CH 329

Chapter 329 “Threats and Bonuses”

Rita Skeeter, the most famous female reporter for the Daily Prophet, was known for always finding valuable news and writing popular articles.

However, Jerry knew that only a quarter of her stories were true, and she made up the rest for attention.

So when Fudge mentioned Rita’s name, Jerry was already suspicious.

True to his expectations, the news she had fabricated about him was far from what he had anticipated.

She had created a series of false stories, including three imaginary girlfriends for him: a chance encounter with a giant, a childhood sweetheart’s blood-cursed Orc, and a witch from school.

“The Exotic Land Reclamation of Vegetable Skeletons.”

If tomorrow’s newspaper published the content as Ms. Skeeter wrote, it would indeed be breaking news.

After all, who doesn’t enjoy reading gossip, especially when it involves geniuses? But now, all the character development Jerry had worked so hard on will be ruined!

Jerry’s intention was to create a talented individual who could become a great wizard like Dumbledore, not a prodigal wizard with peculiar tastes.

“Mr. Carmen, please return my notebook. You have no right to take it!” Ms. Skeeter’s expression changed when she saw Jerry magically taking away her notebook. Her attitude suddenly shifted.

“And you don’t seem to have the right to fabricate these stories indiscriminately, do you?” Jerry smiled and didn’t return the diary.

Rita narrowed her eyes upon seeing this. “What are you implying? Those are the facts you mentioned in the interview just now, and they will be published in tomorrow’s newspaper. It doesn’t matter; you can keep the diary. I have already memorized its contents!”

“Are you not afraid that I will inform Minister Fudge and Headmaster Dumbledore about this right now?” Jerry pointed towards Dumbledore and Fudge, who were still chatting at the desk.

Ms. Skeeter smiled and covered her mouth. “Mr. Carmen, it seems you are still quite young. So what if you tell them? As long as I will it, those contents will appear in the newspaper tomorrow. As long as I’m not breaking any laws, not even they can do anything to me!”

She only cared about the explosiveness of her news and how many Galleons she could earn, and nothing else mattered. She became famous by writing the book “Armando Dippet: Master or Moron?” about the former headmaster of Hogwarts, and everything she wrote came true.

Besides, she wasn’t afraid of Jerry’s current threat, considering she had recently written an article satirizing the Ministry of Magic’s lax security, allowing Sirius to escape prison.

Jerry didn’t feel annoyed upon hearing her words. Instead, he took two steps forward, placed the diary back in Ms. Skeeter’s hand, and leaned in close to her ear.

“I’m referring to your Animagus ability, transforming into a beetle to eavesdrop on gossip. It seems you haven’t registered with the Ministry of Magic either. If I were to make this public, guess what might happen? Will you be arrested by the Ministry of Magic? Can you continue being a journalist?”

After that, Jerry gracefully walked towards Fudge and Dumbledore.

On the other hand, Ms. Skeeter shrank back, immediately grabbing Jerry’s arm, and with a complete 180-degree turn, she smiled and said, “Mr. Carmen, please don’t…don’t be impulsive. Let’s discuss this calmly. If you believe there are any revisions needed for tomorrow’s report, you can suggest them, and I will make the changes immediately until you are satisfied!”

Ms. Skeeter didn’t understand how Jerry had discovered her secret, as she had never revealed it to anyone.

But she knew that if it were exposed, her career would be ruined, and she might face a lawsuit from the Ministry of Magic.

After a hearty meal, she could still tell what was more important; at the moment, preserving her career was her top priority.

This news was already explosive enough, even without any fabricated stories. Jerry smiled, patting Ms. Skeeter on the shoulder, and reassured her, “As long as you write truthfully, I won’t utter a word.”

After speaking, Jerry gently removed Ms. Skeeter’s hand from his arm and returned to the desk, standing next to Snape.

Seeing Jerry approach, Minister Fudge half-jokingly remarked, “Oh, it looks like the interview is finally over, and I can go home and get some sleep!”

“Yes, Mr. Carmen has clarified everything. Everyone will know about Sirius’ replacement early tomorrow morning, and we can all go back.” Ms. Skeeter hurriedly approached the photographer, afraid that Jerry might say something against her at that moment.

Jerry simply smiled and didn’t say much. In fact, as long as Ms. Skeeter didn’t cause any trouble, he wouldn’t expose anything. After all, it would be difficult to explain how he knew about Ms. Skeeter’s Animagus transformation.

However, if she did cause trouble, he wouldn’t bother going to the Ministry of Magic to expose her. He had countless ways to deal with her without being detected by the Ministry.

“Professor Snape, about the bonus?”

Jerry lightly touched Professor Snape’s arm and whispered.

Snape, who knew Jerry well, immediately understood his intention. After coughing, he addressed Fudge, who was about to step into the fireplace.

“Minister Fudge, according to the previous bounty offered by the Ministry of Magic, Jerry should receive a bonus of 10,000 Galleons. I was wondering when it would be paid out.”

Minister Fudge paused with his short and stout figure and then turned his head, smiling forcedly. “Oh, yes, I almost forgot about that. Tomorrow, the Ministry of Magic will send 10,000 Galleons to Gringotts and deposit them into Mr. Carmen’s vault.”

It wasn’t that he had forgotten; he simply wanted to see if he could avoid paying the bonus altogether. After all, 10,000 gold Galleons was not a small sum.

But he didn’t expect it to end that way.

“Many thanks to Minister Fudge. You know Jerry is still an orphan, and this bonus means a lot to him!” Snape remained expressionless but conveyed something to Jerry.

Jerry stood beside Snape, silently complimenting his head of the house.

“If it weren’t for him being a Seeker for the English Quidditch team, I would believe you!”

When Fudge heard Snape’s words, he inwardly grumbled but replied generously, “That’s what Mr. Carmen deserves. At the Ministry of Magic, we always keep our word. It’s just 10,000 Galleons, after all!”

He grabbed a handful of Floo powder and disappeared in flames.

Once all three of them had left, Snape glanced at Jerry. “Alright, Jerry, it’s getting late. Go back and rest.”

“Thank you, Professor!” Jerry chuckled twice, bid farewell to Dumbledore and the other professors, then turned and left the headmaster’s office.

Within a few hours, he had earned 10,000 Galleons, and with the release of his magic book, he would receive another substantial sum. It was safe to say that he would no longer have to worry about Galleons for a while.