Several of the girls from the Misuse office, a few from the tea room plus Mac were sitting with a crop of fresh Auror trainees. This group had not been in the field. They spent all their time in class. Most everyone seemed pretty hopeless. Mac was discouraged.

It had been Maxie's idea. After what had happened to Madam Hopkirk and then Madam Dolohov's last secretary, she wanted protection for herself. Maxie had enthusiasm, but she was horribly awkward at self defense. All grace in other places, she stunk at throwing a punch.

In fact, even most of the trainees were bad. There was only one who was truly decent, and that's just because the lass had legs that were so damned long. She could kick your face without even getting close. She had a good head and a half on Mac yet she looked as if she weighed the same. The girl was almost freakish. It was like watching a scarecrow fight. Or one of those walking stick bugs.

Mac could tell Auror Shacklebolt was regretting agreeing to this. Just because the ones who had no interest in being Aurors, the secretaries and tea attendants, they were really bad. They had no idea what was going on.

She was working with Maxie. The little blonde spaz was getting better. Her endless energy made for good stamina. Mac had heard that they were thinking of moving a few more trainees into the field already. Not particularly because they were ready but because they needed the bodies out working. Things were getting stressful.

"MacDougal, why didn't you become an Auror," Kingsley asked.

"Because I can brawl but I am rubbish wit m'wand. Well, no' rubbish, but no' what an Auror needs be."

Which was not necessarily true, but Mac didn't know if you could join the Auror program this late. She felt certain if she dedicated herself to it, she could become one of them. It was not just fighting. It was fighting with style, with smarts. Mac was chaos at times, and she did not know if she could reign that in.

Mac spotted Harry entering the training room. That was odd. She hoped he was not looking for her.

Harry had heard they were doing the training today. It was smart, making sure the people who worked in the Ministry had some sort of training, should things happen. He'd been in a fight at the Ministry on several occasions, and it wasn't just the Aurors and Hit Wizards who needed to know how to defend themselves.

Mac made her way over to where Harry was.

"Tis pretty bad. Maxie is better than some of the trainees, and she's terrible."

He just nodded, eyes memorizing the faces of the trainees. He hadn't spent much time with the new ones coming in, hadn't spent much time with any of the Aurors lately.

"The tall one isna bad, but bein' tha' tall, she makes a good target. She needs to learn to use her body proper," Mac said. Then she whispered, "Kingsley has been helpin' me wit my wand work. Bein' faster. Usin' my wand when I should."

"That's good." Harry was distracted, worrying about what she was saying. The trainees, the ones coming in, the ones that were supposed to supplement their already dwindling numbers, were hopeless. Kingsley and Hestia were some of the best trainers they had, and if they couldn't even train these... It was bleak.

"Harry," Mac said after noticing the look on his face. Maybe she should not have been so very honest. "They just started their wandless. They'll get there. Ya know Kingsley and Hestia willna stop. They havna given up on Peakes yet."

Mac felt like hugging Harry.

"I want ya to come by the Sticks soon for supper. On a music night. I think ya need to have a pint and listen to music wit the rest of the village."

"I don't have time. Obviously," he said, eyes flicking from Mac back to the trainees and secretaries spread out on the mats. "Maybe we need more trainers, more Aurors giving different lessons, maybe. Moody could train them, maybe." He was thinking aloud, trying to find a solution in everything.

"Ya can take one night off, Harry. Ya work too hard. I'm helpin'. I'll get anyone I can to help. Secret, of course. Can't have anyone thinkin' the MLE doesna know how to make an Auror anymore. I think Brody could help the tall one. We have tha' room in the bottom of the Sticks."

"This needs to stay in the department," Harry said, shaking his head. "If we can't get this under control, we're not going to have any trainees. They're already soft. Why do people keep applying if they aren't for the job? I'd rather have only one or two trainees who actually deserve to be here than ten who signed up because they've always wanted to be an Auror."

Mac glared at him. "And I am gettin' to know these kids. I'd rather them helped. Some can be shaped into bein' right. It's fine to be concerned about the image of the department, but no' at the expense of its potential members. Brody and I are offerin' self defense to villagers anyhow. Iffen a few of these kids show, ya canna stop them iffen it's on their own time."

"If you wanted to be an Auror, maybe you should have enrolled in the program," Harry said, turning to look at Mac, unaffected by her glare. He was too tired right now to do this anymore. "I'm not saying that I'm stopping these 'kids' doing what they do in their free time, but when they're here, in the training program, they need to be trained by Aurors. Their mentors. The people who are supposed to be training them."

"Then mayhap I will sign up. At least then I could help wit'out ya gettin' yer knickers in a twist every time I try," Mac snapped before spinning on her heel and stalking back to Maxie.

Kingsley look at Harry with wide eyes. "Please tell me she was serious and not just pissed at you."

Harry looked over at Kingsley, his face emotionless. "Maybe now she'll stop pretending she's an Auror and actually sign up for the program instead of dancing around it. She still has to go through the years, just like everyone else. No skipping. She can beat people into a pulp, but she needs help with her wand work, with the procedures. She can't go in and headbutt people, she can't pretend like it's a riot at the pub. She'll be a trainee, and have a mentor, and she won't get any special treatment, even though she's good. Verity Moody is working her way through just like everyone else, so will Mac."

"Well, I have been hinting at it for the last month. I wish I had known all I had to do was piss her off. You're right. She is raw. She's decent with her wand, but she forgets to use it. That's a problem, and it's damned irritating. I left a law and procedures text on her desk last week. I saw her reading it," Kingsley said, grinning. "She also has a problem with authority. That will have to be corrected. If I didn't treat Natalie special, I won't treat Mac any different. Speaking of... you do know Gray McDonald is missing, yeah?"

"The story is that Grayson McDonald is on his honeymoon with his new wife. The marriage certificate has been verified as a non-forgery and his signature was genuine. Unless we have some sort of proof, there is nothing we can do."

"Which is why I haven't done anything... yet." Kingsley sighed. "The tall girl with the sandy hair is Mikelle Sullivan. You'll be seeing her in the office next week. She's the best we've got, but she's tactile. She learns by doing, so I'm putting her in the field with an Auror. Probably Burke."

"Given Burke's run with girls, do you really think that's a wise decision?"

"He doesn't stand a chance," Kingsley nodded to where Mikelle was watching Maxie appreciatively. "Though they could probably scope for birds together."

Sighing, Harry turned towards the door. "I have a meeting, but I just wanted to see for myself how bad things were."

"They'll get better," Kingsley offered weakly.

He wasn't really sure if they would. He wished the transfers would go through. They had Aurors from other Ministries waiting to get to England. People in the wizarding world knew something was happening, and they knew it was beginning here.

Kingsley was just glad Steven Warner and Charles Senft had agreed to start loaning out Unspeakables to help the Auror department. Well, loaning out the ones who weren't so damaged by their jobs that they could still function with other people. Most Unspeakables had a bit of Auror training anyhow. Just like a Hit Wizard did.

Perhaps he should speak to Noah Bennett about borrowing some of his people as well.

Sullivan kicked someone in the face and they went flying. It was like watching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar fight Bruce Lee in Game of Death. Those long legs.

Maybe there was a little hope to be had.


{SUMMARY} Harry's not happy about the newest crop of trainees or who they are being trained. He angers Mac into doing something about it.