Chapter 1: Enlisting
The day Harry Potter graduated was celebrated for two things. Only days before, he had faced the Dark Lord with his best friends for the final time. After emerging from the battle injured but alive, he returned home to Hogwart's to spend one more weekend in the castle before leaving.
Shortly after the ceremony, the Hogwart's Express departed the station for London. As Harry had made plans to stay with the Weasley's for the summer, it was an enjoyable trip, with no concerns about the Dursley's at all. The party continued at the Burrow for the three friends, with the Granger's and the entire Weasley family in attendance. However, as dusk fell, the party took on a more somber mood.
Two owls had just arrived, landing on Ron and Harry's shoulders. They stayed only long enough for the young men to untie the letters attached to their legs, before taking off again.
"Expecting congratulations from the Dursley's, Harry?" asked Ron smugly. Everyone laughed thoroughly at this, as the Dursley's had sent Harry a single postage stamp as a graduation present.
"Not especially" Harry replied, "But why would the Ministry send us both an owl already?" Ginny and Hermione both tried to look over their boyfriend's shoulders, but found it impossible as they were both nearly a foot shorter. "Well, open them up" said Bill.
The boys tore open the letters and read silently for a minute, than slowly raised their eyes to meet the others.
"Did you." Harry started. "This can't be.." Ron muttered. "What is it, Ron? Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked nervously.
"Mum, you're not going to believe this, but Harry and I have been drafted" Ron answered softly. "WHAT!" exclaimed the rest of the partygoers. "Let me see that!" Hermione said, as she grabbed Ron's letter from his hand.
"Oh, Ron," she said as she looked back up at him with tears in her eyes, "It says if you don't report tomorrow to the enlistment station, you will be thrown in Azkaban for 3 years!"
Ginny had also grabbed Harry's letter and read the exact same words. However, her reaction was somewhat different. "Why are they making you enlist to be an Auror, when You-Know-Who was destroyed less than a week ago?" she asked furiously. "This is ridiculous! You have to leave tomorrow for 6 months?"
"Gin, what do you want me to say? There are still Death Eaters out there, causing havoc all over the country." Harry answered calmly. "The Ministry needs all the help it can get, Ginny." Mr. Weasley said. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Harry and Ron's dorm mates were also enlisted."
"Why would only the men be enlisted? There are a lot of females Aurors out there." Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing slightly, though still shining with unshed tears.
"Perhaps the Ministry has other needs for the females, something that women excel at." Mr. Weasley answered. "I honestly don't know why."
"Don't worry 'Mione, it's not that long really." Ron said reassuringly "Besides, it's an honor to be able to serve." "I know Ron, I'm just really going to miss you." she said.
"I guess we getter get packed, mate." Harry said to him. "Yeah, I guess so." Ron answered. The rest of the Weasley's took this as their cue to leave the young couples to say goodbye in private. Even Hermione's parents went out to wait in their car.
"I'll write to you as much as I can, Ron. You know I will." "I know babe, I know."
"I'm really going to miss you Harry Potter." "I know Gin, I'll miss you too."
After a long time of just holding one another, Ron leaned down and gave Hermione one last kiss goodbye. Harry mimicked Ron's actions, and gave Ginny a loving kiss, even though she would see him off tomorrow. Hermione left soon after, and Ginny went inside.
Ron and Harry stayed outside for a while, just being alone with their thoughts. Finally Ron asked, "Hey, do you think that the rest of the guys got enlisted too?" "I don't know, but if they did, this might just be fun after all!" Harry replied.
The next morning Harry and Ron were escorted to the enlistment station by Mr. Weasley to fill out the necessary paperwork and take their oath of enlistment. As they stood in line, Ron thought he spotted Dean Thomas ahead of them.
"Oi! Dean!" Ron called out. Not only did Dean move back in the line to join them, but so did Seamus. "Hey guys, you got the owl too, huh?" Harry asked. "Yeah, and let me tell you, Lavender and Parvati are less than thrilled about it" Dean informed them.
"Yeah, ours weren't too happy either. At least Ginny goes back to school next term. That might help the time go by faster for her." Harry said glumly. "Hey, where's Neville? Is he already through the line?"
"Nah, he's got that bum knee from that tumble down the stairs last term. He wouldn't be able to keep up with the physical side of it." Seamus answered. "Besides, he got accepted to the University to study Advanced Herbology with Hannah Abbot."
"What's up with them anyway?" Ron asked. "Well, right now they are just friends, but we all know Neville wants more from her than friendship." Dean replied.
After a few more minutes of idle conversation, the boys finally reached the front of the line. They checked in, and were sent into a classroom with the rest of the enlistees. Looking around, Ron noticed that many of the other young men in the room with them were former Hogwart's students. Nearly all of them in he and Harry's year.
When the wizard in crisply pressed robes entered the room and stood in front of the young men, the chattering stopped.
"Good morning gentlemen, I'm glad to see you all made it, and that none of you will be spending time in Azkaban for desertion. My name is Captain Sean Keller, and I will be your Company Commander for the duration of your Basic Auror Training or B.A.T."
"You will probably see very little of me during training, but when you do, please remember that I am an Officer, and you will treat me as such. That means you will call me 'sir'."
"The men and women who will be training you are not Officers, they are Drill Sergeants. They do not like to be called 'sir', or 'ma'am'. I suggest you learn that very quickly."
"During your B.A.T., I will be assessing your abilities and will decide what kind of Auror training you will follow. Not all of you will be field agents. Nonetheless, the training is all similar, and I will try to match you with a training regiment that matches your personality."
"At this time, you will change into your B.A.T. robes, and prepare yourself and your belongings for transport. As I call your name, you will go through the door I indicate and wait for the portkey to activate. The other men in the room with you will be your platoon mates. Trust me, you will get to know them very well in the next 6 months."
"Everyone ready? Then let's begin: Potter, Harry, 1st Platoon; Malfoy, Draco, 2nd Platoon; Boot, Terry, 3rd Platoon; Weasley, Ronald, 1st Platoon."
As each name was called, that man went through the door indicated, and waited in a smaller room. Ron, Dean, Seamus and Harry were delighted to all be in the same platoon. They met the other men that joined them, and everyone seemed to be friendly.
When the final man stepped through the doorway, the door swung shut loudly, and the men waited in silence. A basketball dropped down through a hole in the ceiling, and the men picked up their bags. As each of them placed a hand on the ball, they looked at each other, not knowing what to expect.
Suddenly, they felt the all too familiar pull behind their naval, and then there was darkness.
The day Harry Potter graduated was celebrated for two things. Only days before, he had faced the Dark Lord with his best friends for the final time. After emerging from the battle injured but alive, he returned home to Hogwart's to spend one more weekend in the castle before leaving.
Shortly after the ceremony, the Hogwart's Express departed the station for London. As Harry had made plans to stay with the Weasley's for the summer, it was an enjoyable trip, with no concerns about the Dursley's at all. The party continued at the Burrow for the three friends, with the Granger's and the entire Weasley family in attendance. However, as dusk fell, the party took on a more somber mood.
Two owls had just arrived, landing on Ron and Harry's shoulders. They stayed only long enough for the young men to untie the letters attached to their legs, before taking off again.
"Expecting congratulations from the Dursley's, Harry?" asked Ron smugly. Everyone laughed thoroughly at this, as the Dursley's had sent Harry a single postage stamp as a graduation present.
"Not especially" Harry replied, "But why would the Ministry send us both an owl already?" Ginny and Hermione both tried to look over their boyfriend's shoulders, but found it impossible as they were both nearly a foot shorter. "Well, open them up" said Bill.
The boys tore open the letters and read silently for a minute, than slowly raised their eyes to meet the others.
"Did you." Harry started. "This can't be.." Ron muttered. "What is it, Ron? Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked nervously.
"Mum, you're not going to believe this, but Harry and I have been drafted" Ron answered softly. "WHAT!" exclaimed the rest of the partygoers. "Let me see that!" Hermione said, as she grabbed Ron's letter from his hand.
"Oh, Ron," she said as she looked back up at him with tears in her eyes, "It says if you don't report tomorrow to the enlistment station, you will be thrown in Azkaban for 3 years!"
Ginny had also grabbed Harry's letter and read the exact same words. However, her reaction was somewhat different. "Why are they making you enlist to be an Auror, when You-Know-Who was destroyed less than a week ago?" she asked furiously. "This is ridiculous! You have to leave tomorrow for 6 months?"
"Gin, what do you want me to say? There are still Death Eaters out there, causing havoc all over the country." Harry answered calmly. "The Ministry needs all the help it can get, Ginny." Mr. Weasley said. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Harry and Ron's dorm mates were also enlisted."
"Why would only the men be enlisted? There are a lot of females Aurors out there." Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing slightly, though still shining with unshed tears.
"Perhaps the Ministry has other needs for the females, something that women excel at." Mr. Weasley answered. "I honestly don't know why."
"Don't worry 'Mione, it's not that long really." Ron said reassuringly "Besides, it's an honor to be able to serve." "I know Ron, I'm just really going to miss you." she said.
"I guess we getter get packed, mate." Harry said to him. "Yeah, I guess so." Ron answered. The rest of the Weasley's took this as their cue to leave the young couples to say goodbye in private. Even Hermione's parents went out to wait in their car.
"I'll write to you as much as I can, Ron. You know I will." "I know babe, I know."
"I'm really going to miss you Harry Potter." "I know Gin, I'll miss you too."
After a long time of just holding one another, Ron leaned down and gave Hermione one last kiss goodbye. Harry mimicked Ron's actions, and gave Ginny a loving kiss, even though she would see him off tomorrow. Hermione left soon after, and Ginny went inside.
Ron and Harry stayed outside for a while, just being alone with their thoughts. Finally Ron asked, "Hey, do you think that the rest of the guys got enlisted too?" "I don't know, but if they did, this might just be fun after all!" Harry replied.
The next morning Harry and Ron were escorted to the enlistment station by Mr. Weasley to fill out the necessary paperwork and take their oath of enlistment. As they stood in line, Ron thought he spotted Dean Thomas ahead of them.
"Oi! Dean!" Ron called out. Not only did Dean move back in the line to join them, but so did Seamus. "Hey guys, you got the owl too, huh?" Harry asked. "Yeah, and let me tell you, Lavender and Parvati are less than thrilled about it" Dean informed them.
"Yeah, ours weren't too happy either. At least Ginny goes back to school next term. That might help the time go by faster for her." Harry said glumly. "Hey, where's Neville? Is he already through the line?"
"Nah, he's got that bum knee from that tumble down the stairs last term. He wouldn't be able to keep up with the physical side of it." Seamus answered. "Besides, he got accepted to the University to study Advanced Herbology with Hannah Abbot."
"What's up with them anyway?" Ron asked. "Well, right now they are just friends, but we all know Neville wants more from her than friendship." Dean replied.
After a few more minutes of idle conversation, the boys finally reached the front of the line. They checked in, and were sent into a classroom with the rest of the enlistees. Looking around, Ron noticed that many of the other young men in the room with them were former Hogwart's students. Nearly all of them in he and Harry's year.
When the wizard in crisply pressed robes entered the room and stood in front of the young men, the chattering stopped.
"Good morning gentlemen, I'm glad to see you all made it, and that none of you will be spending time in Azkaban for desertion. My name is Captain Sean Keller, and I will be your Company Commander for the duration of your Basic Auror Training or B.A.T."
"You will probably see very little of me during training, but when you do, please remember that I am an Officer, and you will treat me as such. That means you will call me 'sir'."
"The men and women who will be training you are not Officers, they are Drill Sergeants. They do not like to be called 'sir', or 'ma'am'. I suggest you learn that very quickly."
"During your B.A.T., I will be assessing your abilities and will decide what kind of Auror training you will follow. Not all of you will be field agents. Nonetheless, the training is all similar, and I will try to match you with a training regiment that matches your personality."
"At this time, you will change into your B.A.T. robes, and prepare yourself and your belongings for transport. As I call your name, you will go through the door I indicate and wait for the portkey to activate. The other men in the room with you will be your platoon mates. Trust me, you will get to know them very well in the next 6 months."
"Everyone ready? Then let's begin: Potter, Harry, 1st Platoon; Malfoy, Draco, 2nd Platoon; Boot, Terry, 3rd Platoon; Weasley, Ronald, 1st Platoon."
As each name was called, that man went through the door indicated, and waited in a smaller room. Ron, Dean, Seamus and Harry were delighted to all be in the same platoon. They met the other men that joined them, and everyone seemed to be friendly.
When the final man stepped through the doorway, the door swung shut loudly, and the men waited in silence. A basketball dropped down through a hole in the ceiling, and the men picked up their bags. As each of them placed a hand on the ball, they looked at each other, not knowing what to expect.
Suddenly, they felt the all too familiar pull behind their naval, and then there was darkness.