HP North Star's Radiance

Love is subjective, blind, and a thrill that precedes logic and reason. As for mainstream societal opinions? Only boring people lack their own perspectives!

Praris turned to look at him and asked seriously, "Can't we just go in the hallway?"

Draco said dryly, "You hurt your head, are you still dizzy?"

“How abrupt!” Praris said. “Can’t you be a little more agreeable? I’m a patient with amnesia!”

The lighthearted and enjoyable time ended with their walk with Draco. As a victim, Prarese also had to write a report about the incident from her perspective.

In his report, Prarese used an artistic approach to emphasize the repeated mistakes of the Carlo siblings, while also providing an impeccable explanation of why the experiment could not continue.

First, there are objective reasons. The abandoned classroom was bombed, and a new location needs to be chosen. Experimental equipment, herbs, and magical animal products all need to be purchased and tested again.

Secondly, there are the aftereffects of the explosion. While the bone-healing agent restored her fractures, she still cannot perform delicate procedures, raising concerns about potential experimental accidents and another explosion.

Finally, Prareas concluded that graduation was only a few months away. Rather than continuing the experiments in the unstable environment of Hogwarts, it would be better to wait until after graduation.

Successful cases have appeared in Prarese's experimental logbook—although it is now unknown how they were achieved, this at least shows that she can do it.

In short, Prasris was telling Voldemort that the current circumstances did not allow it, but she had previously made a euphoric potion, so there was no need to rush.

Prarese believed that, in order to "reduce their punishment," the Carol siblings must have already handed in their experimental records, and Voldemort must have seen them. Therefore, she believed her request for a period of rest would be acceptable...

Snape slowly put down the report and, for the first time, asked directly, "Do you really have a problem with your memory?"

“Yes, it is possible,” Praris said.

She had a strange, ominous feeling.

Since Professor Snape became the headmaster, he and Prarese had always communicated in a more subtle way, rarely being so direct.

Upon hearing Prareas's words, Snape seemed certain that Prareas was actually healthy and was merely faking illness. He said to Prareas in an almost warning tone, "It must be."

Upon hearing this, Prarese immediately perked up. She could easily see that Professor Snape's muscles were tense, his lips were tightly pressed together, and his gaze was sharp; he was in an unstable emotional state—something bad must have happened!

Before she could ask why, Professor Snape announced some terrible news: "Miss Prairie, the Dark Lord wants to see you."

Praris seemed to have been hit hard on the head, and was completely stunned.

Voldemort wants to see her! Why?

Praris immediately rewound her actions over the past few months in her mind, confirming that while there were some risks, there were no real flaws. If that was the case, why did Voldemort suddenly want to see her?

Could it be... that they're going to turn her into a Death Eater?

It's still March, and Easter in 1998 was April 12th, which doesn't fit Voldemort's ritualistic habits, and she hadn't actually handed over a dose of the Enhancement Potion. Voldemort wanting to see her at this time makes absolutely no sense!

As Prarese said, graduation is only a few months away, and since she hasn't produced any real results and it's not a holiday, why shouldn't Voldemort be in a hurry... no! In a hurry?

Praris's gaze suddenly froze, then he slowly raised his eyes: "Professor, isn't this a bit... too hasty?"

Snape closed his eyes, his voice filled with an undisguised, unspoken pain: "Yes, miss, the Dark Lord is eager to see you."

Yes, yes, she understood completely.

Prareas himself destroyed several Horcruxes, either directly or indirectly, and the reduction in Horcruxes inevitably exacerbated Voldemort's sense of insecurity.

When he couldn't find or kill his destined enemy Harry, Voldemort must have been looking for a way to alleviate the situation—either to become stronger or to provide him with security like a Horcrux.

Praris, the potion genius who could potentially "cure" him, is surely a "safety net," isn't he?

So what if she can't do precision operations?

So what if the explosion damaged her brain?

Aren't there plenty of brain-damaged Death Eaters?

Voldemort couldn't wait any longer; he needed Prareth right now! Whether Prareth's current "quality" was at Snape's or Lucius's level, as long as he could be of some use, he had to use him!

In an instant, the atmosphere in the office plummeted. Despair permeated the air, as pervasive as the atmosphere itself, and suffocated like carbon monoxide.

Prader wouldn't say something as foolish as "Isn't there any other way?" She knew very well that when this matter came to her, it meant that Professor Snape had already done everything he could against Voldemort.

“This—” Praris stammered for once, forcing a smile, “This may not be a bad thing, sir! Soon, we will be fighting side by side. Neither you nor I are alone, are we?”

“To be honest, I’ve always been worried about you, wondering what you were carrying behind my back.” Once she started talking, Praris became more and more fluent. “Now it’s all right, I don’t have to worry anymore. We work together just like we have in the past.”

Prarese spoke so casually that anyone who didn't know better would think she was just going to do some work in Snape's old office.

“Miss, you’re not taking this seriously!” Snape said sternly. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with! Once you go, you won’t be seeing Draco as often as you used to. You will—”

“I’ll face the same pressure as you.” Praris calmed down with incredible speed, saying, “Sir, I understand. You told me this not because you want me to go. You intend for me to betray you and hide away with those hot-blooded fools, don’t you?”

Initially, Prader's focus was entirely on Voldemort wanting to see her. But as she calmed down, she noticed more details: when Prader comforted Professor Snape, the professor didn't seem to find it something to be happy about.

why?

It's probably because Professor Snape never intended for Prader to fall into Voldemort's hands.

“I am your student, Professor, yet you know nothing of my disloyalty,” Praris said earnestly. “He will probably not let you off easily.”

That's not necessarily true, Snape thought to himself, Voldemort himself was betrayed by his students.

Chapter 269 Persuasion

While this is indeed the case, no subordinate would be naive enough to believe that their leader has the ability to empathize—especially if that leader is a Voldemort on the verge of madness.

Snape looked at Prareus with a deep gaze, silently watching this student he had trained, this child he had raised.

He seemed to have spent his whole life in regret, like a gambler burdened with ever-increasing debt, thinking that taking risks could earn him money and happiness, and make up for his pain and regrets. In reality, however, he only found himself sinking deeper into a quagmire the more he struggled, eventually dragging his family and friends down with him.

Such silence often made Praris feel uneasy in the early days, causing him to act cautiously and timidly, for fear of angering him.

As for now... time is a strange thing, and this terrifying silence and oppressive gaze are no longer enough to make her nervous—sir, this tactic is no longer effective.

This is an innate human instinct. When you know that a person's actions are out of love rather than hate, and that they care about you more than themselves, it is hard for you to be afraid of that person.

Just as no child is afraid of their mother who truly loves them, those scare tactics—you know she's doing it for your own good, even if you don't want to accept it.

Prarese certainly understood this, and she had indeed had a few years of happy family life, however brief it was.

“I don’t think so, Miss,” Snape said coldly. “You’ve overstepped your bounds, and that’s entirely my business, not yours. Your job is to do as I say—”

"Are you just going to watch him unleash his fury?" Praris sneered. "Sorry, I can't."

“Just as you refused to let me take the risk, I cannot stand by and watch you suffer! Sir, don’t deceive me into thinking this is nothing serious. If it were, Professor Sinister wouldn’t need to teach a whole day!”

In just a few minutes, Prarese interrupted Snape twice, his arrogance enough to make all the students at Hogwarts take notice.

Snape's temper flared, and he said coldly, "Miss, I don't think I've ever taught you like that, have I?"

“This is not one of your usual simple tasks, and you are not dealing with a muddle-headed charlatan like Carlo. The Dark Lord is far more adept at Legilimency than you imagine, more unpredictable, and more insane.”

"I think Mr. Longbottom really messed up your brain, making someone like you believe in Potter's heroism and think you can save others—that's incredibly stupid!"

“Sir, you know I’m not that kind of person.” Prarese knew Professor Snape was trying to provoke her, so she tried her best to remain calm. “You also know I want to live more than anyone else.”

“You know how many plans and aspirations I have for the future. I want to finish my studies and continue my research—you’ve seen my long schedule.”

“Besides that, there’s something else you don’t know. I want to go to China. Millison has been there, and we girls want to travel. I want to go to America. Winnie said she’d like to take me to visit Ms. Smith. I want to go to Uganda. That’s Professor Sinister’s hometown. There are endless savannas and a peaceful, brilliant starry sky.”

"And those connected to these places, the people I love and who love me. I hope we can have a happy future together."

At this point, Prareas paused for a second, his lips moving slightly, his gaze trembling as he looked at Snape: "Sir, after our last meeting, some people disappeared from my life forever, without me even realizing it was the end. I didn't want, I didn't want—"

Praliss didn't continue, trusting that Snape would understand her unspoken meaning. Florin's death had already brought her endless regret; she couldn't imagine hearing such devastating news about Professor Snape one day.

When Sirius was in danger, Prader offered Felix Felicis, but also criticized Harry for acting impulsively, believing that his impulsiveness was useless and could even harm others.

But when Prader stood in Harry's place, and Professor Snape stood in Sirius's place—he certainly wouldn't like to hear that—she was forced to share Harry's feelings and understood his emotions better than ever before.

She knew all too well that Professor Snape's past success in persuading Voldemort did not guarantee his success this time. Even if he did succeed, it didn't mean he wouldn't suffer.

If force doesn't work, try a softer approach. Snape said, "So you think you're helping me, that it's for my own good? Miss, your heart isn't made of stone. Do you expect me to follow the same path as you?"

Snape once saw Prasris as a version of himself who had taken a different path, just as he had once looked for Lily's shadow in Harry.

Undeniably, he did such absurd things.

But gradually, he realized how unfair it was that a person is only herself and not anyone else.

Whether you look for Lily's shadow in others or project yourself onto Praris, it is disrespectful to the personal will of both girls.

Therefore, Snape no longer asked Prass to do anything, no longer told her how to do research correctly, but only told her what was wrong, letting her create freely and do what she wanted to do.

But fate is cruel. Just as Snape was beginning to acknowledge Prader's independence, she found herself at a similar crossroads, driven by forces that were either passive or active.

“Miss, once you become a Death Eater, there is no turning back.” Snape frowned, warning her. “Let me paint a picture of what awaits you: you will watch innocent people die before your eyes, whether it be anyone in the Order of the Phoenix, or even Brown. You will remember them forever, every dying face, every piercing scream—you never learn to forget!”

"What do you think the Dark Lord will make you research? He wants you to touch forbidden territory and conduct research on the soul. Haven't I made it clear how dark this research is?"

"Look at me, miss! A living example to show you what you'll get—eternal regret. You're so smart, do you really want to repeat my mistakes?"

Prareas stood forlornly in the middle of the office. She had grown up, but she wasn't any rounder than she had been in her youth—the ups and downs of the past few years had taken their toll on more than just Snape and Draco.

Even so, her gaze remained firm, and she was determined to embark on this path without hesitation, like a moth drawn to a flame.

“Sir, this is not something I’m doing out of confusion. I know perfectly well what I’m facing,” Praris said gently. “It is precisely because of what you’ve been through that I have to do this.”

“We’ve come a very long way, and there’s not much left to go. If we win, this mark won’t matter. If we lose, this mark won’t matter either.”

Praris understood it very well.

If the Order of the Phoenix wins, Voldemort will naturally die, and the Dark Mark will disappear, just like the magic Dumbledore set up after his "death."

If the Order of the Phoenix loses, then it's no different for the Death Eaters. The whole world is hell; what essential difference does it make which kind of punishment one receives?

“You taught me how to perform brain hijacking, so you’re welcome to hack into me and test my skills,” Prare said calmly and logically. “If I can’t do it, then we can talk about other things, okay?”

As soon as Prarese finished speaking, she felt Snape use Legilimency on her, a suddenness comparable to Myrtle suddenly appearing in her bath and inviting her to a water fight.

Fortunately, Praris's Legilimency was, if not perfect, highly refined.

Snape only saw that after he relayed Voldemort's instructions, Prass's eyes lit up noticeably, and she asked a lot of questions with some nervousness and hesitation, while he just told her perfunctorily that she would know when they arrived.

Praris calmly asked, "Are you satisfied? Don't worry about me being hacked when I'm off guard; I can keep my brain in this state for a long time—"

After he finished speaking, Snape's "vision" was filled with a jumble of things: page after page of books, line after line of knowledge: potions, spells, transfiguration, the history of magic, modern and ancient texts, newspapers, scraps of paper, pamphlets from street vendors... everything imaginable, like a tornado corridor on the North American Great Plains, one tornado after another sweeping past.

Her thoughts, like this knowledge, swept through her mind quickly and in a complex manner, leaving one breathless—heaven knows how she could think of so many things at the same time!

"Alright!" Snape had no choice but to stop Legilimency. "That's enough!"

Snape had to believe that Prares was prepared and had full expectations of what was to come.

“Sir, if we fail, you, Miss Winnie, and Ms. Prie will all die,” Prarese said softly. “What difference does it make whether I live or die?”