Chapter 524: This is Too Difficult
Chapter 524: This is Too Difficult
Recently, Rita Skeeter's mood had been less than pleasant. She had been temporarily suspended from the Prophet, a development that she found most displeasing.
As one of the main editors of the Prophet and a guarantee of its best-selling status, Rita found Barnabas Cuffe's actions incredibly foolish.
A warning from the Ministry of Magic?
Rita Skeeter paid it no mind. Since she became a journalist, the Ministry had issued warnings a grand total of forty-nine times, and yet, they could do little to hinder her.
"Well, get on with it then. What brings you here?" Rita asked calmly, looking at the familiar figure before her.
"Because of you, our relationship with the American Ministry of Magic has deteriorated significantly."
As an employee in Barty Crouch's office, Bertha Jorkins was also feeling helpless. She had no desire to deal with Rita Skeeter, yet here she was, forced to confront her old acquaintance to try and understand the current situation.
The recent article, coupled with the extreme reactions of some witches and wizards, had severely damaged the relationship between the British and American Ministries.
"I merely reported the facts, Jorkins," Rita said calmly in response to her acquaintance's questioning. "When I interviewed Mr. Anderson, those were his exact words, and I merely conveyed his meaning."
Of course, Rita Skeeter dared not place all the blame on Albert's shoulders. Otherwise, she would likely find herself in Azkaban.
There were already plenty of people within the Ministry who wanted to see her locked up. Rita Skeeter had a penchant for writing sensational and false stories about prominent members of the wizarding community, earning her no small number of enemies.
"So, you're saying all of this is true?"
Bertha Jorkins clearly didn't believe a word Rita Skeeter was saying. Having worked at the Prophet herself for a time, she knew full well the kind of person Rita was.
"Of course, it's the truth," Rita said impatiently, eager to bring this dreadful conversation to a close. She felt it was her duty to expose the Ministry's actions to the public.
"You should know that such excuses won't satisfy Mr. Crouch," Jorkins said irritably. "She can't afford to mess up again. In her time at the Ministry, she's already been shuffled through several departments."
"This is the truth, and you don't understand the Americans. Why don't you go and do your own research?" Rita retorted.
"I heard you were suspended."
"Don't worry about that. I'll be back in no time."
Rita Skeeter was genuinely unconcerned about her suspension. Her work extended beyond writing for the Prophet.
Contributing articles to the Witch Weekly was also part of her repertoire.
Rita Skeeter felt compelled to write an article about the American wizarding community, shedding light on the actions of the International Magic Cooperation Department.
The result of her actions was that the International Magic Cooperation Department was inundated with owl post, as numerous witches and wizards voiced their opinion that Barty Crouch's compromise was a show of weakness.
Bertha Jorkins, who had submitted the initial report, found herself in hot water once more, receiving a scolding from Barty Crouch and being tasked with burning all the letters.
Some of the letters contained unexpected surprises, and one could only imagine what might happen when they were burned.
Jorkins could only comply, but she sorted through the letters meticulously before submitting a new report.
Her research revealed that the actual situation was strikingly similar to what Rita Skeeter had described, especially in the Witch Weekly article. While there may have been some exaggeration, the overall depiction was not far from the truth.
It was truly astonishing that such an event could be associated with Rita Skeeter, known for her penchant for spinning fantastical tales.
Perhaps the truth was already so exaggerated that there was no need for that woman to embellish it further.
After Bertha Jorkins finished organizing the materials, she brought them to the director's office, but it seemed that Mr. Barty Crouch was not in.
"I wonder if he will even bother to read it," Bertha Jorkins doubted, as Barty Crouch was eager to restore friendly relations with the American wizarding community.
"Jorkins," Ludo Bagman inquired, "is Barty in?"
"The director is not in," she replied.
"Drat, I have a document here that needs his signature," Ludo Bagman said with a frown. "Make sure to remind him to sign it when he returns. I'll need it by tomorrow."
"Yes," Bertha Jorkins readily agreed. As an employee in Barty Crouch's office, this was part of her job.
However, when Barty Crouch had not appeared by the end of the day, Bertha Jorkins had no choice but to deliver the document to her boss's home for his signature.
The Crouch family was a well-known wizarding family, and when Bertha arrived, her superior, Mr. Barty Crouch, was not at home.
A house-elf told Bertha that Master Barty would be back soon and asked her to wait in the hall for a while.
Bertha Jorkins agreed, feeling it was best to hand the document to him personally and watch him sign it before delivering it back to Ludo Bagman.
As she placed the document on the table, Bertha took a sip of the tea offered by the house-elf.
Just as she was taking in the decorations of her boss's hall, she suddenly heard soft voices conversing. Someone seemed to be talking.
Bertha stood up, curious, and followed the direction of the voices towards the kitchen. The voices became more distinct as she approached. In the kitchen, it seemed that the house-elf was talking to a man, yet there was no one in sight.
Was someone hiding under an Invisibility Cloak?
"The house-elf called that person 'young master'?" Bertha Jorkins immediately realized something. Could it be young Barty Crouch?
But Barty Crouch's son had died in Azkaban prison.
"Could it be..."
Bertha Jorkins found it hard to believe that old Barty Crouch would do such a thing.
"How did you end up here?"
The house-elf noticed the presence behind it and spun around, its eyes wide as it saw Bertha Jorkins.
"Who were you talking to just now? It was young Barty Crouch, wasn't it!" Bertha Jorkins stepped forward.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the house-elf said nervously, trying to stop her from lifting the Invisibility Cloak.
"Jorkins, what are you doing here?" Barty Crouch suddenly appeared behind Bertha Jorkins, making her jump.
"Mr. Crouch, you rescued your son from Azkaban?" Bertha Jorkins stared at her boss, incredulous. In her memory, Barty Crouch was a man who hated evil and almost became the Minister of Magic. It was only because of his son's involvement with the Death Eaters that he had missed that opportunity.
"Jorkins, you shouldn't meddle in other people's business. This is a terrible mistake, and I'm sorry," Barty Crouch sighed, raising his wand to point at the witch before him, preparing to erase her memory of this incident.
However, if he wanted to completely safeguard his secret, he would have to use a powerful Obliviate spell, which could potentially cause permanent damage to her memory.
Under the influence of the Obliviate spell, Bertha Jorkins stood there, completely dazed.
"Master, she will forget what just happened, right?" The house-elf was trembling from head to toe.
"Yes," Barty Crouch nodded, looking at the woman before him with a helpless expression. "I used a strong Obliviate spell, which may very well cause permanent damage to her memory, but it can't be helped. She should not have pried into matters that didn't concern her."
(End of Chapter)
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