Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 704: Soul-Sucking Rewards and Submissions - Novel Cool

Chapter 704: Soul-Sucking Rewards and Submissions

Chapter 704: Soul-Sucking Rewards and Submissions

In Cornwall...

"Houselves, come!"

A silver goose flew by, scaring a Dementor into a panicked escape. But before it could get far, it collided head-on with a slender stream of fire.

The flame was not very hot, or perhaps it was too small, as the Dementor felt nothing before the impact.

But by the time it reacted, the flame had already coiled around it like a rope.

In almost the blink of an eye, the Dementor had been reduced to ashes.

Kyle dismissed his Disillusionment Charm and waved his wand. The flames on the Dementor automatically condensed into a ball and flew back to the tip of a wooden stick in his hand, burning slowly.

"This is really handy..." Cedric looked at the torch in Kyle's hand enviously. "As agreed, next time it's your turn to drive away the Dementors, and I'll be the one using the Goblet of Fire."

"No problem." Kyle threw the torch to him. "Be careful not to burn yourself. This thing may not be as terrifying as the Blasting Curse, but it's still magical fire. I don't want to visit you at St. Mungo's."

"Are you underestimating me?" Cedric held the torch and retorted, "Even if I'm not as good as you with spellcasting, I can still manage a simple Controlling Fire Charm."

Kyle shrugged without saying a word.

Just then, an owl flew over their heads.

Kyle took out a Sickle and shook it. The owl immediately flew towards him and retrieved a stack of newspapers from the bag tied to its leg.

"Thanks, two copies will do." Kyle tossed the Sickle into the bag. "Keep the change."

In addition to having specific owls delivering newspapers to fixed individuals, the Prophet also employed owls to carry bags of newspapers and fly towards places with wizards. If a wizard needed a copy, they just had to wave five Knuts in their hand, and the owl would deliver.

However, Kyle didn't have any small denomination coins on him at the moment, so he used a Sickle instead.

"What a coincidence." Cedric exclaimed, "We actually ran into a newspaper delivery owl!"

"What's so strange about that..." Kyle unfolded the newspaper. "Cornwall has a high population of wizards. It's only natural to come across a newspaper delivery owl."

"That's true." Cedric walked over. "Is there any interesting news in the paper?"

"Indeed there is..." Kyle opened the newspaper and pointed to a huge headline on the front page.

Ministry of Magic Offers High Rewards for Dementors

"Recently, both wizards and Muggles have been plagued by Dementors, and these creatures are severely affecting everyone's lives.

"Yesterday, a righteous wizard visited the Ministry of Magic and expressed his thoughts. He believes that during this special period, all wizards should unite and fight against the menace of Dementors.

"Of course, this is a dangerous task, so he has specially prepared a generous reward for every wizard who contributes to peace."

Wizards who capture Dementors alive and deliver them to the Ministry of Magic will receive a reward of two hundred Galleons per Dementor.

Wizards who bring in a Dementor's hood will be rewarded with one hundred Galleons.

Killing a Dementor with magical fire leaves behind black ashes. Two ounces of these ashes can be exchanged for one hundred Galleons.

"Note: The Ministry of Magic advocates acting according to one's ability. One must have sufficient confidence.

"If anyone is found to have caused damage to the environment, buildings, or personnel while dealing with Dementors, a deduction of twenty to two hundred Galleons will be imposed (depending on the severity of the situation)

.

"For uncontrolled magical fires, in addition to forfeiting all rewards, there will be an additional fine of one hundred Galleons and a year's imprisonment in Azkaban."

"The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, stated that we are here to solve troubles, not create them. Therefore, everyone must act according to their abilities and prioritize notifying the Ministry of Magic. Aurors will rush to the scene as soon as possible."

...

"A reward for Dementors?" Cedric looked at the newspaper in disbelief. "I never thought those ashes would be so valuable—two ounces for a hundred Galleons! You're going to be rich!"

He remembered the significant amount of ashes in Kyle's bottle. Even if only half of it remained, it would still fetch a substantial sum of Galleons.

"What are you thinking..." Kyle glanced at Cedric disdainfully. "We are employees of the Ministry of Magic, and this is our job. We can't ask for money; that would be too vulgar."

Cedric stood there, tongue-tied and unable to respond...

"Wait... Are you serious?"

Hearing such words from Kyle left him a hundred percent skeptical... It sounded too fake.

Based on his understanding of Kyle, he was sure the other wizard would find someone outside of the Ministry of Magic, like Lupin or Mrs. Weasley, to exchange the ashes for Galleons.

That's what Kyle would typically do.

"Alright."

Under Cedric's equally disdainful gaze, Kyle spread his hands helplessly. "In fact, the sponsor of this event is Sirius. It would be a bit too shameless of us to use the Goblet of Fire he gave us and then turn around to make money off of him."

"These items are worth at least a hundred Galleons; some people will definitely be tempted. What if someone brings in a fake and insists it's from a Dementor? Will you still pay them?"

"Of course not." Kyle waved his wand, and a tattered black cloak appeared before them. It was the remains of the first Dementor they had killed, which Kyle had kept.

"Just touch it, and you'll know how we can tell the difference."

Cedric hesitantly reached out and touched the cloak, quickly withdrawing his hand.

"Ow! It's freezing..." He felt a chilling coldness seeping through his fingertips, as if he had dipped them into ice water.

"Now you know." Kyle smiled. "Anything left behind by a Dementor, even the ashes scorched by magic fire, will be icy cold.

"This is unique to Dementors, and even with magic, it's impossible to replicate perfectly... at least not in a short time."

Cedric still looked concerned. "Even so, distinguishing fakes will waste a lot of time, won't it?"

"No, not at all." Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "There will be a team of Hit Wizards dedicated to capturing those who try to cheat... By the way, do you remember the Dementors that were locked up in the Ministry of Magic?"

Cedric nodded.

Some Dementors would surrender when confronted by Aurors, and in such cases, the Aurors would not kill them but bring them back to the Ministry.

While Dementors caused a lot of trouble, everyone had to admit that they were the best guards.

It was because of the Dementors that Azkaban struck fear into the hearts of witches and wizards, and almost everyone who had been there once would reform as quickly as possible to avoid a second visit.

In that sense, the Dementors had made a significant contribution to the Ministry of Magic.

"This is the second part of the plan." Kyle continued, "Those Dementors are being held in a temporary Azkaban—a single room.

Anyone who tries to cheat will be sent there, and they'll have to pay a fine of one hundred Galleons per day... unless they're willing to pay the same amount for the fake goods in their possession."

After hearing Kyle's plan, Cedric's eyes widened, and he stood there speechless.

"But... it doesn't say anything about this in the newspaper." He flipped through the pages again, scrutinizing every corner, but found no mention of it.

"The place where the Galleons are collected will notify them." Kyle said calmly, "It's a chance for them to back down, but if they insist on their deceit, then they have only themselves to blame."

"You came up with this idea, didn't you?" Cedric said, his tone affirmative.

"I merely suggested it." Kyle smiled. "The wizards in Knockturn Alley are quite wealthy, and it's time for them to contribute."

"Knockturn Alley?" Cedric thought for a moment and soon understood Kyle's implication.

Knockturn Alley, known for its shady characters, was filled with counterfeit goods. There, one could easily find snake blood mixed with sulfur being sold as dragon blood or unicorn hair masquerading as phoenix tears... These were the specialties of Knockturn Alley.

If there were people who would definitely try to pass off fakes, it would be the denizens of Knockturn Alley.

Cedric's lips twitched as he realized Kyle was targeting those individuals.

"Are you planning to make them pay to bail themselves out?"

"Five thousand Galleons is quite a sum, but it might not be enough when you think about it." Kyle smiled. "The Auror Office and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures are not participating in the bounty, but they've been allocated a portion of the extra funds as a bonus... Leaving only three thousand Galleons for the bounty.

"Not counting the live captures, killing one Dementor earns you a hundred Galleons... We can't just stop the operation after thirty people claim the reward; we need to come up with something else.

"It's time for those scoundrels in Knockturn Alley, who have scammed so much money, to give back to the wizarding community."

"Aren't you worried about them holding a grudge?" Cedric blurted out. "Those wizards aren't exactly kind-hearted people."

"Why would I care about that?" Kyle said earnestly. "The decision was made by Fudge, the news was published by the Prophet, and the culprits will be caught by the Hit Wizards... How does that concern me? I'm just an ordinary employee of the Ministry of Magic, working hard to solve the Dementor problem."

After a moment of silence, Cedric silently gave a thumbs-up. "No wonder you've been reluctant to go back these past few days. So, it was because of this."

"You make it sound so dramatic." Kyle smiled. "I just want to get rid of the Dementors as soon as possible."

"Alright, you have the final say." Cedric didn't argue further.

Nevertheless, they persevered, as having a lead was better than aimlessly wandering about.

...

Perhaps due to the bounty, they encountered fewer and fewer Dementors in the following days, and some had already been claimed by others, leaving Kyle and Cedric reluctant to compete for them.

Subsequently, the duo arrived at a secluded location based on their next address.

"Are you sure there's a Dementor here?" Kyle scanned the surroundings.

The area was filled with trash, and despite it being broad daylight, not a soul was in sight. The only movement came from a scrawny stray cat prowling along the riverbank, hopefully rummaging through the grass for discarded fish and chip wrappers in search of leftover morsels.

A Dementor coming to such a place would likely go hungry...

"I'm not sure," Cedric replied, glancing down at the booklet in his hand. "But the address is correct. A Muggle reported seeing a flying black ghost here and called the police, after which the Hit Wizards confirmed it to be a Dementor."

"Well, that's an interesting Dementor then." Kyle, mounted on his broom, carefully surveyed the area below. "Do you think it's still here?"

"It should be." Cedric affirmed, pointing towards a large abandoned chimney. "It's hiding in there."

Following his gesture, Kyle indeed spotted a Dementor lurking in a gap at the base of the chimney.

The Seeker's sharp eyes had proven their worth once again. The gap was missing only three bricks, yet Cedric had managed to spot the concealed Dementor.

Without hesitation, the two flew downwards, and Kyle dispelled his Disillusionment Charm while brandishing his wand, preparing to force the Dementor out with a Patronus Charm.

However, before he could act, the Dementor unexpectedly flew out of its hiding spot.

The temperature plummeted, and the stray cats, startled by the sudden chill, scattered with frightened meows.

"Get ready to act," Kyle instructed, raising his wand.

Cedric, too, held the Goblet of Fire at the ready.

Just then, Kyle heard a hoarse voice...

"Wizards... I surrender..."

It was unmistakably the voice of a Dementor, one that Kyle had heard before.

But... surrender?

Kyle and Cedric exchanged a glance, unsure how to proceed.

They had encountered surrendering Dementors before, like the ones captured by the Ministry of Magic, but this was a first for them.

For a moment, they were at a loss for what to do.

"Kyle, should we still make a move?" Cedric asked, holding the torch.

"Let's wait a moment," Kyle suggested.

He flew closer, hovering not far from the Dementor, his wand at the ready.

As he drew near, he noticed something peculiar about the Dementor's cloak.

Most of it was tattered and torn, but a small portion was surprisingly intact, albeit with a mismatched color, as if it had been hastily patched with random scraps of cloth.

Do Dementors mend their own clothes?

Kyle found this odd, feeling a vague sense of familiarity with the cloak, though he couldn't quite place it.

"Wizards... I know you..." the Dementor rasped, "I'm willing to go with you..."

"You know me?" Kyle furrowed his brows. "From Hogwarts?"

During their fourth year, the Ministry of Magic had sent Dementors into the school in their pursuit of the escaped Sirius Black. Aside from that, Kyle couldn't recall encountering Dementors elsewhere.

"Yes," the Dementor nodded, its gaze fixed on Kyle's wand as it instinctively backed up two steps, pressing itself against the chimney.

"I haven't... attacked..." it added.

Kyle believed this; they had already checked, and the nearest person was in an alley three miles away. Even for a Dementor, that was quite a distance.

Of course, other possibilities existed, as three miles was not a significant distance for a Dementor.

"Since you've decided to surrender, come on in..." Kyle produced a box, opened it, and placed it on the ground.

It was a regular Undetectable Extension Charm suitcase he had recently made, intended as a birthday gift for Harry. The interior space was comparable to that of a broom closet—not very large, but sufficient to hold quite a few items.

"Don't try anything funny!" Kyle warned.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Dementor wasted no time in climbing into the box and even extended a hand to close the lid.

The box shook vigorously, as if urging Kyle to secure the latches.

This...

To be honest, neither Kyle nor Cedric had ever witnessed such a scene.

While they had encountered surrendering Dementors, they had never heard of one being so decisive and eager, as if it had been impatiently waiting for this moment.

(End of Chapter)

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