Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 673: A Trip to the Ministry - Novel Cool

Chapter 673: A Trip to the Ministry

Chapter 673: A Trip to the Ministry

With the promotion from the Ministry (and perhaps Dumbledore's influence)

, news of Kyle's appointment as Senior Assistant to the Minister spread like wildfire in the wizarding world. Consequently, he received numerous letters from far and wide.

Among the senders were familiar faces like the ever-meddlesome Michael Corner, who included an expensive set of dress robes as a gift.

"You can't wear your school uniform to those important occasions," his letter read.

Kyle, however, felt that Michael was more likely relishing the prospect of potential chaos, a hunch unsupported by any evidence.

Most of the other letters were from strangers, though their content suggested they were largely Ministry personnel.

"Oh, Cuthbert Mockridge," Cedric said, pointing to one of the letters. "Dad mentioned him; he's the Head of the Goblin Liaison Office."

"And this one's from Gilbert Wimple; he's with the Experimental Charms Committee. We met him during our trip to France."

Cedric rummaged through the pile, searching for more familiar names.

After a while, his hand paused.

"Hufflepuff common room, second armchair on the left, to Cedric Diggory."

"A letter for me?" Cedric was taken aback, then realized that with so many owls delivering letters, one must have mistakenly ended up in Kyle's stack.

But upon seeing the sender's name, Cedric tore open the envelope without further thought.

"Who's it from?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, it's from my dad," Cedric replied. "He's probably inquiring about..."

Cedric's voice trailed off, his expression growing more perplexed as he read.

"That's odd. Dad mentioned he'd send me some books about magical creatures tomorrow, and he's looking forward to working with me."

Cedric mumbled, "Could he also want to work at the joke shop? That doesn't make sense. Setting aside whether Fred and George would agree, it has nothing to do with magical creatures."

"Maybe you're going to work in the Department of Magical Creatures," Kyle suggested casually. "It wouldn't hurt to read up on it now."

"No," Cedric shook his head. "I already told him I wanted to help out at the joke shop, and he agreed... Wait a minute."

Cedric paused, a realization dawning on him. "Could this have something to do with you?"

"Yes, that's right," Kyle said, tearing open the letter. "I wrote to Mr. Diggory at noon, asking if he'd like to work with us.

You know, my current position can be quite helpful, and your grades are excellent, so it shouldn't be a problem.

"It looks like Mr. Diggory has agreed," Kyle concluded.

Cedric's eye twitched, "But I already promised Fred and George that I'd help them run the joke shop, and he gave his consent..."

"Don't worry about that," Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "They'll be joining you too... Oh, here it is!"

Kyle held up an envelope, waving it in front of Cedric. He noticed it was from Mrs. Weasley.

After tearing it open, he curiously leaned in to read.

"Dear Kyle,

I saw today's newspaper and the accolades you received. To be honest, I'm thrilled, but not at all surprised, as I know you are more than capable of excelling in this role.

Furthermore, while I do wish for Fred and George to find steady jobs, I would much prefer them to get into the Ministry on their own merit rather than through your assistance.

Arthur says there are many in the Ministry who resent your appointment to such an important position, and they are waiting for you to make a mistake. Thus, I must decline your kind offer.

May your time at Hogwarts be pleasant.

...

They're waiting for me to make a mistake?

Excellent! Kyle quickly retrieved a piece of parchment and penned a response:

"Rest assured, Mrs. Weasley, it is the duty of the Minister's Assistant to find talented individuals for the Ministry. I assure you, Fred and George more than meet the requirements, and Minister Fudge has given his consent.

As long as Mr. Weasley assists with the necessary paperwork, they can begin working at the Ministry right after graduation."

Kyle summoned Roth, instructing him to deliver the letter.

Cedric was at a complete loss for words. He stared at Kyle, hesitating for a long moment before murmuring, "Fred and George are going to kill you."

"No, they won't," Kyle dismissed the idea with a casual wave of his hand. "They can't beat me, and with Mrs. Weasley on my side, I have nothing to worry about."

"But opening a joke shop has always been their dream."

"There's no conflict there," Kyle argued. "There's no rule that says working at the Ministry precludes owning a joke shop... I'll have Dobby and Kreacher help look after the shop, and we can provide some products for free. It won't interfere with the joke shop's opening at all."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "Besides, they laughed all day when they heard I was joining the Ministry, so they must be quite fond of the idea of working there too.

"Tsk, tsk, they'll be delighted to have two incomes from one job.

Cedric couldn't imagine Fred and George sitting quietly in an office, processing paperwork and writing reports.

"What about me?" Cedric mumbled. "I only laughed along with them for a bit, I'm much better off."

"That's rich coming from you," Kyle retorted righteously. "We're all going to the Ministry, do you really think you can get away with loafing around outside?"

"I...well," Cedric wanted to say, but held his tongue.

Because if he said that, he would be offending three people, and the situation would only get worse.

He knew these...friends, for lack of a better word, all too well. While Fred and George might physically assault Kyle upon learning the truth, they could also make amends in an instant if given a good enough excuse, and unite against an external party.

And he, unfortunately, would be that "external party."

As for why Cedric was so certain...well, it was simple. All he had to do was put himself in their shoes.

He, for one, wouldn't mind at all, so why would Fred and George, who had even lower moral standards than him?

Things were fine as they were.

After all, whether it was helping out at the joke shop or working at the Ministry, it made little difference to Cedric.

More importantly, the Ministry wasn't Azkaban. If they truly couldn't stand it, they could always resign.

"I think it'd be best to find an excuse for them to write their own applications," Cedric suggested.

Betraying his partners-in-crime, he continued, "If Mr. Weasley applies on their behalf, they might not acknowledge it."

"Makes sense," Kyle chuckled. "I have to say, you're quite the schemer."

"You're one to talk," Cedric shot back.

The two shared a knowing smile before conspiring on how to deceive the Weasley brothers.

Conna, sitting nearby, couldn't take any more of their scheming and moved to a farther table with her quill and homework.

In the following days, the Ministry of Magic naturally became the hottest topic at Hogwarts. The four Heads of Houses also saw this as a valuable opportunity and encouraged students with excellent grades to consider submitting job applications.

Cedric was the first to respond. The next day, he approached Professor Sprout with his application in hand.

He had intended to seek out Umbridge, as she was the Ministry's representative, but Kyle had persuaded him otherwise.

Kyle knew that due to recent events, he had not only taken over Umbridge's task but also caused her to lose Fudge's trust, resulting in her resentment towards him.

Everyone in the castle knew of his friendship with Cedric, so he would undoubtedly face obstacles if he approached Umbridge.

Thus, seeking the professor's help was a more reliable option.

As one of the top students in Hufflepuff, and the first to submit an application, Professor Sprout took the matter seriously. She sent Cedric's application to the Ministry the same day, along with a letter of recommendation.

The Ministry's response was swift.

On Friday, an owl delivered a letter to Hogwarts.

Cedric's application had been accepted, and he was now officially a staff member of the Ministry of Magic...albeit an intern.

This was similar to Kyle's situation and, in fact, that of any student currently enrolled in school.

However, unlike Kyle, Cedric only received a letter, and no announcement was posted in the castle.

Additionally, his salary was merely symbolic—seven galleons, probably a tenth of a regular staff member's pay, unlike Kyle, who received his full salary.

But Cedric didn't mind.

"Look..." He spread the letter on the table and said, "It says here that we only need to go to the Ministry on Saturdays, not every day of the week. Seven galleons is more than fair for one day's work."

"Tomorrow's Saturday," Conna remarked. "Are you going, Kyle?"

"Yes," Kyle replied, holding up another letter that had just arrived from the Ministry.

"By train?"

"No, that's too slow," Kyle explained. "By the time the train reaches London, we'd practically be turning back. It's by Floo Network. The Ministry has opened a new line connected to Umbridge's office."

"That's much more convenient," Conna said, eyeing Kyle thoughtfully. "Do you think I should write an application too?"

"Would Professor Snape even agree to you working at the Ministry?" Kyle asked.

"Probably not," she admitted.

"No, definitely not," Kyle laughed. "And the work at the Ministry is quite boring. You wouldn't like it."

Cedric, sitting beside him, rolled his eyes and made an audible smacking sound. "Tsk, you were singing a different tune yesterday."

"Of course not, they're not the same," Kyle said nonchalantly. "Mr. Diggory has given his consent in your case."

Cedric raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's the only reason?"

"If you don't stop, I'll transfer you to the Pest Advisory Bureau," Kyle threatened.

"Heh!"

...

The next day, Saturday.

As for Fred and George, Kyle and Cedric agreed it would be best to wait until the end of the school year to share the good news, as having Mrs. Weasley there would make it foolproof.

So, for now, they were still in the dark.

"Excellent, you're all here," Umbridge said as she opened the door for them.

Professor McGonagall was also inside, presumably there to accompany the students.

Umbridge deliberately avoided looking at Kyle and led the others to the fireplace, speaking in a sickly sweet tone: "You are all the best students of Hogwarts, and I am delighted that you've made the right decision to join the Ministry of Magic."

She grabbed a handful of powder and threw it into the fireplace, forcing a fake smile.

"Professor Umbridge, I—"

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge," Professor McGonagall cut her off and strode into the fireplace, calling out, "Ministry of Magic!"

The next second, she disappeared from the office.

Umbridge's face turned sour, as she had intended to send Professor McGonagall back but now realized it was too late.

"The rest of you, follow me." She took a deep breath, struggling to maintain her fake smile.

When they arrived at the Ministry via the Floo Network, they immediately spotted Professor McGonagall not far away, standing next to Fudge.

"Welcome, welcome!" Fudge greeted them cheerfully.

"Oh, Minister, you came to receive us personally," Umbridge said in a higher and more shrill voice than usual.

The two Slytherin students also put on a show of being surprised and flattered.

"You are all the future of the Ministry, so of course, I had to come personally," Fudge said with a smile. "Come now, I'm sure you must be eager to get started."

He led them to the lift, enthusiastically introducing each place they passed along the way.

"That's the Registration Office, where everyone who comes here has to register their wand...of course, you won't need to."

"The Magic Fountain, the proceeds from which are donated to St. Mungo's..."

Along the way, people greeted Fudge, and he responded to each one.

"I rarely come to the atrium," Fudge said as they stepped into the lift. "There are too many people here, and they're all so enthusiastic that it takes me a long time to get away. If I can, I'd rather spend that time working."

"That's because you're so dedicated to your work, Minister," Umbridge quickly said. "I think you should also leave some personal time for yourself."

"I'll try," Fudge said.

Inside the lift, Professor McGonagall tightly pressed her lips together, pretending she hadn't heard a thing... If she had known, she would have asked Snape to come instead.

Since there was no one else in the lift, every time it stopped, it meant that a student had arrived at their place of work.

"Fourth floor, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures..."

"This is me." Cedric waved to Kyle. "See you tonight."

"See you tonight."

Cedric stepped out of the lift, followed by Professor McGonagall.

The first three students had already gotten off at other floors, so now only Kyle, Fudge, and Umbridge remained in the lift.

"How do you feel about it now? Were you startled when you saw the job posting?" Fudge asked with a smile.

"I was indeed startled," Kyle said. "I thought it was a prank at first."

"A prank? Of course not," Fudge said. "This is an unprecedented attempt. We received many applications, but we felt it was important to choose students in their fifth year or above, and O.W.L. scores were a significant factor in our decision."

They arrived at the top floor and stood before a room with a sign that read 'Minister's Assistant Office'.

"Here's your office; I do what I say," Fudge said as he pushed open the door. "By the way, Dolores, those children are here at the Ministry for the first time, and they may find it challenging to adapt. As their professor, I think you should go and help them."

Umbridge, who was about to step forward, froze in her tracks, her face filled with disbelief as she looked at Fudge.

"Is there a problem?" Fudge asked.

"No, not at all," her voice trembled slightly. "I'll go right away."

"Thank you for your help," Fudge said casually without looking at Umbridge and walked into the room.

Kyle turned back and happened to meet Umbridge's venomous gaze.

He had no doubt that if they weren't at the Ministry and if Fudge wasn't there, she would have cursed him without hesitation.

"What are you waiting for, Professor?" Kyle said with a smile. "Hurry up, or you'll miss the lift and have to wait a long time for the next one."

Umbridge's face turned red, and she breathed heavily, making her look even more like a toad.

However, Kyle didn't mind and, after saying this, he didn't look at Umbridge again. He walked into the office with light steps.

(End of Chapter)

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