https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1696-A-War-Without-Victors-One-Hundred-and-Forty-Six-/12628245/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1698-A-War-Without-Victors-One-Hundred-and-Forty-Eight-/12628247/
Chapter 1697: A War with No Victors (One Hundred and Forty-Seven)
Chapter 1697: A War with No Victors (One Hundred and Forty-Seven)
"I'm not entirely sure either. I only heard from Percy that the Minister intends to confiscate and seize the inheritances of those vicious and evil Death Eaters left in Gringotts' vaults."
Cedric was equally shocked when he first heard the news. After all, nothing like this had ever occurred since the establishment of the British Ministry of Magic.
"According to you, Kingsley should have been struck dead by a door by now," Albert said in disbelief.
Not just in a capitalist society, but even in other countries, faced with such a mess, they would sacrifice someone like Kingsley.
Cedric paused, clearly not expecting Albert to make such a humorous remark, but he soon realized this was no joke. "It shouldn't... come to that, right?" he said in disbelief.
"What's the scope?" Albert asked directly.
He didn't believe Kingsley would do something foolish.
Cedric thought for a moment before replying, "It seems to exclude direct descendants and third-generation collateral relatives."
"Then that makes sense," Albert quickly deduced from the clues Cedric provided. "With these three red lines, it's not easy to tick all the boxes, so it's no surprise the pure-bloods compromised. After all, if they ticked all the boxes, no one would come out against them."
This was most likely a result of mutual negotiations between the two parties.
The current problem was how to deal with the goblins of Gringotts, which was why Kingsley had asked Cedric to find Albert, wanting to hear his opinion on the matter.
"This isn't an especially difficult issue to handle," Albert said calmly, his words sending a chill down Cedric's spine. "A goblin rebellion can easily take care of all the troubles. Once the goblins' rebellion fails, they will inevitably have to pay a price, and some concessions and compromises will be the inevitable outcome."
"Incite a goblin rebellion?"
Cedric looked at Albert in shock, as if realizing something. "Are you sure you're not joking? You should know what that truly means."
"I think Kingsley understands the implications better than either of us," Albert said, patting Cedric's shoulder. "I'm just stating the conclusion he wants to hear. You're still too young. Kingsley has probably thought of this approach already, and he asked you to find me to confirm if there were any better alternatives."
"So, there really isn't a better way?"
Cedric looked at Albert expectantly, hoping for some good news.
"Well, I personally can't think of a better solution."
Albert knew that Cedric wasn't sympathizing with the goblins; rather, he felt that now that peace had finally been achieved, it wasn't necessary to incite further chaos and turmoil. Albert shared this sentiment, but sometimes, certain matters couldn't be easily changed by individual will, be it human or goblin.
"If he really wants to stir things up, he should start with the Goblin Brotherhood," Albert said with a light laugh. "After all, they're all a bunch of bad apples, and it's better to let them tear each other apart." He was well aware that some things couldn't be avoided, but the likelihood of a full-scale goblin war was slim.
Cedric fell silent for a moment, his thoughts unknown.
Albert reinforced the umbrella over his head with magic and turned to Cedric. "What's wrong? Are you that discouraged?"
"Yes, a bit," Cedric admitted with a bitter smile. "I used to admire Kingsley for being able to clean up the Ministry's mess."
"If you want to go further in the Ministry, you'll need to grow a thicker skin and a darker heart," Albert advised. "Almost everyone there is like that. Look at Kingsley; in just a few months, he's already adapted to the political life."
"To be honest, Cedric, it's unlikely that you'll climb to a high position without Percy's influence."
"No wonder Dumbledore never wanted to become the Minister of Magic, and I can understand why you're reluctant to work for the Ministry and dislike him so much." Cedric smiled bitterly, realizing the truth of Albert's words, though he was reluctant to admit it.
If Albert hadn't been so blunt, he might have continued to avoid facing this reality.
The reason he was able to succeed Percy as the next assistant minister candidate was probably due to his friendship with Albert, as Kingsley needed his influence to gain Albert's indirect assistance. Otherwise, it was unlikely that someone like Cedric would have been granted an audience with Albert.
"Sometimes, I really envy you!" Cedric sighed, "You can do whatever you want without worrying about what others think."
"It's not as free as you think," Albert replied. "Freedom is relative."
Of course, Albert's current freedom was something he had fought hard for, with a little help from his unique abilities.
"That's true." Cedric suddenly said, "Maybe staying at Hogwarts to teach is a good choice, but the salary is too low. Do you have any suggestions to improve that?"
The low salary was probably the only downside to staying at Hogwarts as a teacher.
"You can try talking to Professor McGonagall and see if she can increase the salaries of the professors." Albert finished and realized this idea might not be feasible, so he added, "Or, you can find another side job for yourself, most of the other professors have some kind of side hustle."
"That's a good idea."
Cedric had considered working for the Ministry, but Percy's situation had made him realize that without someone to promote him, his career there would likely go nowhere.
His father was a perfect example of that.
Ultimately, the preferential treatment he received was largely due to his connection with Albert, not unlike Percy. However, the latter had already started looking for other options.
They both understood Albert well and knew that once he "retired" from the Ministry, he was unlikely to maintain his relationship with Kingsley.
This was probably the main reason Kingsley wanted to recruit him as his assistant, otherwise, the opportunity wouldn't have come his way.
But would it work?
Most likely not.
Cedric realized he didn't have many choices.
Before the end of the Quidditch match, he returned to his office deep in thought and sent an owl to Kingsley.
Then, he began to tackle the issues that came with his decision to stay at Hogwarts.
He had to convince his fiancee, which shouldn't be too difficult as Cho had always been understanding. The biggest hurdle would be his family, as the Diggorys preferred that he worked for the Ministry. However, Cedric felt that this was his decision to make, and teaching at Hogwarts was not a bad option.
He also needed to gently inform Kingsley of his decision to stay at Hogwarts, which would likely only result in mild regret from the latter.
Additionally, he would have to speak with Headmistress McGonagall to ensure some accommodations for himself, as he wouldn't be able to stay overnight at Hogwarts once he was married.
This shouldn't be too difficult.
In fact, Headmistress McGonagall was delighted with Cedric's choice and, after considering the issues he raised, agreed to help him with the minor troubles he anticipated. She acknowledged that if Lombard joined the Hogwarts staff later on, he would likely face similar issues.
(End of Chapter)
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