Chapter 1075: No Lack of Money
Chapter 1075: No Lack of Money
"Albert!"
A surprised voice, accompanied by the creak of an opening door, rang out in the room. Hermione stood at the entrance of the Room of Requirement, her hands filled with books, staring at the figure seated on the sofa with her mouth slightly agape.
"What is it?"
Albert turned to look at Hermione, confusion evident on his face.
"Nothing, I just... I'm surprised you're still at school?" Hermione walked into the Room of Requirement, a stack of books in her arms, with Crookshanks trailing at her feet.
"Does everyone know?"
Albert put down the magazine he had been reading, titled 'Singing a Different Tune', and turned to ask.
"Well, some people suspected that you might have quietly left school, and others thought you were hiding out in here. After all, you tend to disappear as soon as the weekend arrives." Hermione placed the pile of books she was carrying on the table and reached out to stroke Tom's head. She sat down across from Albert and said, "There are too many people in the library. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all."
Albert waved his wand and conjured a cup of milk tea for Hermione out of thin air.
"Thanks." Hermione averted her gaze from the tea and blinked her curious, large eyes. "Do you often sneak out like this?"
"I've more or less finished with the school's curriculum." Albert smiled, changing the subject. "I'm just waiting for graduation now, and in the meantime, I'm making use of the school's library."
Hermione could guess what Albert was sneaking out to do, so she didn't press the issue further, knowing it would only lead to an awkward situation.
Her gaze fell on the magazine, 'Singing a Different Tune', which lay on the table. This publication had been gaining a lot of popularity at Hogwarts lately, almost rivalling the 'Defense Courier' in fame. Some even speculated that the content typically found in the 'Defense Courier' had been shifted to this magazine as a way to circumvent the Ministry of Magic's ban.
"Rita Skeeter has certainly changed a lot."
Hermione picked up the magazine and flipped through it. She tilted her head to look at Albert, who was feeding Crookshanks, and asked curiously, "I'm more curious about how you persuaded her?"
"It was actually quite simple." Albert scratched Crookshanks' head and added, "Also, you should really take better care of your cat. While it's fine to let him fend for himself, leaving him unattended for extended periods can lead to problems."
"My Tom is a bit overweight." Hermione picked up Crookshanks and began stroking his fur while muttering to herself. "I asked Dobby about it earlier, and he said that my attempts to help were causing trouble for the house-elves. To be honest, I've been feeling quite down about it for the past few days."
"Some notions are not something you can change overnight." Albert looked at the lethargic Tom, who was yawning lazily, and gently rubbed his plump belly. "Otherwise, Tom would have succeeded in his diet by now."
"I'm so confused!"
Hermione watched Albert as he continued to stroke the cat and voiced her doubts. "I don't know how to help them. I'm considering joining the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures after I graduate."
"You're planning to join the House-Elf Rehoming Office?" Albert was taken aback. His knowledge of the Ministry of Magic came from Bard's explanations, and he was familiar with most of the departments and their functions to ensure he could make use of this information when the need arose.
"The House-Elf Rehoming Office?" Hermione was puzzled. She hadn't heard of this particular office, but from what Albert was implying, it seemed to be related to house-elves.
She rummaged through the stack of employment materials but couldn't find any information about the House-Elf Rehoming Office.
"What does this office do?" Hermione inquired.
"From what I understand, it's as the name suggests—apparently, it's quite a boring job." Albert, noticing Hermione's confusion, offered some advice. "I suggest you aim for the position of Director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. That way, you'll have the opportunity to draft laws that favor house-elves. Alternatively, you could join the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol—it's the most important department in the entire Ministry of Magic. Typically, the Minister of Magic is chosen from the ranks of the heads of this department. If you were to become the Minister one day, you could also enact laws that benefit house-elves."
Hermione felt a bit numb. The positions of Director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol, and even Minister of Magic seemed too far-fetched and out of her reach.
"I've heard that Muggle-born wizards rarely reach high positions in the Ministry of Magic." Hermione mumbled.
"There is some truth to that unwritten rule, but..."
"But what?" Hermione asked.
"But the thing you should be most concerned about is not these issues." Albert spoke softly. "People can change, especially when it comes to politics. It's like a dye vat—it's easy to be influenced and change who you are. After experiencing the wizarding world and the Ministry of Magic, you may find that you don't care as much about these issues anymore."
"Do you really think that will happen?" Hermione was skeptical and clearly reluctant to believe it.
"Fudge is a perfect example, as I mentioned before." Albert whispered, "In order to cling to his position as Minister of Magic, he ultimately chose to smear Dumbledore's name. Don't you think he's an idiot? No, he knew exactly what he was doing. He was aware that the return of the Dark Lord would cost him his position, so he selfishly delayed taking action, hoping to push the problem further and further down the line, ideally until the end of his term, so that he could pass the buck to the next Minister."
"Fudge really made a mess of things." Hermione reflected on Albert's previous statements.
"I see this in Percy as well." Albert continued, "He's changed a lot and has become more pragmatic. I've heard that Percy is on the verge of breaking up with his girlfriend. Perhaps, for the sake of his future prospects, he'll marry a pure-blood witch with influence and power."
"So, that's why you don't want to join the Ministry of Magic?" Hermione had heard many people speculate that if Albert joined the Ministry after graduation, he could become the youngest Minister of Magic in history within a decade.
"It's too exhausting." Albert shook his head. "Besides, I'm not that interested in power. Isn't it better to do something I enjoy?"
"I'd probably palm off all the work to others and slack off in my office, waiting for handouts and doing nothing."
In fact, that was exactly what Albert did. Using the excuse of training them, he dumped most of the work on Fred, George, and Lee Jordan. As long as there were sufficient mutual benefits, there was no need to worry. With the knowledge in Albert's head, making money was actually quite easy.
"You don't look like that kind of person. I dare say there's no one in school who works harder than you."
Hermione didn't believe that for a second. In her eyes, Albert had always been the hardest-working student in all of Hogwarts. Perhaps Albert was a genius, but his success was undoubtedly a result of his hard work and dedication.
In Hermione's memory, whenever she encountered Albert, he was usually reading, writing, or doing something else.
"You know, I hardly ever lie to people," Albert said.
"Hardly ever lie? So, you do lie sometimes." Hermione rolled her eyes, feigning that she hadn't heard, and changed the subject. "Do you know why Dumbledore never became the Minister of Magic? If he had, things might not be as bad as they are now."
"Dumbledore thought that he couldn't resist the temptation, so not seeking or holding power was the best choice for him," Albert said softly. "I think he's great as a headmaster. He can ensure that students have a wonderful school life at Hogwarts and make it feel like a second home. That's important to a lot of people, and he's clearly aware of that."
"Hearing you say that makes me hesitant to join the Ministry of Magic," Hermione said, tossing the employment materials onto the table and looking up. "So, what do you plan to do after graduation?"
"Occasionally, I might write a book to preserve my knowledge. Other than that, I'll just live my life the way I want. After all, I don't lack money, and the most important thing is to make myself happy." Albert replied without hesitation.
In fact, that had been his life goal in his previous life. As for making money, gaining more knowledge, and acquiring power, those were just means to an end.
"That's really surprising." Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "I thought you would... "
"... make something of myself?" Albert finished her sentence with a smile.
"Or become an expert in a certain field." Hermione suspected that Albert was teasing her.
"I think I already am one." Albert smiled. "Though I really dislike the word 'expert'."
"Well, you still haven't told me how you persuaded Rita Skeeter." Hermione steered the conversation back to her original question.
"I didn't persuade her; gold Galleons did." Albert noticed Hermione's confused expression and explained, "I told Rita Skeeter that Fudge won't be in that position for long. Once he steps down, the Ministry will reshuffle, and they won't be so hostile towards Dumbledore. They might even help restore his reputation."
"But what does that have to do with money?" Hermione was even more confused.
"Rita Skeeter's articles might not earn her any Galleons now, but once Fudge is out of office, the Prophet will want to change its tune. They'll buy the rights to publish her articles, and she'll make a fortune from it."
"So, that's why Rita Skeeter published those articles in 'Singing a Different Tune'?" Hermione's fleeting admiration for Rita Skeeter instantly vanished.
Though Hermione enjoyed reading the recent articles in 'Singing a Different Tune', which mainly discussed why no one was willing to listen to Albus Dumbledore and believe the truth, she was disappointed to learn of Rita Skeeter's true motives.
...People always hope for the best, reluctant to face potential harsh realities... Before the bubble of fantasy is ruthlessly burst, not many are willing to believe Dumbledore's words... But if the one offering help falls victim to their own people, who will save them from their predicament?
"Stating the truth from the beginning might be painful, but it's brief, and the losses can be minimized. When the bubble of fantasy bursts on its own, the harsh reality might crush people completely," Albert said softly. "But sometimes, people choose the latter; it's realistic, yet helpless."
"What do you mean by helpless?"
Just then, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan walked into the room.
"What's up?"
"We've checked them out, and there are a few good locations." Fred took the photos out of the paper bag and spread them on the table. These were pictures of the shops, both inside and out.
"I've talked to them, and I'll give them our answer before the holidays." George pointed to the stack of photos. "These shops here have good locations. We've narrowed it down to these few."
"These two have the best locations, but they're also the most expensive. If you want to buy them, it will cost a lot of Galleons. Bill also suggested that we rent first and then consider buying later." Fred showed Albert the photos of the two shops.
"If possible, it's better to settle it all at once. There won't be another opportunity like this." Albert examined the photos and said.
"You plan to buy shops?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide.
"Yes, is there a problem?" The four of them looked at Hermione in confusion.
"No, I just... I mean, that would require a lot of Galleons." Hermione said weakly.
"Not that much, and it's not a bad deal." Albert explained, "The price of shops in Diagon Alley will definitely plummet soon, so I plan to get a few more."
Hermione finally understood what Albert meant when he said he didn't lack money. He truly had no shortage of funds! (End of Chapter)
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