November 1981
May. 16th, 2006 10:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I've been doing a lot of preliminary work for a fic set late 1981/early 1982, and an odd thought occurred to me.
Why did the Lestranges go after the Longbottoms when they did? Why then? Why Frank and Alice?
I found myself wondering if it had anything to do with Sirius' apparent return to the fold. I have no doubt that Bellatrix and Sirius, both being wild, were close as children, a closeness which would have easily become hatred as Sirius turned away from the family. So, we come to late 1981. The Dark Lord is dead, and so are many of the Order, Bellatrix's immediate counterparts. Sirius is once again her favourite cousin, but he's already in Azkaban, brought down at what Bellatrix might consider his moment of glory.
It's easy to see why Bellatrix might want revenge, not just for Voldemort, but for Sirius. But why the Longbottoms?
We know Frank and Alice were highly respected aurors. We also know that Sirius was taken from the scene by Magical Law Enforcement (which seems to be mostly aurors - it isn't clear from book to book). As non-suspect members of the Order, they would probably have been on alert, especially once they ceased to be Voldemort's secondary target.
Did Frank and Alice arrest Sirius?
Why did the Lestranges go after the Longbottoms when they did? Why then? Why Frank and Alice?
I found myself wondering if it had anything to do with Sirius' apparent return to the fold. I have no doubt that Bellatrix and Sirius, both being wild, were close as children, a closeness which would have easily become hatred as Sirius turned away from the family. So, we come to late 1981. The Dark Lord is dead, and so are many of the Order, Bellatrix's immediate counterparts. Sirius is once again her favourite cousin, but he's already in Azkaban, brought down at what Bellatrix might consider his moment of glory.
It's easy to see why Bellatrix might want revenge, not just for Voldemort, but for Sirius. But why the Longbottoms?
We know Frank and Alice were highly respected aurors. We also know that Sirius was taken from the scene by Magical Law Enforcement (which seems to be mostly aurors - it isn't clear from book to book). As non-suspect members of the Order, they would probably have been on alert, especially once they ceased to be Voldemort's secondary target.
Did Frank and Alice arrest Sirius?
no subject
Date: 2006-05-17 01:34 am (UTC)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
Date: 2006-05-17 06:48 am (UTC)I had a feeling there was some more detailed careers information somewhere, but I made the mistake of looking at Harry's careers interview.
Thanks.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-17 05:55 pm (UTC)and the thing is, even if it wasn't frank and alice who arrested sirius, it was more than likely someone he knew. it's fairly clear that the wizarding population in britian is extremely tiny (i'd posit it wasn't much larger, even before the war), so it makes plenty of sense that everyone knows everyone.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-21 10:13 pm (UTC)