A Young Prodigy Rises to Fame

The conditions weren't bad, they were too good— Skylar wasn't some clueless fool; he knew there was no such thing as a free lunch (he had forgotten that being reborn was essentially winning the lottery). At this moment, he was hesitant.

Cleopatra seemed to sense Skylar's hesitation and took the initiative to ask, "Sister can tell you're uneasy about the overly generous terms, right?"

Skylar nodded.

Cleopatra smiled gently and said, "You don't need to be like this. Your potential has attracted more than just our attention; to be honest, the Dark Arts Defense League and the International Confederation of Wizards have also taken notice of you—"

She paused before continuing, "However, the Dark Arts Defense League certainly can't offer competitive terms, and the International Confederation of Wizards has always held itself in high regard, rarely recruiting underage wizards. Even Dumbledore himself was only invited to join them five years after graduating from Hogwarts. I must remind you, once you accept our terms, you become our advocate, sharing our fate—which also means you forfeit your future opportunities to join the Dark Arts Defense League and the International Confederation of Wizards..."

So that's how it is. Now Skylar understood; it turned out that several organizations were trying to take him away.

On the surface, the "International Confederation of Wizards," which is equivalent to the United Nations of the Muggle world, is more powerful and has greater international recognition. However, as Cleopatra said, they did not extend an olive branch to Skylar, but chose to wait and see how Skylar would perform after he came of age.

(Note: It is possible to be a regular member of these organizations at the same time, but it is not possible to become a spokesperson. This is the choice Skylar faced. Of course, Skylar could still choose to join each organization and become a regular member, but there would be fewer benefits.)

There's Muggle saying, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," and besides, with chaos looming ahead, Skylar couldn't wait until he came of age. Soon, he made his decision.

"Sister Gulana, thank you for your patient explanation. I've made up my mind, I accept your conditions!"

In the afternoon, after receiving the "Wizard Scholar Contribution Award" and a prize of five thousand Galleons at a grand awards ceremony attended by reporters, Skylar returned to Hogwarts that evening via the Floo Network.

The next morning at breakfast time, when Skylar appeared in the Great Hall, there were various whispers in the Great Hall. Skylar noticed that many people were holding different newspapers or magazines.

As Skylar sat down at the Slytherin table, Draco excitedly ran over and exclaimed, "Wow! Skylar, do you know that so many newspapers across Europe are reporting on you today, and with quite a bit of coverage? Even other magazines have mentioned your name to some extent!" He then handed Skylar a copy of the Daily Prophet.

It seems that even though the Daily Prophet is still under the control of the Ministry of Magic, it needs to follow the reporting of other countries' media. Otherwise, what would it mean if the achievements of a Britain wizard were not reported by the country's main media, but instead by foreign media?

Skylar took the newspaper and saw a photo on the cover of himself receiving the "Wizard Scholar Contribution Award" on stage. In the photo, he looked spirited and dashing, smiling and waving to the readers. The cover focused on the reason he went to the Medieval European Wizards Association to receive the award—for his outstanding contribution to the improvement of the Patronus Charm.

"Skylar Malfoy, a recipient of the Order of Merlin Special Medal, a youth representative of the Medieval European Wizards Association, and winner of the 'Most Promising Newcomer Award' from Transfiguration Today *, received the 'Wizard Scholar Contribution Award' yesterday in Sardinia, adding a glorious chapter to the Britain wizarding world. According to our reporter Rita Skeeter, Mr. Malfoy comes from the noble and ancient House of Malfoy. Since enrolling at Hogwarts three years ago, he has distinguished himself, excelling academically and gaining the favor of many professors, publishing numerous articles in various academic journals..."

Wow, all of these are nice things to say.

Skylar opened the cover and continued turning the pages.

The following pages interspersed with short reports and introductions to several of his famous deeds, such as killing the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets mystery and rescuing a little girl; his keen eye for talent, profiting from investing in Ellerby and Spudmore Broom Company; and winning the Merlin's Trial competition, earning him a special badge from the Order of Merlin...

"Besides his privileged background and outstanding academic achievements, Mr. Malfoy has also displayed remarkable courage and a strong sense of justice in recent years. According to our reporter Rita Skeeter, he once single-handedly entered the Chamber of Secrets and rescued an innocent little girl trapped inside. In his later novel, * Me and the Basilisk at Hogwarts *, we learn that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets was a five-star dangerous Basilisk, which gives you an idea of just how perilous the entire ordeal was..."

"Mr. Malfoy is also a business genius; it is said that his investments in the Ellerby and Spudmore Broom Companies yielded a return of more than six times within a year..."

"That same year, Mr. Malfoy defeated three sixth-year students and two fourth-year students, passing Merlin's Trial and earning the special medal of honor awarded by the Order of Merlin..."

Of course, the newspaper made no mention whatsoever of the Dementors' out-of-control attack on the stadium and his battle against hundreds of Dementors. This was probably at the behest of the Ministry of Magic — the Ministry of Magic would never admit to the public that Dementors could go out of control.

Furthermore, he didn't mention at all the times he had embarrassed Harry twice—given Harry's fame, this should have been a great topic, at least Skylar knew Rita Skeeter would definitely be interested; the reason he didn't mention it was probably due to Dumbledore's manipulation behind the scenes. He still wanted Harry to maintain the Savior's aura, and at the current stage, Dumbledore's relationship with the Ministry of Magic was still in a honeymoon period, so the Ministry of Magic wouldn't do anything to damage Harry's reputation Savior.

(Note: In the original book, Dumbledore suppressed unfavorable rumors about Harry, such as that he could speak Parseltongue.)

Skylar was not blinded by fame. He could see from Professor Lockhart what would happen to someone who was burdened by fame and obsessed with empty reputation.

However, he was very satisfied with the effect these reports had created, and the most important thing was knowing that he now had the power of public opinion as his backing.

In fact, the benefits he received yesterday were far greater than reported in the newspapers—in his Suitcase Space lay a Winky silver Runespoor eggs and a bottle of Winky Felix Felicis. In Cleopatra's words, these two items were her personal gifts, a welcoming present for Skylar to join the family. As for why she chose these two items as gifts, it was because she had asked Skylar beforehand if there was anything he particularly wanted.

[Obtained from Runespoor eggs! Obtained from Felix Felicis!]

Daphne arrived at the Great Hall and went straight to sit next to Skylar, whispering, "Have you come to my house this summer? Dad wants to meet you."

Wow, meeting the parents so soon? This strange thought popped into Skylar's mind. Of course, he also knew that the grand gesture he had made was enough to demonstrate his potential and value, and it was perfectly normal for the Greengrass Family to want to meet him in person and renegotiate their cooperative relationship.

Skylar readily agreed, "No problem. Please tell your father that I will definitely pay him a visit this summer."

Breakfast was unusually difficult for Skylar, as a steady stream of young wizards came up to congratulate Skylar, making the entire breakfast session a social affair. Fortunately, it was the Easter holiday, Skylar n't have to rush to class, otherwise he might have been late or even missed breakfast.

After breakfast, an older student relayed a message from Dumbledore, asking Skylar to come to his office.

In Dumbledore's office, besides Dumbledore, two other guests were sitting in chairs drinking tea.

One of them was Tiberius McLaggen, an acquaintance of Skylar's who had gone hunting Nogtail with him during the summer. The other was a middle-aged witch with a square jaw, short gray hair, and a monocle; she looked very shrewd and capable.

Tiberius greeted Skylar cheerfully. Dumbledore slowly began, "Let me introduce you. This is Skylar Malfoy, a third-year student at Hogwarts. This lady is Amelia Madam Bones — the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and a member of Wizengamot. As for Mr. McLaggen, I think you all already know him, so I won't go into further introductions."

Skylar bowed to the two elders and politely offered his greetings.

Tiberius waved his hand dismissively, indicating that such formalities were unnecessary between them, as if Skylar and he were old friends who had known each other for a long time, even though this was only their second meeting.

Amelia's serious face softened into a gentle smile. "Mr. Malfoy, I've heard about you from my niece—yes, you might know her, she's Susan Bones, in your year, from Hufflepuff. She's right, you are indeed a promising young man, and quite handsome."

(The author uses the two people's names in the narration because their nephew and niece are studying at Hogwarts. Using their surnames would have caused confusion later in the story.)

Dumbledore interrupted their conversation, "Skylar, the reason I've brought you here today is because Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic both believe your achievements today deserve greater recognition. Therefore, the Ministry of Magic has sent someone here specifically to discuss this matter—"

Skylar sneered inwardly. Was this some kind of attempt to win people over? What were they doing all this time? Both Tom Riddle and Harry and Ron in the original story received a "Award for Special Services to the School" after solving the Chamber of Secrets incident, but Skylar received nothing. If Skylar hadn't written about it in a book, the story probably wouldn't have even left Hogwarts.

Of course, Skylar only thought these things to himself; he wouldn't show them on his face.

Dumbledore continued, "Hogwarts has decided to award you a 'Award for Special Services to the School' in recognition of the honors you have brought to Hogwarts. And the Ministry of Magic— " As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Amelia.

Amelia said, "Mr. Malfoy, the Ministry of Magic has been in considerable communication with the Order of Merlin regarding your case, and the Order has agreed to award you the more formal Order of Merlin, Third Class. Furthermore, the Ministry of Magic has also agreed to reward you with the title of 'Wizengamot Youth Representative,' which is equivalent to a reserve seat in the Wizengamot organization. In the event of a stalemate during the voting process, the opinion of the reserve will be taken into consideration, and when Wizengamot seat becomes vacant (for example, due to the death or removal of a member), you can become a full member."

(Note: The Wizengamot Youth Representatives are not fictional; Dumbledore was once one. The Wizengamot has 50 members, so a 25-to-25 vote is indeed possible. Here, the author has arbitrarily set up a solution that considers the opinions of the alternates.)

Seeing Dumbledore's expression, Skylar cautiously replied, "Madam Bones, I have a question for you."

Ignoring Dumbledore's expression, Amelia replied kindly, "No need to be so formal. You're Susan's classmate. Just call me Auntie Leah. I'll have Susan invite you to my house sometime."

Now, Skylar slowly began to understand.

Skylar could not discern any expression on Dumbledore's face; his wise eyes still shone brightly behind his half-moon spectacles.

However, Skylar was not that foolish Harry; he was always aware of the complicated relationship between Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn't tempted by the Ministry of Magic's offers of power, status, and honor. However, Skylar was still nominally a student and would be staying at Hogwarts for several more years, so he couldn't ignore Dumbledore's opinion.

Furthermore, Skylar was not inherently a heartless person; he could not abandon his feelings for the sake of ambition like Percy did. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were both kind to him, so he also had to consider their opinions.

"Aunt Leah, I am very grateful for the Ministry of Magic's kindness. However, I have never heard of a precedent for awarding a formal medal of the Order of Merlin to a minor wizard. I am only 13 years old. Isn't such a prestigious honor a bit too early for me? As for Wizengamot, I have indeed heard of youth representatives and alternates, but I know nothing about wizarding laws and procedures. If I make a fool of myself because of this, I'm worried it won't look good in the media..."