Chapter 3: Inheriting the Estate

Chapter 3: Inheriting the Estate

"It seems he's really dead."

After waiting for about five minutes and seeing no movement from the old wizard, George cautiously pushed the door open and entered.

He checked the old wizard's breathing to confirm that he was truly dead, then let out a deep sigh of relief.

A dark wizard in his seventies or eighties would have been far beyond George's ability to defeat in a direct fight.

With a simple Shield Charm to protect himself and a Stunning Spell, the old wizard could have easily taken George down.

A dark wizard who had lived to such an age undoubtedly had some tricks up his sleeve, and possibly even some powerful hidden cards.

The reason George had been able to kill him through a sneak attack wasn't because his abilities were particularly strong, but because the old wizard had been completely unprepared.

Once he confirmed the old wizard's death, George put on a panicked expression, quickly pushed open the closed shop door, and ran toward Diagon Alley.

He didn't shout or make a scene in Knockturn Alley. Doing so might have attracted the attention of other dark wizards with ill intentions before any Aurors could arrive.

"Help! Help! Mr. Merton was injured while brewing a potion! Someone, please help him!"

Once he reached Diagon Alley, George began shouting in a frantic manner, his face filled with genuine panic, as if he had just lost a parent.

Soon, two patrolling Aurors were drawn to his cries.

"Take us there!"

Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, being areas where wizards and dark wizards gathered, were patrolled by Aurors almost 24 hours a day to prevent any incidents that might make the news and tarnish the reputation of the Ministry of Magic, especially the Minister.

Moreover, it was the back-to-school season, and many young wizards were out shopping with their parents.

"Director Scrimgeour, after investigation, we found no traces of a second wand's magical signature, and no valuables were stolen. We can rule out foul play. It appears to be an accidental death caused by a potion-brewing mishap."

Inside Merton's Potion Shop, a young witch with pink hair, a pale heart-shaped face, and around 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 in satisfaction.

"Very thorough analysis, Tonks. It seems Mad-Eye has taught you well this past year. Keep learning from him, and in two years, you'll be a full-fledged Auror."

"Professor Moody may have a temper, but it's an honor to learn from him."

The young witch, Tonks, couldn't hide a hint of pride.

Alastor Moody, though long retired, was a highly renowned Auror in the wizarding world. More than half of the dark wizards in Azkaban had been sent there by him.

Being able to receive guidance from such a legendary Auror during her probationary period was something that made her the envy of her peers.

Meanwhile, George, who had been eavesdropping, perked up at their conversation.

"Scrimgeour, the Director of the Auror Office? The same Rufus Scrimgeour who later replaced Cornelius Fudge as the new Minister of Magic? And Tonks—Nymphadora Tonks, the Metamorphmagus?"

He racked his brain, trying to recall details from his past life, and gradually began to piece together their identities.

Scrimgeour, after replacing Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic, had taken a very hardline stance against Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

And then he had been brutally killed by Voldemort.

As for Tonks, she had the innate ability to change her appearance at will. If he remembered correctly, she eventually married Professor Lupin. It seemed she had just graduated and was still in her probationary period.

So, Professor Lupin was quite the cradle robber, wasn't he?

But that wasn't important. What mattered was that he knew Scrimgeour and Tonks were relatively responsible Aurors, which was a good thing for him at the moment.

Were all Aurors good people? Not necessarily.

The Ministry of Magic was rife with corruption, and many Aurors were involved in it.

If he had encountered a greedy Auror, it would have been hard to say how much of the inheritance he would have been able to keep.

"Such a poor child. Finally adopted, and now an orphan again."

After handing the investigation report to the Director, Tonks turned to George, her eyes filled with sympathy.

From the investigation, she had learned about the thin, scarred boy's background.

"Not necessarily. This might actually be a good thing for him."

However, Scrimgeour, upon hearing Tonks' remark, shook his head.

As the Director of the Auror Office, with years of experience, he knew all too well what kind of people lurked in Knockturn Alley.

From the boy's thin, scarred body, he had already sensed something was amiss and had pieced together most of the story.

That's why he said this might be a good thing for the boy—at least he could inherit a considerable estate and attend Hogwarts.

"Child, your name is Dora, right? Since Mr. Merton has died unexpectedly, and you're his only relative…"

Scrimgeour approached George and explained the situation.

There were two main points.

First, George could inherit the dark wizard's shop and the money stored in Gringotts.

Second, with the dark wizard dead and no one to teach him magic, George would have to attend Hogwarts.

Both points were within George's expectations, and he readily agreed.

Throughout the investigation, he didn't pretend to be overly grief-stricken.

It would have been too fake, and he wasn't a good enough actor to fool someone as experienced as Scrimgeour.

However, he did make one request.

"Sir, I don't want to use the name Dora anymore. Can I change it?"

He wasn't familiar with the name Dora, and if possible, he wanted to change it back to George, which felt more natural to him.

"Of course. Tomorrow, Miss Tonks will take you to complete all the inheritance paperwork. If you wish, she can also help you change your name."

Scrimgeour wasn't surprised by George's request. He assumed George wanted to distance himself from painful memories.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it!"

Tonks stepped forward, placing a hand on George's head and ruffling his hair gently.

She wasn't stupid. From the conversation between Scrimgeour and George, she had already sensed something.

"Thank you, Auror Tonks."

George responded politely.

Having the chance to build a connection with an Auror was certainly not a bad thing, especially since he might need their help in the future.

Knockturn Alley wasn't a safe place, and inheriting the dark wizard's estate was like a child walking down the street with a bar of gold—bound to attract unwanted attention.

While no one would dare to act openly, behind the scenes was a different story.

"Such a well-behaved child."

Seeing George, so young yet so polite and composed, Tonks couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness.

Most adults didn't dislike children in general—what they disliked were misbehaving children and their enabling parents.

When they encountered a polite and well-mannered child, many were willing to lend a helping hand.

(End of Chapter)