......
"It seems that it really is dead."
After waiting for about five minutes, seeing that the old wizard didn't move at all, George cautiously pushed the door and went in.
After testing the old wizard's breath and confirming that he was indeed dead, George finally breathed a sigh of relief.
A black wizard in his seventies or eighties would certainly not be an opponent in a direct fight.
He had a shield charm of iron to protect his body, and then with a simple charm to put him to sleep, he could easily knock him down.
As a black wizard, to live to such an old age, he must definitely have some skills. There might even be some powerful trump cards up his sleeve.
He was able to sneak up and kill him like that, not so much because of his own abilities, but because the other person had no defense.
Having confirmed that the old wizard had died, George feigned a look of panic and quickly pushed the closed shop door open, running in the direction of Diagon Alley.
He did not shout and make a scene in Knockturn Alley; otherwise, he might have attracted dark wizards with malicious intent before any Death Eaters.
"Help! Help! Mr. Morton was injured while making the potion. Is anyone here to save him!"
After running into Diagon Alley, George started shouting and crying frantically, his expression as if he had really lost his father.
Soon, two Aurors who were patrolling the area were attracted by him.
"Quick, take us there!"
As a street bustling with wizards and dark wizards, Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley are almost patrolled 24/7 by Aurors to prevent anything from happening that might end up in the news, affecting the Ministry of Magic, especially the Minister's reputation.
Moreover, it's the beginning of the school year, and many young wizards are being brought to Diagon Alley by their parents for their annual shopping spree.
"Director Skellington, after testing, we have not found any magical fluctuations from the second wand or any missing items, excluding the possibility of murder. We can confirm that it was an accidental death caused by potion-making...”
Inside the Morton's Apothecary, a female witch with pink hair and a pale, heart-shaped face, about eighteen or nineteen years old, was reporting the results of the investigation to a middle-aged wizard standing across from George.
The middle-aged wizard nodded satisfactorily after listening.
"You've analyzed it very thoroughly, Trelawney. It seems that Mad-Eye has taught you well this year. Keep following him and learning. In two years, you can become a real Auror."
"Professor Moody may have a bad temper, but it's an honor to learn from him."
The witch smiled slightly, revealing some satisfaction on her face.
Alastor Moody, although retired, was a well-known Auror in the wizarding world. More than half of the dark wizards in Azkaban were sent there by him.
To receive guidance from such a retired Auror as Alastor Moody during the Auror training period was something that many of his fellow trainees were very envious of.
George, who was listening in on the conversation, gave an eye-twitch after hearing this.
"Director Skellington, head of Auror's Office, is Rufus Scrimgeour, who took over from Cornelius Fudge as the new Minister of Magic?"
And Trelawney, is that Nymphadora Tonks who did the transformation for the Man-Who-Did-N't-Do-It?"
He carefully recalled his memories from the previous life, gradually forming some impression of the two people in front of him.
Skellington, who took over from Cornelius Fudge as the new Minister of Magic after he came into power, adopted a very tough stance towards Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
He was then cruelly killed by Voldemort.
Then there was Tonks, who had the ability to change her appearance at will. She even ended up marrying Professor Lupin, but she hadn't become an Auror yet when she graduated.
So it seems that Professor Lupin is an old man who has taken a young woman.
Of course, that's not important. What matters is that he knows both Skellington and Tonks are relatively responsible Aurors, which is a good thing for him now.
Are Aurors necessarily good people?
That's not necessarily the case.
The Ministry of Magic these days is rife with corruption, and there are quite a few Aurors involved in it as well.
It's hard to say if he would be able to inherit much of his father's estate if he were to encounter a greedy Auror.
"It's a poor child, just adopted, now an orphan."
After handing over the investigation report to the director, Tonks turned her head towards George and her eyes showed a look of sympathy.
After the investigation just now, she naturally knew the background of this thin boy.
"That's not necessarily the case, it might even be a good thing for him."
However, at this moment, as Skellington overheard Tonks' remark, he shook his head.
As the head of the Auror Office, he had been in the business for so long that he knew what kind of people were lurking in Knockturn Alley.
From the boy's thin and bruised body, he had already guessed something was wrong and what was going on.
That's why he said it was a good thing for the young boy, at least allowing him to inherit a considerable sum of money to go to Hogwarts.
"Child, your name is Dolores, right? Because Mr. Morton's sudden death, you are the only one left as a relative..."
Skellington came up to George and summarized the situation briefly.
There are two main points.
The first is that George can inherit the shop of the black wizard and the money he has saved in Gringotts.
The second is that the death of the black wizard means no one can teach George magic anymore, so he has to go to Hogwarts for education.
Both points were within George's expectations, and he agreed to them without hesitation.
Throughout the investigation, he did not show too much sadness or upset.
Because it was too fake, he didn't have such good acting skills to deceive Skellington, who was a seasoned veteran.
However, at the end, he did make a request.
"Sir, I don't want to use the name Dolores anymore. Can I have a new one?"
The name Dolores is not familiar to him, and if possible, he would like to go back to George, as it sounds more familiar.
"Of course, tomorrow Tonks will take care of all the inheritance procedures for you. If you need it, she can also help you change your name."
Skellington did not feel surprised about George's request. He thought George might be trying to forget some unpleasant memories through this way.
"Don't worry, leave it to me!"
At this moment, Tonks stepped forward and placed her hand on George's forehead, gently massaging it.
She wasn't dumb either, from the conversation between the director and George, she had already vaguely realized something.
"Then thank you, Miss Auror."
George heard this and politely said a thank you.
Having the chance to be in contact with Aurors was certainly a good thing, especially since he might need Aurors' help in the future.
Knockturn Alley is not a good place. With the inheritance from the black wizard, it's like a child walking on the street with a gold piece, bound to attract envy.
You can't do anything on the surface, but in secret, it's anyone's guess.
"It's a sensible child."
Seeing George, so young and yet so sensible and polite, Tonks felt a sense of favoritism towards him.
For adults, most of them are not so hateful to children. What really makes them hate are those brats and their parents.
If they encounter well-behaved and polite children, many adults are willing to lend a hand.
...
