The lone figure walked brazenly down the moonlit street, the crisp, early morning wind barely registering in their mind, too focused on the task at hand to care.
The figure pulled a slip of paper from their robes reading the information neatly written on it. Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott. 77 Vermillion Lane. The person looked at the house in front of them, a light green plaque showing the number 77, confirming this was the correct address. A wordless Incendio was cast and the paper was ignited, quickly turning to ashes in the figure's dragon-skin gloved hands, which blew away in the wind.
The house's exterior appeared to be well maintained, the grass was a uniform length and the walls were free from the effects of age. To the Muggles in the area the occupants were just clean and conscious of their appearance, but the person observing the house knew better.
These people were magic. And they were going to pay.
The figure pointed their dark, long wand at the door and spoke clearly, "Alohomora." The figure tried the door, and found it to still be locked, obviously warded against the Unlocking Charm. The individual was not deterred, mumbling to themselves, "Muggle way it is then." They pulled a bobby pin from their pocket and inserted it into the lock, applying pressure where needed.
Grinning to themselves, the door popped open, and the person slipped quietly inside.
Upstairs in the house Pansy awoke in a panic. "Theo," she whispered, prodding the sleeping man besides her who groaned in response. "Theo, there's someone in the house." She launched a Lumos Maxima from her wand, the bright ball of light hovering in the air and illuminating the room.
This woke him up as he bolted upright. "You sure?" he asked, already reaching for his wand on the bedside table.
Pansy nodded confidently. "I felt the wards shift," she replied.
"I'll check it out," Theo said. "Stay here." He crept down the stairs, willing himself to be silent. Theo stopped when he saw the figure, tall and concealed by hooded robes and gloves. "Stop," Theo ordered, hoping his voice was more confident than he was. "We have little, be gone and we can forget this happened."
The figure smirked, a move that went unnoticed due to the hood over their face. They flicked the wand from its holster.
Theo's eyes widened and he sent a Stupefy at the intruder, the bright scarlet light narrowly missing the target.
Theo dived out of the way, as a fiery orange Confringo rushed towards him. The wall behind him crumbled, its debris flying across the room. "Why are you doing this?" Theo asked. "We just want to live in peace."
The intruder audibly snarled in rage at this. "Sectumsempra," the figure yelled, slashing the wand through the air.
Cries of agony filled the house, as Theo grasped at his severed wand hand, blood pouring from the wound. Theo's suffering was short, as another Sectumsempra came from across the room, decapitating him instantly.
The figure stared at their handiwork for a moment, as Theo's body fell in a bloody heap on the floor, his still pain-filled head rolling slightly.
Heading up the stairs, the figure paused briefly as they looked around but headed for the room that had light visible from under the door. Throwing the door open, the intruder entered the bedroom, where Pansy was covering still defiantly clutching her wand. "Leave!" she begged, waving her wand wildly as tears ran down her face.
Pansy panicked, suddenly unable to move as she recognised the wordless Immobulus effects. She struggled against the spell, but her muscles refused to move to her will, and she could only watch as the intruder aimed a wand at her and intoned, "Fiendfyre."
Fire leaped from the wand, twirling through the floor and scorching the bed Pansy lay immobilised on. The figure left the room, the fire following, burning all it touched.
By the times the wards fell, the sun had risen, and the mayhem seen, the figure was long gone.
Hours later, in the Head Auror office, Harry Potter sat at his desk, going over the schedule for new Auror trainee exams. A quick Tempus told him it was nearly 10 AM, having been at his office for over two hours already. He sighed, already craving a coffee, or a break from the monotonous paperwork.
A familiar turquoise haired man entered the room. "Head Auror Potter," the man greeted him formally, inclining his head.
Harry laughed to himself. "Teddy, we've been over this," Harry replied to his Godson. "When it's just us, you can skip the whole official title bit."
Teddy grinned. "I just wanted to pop in before I go for my exam."
"Ah right, Concealment and Disguise for you. I think its fair to say you don't need any luck for that." They both laughed as Teddy demonstrated his Metamorphmagus abilities to change his hair into a duplicate of Harry's own.
Harry smiled wistfully as the pair stopped laughing. "Your parents would be so proud of you."
Teddy's eyes watered slightly and he nodded, his hair unconsciously shifting to a mixture of brown and pink. "It's just a shame they never got to see any of this."
Harry agreed silently, regretting all the lives lost due to Voldemort and his views. "Enough reminiscing," he decided. "You have an exam to ace."
"Got that right," Teddy said leaving the room and passing Auror Brown who stood outside the office.
Harry looked at the woman waiting by his room. "Lavender, need something?" he asked.
The facially scarred Auror entered, her chocolate brown hair tied behind her head, proudly displaying the scars from her past. "Head Auror Potter, do you remember the Merula Snyde case?" she asked, skipping all pleasantries.
Harry shook his head, summoning the case file from the filing cabinet and refreshing his memory on the woman. "Ok, found tortured and murdered, body was displayed at Diagon Alley. Happened nearly two months ago, killer not yet found." Harry looked up sharply. "Do you have an update."
"Not exactly," Lavender replied, conjuring a wooden chair for her to sit on. "I looked into her background a little, turns out both her parents were known Death Eaters and she was a known sympathiser." Harry motioned for her to continue. "Two hours ago, Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott were found tortured and mutilated in their own home. Both also Death Eater allies and sympathisers. Nothing of worth taken from their home, jewellery and wands still there. Just murdered."
"Could be coincidental," Harry replied.
"That's what I though too. Until less than ten minutes ago when multiple reports of Cassius Warrington's mutilated body being apparated into Diagon Alley. He was a low ranking Death Eater."
Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What are you saying?"
Lavender leaned back in her chair. "I'm saying, we have a vigilante on the loose."