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Chapter 893: The Early Newspaper and Kyle's Strategy
Chapter 893: The Early Newspaper and Kyle's Strategy
The next day, the morning sun shone brightly, and the gentle breeze felt cool and refreshing, a little chilly yet comfortable.
Early in the morning, Kyle arrived at the Ministry of Magic, strode through the spacious main hall, and rode the elevator to the second floor. He effortlessly pushed open the door to the Auror office.
Scringer was sitting there, looking exhausted, as if he had been working through the night without rest.
"Another operation?" Kyle casually inquired.
"It's still the same matter," Scringer replied. "Why are you here? If you're looking for Chris, he hasn't returned yet."
"No, I'm just waiting for the goblins," Kyle said.
"Goblins?" Scringer was taken aback. "Can they deliver the Galleons today?"
Although he was eager to receive the money as soon as possible, he was also aware that nearly forty thousand Galleons were not a small sum.
The agreement had been made just yesterday, and the goblins were delivering the money this morning... Even when Malfoy donated five thousand Galleons to the Ministry, they hadn't been this efficient.
"I think they should be able to," Kyle said, fiddling with the large scrying mirror in the office.
Scringer frowned but didn't stop him.
Due to yesterday's events, he was now quite tolerant of Kyle's actions. The scrying mirror was important, but it was just a mirror, and touching it wouldn't cause any harm.
Time passed slowly, and the office gradually filled with more people. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, quickly entering, reporting their work in brief sentences, and then leaving just as swiftly.
During this time, Kyle remained seated by the side.
When the Aurors reported their work, sometimes Kyle could hear them, and sometimes he couldn't.
It seemed that Scringer had used a spell similar to the Ear-Muffling Charm, showing his caution.
However, Kyle wasn't interested in these matters. To avoid any misunderstandings, he took the initiative to stand up and went to Mr. Weasley's office, which was not far from the neighboring room.
The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office was also on this floor.
When Kyle knocked and entered, Mr. Weasley was talking to Chris.
"Dad?" Kyle was a bit surprised. "When did you get back?"
"Just now. I met Arthur in the main hall a minute ago," Chris said, equally surprised to see Kyle there. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for the goblins," Kyle replied.
"Goblins?" Chris was still clueless about what was happening. Fortunately, Mr. Weasley quickly explained the situation to him.
"Another fire dragon, and it's a Ukrainian Ironbelly again?" Chris rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
To appease the black dragons on the Hysithiri Islands, he had slept for less than three hours in the past few days. If possible, he really didn't want to deal with fire dragons anymore.
But the damage caused by a tormented adult Ironbelly was far greater than that of a black dragon. He couldn't just ignore it.
"Well, Arthur, it looks like we'll have to postpone our drink for another time," Chris sighed and turned to leave.
"Wait," Kyle stopped him. "Don't worry, Dad. That fire dragon has already left Britain."
"How do you know?" Chris asked.
"The Fire Dragon Reserve told me," Kyle said. "I wrote to them yesterday afternoon, and they've agreed to take in the Ukrainian Ironbelly.
"I received a reply not long ago, stating that they will bring the dragon back from the Pyrenees Mountains to Romania."
"The Pyrenees Mountains...?" Mr. Weasley clicked his tongue. "It flew to France?"
"Obviously," Kyle shrugged.
The Ironbelly was chasing Oren, and it probably lost its way halfway, ending up in France.
After all, the fire dragon had been confined in the dark underground vault for so long that its eyesight had deteriorated. It flew purely on instinct, unable to see where it was going.
"Alright, then."
Upon learning that the fire dragon had left Britain, Chris no longer felt the urgency to rush out. This was no longer within his jurisdiction, and even if he went to help, the French Ministry of Magic probably wouldn't appreciate it.
Mr. Weasley then recounted the events of the previous day to Kyle. When he heard that Kyle had encountered Death Eaters disguised as goblins in Gringotts, he showed no reaction and didn't seem concerned at all.
He had become accustomed to it.
It was no surprise that Kyle had encountered Death Eaters. What would be surprising was if he hadn't.
Compared to the near-island-wide scar on the Hysithiri Islands, these incidents were minor and nothing to worry about.
It was only when Mr. Weasley told him that Kyle had obtained three thousand Galleons in compensation from the goblins that Chris's eyes widened in disbelief.
The greedy goblins, who haggled over every Knut, had agreed to compensate the Ministry with three thousand Galleons?
Was he or the goblins going crazy?
"It's true..."
"Bang!"
Before Mr. Weasley could finish his sentence, a loud noise came from the neighboring office.
Kyle was the first to rush over, followed closely by Mr. Weasley.
Chris hadn't even reacted yet, but seeing everyone else leave, he followed suit.
As soon as they reached the door, Kyle heard Boge's agitated voice.
"We already agreed yesterday... What does this mean... Where's the wizard's integrity!"
His voice trembled, probably due to his anger.
In the Auror office, the goblin forcefully threw the newspaper he was holding onto the desk.
From his actions, it seemed like he had initially intended to throw it at Scringer's face, but his survival instinct made his hand veer off course mid-throw.
Scringer subconsciously glanced at the newspaper, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.
【The Gringotts Heist: A Dark Lord's Private Vault?】
Just from the title, Scringer understood why the goblin was so furious.
"A shocking piece of news, the impenetrable Gringotts has been robbed, and although the goblins are trying to hide this, I, the brave and righteous Rita Skeeter, have obtained exclusive information..."
The article was lengthy, covering the entire front page with a detailed account, leaving no space for advertisements in the corners.
Moreover, the article thoughtfully highlighted key points in bold font for readers' convenience.
"I find it hard to believe that a wizard could turn into a goblin and remain undiscovered. This is the most shameless excuse I've ever heard. I'd rather believe it's a collaboration between Gringotts and the Death Eaters."
...
"An outstanding wizard was caught up in this conspiracy, helping Gringotts drive out the Death Eaters, only to almost be framed as the culprit. I don't understand the goblins' intentions. Could it be because they've angered their new master?"
...
"Regardless of whether the goblins have sided with the Dark Lord, Gringotts can no longer be trusted. It might be safer to keep your Galleons under your floorboards."
...
Well, this was typical of Rita Skeeter's style. The entire report was filled with personal speculations and hearsay. If he were a goblin, he would be angry too.
Especially the last sentence, which implied that people should withdraw their assets from the vaults... This was something Gringotts could not tolerate.
No wonder Bogrod was so upset earlier.
But Scringer didn't know what had happened.
This was indeed the Daily Prophet, but something was odd.
The layout was strange. It was fine for the Gringotts incident to be on the front page, but it was suspicious for it to occupy the second and third pages as well.
Even if Gringotts was blown up by the Dark Lord, it wouldn't warrant an entire issue.
Additionally, the timing was off.
The new issue was scheduled for release at 8 a.m., meaning the delivery owls would only depart from the newspaper office after that time.
But now...
Scringer checked the time.
It was half an hour before 8 a.m., and no one should have had access to the new issue yet.
And from Bogrod's description, they had already read the newspaper, indicating they received it earlier.
Scringer's expression changed as he closed the newspaper after a moment. He didn't share his discovery with Bogrod but frowned slightly.
"I don't know what's going on."
"You don't know?!"
"Yes," Scringer replied calmly, "The Auror Office only deals with capturing Dark Wizards. We have no authority over the newspaper, so I'm unaware of the situation."
"Oh, what's going on here?"
At that moment, Kyle strolled in from outside, "I could hear the commotion from the next room... Oh, isn't this Mr. Bogrod?"
Kyle greeted the goblin enthusiastically, "What's the occasion? You're too kind. There's no need to rush."
"It's you!" Bogrod suddenly realized, "This must be your doing!"
"What do you mean?" Kyle blinked.
"This!" Bogrod waved the newspaper excitedly, almost hitting Kyle's face.
"You know about this?" Kyle asked sternly.
"You..." Bogrod stared at Kyle in disbelief.
Would he believe it? He might if it were someone else, but coming from Kyle, it couldn't be true.
That newspaper was definitely Kyle's doing, and the witch had delivered not one but a hundred copies.
Was it necessary to use so many for a simple message?
"This newspaper... cannot be published... absolutely not!" Bogrod stuttered, "You must take responsibility for this, or else... the previous conditions are null and void!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you," Kyle sighed, "My friend is just a small employee. What the newspaper decides to publish is not up to her."
"What about the Ministry of Magic?" Bogrod shouted, "Don't tell me you don't have the authority either."
"We do, but there's nothing we can do."
"Nothing we can do?"
"It's mainly due to a lack of funds," Kyle said, spreading his hands out. "Everyone's busy these days, and with that escaped dragon taking up ten people's time, there's no extra overtime pay. No one's willing to deal with the newspaper's trivial matters."
Bogrod understood; they were asking for money!
"That's nearly four thousand Galleons..." Bogrod exclaimed, "I've already said that once Gringotts has the funds, they'll send them over immediately."
"You misunderstood me; that's not what I meant." Kyle shook his head repeatedly, "But the Ministry is truly busy. Go and see for yourself; every floor has people handling seven or eight tasks. They really can't spare the time."
Bogrod stared at Kyle, speechless for a few minutes, before asking in a low voice, "If we pay, this article will be canceled, right?"
"I've already said it's not my decision to make," Kyle thought for a moment, "But with overtime pay, everyone's work enthusiasm will surely increase. Maybe someone will be willing to make a trip to the newspaper office."
"But I don't think it's necessary. The newspaper delivery owls are about to depart. In this short time, how could Gringotts possibly gather over thirty thousand Galleons?"
"Let's think of another way."
Bogrod said nothing and turned to leave.
Scringer wanted to ask more, but seeing that Chris and Mr. Weasley were silent, he held back his curiosity.
Kyle sat there, watching the time.
Five minutes later, Bogrod returned with a large box taller than himself.
The goblin didn't waste words and lifted the box's lid.
In that instant, a dazzling golden light seemed to bathe the entire Auror office in gold.
"Now... will this do?" Bogrod said through gritted teeth.
"Of course, of course..." Kyle's smile reached his ears, "Director Scringer, you'd better arrange for someone to go to the newspaper office, or it'll be too late!"
"Oh, I'll go right now." Scringer forced his gaze away from the box of Galleons and left, glancing back repeatedly.
When he returned, the goblin had left, leaving only the dazzling box of Galleons as proof that everything was real.
"Did... the goblins really gather over thirty thousand Galleons that quickly?"
"Of course," Kyle laughed, "The largest wizarding bank in Britain, if they can't even manage thirty thousand Galleons, it's a joke."
"But they said..."
"They're just making things difficult for us." Kyle said, "Giving a little each month, and making small requests. Considering the Galleons, as long as it's not too difficult, you wouldn't refuse, right?"
Scringer thought for a moment and slowly nodded.
If that was the case, they probably wouldn't refuse. Even the Minister would likely agree.
"Of course, these are just my guesses." Kyle said, "The goblins might have other ideas, but it's just about getting benefits and making up for their losses."
"These greedy fellows..." Scringer muttered under his breath, seemingly swearing.
"Alright, let's divide the money!" Kyle said nonchalantly.
Now that the Galleons were in hand, whatever the goblins thought didn't matter.
Hearing Kyle's words, Scringer's face lit up with excitement.
Dividing the money, what a wonderful decision!
"I'll go find the Minister!" He stood up and rushed out.
The money was nominally for the Ministry, and Scringer couldn't take his share privately. The agreed-upon portion had to be handled by the Minister.
Soon, Amelia Bones arrived.
Even she was momentarily stunned at the sight of the box filled with Galleons.
They had actually obtained it... unbelievable.
The rest was simple.
Kyle took his share of six thousand five hundred Galleons first, the heavy Galleons making a pleasant sound as they fell into a bag.
The Auror office also received their agreed-upon fifteen thousand Galleons, and Scringer couldn't stop talking.
Amelia Bones also assigned the Diagon Alley work to him. Although magic could solve most problems, it wasn't the solution for everything.
The fallen dragon flames and split Golden Cup had damaged many things, like the books outside Flourish and Blotts, which couldn't be fixed by magic alone. Galleons were needed.
Scringer readily agreed.
He had inquired about the damages, and they weren't extensive, well within acceptable limits. Since he was taking the lion's share, he should also take on this task.
As for the remaining half, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures would take a third, or five thousand Galleons, as agreed upon.
The reason was that the dragon fell under their jurisdiction, so they should get a larger share. Although everyone knew this was an excuse, they all went along with it.
Since Kyle had obtained the money, it was only reasonable and fair for the Department to get their share. No one could fault them for it.
Chris almost laughed out loud but managed to hold it in, though his shoulders shook.
After going out for a stroll and returning with an additional five thousand Galleons in the budget, without any extra work, it felt amazing.
Mr. Weasley, sitting beside him, looked on with envy. The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office also needed funds, but he knew that Bones was unlikely to agree.
Currently, the Ministry's focus was entirely on countering the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office had almost no say.
If he hadn't insisted on staying in his position, when Dumbledore had proposed merging the Order of the Phoenix with the Aurors, this department would have been temporarily closed.
...
(End of Chapter)
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