps, was found after he left Hogwarts, when he discovered his mother's family's affiliation.

“Even knowing about the new Horcrux, I still can’t think of where the others could be.” Praris shook his head. “But Headmaster Dumbledore, let’s put the Horcruxes aside for now! It’s not feasible for you to use them to distract me.”

Dumbledore laughed heartily: "It seems I have made another mistake of arrogance."

"Have you had Mrs. Pomfrey examine your fingers?" Praris asked bluntly, ignoring his previous question.

Dumbledore said calmly, "I don't think it's necessary."

"Sir! Is it really unnecessary?" Praris asked sharply, "or is it no longer necessary?"

Prarese had to state that, in order to respect others and to free herself from the burden of the past, she had lost her passion for uncovering the secrets of others as she grew up.

But Dumbledore is a taciturn and dishonest elder who often relies on the art of speaking to hide things he doesn't want others to know.

Dumbledore winked at her: "Wizards always rely on magic, and I have that bad habit too. It makes us always forget that some talents exist without magic."

Both of the people present were skilled in Occlumency and Legilimency, but Praris was an anomaly; she could explore others without using magic.

Prarese was incredulous; she couldn't imagine that Dumbledore might be facing death.

She vaguely remembered the Christmas dinner in third grade, when Trelawney once said that if thirteen people were eating together, the first one to stand up would die.

At the time, Praris did not eat and left the banquet on his own, dismissing Trelawney's death prophecy.

But now that I think about it carefully, Dumbledore had already stood up to greet Trelawney long before she did!

“Headmaster Dumbledore,” Prareus said firmly, “this is not unnecessary—you cannot die, we will find a way.”

“The curse… Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape, Winnie and I, we can all find a way for you to survive.” Prarees placed her hands on Dumbledore’s desk. “The Sorting Hat warned us to unite. If we work together, we will surely find hope.”

Prareas couldn't imagine how they would fight the unfathomable Voldemort without Dumbledore.

Relying on underage "saviors"?

So what if Dumbledore stood up before her? She didn't eat, so how can it be considered that thirteen people ate together!

Her defiant free will made a choice at that moment: to leave the table so that no one would die, and thus fate left a glimmer of hope!

Chapter 147 Conversation with Dumbledore

Dumbledore looked at her deeply, his face kind: "Harry told me that you once said to him that if I don't tell him the truth about something, there must be a reason why it shouldn't be told."

Dumbledore's implication was that he had his reasons for not seeking treatment. He had already prepared for the consequences, just like with all his previous decisions.

Just as Prarese had advised Harry, Dumbledore hoped that Prarese would follow his decision.

Yes, Praris will certainly respect Dumbledore's choice and will not superficially agree but actually go against it.

But she was still unwilling to watch Dumbledore die before the decision actually took effect.

Prarese's kindness is flexible; it only takes effect when she has the capacity to do so.

What truly made her decide to stop Dumbledore was that once Dumbledore died, who could guarantee that the members of the Order of the Phoenix would still trust Winnie and Snape, who were once Death Eaters—even though Winnie had saved Sirius.

Not every leader is as willing to place their trust as Dumbledore. When a crisis arises within a group, traitors are the first to be suspected.

The next step is the fight against Voldemort.

Praris looked at him sharply: "Including watching you commit suicide?"

"Do you think this is suicide, Prarese?" Dumbledore asked.

Praris pointed southeast: "Sir, Diagon Alley sells fake amulets. People vaguely know they're probably useless, but many still fall for it."

"Because everyone cherishes a longing for life and a hope for living."

"If you have the chance to live but don't do it, isn't that a form of suicide?"

“Very good—very good.” Dumbledore’s blue eyes shone brightly behind his glasses. “If the timing weren’t so bad, I would be happy to hire you after graduation as a professor at Hogwarts.”

Praris stepped forward: "It fits, doesn't it? Even though I don't have that kind of career plan."

Dumbledore shook his head: "Plares, sometimes, there are things that go beyond a love for people and for all things in the world."

Dumbledore seemed to think that his sacrifice was an important step in some plan, a necessary condition for victory.

Prareas asked, "So you believe this wasn't suicide, but a sacrifice?"

“Sir, isn’t sacrifice a form of suicide? It’s just that there’s a respectable excuse for you to die.”

"Suicide, in a way, means that you have been defeated by the mysterious man, defeated by his curse. Or—defeated by some self-destructive desire within you."

Dumbledore's blue eyes were fixed on Praris: "So you think I'll be defeated by Voldemort, is that it?"

Faced with such a penetrating gaze, Praris looked back at him without fear: "Sir, don't struggle, I won't let it distract me."

Far from being frightened, Pralis continued stubbornly, "You once firmly hoped to complete the search for the Horcruxes alone, yet now you're determined to entrust all this responsibility to Potter. Isn't that too contradictory?"

"You elevate your life, endowing it with some great ideal and value that transcends life itself, and then betray it without hesitation. That's what you're doing now."

"If you die because of this, you will not die at the hands of a mysterious person, nor at the hands of a curse. You will die by your own hand, by a desire for destruction. With that desire, you do everything you should do—and then walk alone toward the end of your life without looking back."

The conversation between Dumbledore and Prasris went beyond what a student should say to a professor, and was more akin to a debate.

The topic of their debate was life itself.

Yes, everyone is mortal. From the moment life begins, death is already waiting at the final destination to welcome life.

But this does not mean that a person should succumb to death itself—nor does it mean that one should be like Voldemort, exchanging the death of others for one's own life.

Choosing to live strongly represents the existence of inner hope, an inexhaustible strength to contend with fate, an indomitable spirit, and the dignity of life.

Dumbledore took off his glasses, wiped them gently, and sighed. He seemed to be thinking about something, or perhaps he wasn't thinking about anything at all.

Dumbledore said calmly and composedly, "Plares, it's time for class. Let's discuss this later—you should give me some time to think about it."

Praris then realized that it was almost time for the first class of the afternoon, the first lesson taught by the new Potions professor.

She had no choice but to end this heavy topic, say goodbye to Dumbledore, and run towards the underground classroom.

Running down the corridor, Praris still couldn't stop thinking.

She didn't think she could convince Dumbledore.

Only Dumbledore himself could persuade him, and only that person could truly save him.

But her efforts were not in vain. When someone is standing on the edge of a cliff, the difference between being pushed and being pulled is significant.

In the advanced Potions class, the number of Slytherins was embarrassingly small.

The Slytherins who achieved a "Good" OWL in Potions and chose Potions class are Praris, Draco, Theodore, Zabini, and another unassuming Slytherin boy.

Yes, Praris is the only girl here, which is quite remarkable.

Pansy's Potions OWLs also reached "Good", but she refused to continue taking the course.

Pan Xiyi said righteously and sternly, "No one would intentionally torture themselves!"

Daphne and Milison passed by a hair's breadth, but did not meet the requirements for the advanced class, which Daphne resented.

In contrast, Millison, the girl, grinned and raised her hand, cheering, "Yay! Long live passing!"

Back in the Potions classroom, it was very different from when Professor Snape was there, including the arrangement of the teaching tools.

In the middle of the classroom were many large crucibles, and Praris smelled the aromas of various potions, including Truth Potion, Compound Elixir, Aphrodisiac, Felix Felicis, Living Hell Potion, and Eternal Elixir.

To be honest, she's always had one question: isn't teaching a group of teenagers who are going through puberty about aphrodisiacs essentially providing them with tools for crime?

Slughorn asked the students to take out their teaching materials and textbooks.

Praris looked at Draco and noticed a book on advanced potion-making on his desk.

This guy... he really does want to be an alchemist, right?

Seeing Praris's look, Draco preemptively said, "Look at you, what kind of lousy book is this?"

After saying that, he threw his brand-new textbook onto Praris's desk, snatched Praris's tattered, curled-corner copy of "Advanced Potion Making," and said, "I'll have Mom buy me a new one later—"

Draco opened his textbook and froze when he saw the elegant and ornate rounded English letters: Stella Rozier Stewart.

Praris said softly, "What, don't you recognize me?"

Draco stubbornly rolled his eyes: "Here you go."

You should have said it was Stewart's "legacy" earlier!

Second-hand items are different from gifts from predecessors and ancestors.

Draco's family also has many things left by his grandparents and grandparents—these things are never considered cheap secondhand goods, even though they have been used by countless people.

Although, in Praris's view, there was no difference.

Although Praris was no longer troubled by money, she continued to use Stella's textbooks—a testament to Stella's sincere kindness towards her juniors.

Compared to Praris, a student who used secondhand textbooks from his predecessors, Harry and Ron didn't have any books at all.

Slughorn casually pulled two old books from the storage cabinet for them to use, and then began the lesson.

As the lesson began, Slughorn asked what kind of potions were placed in the crucibles in the classroom.

Unlike Professor Snape, he had no prejudice against Gryffindor and gladly accepted Hermione's enthusiastic hand-raising.

Hermione's encounter with Slughorn is like Merlin's encounter with King Arthur—she finally found her battlefield to make a name for herself in the Potions class!

She answered each question smoothly and fluently.

Slughorn looked at it again and again, and was extremely satisfied. He gave Hermione an extra twenty points in one go!

Draco grunted softly, then said to Praris with dissatisfaction, "I bet you could answer that too! But you're not as showy as that Mudblood!"

Praris reached out and pinched his waist, warning him in a low voice, "Listen to the lesson!"

Draco strained, and his abdominal muscles bulged out.

He whispered, "You—can't—move—it!"