Re:HP-A New Life

I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.

https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon

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Chapter Twenty-Two: A Gruesome Morning

James Potter rubbed his eyes as he and Sirius Black arrived at the scene, the Ministry's Auror robes weighing heavily on his shoulders. The air around Dolores Umbridge's modest home felt oppressive, a lingering reminder of the events that had unfolded there the previous night.

The front door was slightly ajar, a faint smell of burnt parchment wafting through the air. As they stepped inside, the study greeted them with an eerie silence. Papers were scattered across the desk, a faint trace of ash on the floor. And in the chair, slumped over the desk, was Dolores Umbridge.

"Merlin's beard," Sirius muttered, stepping closer to examine the body. "What a way to go."

James sighed, his expression grim. "Looks like she bled out," he said, pointing to the parchment clutched in her hand. Her fingers were stained with dried blood, and the faint, telltale marks of a blood quill glistened in the morning light.

Sirius frowned, picking up one of the blood-soaked pages. His eyes scanned the writing, his brow furrowing as he read the confessions scrawled across the parchment. "This… this is a list of everything she's done," he said, his voice low. "Crimes, tortures, bribes… it's all here."

James leaned over his shoulder, his jaw tightening. "Whoever did this wanted her to confess. They made sure she documented everything. But why?"

The two Aurors searched the room, their training kicking in as they examined every corner for clues. Despite the clear signs of a magical struggle—shattered cat plates, scorch marks on the walls—there was no trace of the perpetrator.

"The curses were redirected," Sirius observed, gesturing to the broken plates. "Someone used her own house against her. But there's no signature magic left behind. Nothing we can trace."

James frowned, his wand in hand as he scanned the room. "Whoever did this was skilled. No fingerprints, no magical residue, no sign of forced entry. They were careful."

"And ruthless," Sirius added, nodding toward the quill on the desk. "They made her use a blood quill to write her confessions. That's a special kind of vindictive."

James shook his head, his heart heavy. "Regardless of what she did, this isn't justice. This is… revenge."

The two Aurors spent the next hour meticulously documenting the scene, but their investigation yielded little. The confessions were damning, but they didn't provide any leads on who orchestrated the murder.

Once they finished, they Apparated to the Ministry, their report in hand. The office of Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was bustling as usual, but she waved them in the moment she saw them.

Amelia was seated behind her desk, her sharp eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Potter. Black. What do you have for me?"

James handed her the parchment. "Dolores Umbridge was found dead in her home. Cause of death appears to be blood loss from extensive use of a blood quill."

Amelia's eyebrows rose as she scanned the confessions. "These accusations… these are serious." She looked up at them. "Did she really write all this?"

Sirius nodded. "Looks that way. Whoever did this forced her to confess everything she's done. But there's no trace of who it was. No magical signature, no witnesses, nothing."

Amelia leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. "This isn't the work of an ordinary criminal," she said. "Someone wanted to make a statement. To expose her corruption and ensure she paid for it."

James hesitated before speaking. "What concerns me is the level of skill involved. Redirecting curses, erasing magical traces… this wasn't some vigilante with a grudge. This was a calculated act."

Amelia nodded, her fingers tapping against the desk. "Keep this quiet for now. The last thing we need is the public getting wind of this before we have answers. I'll review these confessions and see if there's any connection to ongoing cases."

James and Sirius exchanged a glance before nodding.

As they left her office, James couldn't shake the unease settling in his chest. Whoever had killed Umbridge had sent a clear message, but the lack of evidence left him with more questions than answers.

And for some reason, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that this wasn't the last they'd hear of whoever had done this.