Auror Training 101

"Yeah, Khaat mentioned you were very independent," Robert smiled. "Actually, we're going to do some dueling practice and try to hone up some of the skilsl of our new members here. If I know you whatsoever, you can hold your own in a duel, can't you? What I may do, once we do a bit of introduction, is to break you all down into pairs to practice with each other. Everything in the room, pretty much is expendable. It's all conjured, so we can destroy it all if we want. Although I presume Jen would prefer we don't blow a hole in the wall and destroy her brand new office.

"Blaire," Robert said more quietly so that it was not going to be announced to the whole room, "Khaat could benefit from perhaps going out for lunch or something, but you'll have to get used to one main difference. She was missing for awhile while you were ill--kidnapped by an old enemy of mine. She's now dealing with a case of traumatic mutism. Physically she's fine, but she's...not able to speak. Whatever happned to her while she was gone...well, she's somehow shut it all off enough that she can't speak at all right now. And I doubt she will until she feels safe enough to start coping with whatever happened to her during the few days she was missing. I probably should have alerted Matt so he could have started talking with..well, to her, but he'd have to learn to be happy with catching her paper airplanes. She's communicating by writing things down and flying it to us in paper airplanes. And until she can talk again, most of her magic won't work either. I've hired bodyguards for her for awhile. But you, I think she'd be safe with you if you wanted to spend soem time with her--if her silence won't be a turnoff. I'll tell you the rest of it later, if you want."

He turned his attentions then to the others. "Right then. I think everyone who is coming is here. Let's get started then. The purpose of today's exercise is to assess your dueling skills and put you with a partner in order for you to find your strengths and your weaknesses both. Therefore, I'm going to pair the more experienced duelers with the lesser experienced ones in order to help even things out. Besides that, I believe we learn from our peers.

"Right then. Jen--if you would please pair with Daniel? Blaire, if you would pair with Skeeter, and Brian, I'll ask you to work with Jack. Steven, you're with me. Alright, all, lets break up and lets see what you've got."

He flicked his wand and the coffee cups sprang from people's hands. The coffee pot levitated and it floated out of the office and down the hallway to Robert's office.

"Let's begin!"

They were all going to die. Looking at them, anyone with half a brain could tell what was going to happen. Daniel was probably the only one that was going to make it out with all appendages intact. He’d probably be a bit sore but he’d live – maybe. The rest would get themselves caught and would die because of their reliance on the useless bits of twig that Olivander supplied them with.

Jen sat herself down in her chair, disinterested. She brought her fingers up to her head and rolled her temples. Azkaban was more fun than this was. Actually no, paperwork was. Jen grabbed her folder back off of the table and crossed one leg over the other. She dropped the folder into her lap and opened it up. She didn’t need to do profiles on them, not that she cared enough about them. She was their Head and that meant a grand total of nothing. She didn’t even have to know their names if she didn’t want to. What did it matter?

Jen yawned and gestured vaguely with her hand. “Over there Wemby,” she instructed. “Entertain yourself. I’m sure that won’t be hard.” She smirked a little and closed the folder. “So what can you do without the wand?” She asked, standing up. “The rest of these blithering idiots will die, at which point I’ll laugh. You’re the one I expect to come out on top; defy the odds.” She tapped Daniel on the head with the folder and shrugged. “I hate politics.” She said to herself, shaking her head. “I also hate all of you.” She added with a light tone. “You’ve had a nice life ... you’re going to get taught absolutely nothing and then you’ll die. How do you feel? Great, I hope. I’d teach you, as I am sure I am meant to but am I truly needed when you’ve got two men that do nothing else but fight kidnappers and child sex traffickers or whatever that twat does. They’re the best teachers you’ll ever have. Mmhmm. Yep.”

She chucked the folder onto the desk and held out her hand. “Give me your wand. You don’t need it. I hate these things as much as I did those stupid tattoos you had. I noticed they’re gone too. That’s an improvement. Maybe I should get one just to pass the time. The monotony of life and the ever growing mountain of paperwork which I will pass onto my successor when I decide that I’ve had enough of the Ministry. That will be soon too because these people, these walls and the colour of the carpets – it’s all incredibly annoying. Currently that’s not annoying. What is annoying is that the Aurors are being pulled out of the toilet they’d been flushed down. It’s a painful process for you all I’m sure. So...back to the point. Close combat, I’ve got the upper hand. What’re you going to do...hmm?”

Brian had decided to totally ignore Jenifer Dent. The woman lived to be walking sarcasm. He looked at Jack. "Come on, Jack. Let's try a bit of sparring, shall we? It isn't often that Robert will give us permission to bust up a room. Let's start with wizard dueling. Most of the wizards we run into will not be speicalists in bar room brawling, I would guess. Not that those skills aren't valuable. But we can get to those later."

Brian walked over to the far side of the room, picking out a place that wasn't being used at the moment for Jack and him to hone up their skills. He knew that if Jack were not able to use his wand then he would not hesitate to resort to hand to hand combat. And he knew Jack was strong enough that he had a good chance at winning.

Brian took his stance, and remembering the formal amenities that were often thrown out in real life duels, he bowed to Jack and awaited Jack's move.

Again with the Wemby thing? Geez, this lady might be nuts. Scratch that, she is nuts. She asked Daniel to hand over his wand. He complied albeit reluctantly. So many questions were posed within his mind, and that was all he could focus on. That, and Joshua chattering on and off in his mind. On and off like a flickering TV. Like his favorite channel on the boob tube that never came in clear due to the scrambling put on it. That was always his qualm with the TV, all the censorship. It seemed that it was the only thing that the government enjoyed doing, taking away the joy of the people within their jurisdiction.

He clenched his pentagram necklace in his hand. The one that he knew better than to associate with Satan from Christianity. The pentagram was a symbol of nature and its power, not the dominion of a supposed fallen angel of the the underworld. Or whatever it was. Softly, he placed his hand on his own leg, then smoothed the creases in the material, it felt weird under his hand. "I don't think I can do a whole lot without my wand. I can do some charms and such, but not very much. However, I can do stuff non verbally. However, I'd love to be taught how to do stuff without wands". He didn't much like the way Jen talked of the others. He didn't like the way she put them down so much. The situation posed next to him made him think.

"I'd sweep your legs from under you, some how, or make the ground under you freeze so you slip. Then I'd use Incarcereus on you so you don't escape".

Skeeter watched the happenings around him with fresh eyes, trying not to look dopey like his parents had so affectionately deemed him. He set aside his coffee and thrust his large hands into his pockets, glancing at the others around him, his eyes lingering on Jen for a moment before turning to watch as Robert continued to deliver instructions. He grimaced at Daniel; they had joined at the same time so Skeeter still felt connected to the guy.

Skeeter said they would be paired up and Skeeter nodded, watching Robert with a respectful grimace on his face that said he was taking this serious. He was glad they were getting to the action, the adventure stuff, the hands on things. Office work got to him and spurred him to pull office hijinks that were sure to get him in trouble.

He was paired with Blaire and Skeeter walked over to the guy, allowing a half smile onto his face. He was not sure he ever had talked to the guy, but he had seen him around and that should be good enough. He nodded, "Hey, man. So..." He shrugged his shoulders, allowing Blaire to steer the rest of the situation since Skeeter was the new guy. "Up to you, then."

Daniel’s suggestions weren’t half bad but Jen could see the problems. Magic was useful in so many ways but duelling was only good and only worked well when you had some space between yourself and your opponent. That was what was wrong with his suggestions. Magic didn’t need to be relied on and couldn’t be if she was as close as the hypothesis was suggesting. Jen looked at Daniel and pursed her lips. “We’re too close don’t you see? Magic would merely hinder you unless you’re gifted in wandless magic and even that would hinder you to a degree. Your attacker won’t stop – you’re the enemy. They’re not going to wait for you to throw a table at them with a flick of your wand or cast Incarcerous on them. It’ll be fast and it’ll raise your heart rate to well above 160. There wasn’t anything wrong with your suggestions though. Is there anything pressing that you need to work on? I’m sure if crunch comes to crunch you could just seduce them. It’s not a half bad idea,” she said with a lopsided smile.

"Oh... Well, I obviously need help with close quarters combat and crisis situations, also with the wandless and nonverbal magic, just so I'd be able to quietly cast any spell, without indication, so I can be as sneaky as possible. Or whatever you think I need work on. That might differ". Daniel seemed to sigh. Daniel, you're useless, the only thing you're good for is selling your body. Selling it on the corner for 5 knuts a pop in Knockturn. That's what you'd love to do, you sick weirdo. You sick sick man. That's all you are good for. Shut up, Joshua! That's all Daniel could think. One could see his inner dilemma, it was so thick inside him that it seemed to be seen within his eyes.

"Shut up Joshua!" He said it, but didn't know he said it. Joshua was getting worse. Much worse, and he couldn't stop it. No matter what he tried, he was still one that was possibly beyond help. Beyond help so much so that he might not be able to get out of it. Out of his problems. Out brief candle, which was the thing he feared. That Joshua would kill him from the inside, possibly turning his innards to mush. Possibly his brain first. He didn't know, or care what part came first, just that Joshua would go away. Though, as he was told, that may never happen.