Smells Like Teen Spirit
A/N: Another time skip, sorry. This is the training day at the Ministry for the Defence class. I have no idea what is included in auror training, so I shall try my best.
A class of seventeen, with one teacher, landed in the port-key area of the Ministry at 9am sharp one Wednesday afternoon in July. "Now everybody, please follow me, and we will go up to the auror offices. Quickly please. Stay together." Professor Elliott led her class of eighth years through the maze of the Ministry, up many flights of stairs until they reached the auror department. She led them through the main room, past the offices, and towards the Head Auror's office, greeting many of the staff as she went. Just before they reached the office, however, a tall, muscular, handsome man stepped out. He stood at least 6'2" high, and his whole demeanour commanded attention without him even having to say anything. He had big brown eyes, and short brown hair. He was clean-shaven, and had a big square jaw. He was currently wearing a pair of old jeans and a Falmouth Flacons t-shirt. Upon seeing the Professor, his blinding white smile widened even more.
Professor Elliott stepped up towards him and gave him a hug, just being able to reach him despite her own height. He held her gently and as they pulled away, they gave each other a quick kiss. She then turned to the class, her arm around his waist and his around hers. "Guys, I'd like you to meet my husband, Head Auror Gawain Robards."
"Hello everybody." He greeted them in his deep voice. "My name's Gawain, but you can call me G. I recognise a few faces here. Let me see, we have, of course, the 'Famous Three', Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. I see Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Draco Malfoy, and I think you're name's Pansy Parkinson, am I right girl?" She nodded. "I thought you looked familiar. You share many of your looks with your father Cassius. You're a pretty girl."
"Thank you." She commented.
"Not a problem my dear. Now, I'm afraid I don't recognise any of the rest of you, so you're going to have to tell me your names." Once they answered him, and he has done a quick headcount, realising that there was one missing. "You originally told me there would be eighteen Liz. Has someone pulled out?"
"No. Unfortunately Justin Finch-Fletchley cannot keep his opinions to himself, preferring to share them not only in class, but in the corridors as well. Because of that, he has been banned from attending."
"Oh I see. That's unfortunate. But that's the life of an auror I suppose. One cannot do this job with prejudices. Oh well. If you'd like to follow me guys, we're gonna go to the briefing room where you can meet the aurors who will be working with us today. This way…" He turned tail and headed further down the corridor, disappearing through many doors as he led the way. Professor Elliott remained at the back, making sure nobody got lost.
A few of the girls came to walk with her. "You're a very lucky woman Professor. He certainly is good looking, isn't he?" Lavender commented, the other girls agreeing.
She chuckled. "Yes, I suppose he is. He's a pain in the arse at times though. He can be quite sarcastic, and has always got an answer for everything."
"Yeah, but you love him though?" Padma countered.
"I do yes."
"How long have you been married Professor?" Pavarti asked.
"Five years now. We've known each other for, oooh, well I'm 31, started training at 18, so about 13 years now. We've been in a relationship for nine."
"Wow. So you never rushed into anything then, like some couples unfortunately do?"
"No, fortunately we didn't. Our career came first I suppose."
"I wish I would have been allowed to take it slow." Astoria complained. "Well, I can now I suppose, now that Draco's finally come out. But before then, I would have had to marry him straight out of school. We were betrothed you see."
"Really? I thought he was always going to marry you Pansy." Susan asked. The girl had gotten more confident as the year went on and she spent more time around the Slytherins, and she was now not afraid to ask questions.
"Me? No, no, no. I've always been betrothed to Blaise. Me and Draco only dated as a way of defying our parents." Pansy answered her.
"Pureblood families, usually you'll find it's the Slytherin ones, will betroth their children at birth, which usually results in an unhappy marriage." Professor Elliott started to explain. "I'm not saying that the marriages stay unhappy; most couples usually get to know each other better during the marriage and usually fall in love. Nor am I saying that the marriages start out as unhappy. Sometimes the couples have already been dating a few years before they get married anyway. However, there are some arranged marriages, you'll find, that might as well not exist, as there is no love there at all. The sole purpose of these kind of marriages, and I'm sure Pansy and Astoria can correct me if I'm wrong; the sole purpose of Wizarding arranged marriages, especially among Slytherin families, is to keep not only the family line pure, but to produce a healthy heir. Once one has been born, the marriages are allowed to break up. However, a divorce is not allowed, and the couple must be seen together at certain events. Apart from that, the marriage becomes very open. Am I right girls?"
"Yes. With regards to the heir though, it has to be a male one. If it's a girl, the couple must keep trying for 5 years to get a boy. If they cannot produce one by then, they're allowed to stop, and the daughter becomes the heir." Astoria corrected her.
"That's a bit old-fashioned, isn't it?" Hannah asked.
"Very."
"It's the same in the muggle world though." Hermione piped up. Being the only muggle-born girl in the class meant that they all turned to her to listen to what she had to say. "In the muggle world, especially in the British Royal family, the heir to throne is always the first-born male. If, however, by the time the monarch dies there is only a female heir, then she takes the throne."
"So it doesn't matter if, say, there was a reverse of Ron's family? If there were six girls and one boy, with the boy being the youngest, he'd still be the heir, despite the fact he has six older sisters more able for it than him, especially his oldest sister who would have been taught it from birth?" Pansy asked, linking her arm with the bushy-haired girl's.
"That's right. The first-born male is the heir, even if he has an older sister."
"That's not fair."
"No, indeed it isn't." The Professor agreed. "Now quiet please. G is about to tell you something."
They had reached the meeting room, and G was standing at the front, the class gathered around him. Behind him stood seven aurors, all in baggy, old clothes. "Now then everyone. Let me first introduce you to the aurors who will be working with us today. Far left we have John Dawlish, next to him is Joanna Williamson, Hawkes Hawlish, Peter Savage, Peter Proudfoot, Nicki Dawlish, and finally we have Liana Affini, our current Deputy, and Liz's replacement as professional Legillemens. Today, I'm afraid you'll first have to sit a lecture for the morning on the job of the auror, including field work, paperwork, and the requirements needed, should any of you wish to join us when you graduate. Then, in the afternoon, there will be practical work. You'll first take on myself in a one-on-one duel, then we'll take you to our training area and let you lose. See if any of you can actually complete it. However, I have every faith that you will. You're all very skilled, from what I have been told. I expect great things from you all. Any questions? No? Good. If you think of any during the day, do not hesitate to ask either myself or any of the aurors. Right. Lecture room. Go into the room just opposite please and wait for me there. The aurors will follow you, I won't be a minute. Off you go. Liz." They all left apart from the Professor, who stayed behind.
"What is it G?"
"Are you sure you don't want stay on their side during the practical, help them out if they need it?"
"No, they'll be fine." Elizabeth told him.
"What about…?" He raised his eyebrows towards her in a hope she'd understand. She did.
"It's fine. Stop worrying."
"Does anybody know yet?" He asked her, stepping closer and taking her hands.
"The staff knows, but the kids don't yet. I intend to let Minerva tell them all on the Farewell feast. However, that lot in there I will tell myself today. I want to tell them with you there. They'll keep it secret; I have every faith in them. Stop worrying." She lent up and kissed him on the lips. "Come on, they're waiting." She dragged him out of the room and into the big lecture hall opposite. She went with him onto the small stage and stayed by his side as he spoke. She snuck a glance at him and saw that, despite his schooled features, he was still worrying about her. She shook her head slightly at him. She then turned to look at the class, one by one. Before they left here today, that whole class would know her secret. Her happy secret.
xxxDHDHxxx
After lunch, Gawain did exactly as he said he would, and put the whole class through their paces- they left him suitably impressed. He then took them outside into the training yard, where a maze lay in front of them. Professor Elliott Apparated away at that point, hiding herself in it. Gawain however remained at the entrance to talk to the group. "Now then. This maze is similar to the one sometimes featured in the Triwizard Tournament. At the centre of the maze is an archway. As each of you walk under it, it will send up golden sparks, one set per person, to let us know that you have completed the maze. Your task is simple: get to the centre. You must work together as a group, and all of you must reach the centre, or you fail. No splitting off into little teams, all work together. Good luck." He himself then Apparated away, leaving them alone.
"Well that's encouraging." Pansy commented, before turning to Harry. "You were a Champion in the last Triwizard. You went in the maze. What can we expect in this one?"
"Well, there was a sphinx who wouldn't let me past until answered her riddle. There was a boggart, a Blast-Ended Skewt, a giant spider, and a strange gold mist that turned everything upside down. Oh, and the hedge itself kept trying to attack us."
"Did you just say a giant spider?" Ron asked, scared, to which Harry nodded.
"Right, so mainly Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures? OK. Neville, Susan, your skills might be needed a lot here. Let's go." Draco said, leading the way into the maze. They were immediately confronted with a choice of two paths. "Which way?"
"I'm thinking left." Harry answered.
"OK, left it is." They went left, then right, then right again, before coming face-to-face with the first obstacle: a giant Cornish Pixie.
"Can't catch me, can't catch me!" It chanted, dancing across their path.
"What do you suggest we do?" Astoria asked.
"Irish charm?" Seamus suggested.
"Oh, yeah, sure Shay." Lavender replied sarcastically. "Irish charm from an Irishman who's lost his charm."
He turned a mock-offended look on his girlfriend. "I'll have you know that I have never lost my Irish charm. It worked on you didn't it?"
"No. I just got fed up of you pestering me." She grinned at him, and he grabbed her for a quick kiss.
"Eugh, please. We are trying to figure out how to get past this thing here." Draco reprimanded them. "Focus!"
"We could distract it, and then try to sneak past." Dean suggested.
"That would leave one of us stuck the other side, and we can't leave anybody behind." Pavarti reminded him.
"We could stun it?" Blaise queried.
"Stun it?"
"Yeah. Stun it, then end the obvious Engorgio that's been cast on it. It would be easy to get past then."
"Yeah, and we could conjure a cage to put it in." Hermione added. "Good thinking. Try and stun it."
Blaise took out his wand. "Stupefy!"
When nothing happened, the Pixie laughed. "Hehehe! Not strong enough. Not powerful enough."
"Really? OK. Try this in for size, big guy. Stupefy Maxima!" Blaise shot a second Stunning spell, which simply ricocheted off the Pixie's chest. Again, the Pixie told him it wasn't powerful enough.
"Let's try it together." Hermione said. "Ready? One, two three…Stupefy Maxima!" They both shouted, but still nothing happened.
"Wait a minute. We have to work as a team, yes?" Ron started. "Exactly. So maybe it will only work if we all cast it together?"
"Are you saying we should all cast a strong Stunning spell at it?" Draco checked.
"It's worth a try." At Draco's nod, they all pulled out their wands and aimed them at the creature, which stared back at them. On three, they all shouted the spell, and this time, it worked. The Pixie froze, before falling backwards and landing hard enough to shudder the ground. Quickly, Blaise shrunk it while Hermione conjured a cage with magical reinforcements, and together they trapped it inside.
"Excellent. Now that's done, we'll move on." They continued further into the maze, not coming across anything else until fifteen minutes later when, as Anthony stepped around the corner, brother and sister team John and Nicki Dawlish started firing spells at them. The first just missed Anthony's head, and he spun back around the corner, stopping the others in their tracks.
At their questioning looks, he answered "John and Nicki." Wands were immediately drawn, and spells were started being sent back. They battled fiercely for twenty minutes, before two super strong spells instantly stunned the two aurors, letting the group pass.
Around the next corner they were met with a bunch of plants. However, as they tried to walk through them, the plants started biting their ankles, forcing them to jump back to the start of the walkway.
"I know what these are!" Neville exclaimed happily. "They're Fanged Geranium!"
"Of course! How could I be so stupid?" Hermione reprimanded herself. "What do they like to eat?"
"You mean you don't know?" Neville asked her innocently but smirking.
"Not now no. My brain is functioning properly, it's in adrenaline mode. Just tell me please."
"They eat Snargaluff pods."
"But we can't get any here. I don't see any."
"Hermione, are you a witch or not?" Ron asked her for the first time since first year.
"I've just said, Ronald, that I'm in adrenaline mode. My mind isn't working at the moment…"
"Of for fuck's sakes!" Pansy interjected. "Will you two stop having a domestic? Honestly. Accio Snargaluff pods!" Within seconds, a whole packet of pods was flying towards them. She threw them to Neville. "Here. Do you're thing."
He quickly scattered the pods across the ground in front of him and, as he expected, the geraniums started eating them. "Now, quickly, whilst they're distracted, we need to get through." Quickly, quietly, they all tiptoed through.
"Now which way?" Padma asked.
"Couldn't we use a point-me spell?" Hannah asked.
"I never thought of that." Greg replied.
"Honestly…" She shook her head and pulled out her wand. "Point me!" However, the wand never moved.
"Oh well, it was worth a try anyway." Greg reassured her.
"So which way then?" They were all currently stood at a crossroads.
"I say forward." Draco suggested. "We're currently facing the centre from here, so it would make sense to keep going in this direction." On their agreement, he led the way.
xxxDHDHxxx
Two hours in, and they were slowly getting closer to the centre. A couple of turns, and they'd get there. Boggarts, aurors, and the strange gold mist had greeted them on the way, but they had managed to make their around them all. Now, stood in their way, was a sphinx.
Upon their arrival, she turned her head towards them. "Thou shall not pass without answering this riddle. 'I turn polar bears white and I will make you cry. I make guys have to pee and girls comb their hair. I make celebrities look stupid and normal people look like celebrities. I turn pancakes brown and make your champagne bubble. If you squeeze me, I'll pop. If you look at me, you'll pop. Can you answer this riddle?'"
"Hmm, that's hard." Astoria thought aloud.
"Could it be pressure? Squeeze pressure and it pops, and you'll pop if there's too much pressure in you. It also makes champagne bubble." Pavarti suggested.
"No it can't be, it doesn't satisfy all the needs."
"Vanity?" Lavender asked. "Makes girls comb their hair."
"Only one though."
"Common sense?" Dean sad next. "Celebrities have none, so look stupid. Normal people have loads, so they look like celebrities. Guys pee because common sense tells them to."
"No, it can't be that either."
"We've got it!" Padma and Anthony shouted. They marched up to the sphinx, who turned her big brown eyes on them.
"The answer is no." Anthony announced confidently.
"Can you explain why?" She asked.
Padma answered this time. "You asked us if we could guess the riddle. The answer is no, because there is no one solution that fits all categories, Besides, nothing turns a polar bear white, they're already white."
"Very well put. You may pass." The sphinx bowed her head back down and let them through.
"It's a good job we've got Ravenclaws on our side." Seamus commented, the others agreeing.
"You don't have to be a Ravenclaw to work that out mate." Anthony told him.
They kept moving. They took two rights, a left, then another right, and there it was. The archway. They'd done it. There was nothing blocking their way. It was all too easy. Nonetheless, they started to make their way towards it, when suddenly, out of nowhere, Gawain and the Professor stepped out from behind the hedge and disarmed them all, leaving them all wandless.
"Come now everyone, remember what I've taught you. Nothing is that easy." Professor Elliott reprimanded them.
"Yes, that might be true. But neither is it as simple as it seems with you taking out wands. Not that simple anyway." Harry answered back, wandlessly calling back all their wands.
"Since when did you perfect you're skills in wandless magic? We've only been doing it three weeks, since after the exams, and you never shown that much improvement in lesson." The Professor asked, impressed.
"I've been training since you told us we would be able to learn it at the beginning of the year. But I didn't want to make it known in lesson as I wanted it to be a surprise today. This lot all knew though." He indicated behind him with his head. "They've seen me practicing in the common room. In fact, if I remember rightly, all of them can do it as well."
"All of you? But that's impossible. It isn't that easy."
"Nothing is impossible. Now are you going to let us through to the archway?"
Gawain laughed. "You certainly have a tongue on you young man. And no, we're not." At that moment, the other seven aurors apparated into the area, ready to fight. "That would be, after all, too easy. Get passed us all, and then you can go through. Oh, and be warned, we won't go easy on you." On his last word, he sent a stunner straight at Susan, stood on the edge of the group. However, the girl had anticipated an attack on the edges first, so found it easy to deflect it. "Good. But that's only one of us. Let's see how you cope with all nine of us on you." With that said, the battle commenced. Both sides fought hard, with the strongest duellers taking on the best aurors. They ducked, dived, and swerved, until finally, Harry and Draco managed to back up enough in their fight against Gawain to pass under the archway, sending up two sets of golden sparks. They shared an ecstatic glance, before turning and firing two spells at the Head Auror: one to knock him off his feet, and another to disarm him. Draco pocketed his wand and both boys moved to help their fellow students.
Soon, only one battle was left: Blaise and Hermione VS Professor Elliott. Being able to wandless magic meant that the Professor was, on paper, the better dueller, but Hermione and Blaise had brains and tactics on their side. They fought, hard, until, eventually, Hermione managed to disarm the teacher. Professor Elliott tried to fight back, but unbeknown to her, Blaise had, right at the beginning of their duel, cast Harry's new spell, Reverso, on her, and it was now blocking her wandless as well. This left the path open for the two students, and they ran under the archway, sending up the final two sets of sparks.
"Well done everybody. You all fought really well. It seems you have a natural talent." Gawain praised them.
"Hardly." Ron snorted. "Yeah sure, we know how to duel, but if it wasn't for the Professor, we wouldn't be this good. It's her you need to congratulate."
"Oh no Ron, it's not me. You were all really well skilled at the beginning of the year." She told him.
"That we may have been, but had you of asked us to do this at the beginning of the year, we would have lost easily. So thank you." He started clapping her and the rest of the class joined in.
"Oh stop it." She bowed her head and blushed. Gawain put his arm around her and she buried her head in his chest, before he kissed her on the head.
"You're also the best teacher, and best Head of House we've had." Dean told her. She shook her head again, getting slower redder.
"Take the praise love, you deserve it. Right you lot, come on, back to the meeting room. Apparate to the entrance of the maze, and start making your way there. We're right behind you." Gawain told them. They all disappeared with a 'pop' and started making their way to the meeting room, except for the seven aurors, who went back to their desks, but not before shaking hands with all the student, and exchanging pleasantries.
They entered the meeting room and sat down, with Gawain and the Professor stood at the front. "Right. I hope you enjoyed today. If you're worn out, exhausted, then you've done it right. It takes a while for you to get used to auror work, I can promise you. I hope that today has inspired some of you to join our force. Put your hands up if you think you're interested." Harry, Ron, Neville, Greg and Susan all put up their hands. "Good. Some of you, that's good. Hermione, Draco, why not you two?"
"I plan on going into Potions. That is where my strengths lie the most, I feel." Draco informed him.
"And I plan on going into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." Hermione told him.
"Well good on you both. Good luck to you all in whatever you plan on doing."
"Thank you for having us here." Pansy thanked him.
"Not a problem at all."
"We have something to tell you anyway." Professor Elliott spoke up. She took Gawain's hand and looked the whole class in the eye. "However, you must all promise me that you don't say anything until the rest of the school knows." At their nods, she continued. "I am, currently, nine weeks pregnant." She grinned as Gawain held her chin and pulled her in for a kiss.
Pansy, Astoria, Lavender, Padma, Pavartia, Susan, Hannah, and even Hermione squealed. They shot forward and gave the Professor hugs, whilst the boys all stood and shook hands with Gawain, who was, like his wife, grinning broadly. Congratulations were passed around to both of them.
"Remember, don't tell the school. They will find out at the Farewell Feast in seventeen days. Can you keep it secret until then?"
"Yes of course." Hermione told her.
"Good. Now we have to go." She pulled out a book from her bag, and activated it into a Portkey. "We're gonna go back to the class, where I'll have a quick word with you, then you can go to dinner. Say goodbye everyone." They said all their goodbyes, and Gawain and the Professor shard one last kiss and hug, before she counted down the Portkey which, one 'three' took them all back to the school.
xxDHDHxxx
Once they were all sat down, Professor Elliott spoke to them again. "I want to thank you all for your behaviour and willingness to get stuck in today. You were real representatives of the school, and I am very proud of you all. Did you enjoy today?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Is it worth doing the same thing next year?"
"Will you be here next year? Won't you be on maternity leave?" Hermione asked.
"I'll come back for it. Should I do it?"
"Well I think they'd enjoy it, the seventh years. When are you taking the current seventh years?"
"I'm taking them on Friday. Right well, if they enjoy it as well, I'll make it an annual thing, if Gawain and the school will allow it. I've kept you long enough. 200 points to each of you for your behaviour today. Now get out of my sight, go on. I've had enough of you for one day." She told them, with mock annoyance.
They laughed and made their way out of the class, congratulating her again as they went. Overall, it had been a successful day, and the Professor was sure that there would be more than just five of the class who were interested in joining the aurors. Oh well, she thought, rubbing her stomach absentmindedly, at least they'll all get good grades in their N.E.W.T.S, that I'm sure of. She smiled to herself and went down to get dinner.
A/N2: I hope that the auror training makes some sort of sense. Should be a couple of more chapters after this, then we're done. Gonna be sad ending it. I've enjoyed writing it. This is my baby, my first multi-chapter fic. Thank you so much still for all the praise. Can you review some more for me? :P
xxxxx