Terms of Service challenge
Fill Number: #1
Representations: Non-Caucasian Female, Auror/Hit Wizard/Bounty Hunter
Bonus Challenges: Middle Name, Second Verse (Not a Lamp)
Word count: 1,143
Two women sat together at a small café. They were sipping cups of tea and staring out into the world through the fogged-up glass of the café. Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson had decided to meet up and discuss how their lives were going since they hadn't seen each other for a few months. Now they sat contemplating the question Alicia had posed several minutes ago. She was bored with her current career, what else could she do?
Angelina opened her mouth then closed it again as an idea came to mind and was then dismissed. Humming, she sipped her drink and then considered her next idea aloud. "You could always become a sort of Hit Wizard."
Alicia looked at her friend and contemplated the suggestion. She probably could become a Hit Wizard. The idea appealed to her; the rules that came with that idea, however, did not. Plus, that meant working for the Ministry and the Ministry wasn't the best in terms of equal opportunity for employees or prospective employees. Alicia knew that if she applied and there was another applicant that was male and Caucasian, that person would be chosen instead of her.
Still, perhaps she could be an independent Hit Wizard, or Witch seeing as if she was independent she didn't have to have the same job title as those in the Ministry. Yes, Alicia was starting to like this idea more and more. She could train herself to become a Hit Witch and take the jobs that the Ministry didn't want or couldn't figure out.
"How would I get people to take me seriously?" she pondered aloud.
Angelina shrugged, "Take small jobs that you find in the Prophet until you make a name for yourself, I guess."
"Maybe." The conversation was left then, moving on to talk about other subjects such as Angelina's upcoming wedding to one George Weasley.
Several days later and the idea was still rattling around Alicia's head. When she bumped into her old Seeker and he inquired about how she was doing, she found herself telling him her developing plans of becoming a Hit Witch. He had grinned and immediately offered his services as an Auror should she need anything.
Alicia had nodded and thanked him before parting ways. Not for very long though as an idea had suddenly sprung into her head as they had parted. "Harry!" she called out and the Saviour of the Wizarding World stopped, turning to look back at her.
"Think you could teach me a little bit?"
Harry grinned, "'Course. Starting when?"
"Now?"
Confirmation had followed, and Alicia had spent the rest of the day learning various things from Harry. Apparently, she was a natural at the various techniques needed for the career she had decided on. She also had the tenacity from playing Chaser in quidditch to never stop hunting that which needed to be caught. It was the most fun she had had in a long while and Alicia was so very grateful that Angelina had suggested it and that Harry was willing to teach her.
Harry had asked for her help in tracking down someone a few months later and Alicia had agreed eagerly. The rest of the Auror squad was unaware that Harry had called in a Hit Witch instead of a Hit Wizard, Alicia wanted to operate anonymously when it came to the Ministry of Magic – aware of how quickly they would ignore her opinions and deductions based on who and what she was.
When she had tracked down the criminal in the span of a day, Harry had grinned and thanked her. The next day, he came over to her place and told her about the new rumours flooding the Department of Law Enforcement. Apparently, she had earned a moniker for her work.
The rest of the Auror department had seen it fit to call her 'Lightning' seeing as she had been hired by Harry Potter – the boy with a lightning bolt shaped scar – and had done her job lightning fast. After all, they had to call her something seeing as they had no idea who she actually was. Alicia laughed along with Harry as she heard the rumours regarding Lightning.
Lightning was either Harry Potter in disguise, Mad-Eye Moody returning as a ghost, Blaise Zabini (now a member of the Wizengamot) grown tired of simply passing judgement on criminals and decided to hunt them down as well, Hagrid finally letting free his giant side or a team of the best Aurors. None of the rumours suggested that Lightning was a female who had decided to put her old Chaser skills to good use and Alicia was quite happy about that.
The routine continued from then on. When they had need of Lightning's skills, the Head of the Aurors sent word via Harry and she helped out without ever revealing who she was. When Harry become Head Auror, the process was slightly more streamlined. Harry would look over all the cases that passed over his desk and sent to her the ones that he thought she might like or had been unsolved for long enough.
It was exhilarating. The rush of adrenaline that came when she had tracked down whoever she was after and either dealt with them herself or called one of Harry's teams in. Several times, she had been severely injured by either underestimating her opponent or overestimating her own skills. Whenever this happened and Harry heard about it, he ordered her to rest from field work and to train more.
Alicia Spinnet as Lightning was the most sought out operative in her profession. Found yourself with a tough case? Go to Harry Potter and ask for Lightning's services. Lightning would consider the case given and take it if interested them and within a fortnight, the case would generally be solved.
Alicia and Harry made a good team. The Seeker finding things for the Chaser to chase.
Silence was shared by the two friends as they relaxed with the tea that had come a few minutes previously. They had already talked about all the important subjects they could think about that hadn't been shared last night when family dinner had occurred.
Alicia suddenly remembered something that she kept meaning to say, "I must thank you, you know."
Angelina raised her eyebrow, "For what?"
"For suggesting that I become a Hit Wizard. I became a Hit Witch instead, but you were the one who put the idea in my head."
"Wait," Angelina said, putting down her cup and staring at her friend as she put puzzle pieces together, "You wouldn't happen to be this 'Lightning' character that's started popping up everywhere?"
Alicia grinned and wiggled her eyebrows before slurping her tea. "Maybe."
Angelina huffed out a laugh and tipped her own cup in Alicia's direction as a toast. "Glad I could help."