HP North Star's Radiance

“I know Occlumency!” Harry’s eyes widened.

“I taught you—did I need you to remind me?” Praris raised an eyebrow. “May I assume you’re trying to challenge me?”

Harry sensed the eagerness in Praris's tone and quickly shook his head.

For some reason, Harry always felt that the Slytherins had an exceptional talent for Occlumency.

Harry is brave and strong in combat, but he is also very self-aware.

In a pure combat situation, he was not afraid of Praris at all, but when it came to Occlumency... he did not want to challenge the Slytherin headmaster's outstanding student, who was also his Occlumency teacher.

“Okay,” Harry said, “I can at least trust that you won’t lay a hand on me, right?”

Praris answered honestly, "That's not necessarily true."

The two men looked at each other, and Harry was the first to back down. He said bluntly, "You know, I've been watching Malfoy's movements."

Praris responded with a soft "hmm".

“Before the match, when McLaggan opened my head, I ran into Malfoy with two girls. They seemed to be talking to Malfoy about something, and one of the girls was very angry.” Harry recalled, “I met Malfoy with two girls. They seemed to be talking to Malfoy about something, and one of the girls was very angry.”

Once Harry was certain that Pralis wasn't in a violent mood, he continued, "After Malfoy finished mocking me, the two of them left with Malfoy."

Praris was stunned: "Two...girls, is Pansy one of them?"

“No,” Harry said. “None of your three Slytherin friends are in there.”

Praris's eyes darted around. "One of them is very angry, isn't he?"

Harry nodded, confirming her question.

“And the other one?” Praris asked calmly.

Harry felt this was the calm before the storm, but he still honestly said, "I followed Malfoy around and kept glancing at him."

Praliss's lips curled up slightly for a moment, then quickly disappeared. She said to Harry, "Thank you, Harry... I understand."

"Are you..." Harry asked nervously, "Are you alright?"

Harry suspects something is wrong with the world; lately, everyone around him has been having relationship troubles.

“Great,” Praris said casually. “He didn’t do anything, just talked to the two girls—what’s the big deal?”

Harry didn't think this was the style that Praris should have.

He assumed Praris would leave in the blink of an eye, bring out three bottles of poison, give one to each of the three men, then gently close the unseeing eyes of the dead and whisper, "Forgiving you is God's business, and what I need to do is send you to meet God."

—That's exactly what Praris would do!

Harry left in a daze, only understanding Prarese's strange smile after he later deduced the identities of the two girls.

First floor, second floor, third floor... fifth floor.

Instead of going to her original destination, the glass conservatory, Praris strolled slowly to the eighth floor and leaned out with one eye at the corner of the corridor.

Near the spot where the "Always-Available" shop used to be, two girls stood at the doorway, one impatient and the other dozing off.

Praris smiled silently.

Is this what Crabbe says men do?

Having watched the show to his heart's content, Praris turned and left.

She had only taken a few steps when she bumped into someone.

“Tonks?” Praris said in a low voice in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

She quickly pulled Tonks into the girls' restroom and whispered, "What's wrong? You don't look well."

Tonks looked somewhat dazed; she didn't seem as cheerful as she had been for Christmas, and instead, she had lost a lot of weight.

“I remember you,” Tonks said somberly. “You’re Purnell’s daughter, the one who invented the cheap wolfsbane remedy.”

"So, how did you end up at Hogwarts?" Praris took a handkerchief out of his pocket, turned on the tap, wet it, and gently wiped her face.

Tonks mumbled, "I came to see Dumbledore..."

“What do you want with him?” Praris said. “I don’t think he’ll be at Hogwarts today.”

Tonks didn't ask Prareas how he knew; Prareas always knew, after all.

“I think Dumbledore might know… I heard someone was injured,” Tonks said worriedly.

Praris asked, "Are you worried about Professor Lupin?"

Unlike others who focused on Praris, Tonks's impression of her always included "cheap wolfsbane potion." But Tonks didn't like potions; she only cared about the cheap wolfsbane potion itself.

Pralis also knew that when Professor Lupin and Tonks rescued Ms. Priscilla, it was Professor Lupin who single-handedly held off Bellatrix. Tonks' expression was quite endearing when she mentioned this.

When Professor Lupin returned for Christmas, Tonks' gaze kept drifting towards him. It wasn't until Molly Weasley started trying to set Tonks up with Bill Weasley again that Tonks finally fled Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

Tonks covered his face, curled up in exhaustion and pain, and squatted down: "I heard there was a werewolf attack..."

Praris sighed helplessly, "I'm sorry, Tonks. I didn't know about Professor Lupin's situation either. But..."

Praris pulled a tarot deck from his bag and gestured for Tonks to draw three cards.

She doesn't really like talking about things that are destined, but Tonks is arguably the one who truly led Ms. Priscilla away from danger.

When someone is experiencing misfortune, divination can be considered a form of comfort.

With trembling hands, Tonks drew three cards: the reversed Eight of Swords, the upright Wheel of Fortune, and the upright Ten of Cups.

Praris ignored the first two cards and looked at the upright Ten of Cups, blinking. She said softly, "Perhaps you don't know, but the person who brought me into this world is very skilled in divination, and I have a bit of that talent in me too."

“I think Professor Lupin is probably alright,” Prarese said.

Tonks suddenly stood up and hugged Praris.

Praris gently patted her back, his gaze falling on the Ten of Cups in his hand—a picture of a couple and their child, with a rainbow symbolizing hope above their heads.

Praris saw it, but she didn't say anything.

Once words are spoken, they may lead people onto the path guided by fate, robbing them of the possibility of change.

The third card usually represents the "future," and the Ten of Cups is a very good card. Prarese speculates that Tonks might end up with Professor Lupin, and even have children.

But the rainbow represents both hope and a dream. The Ten of Cups signifies that Tonks may overcome obstacles to be with the person she loves, build a family together, and find a sense of belonging, but it also carries the possibility of that beautiful dream being shattered.

Rainbows are beautiful, but they are also fleeting and illusory.

Since Tonks wasn't asking about feelings, Prarese hoped that Tonks wouldn't be misled by the card and would make the choice she wanted independently.

Soon it will be time for the Apparition course exam.

Praliss turned seventeen at Christmas, but Draco was still almost two months away from adulthood and missed his exams.

These days, Draco seems somewhat insecure. He always spends his spare time with Praris, and Crabbe often has to urge him before he goes to the Room of Requirement.

Praris sensed that Draco's heart was perhaps in turmoil. His good and evil were torn apart, one wanting him to stop this job, the other demanding that he sacrifice for his family.

The final conclusion was that he didn't go to the Room of Requirement on his own initiative, but he would go if Crabbe urged him to.

As for Crabbe? Crabbe had long wanted to quit this damn activity! But it was the Dark Lord's mission, and Draco's slacking off only fueled Crabbe's anger.

"Don't you want to continue serving the Dark Lord?!" Crabbe said angrily.

Draco said slowly, "Who says I'm not loyal to the Dark Lord? Aren't I preparing to continue doing so now?"

Gore nodded: "Yes, yes."

“Every single time!” Crabbe said through gritted teeth, “we have to rush you!”

Draco remained listless: "Do you think I want this? Praris's mind is different from ordinary people. If I break up with her, she definitely won't let me off the hook. But if I'm with her and I never see her, she still won't let me off the hook!"

Gore nodded again: "Yes, yes."

"You my foot!" Crabbe exclaimed, his face contorted with anger. "When are you going to finish this mission?! I don't want to, I don't want to..."

Another unpleasant gathering.

Several people with different motives conspire to carry out a plan that none of them can count on.

On the morning of the Apparitions exam, Draco held Pralis outside the foyer as if he were the one going to take the exam.

"It's nothing," Praris reassured him gently. "It's just an exam; you'll be able to take it soon too."

"Soon? I don't want it to be soon!" Draco's deep voice came from Praris's hair. "I want time to slow down, to slow down even more."

Draco held Praris like a cripple using a cane.

Now that he needs to use his cane to get things done, it's as if he doesn't know how to walk anymore.

Chapter 182 The Phantom Manifestation Exam

“Go ahead,” Praris said gently, pulling Draco’s hand down. “Wait for me to come back.”

Draco, who seemed to be clinging to Praris, took two steps back, waved to her, and walked towards the classroom the second after Praris removed his hand.

Prareus calmly nodded to Draco and watched him leave.

Has Draco really changed drastically and become a clingy leech? No, it would be a big mistake to think that way.

Hugging can release oxytocin, which helps lower cortisol and relieve tension and anxiety... Well, Draco is just too young.

The heavy burden that should not have fallen on him was forced onto his shoulders, making him vulnerable, prone to collapse, and even somewhat neurotic under repeated mental torment.

Who remembers that he was a childish, bad-tempered, and willful boy not long ago? Who remembers that he is still a minor?

Don't compare the pressure she and Harry faced with Draco's suffering; suffering shouldn't be compared.

Draco hugged Praris simply because he was feeling anxious and uneasy, and someone happened to care about him.

Children without adults around to comfort them have to wipe away their tears themselves; only those with someone to care for them dare to occasionally reveal their vulnerable side.

Praliss turned and headed toward the auditorium to take her Apparition exam.

This exam didn't require much effort from Praris. But since her name was near the end of the list, she could only doze off and wait patiently.

Students who took the test early weren't much better off. Those who passed were required to remain in the waiting area to avoid crowds coming and going and distracting other test takers.

Hermione left the examiner and noticed Praderne dozing in the corner. She silently changed direction, not going to Ron, but sitting down next to Praderne.

Hermione whispered to Prarese, "Harry is planning to try his luck with Felix Felicis today."

“That’s good.” Praris didn’t open her eyes, but her hands clenched into fists beneath her cloak. “Keep an eye on him, don’t let him drink too much. Last time he drank the whole bottle, didn’t he?”