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Aurors and Hit Wizards
Aurors
The Aurors are an elite group of witches and wizards who battle the
Dark Arts. They operate in some
ways as soldiers but more often as intelligence agents, seeking out
Dark wizards and defeating them, often in fierce wizard duels.
Alastor Moody and
Frank and Alice Longbottom were
famous Aurors. Aurors are sometimes refered to as Dark Wizard catchers.
The Aurors were responsible for bringing to justice many of the Dark wizards
who supported Voldemort during the
1970s. They also battled the
giants, killing many and
driving the rest from
Britain. Under the
leadership of
Bartemius Crouch senior, the
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement after
Voldemort's defeat,
the Aurors were given sweeping powers. These powers allowed the Aurors to
bypass the normal channels of justice and kill or capture enemy wizards
using means nearly as vicious as those used by the Dark wizards they fought.
Sirius Black was imprisoned during this
time without a trial because of these policies
(GF27).
Auror Headquarters is located on
Level Two
of the Ministry of Magic. It consists of a series of open cubicles, each
Auror being assigned a space to work. The cubicles are decorated with
pictures of known Dark wizards, maps, clippings from the
Daily Prophet, and other odds
and ends. Kingsley Shacklebolt's
cubicle is located at one end
(OP7).
Barty Crouch junior, disguised as
Moody, told
Harry
(GF25) and
Hermione
(GF29) that they had what
it took to be Aurors. When he heard of
Harry's ambition,
Slughorn also said that
Harry would make a good Auror
(HBP15).
Harry told
McGonagall during his
careers consultation that he wanted to be an Auror and she vowed
to help him along that path
(OP29).
Training
Training to be an Auror takes three years after leaving
Hogwarts; the Aurors ask
for a minimum of five
N.E.W.T.s,
with nothing under
"Exceeds Expectations"
grade. Apart from
Defence Against the Dark Arts,
the recommended
N.E.W.T.s
include Charms,
Potions (particularly
the study of poisons and antidotes), and
Transfiguration
(OP29).
If a candidate for Auror training has the required academic qualifications,
he or she must pass a background check for a criminal record, and must
pass "a stringent series of character and aptitude tests at the Auror office."
These tests assess skill in practical defence, perseverance and dedication,
and the ability to react well to stress
(OP29).
Once accepted into the program, an Auror trainee is taught (among other
things):
Known Aurors, past and present
Hit Wizards
The Department
of Magical Law Enforcement maintains squads of trained Hit Wizards
whose job it is to capture dangerous wizarding criminals. A group of these
Hit Wizards captured Sirius Black after
he supposedly killed Peter Pettigrew.
The Hit Wizards are not the same as Aurors. Hit Wizards,
it would seem, are sent primarily against criminals while Aurors track
down and capture Dark Wizards.
Training
The Magical Law Enforcement Squad asks for a minimum of five
O.W.L.s,
requiring
Defence Against the Dark Arts.
They require that applicants be over 17 years of age and
"not of a nervous disposition"
(DP).
Once accepted into the program, a Hit-Witch or Hit-Wizard trainee is
taught (among other things):
A trainee has a starting salary of 700
Galleons per month,
a Ministry of Magic broomstick,
and his or her own regular bed at
St Mungo's
(DP).
Known Hit-Wizards, past and present
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