One Galleon to Buy a Newspaper / Dumbledore, Protecting His Reputation...

Moreover, this can be seen from the original works. For example, in the Goblet of Fire, one of the important reasons why Barty Crouch Jr.. was able to impersonate Moody without revealing his identity was his absolute obedience to Dumbledore.

At the end of the term, he disobeyed Dumbledore's orders for the only time, and then he was discovered.

In the original story, Harry returned to the school with Cedric Diggory's body. Dumbledore ordered Harry to stay where he was, but the Fake Moody took Harry away instead.

Actually, given the situation, taking Harry away was perfectly reasonable. The scene was chaotic; who knew what might happen? And Harry had suffered such a traumatic experience; he definitely needed to be taken to the hospital... Yet, because of this one action, Dumbledore didn't even ask why and immediately led two professors to attack...

This might be because he's constantly on edge, but it also shows that when he's nervous, everyone around him can be suspected.

Therefore, whether it's the original Dumbledore or a fanfiction, his attitude towards the Order of the Phoenix and Moody is the same, so don't expect him to wholeheartedly trust Harry...

Above~)

Chapter 713 One Galleon, Acquiring a Newspaper

"Harry, how long are you planning to drag this out?"

After taking his seat, Dumbledore asked directly.

The old man and the young man already knew each other's backgrounds, so there was no need for any probing; they could just go straight to the battle.

"I'm waiting for the Britain Ministry of Magic, the International Confederation of Wizards, and of course the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary in Romania to each come up with a suitable compensation plan," Harry said just as bluntly. "These bastards just do nothing but condemn each other all day long, without any sincerity in offering compensation. Why should I waste my time arguing with them?"

"You?" Dumbledore speechless upon hearing this. Harry's firm attitude made him feel that things were going to be difficult.

However, he also knew that Harry now possessed considerable strength.

And Harry, just as he thought, put his ideas into practice, demonstrating what it means to be mighty!

I don't want to listen to your nonsense right now. Either give me satisfactory compensation, or we'll keep dragging this out!

"You need to tell me clearly what you want," Dumbledore voice after taking a deep breath.

"Oh, Headmaster, you can represent them?" Harry raised an eyebrow and asked, "The Britain Ministry of Magic, the International Confederation of Wizards, and the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary ...you can represent all of them?"

"I... can~" Dumbledore's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"That makes things easier~" Harry immediately flashed a shrewd businessman's smile upon hearing this. "Look, if you had come sooner, this matter wouldn't have dragged on for so long."

Dumbledore's breathing became noticeably heavier, but Harry remained unperturbed, smiling.

He had been waiting for Albus Dumbledore for several days.

If the Britain Wizarding World continues to descend into chaos, it will only give Voldemort the opportunity to grow stronger. But this is precisely what Harry is least worried about right now, because he is in an invincible position.

At worst, we can just send Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Sirius, and the others abroad. Then Harry will be all alone, and he can cosplay as Rambo and take on Voldemort and the Death Eater one-on-one. In the end, he'll definitely kill them all, leaving only Voldemort.

Immortality, huh? That's how awesome it is!

However, the Britain Wizarding World cannot afford to drag this out, nor can it withstand the unbridled destruction caused by him and Voldemort using it as a battlefield. Therefore, someone will eventually have to step in and clean up the mess, and that person can only be Albus Dumbledore.

"Tell me your demands." Clearly, Albus Dumbledore knew he was at a complete disadvantage and could only let Harry make exorbitant demands.

"Then I'll be blunt. First, the Britain Ministry of Magic, the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, and the International Confederation of Wizards must publicly apologize to Hagrid and me! Furthermore, all those involved, regardless of rank, must be dismissed, investigated, and sent to Azkaban!!"

"Isn't that a bit too harsh?" Dumbledore's brow furrowed immediately. "Harry, you can't leave people no way out. Have you considered what would happen if these people held a grudge and eventually joined the Death Eater? Now that Voldemort has returned, the Dementor of Azkaban could rebel at any time, and then there might be another large-scale prison break!"

"What does the mass breakout from Azkaban have to do with me? You should talk to the Ministry of Magic!" Harry shook his head dismissively. "Anyway, my enemy is the Death Eater. I don't care what this Death Eater did before, but if he dares to collude with Voldemort at this critical juncture, I will absolutely not show any mercy!"

"You?!" Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock; he hadn't expected Harry to be so ruthless!

This kid clearly has no intention of letting Fudge and his gang go. He just wants to drive them to the brink and force them to join Voldemort's side!

That way, he can rightfully kill them!

Why has this child become like this...?

"Headmaster, what are you hesitating about?" Harry suddenly brought Dumbledore back to his senses. "Or... do you not want to take the lead in handling this matter?"

"This..." Dumbledore finally understood when he saw the faint smile on Harry's face.

Harry proposed a seemingly aggressive retaliation clause, but in reality, it was a shocking conspiracy that killed several birds with one stone!

Besides venting his anger, Dumbledore also wanted to wipe out Fudge and his ilk, something he had foreseen beforehand.

But now Dumbledore discovers that the reason Harry dragged the situation in Britain to such a deplorable state, forcing him to intervene, was actually to push Dumbledore to the forefront, while he remained hidden behind the scenes!

In this way, those who suffer imprisonment will certainly hate Harry, but they will also hate Dumbledore, because he was the one who sent them to Azkaban!

At that time, if Harry were to use the media to stir things up, Albus Dumbledore would appear to outsiders as someone who would stop at nothing to eliminate dissidents!

I'm still scared...

Dumbledore was now truly terrified, because Harry's cunning was now terrifying; even the slightest carelessness could have led him to fall into Harry's trap!

If I actually did that, my reputation in the Britain Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards would inevitably plummet!

However, it's not without a solution...

"Fine, I promise you!" Dumbledore gritted his teeth, seemingly agreeing reluctantly. "However, Harry, sending the others to Azkaban is fine, but Fudge and Akinbad have special statuses. They must be tried by Wizengamot and the International Wizarding Court before they can..."

"Alright, alright, I think we should just leave it at that," Harry suddenly interrupted Dumbledore's explanation. "I won't interfere with how that guy Akinbad is interrogated, as long as the International Confederation of Wizards doesn't show favoritism. As for Cornelius Fudge, if you don't want to personally send him to Azkaban, fine. You can have him buy the Daily Prophet out of his own pocket and then resell it to me, and I'll agree that he'll only be dismissed and investigated, without going to jail."

Dumbledore's expression froze again upon hearing this; Harry had actually seen right through his thoughts!

Indeed, while the Wizengamot are all opportunists, with a little money to bribe them, Fudge could get away with just a dismissal and a fine without going to jail... at least he wouldn't have to personally send him there.

But Harry saw right through this money-for-money scheme, not only easily thwarting it but also bringing out what he really wanted: 'compensation'!

Albus Dumbledore is now absolutely certain that after Fudge went bankrupt buying the Daily Prophet, he didn't resell it to Harry, but rather...

"I can probably offer one Galleon for it, but I'm really short on cash right now." Sure enough, Harry offered an absurdly low offer.

"If you agree, then it's settled."

Chapter 714 Dumbledore, Cherishing His Reputation

If you ask what the most satisfying way to get revenge is, it's naturally to take the Sword of Gryffindor and slice Cornelius Fudge's head off.

The problem is, Harry can't do that.

He ultimately doesn't live in a magical world where might makes right, but rather in a more complex magical realism. Does he really think public opinion and the law don't exist?

In this world, even the wizards of the China have given up flying on swords... Unrestrained and carefree vengeance is obviously impossible.

Albus Dumbledore would probably be happy for Harry to do this, but Harry mustn't fall for his tricks.

If Harry were to kill Cornelius Fudge simply because of a minor false accusation, he would be undeniably cruel, violent, and indiscriminately killing innocent people. Therefore, he needs to clear himself of wrongdoing and use Albus Dumbledore as a tool to kill him, which would also damage Albus Dumbledore's reputation in the process.

At this stage, Albus Dumbledore needs to protect his reputation, so he definitely won't act as a tool for Harry.

Harry naturally had to settle for second best. Since killing Fudge directly would bring no benefit, he might as well sell his worthless life for a good price.

The Daily Prophet's price is quite reasonable.

As one of the media giants in the Britain Wizarding World, if Harry were to simultaneously control both the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler, he would essentially have complete control over the mouthpiece of the entire Britain wizarding world!

In this way, even if Albus Dumbledore could help the Ministry of Magic reorganize and recover, they would have no way to communicate with the outside world!

Are you suggesting I find my own way to distribute flyers? Haha, who's going to read that?

Or perhaps he should start his own newspaper/magazine... Aren't you afraid Harry will use both the newspaper and the magazine to attack him simultaneously?

Or did he submit it to * Witch Weekly *...? Believe it or not, Harry bought * Witch Weekly * too?

Harry could think of these things, and so could Albus Dumbledore, so he was clearly in a difficult position now.

Because he had already realized that exchanging chips was less Fudge's fate and more his own reputation.

If he wants to preserve his reputation, he has no choice but to let the Ministry of Magic become a mute that cannot carry out his orders.

However, now Albus Dumbledore can only choose reputation.

Because if his banner falls, then no one in the entire Britain and even Europe Wizarding World will be able to restrain Harry.

If Harry were to install a puppet to control the Britain Ministry of Magic, he would inevitably replace Voldemort and become the new Dark Lord!

Hehe~

Ultimately, this is still a matter of trust.

Even the Order of the Phoenix weren't entirely convinced by Albus Dumbledore, so how could he possibly believe that someone like Harry had no desire for a high position, much less the ambition to become a mere village-level Dark Lord?

However, Harry was now completely aware of all his thoughts!

Of course, this wasn't his own idea; it was something others analyzed with his help.

During these days of waiting, Harry couldn't have been completely unprepared. He and Rowena went through countless scenarios, analyzing all of Albus Dumbledore's possible reactions and backup plans... It could be said that Harry had devised a proper countermeasure for every single one of Albus Dumbledore's strategies!

In fact, despite all the excitement we've just discussed, the Daily Prophet wasn't Harry's real purpose.

Everything he just said, including what he's about to say, is just bait to lure Albus Dumbledore into a trap... The real 'surprise' he's prepared for Albus Dumbledore will definitely make him jump out of his chair!

"Okay... I agree!" Albus Dumbledore finally nodded with a grim face. "I'll help Fudge get the Daily Prophet to you!"

"Headmaster, you're mistaken. They said they were going to sell it to me, but at a lower price." Harry shook his head with a smile. "Now, let's talk about my second request. It still comes down to those three organizations; they must jointly recognize Hagrid and me as having the legal right to raise dragons. Since they're using such a far-fetched reason to frame me, then let's just make that frame-up true."

"Harry, don't push your luck! You should know best whether it was a frame-up or not!" Dumbledore said sternly.

"All I know is that they have no evidence; it's pure fabrication. Headmaster, if you really wanted to bring me down, you should have taken them to the Forbidden Forest when it first happened! Now, it's too late." Harry stared directly into Dumbledore's eyes. "Oh, and by the way, the Romanian Dragon Reserve has to pay Hagrid a Dragon Egg in return. I think their local Longhorn Dragon would be quite nice."

The subsequent requirements were undoubtedly supplementary for Hagrid, Harry knew that Hagrid had always longed to have a dragon of his own.

Even though Hagrid was a strong and powerful Half-blood- Giant, the more ferocious Spinosaurus and Hornet Dragons among the Dragon were ultimately beyond his control. That's why Harry settled for a less ferocious but rather cool-looking creature.

The Romanian Longhorn has a pair of large, golden horns on its head, which no other Dragon has. Hagrid would absolutely adore it.

"Well... I agree. Consider it a small compensation to Hagrid." Dumbledore nodded silently. He understood that Harry's second request was already quite lenient compared to the first one.

"Then let's talk about the third question, which you've probably been waiting for me to bring up," Harry said with a smile, raising an eyebrow. "The candidate to succeed Cornelius Fudge as the next Minister for Magic."

Harry's tone was nonchalant, but Dumbledore didn't find it arrogant, because that was the reality of the situation.

If Harry agrees with him, they can decide who will inherit power in the Britain Ministry of Magic!

Because... Dumbledore has suitable candidates, and Harry has Scrimgeour as a trump card!

"Hmm... my conditions were indeed rather harsh, so I can make some concessions." Just as Dumbledore holding his breath, Harry suddenly smiled kindly. "As long as you can guarantee, Headmaster, that the new Minister for Magic will publicly acknowledge my trip to the Albanian Forest, announce Voldemort's return, and thoroughly investigate all families who have colluded with Fudge, I will not let Scrimgeour compete for the Ministership."

"You?!" Dumbledore's face darkened even more. Harry's conditions weren't exactly harsh, but they were incredibly insidious!

This was another triple win: it boosted his own reputation, caused panic in the Britain Wizarding World, and simultaneously alienated the Ministry of Magic from those families!

His real intention was to reap the benefits, first letting the Order of the Phoenix barely clean up the mess at the Ministry of Magic, and then sending Scrimgeour to sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor!

"Headmaster, please don't glare at me like that," Harry smiled nonchalantly. "Anyway... if I just promote Scrimgeour directly, he'll still have to do these things, won't he?"

"But at that point, his investigation won't be as simple as a 'thorough investigation'."

Chapter 715 What's the use of just being strong?

Clearly, this is yet another difficult choice for Albus Dumbledore.

If he agrees to Harry's request to make someone from the Order of the Order of the Phoenix Minister for Magic and then thoroughly reform the system, he will definitely offend those families, but there may still be room for reconciliation afterwards.

Moreover, in the process, he might have the opportunity to bring those families under his control, expand the power of the Order of the Phoenix, and maintain his own reputation.

But if he disagrees, and Harry forces Scrimgeour to the top, those families might be wiped out... or even directly side with Voldemort!

In Dumbledore's view, Scrimgeour was a stubborn guy with no political sense. Harry always talked about "going head-to-head with Voldemort," and Scrimgeour was very receptive to that kind of talk!

At that time, if Harry just gives a little advice, this guy will immediately turn into a suicide squad member, leading the entire Ministry of Magic in a mindless charge, making the situation in the Britain Wizarding World even worse than it is now!

Therefore, if possible, Dumbledore still hoped to keep the Ministry of Magic under his control, at least in this way he wouldn't lose the legitimate support of the Britain government.

But what frustrates him now is that he doesn't have any big-name players who can counter Scrimgeour.

Within the current Order of the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic, only Alastor Moody and Arthur Weasley are qualified to succeed him as Minister, but neither of them is as competitive as Scrimgeour.

Mad-Eye Moody is far too old, and increasingly suspicious and neurotic; as for Arthur, his three children are all working for Harry, and Harry has just pardoned Charles —is Arthur really willing to go all out against Harry?

So, who else can I choose?

Surely we wouldn't go so far as to idolize people like Umbridge and Thicknesse, would we?

Kingsley Shacklebolt Shacklebolt would be a suitable candidate, but he's currently just an ordinary Auror, and he's no match for Scrimgeour.