"I'm sure you can handle this, Gilderoy," he said slowly. "You're a very capable man, and you're very effective at your work, as everyone sees."

"Thank you for your cultivation oo

Before Lockhart could finish speaking, Crouch raised his hand to stop him.

"Let's not talk about that now...I ask you, are you interested in being the director?" he asked.

Lockhart was shocked: "How can you have such an idea? The Department of International Affairs and Cooperation needs your guidance, and I am afraid that it will be difficult to find in Britain other than you.

■■

"I'm not talking about me," Crouch said sullenly. "I'm talking about the Department of Sports Management."

Lockhart closed his mouth immediately.

Seeing him shut up, Crouch continued: "Ludo Bagman

- He's not a competent director, do you think it's reasonable that you've been in Hogsmeade for so long, but the Department of Sports is doing nothing? "

"Maybe it's because Mr. Bagman is busy," Lockhart said pretendingly.

Crouch sneered: "Of course he's busy. In the Quidditch World Cup knockout, Wales was upset and lost to Uganda, and he lost a lot of money... So let alone the Triwizard Tournament, he even promoted Quidditch. The odd World Cup is still owed to the Daily Prophet, and I even heard that he borrowed a lot of money from the goblins."

Lockhart seemed to have heard something: "You mean, he may have embezzled public funds?

"I didn't say anything." Crouch looked serious, "I look like someone who would reach out to I" other departments to check accounts? "

"No, of course not." Lockhart denied quickly.

But Crouch's words immediately changed again: "But I know that the funds granted to the Sports Department are not much, even less than ours, because I have participated in the formulation of the department's budget."

Speaking of which, he lowered his voice: Io, as I said just now, I know that you have a good relationship with the goblins. Can you help us to find out how much money he borrowed from goblins? "

He knew that Lockhart would agree, because he just threw the carrot "Director" in front of Lockhart, and he couldn't help but be unmoved.

Sure enough, Lockhart immediately put on a very embarrassed look: "As a friend, I shouldn't inquire about other people's privacy... But this is business again..."

Crouch didn't pay attention to his pretense, or he didn't bother to get the dagger.

-

"If it is true that due to some relationship, the sports department can't get the budget for the event, can you find a way to make it up?" Crouch asked.

Now Lockhart has no way to continue to prevaricate.

"Any member of the Ministry of Magic has an obligation to uphold the dignity and credibility of the Ministry if it is business, and I am no exception," he replied.

This is what Crouch wants.

"Very good." He looked at his subordinate with satisfaction, "please ask Gringotts, who made us born to take responsibility for other people's faults?"

"But the person who takes responsibility will not necessarily bear the consequences." Lockhart put forward his opinion bewilderingly.

"When only he can bear this responsibility, then only he can bear the consequences." Crouch made a promise in disguise.

Lockhart smiled and said nothing more.

It is the minimum rule of a politician to see no rabbits and no eagles. No matter how much empty words you talk about, it will be a cloud if it doesn't fall on paper. Even if it does land on paper, there's a good chance it'll end up in the toilet paper basket the next day, covered in tawny stuff.

"In addition, Fudge sent someone over to supervise the use of sponsorship funds by our cooperation department." Crouch calmly broke another big news.

"Who?" Lockhart asked in surprise.

"Dolores Umbridge." Crouch sneered.

"The mother toad who wants to be a 'pure blood' all day long? "Lockhart's face was not very good. "In what name?" Directly under the Minister's Office or our Division?

Crouch was satisfied with his attitude: "Of course it's the minister's office, but I have good news for you, I've settled with this woman."

...talking and gasping for breath.

Lockhart was relieved.

Chapter 230: The End of the Prisoner's Storm

Although Lockhart didn't say it, he actually wanted to know how Mr. Crouch got Umbridge right.

But when he saw Umbridge again, he was surprised to find that Umbridge looked as if it had really been settled.

Although she still speaks in a tone of voice, with a fake smile on her face like a kindergartener's mask that has been randomly put together with glue, she does not give any more "guidance" to Lockhart's work.

"Looks like Fudge has failed," Lockhart said to Gemma Farley. "Crouch has more control over his Ministry of Magic than Fudge imagined, and he's even planning a counterattack."

"It's not surprising." Gemma said that it was all to be expected, "The minister's power just seems to be big, even though many people are willing to approach him, but I doubt how many people are willing to support him at a critical moment. "

"Oh?" Lockhart looked approvingly. "Your opinion?"

Facing Lockhart's expectant gaze, Gemma nodded without hesitation: "Yes."

"Very good, I think so too." Lockhart smiled.

He didn't expect that a girl who had just entered the Ministry of Magic could see that Fudge's position was unstable. This was either because she was talented and intelligent, or Fudge had really been so strong that everyone could see it.

Seeing that he was satisfied, Gemma secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She had lied just now, because it was her father's opinion, and Mr. Farley had mocked Fudge at home more than once, calling him irresponsible.

"This guy may be a little smart, always taking himself out of the responsibilities

, but this also means that he will not have any **** power - because no one will give his life to a person who is not responsible. "

It was because of her father's words that Gemma thought that Fudge was actually vulnerable in political conflict, and Lockhart thought the same.

It seems that they should get along very well in the future, Gemma longed.

After all, Umbridge looked really tamed by Crouch.

Although she also moved her office to Hogsmeade, she did not intervene in any of Lockhart's work. She just went to work on time every day. After patrolling the village under construction, she disappeared.

Although Umbridge didn't ask Lockhart at all about his work, he felt very comfortable, but after a month or two, it had been the same, which made Lockhart feel a little puzzled.

Especially when Umbridge came to the office with a kind-hearted face, announced that her work was complete, and she was going to return to the Ministry of Magic to report her duties and help Lockhart to say something nice, Lockhart's confusion can be imagined.

He resisted and didn't ask "Have you been replaced with compound decoction".

A woman who regards power as her life, was sent by the minister to the territory of a political enemy for almost two months, but did not do anything?

Could it be that he did some little tricks behind his back and planned to play a set of tricks behind the scenes with me?

As if to clear Lockhart's doubts, Umbridge handed Lockhart a report compiled from what he had seen and heard in the past two months, saying that he asked him to help him check if there was anything wrong.

In the report, she praised Hogsmeade's renovation and spoke highly of Lockhart's work over the past year.

An objective evaluation such as "sufficient budget and healthy operation" is enough, but the words "expected by the people's hearts" and "epoch-making" have also appeared in an official report, which is a bit too much. And when the "great projects inscribed in history" are all in it, Lockhart can't sit still.

"...Are you really going to hand over this thing?" he couldn't help asking.

"Of course." Umbridge grinned.

It was precisely because of this toad-like expression that Lockhart confirmed that this person was definitely not someone else's disguise—ordinary people couldn't disguise such a disgusting effect.

"If you turn it in, your situation at the Ministry might be...well, tougher," Lockhart hinted.

"Don't worry, I just did what I was supposed to do." Umbridge laughed even more disgustingly.

Lockhart shrugged and decided to give up and continue talking to her.

He didn't believe that the other party would not see the situation clearly, but she still did it, which means that Crouch's bid was far beyond Lockhart's imagination, which is why Umbridge was so tame.

After she left, Gemma made a sharp comment: "She's like a toad fed with flies, and Crouch is getting more and more alive, and he's willing to buy such a person."

Lockhart said he couldn't agree more.

Since he couldn't figure it out, Lockhart didn't ask. After all, he was not Bertha Jorkins, and liked to inquire about other people's private affairs.

They haven't had any big news these days other than work, and the biggest thing is the public trial of Peter Pettigrew and the Hogwarts Quidditch final.

The first is a trial, something like this that earns prestige without breaking a sweat

, Fudge never misses.

He appointed himself as the trial judge for the public trial and called in a number of senior Wizengamore members including Mrs Burns, Mrs Marchban and Mr Ogden.

In court, Fudge counted the crimes of Peter Pettigrew righteously, and expounded how the Ministry of Magic "set things right" under his leadership, and by the way, he was disgusted by Crouch.

It is with a heavy heart that I warn you that justice delayed is never justice, and all we can do now is to do our best to make up for what has been lost.

■■

In the auditorium, Sirius Blake unabashedly yawned.

"What a waste of time... I wasted an afternoon of fun waterskiing on the lake."

Although Fudge's report was long and tedious, there was an end to it. At the end of the public hearing, Fudge announced that Peter Pettigrew would be for several members of the Order of the Phoenix whom he had betrayed back then, including the Prewetts, the Potters, the McGinns Farmers, couples, etc. -- take full responsibility.

"After synthesizing the views of all members of the Wizengamot, I declare that

- Pettigrew's punishment is a life sentence for Azkaban!

And considering that he is still an illegal Animagus, we will make a special rat cage for him to ensure that no accidents will happen again. "

Because Peter was not sentenced to death, Sirius was still aggrieved by the time he went to the Quidditch final.

"...It's hard to imagine that he didn't even get a kiss from a Dementor! Could it be that the Ministry of Magic has been so tolerant of Death Eaters in the past ten years, Remus?"

Lupin was also very helpless: "There is no way, in the eyes of the public, 'Voldemort' and

"Death Eater' is a word from a long time ago."

"It's so cheap for him, if I were Harry..."

As soon as Black finished speaking, he saw Harry riding a Firebolt over the heads of the audience, surpassing Malfoy, who was about to catch the Snitch, and took it first.

Black immediately dropped the unpleasant topic and started cheering for his godson.

"Break up those insidious, vile scumbags!"

He shouted into the arena, causing the students of Slytherin not far to look at him.

Lupin turned his head away, trying to pretend he didn't know him.

Who asked Sirius to choose a location close to Snape in order to be irritating?

Chapter 231 Baotou

After confirming that Umbridge could not interfere with Crouch, Lockhart naturally dared to bet on Crouch.

So while taking advantage of the money to invest for Sirius, Lockhart found Ragno the goblin and asked him about Ludo Bagman, the director of the sports department.

Ragno looked very alert when he saw Lockhart asking: "Aren't you going to pay this debt for him?"

"No, but if he embezzles funds from the Ministry of Magic, we are obliged to recover it." Lockhart said with a serious face, a business-like look, "According to the law, when recovering arrears, public funds debt is a priority.”

Ragno waved his hand impatiently: "Don't mention any laws to me, it can't control us yet."

"I just want to remind you as a friend, be careful that you lose everything." Lockhart was completely "I'm doing it for your own good".

Seeing that he was serious, Ragno had to be cautious.

"You mean, will he not be able to repay the money? Bagman is a director after all, and... well, I heard that he also borrowed money from other goblins, and he paid it back, and his credit is back. Not bad."

"It depends on how much money it costs. If it's a few hundred or a few thousand, he may be able to find a way to get it at once, but if it's what I think, then there is a problem, and the problem is still very big." Special cautioned.

According to Mr. Crouch, Ludo Bagman borrowed money from several goblins, and they borrowed money one by one, but the exact amount was unclear.

Although Lockhart did not know how much Bagman had borrowed, he was very familiar with this borrowing model.

Because when he was working "before", he also heard colleagues talking about a Ponzi scheme - the Cordia Prussy case, which made the British authorities very numb at the time.

Therefore, when he heard the news that Bagman had asked several goblins to borrow money one after another, Lockhart instinctively thought of this case.

I'll take a guess if you're angry... Do you fairies never inquire about other fairies' investment channels? ' Lockhart asked Ragno.

Ragno was a little strange: "That's a matter of course, who would tell other fairies how to earn money?"

"So... let me guess, don't you know how many goblins Bagman has borrowed money from?" Lockhart tentatively.

Ragno disagreed: "What about him! As long as he does pay back the money, it doesn't matter how many people he borrows from?"

"The problem is very big... If the money he borrowed from you is to repay another goblin's loan, and then he asks another goblin to borrow money to pay you back, you can think for yourself, what's the problem?" Special reminded.

Ragno was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and began to think about the key points. Lockhart was not in a hurry, but admired Ragno's wine bottle on the wine cabinet with great interest. Those who are interested will pick it up and check the label.

After a long while, Ragno raised his head abruptly.

"Ah! One day, the debt will accumulate to the point where he can't pay it back or borrow any new money," Ragno said.