The Diggorys, by contrast, embodied the warmth of a friendly, good-natured family. They had a comforting presence, like the kind neighbors who always waved hello.
The Weasleys, on the other hand, had invited Alex to visit them before school began. Molly had subtly hinted that she saw him as a "good match." Alex suspected this was partly because of his friendship with her brothers, the Prewetts, though he couldn't deny her family's love for good food may have influenced her too. Arthur Weasley, who was fascinated to learn that Alex was Muggle-born, eagerly chatted with him about Muggle life. Working in the Office of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, Arthur's job involved handling cases where wizards had enchanted everyday Muggle objects. But Alex had a feeling Arthur enjoyed experimenting with those objects himself.
The cheerful afternoon flew by, and as the guests said their goodbyes, the Longbottoms looked content. Augusta, in particular, seemed pleased, often complimenting Alex's cooking, which had added a special touch to the day.
Once the gathering ended, Frank and Alice returned to their demanding Auror duties. Recently, Death Eater attacks had increased, with Muggles, wizards, and even Aurors becoming targets. The Auror Office was stretched thin, struggling to respond to a seemingly endless wave of incidents. Many attacks happened too quickly, often leaving Aurors arriving just moments too late.
Over late dinners, Alex found himself discussing the challenges of Auror work with Frank and Alice. They explained that the Ministry of Magic had a powerful detection spell covering all of Britain, keeping watch over magical activity. However, it had limits.
The Aurors were split into two teams: patrol teams, who watched over wizarding areas like Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and a standby team at headquarters, ready to respond to any alerts. But the detection spell couldn't identify who cast spells, so they had to rely on patterns and major magical surges, like Unforgivable Curses.
"Even here, if you cast a spell in the house, the Ministry can't tell it's you," Frank explained. "They do, however, keep a closer watch on areas where magic is common to catch any trouble early. It's their way of keeping underage wizards from acting up too much."
"The problem is," Alice added, "the Death Eaters know the system, so they often target weaker wizards with small spells. Those don't trigger alerts. By the time the Ministry finds out, it's already over."
Alex could see the frustration in their faces. The Ministry's inability to track individual spells made it hard to catch Death Eaters in the act, especially since some Ministry insiders were secretly passing information to them. Frank explained that this was why the Order of the Phoenix existed—to work outside the Ministry's control and act more freely against threats.
Despite these efforts, the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix often found themselves reacting after the fact, like police forces in the Muggle world, who could only investigate crimes once they'd already happened. Although wizards had many magical tools, the Ministry's limits and internal corruption made it difficult to stay a step ahead of the Dark Lord.
Alex noticed that, by contrast, the Death Eaters had a simple but effective communication system: the Dark Mark. This allowed the Dark Lord to summon or communicate with his followers instantly, giving them a clear coordination advantage. The Aurors had nothing like this, relying instead on the Patronus Charm for messages—though only skilled wizards could cast it well.
"If wizards had something like an emergency charm or device they could trigger during an attack, it would make a big difference," Alex suggested. "The Aurors would know right away, and help could get there faster."
Alice nodded. "That would bring down the attack rate, and people would feel safer. But creating that kind of system would take time."
Alex learned that the Ministry had a specialized Strike Team, a part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Strike Team had more authority than regular Aurors and took on the most dangerous missions.
While some Aurors were also part of the Strike Team—like Mad-Eye Moody, who led one of the teams—others focused entirely on patrolling and investigations. To Alex, the Aurors were like regular police officers, while Strike Team members were more like a special forces unit, trained for high-risk situations.
Thinking back on what he'd learned, Alex couldn't help but feel that the Aurors could benefit from better training in combat tactics. Many seemed to lack the organized approach he knew from his own experience, and he noticed their fighting style was often disorganized, with spells going off in all directions and little teamwork.
Frank also mentioned another lesser-known role: the "freelance hit wizard." Not an official position, it was more like a freelance bounty hunter. These wizards didn't get a salary but could collect bounties from the Ministry by capturing dark wizards or other wanted criminals. The Ministry issued a basic certificate, allowing hit wizards to make arrests abroad if they wanted. But without formal authority, freelance hit wizards had no legal protection and were constantly at risk, especially if they broke local magical laws while working.
"Sirius even applied for that certificate once," Frank laughed. "Thought it was thrilling—until he realized it was more hassle than it was worth. He called it a 'piece of useless parchment,' since the Ministry pays bounties to anyone who catches criminals, certified or not."
Curious about the idea of traveling and maybe earning a bit extra by capturing dark wizards abroad, Alex asked Frank how to apply for a "freelance hit wizard" certificate. Surprisingly, the process was fairly simple. As long as he had no criminal record, he could submit a request to the Department of International Magical Cooperation and receive the certificate.
This position had its roots in the United States, where it was recognized internationally, allowing wizards from various countries to help fight crime without too many bureaucratic barriers. However, if a hit wizard's actions caused damage, the local Ministry of Magic could arrest and deport them.