bacchusnovels Chapter 94 Lockhart Buying Services
Chapter 94 Lockhart Buying Services
To the left of the secondhand robe shop is the Whitshard Book Company, and further to the left is the headquarters of the Daily Prophet.
Sean's gaze locked onto a familiar figure as he watched the man stroll leisurely out of Whitshard Books and head straight into the headquarters of The Daily Prophet.
If... he's not mistaken.
That figure was Lockhart.
Only he would wear that conspicuous purple wizard's robe and, as he walked forward, not forget to tidy his golden wavy curls.
Sean couldn't help but feel a little confused.
Previously, he didn't care where Lockhart went (unless he went to his house), but he had just finished talking to Kramer when the person he was talking to went to the place where another person was.
It's hard not to make him overthink.
So Sean hid in the shadows at the street corner, took out an invisibility cloak from his briefcase, and put it on.
After following a wizard into the headquarters of the Daily Prophet, he cleverly used an invisibility cloak to blend in successfully.
After entering the building, Sean cautiously moved through the corridors, remaining vigilant at all times. He looked around and circled almost the entire office building before finally locking onto a room that appeared to be an editor's office.
He pressed himself against the door, holding his breath and listening intently, and could vaguely hear conversations coming from inside.
"Sean Phillips this week..."
He only heard his own name; the rest of the sentence was too faint for him to hear clearly.
"What is he trying to do?!"
He heard those words clearly; it was Lockhart's voice. Judging from her tone, he was both shocked and angry—so much so that Sean didn't even need to press his ear against the door; he could hear her voice just by standing in the hallway.
"Shh! Keep your voice down."
It was a woman's voice; Sean judged it to be Rita Skeeter speaking.
Sean thought that after Rita's reminder, he would be completely deaf to the sounds in the room, but he was wrong...
"How do you know what he's been up to this week?" Lockhart asked in a low voice, but his anger was still hard to hide.
Lockhart always manages to bring him unexpected surprises.
However, this seems insufficient.
Listening to Lockhart alone wouldn't yield any useful information. Just as the cat named "Curiosity" was about to scratch Sean's heart raw, he finally remembered that he was someone with a cheat code.
So, he finally found the item that could help him relieve his itch among the dazzling array of products in the cheat device shop—a scroll.
【Item Name: Animagus Variation Scroll】
Usage count: 3/3
[Item Description: This is an Animagus transformation scroll. The magic within allows the user to transform into three different animals, each lasting no more than 24 hours.]
[Instructions: Users simply need to tear off the scroll while visualizing the animal they want to transform into to complete the process.]
[Note: Please, please don't imagine any strange animals and then do strange things to people! Remember, please don't!]
Looking at the crack in the door on the floor, Sean retracted his invisibility cloak as he tore off the scroll.
He turned into... a furry little spider.
Sean quickly adapted to his new body, crawling nimbly on the ground with his eight legs. He swiftly slipped through the crack in the door and quietly entered the editing room.
The appearance of a small spider, of course, did not attract the attention of the two people inside, who remained engrossed in their heated argument.
Sean carefully climbed onto the bookshelf next to him, from where he could clearly see Lockhart and Rita Skeeter.
Rita held a letter in her hand, and Sean could vaguely see his own name on it, while Lockhart's face was terribly gloomy.
"You mean you want to do an exclusive interview with him this week?" Lockhart took the letter from Rita, glanced at it briefly, and asked in an icy tone.
"If you can't read, I suggest you go back to Hogwarts and repeat a few years," Rita retorted sarcastically. Before Lockhart's face turned from gloomy to ashen, she took a breath. "If you weren't a regular customer, I wouldn't be telling you such important news."
Lockhart chose not to continue arguing with the woman; he asked directly, "How much?"
"A smart choice," Rita smiled. "This information didn't come cheap."
Lockhart frowned, clearly displeased, and said, "Just state your price."
Rita held up one finger. "This number."
"A thousand Galleons?" Lockhart guessed, a hint of disdain in his voice.
Rita shook her head. "No, esteemed Mr. Lockhart, you underestimate the value of this message. It's ten thousand Galleons."
Lockhart's eyes widened. "Are you crazy?! Ten thousand Galleons? That's extortion!"
"Extortion?" Rita laughed dismissively, her tone turning increasingly rude. "Lockhart, you and I both know the influence Sean Phillips wields now, ever since he became a professor at Hogwarts..."
"If you don't want to pay this price, no problem, you can just walk out this door. Consider this a small gift that comes with all your continued service purchases from me."
Sean then realized why Rita had been so critical of books published around the same time as Lockhart's a few years ago. He had initially thought it was just a coincidence, but now it seemed that Rita was selling marketing services.
"But if you pay this fee..." Rita changed the subject, "I'll include some things you want to see in his exclusive report."
Rita has Lockhart completely under her thumb now.
He understood what Lockhart needed most right now.
Is it money?
For him, reputation is the most important thing.
And there's nothing more satisfying than climbing over your rivals to the top... and if Sean's influence diminishes, his book sales will increase.
The money he spends now will one day return to his pocket in a new form.
And just as she had anticipated.
Lockhart was silent for a moment. After weighing the pros and cons, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, ten thousand Galleons it is. I want to ruin his reputation."
"Of course," Rita nodded with satisfaction, "Once I've received the money, I'll naturally get things done..."
"Haha," Rita laughed, "Lockhart, I knew you were a smart man. Don't worry, once I take your money, I'll definitely make sure you're satisfied."
As she spoke, she took out a pre-prepared Gringotts property transfer deed worth 10,000 Galleons from the drawer and pushed it in front of Lockhart. "Sign it. 10,000 Galleons. I will also add some 'material' to the report as you requested."
Lockhart picked up a quill and quickly signed his name on the contract.
He put down his pen and said coldly, "Remember your promise, Rita. If I find out you've played any tricks, I will not let you off the hook."
"Oh dear, Lockhart, you're really hurting my feelings by saying that," Rita said coquettishly. "We've been working together for so many years, don't you know me? I always keep my word."
Lockhart didn't say anything, just snorted coldly, then turned and left the office.
Rita watched Lockhart's departing figure with a smug smile on her face.
She picked up the signed contract, gently blew on the ink, and then carefully put it away...
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