Moody slamd his cane against the floor in frustration. "We were this close to getting answers, and now this! Those bastards acted faster than I expected."
Minister Bagnold sighed, her expression grim. "It's a sha, but we did capture five Death Eaters. That's still a significant achievent."
Barty nodded in agreent. "Yes, but letting the big fish slip away leaves a sour taste."
Minister Bagnold tilted her head thoughtfully. "That Alex Wilson… wasn't he the sa young wizard who helped us capture four Death Eaters during the Christmas ambush two years ago?"
"That's him," Moody replied, still pacing the room.
"Civilian heroes, and they're Muggle-born underage wizards. Isn't that the kind of news that boosts morale the most?" Millicent Bagnold said with a smile as she turned to Crouch.
"True enough, but... what about Dumbledore? He might have objections. Alex is his student, after all," Crouch replied, hesitating.
"It's a good thing, not a bad one. What could he possibly object to?" Moody interrupted, his gruff voice loud and firm.
"I rember Dumbledore wanting to keep things low-key after Alex's last achievent. He was worried that too much attention might put the kid in danger," Crouch explained, glancing at Moody.
"Hah! That's old news! The Death Eaters are scattered, and You-Know-Who is gone. What's there to fear? As for the usual dark wizards, I'm not bragging, but they'd barely last a minute against Alex. You've seen his equipnt, haven't you? Incredible stuff!" Moody laughed, his eyes gleaming with a mix of admiration and envy.
Millicent nodded, her decision made. "It seems Moody has complete faith in Alex. Then it's settled. If Dumbledore has questions, I'll explain. Now, let's move on. The remaining Death Eaters will be dealt with in public trials."
"Yes," Crouch and Moody replied in unison.
anwhile, Alex was finally eting with The Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter once again. "Mr. Wilson, I never imagined you'd think of first after accomplishing such a feat. Truly, I'm honored," Rita said, a sly smile curling her lips.
Rita Skeeter had built her reputation by unearthing juicy gossip about celebrities, but today's events had brought her to the doorstep of real news. The Ministry of Magic had been buzzing with rumors since dawn. Witnesses claid an underage wizard had single-handedly defeated five Death Eaters, dragging them into the Ministry's custody.
Despite the Ministry's tight security around the incident, a tip-off had reached The Daily Prophet. Skeeter, determined to sniff out the truth, had spent hours waiting outside the Ministry. To her surprise, she received an invitation directly from Alex Wilson himself.
Rita adjusted her glasses, her quill poised above a parchnt. "So, Mr. Wilson," she began, excitent dripping from her voice, "as an underage wizard, you defeated five Death Eaters this morning and brought them to their knees. Tell —was it Slytherin cunning that gave you the edge? Or could it be that you had an informant among the Death Eaters? Perhaps this was a trap you ticulously prepared?" Her eyes sparkled with the thrill of speculation. "Oh, the secrets you must be hiding! This could be the story of the century!"
Alex raised a hand, stopping her in her tracks. He could feel a headache brewing. Skeeter's imagination ran so wild it was hard to keep up. The quill beside her seed just as overzealous, scribbling notes as if every word was gospel truth.
Alex sighed, pulling a folded parchnt from his robes and tossing it lightly onto the table in front of her. Then, from another pocket, he retrieved a small leather pouch and handed it to her. "Here," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Report exactly what's written on this parchnt. No embellishnts, no extras. Just follow the script. Got it?" He gestured to the pouch. "That's 20 Galleons. Your reward."
Rita blinked, montarily stunned. She had been paid for stories before, but never like this—direct, no-nonsense, and with a literal script to follow. "You're serious?" she asked, clutching the bag to her chest.
"Dead serious." Alex pulled out a small coin from his pocket. With a flick of his wand, he transford it into a tiny tallic beetle. The resemblance to Rita's Animagus form wasn't lost on her.
He placed the beetle in her hand, leaning in slightly. "This is just a little token of cooperation. From now on, I'll contact you through this. Trust , working with will make you famous far faster than you ever imagined."
Rita stared at the tallic beetle, her thoughts racing. How did he know? Her illegal Animagus ability was her most closely guarded secret. "This...?" she stamred, her voice unusually hesitant.
"It's nothing special. Just a little trinket." Alex straightened up and headed for the door. Before stepping out, he turned back to her. "Well? What are you still sitting there for? Isn't it ti for pictures?"
"Uh, yes, I understand." Rita Skeeter quickly realized Alex had more in mind than he let on. She stood up hastily, tucking away the money bag and tal beetle she'd been fiddling with, her movents unusually flustered.
In just a few short minutes, Alex had completely taken the reins of the conversation. Rita, usually the one pulling the strings, was now scrambling to keep up—a rare feat considering her reputation for relentless probing.
When they stepped out of the room, the two posed for a few polished half-length photos in front of the Ministry's photographer. After that, Rita wasted no ti hurrying out of the Departnt of Magical Law Enforcent's gate. Ministry staff nearby exchanged curious glances. "Is that really Rita Skeeter? The sa woman who usually interrogates people to death? Why's she suddenly acting so efficient?" one muttered, bewildered.
Vanessa, standing nearby on duty, couldn't help but join in. "Alex, what did you do to her? She was tearing into us earlier like a Niffler in a jewelry shop. Now she's quiet as a Kneazle sunning itself."
Alex shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? Maybe deep down, she's an introvert."
Vanessa raised an eyebrow, but before she could press further, Alex smoothly changed the topic. "By the way, Vanessa, I haven't had the chance to say it yet—congratulations on becoming a full-fledged Auror. Moody said your internship performance was the best he's seen in years."
Vanessa's face lit up at the complint. "Really? That ans a lot coming from him. But honestly, it's all thanks to his guidance. Even as a full Auror now, I haven't had many opportunities for field missions yet—still stuck doing paperwork most of the ti."
She smirked. "Though let's be honest, Alex, you've completely stolen the spotlight this ti. The Minister specifically told to bring you to her as soon as you ca out."
"Really? Then we'd better not keep her waiting," Alex said, nodding. As they started walking, he paused, suddenly rembering sothing. "Oh, Vanessa, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure. What do you need?" she replied casually.
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