HP North Star's Radiance

"You're talking nonsense!" another Death Eater scoffed. "Why would she come out if there's nothing wrong? If something's going on, would you dare delay her?"

That's right! This witch appeared because the Dark Lord summoned her; she's never been seen unless he summoned her. They wouldn't dare oppose the Dark Lord's summons even if they had a hundred lives!

These Death Eaters should be thankful they knew what was good for them, otherwise Prarese would have had to report why she had taught her colleagues a lesson.

“Praris, your injury is healing very well,” Pomfrey said with dissatisfaction, “but your physical condition is not good, and you need to rest more.”

Prarese didn't completely fabricate the story to fool Voldemort; she simply stretched out the timeline of events, treating one event as two. Therefore, she did indeed need a follow-up appointment.

"Hmm? I'll take a break—I will," Praris replied somewhat perfunctorily.

Madame Pomfrey shook her head; if the patient didn't care, nothing the therapist could do. Despite this thought, Madame Pomfrey prescribed some sedatives and tried to comfort Prarese.

In Mrs. Pomfrey's eyes, Prarese was not only an ordinary student and patient, but also a good helper.

That's right, the healer herself passed the NEWT exam in Potions, so there's no way she wouldn't know how to make potions.

However, the students at Hogwarts are young and impetuous, and the courses are inherently dangerous. Not every professor can handle injuries that occur during teaching like Snape.

Fights, falls while riding brooms, Apparitions, injuries to classmates during Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes... the list goes on and on.

A student can only see a few accidents that happen in her own class, but she is facing all the accidents that happen to students in seven grades.

Therefore, Mrs. Pomfrey's main tasks were diagnosis, treatment, healing magic, and concoctions for temporary needs, such as cold medicine and stimulants.

Reliable colleagues and assistants like Snape, Slughorn, and Praris played a crucial role in producing and stockpiling potions, allowing her to catch her breath amidst her busy schedule.

Therefore, Mrs. Pomfrey still had deep feelings for these teachers and students. She simply couldn't believe Snape would commit murder. When Barron was fabricating the story, she scolded and reprimanded the children, but when Snape and the Carol siblings were in front of her, she still spoke up for Prader.

“Here you go,” said Mrs. Pomfrey. “Plares, cherish your health; it is as precious as life itself.”

She could never understand why some people, who were clearly afraid of death, never cared about their health. Was it because death only happened once, while health could be damaged countless times?

This was the first time Prarese had heard Mrs. Pomfrey speak so earnestly. The lady seemed to dislike lecturing, except when something special happened or when she was genuinely expressing her feelings.

She took the small medicine bottle and said somewhat awkwardly, "I understand, Ms. Pomfrey. It's just... sometimes, I don't have time."

Madame Pomfrey didn't ask why she couldn't attend to it. There were so many people in this castle doing things that were truly meaningful.

Faced with Prareas's words, all she could do was open her arms and hug Prareas: "Prareas, I'm sorry. Making students take responsibility shows that we adults have a problem, and it also shows that there's a problem with this society."

“This is not your fault,” Praris said softly. “So, you shouldn’t be the one apologizing.”

It seems to have been the same for thousands of years: those who haven't made mistakes apologize, while those who have actually made mistakes feel that they have no problems at all.

It was already evening, and since he had gotten the calming potion from Madam Pomfrey, Praris told Pansy that he wanted to catch up on his sleep and planned to drink the medicine and sleep until the next day.

When no one said it to her, she was completely unaware of how tired she was. When Pomfrey reminded her, these hidden fatigues surged up like a tide.

Pansy quickly said, "Tomorrow is Saturday—I'm going to Hogsmeade!"

“Hmm? That’s right.” Praris pulled the blanket over his head and made a muffled sound. “Stella is going to the Three Broomsticks for drinks tomorrow at noon. Just say you’re going in my place.”

"What if Stuart reads the letter but still doesn't agree?" Pansy said worriedly. "What should I say to persuade her?"

“No need to say anything,” Praris mumbled between sleep and wakefulness. “Panpan, if my letter can’t convince Stella, then no one can convince her.”

Prareas possessed such confidence that she believed Stella wouldn't refuse this opportunity to showcase her abilities. For the Death Eaters, Stella essentially averted an international crisis. For society at large and respectable individuals, Stella essentially saved Anna's life, causing her public image to soar.

If they don't even want such benefits, it means the trouble here is extraordinary, and nothing Pansy says will make a difference.

Hearing this, Pansy felt relieved.

Since Prareas had said so, Pansy figured she was just playing the role of an owl, so what was there to worry about? And so, Pansy let Prareas go to sleep.

Unexpectedly, Praders slept until mealtime without waking up, so Pansy had no choice but to bring her food. Then, carrying the paper-wrapped roast chicken and bread, she was stopped by Snape.

"Principal?" Pansy asked, puzzled.

Snape glanced down at the food in her hand: "Is Praris in the dorm?"

“Ah, yes!” Pansy replied immediately, “Plares is catching up on sleep; he probably didn’t sleep well last night!”

Snape gave a cold snort and let the bewildered Pansy leave—it would be strange if his attitude wasn't good!

Prader was suddenly summoned by Voldemort and left Hogwarts without a word for several hours. Faced with this situation, Snape was distressed and repeatedly tried to calm himself down, telling himself to trust in Prader's abilities.

Voldemort only summoned Pramanix, not Snape, preventing him from going over. He had to remain calm, otherwise he might expose the special relationship between the boy and himself.

Snape waited and waited, but there was still no news. Not only did Prairie not return to him, but Voldemort also did not summon him.

The result... well!

Chapter 279 Straight to the Hair and Against the Hair

rustling—rustling—

"Isn't Pry still up?" Pansy peeked in as soon as she entered the room. "It's unbelievable! This workaholic has been sleeping since yesterday afternoon!"

At one o'clock in the afternoon, Pansy and Daphne returned to the castle from Hogsmeade and found that their dormitory was exactly the same as when they left.

“Get up,” Praris said.

She sat bolt upright, the blanket sliding straight down, startling Pansy so much that she took two steps back, patting her chest with lingering fear: "Merlin! Do you know what you look like?"

“I’m not Merlin—what?” Praris scratched his messy hair, reached for the cup, and asked vaguely, “You’ve met Stella?”

Pansy finally got a chance to show off her knowledge. She plopped down on the edge of the bed and said with a grin, "It's a Chinese zombie! We learned about zombies in 'Black Magic: A Guide to Self-Defense.' They originated in South America. Unlike this kind of zombie, the Chinese zombie is straight whether it's lying down or standing up. It can't bend, and it's the same when it sits up."

Praris remembered this incident; Quirrell had also lied about the zombies, saying that his turban was a gift from an African prince to thank Quirrell for saving him from the zombies.

When Pansy described herself as a zombie, Praris couldn't let it go. He pretended to tickle her armpits, and the two of them joked and played around for a while.

Daphne couldn't stand it anymore and said disdainfully, "Can't you two be a little more mature! You're both adults, why are you being so childish!"

"Wow!" Pansy teased Daphne, "Our Duffy is so mature—"

Prarees chimed in, "Being an older sister is just different. When will I be as mature as Duffy?"

After saying that, the two of them giggled again and wriggled together. Daphne couldn't stand their antics! Those people outside praising Praris's strength and Pansy's sharp tongue—couldn't they all come and see for themselves?! This is someone you can't afford to mess with!

"Alright, alright! Stop fooling around!" Daphne rolled her eyes. "Pansy and I have already met Stewart."

Pansy frowned, pursed her lips, and said, "Stuart is only... four years older than us, right? But her bureaucratic attitude is really uncomfortable!"

Stella took the letter but didn't look at it immediately. She simply folded it quickly and casually stuffed it into a hidden pocket on the side of her robe.

"Aren't you going to take a look?" Pansy was dumbfounded.

While Pansy was speaking, Stella's gaze was mostly fixed on her. She would occasionally glance at Pansy, but spent most of the time observing her surroundings.

Hearing Pansy's question, Stella slowly shifted her gaze back to Pansy's face. She gave a barely perceptible smile and said lightly, "Of course—of course I'll look, but not now."

"When was that?" Pansy asked eagerly.

She realized that if she couldn't get Stella to respond now, she would be stuck in this anxious state for a long time.

Stella frowned almost imperceptibly, but quickly regained her composure and said softly, "This is a letter from Praris, how could I not take it to heart?"

She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping lightly across the bustling tavern, before continuing, "But this isn't exactly a suitable place for reflection, is it? — Here's what I'll do: I'll prioritize this matter when I get back, and Praris will receive direct feedback."

Before Pansy could say anything more, Stella glanced at the clock on the tavern wall, tipped her hat, and gestured to her, "Excuse me, I have business to attend to this afternoon... Lunch is on me, Miss Parkinson. Have a pleasant afternoon."

With Stella's keen senses, she couldn't possibly have missed Pansy's eagerness, but she showed no intention of responding to it.

Praris sighed inwardly and patted Pansy's head: "Pansy, we share the same worries about Milison—waiting is indeed the most agonizing thing, isn't it?"

Pansy gave a muffled "hmm". Praris's plan was originally a roundabout way to achieve her goal, and Stella wouldn't give her a definite answer, so she was inevitably anxious and wanted a firm response.

“Right now, the only one who can help us is Stella,” Praris said calmly and meticulously. “Miriam is an important friend to us. But for Stella, she’s just a peach she can choose to pick or not. She’s only considering whether to give it a try because I’m the one who delivered the letter.”

Yes, Millison is a good friend of Praris and Pansy, but that has nothing to do with Stella. An official like her, who prioritizes self-interest, wouldn't bother with things that don't bring her any benefit. The fact that she took the time to make a special trip to Hogsmeade to retrieve the letter, even though it was indeed for her own benefit, is already more than enough.

“Almost no one can force Stella to do anything. I was just offering her a choice. If we rush her now, it will only annoy her and make her lose interest in Anna. Next time, even my letter won’t work.”

Prareas had already told Pansy that there was no need to say anything unnecessary.

The complex relationship between her and Stella, involving both emotions and interests, can easily create the illusion that Stella is not like a typical Slytherin and is surprisingly easy to talk to and manipulate—which would be a huge misconception.

Stella has a circle in her relationships; those within that circle, as long as they don't cross her bottom line, deserve to be forgiven. Conversely, she is ruthless towards those who do cross it.

Previously, when Prarese asked Stella to help Harry, Stella scolded her severely before she could even explain the implications, quickly distancing herself from the situation. Even being scolded was seen as an expression of affection; someone without genuine feeling would have already been reported by Stella as a political achievement.

Pansy didn't think too much about it. She would laugh loudly when she mocked someone, and chirp loudly when she spoke ill of someone. Every time she attacked Gryffindor, she was incredibly direct and always at the forefront.

Aside from matters of life and death, she rarely thinks much, much like Millison. The only difference is that she lacks fighting skills, but has a relatively happy family and love life, and doesn't have any grand life ambitions.

Pansy lowered her head awkwardly: "Then... will my words have the opposite effect?"

“It shouldn’t be that bad right now,” Praris said casually. “The only thing we can do now, and the most important thing we should do, is wait. Don’t worry, I’ll share Stella’s reply with you as soon as it arrives.”

Daphne stood aside with her arms crossed, enjoying what she considered a good show.

On the way back, Pansy was still furious, scolding Stella for being arrogant and not realizing that she was asking for help.

Praris sat on the bed, stroking Pansy's head and slowly saying a few words, which calmed her down. See? Now she even considers what he says, okay? It's practically a great evolution!

Daphne thought to herself that she should learn this trick so that Astoria would also show more respect to her older sister!

"That's good, that's good!" Pansy was relieved and casually said, "Oh, by the way, Headmaster Snape was looking for you yesterday—asking where you were!"

Praris's hand, which was playing with Pansy's hair, froze instantly, and he stood there completely still.

It's over, it's over, it's over...

In two or three days, she had to act out a scene with Alecto, frantically write reports, and figure out how to carve out a little space for survival in her struggle with Voldemort. Then she had to rush on her way, making small moves under Voldemort's Legilimency... until finally she went for a follow-up appointment and drank a bottle of medicine.

So Prarese forgot all about Professor Snape and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

“Ah—” Praris said dryly, “I suppose he has something to tell me… I’ll go to the principal’s office and ask him later.”

"Let's eat first!" Pansy said reproachfully. "Are you in such a hurry to work with the Blood Man Barrow?"

When you're asleep, you won't even notice if the sky falls. But when you wake up, all the things that need to be done come crashing down on you like raindrops in March.

The angel said to Faust, "Anyone who strives eternally for self-improvement can be saved by any angel."

But the truth is, anyone who strives for excellence will have countless tasks to complete and countless setbacks to overcome. After all, the lazy only need to overcome themselves, while the ambitious need to overcome fate.

Even more than ten years ago, Praris knew that angels could not save Praris; only Praris himself could save Praris.

After a quick meal, Prarese went to Professor Snape and shared his ordeal in detail.

Surprisingly, Snape made no mention of what Prareas had done to frighten him the day before, and simply listened calmly to Prareas's words.

Prarese knew why. Professor Snape and Ms. Pomfrey shared similar views, consistently believing it was all the adults' responsibility. Prarese certainly agreed—after she became an adult.