HP North Star's Radiance

"She's insane, absolutely insane!" Pansy seems more like the one who's insane than Milison. "Milison shouldn't have studied commentary. Look at her now, she'll say and do anything!"

The three women prayed for Millison, hoping he would be safe. But Millison ignored their prayers; he had already fled England, and now he had walked right back into their trap!

Chapter 275 Rescuing Anna

“Who does Lopez think he is to her!” Pansy said through gritted teeth. “Doesn’t Aunt Becky keep an eye on her?”

The three Slytherin girls all followed Millison's example and called Rebecca Burstade Aunt Becky.

Pansy couldn't understand Millison's actions. How long had she known Anna Lopez, how much time had they spent together? Yet she risked returning to England for a teacher she'd only known for two years!

Praris sighed: "Pansy, feelings aren't measured by how long you've known each other."

“Millison hadn’t done many commentary jobs, but reporter Anna still chose this student. Millison was going to Brazil for refuge, and Anna introduced her to the school through her husband. When she decided to stand up for justice in Quidditch, Millison immediately gathered information for her…”

Although they had never even met Anna in person, they could still vaguely sense the deep affection between the two witches from the changes in Milison's life trajectory.

“Besides, reporter Anna is also a good friend of Aunt Becky,” Praris said softly. “How can we be sure that Millison didn’t come back with her aunt?”

“Foolish impulse!” Daphne sneered, rolling her eyes. “Is she Gryffindor? This is suicidal! Lopez’s disappearance is definitely Death Eater retaliation. Do you think their return will change anything?”

In the past, Praris would probably have shared the same attitude as Daphne, but she has now experienced so much love.

Even though most of the people who loved her have been gone for a long time, these feelings still truly permeate her, giving her genuine empathy.

Although Millison was raised by her mother, she received almost no love or recognition from Mrs. Burst, and even developed feelings of self-loathing because of this, wanting to push Prarese out of her world.

Prader, who had Winnie and Ms. Priscilla, deeply sympathized with Millison. Aunt Becky and Anna, two elders, had given Millison love and approval, respectively. How could she not cherish such affection?

Upon hearing Daphne's rude remarks, Pansy immediately stood up, rushed to the door, flung it open, and looked around nervously. Only after confirming that no one was eavesdropping did she close the door and turn back.

She glared angrily at Daphne: "You reckless fools—I don't have the guts to go looking for thrills with you!"

The "you" in this context undoubtedly refers to Daphne and Milison.

"What's the rush?" Praris said calmly. "Do you think there are Crabbe's ears in the girls' dormitory?"

"With Pry here, what do we need to worry about such things?" Daphne chuckled. "Pansy, you're overthinking it! After all, Milison and Aunt Becky are purebloods—do you think the Death Eaters would kill them, huh?"

Daphne's words revealed a confidence in her pure bloodline and her belief that this identity could be a protective shield for Milison.

For a long time, Daphne has been able to attribute most things to her lineage.

For example, she always believed that Neville could run wild in the castle and still be alive and kicking because he was a pureblood. Any half-blood wouldn't be able to keep up. For example, she readily believed Praris was a pureblood, and never wavered, simply because Praris was gifted.

“Is that so?” Prarese said softly. “James Potter is a pureblood, as are Weasley’s two uncles—whose last name is Prewitt, isn’t it?”

"They're blocking the mysterious man's path!"

“Mirison is about to do that.”

Pansy and Daphne both fell silent.

“Even if we take a step back,” Praris said, “if Aunt Becky were to try and use her connections to get Anna back… wouldn’t Millison’s absence from Hogwarts be exposed? Would Aunt Becky run into Mrs. Burstdle? Would Mrs. Burstdle ask her for Millison?”

Prarese hadn't forgotten that Lady Burst had lamented at Malfoy Manor about not being able to turn Millison into a Death Eater.

Daphne clicked her tongue, seemingly realizing that purebloods weren't as useful as she had imagined, and that Milison wasn't a pureblood traitor.

Praris wasn't swayed by the other two's emotions. In her view, the important thing when encountering a problem is to solve it; whether or not to be sad can wait until things have settled down.

Aunt Becky was definitely not the one who made that decision. The fact that she ran away with Millison shows how much she values ​​her life. It must have been Millison who decided to come back and find a chance to rescue Anna. Aunt Becky probably risked her life to return home to protect her.

“I think—” Praris paused for a few seconds before speaking again, “I have an idea that’s worth a try.”

Why did Anna anger the Death Eaters? Because she wrote articles opposing the Ministry of Magic, which was under Death Eater control.

Rather than resorting to the brutal method of killing Anna to silence her, wouldn't it be more beneficial for Voldemort's rule to have Anna change her story in the newspapers?

“Anna’s disappearance has already caused some rumors,” Praris said calmly and clearly. “I think other Quidditch players must be paying attention to this disappearance and are worried about it.”

"So?" Pansy asked quickly.

Her hands gripped the edge of the bed tightly, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked at Praris, hoping for good news.

Unlike Pansy, who unconditionally believed in and relied on Praris, Daphne seemed thoughtful: "So, you want to use the negative effects of the disappearance to make the Ministry of Magic believe that Anna's safety could actually have some... positive effects?"

"Really?" Pansy's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, I remember Miss Stewart was the spokesperson for the Quidditch match back then, right? You and she were on good terms!"

“That’s right.” Praris stood up, pacing back and forth as he sorted out his thoughts. “However, I’m afraid we can’t send this kind of thing by owl. Professor Alecto will check our packages.”

“I think I can write a letter to Stella and ask her to come to Hogsmeade. Then, the two of you can deliver the real letter to her on my behalf at the weekend.”

Without hesitation, Pansy patted his chest and said, "I'll deliver the message!"

Daphne frowned, clicked her tongue impatiently, and took a breath: "Fine, what can I do? I even mocked her before she left. This is probably my karma! Pansy, I'll go with you, but don't expect me to get involved. I'll just keep watch for you at most!"

Pansy completely ignored Daphne's reluctance and happily said, "Okay, okay! But Play, if Lopez changes her mind, won't she lose all her value?"

“Quite the opposite,” Praris said with a smile. “It is her change of heart that is valuable.”

The panic caused by Anna's disappearance will make other wizards worry that Voldemort's reach has extended to Brazil.

If Anna's disappearance is turned into a murder case, it will put these concerns to reality, potentially leading wizards in other countries to believe that Voldemort is no longer content with ruling only in Britain.

This could very well lead to a situation where Voldemort, before he has even fully conquered Britain, faces the same situation Grindelwald faced when he had to fight against multiple countries at once – which would not be good for the stability of his regime.

Conversely, if Anna were to reappear in public, stating that she was not in danger but was merely invited by the British Ministry of Magic for a discussion, and say a few kind words, the matter could be completely resolved.

Think about it, even Anna, who used to be a vocal critic of the British Ministry of Magic, has changed her tune. Who can still say that the new government has problems?

For Stella, this was also something that would demonstrate her abilities and make the Death Eaters value her more—a win-win situation!

“But…” Daphne pursed her lips, “Will Lopez really change his mind?”

Pansy started getting anxious and upset again.

Yes, Mrs. Lopez is such an upright person, can Stella really make her change her mind?

“Everyone has weaknesses.” Praris slowly lowered his eyes, looking at his reflection in the glass. “Just as we care about Milison, can Anna just sit idly by and watch Milison risk his life for her?”

Once Stella tells Anna that Milison returned home for her, it will be difficult for her to remain upright.

What if Anna continues to fight the British Ministry of Magic to the bitter end? It's laughable. She doesn't even care about Milison anymore, so why would Prarese continue with such a mild approach? Of course, she'd quickly switch to a different plan, only considering Milison's safety and disregarding Lopez's life or death!

Praris adjusted his posture and said somewhat coldly, "As long as Anna is willing to appear in public for interviews to prove her safety, then the Ministry of Magic will have made a good deal. Changing their tune... that's an unexpected bonus."

Taking revenge on Anna was the Death Eaters demonstrating their power and intimidating some wavering centrists. Letting Anna go, on the other hand, was easing international tensions within the wizarding world. As for the wavering centrists... the seeds of fear had already been sown; could they be put back in their place?

Therefore, letting Anna go would be a very worthwhile thing to do, as Stella could easily persuade Yaxley.

"Could it be that the Ministry of Magic just released Anna for an interview, and then brought her back later?" Daphne pondered.

“No,” Praris said confidently. “Anna is a journalist; her work involves media exposure.”

It's impossible for a well-known journalist and commentator to never publish articles, never appear in front of the camera, and never be present at a Quidditch match.

If Anna remains silent for several Quidditch matches in a row, it will only confirm her ordeal and coercion, further frightening wizards from other countries with Voldemort's methods.

Once he confirmed that everything was feasible, Prarese began writing two letters: one owl letter, written with his left hand and signed, and the other, a letter to be forwarded, written with his right hand and unsigned—to prevent Pansy and the others from failing to complete their mission and instead exposing Prarese's actions in the process.

After finishing writing, Prarese went to the owlhouse himself to mail the letter.

"For whom?" Draco asked.

Prarese said, "Stella."

“You two seem to get along quite well,” Draco babbled. “My dad and Violet are also acquainted—you know Violet, right? Stella Stewart’s aunt.”

“Hmm,” Praris replied, “and then?”

“My dad admires Stella,” Draco drawled. “He says Stella is like Violet, meticulous and thoughtful in her work, isn’t she?”

“I will tell Stella—” Praris said dismissively, “to thank Mr. Malfoy for his praise of Stella.”

It was impossible to relay the message; Stella disliked Lucius Malfoy in the slightest, believing his arrogance would cause him to miss opportunities.

Stella argued that people can certainly be arrogant, and she herself was not a humble person. But a mature person should keep arrogance in their heart, not in their eyes or mouth.

Draco was completely oblivious to the fact that he was being brushed off. As the two walked out, he continued to talk enthusiastically about Lucius, as if recounting his most cherished stories.

The Malfoy family has a really good relationship; Lucius never hides anything from the children.

"Prince?"

Draco and Praris stopped in their tracks at the same time.

It's Alecto again... Yes, she's keen on patrolling places like the library and owl sheds, places convenient for monitoring students' thoughts.

Alecto only called Praris, completely ignoring Draco, which made Draco feel rather uncomfortable. He awkwardly spoke, trying to remind Alecto that there was another person present: "Professor Carlo, are you here on patrol?"

Alecto glanced at it casually and saw that it was the son of the great good-for-nothing Lucius—the little good-for-nothing Draco.

She gave a casual reply, then looked at Praris and said with displeasure, "I'm on patrol, Prince, what about you? Have you done your job?"

Alecto's words made Praris frown.

Voldemort should have been more wary of the clueless Alecto than of Prasris revealing his secrets! Just look—asking her about the quest at the entrance to the noisy owlhouse!

“Professor Carlo,” Praris said calmly, “I have a good memory, I haven’t forgotten.”

After saying that, she didn't give Alecto a chance to continue speaking and quickly found an excuse to pull Draco away.

Praris was holding Draco's hand, but before they had even turned two corners, Draco pulled his hand back.

Draco looked at her with suspicion and asked in a low voice, "What is it? What did Carlo say you wanted to do?"

He didn't understand. Wasn't the matter already over? Mrs. Pomfrey had already written "delicate procedures not recommended" in her diagnosis, so what else could Praris possibly need?

“It’s nothing,” Praris said casually. “I can handle it.”

"You think you can handle this?" Draco couldn't help but raise his voice, then immediately looked around in a panic, and whispered to Praris, "How are you planning to handle this? You don't seem to care about your health, do you?"

Praliss fell silent, staring at Draco for a long while before saying, "No matter how I deal with it... Draco, do we really have a choice?"

Chapter 276 A Mindset of Worries

Draco had never heard or seen Praris say such helpless words, like an invincible general admitting his inadequacy.

He was the one who once said "there was no choice," but now it is the person he loves who is asking "do we have a choice?" Fate is a mischievous devil, constantly manipulating the trajectory of life, making everyone experience heartbreak.

Or perhaps, it wasn't fate that was wrong... it was Voldemort. Such rebellious thoughts flickered in Draco's mind like flames, burning him with anxiety.

Draco suddenly reached out and pulled Praris away, running quickly until they reached a secluded, deserted spot. He wasn't even out of breath, but Praris was exhausted.