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Chapter 673: The Journey to the Ministry of Magic
Chapter 673: The Journey to the Ministry of Magic
With the Ministry's backing, and perhaps Dumbledore's influence, Kyle's appointment as the Senior Assistant to the Minister spread like wildfire throughout the wizarding world, resulting in a flood of letters from various sources.
Among the senders were familiar names like Mike Filch, who included a set of high-quality robes as a gift, saying in his letter, "You can't wear your school uniform to those important occasions."
Kyle sensed a hint of schadenfreude from Mike, an intuition he couldn't quite prove.
Most of the other letters were from strangers, but their content revealed that many were from Ministry employees.
"Oh, Casbert Mockridge," Cedric pointed to one letter, "My father mentioned him. He's the head of the Fairy Liaison Office."
"And Gilbert Wimpel, from the Experimental Enchantment Committee. We met him during our trip to France." Cedric sifted through the pile of letters, searching for familiar names.
After a while, his hand paused.
"Hufflepuff Common Room, second armchair on the left, for Cedric Diggory."
"A letter for me?" Cedric was taken aback but quickly realized that with so many owls delivering letters, one might have accidentally ended up in Kyle's pile.
Without further thought, Cedric tore open the envelope.
"Who sent this?" Kyle asked.
"Oh, it's from my father," Cedric replied. "He's probably asking about..."
His voice trailed off, becoming softer.
"That's odd. My father mentioned sending me some books about magical creatures tomorrow, and he's looking forward to working with me."
Cedric muttered, "Does he want to work at the Joke Shop too? He shouldn't. Aside from whether Fred and George would agree, this has nothing to do with magical creatures."
"Maybe you're going to work at the Magical Creature Management and Control Division," Kyle said casually. "It's good to read up on it beforehand."
"No," Cedric shook his head. "I already told him I'd help at the Joke Shop, and he agreed... Wait."
Cedric suddenly turned to Kyle, as if realizing something. "This has something to do with you, doesn't it?"
"Yes, that's right," Kyle said as he opened the letter. "I wrote to Mr. Diggory at noon, asking if he'd like to work with you.
You know, my position can be of some help, and your grades are excellent. It's a win-win situation."
"It seems Mr. Diggory agreed," Cedric said, his eyes twitching slightly. "But I already promised Fred and George I'd help them run the Joke Shop."
"Don't worry about that," Kyle waved dismissively. "They'll join you too... Oh, found it!"
Kyle held up an envelope in front of Cedric, who recognized it as being from Mrs. Weasley.
After Kyle opened it, he curiously leaned in to read.
"Dear Kyle,
I saw today's newspaper, and I saw your award. Honestly, I'm so happy, but not at all surprised, because I know you're capable of this.
By the way, of course, I'd like Fred and George to find a proper, stable job, but I'd rather they enter the Ministry on their own merits, not through your help.
Many in the Ministry are waiting for you to make a mistake, so I must decline your kind offer.
Best wishes for your time at Hogwarts.
...
Waiting for me to make a mistake? That's great!
Kyle quickly found a piece of parchment and wrote:
"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley. It's the responsibility of the Senior Assistant to find talent for the Ministry, and I assure you, Fred and George meet the requirements, and Minister Fudge agrees.
As long as Mr. Weasley helps them fill out the application, they can start working at the Ministry right after graduation."
Kyle called for Ratton to deliver the letter.
Cedric was at a loss for words.
He looked at Kyle, hesitating for a long time before saying, "Fred and George will kill you."
"No problem," Kyle dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. "They can't beat me, and with Mrs. Weasley on my side, I'm even less worried."
"But opening a Joke Shop has been their dream."
"There's no conflict. There's no rule saying you can't run a Joke Shop while working at the Ministry... I'll have Dobby and Kreacher help manage the shop and provide some products for free. It won't interfere with the Joke Shop at all."
Kyle narrowed his eyes, "And they laughed all day when they heard I was joining the Ministry. I'm sure they'd love to work there too.
"Tsk tsk, getting paid for two jobs, they must be delighted."
Cedric sighed.
Fred and George had it coming. They called Kyle "Percy's boss" and "Deputy Minister candidate" for a day, and Kyle retaliated that night.
Cedric couldn't imagine Fred and George sitting in an office, handling paperwork and writing reports.
"What about me?" Cedric muttered. "I just laughed for a while, which is much better than them."
"Speaking of which..." Kyle said righteously, "We all went to the Ministry of Magic. How dare you wander around outside?"
"How dare I..." Cedric wanted to say, but he held back.
If he said that, he would offend three people, and things would only get worse.
He knew his so-called friends too well. Fred and George might physically attack Kyle upon learning the truth, but they could also instantly reconcile with a good enough excuse and unite against outsiders.
And he was clearly that "outsider."
As for why Cedric was so certain... It was simple; he just had to put himself in their shoes.
He definitely wouldn't mind doing it, let alone Fred and George, who had lower moral standards.
Things were fine as they were.
After all, whether it was helping out at the Joke Shop or working at the Ministry, it made no difference to Cedric.
More importantly, the Ministry of Magic wasn't Azkaban; if they really couldn't stand it, they could resign at any time.
"We should find an excuse to have them write their own job applications."
At this thought, Cedric betrayed his partner, saying, "If Mr. Weasley applies on their behalf, they might not acknowledge it."
"That makes sense," Kyle chuckled. "I have to say, you're really shameless."
"So are you."
The two exchanged a smile and then began discussing how to deceive the Weasley brothers.
Cona, who was sitting nearby, couldn't bear to listen anymore. She took her quill and homework to a desk further away.
In the following days, the Ministry of Magic naturally became the hottest topic at Hogwarts. The four Heads of Houses also encouraged some outstanding students to try submitting job applications.
Cedric was the first to respond. The next day, he brought his application to Professor Sprout.
He had originally wanted to find Umbridge, as she was the representative of the Ministry, but Kyle persuaded him otherwise.
Kyle knew that due to the recent events, he had not only taken over Umbridge's task but also caused her to lose Fudge's trust. Umbridge had been resentful of him for a while.
Everyone in the castle knew that Cedric and Kyle were friends. If Cedric approached Umbridge, he would definitely be given a hard time.
So, it was more reliable to go to a professor.
As one of the best Hufflepuff students and the first to submit an application, Professor Sprout also valued Cedric's application. That day, she sent the application to the Ministry of Magic, along with a letter of recommendation.
The response from the Ministry was swift.
On Friday, an owl delivered a letter to Hogwarts.
Cedric's application was approved, and he officially became a staff member of the Ministry of Magic... as an intern, just like Kyle, and every other student at school.
However, unlike Kyle, Cedric only received a letter and did not have an announcement posted in the castle.
Additionally, his salary was only a symbolic seven Galleons, approximately one-tenth of a regular staff member's salary, rather than Kyle's full salary.
But Cedric didn't mind.
"Look..." He spread the letter out on the table and said, "It says here that we only need to go to the Ministry on Saturdays, not every day. Seven Galleons is already pretty good."
"Tomorrow is Saturday," Cona said. "Kyle, are you going too?"
"I am." Kyle took out another letter, also freshly delivered by the Ministry.
"By train?"
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"Probably not, that's too slow." Kyle said, "By the time the train arrives in London, we'd almost have to return.
"It's the Floo Network. The Ministry of Magic has opened a new line connecting directly to Umbridge's office."
"That's much more convenient." Cona gave Kyle a thoughtful look. "Should I write an application too?"
"Would Professor Snape agree to you working at the Ministry?" Kyle asked.
"Probably not."
"No, he definitely wouldn't." Kyle laughed, "And the work at the Ministry is tedious. You wouldn't like it."
Cedric, sitting next to him, glanced at Kyle and made a loud smacking sound with his mouth. "Tsk, you didn't say that yesterday."
"Of course not. Are we the same?" Kyle said nonchalantly. "Mr. Diggory agreed to it."
Cedric raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure that's the only reason?"
"Keep talking, and I'll transfer you to the Pest Advisory Office."
"Huh!"
...
The next day, Saturday.
At 8:30 AM, Kyle and Cedric arrived at Umbridge's office together.
Three other students accompanied them, two from Slytherin and one from Ravenclaw.
As for Fred and George, Kyle and Cedric agreed that it would be best to wait until the end of the school year to share this good news with them. With Mrs. Weasley present, it would be even more foolproof.
So, they were still unaware of this matter.
"Good, you're all here," Umbridge opened the door and let them in.
Professor McGonagall was also inside, presumably ready to accompany the students.
Umbridge deliberately avoided looking at Kyle and led the others to the fireplace, speaking in a coy and soft voice, "You are all the finest students of Hogwarts, and I'm delighted that you've made the right decision to join the Ministry of Magic."
She picked up a handful of powder and threw it into the fireplace, putting on a fake smile.
"Minerva, you..."
"Thank you, Professor Umbridge," Professor McGonagall interrupted before she could finish and strode into the fireplace, shouting, "Ministry of Magic!"
In the next moment, she disappeared from the office.
Umbridge's face turned sour. She had intended to send Professor McGonagall back, but it was too late to say anything now.
"The rest of you, follow me," she took a deep breath, struggling to maintain the fake smile on her face.
When they all arrived at the Ministry of Magic through the fireplace, they immediately spotted Professor McGonagall not far away, with Fudge by her side.
"Welcome, welcome to you all," Fudge greeted them with enthusiasm.
"Oh, Minister, you've come to receive us personally," Umbridge's voice was higher and sharper than usual.
The two Slytherin students also wore expressions of surprise and delight.
"You are the future of the Ministry, so I had to come personally," Fudge said with a smile, "Come along, I'm sure you're all eager to get started."
He led the group to the elevator, enthusiastically introducing every place they passed by along the way.
"That's the Registry Office, where everyone who comes here must register their wand...of course, you don't need to."
"The Magical Fountain, all the proceeds go to St. Mungo's..."
Along the way, many people greeted Fudge, and he responded to each one.
"I rarely come to the Great Hall," Fudge said as they entered the elevator, "There are too many people here, and they are so enthusiastic that it takes me a long time to get away. If possible, I'd rather spend that time on work."
"That's because you're so dedicated to your work, Minister," Umbridge quickly said, "In my opinion, you should also set aside some personal time for yourself."
"Well, I'll try," Fudge said.
Inside the elevator, Professor McGonagall tightly pursed her lips, pretending not to have heard anything... She should have asked Professor Snape to come instead.
Since there was no one else present, each time the elevator stopped, it meant that a student had arrived at their place of work.
"Fourth floor, Magical Creature Management and Control Division..."
"I'm here," Cedric waved to Kyle, "See you tonight."
"See you tonight."
Cedric stepped out of the elevator, followed by Professor McGonagall.
The first three students had already left on different floors, leaving only Kyle, Fudge, and Umbridge in the elevator.
"How do you feel after seeing the job announcement?" Fudge asked with a smile.
"I was indeed startled," Kyle said, "I thought it was a prank."
"A prank? Of course not," Fudge said, "This is an unprecedented attempt. Many people applied, but we believe that fifth-year and above students with O.W.L. qualifications are important references."
They arrived at the top floor, in front of a room with a sign that read "Deputy Minister's Office."
"This is your office, just as I promised," Fudge opened the door, "By the way, Dolores, these children may have a hard time adapting to the Ministry. As a professor, I think you should go and help them."
Umbridge, who was about to step forward, suddenly froze, her face filled with disbelief as she stared at Fudge.
"Is there a problem?" Fudge asked.
"No, not at all," her voice trembled slightly, "I'll go now."
"Thank you for your hard work," Fudge said casually and walked into the room without looking back at Umbridge.
Kyle couldn't help but turn around, just in time to meet Umbridge's venomous gaze.
Kyle had no doubt that if they weren't at the Ministry of Magic, and if Fudge wasn't there, Umbridge would have cursed him.
"What are you waiting for, Professor?" Kyle said with a smile, "Let's go, or else we'll miss the elevator, and you'll have to wait a long time."
Umbridge's face turned red instantly, and she panted heavily, making her look even more like a toad.
However, Kyle didn't pay much attention to her. After speaking, he didn't look back at Umbridge and entered the office with a light step.
(End of Chapter)
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