aha -- this from the lexicon, which apparently got the info from the "daily prophet" fanclub newsletters:
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.
it also clarifies the training, which is obviously different from auror 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".
Once accepted into the program, a Hit-Witch or Hit-Wizard trainee is taught (among other things):
* defensive charms and counter-curses * how to restrain magical law-breakers without attracting Muggle attention
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.
so, yeah, there's definitely an overlap, and it seems a little confusing, but it appears that sirius was definitely arrested by a hit wizard, and not an auror. :/
no subject
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.
it also clarifies the training, which is obviously different from auror 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".
Once accepted into the program, a Hit-Witch or Hit-Wizard trainee is taught (among other things):
* defensive charms and counter-curses
* how to restrain magical law-breakers without attracting Muggle attention
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.
so, yeah, there's definitely an overlap, and it seems a little confusing, but it appears that sirius was definitely arrested by a hit wizard, and not an auror. :/