HP North Star's Radiance

"They must know who attacked Amicus!" Alexedo roared at Professor McGonagall. "Nobody's leaving until they tell us!"

The two sides argued for a long time, with Ernie and Neville both denying it and saying they didn't know anything.

Alecto wants to use the Truth Potion on them, but to get the Truth Potion, he has to go to Snape, Slughorn, or Prareth.

Professor McGonagall probably thought Snape wouldn't support her, so she suggested going to Slughorn.

The old professor shrugged and said that he and Praris were both too busy to handle anything lately! "Alecto, you're really putting me in a difficult position. If you need such a complicated potion, please make an appointment a month in advance."

When he heard this, Praris almost burst out laughing—Slughorn actually had a stockpile of truth serum!

Professor McGonagall pressed her advantage, saying that Headmaster Snape hadn't been a Potions professor for a long time and probably couldn't produce a Truth Potion.

She voluntarily made concessions, punishing herself based on the new school rules. In exchange for deducting fifty points from each of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, suspending Quidditch training for a week, and suspending Hogsmeade Day for a week, she sent the two back to their respective houses to be punished.

“In that case—” Pansy counted on her fingers, “one week in Gryffindor, one week in Ravenclaw, one week in Gryffindor, one week in Hufflepuff.”

“Gryffindor has everything,” she said gleefully. “They’ve already been suspended for half a month, and they’re one step closer to being banned.”

Gryffindor is now so indebted they don't care, so overwhelmed they're not bothered by their many debts; they only think Neville is audacious in the face of increased punishment.

Hufflepuff students, influenced by the DA's previous propaganda, felt they were being unfairly punished and whispered among themselves, "What's going on? Ernie is being punished just for saying one sentence! If that's the case, Harry would have been expelled by Snape long ago!"

That makes a lot of sense! The number of times Harry talked back to Professor Snape was almost comparable to the number of times he went out at night.

Unbeknownst to Praris, Ginny even came up with a rather clever new idea: "Anyway, our grades are almost at rock bottom! As long as we don't care about grades, Hogsmeade Day, or Quidditch, according to the new school rules, whatever we do, we can report each other if we're about to be discovered, and we can do whatever we want."

The Academy Cup is hopeless; a one-month ban for violations means a suspension, and Hogsmeade Day's bans will only last until the end of the semester—wouldn't that make them invincible?

Ginny had high hopes, but after finishing her meal, she discovered that the school rules had been updated: the three punishments had become additional punishments, meaning they were no longer punishments but punishments added on top of the original ones—the loopholes had been closed, much to the disappointment of the Gryffindors.

Prarese was not surprised by this; it wouldn't have been considered a loophole in itself, but it became one after the Carlo siblings increased the punishment for Ravenclaw.

As the Slytherin girls walked from the Great Hall to the corridor leading to the underground crypt, a younger student called out to her: "Prince, Professor Amycus Caro is looking for you!"

Praris's eyes darkened. It was lunchtime, and for Amicus to give up his nap to see her was clearly not something trivial.

“Okay,” Praris said calmly. “I’ll be right there.”

Upon entering Amycus's office, Prarese discovered that Professor Snape was also there.

The students had previously mentioned that Professor McGonagall had suggested seeing Slughorn, and Alecto hadn't refused, even accepting the punishment according to the new rules. Professor Snape wasn't in the faculty section of the Great Hall at lunchtime. The new rules had been patched up right after lunch. Now, Professor Snape was in Amycus's office.

Professor Snape has gone to meet Voldemort.

Therefore, since Professor Snape was not there in the morning, Alexios agreed to go to Slughorn, and instead of taking the opportunity to ask for changes to the new school rules, he waited until lunchtime to make them.

Presumably, Professor Snape had just returned, relayed Voldemort's request, and received a complaint from Alexios, agreeing to change the school rules. He then stayed with Amycus to wait for Praris to arrive.

So, the reason Amycus summoned her was also related to Voldemort.

"Praris, did you see who attacked you in class?" Amicus didn't get straight to the point but asked this question, seemingly still holding a grudge.

Praris shook his head, puzzled, and said, "Professor Carlo, I didn't see anyone touch the wand."

—Of course she didn't see anyone use a wand, because she was using wandless magic!

Prareas didn't tell a single lie, but he also didn't reveal the truth; in the Muggle film system, this is called a montage lie.

"Amycus, let's get down to business!" Snape said impatiently. "Hogwarts has been around for a thousand years, and inexplicable things often happen. Do you really think any student has the ability to ambush you?"

Amicus was certain he'd been disarmed by a disarming curse, but he was too ashamed to admit to his Death Eater colleagues that one of the students had disarmed him. His face darkened, and he scoffed, "Of course not!"

“Prince, you’ve really stumbled upon some incredible luck that even breaking a piece of wood wouldn’t guarantee.” Amicus smiled, but his appearance was rather unappealing, making it seem less like a congratulatory gesture. “The Dark Lord has heard about your talent in potion-making and has decided to give you a small task. You’d better—seize the opportunity!”

“Really!” Praris’s eyes lit up. “This is absolutely incredible! I mean, I’m still a student!”

Amicus chuckled briefly: "The Dark Lord is happy to give any talented person a chance to succeed."

"So, what kind of task does the Dark Lord want to give me?" Praris's excitement faded, and he began to appear a little nervous, gripping his plain robe tightly with his left hand and glancing frequently at Professor Snape. "I'm a little afraid I won't do well."

Chapter 245 Dangerous Mission

On the surface, the Death Eaters' skill levels vary greatly, making them seem like a makeshift group, but not everyone can become a Death Eater.

Werewolves like Fenrir Greyback, who served Voldemort by biting people, are still excluded from the Death Eaters.

There is also a hierarchy within the Death Eaters. Voldemort is naturally the highest-ranking member, and below him, only the most powerful and loyal individuals can become core members of the Death Eaters.

For example, Severus Snape, Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr. after his escape from prison, and Lucius Malfoy during his time favored by Voldemort.

Below these people are Yaxley, the Caro siblings, Rothdorf Lestrange, Mrs. Burstdle, and the disgraced Lucius.

As for wizards like Draco and Regulus who joined the Death Eaters at a very young age—around sixteen—it was often because they had family sponsorship or were of practical use.

Most others who want to join the Death Eaters need to wait until they reach adulthood and demonstrate other uses.

Take Professor Snape as an example. He showed his talent early on and had been contacted by Death Eaters while he was still in school, but he only officially began to serve Voldemort after graduation.

Praliss's situation differs from Draco's; she has no family patronage but a trustworthy mentor and exceptional talent, placing her somewhere between Draco and Professor Snape.

After Voldemort's resurrection, his Death Eaters organization underwent a post-war reshuffle and other troubles, and its overall situation was not as good as it was more than a decade ago.

The capable Barty Crouch Jr. is killed by Dementors; Winnie the Pooh, the trainer and Charms researcher, betrays and escapes; Lucius, whom he values ​​highly, makes repeated mistakes; Karkaroff is executed for disloyalty; and Evan Rosier is captured and killed by Aurors after Voldemort's death...

Death Eaters need to absorb fresh blood, and Draco was a new member recruited after Voldemort's resurrection, with family patronage. According to Draco, Crabbe's activity was also because his father was actively recruiting his son to become a Death Eater, requiring him to demonstrate his abilities.

Now, Amycus Caro suddenly says that Voldemort has a task for Praris and wants her to seize it... Clearly, the Death Eaters intend to recruit Praris into their ranks.

Praliss's abilities are undeniable: she has repelled several Death Eaters, demonstrating that she can fight at least four opponents at once; she can invent several new potions, indicating that she has inherited Snape's expertise in potions.

But that doesn't mean that capable people will be developed into Death Eaters—capable people like Ginny, Neville, and Cedric are definitely excluded!

The Death Eaters need Prarese to "perform" and demonstrate his value and loyalty to Voldemort.

“Don’t worry!” Amicus forced a friendly smile, but it only looked distorted. “Like professor, like student. How could a student chosen by Headmaster Snape not be able to do it?”

Snape, sitting to the side, gave a nonchalant, lazy smile: "Oh, Amycus, you flatter me!"

“Yes!” Prares said awkwardly, “In fact, Professor Snape only kindly guided me for one or two semesters. How could I have the nerve to call myself his disciple? If I didn’t do well, it’s all my own fault for being lazy!”

Prareus maintained this persona in front of Amycus, displaying a cold cruelty when conducting research, but becoming an ordinary student who was afraid of his teacher in front of Snape.

“No need to be modest—are you refusing to accept the mission, thinking the Dark Lord’s choice was wrong?” Amicus’s expression suddenly changed, and the air around him froze for a moment, but the next second, he burst into laughter. “So, Prince, be confident and do your best to show your talent!”

After he finished speaking, he began to explain Voldemort's requirements for Praris.

Praris was still a student at Hogwarts, so naturally she didn't have the opportunity to fight for Voldemort.

Therefore, Voldemort's request to her was to develop a potion to treat people who had been harmed by Dementors but had not died.

“I’m not quite sure what you mean.” Praris’s expression was very strange. “Are you asking for treatment for those who have been eaten by Dementors, or… to save the victims of the Dementor’s Kiss?”

Dementors feed on positive human emotions, but there is something even more terrifying, known as "the kiss of a Dementor."

They suck a person's soul out of their mouth, leaving the victim an empty shell, devoid of consciousness, and forever unable to recover—that's how Barty Crouch Jr. was drained of his soul by the Dementors.

The soul is a person's self. When a Dementor takes away the "self," the remaining body can no longer be considered a person and is widely regarded as dead.

However, some in potions research believe that there is still a glimmer of hope for saving these empty bodies—maybe the Dementors didn't drain them completely? Maybe someone was interrupted by a Patronus Charm while they were halfway through draining them?

Reviving a patient suffering from the "Kiss of Dementors" is considered an impossible pinnacle task in potion research; currently, at most, some people fantasize about reviving someone whose soul has been partially drained.

But research involving the soul is always the most difficult. Dementors also serve as guardians of Azkaban—what good wizards can be drained of their life force by Dementors?

Therefore, only a select few potion-making researchers who strive for the ultimate level attempt to venture into this field. As for the results—not exactly meager, but practically nonexistent.

Amycus laughed heartily: "Prince, you're still a student. The Dark Lord always shows some extra leniency towards young students, doesn't he?"

Since Praderes was Snape's student, Snape couldn't openly offer too much opinion on the matter of testing her. But after Amycus finished speaking, Snape finally spoke up.

He said to Amicus in a stern tone, "Amicus, the Dark Lord is giving her far too much credit! For a student as young as her, any so-called invention is nothing more than a product of luck!"

“Headmaster Snape—” Amycus waved his hand and said, “The Dark Lord certainly hopes she can achieve the latter, but even if she can only accomplish the former, it can be barely forgiven!”

After saying that, he looked at Praris and said, "Just tell me what materials you need! Principal Snape and I will do our best to meet your requirements."

Praris had a slightly anxious look on his face, looking like a student preparing for the OWLS exam being told by his teacher that he had to get a certain number of certificates.

She forced a smile: "Professor Carlo, I will do my best—"

Snape waved for his students to leave, and Prarese immediately felt as if he had been granted a pardon, shuffling away in small steps.

As soon as Prarese left, Amycus asked sarcastically, "Headmaster Snape, it seems you don't think your good student can do it!"

Amicus emphasized the word "doesn't feel," as if he were saying "doesn't want to" rather than "doesn't feel."

“This task is no easy one, Carlo,” Snape said coldly. “Repairing a soul? Even Merlin might not dare to venture into this territory lightly. I think this is more of a punishment than a test!”

"With her skill level—I think she'll only waste the master's precious materials, rather than produce anything worthwhile!"

"Isn't there you? Potions Master Snape," Amycus said dismissively, the outsider. "You're being a bit too harsh on our future colleagues!"

“This is the master’s request, so it cannot be taken lightly.” Snape continued, “You’re right, I will supervise her experiments to prevent her from causing a catastrophic accident!”

Meanwhile, Praris left the office in a few quick steps.

After leaving the office, she walked briskly for a while longer until she entered the third-floor restroom before stopping.

Praris reached for the faucet, failing on the first try, but finally getting water flowing on the second. She scooped the water up with both hands and splashed it on her face to cool herself down, trying to calm herself through physical means.

Looking at herself in the mirror with water droplets on her face, Praris's mind raced.

She could guess Voldemort's stated reasons for testing her—nothing more than healing his men's wounds in Azkaban, and even restoring the now-empty Barty Crouch Jr. But the more obvious reasons were a test of her abilities.

This reason not only effectively concealed his true purpose but also demonstrated his concern for his servants and his emphasis on the quality of the Death Eater team.

But in reality, Voldemort's purpose was far more complex than that.

Creating multiple Horcruxes left his soul fragmented and highly unstable. Faced with something that threatened his life, Voldemort would never entrust the task to anyone, not even Snape, whom he trusted.

As a talented, focused, and seemingly loyal newcomer—backed by Snape—she was surprisingly well-suited for the job.

First of all, Prareus had no way of knowing the truth openly, just like Regulus after Kreacher's death.

Unfortunately, not only did Kreacher survive, but Prarese also learned the truth through various means.

Secondly, given her status as a Slytherin prefect, Snape's student, and a Potions genius, if she could accidentally develop a potion capable of stabilizing or even repairing soul trauma during her research on the Dementor Cure—like the cheap Wolfsbane Potion and the Spirit Potion, the two potions that had caused him trouble—that would be an unexpected boon for Voldemort.

Voldemort held a sliver of hope, but not much, which is why Amycus claimed that her possible failure was "barely forgivable."

Finally, the study of the soul is the most advanced and also the most dangerous form of research.

Prior to this, Dumbledore had only allowed her to continue browsing some paper documents, and had even taken away the truly core and dangerous materials before she enrolled.

However, in Hogwarts' atmosphere of strongly encouraging students to cast Crucifixion on each other, engaging in substantive and practical soul research could easily lead her astray. Once she made a mistake she shouldn't have made, there would be no turning back.