Chapter 972: Insects in the Ministry of Magic
In the British wizarding world, the Black family is synonymous with status and wealth.
As the only paternal descendant of the family, Sirius' influence is no less than that of the pure-blood masters.
However, after he was cleared of the charges, he was no longer willing to make high-profile appearances. During the Quidditch World Cup final, he would not have bothered to pay attention to those so-called VIPs if Fudge had not personally invited him.
Facing such a big shot, young Gary was so nervous that he even forgot the most basic etiquette of making tea.
Sirius didn't care about these details. He tried his best to make himself more approachable. "Gally, I read today's newspaper. Some articles didn't seem to be strictly reviewed."
Gary lowered his head, not daring to meet his eyes. "The Department of Magical News was established not long ago. We are already working hard to solve these problems. Please give us more--"
"Okay." Sirius raised his eyebrows slightly, "I won't beat around the bush. Just name your price."
Gary lowered his head even lower. "Mr. Black, this is not about money."
"I see." Sirius smiled, then his face suddenly darkened again, "It seems that the Malfoy family has expanded their network of contacts very widely over the past decade."
A former clerk at the Prophet newspaper accepted bribes right after joining the Ministry of Magic? These tricks are not something that three young people can master.
So, this is actually pressure exerted by the upper level.
Sirius slowly pulled a cube out of his pocket and from it he pulled out a copy of today's newspaper.
He spread out the newspaper and pointed at the article about Harry. "Gally, I won't make things difficult for you. I just want to know who is slandering my godson."
Seeing that Gary was just hesitant and unwilling to speak, he took out a small bag woven with platinum satin from the cube.
"You tell me the answer and I'll pay you. It's simple and clear. There won't be any trouble."
Gary stared at the small bag in his hand.
The platinum silk used for weaving alone is worth hundreds of Galleons, and the things inside must be of even higher value.
Gary took a deep breath, and after a fierce mental struggle, he finally mustered up the courage to raise his head.
"Mr. Black, the appearance of this article was actually an accident."
His eyes were a little evasive, "Someone replaced the article, causing all the newspapers printed today to be...
We reported it to the higher-ups as soon as we found out about it, but they didn’t care about this bizarre article, thinking it was just a harmless incident and asking us not to spread the news.”
It’s no wonder that he was so hesitant and reluctant to speak out at first when he discovered that the problem was not taken seriously.
Sirius took out another small bag and said, "Why don't you replace that article? Can't your newspaper update the news in real time?"
Gary clenched his hands into fists unnaturally, looking a little angry. "We have changed our newspaper supplier. Now we can no longer use magic to refresh the news in real time."
Why did they change suppliers for no reason? The new supplier might be a relative of some senior executive!
Incompetent senior management built an incompetent Ministry of Magic, and over the years, the people below had no choice but to give up and lie down.
Fortunately, Gary had just come from the newspaper office not long ago, otherwise it would not be as easy as it is now to pry open his mouth.
Although for Sirius, spending one thousand or ten thousand made no difference, it would be a waste of a lot of time.
"Who are the senior executives you are talking about?"
Gary pursed his lips, looking embarrassed.
Sirius took out the third small bag from the cube, "As the godfather of the victim, I have the right to know who was responsible for this 'accident', right?"
He reached out and patted Gally's shoulder. "Don't worry, if the Ministry of Magic fires you because of this, I will arrange a better job for you."
Gary, who was originally hesitant, made up his mind in an instant and whispered in his ear, "It was Senior Deputy Minister Umbridge. Director Crouch, who came with her, wanted to launch an investigation, but was sternly rejected by her."
It turned out to be Umbridge, the big pink toad. If I guessed correctly, the matter of changing the new supplier was definitely related to her, so this bizarre "accident" was not taken seriously.
Sirius was so angry that he laughed.
There is a reason why large-scale vicious incidents have occurred frequently in the British wizarding world in recent years. As long as these insects exist, how can the Ministry of Magic guarantee social stability and prosperity!
"Mr. Black?" Gally was frightened by his murderous eyes. "Are you...are you okay?"
Sirius shook his head, "I'm fine."
He stood up from the sofa. "Thank you for your hospitality, Gary. I'm going to put an end to this 'accident' now."
Young Gary stared at his back as he left in a leisurely manner.
It was indeed an accident that the article discrediting Harry appeared in the newspaper, but ignoring it or even not taking any action was not an accident, but something that was intentional.
After Sirius left the Department of Magical News, he headed straight for the elevator and arrived at the Minister of Magic's office and logistics department on the first basement floor.
He walked on the thick carpet, his eyes moving back and forth at the small signs on the wooden doors on both sides.
Suddenly, he stopped and stared at the name on the doorplate in front of him.
"Office of the Senior Undersecretary to the Ministry of Magic - Dolores Jane Umbridge"
He relaxed the expression on his face slightly, raised his hand and knocked gently on the door.
"Come in." A shrill, annoying voice came from inside.
As soon as Sirius opened the door, the pink wallpaper in the room bombarded his eyes.
The wallpaper itself is not a big deal, the key is that it is covered with porcelain plates with disgusting cat patterns.
He actually didn't hate cats, he just felt that the whole room exuded a disgusting smell from inside to outside, especially the big pink toad sitting behind the pink desk.
"It's Mr. Black. Come in."
You are already old, but you still speak like a little girl with a slurred voice.
The voice was so thin and sharp that it made people shiver.
Sirius took a deep breath and reluctantly walked into the office.
Half an hour later, he came out with a chill all over his body.
If it weren't for Harry, he would have been unable to resist beating up the big pink toad inside as soon as he entered.
But no matter what, this "accident" was finally resolved successfully.
Sirius quickly left the Ministry and breathed in the fresh air outside.
He raised his magic communicator and checked the time.
It was 9:13 in the morning, and it was already time for class at Hogwarts.
He quickly edited a text message and set it to be sent at a certain time, then raised his wand and Apparated away in front of the red telephone booth.
……
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