HP North Star's Radiance

Snape's words were incredibly objective; the students he had taught and favored were, in his eyes, nothing more than "makers of euphoric drugs."

When Snape was a Hogwarts professor and former head of Slytherin, he was generous in showing favoritism to a gifted Slytherin student. This was something other professors would do, such as Slughorn's Slug Club.

But when he became a Death Eater, Snape no longer concealed his ruthless self-preservation, keeping his distance from Prairie Prince, his future colleague, to avoid being implicated by any of her missteps.

This was something Voldemort was happy to see happen.

Snape was a Death Eater he valued, while Prince was a promising new subordinate he was about to recruit. Leaders in the world are probably always like this: they can't stand their subordinates having such bad relationships that affect cooperation, but they also can't stand their subordinates having such good relationships that they even form cliques.

“Good, very good,” Voldemort said slowly. “Snape, you have brought fresh blood to me and to us.”

After speaking, he slowly walked to the center of the living room, sat down in the main chair, and stared at Praris's slightly sickly face with his snake-like eyes.

“Prince, I see…those…the marks left on you by those obstacles. It hurt, didn’t it?” Voldemort’s voice was soft but carried a dangerous undertone. “These little pains taught you the taste of failure, and they taught you a lesson—Rol, didn’t they?”

Voldemort was using Roll's experience to warn Prairie, reminding the young witch before him that Voldemort could inflict a thousand times more pain on her than the D.A. had done to her.

Praris nodded slightly in agreement.

But Roll was unable to respond because he had already passed out.

“Ah—Prince, you see, I tolerate many things: ambition, greed… even a certain degree of lies.” Voldemort paused deliberately, “but I absolutely cannot tolerate incompetence.”

This was the second warning. Voldemort drew a line for Praris's future conduct under his command, outlining what evil he could accept and what stupidity he could not tolerate.

Changing the subject, Voldemort spoke with an almost fanatical excitement: "Of course, that word has nothing to do with you right now. I've seen all the little tricks you've prepared for those werewolf scum and con artists. They're very clever, full of... subversive imagination."

With his head down, Praris had a fleeting thought in his mind, which was constantly undergoing Occlusive Therapy: This guy seems to be very keen on long-winded speeches.

In fact, she was absolutely right; Voldemort gave a similar speech in the Gaunt family cemetery.

Throughout Voldemort's speech, Snape watched coldly, expressionless and completely unconcerned. Bellatrix, however, was quite different. When Voldemort praised Prasace, she nervously bit her lip, almost drawing blood from her lower lip.

Just then, Voldemort glanced at the unconscious Raoul with an emotionless look: "Bellatrix, take Raoul away!"

Bella's eyes widened, her face filled with resentment—she thought she would be stuck here the whole time. After all, it was that idiot Sylvia Prince who should leave! But what could she do? It was Voldemort's order. She could only reply with a grim expression, "Yes, Master!"

After saying that, she reluctantly dragged Luo Er away, like dragging a corpse, completely ignoring which chair leg Luo Er's head hit.

“Prince, you have demonstrated extraordinary creativity in the field of potions. Now it is time to apply it to a grander, more fundamental subject.” After Bella and Roll left, Voldemort continued his speech, his voice growing louder, “I will entrust you with a crucial study that will determine the future of our great cause.”

As soon as Voldemort finished speaking, Praris raised his head, his eyes gleaming with the same excitement, seemingly intrigued by the "crucial research" Voldemort had mentioned.

“Yes, Master, I understand. You have shown me the undeniable rules, made me understand the cost of failure, and… the value of loyalty.” She barely suppressed her emotional turmoil and said in a clear and steady voice, “Your instructions are clear, and I am ready to dedicate myself to this research, just as I have to to the previous ones.”

Prasris was different from the other fanatical Death Eaters. To Voldemort, her purpose in coming here was clear: research and the resources she needed. If she appeared too fanatical, it would only arouse Voldemort's suspicion.

Voldemort said with satisfaction in his characteristically cruel tone, "Very good—you have made the right choice and decided to dedicate yourself to a truly immortal cause."

"For such awareness, for choosing to serve our eternal cause, you deserve a reward, to truly become one of us." Voldemort drew his wand and said to Praris as if bestowing a gift, "Kneel down! This is not submission, but the elevation of your life. You will be different from other mediocre lambs, eternally connected with me."

Voldemort had used Legilimency on Praris. He knew perfectly well that Praris Prince's fervor for research was less about his supposed career and more about her passion for it.

Under these circumstances, Voldemort still defined the inscription of the Dark Mark on Praris as a reward, twisting "coercion" into "sublimation." Since it was a reward, Praris had to show gratitude and honor, and actively participate in the ritual of enslaving him.

He wanted this genius in the eyes of everyone to be grateful and accept his enslavement in order to enjoy the power to control a person's destiny.

As soon as Voldemort finished speaking, Praris immediately stood up. She obediently knelt down, lowered her head, and said in a posture that could be interpreted as "humility" but was actually to avoid Voldemort's gaze, "Master, my talents and gifts are entirely at your disposal."

After saying that, Prarese rolled up the sleeve of her left shirt, revealing her fair and smooth arm—this was perhaps the last time in her life she could openly show her left arm.

Voldemort twirled his wand, the tip emitting a dark green light, and pierced Praris's hand like a needle.

The moment Voldemort announced he would bestow the Dark Mark upon Prasris, Snape rose to his feet as well. He stood a short distance behind Prasris, his eyes downcast as he watched her kneel humbly before Voldemort, a glimpse of her pale neck.

As the Dark Mark gradually appeared, Praris's body became increasingly tense, even trembling slightly, and cold sweat began to break out on the back of his neck.

Snape suddenly remembered that when the boy was studying with him, he had once been burned by a splash of potion and hissed in pain.

Snape glanced at her briefly before looking away: "Can't even handle that?"

"Sir!" Praris complained, "I'm afraid of pain!"

Snape subtly twitched the right corner of his mouth, indicating his disdain.

This year, the girl, who is afraid of pain, experienced both an explosion caused by DA and being branded with a dark magic mark.

Snape remained standing there expressionless, his hands, hidden by his cloak, clenched into fists, only to quickly and helplessly loosen them—he had grown accustomed to suppressing his emotions, even those that arose unconsciously, and could be quickly calmed down.

For Prarese, the difficulty of the process was not only the unavoidable burning pain when receiving the brand, but also the difficulty of maintaining the brain occlusion surgery with all her might.

The process of branding with the Dark Mark is the process by which Voldemort and the Death Eaters establish a connection. Only Voldemort himself can know what he feels and sees, therefore Praris cannot accurately measure the depth of this connection and can only prevent it from spreading.

Karkaroff was found and killed after his betrayal because of the Dark Mark. Winnie, on the other hand, survived because she was protected by the Order of the Phoenix's Loyalty Charm and maintained Occlumency for an extended period. Therefore, unless Voldemort is truly dead, Winnie will never be able to live independently outside the protection of the Order of the Phoenix.

This is one of the reasons why Pralis could only gamble on the Order of the Phoenix, unwilling to give up until the Order of the Phoenix was completely defeated, and willingly helped the Daedalus. Accepting the failure of the Order of the Phoenix was tantamount to accepting Winnie's inevitable death; Voldemort would not let those who betrayed him go unpunished.

To deal with Voldemort's branding of the Dark Mark, Prasris had to be extremely vigilant, enduring the pain to maintain the highest level of Occlumency, thus avoiding immediate exposure and ensuring that she and her master died on the same day, month, and year.

The scale of time stretched endlessly as Praris and Snape endured their torment. Finally, the twisted and hideous Dark Mark was deeply etched onto Praris's arm; there was no turning back.

To be or not to be, that is the question for Hamlet, but not for Praris.

No matter the dire circumstances, whether abandoned, bullied, or in this moment, Praris has never given up. She actively embraces destruction, living towards death, all to secure a better future for herself and her loved ones.

“Very good,” Voldemort said with satisfaction. “Get up, our newest member, Praris.”

Before this, Voldemort called Praris "Prince," but after marking him with the Dark Mark, he started calling him by his first name.

Given that Voldemort still refers to Professor Snape as "Snape," Prairie speculates that this is because there are two Princes. Perhaps, when Draco and his father appear together, Voldemort also calls them by their first names instead of their surnames.

Voldemort glanced at Snape and said casually, "I have important business to discuss with Praris privately. You can wait outside."

Snape did not refuse, nor did he have a reason to. Without a word, he obeyed orders and left, leaving Prairie alone to face Voldemort.

This was something they had both anticipated, but Prarese was still a little nervous—whether Professor Snape was there or not made a difference to her.

Fortunately, this tension didn't feel out of place at the moment, and Praris didn't need to bother hiding it. After all, this was indeed Praris's first time facing Voldemort alone.

Praris noticed that Voldemort had called everyone else out except Sylvia, seemingly not believing she would betray him or leak information. Sylvia, too, hadn't uttered a single word or made any move that evening.

As a complete stranger to Sylvia, Praris should have been concerned about whether any outsiders were present when discussing important matters. She glanced at the witch sitting listlessly in the chair, then looked at Voldemort, and asked softly, "Master... this?"

"She's not important," Voldemort said dismissively, his words implying he didn't consider Sylvia a person at all.

Praris composed himself, focusing intently on Voldemort, awaiting his command.

Voldemort walked to the window, turning his back to Praris once more, gazing at the murky darkness outside. In that extremely soft yet dangerously hoarse voice, he said, “Many wizards spend their entire lives hovering on the edge of true power. They are content with simple spells and shallow abilities. But you, Praris, you are different from them. Your talent has allowed you to see a wider world than most, hasn’t it?”

Voldemort slowly turned around, his blood-stained red eyes fixed on Praris: "You have seen the abyss of true power, the kind of depth that can rewrite the rules of life and death, and now—I give you a chance, not to peek from the outside, but... to truly step inside."

After turning Prasris into a Death Eater, Voldemort finally revealed his true goal, completely unaware that Prasris and Snape were already aware of it.

"Your task is to explore the origin of life, to seek how to make powerful beings even more...invincible." Voldemort declared magnanimously, dangling research and resources like a carrot before Praris. "You will gain unparalleled resources and access to the most profound knowledge—knowledge that Dumbledore and other so-called good guys have locked away out of fear!"

If Pralis had truly joined the Death Eaters for deeper research, Voldemort's words would undoubtedly have been incredibly tempting. Unfortunately, she wasn't, so she could only feign excitement and fanaticism once more.

Voldemort suddenly changed the subject, his tone turning cold again: "Of course, you should also be aware of the 'urgency' of this research. I think you haven't forgotten the lesson that Roll personally taught you so quickly."

Voldemort once said that he could not tolerate incompetence.

If Praris fails to complete the task within the allotted time, she will be the next Rol.

“Master, I understand.” Praris bowed his head respectfully and said softly, “However… perhaps Headmaster Snape and the two Professors Carol have reported to you that my hands and memory still have some minor problems that haven’t been cured yet. I will do my best to advance the mission and make sure they don’t affect your needs.”

Chapter 272 Assigning Tasks

"That would be best," Voldemort added. "Snape will provide you with the necessary assistance, but you must report directly to me on every step of your progress."

This is a different pattern than before. In the past, there was Snape as a speed bump between Pramanix and Voldemort. But now, she must confront Voldemort every now and then, reporting on every development of the experiment, with no way to escape.

Praris dared not disobey. Somewhat awkwardly, she crossed her arms and lowered her head to show obedience: "Yes, Master."

Only after this brilliant witch truly became his servant did Voldemort dare to reveal his true purpose—he launched into a grand, fervent narrative.

“You know, I have accomplished what no one has ever done before—” Voldemort said with a confident and proud tone, “tearing the veil of death, returning from the other side of life, and reshaping my body. Common people call it a ‘miracle,’ but to me, it is merely a small milestone.”

“Praris, the last enemy to conquer is death. The return of the body is but a trivial step for me. The ultimate goal of defeating death is not merely the physical body, but the true source of power—the soul.”

“My return proves that the soul can overcome the demise of the body. But now, I want to go a step further and make the soul itself as indestructible as a diamond, unafraid of any wear and tear.”

Voldemort's true purpose was clearly to have Prareas mend his broken soul, but these words, spoken by him, easily transformed into yet another blessing, a great adventure to overcome death. Moreover, in a sense, these words weren't even wrong.

At this point, it becomes clear how Helena Ravenclaw was tricked into revealing the whereabouts of the crown by his sweet talk.

After speaking, Voldemort's red eyes were fixed on Prasris, as if to determine whether she understood his meaning and whether she felt the slightest resistance.

Praris looked up as expected, his expression one of utter astonishment: "You...you mean...this is absolutely unbelievable!"

“That’s right.” Voldemort’s tone became incredibly seductive and intimidating. “Prareth, you have demonstrated a talent worthy of recognition—not just simple copying, but true creation and transcendence, which has earned you the only ticket to participate in this exploration.”

"What I want you to research is not mediocre healing potions, but the cornerstone for forging immortal achievements, making the most ethereal power of the soul controllable, strengthened, and even... perfect."

“Be proud of yourself! You are about to touch a realm even Death has not dared to tread. Death reaps the bodies of the living, but you are about to go further than Death.” Voldemort revealed a cruel, meaningful smile. “If you succeed, you will gain eternal fame in my great deeds; as for failure…”

Voldemort didn't need to say everything; his cold gaze and the stagnant atmosphere around him were enough to convey everything he hadn't said.

Faced with Voldemort's combination of kindness and intimidation, Praris did not show much honor, fervor, or fear.

She fell into deep thought for a moment before looking up to meet Voldemort's gaze: "Master, you are right. This is a relatively blank area, almost outside the existing framework of magical theory. Even in dark magic, it is extremely rare."

"This is very... difficult, and extremely dangerous. I must have a completely independent experimental site free from interference from others, and be able to prioritize the materials I need, no matter how... precious or rare they may be."

“Exploring such a dangerous and unknown territory is bound to be accompanied by incalculable risks. Based on previous attempts, any attempt to touch…the soul could lead to terrible consequences. I think it is necessary to explain to you the most realistic possibility of the future—progress may not be smooth sailing, and there is even a certain probability of…retrogression.”

"I am honored to be a part of this work that will change the world and the history of magic, and my mind is the only tool I can use to make a difference. From now on, it will focus on the problem you have given me, and I believe you will get the result you expect."

Prarese's actions were extremely audacious; few Death Eaters would dare to make demands of Voldemort, but she knew she had to.

This was no simple experiment; the possibility of failure was absolutely real. She had to attribute any potential future upheavals to academically manageable risks, rather than to issues of incompetence or even loyalty. Furthermore, her efforts to secure resources aligned with her persona in the face of Voldemort.

Judging others by his own standards, Voldemort didn't believe what a person said, only what they saw. He once again used Legilimency on Praris to confirm that there was little difference between her thoughts and words: the witch before him was already very actively thinking about how to complete the experiment and recalled the explosion that occurred during the previous radical experiment.

“Of course.” Voldemort’s tone softened. “For our common goal, everything you expect will come as promised—call in your Potions professor!”

At this point, Praris has essentially weathered most of the crisis of the night.

Snape was summoned and given some equally suggestive and unexpected orders. On the surface, it seemed that he was asked to assist Pralis in completing her mission, but in reality, he was more about supervising her, ensuring the safety of the experiment, preventing her from harboring any disloyalty, or even inadvertently revealing secrets.

Prasris initially thought that Voldemort summoned Snape because he didn't want to reveal his soul research to Snape. But that wasn't the case; Voldemort was more arrogant and eager than Prasris had imagined.

Between achieving immortality, compensating for flaws, and the potential exposure of weaknesses, Voldemort made a very bold weighing of the options, ultimately concluding that the benefits of using Snape's abilities far outweighed the risks—after all, Prasris was still young and needed an experienced Snape to keep her in check, and he was convinced that both of his subordinates were under his control.

Therefore, Voldemort revealed the mission to Prader and Snape to varying degrees. This served both to reduce risk and to show that he valued Prader, this rising star, more.

However, the level of mutual trust between Prares and Snape far exceeded Voldemort's expectations, making his superior methods seem somewhat clumsy.