HP North Star's Radiance

In each year and each day as a ghost, she became increasingly aware that she could no longer grow up, remaining completely frozen at the moment of death.

But Barron is a living, breathing person; he will grow up.

“Praris, I know you mean well,” Myrtle sobbed, “but I can’t stay here. I have to go find Baron.”

“But Barron can come to you,” Praris said without hesitation.

Myrtle shook her head, sobbing, “But he can’t keep coming here! Barron has his own dreams. He wants to be a healer, not be trapped in this tiny bathroom by a ghost like me!”

Barron has to study, do homework, practice at the school clinic, and also go to Myrtle's bathroom to be with his girlfriend. His schedule is comparable to that of Praris, who was researching limb regeneration drugs back in the day.

Praris couldn't say anything more; it was a two-way street. Barron was trying his best to make time, and Myrtle didn't want her boyfriend to waste time on the road.

She smiled casually and said, "Maybe they don't know your lineage? Who would target a ghost? Don't you think so, Ginny?"

“I’m glad you still care about a ghost from a Muggle family,” Ginny’s voice came from behind Prass. “Hermione said we can completely trust you. Now we’re planning to steal Gryffindor’s sword, do you have any suggestions?”

“I advise against stealing,” Praris said.

Chapter 221 DA Reconstruction

"Brave lion, do not let the darkness wear away your claws!"

On the first day of school, Neville found Ginny and Luna and announced his decision to rebuild Dumbledore's Army.

Yes, the members of DA were united because of Harry. But Neville believed that their determination to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts and resist the Dark Arts would not disappear just because Harry was no longer at school.

In the fifth year, the Ministry of Magic, led by Umbridge, took control of Hogwarts, which led to the creation of Dumbledore's Army. Aren't the Death Eaters' actions now simply an upgraded version of Umbridge's?

Honestly, isn't DA precisely for moments and situations like this?

“Neville, I support you!” Ginny’s face was filled with excitement. “Honestly, I can’t stand being in this godforsaken place for another second! Look what they’re doing! Amicus Caro is torturing a Muggle-born wizard right in front of us!”

"Get rid of the word 'defense'! They're not having a Defense Against the Dark Arts class, they're having a Dark Arts class!" Ginny's brown eyes gleamed. "We have to do something, teach ourselves Defense Against the Dark Arts, and make things difficult for those Death Eaters... anything is fine, sitting around waiting to die is not our motto!"

"So, what is our mission?" Luna asked, her voice ethereal.

Neville seemed different than before. He clenched his fist and said firmly, "That's not important! We need to reunite the original DA members and then recruit more people to join us... Like Dumbledore said, unite all who can be united. Luna will take charge of Ravenclaw, Ginny will go find the other Gryffindors, and I'll contact Hufflepuff!"

Ginny and Neville immediately agreed and were ready to take action, but Luna remained standing still. She looked down into the distance outside the castle, seemingly deep in thought.

Seeing this, Neville stopped in his tracks: "Luna, aren't you leaving?"

Luna blinked, tilted her head, and asked seriously, "Shouldn't we invite the grumpy Miss Mask?"

Ginny and Neville exchanged bewildered glances: "Who is the grumpy Miss Mask?"

“The lucky masked lady,” Luna tried to describe. “Wearing a black cloak, like the Grim Reaper, she looks fierce, but she brings us gifts.”

Ginny was a little confused, but she knew about Death. It was the story every young wizard who grew up in the magical world had heard: the story of the three brothers and the Deathly Hallows.

Although it's a well-known story, wizards typically don't consider the Deathly Hallows as gifts. Wise parents would tell young wizards that receiving the Deathly Hallows is the beginning of death.

But who can blame Luna for speaking up?

Her ideas are always unconventional.

Ginny hadn't figured it out yet, but Neville suddenly understood and pointed to the forest outside the castle: "I know, Ginny!"

"Before we went to the Department of Mysteries, a witch wearing a mask and a cloak appeared at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione called the witch Talia and said she was one of us."

“Miss Mask is also a DA, right?” Luna said cheerfully. “I like her mask.”

Neither Neville nor Luna knew the man's true identity. But Ginny knew it was Praris Prince.

At Fleur and Bill's wedding, Hermione emerges from Ginny's cover, reverting to her natural and poised demeanor.

As Hermione walked toward the crowd, she whispered to Ginny, "If you need any help while we're away from school, you can ask Prarese for it."

Ginny agreed without hesitation: "Okay."

Shortly before the wedding, Hermione specifically told Ginny that the people who saved Ginny in her second year weren't just Hermione and her two friends; there was also Prarese.

“Why would she want to save me?” Ginny couldn’t understand at all. “It sounds like a swallowtail dog saving a goblin.”

“Don’t say that, Ginny!” Hermione retorted. “Does a person need a reason to do a good deed?”

"Why do we all mention that Prader is a Slytherin and that she was Snape's student when we talk about Prader? Can't she just be herself?"

“Prareth is Prareth, an ordinary person just like everyone else. People are complex; she might decide to help us save you after careful consideration, but she might also seek revenge against Harry out of spite.”

"Can't there be good people in Slytherin? Regulus is a hero!"

Ginny didn't know what Regulus's situation was; Hermione only said that he was a hero who sacrificed his life to thwart Voldemort's plans.

Hermione later specifically asked Prader about helping find the Chamber of Secrets to rescue Ginny. Prader said that her primary concern was that she didn't want Hogwarts to close down.

After careful consideration, Hermione realized her question was utterly unnecessary and ridiculous. Only those who do bad things need a thousand or ten thousand reasons to justify them; do you really need a reason to do good things?

Prader did indeed do it, and Hermione genuinely believed that no one could deny Prader's involvement in the matter, even if Harry and his friends ultimately succeeded without Prader's help.

Hermione didn't know if she would come back alive, but she was determined to tell Ginny the truth, even if—

“Prareth doesn’t really want more people to know about this, but I don’t want you to misunderstand her.” Hermione sighed. “I don’t want to see people’s achievements only being discovered when they are no longer relevant to them.”

Prarese had saved her, saved Bill, given Harry Felix, and was Winnie and Prim's family... Ginny now completely believed that Prarese was on her side.

Hermione's words and Luna's reminder echoed in Ginny's ears. She began to seriously consider whether to inform Praderne about rebuilding DA, or stop at asking her for help.

A moment later, Ginny looked at her two companions and said decisively, "That's right, she's a DA too! Leave the notification to her to me!"

After the re-establishment of DA, the three decided on a new direction: learning Defense Against the Dark Arts and causing trouble for the Death Eaters. As for the latter, Ginny suggested focusing on stealing the Gryffindor sword.

Dumbledore's will bequeathed the Sword of Gryffindor to Harry, but Scrimgeour refused. Ginny believed in Dumbledore's decision and that the sword would surely play an important role.

Since Hermione had suggested asking Prareas for help, Ginny, not one to mince words, boldly spoke up.

—And then I successfully got the message, "Don't steal."

"Why?" Ginny strode into the bathroom. "Is there a problem with that? We're planning to rebuild DA, study Defense Against the Dark Arts, and fight the Death Eaters!"

Praris waved his hand, and Myrtle immediately floated out to keep watch for the two of them.

Ginny was surprised to see this. Myrtle was not such an easy ghost to talk to; she spent far more time crying and unable to understand human speech than she was lucid.

“Sounds good,” Praris said calmly, “except for the part about stealing the Gryffindor sword.”

Praris said slowly, "You need a password to enter the principal's office. How are you going to find out the password?"

“Do you think we haven’t considered this?” Ginny’s thinking was clear. “We can easily track and observe the passwords Snape and the other professors use when they enter the principal’s office.”

“Sir,” Praris said suddenly.

Ginny paused for a moment: "I'm a girl."

Prarese said calmly, "Mr. Snape, or Headmaster Snape, thank you."

“No need to thank me.” Ginny pouted and said bluntly, “I never intended to call Snape that.”

Prareas raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Then you don't need to ask me anymore. I won't help anyone who disrespects Professor Snape."

“I could never have even the slightest respect for Snape after he killed Dumbledore—” Ginny said firmly, “because he was illegitimate!”

Prarese maintained a polite demeanor: "Miss Weasley, I'm in the same boat as you. I can't possibly help someone who doesn't respect my teacher, can I?"

Ginny glared angrily at Praris, but Praris smiled back at her with gentle politeness. She seemed perfectly calm, as if she wouldn't be provoked.

"I really don't know why you're still so loyal to him!" Ginny poured out all her confusion. "How contradictory you are! You saved me, you saved Bill... You have a sense of justice, yet you still give your heart to a murderer!"

murderer?

Prareas desperately wanted to defend Professor Snape, but couldn't bring himself to say it.

“This is something your parents should have taught you, but I’ll say it again—listen, Ginny.” Prarese took a deep breath and said carefully, “Percy Weasley is still your brother, even though he’s away from home. Similarly, Professor Snape will always be my mentor, and that will never change.”

"Without Professor Snape, I wouldn't be who I am today. Without his teachings, how could I have saved Bill Weasley when he was bitten?"

"Don't you get angry when others disrespect your brother? If you do, I can't control what you say about him elsewhere, but please don't disrespect Professor Snape in front of me."

Ginny had so much to say. She really wanted to say, "If your dear boyfriend hadn't let the Death Eaters and werewolves into Hogwarts Castle, Bill wouldn't have been bitten."

Yes, Prader saved Ginny and Bill, making up for the disaster caused by Malfoy letting the werewolf into the castle. But in Ginny's eyes, Snape killing Dumbledore couldn't compare to Percy's departure.

But Ginny held back from saying it. If this kind of thing continued to drag on, it would never end.

Why are you Slytherins so complicated?!

Ginny screamed inwardly.

She tossed her hair and said very decisively, "Fine, Professor Snape!"

The headmaster is out of the question; in Ginny's heart, there is only Dumbledore. The gentleman is even less likely; that would make her seem to respect the murderer of Dumbledore.

Professor is just right; it's just a position.

Ginny was unconvinced, but she was flexible and adaptable.

Praris didn't seem happy or satisfied; he remained calm and composed.

She said to Ginny, "There have been many wizards who have died without cause. You are still students; what you need to do is protect yourselves, not worry about the Gryffindor sword—that's something for others to worry about!"

“Then tell me, who else?” Ginny retorted. “All the entrances to the school are blocked by those damned Death Eaters. Who else can get into Hogwarts and get the sword?”

Prareas knew perfectly well that someone was concerned about the sword. Dumbledore, Professor Snape, even Aberforth… the list goes on!

But Prarese couldn't tell Ginny any of these reasons; she could only find a reason to stop DA from stealing the sword.

“Well said,” Praris countered, echoing Ginny’s words. “Even if you stole the sword, how would you get it out of the school?”

"Didn't the Death Eaters get into the school through the Room of Requirement before?" Ginny's mind raced. "We can do it the same way..."

“No, Ginny.” Prarese smiled kindly. “Didn’t you read the Daily Prophet? Borgin-Bock was looted and vandalized, and the other entrance has been destroyed.”

“No…” Ginny paused for a moment, then realized what she meant. “How do you know what the other entrance is?”

“This isn’t something that’s hard to figure out,” Praris said with a smile. “Why do you think Hermione sent you to me for help?”

Ginny's mind was in a daze. She couldn't help but wonder if Prares was so clever that she figured out how the Death Eaters got into Hogwarts in no time, or if Borgin Burke was the one who vandalized and looted it.

Ginny knew too little about Prader, and both of these guesses seemed too astonishing. She could only choose the simplest guess—Malfoy was her boyfriend.

"Through the owl..."

"Just like during Inspector Umbridge's time, all the mail was monitored."

"Through Dobby! It can Apparate at Hogwarts!"