HP North Star's Radiance

Draco: Sure, but it'll cost extra.

bang bang bang-

A young male wizard stood by the door. He was wearing a coat, was very tall and handsome, but his dark hair was a little messy, he had short stubble on his chin, and he still wore the same round-framed glasses he had worn since his student days.

Kaia thinks that Prader's boyfriend Draco and Harry the Savior are both handsome, but she personally admires Harry more. It's just a pity that the handsome guy already has a dashing athlete girlfriend.

“Harry, you’re here?” Praris swept his things into the drawer and locked it with a snap. “Let’s go.”

Every member of the Order of the Phoenix and the DA cared about Dumbledore, but none visited him as persistently as Harry. Harry seemed convinced that Dumbledore must be lonely lying there alone, so he visited him often.

"Is it troublesome?" Praris asked.

"It's alright." Harry scratched his head and said in a relaxed tone, "Mainly the dark wizards, and the escaped Death Eaters... Maybe it's because it's the second time they've run away? They've gained experience."

Mad-Eye has retired, Kingsley has become Minister, Harry has become an Auror, and Stella says Harry will soon be promoted to Head of the Auror Office. This was expected; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Harry would be Minister, but he's too young, and Stella herself isn't keen on the position.

"Looks like this is going to be a hassle," Prarese said.

"I can't hide it from you." Harry touched his nose a little embarrassedly.

Praris smiled and shook his head: "You should shave and comb your hair first, it's no trouble."

Harry suddenly realized, "Oh! I've been so busy. No wonder Ginny pushed me into the bathroom as soon as I got home and told me to take a shower and rest right away."

He is a perceptive person, but a person who hasn't slept for days and nights can't be perceptive no matter how hard they try.

Praris pushed open the door, went in, and said softly, "Harry, the war is over."

Harry stopped at the door of the ward, scratched his head, blinked rapidly, and moved his mouth, but said nothing.

After a long while, he finally stepped into the ward and said somewhat dryly, "I know."

In fifth grade, Harry struggled to master Occlumency for a long time. Prareas said, "You're too emotional, too sentimental. Your happiness, sadness, and anger are all very obvious. You can't separate your emotions—you can't tell them apart."

"That's just who I am!" Harry said irritably, shrugging his shoulders. "Yes, that's right. I can't control my temper, I'm impulsive, I'm like an untamed bull or boar, so what!"

Praris looked at him calmly, which made Harry even more agitated, and inexplicably calmed his anger down a bit, even making him a little embarrassed.

"I'm not criticizing or blaming you," Prarese said. "It's just that you have to know yourself to take control of yourself. You've been under too much pressure; a spring compressed to its limit will eventually bounce back."

Harry and Prader share a common thread: the trauma of war, like the countless scars on his body and the Dark Mark on Prader's hand, never truly leaves—the latter due to her almost cursed memory, the former due to his abundant emotions.

Because of their shared experiences and feelings, Prarese could understand Harry's pain; he was running relentlessly, as if chased by ghosts. And those ghosts were none other than wizards who had died in the war.

Kindness can sometimes be a source of pain.

When Harry asked Praders for the nth time to help him apply for a visit, Praders couldn't help but ask Ginny out: "When Harry's on vacation, could you two go out together for a while? I'll be watching Dumbledore; he won't just disappear in the blink of an eye!"

"But in Harry's eyes, Dumbledore was gone in the blink of an eye." Ginny's eyes flashed with sadness and heartache. "And more than once."

Ginny is now a Quidditch player, and she and Harry see each other very little. Whenever she has a break, she must wish she could spend some time alone with Harry.

But Harry couldn't sit still, as if he had thorns in his backside. He always had to do something, otherwise he felt uneasy, as if resting was a sin.

But when he saw Ginny's hesitant expression, he seemed to understand something, and with a touch of guilt, he forced himself to sit down. But Ginny—the one who loved him—wouldn't ignore the responsible feelings in Harry's heart.

"Guilt," Prarese said succinctly, "even if it wasn't his fault."

"He's in his twenties now, and he spends a third of his life carrying the weight of countless lives. Twenty-one days is enough to form a habit... let alone seven years."

Ginny fell silent. She looked closely at Prader and asked bluntly, "Prader... do you understand Harry because you're smart, or because you feel the same way?"

Her question stumped Praris. After thinking about it seriously for a while, Praris gave a definite answer: "I have both, but I can put them aside—I'm good at that."

If she hadn't learned to detach herself from her pain, she would have killed herself long ago. This has been one of Prareas's most important survival skills over the past two decades, and it's also the reason why her Occlumency procedure has been so remarkably successful.

Ginny revealed a deep sadness as she said, "Thank you, Prarese... You took half the responsibility for Harry's mission and bore so much blame... I'm sorry."

"But you believe me." Prarese looked at the heartbroken Ginny, feeling somewhat lost. "You said you believed me, didn't you? You don't need to apologize."

Those who don't believe her will never apologize, thinking they've moved on, while those who do believe her are now feeling guilty and offering a sincere apology. The real world is sometimes more ironic than Shakespeare's plays.

Harry sat at the foot of Dumbledore's bed, muttering to himself, "Dumbledore, I caught three dark wizards this time. One of them pretended to be unconscious and ambushed me when I got close, but thankfully Tonks was on guard. Ginny was doing exceptionally well for the Hobbits in Holyhead; she scored five Quakes in a row last time. Ron and Lavender got back together, and Lavender's fortune-telling shop is doing very well. Hermione's work at the Department of Magical Creatures Control is going very smoothly; she said Stella praised her for her extraordinary understanding..."

Prareas stood with his arms crossed, waiting for Harry to finish his report. Harry always did this, afraid Dumbledore would be left behind by the times. The Auror Harry, so resolute and courageous outside, striking fear into the hearts of Death Eaters and dark wizards, was still just an ordinary student here.

“Plares,” Harry whispered, “will Dumbledore wake up again?”

At first, Harry asked when Dumbledore would wake up. Now, he's asking if Dumbledore will ever wake up at all. Harry has always known one thing: if even Prares can't do it, then nobody can.

Faced with this question, Praris was somewhat at a loss for words to answer Harry.

“Harry, I don’t think you’re the kind of patient’s family member who needs comforting.” Prares didn’t hide anything and said directly, “I can only tell you that now, it depends on Dumbledore himself… I have created all the conditions for him to wake up.”

Prader's existence is a double-edged sword. She ensured Voldemort's certain death, and even if Harry couldn't, there was someone to back him up. But she also completely reassured Dumbledore, leading him to adopt a pessimistic attitude towards waking up.

Now, Dumbledore lacks an opportunity, or perhaps a reason, to awaken, just as Sleeping Beauty lacks the prince's kiss—don't mention the two "princes," they're from the neighboring Slytherin kingdom.

“Dumbledore…” Harry couldn’t believe it. “He didn’t want to live?”

So what is he doing now, going against Dumbledore's will?

Praris shook his head: "Perhaps he prefers to let things take their course. Life and death make no difference to him. He may just lack a reason to come back to life."

Dumbledore's thinking was also changing. He had indeed wanted to die at first, but gradually he was more inclined to let nature take its course.

Just like the reasons he chose to stand up and face death, it was initially because of his promise to Praris, and later because of protecting more people.

After he passed out, his mission was complete, and everything was arranged for him, so there was no need to force himself to wake up.

But this fact is cruel for Harry: of all the people and things in the world, there is nothing that Dumbledore cherishes, including himself.

Harry fell silent, almost blending into the stillness of the St. Mungo's night.

“Praris…”

"Ok?"

After a long silence, he seemed to have made up his mind, and said to Praris with a firm gaze, "If this is Dumbledore's will, then let him go!"

“Do you know what you’re saying!” Praris exclaimed in surprise.

“I know,” Harry said with a clear gaze. “I know it perfectly well, and I’ve never known it better.”

Praris was initially startled by Harry's words, but she quickly calmed down.

“Harry, saving Dumbledore was my way of repaying him for keeping my promise, and I didn’t know what he was thinking then,” she explained earnestly. “I understand your feelings, but you have to understand that if this decision had been made before I was charged, it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“But now we have no choice. We can’t explain to the public that a hero ‘wants to die.’ They won’t understand or accept it. They’ll just think I couldn’t save him, or… you don’t want him to wake up.”

Such conspiracy theories do exist. As Dumbledore's coma lengthened, some believed that Harry's repeated visits were to confirm that Dumbledore wouldn't wake up, so he could inherit Dumbledore's political legacy.

“I know.” After the pain and struggle, Harry revealed a quality that ordinary people do not have, saying sadly but firmly, “Then let them blame me, say I’m cold-hearted, say I’m ungrateful, say whatever they want.”

“I can no longer go against Dumbledore’s wishes for any reason—not even to make my own conscience feel better. He has sacrificed enough for the peace of the world.”

“Praris, this has nothing to do with you. I will publicly declare that this is the will he left behind in the Golden Snitch he gave me. I will take full responsibility and bear all the blame.”

Praris sneered, "Do you think I'm afraid of accusations? Haven't I been insulted before? Are you all alone, without family or friends? Won't they be implicated, won't they worry about you?"

“Thank you, but I’ve made up my mind.” Harry remained unwavering, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore. “I will distance myself from everyone; this is my decision alone.”

Prader laughed in exasperation. She said these things to stop Harry, but Harry thought Prader was telling him what to do!

Dumbledore 2 (Side Story)

Harry is stubborn, or perhaps his excessive courage makes him seem somewhat obsessive. Once he makes up his mind, he won't easily change it, even if it comes at a great cost.

“Plares, thank you for everything you’ve done.” Harry looked resolute. “If it weren’t for you, Dumbledore wouldn’t have had a chance to survive. I… I have to waste so much of your time.”

Reporters often described Prader's research as "beyond imagination," and Harry and his friends would praise her in the same way. But she always felt that Harry was sometimes the one who was beyond imagination.

It's not easy for a person to do the right thing. Harry isn't always right, but he's always willing to do the right thing and give it his all.

“This time wasn’t wasted.” Praris closed his eyes and shook his head. “I have nothing to say, I just hope you don’t regret it. You know what those people will say about you…”

"To kill Dumbledore with my own hands—just like Professor Snape did."

“Lupin once told me that what I feared was fear itself, but I have overcome it and even experienced death. There is nothing in the world that can frighten me anymore.”

So many years have passed, Harry is now an adult, has a job, and has been exposed to complex politics and interpersonal relationships. But at this moment, his gaze makes Praris feel a sense of purity.

Seeing things clearly isn't a good thing. Pralis suddenly began to understand Dumbledore, wondering why such a cunning old bastard, who had experienced so much, still had such deep feelings for someone like Harry... She found herself softening as well, thinking about how to make Harry suffer less.

Let's just say... let's say it's because Harry helped her join Wizengamot... though she deserved it. Objectively speaking, it's not a good thing that Harry got into this mess; at least he was always willing to support her, and this is like losing an ally... honestly, it's so pathetic for Slytherin to end up like this!

“Dumbledore once told me you were a kind person,” Prarese said, hoping it would make Harry feel better. “He will thank you.”

“I don’t need Dumbledore to thank me,” Harry said. “I hope he’s happy… Let me say a few last words to him.”

“Go ahead and speak,” Praris said considerately. “I’ll keep watch for you; no one will disturb you.”

She didn't tell Harry, and even she wasn't sure if Dumbledore could hear her. Perhaps Harry's words were only for himself, but if they made him feel a little better, it wasn't all for nothing.

The door to the ward was closed.

Harry sat down by Dumbledore's bedside, his voice soft, not expecting any response: "Dumbledore... I don't know if you can hear me... I think this is goodbye forever."

“This time I’m lucky.” Harry turned to look at Dumbledore’s peaceful face. “I finally don’t have to watch you leave so suddenly, and I have a chance to say goodbye properly.”

“It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? Although many people speculate about our relationship and bind us together, I never thought I really knew you.” Harry laughed for no reason, with a hint of self-mockery. “It wasn’t until after you were ‘dead’ that I learned about you from other people, and it seemed to be completely different from what I had imagined.”

“I heard Prarese tell Hermione that it takes three times to truly know someone: once you meet them, once you spend time with them, and once you part ways. Only after you part can you truly know someone. You’ve left me twice already, but I still don’t feel like I truly know you… What a shame.”

At this point, Harry fell silent, looked Dumbledore over carefully again, and then said in a casual tone, "It's alright, we'll get to know each other again."

“Yes…yes, you can leave now…there have been more sunny days this year than usual, the world is getting more and more beautiful, even the windows of the Ministry of Magic have been constantly bathed in sunlight.” Harry paused, then added, “Sorry, I forgot, I already said all this before, I’ve said everything…”

Harry visited Dumbledore once every two weeks—in fact, he wished he could visit once a week, but Prairie refused—and had already told him all the good news he could; afterwards, it was all just trivial matters.

This time, he paused for a long time, as if gathering some kind of courage so that he could say what he was going to say next.

"I just...miss you a little."

"Sometimes, when I encounter difficulties, I still think of you—I know it's silly! I'm an adult now, aren't I?"

Harry suddenly raised his voice, and a greeting came from outside the door: "Harry? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" he replied somewhat flusteredly.

Harry was interrupted, and the ward fell silent again for a while. Gradually, he regained his composure, transforming from the still somewhat naive eighteen-year-old Harry Potter whom Dumbledore knew into the Auror Potter he was now, a man whom the younger generation could trust.

“You said you wouldn’t let me walk this path alone…” There was still a hint of melancholy in his voice, but his composure and determination were undeniable. “But Dumbledore, you don’t have to worry about me anymore, you don’t have to keep hiding and following me. I can walk the rest of the way on my own… My friends will be with me, I’m not alone.”

He said, somewhat shamelessly, "I have no pity for you—you said not to pity the dead. But you can't forbid me from missing you, can you? I'll never see you again... Dumbledore, you can't refuse me."