"Looks like he's truly dead."
After waiting for about five minutes and seeing the old wizard still motionless, George cautiously pushed the door open and entered. He felt the old wizard's breathing and, confirming he was truly dead, breathed a sigh of relief.
A Dark wizard in his seventies or eighties would be no match for him in a head-on fight. He'd shielded himself with a Shield Charm, and a simple Stunning Spell would easily knock him out. A Dark wizard who'd lived to such an old age must have been quite skilled, perhaps even possessing some powerful hidden weapon. His ability to kill with a surprise attack wasn't due to his immense abilities, but rather to the fact that the opponent was completely unprepared.
After confirming the old wizard's death, George feigned panic, quickly pushed open the closed shop door, and ran towards Diagon Alley. He didn't shout in Knockturn Alley, as that might have attracted some nefarious Dark wizards before the Aurors.
"Oh no, oh no! Mr. Morton was injured in an explosion while brewing a potion. Is there anyone here to help him?"
After George ran to Diagon Alley, he started shouting in panic, as if his father had really died. Soon, two Aurors patrolling nearby were attracted by him.
"Take us there quickly!"
Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley are places where wizards and dark wizards gather. Aurors patrol here almost 24 hours a day to prevent any incidents from appearing in the news and affecting the reputation of the Ministry of Magic, especially the Minister. Besides, it is still the beginning of the school year, and many young wizards are brought by their parents to do some shopping.
"Director Scrimgeour, after testing, no magical fluctuations of a second wand were found, and no property was lost. The possibility of homicide has been ruled out. It can be confirmed that the death was caused by an accident during the potion-making process."
In Morton's Potion Shop, a female wizard with pink hair, a pale heart-shaped face, and about eighteen or nineteen years old was reporting the results of the investigation to the middle-aged wizard standing opposite George.
The middle-aged wizard nodded with satisfaction after listening: "The analysis is very detailed, Tonks. It seems that Mad-Eye Moody has taught you well this year. If you follow him well, you can become a real Auror in two years."
"Although Mr. Moody has a bad temper, it is my honor to study with him."
The witch showed a hint of pride on her face. Although Alastor Moody had retired long ago, he was a well-known Auror in the wizarding world, and more than half of the dark wizards in Azkaban were sent there by him. Being able to receive guidance from such a retired Auror during the Auror preparation period made other preparatory Aurors envious.
George, who had been eavesdropping at this time, turned his eyes after hearing the conversation between the two. "Scrimgeour, the Director of the Auror Office, is he Rufus Scrimgeour who later succeeded Cornelius Fudge as the new Minister of Magic? And Tonks, is she Nymphadora Tonks who can change her appearance at will?"
He carefully recalled his past life's memories and gradually formed a vague impression of the identities of the two people before him. After succeeding Cornelius Fudge as the new Minister for Magic, Scrimgeour took a very tough stance against Voldemort and the Death Eaters and was then brutally murdered by Voldemort. And this Tonks, born with the ability to change her appearance at will, seemed to have even married Professor Lupin. Surprisingly, she had just graduated and hadn't even been hired yet.
It seemed that Professor Lupin was also a bit of a character. Of course, that wasn't important. What mattered was that he knew Scrimgeour and Tonks were both relatively responsible Aurors, which was a good thing for him right now.
Are Aurors necessarily good people? That's not necessarily the case. The Ministry of Magic is currently rife with corruption, and many Aurors are complicit. If he encountered a greedy Auror, it's hard to say how much of the inheritance he would inherit.
"What a poor child! He was finally adopted, and now he's an orphan."
After handing the report to the director, Tonks turned to look at George, a look of sympathy in her eyes. After her recent investigation, she naturally knew the frail boy's background.
"That's not certain. Perhaps this is a good thing for him."
However, upon hearing Tonks's sigh, Scrimgeour shook his head. As the director of the Auror Office, with so many years of experience, he knew all too well what kind of wizards lived in Knockturn Alley. From the boy's thin, scarred body, he had long seen the trick and had guessed most of it. That was why he said this was a good thing for the boy; at least he could inherit a considerable inheritance and attend Hogwarts.
"Child, your name is Dora, right? Mr. Morton died unexpectedly, leaving you as his only relative, so..."
Scrimgeour came to George and outlined the situation. There were two main points. First, George would inherit the Dark wizard's shop and the money he had saved at Gringotts. Second, with the Dark wizard dead, there was no one to teach George magic, so he would have to go to Hogwarts to learn. Both of these points were within George's expectations, and he readily agreed.
Throughout the investigation, he didn't show any signs of sadness or distress. It would have been too fake, and he didn't have the acting skills to fool the obviously seasoned Scrimgeour. But in the end, he made a request.
"Sir, I don't want to use the name Dora anymore. Can I change it?"
He wasn't familiar with the name Dora, so if possible, he'd change it back to George, which sounded more pleasant.
"Of course. Tomorrow, Miss Tonks will take you through all the inheritance procedures. If you need, I can also help you change your name."
Scrimgeour wasn't overly surprised by George's request. He thought George might be trying to forget some negative memories this way.
"Don't worry, leave it to me!"
At this time, Tonks stepped forward and pressed George's head with her hand, rubbing it gently. She was not stupid, and she had already sensed something from the conversation between the director and George.
"Thank you very much, Miss Auror."
George heard this and thanked her very politely. It was not a bad thing to have the opportunity to build a relationship with the Aurors, especially since he might need their help in the future. Knockturn Alley was not a good place. He inherited the legacy of a dark wizard, which was like a child walking on the street with a piece of gold. It would definitely attract people's jealousy. He didn't dare to do anything openly, but it was hard to say in secret.
"What a sensible child."
Seeing that George was so sensible and polite at such a young age, Tonks immediately had a better impression of him. For adults, most of them don't dislike children that much. What really makes them dislike are those naughty children and their naughty parents. If they meet an obedient and polite child, many are willing to help.
(End of this chapter)