HP North Star's Radiance

Praris has a sharp mind, but her eyesight isn't very good at night. Although she's no longer night blind, she can only see, and struggles to grasp useful details.

"My master didn't take me with him!"

Prareus and Dumbledore exchanged a glance and carefully moved to the corner.

The visitor was Millison's mother, Mrs. Burst.

She cupped her face and said plaintively, "I also want to do my part for my master!"

Accompanying Mrs. Burst was Narcissa Malfoy, who turned her head slightly, rolled her eyes to the other side, and said slowly, "Dolly, are you questioning the master's decision? Someone has to stay in the manor to guard the master's treasures, doesn't he?"

“How could I question my master!” Mrs. Burst immediately retorted, trying to save face. “That’s true! I think only those trusted by the master are qualified to stay at the outpost!”

Under the moonlight, Narcissa's lips twitched almost imperceptibly twice.

Prarees roughly guessed Narcissa's thoughts; she believed Voldemort didn't bring Lady Bersde along simply because she was too weak. For example, Voldemort didn't bring that coward Peter Pettigrew on this mission.

“Narcissa, I envy you!” Mrs. Burst suddenly exclaimed in a shrill voice. “Why didn’t I think of making Millison a Death Eater to serve my master!”

Narcissa's hands clenched into fists beneath her sleeves. She said slowly, "Yes, why? Well, it's not too late now—"

"It's all because of that fat pig, Rebecca Burst!" Mrs. Burst said through gritted teeth. "I only neglected her for a year or two, and she ran off with my daughter! She's been a widow all her life, and all she does is covet other people's children!"

As a mother, Narcissa really doesn't understand how Dolly Burst could say such a thing!

Even when Draco was just going to school, Narcissa would often send letters and things to the school, worried that he was not having a good time!

"Hmm?" Mrs. Burst suddenly said, "Why do I feel like someone is watching me?"

Narcissa said absentmindedly, "What else could it be? It's the portrait on the wall..."

“Narcissa, I threw all those portraits into the storage room a long time ago!” Mrs. Burst said impatiently. “A bunch of old lunatics, always trying to tell me how to raise my children!”

Dolly Burst and Narcissa Malfoy walked away, while Prarese and Dumbledore emerged from the corner.

Because both of them were wearing invisibility cloaks, Prareus couldn't see Dumbledore's appearance this time. He reached out and tugged at Dumbledore's cloak, signaling him to go to the right.

Just now, Prarese used Legilimency on Mrs. Burstdle and almost got caught. Fortunately, by some twist of fate, Mrs. Malfoy didn't take it to heart and simply told her that it was the portrait on the wall watching her.

Quite by coincidence, Prarese saw in Dolly Burst's memory that she had seen the giant snake Nagini not long ago!

Dumbledore and Prasri quickly crept in one direction, but before they reached it, they saw a large snake sliding on the ground—it was Nagini!

Despite wearing an invisibility cloak, Nagini seemed to spot the two of them immediately, straightening his upper body and hissing as he flicked his tongue.

Praris remembered with frustration that snakes could sense their surroundings using infrared technology! Nagini had undoubtedly sensed the temperature of the two people under the invisibility cloak!

Nagini suddenly lunged at Praris, but Dumbledore immediately shoved her aside and cast a silent spell to knock Nagini away!

Voldemort, far away in London, attacked Harry with Lucius's wand, but not only did he fail, he also destroyed Lucius's wand.

He was shouting for Selwyn to hand him his wand, but then he abruptly stopped and vanished from the spot!

"Quick!" Dumbledore shouted to Praris, as he struck Nagini's snake head with a silent spell. "Voldemort must have discovered us!"

There are close connections between living Horcruxes, especially since Nagini is a Horcrux that Voldemort created in recent years, and it is especially close to Voldemort's mind.

Looking at Nagini, Dumbledore's eyes filled with boundless compassion. Under his sorrowful gaze, Prasris drew his dagger, soaked in the basilisk's venom, and resolutely plunged it into Nagini.

Dumbledore couldn't help but wonder if, for Nagini, who had been transformed into a snake by the Blood Curse, death was actually a kind of relief?

But he couldn't help but wonder, if death was a relief for the kind-hearted Nagini, what about Harry? Could Harry escape the fate of sacrificing himself for justice, as he thought?

Praris's sharp dagger was firmly embedded in Nagini's vital spot, and the snake's body crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

As soon as the sound subsided, Malfoy Manor erupted into chaos. A series of hurried footsteps echoed from upstairs, while Voldemort swiftly Apparated to the entrance hall.

Dumbledore swiftly grabbed Prareth, and his attendant vanished from the spot.

"Who is it! Who is it! Who on earth is it?!"

Voldemort spread his arms wide, looking helplessly at Nagini lying motionless on the ground, and roared angrily.

Chapter 200: How Many More Years Can I Live?

Bang!

After a loud bang, two figures fell from the sky and crashed heavily onto the sloping grass.

The two rolled twice on the small slope before stopping at a flat area by the water, only about ten feet from the water plants. They could see the reeds swaying in the breeze as soon as they opened their eyes—Dumbledore's landing spot was really not good!

To evade Voldemort and the Death Eaters, Dumbledore and Pramanix took turns using Apparition, constantly jumping to places they recognized.

Dumbledore is old and not yet fully recovered, but he is well-traveled and knowledgeable outside of London. Prarese is young and strong, but rarely leaves his home.

The two thus complemented each other's strengths, taking turns resting and running errands, and eventually lay flat on the lakeside of Stolhead Gardens, like two dried-up salted fish.

“Plares,” Dumbledore gasped, “Well done!”

Dumbledore knew, of course, that Nagini had not chosen to become a cold-blooded killer, and that killing her was the only way to liberate her.

But while the giant serpent was merely a murderous monster in the eyes of others, it was, in Dumbledore's eyes, the good girl he once knew. He could kill Nagini with his own hands, but he couldn't help but grieve for her fate as she continued to slide into the abyss.

At his age, he gradually came to understand that there are two kinds of courage in the world: one is the courage of knowing nothing, and the other is the courage of knowing everything yet still being fearless.

People say Gryffindor represents courage, but Dumbledore is getting old and believes his heart is gradually weakening. He will grieve for Harry's fate, and he will also be so self-loathing that he can't wait to rush towards death and escape the world of life.

He was not a perfect leader, but he devoted his life to fighting evil, making amends for the mistakes of his youth, and relentlessly pursuing self-redemption until he was like a moth drawn to a flame, heading towards destruction.

Dumbledore's immense trust in Snape might stem from seeing in Snape a reflection of himself—the one who caused Ariana's death and lived a life of remorse. His willingness to give Snape a chance was, in a way, also a chance for the tormented Albus in his teens and twenties.

After the intense and fierce "assassination," the old woman and the young girl lay on the flat ground by the water to catch their breath. The sound of tree cicadas came from the woods, chirping along with their breathing.

Prareas opened his arms, looked up at the starry sky, and said in a faint voice, "Dumbledore, are we going to win?"

Praliss rarely addresses her elders by their first names; she often uses "Mr," "Ms," and "Miss," perhaps a trait she learned from Snape.

“I think,” Dumbledore said, “that can’t be too far off.”

Praris asked softly again, "Do you recognize that snake?"

Dumbledore was silent for a long while before he said, "When was it discovered?"

“You weren’t wearing the invisibility cloak then,” Praris said slowly. “Have you forgotten our agreement?”

To facilitate communication, Prasris allowed Dumbledore to use Legilimency on her, and Dumbledore allowed Prasris to observe his expressions and receive information.

After Nagini discovered them, the Invisibility Cloak became useless, and removing the hood made communication much easier—otherwise, Dumbledore wouldn't have been able to push Prareas away so precisely. However, Prareas also noticed his expression.

Wizards who use magic too much inevitably forget the power that belongs to Muggles—even if this wizard refers to Dumbledore, even if Dumbledore knows an extraordinary Muggle like Jacob.

Dumbledore immediately realized his mistake and said, "Plares, I must apologize to you..."

Praris shook his head: "You don't need to apologize, just don't let me know why you're sad."

She knew Dumbledore was saddened by Nagini the Serpent, but she wasn't at the level of mind reading, so she didn't know where this sorrow came from.

After a long pause, Dumbledore said, "I grieve for Nagini, and I rejoice for Nagini—Plares, you are a remarkable man."

In that critical moment, Prasris was still able to sense Dumbledore's unusual emotions. Even after noticing this, she didn't hesitate to strike. This is something no ordinary person could do.

Praris chuckled, "That's scary! Don't praise me, it gives me a bad feeling!"

"Whatever the reason," she said calmly, "this is the inevitable path to victory. If we have to do it this way, let me, the one with no connection to this, do it and avoid any uncertainty."

If this was the only way to achieve her goal, Prarese firmly believed that it was better for her to do it herself than for Dumbledore to do it with a heavy heart.

But that doesn't mean Pralis will keep quiet about it. She'll wait until the mission is complete, then lay it all out in the open and ask for her share of the rewards, according to Dumbledore's conscience, before she has to go through all that trouble.

Dumbledore understood, of course, that since Prarese didn't care about Nagini's backstory, she was just trying to get something out of him by revealing it!

“Of course, we all know that,” Dumbledore said in a light tone. “Although I have a bad memory, I will not forget this important step toward victory.”

Prarese was satisfied. She propped herself up with her hands and stood up nimbly. She looked into the woods and asked Dumbledore, "Sir, are they worth it, since they only live for a month or two?"

Dumbledore suddenly became alert, narrowed his eyes, and said with feigned ease, "These past two months, they have made their voices heard in the world. For them, that has been worthwhile."

“What matters is not life itself, but eternal life force,” Praris said slowly, then suddenly gave a mocking smile. “That’s what a Muggle philosopher said—what are you worried about?”

What is he worried about?

Dumbledore dared to entrust his life to Prass, letting her complete the process of "resurrecting" him, but he dared not disregard Prass's views on all matters of essential values!

Many people respect Dumbledore, but Dumbledore himself knew that he almost went down the wrong path in his youth. If he felt this way, then the young, intelligent, and powerful Prareas could not help but make him extremely vigilant.

Praliss understands Horcruxes and how to make them, has studied soul magic in depth, and seems to have read all the dark magic books at Hogwarts. He is a young potions master and has the talent to see through people's hearts without using magic.

If she makes the wrong choice... Dumbledore's mind flashed through countless acts of kindness and forgiveness from the child, as well as her ruthless revenge and decisive actions.

Dumbledore still couldn't put his mind at ease. Whenever he thought of even the slightest possibility, he felt he could live a few more years to make sure the boy wouldn't go astray.

He smiled gently and said, "That's very true. I'll have a chance to read this book sometime."

“That’s Winnie’s book.” Prareus smiled vengefully to himself as he reached out to Dumbledore. “Come on, sir.”

"It's late, time to go home."

Under the night sky, Winnie nearly landed face-first. She narrowly escaped dropping her broom at low altitude and rolled over in the process.

Hermione and Bill rushed to Winnie and helped her up.

Hermione asked anxiously, "Mr. Brown, are you alright?"

"Just a minor injury!" Winnie shakily stood up. "Those idiots who've been kicked in the head by a donkey are much more seriously injured than me!"

Winnie may not be able to defeat Voldemort, but she is still a student of Voldemort.

Those who participated in the hunt for traitors more than a decade ago would not choose to fight Winnie. All those who came were people who had never faced Winnie before, and they were all beaten black and blue after Voldemort left.

However, the enemy outnumbered her, and Winnie had no major injuries, only minor ones. She paused for a moment, then said, "Mundungus is dead."

Hermione and Bill were both startled and quickly asked, "What happened?"

“Neither Mad-Eye nor I expected the Mysterious Man to choose me.” Winnie sighed. “Mundungus spotted the Mysterious Man, and I told him to lie down. He was so scared that he tried to Apparate away… but he got hit by the Mysterious Man’s Killing Curse.”

Of all the people who knew Voldemort best that night, Harry and Winnie were undoubtedly the two who understood him best: one was his destined rival, and the other was his infuriatingly rebellious disciple.

The moment Voldemort appeared, Winnie knew what he was going to do. She reacted in the best possible way, but Mundungus couldn't keep up and paid the price with his life.

“It’s all my fault,” Winnie sighed. “If I hadn’t been so impatient with him, maybe he would have listened to me. Or maybe I wouldn’t have knelt down…”

“No, Winnie,” Bill reassured her. “If you don’t lie down, you’ll be the one who dies. We don’t want any of our comrades to die tonight—you’re one of our comrades too!”

The best solution is for Winnie and Mundungus to both lie down simultaneously, thus avoiding the Killing Curse. If Winnie doesn't lie down, she will die. Only if Winnie lies down is there any possibility of both of them surviving.

Hermione said sadly, "We all dislike Mundungus and don't understand why Dumbledore would let him join the Order of the Phoenix. But we never expected him to..."