https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-671-The-Dementor-in-the-Principal-s-Office/12539158/
Chapter 672: Dumbledore's Counterattack, Kyle's New Job
Chapter 672: Dumbledore's Counterattack, Kyle's New Job
After relaying the information he'd gleaned from the Dementors, Kyle prepared to leave the Headmaster's office, unconcerned about how Dumbledore would handle the matter. After all, he didn't know where the sixty Dementors were, and no one was going to tell him. Even if he wanted to help, he couldn't.
But just as he pulled the door open to leave, he heard Dumbledore's voice behind him.
"Wait a moment."
"Is there something else, Headmaster?" Kyle asked.
Dumbledore's expression was peculiar, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Finally, he shook his head. "No, it's nothing... I just wanted to let you know that I may be away for a while starting tomorrow.
"Oh, and I'll be taking Fawkes with me," he added, suddenly pausing as if he wasn't sure why he'd included that bit of information. Perhaps it was an instinctive response to prevent any potential excuses Kyle might come up with to borrow the phoenix.
However, Dumbledore didn't dwell on it for long and quickly continued, "If there's anything urgent and you need to find me, go to the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. I know you have a way to sneak out there."
"Just to deal with the Dementors?" Kyle asked, curious.
There were only about sixty Dementors, and he couldn't imagine it would take Dumbledore too long to handle them.
Ever since the news of Voldemort's return had become public, the castle had been filled with unease. It was only due to Dumbledore's presence that things were slowly calming down.
His absence from the school, especially for an extended period, would undoubtedly create some negative impact.
"Not entirely because of the Dementors," Dumbledore said. "I also need to meet with someone who may provide us with crucial information."
"Who is it?" Kyle asked casually, not expecting an answer.
But to his surprise, Dumbledore didn't hesitate to reply, "Bob Ogden."
Kyle thought for a moment but didn't recognize the name, so he dismissed it as one of the many members of the Order of the Phoenix.
After all, the Order had numerous members, and it was impossible for Kyle to remember each one. Just like with Sturgis, even if he were standing here right now, Kyle might not be able to identify him.
"Then, I wish you success, Professor."
"And to you as well."
As Kyle made his way out of the Headmaster's office, he headed toward the common room. But as he passed through the entrance hall, he noticed a large crowd gathered around the notice board.
Strange, what could be so interesting at this hour...
Driven by curiosity, Kyle walked over.
"Oh, Kyle..." Someone greeted him.
In an instant, the entire entrance hall fell silent, and all eyes turned toward him.
This was a first for Kyle, and he stood there, momentarily taken aback. "What's going on today?" he asked.
Everyone exchanged glances, and finally, a Hufflepuff student stammered, "Well... I think you should just read it for yourself..."
As she spoke, the students standing between Kyle and the notice board moved aside, creating a path for him.
Without hesitation, Kyle strode forward.
A brand-new notice was pinned on the board:
Ministry of Magic Commendation Notice
Upon seeing the title, Kyle was pleased. A commendation from the Ministry of Magic, addressed to the entire school, was quite an honor. He wondered who the lucky recipient was...
And then he saw his own name.
But that wasn't the most surprising part. It was the paragraph that followed.
"Hufflepuff sixth-year student, Kyle Zhou, recently submitted a job application to the Ministry of Magic.
Although he has not yet reached the legal working age, in light of his multiple contributions of vital intelligence during the Dark Lord's resurrection incident and his fearless rescue of Harry Potter from the Death Eaters, the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts have jointly decided to grant him a special commendation and expedited acceptance.
"Effective immediately, he is appointed as the Senior Minister's Assistant (Intern)
at the Ministry of Magic and the President of the Hogwarts School Boys' Student Council.
"Additionally, during this extraordinary time, the Ministry of Magic will collaborate closely with Hogwarts. We welcome outstanding students who are interested in employment, regardless of whether they meet the age requirements. All applications will be given serious consideration."
[Signed: Minister of Magic, Cornelius Oswald Fudge
Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore]
After reading the entire notice, Kyle felt his temples throbbing.
What was going on? When did he ever submit a job application to the Ministry of Magic...
Kyle's intention had been to get Dumbledore appointed as the Minister, not to land himself a job at the Ministry, especially under the current circumstances where his task was already complete.
And what was the meaning behind Dumbledore's signature? Didn't he realize that the Ministry was trying to poach talent from Hogwarts?
This wouldn't do!
Without hesitation, Kyle turned and ran back to the eighth floor, arriving at the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance.
"Acid Pops!" Kyle exclaimed the password.
Surprisingly, the gargoyle didn't budge.
Kyle tried again, but to no avail.
Evidently, in the few minutes he had been away, Dumbledore had changed the password.
With Fawkes, his departure would be incredibly convenient.
With that in mind, Kyle quickened his pace and headed for another corridor, stopping in front of Professor McGonagall's office.
He knocked on the door.
"Kyle?" Professor McGonagall opened the door, curious. "What brings you here? Is there something I can help you with?"
"Well..." Kyle said hastily, "I have something important to discuss with Professor Dumbledore, but it seems the password to his office has been changed."
"Yes, that's right..." Professor McGonagall's expression changed slightly.
Just a minute ago, Dumbledore had been standing where Kyle was now, telling her solemnly that under no circumstances should she reveal the new password to him.
"Could you tell me the new password?" Kyle asked.
"Unfortunately not." Professor McGonagall pressed her lips together, her cheek muscles twitching as she struggled not to laugh. "The headmaster had an urgent matter to attend to and left the school just a minute ago."
"He left?" Kyle took several deep breaths.
"Come in for a moment," Professor McGonagall said, opening the door wider. After Kyle stepped inside, she continued, "Now, what was it that you needed to discuss with the headmaster?"
"It's about the job announcement in the entrance hall," Kyle said. "I hadn't received any news about it until today."
"Oh, I see." Professor McGonagall smiled. "The headmaster specifically instructed me to tell you that he felt it was the least he could do, and that you shouldn't thank him...”
"Thank him?" Kyle couldn't help but raise his voice.
"Yes," Professor McGonagall said. "He mentioned that the position of Senior Undersecretary is quite a good job with a decent salary, and he'd be delighted to see a student secure such a position before graduation, providing some insignificant help along the way."
"Heh..." Kyle gave a dry laugh. "But Professor McGonagall, what about the last paragraph of the announcement? It's clearly an attempt to poach talent from Hogwarts. Aren't you going to do something about it?"
"No, you're mistaken," Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Hogwarts is merely a school, and it's natural for students to seek employment in various places after graduation, including the Ministry of Magic.
"In my opinion, this decision is not only harmless but also one of the best decisions made in recent years."
This...
Kyle was at a loss for words, but after some thought, he had to admit that it made sense.
Fudge's intention was undoubtedly to bind him to his side and attract more talented students to enhance his prestige.
If Dumbledore truly aspired to be the Minister, this decision wouldn't benefit him, but if he only considered his role as the headmaster, it was a different matter.
As Professor McGonagall said, students and their families would be thrilled to secure good jobs before graduation, so why would they object?
"Is there anything else?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"No, that's all," Kyle replied.
"Then you should head back," she said with a smile. "I imagine your friends have received the news and are waiting to celebrate with you."
Kyle sighed and left the office.
As he had expected, when he returned to the entrance hall, a large group had already gathered, and they surrounded him as soon as they spotted him.
"Ha, Senior Undersecretary, nice!" Fred exclaimed, slapping Kyle on the shoulder. "Percy, that idiot, only got that position after graduating..."
"And he only got it by betraying his family..." George added.
"He's been bad-mouthing Dumbledore lately, saying that our support for Dumbledore is affecting his promotion. He even had a big fight with Mum and Dad over it."
"Mum was upset about it for days..."
"He'd go crazy with jealousy if he knew you became his superior even before graduating."
"Don't say that," Kyle shook his head. "It's just an internship. Who knows, maybe I'll be fired tomorrow."
"Impossible," Tonks said, walking over from a short distance away. "It's only because you haven't graduated yet. Once you do, you'll naturally become the official Senior Undersecretary."
Kyle rubbed his forehead. Great, more bad news...
"So, between you and Umbridge, who's higher-ranking?" Fred asked curiously.
"It's not comparable," Tonks said. "Umbridge is the Deputy Minister, second only to the Minister himself.
"But Kyle's position isn't bad either. As a Senior Undersecretary, he can participate in some important Ministry decisions and even make minor personnel adjustments when the Minister is busy."
She looked at Kyle intently. "How about transferring me back to the Auror Office? You have the authority now..."
Kyle ignored her as if he hadn't heard.
He recalled that Mrs. Weasley had wanted them to work for the Ministry, and now that he was in a position to help, he saw no reason not to extend a hand to his friends.
Kyle decided that he would write to Mrs. Weasley upon his return to discuss getting Fred and George jobs at the Ministry.
He already had positions in mind for them in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, just like Mr. Weasley.
As a Senior Minister's Assistant, it would be a simple matter for him to pull a few strings and get them in.
And as for Cedric, who was also laughing rather cheerfully... well, he could come along too. Mr. Diggory would probably appreciate working with his son.
For some inexplicable reason, Fred and George felt a chill run down their spines, but they didn't pay it much mind, attributing it to the cold draft from outside. They continued laughing uproariously.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the entrance hall, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had also seen the notice.
Ron, looking at Kyle being surrounded by their peers, pouted and said, "It's not fair. When it comes to providing clues... Harry, your contributions far exceed Kyle's, don't they? You've been insisting that the Dark Lord has returned, yet the Ministry only rewards him."
"Don't say that," Harry shook his head. "Kyle really did save me, and it's only right for the Ministry to reward him."
Ron didn't seem to be listening, muttering under his breath, "Another Percy... only an idiot like him would want to work for the Ministry."
"The Senior Minister's Assistant earns a monthly salary of one hundred and fifty Galleons," Hermione suddenly interjected.
"What?" Ron exclaimed, his eyes widening.
"One hundred and fifty Galleons, almost the same as the Deputy Head," Hermione said, flipping through the pages of the newspaper in her hand. "It's in today's Prophet, with more details."
Ron snatched the newspaper from her and began reading, his expression turning incredulous.
He couldn't fathom how cheerful he would be if he earned a monthly salary of one hundred and fifty Galleons.
"Hey, Harry, do you think it's too late for us to write to the Ministry now?"
"I'm afraid it might be," Harry shrugged, not too concerned about the Ministry's salary, as he had plenty of gold Galleons in his vault.
"But you can try. Maybe there's still a chance. Didn't the notice say they welcome applications from all students?"
"Never mind," Ron said after a moment's hesitation. "I don't want to work with Percy, that would drive me crazy. And the Ministry slandered you before, I bet there aren't many students at school who want to join them..."
As he finished speaking, he turned to give the newspaper back to Hermione, only to find her staring intently at the notice.
"Wait," Ron said, his eyes narrowing. "Hermione, you're not thinking of applying, are you...?"
"Yes, I want to work for the Ministry," Hermione said firmly.
"Why?" Ron asked, perplexed. "Just a while ago, the Ministry thought we were crazy and refused to acknowledge the Dark Lord's return. Why would you want to side with them?"
"That's all in the past now, isn't it?" Hermione said. "At least now we're on the same side."
"What about Umbridge?" Ron asked. "She's part of the Ministry, too."
"One Umbridge doesn't represent the entire Ministry," Hermione argued. "Mr. Weasley and Tonks work there too, and they're great. Besides, there are a lot of unfair things going on in the wizarding world right now, like the way wizards treat house-elves... Things can only change if we work from within the Ministry."
"House-elves?" Ron interrupted. "I thought you'd given up on that house-elf liberation plan of yours!"
"It's the 'House-Elf Welfare Improvement Association,'" Hermione corrected him. "And I've only put it on hold temporarily, not abandoned it."
"You know that's impossible," Ron said. "House-elves like to work."
"That doesn't mean they enjoy being bossed around and treated rudely," Hermione countered. "Just a simple 'thank you' can make them happy for days, like Dobby in the kitchen."
She continued, "Kyle is right. My approach was wrong. I should be advocating for people to treat house-elves kindly, just like Harry does with Dobby.
"But it's an uphill battle, and people won't take a student seriously. Joining the Ministry is the only way to make a real difference."
"I support you," Harry said with a smile. "You're the top student in our year, and the Ministry has no reason to turn you down. Maybe you can become a Senior Minister's Assistant like Kyle."
"Thanks," Hermione said. "But I'd rather work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"I want to be an Auror," Harry said. "But my grades might not be good enough."
Ron looked at his two best friends, blinking in confusion. He couldn't understand why Harry, who had been maligned by Fudge and Umbridge for so long, now wanted to join the Ministry.
He felt like he was the only one left out.
"Alright," he shrugged. "If you two say so, then I guess I'll join as well."
(End of Chapter)
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