Q-65

Q-65 is an almost entirely unknown branch of the Department of Mysteries

Location[]

Q-65 does not occupy the same catacombs as the MLE, nor does it take up space in the longer standing location of the Ministry itself. Q-65 is located beneath the London Docklands. There are a number of entrances to the offices of Q-65 but the most frequently and easily accessible is Entrance 2A.

Entrance 2A to the Department of Mysteries' Q-65 is through a small rare and antique book shoppe named Volvere. The shoppe is owned by an ancient, wizened man named Herbert R. R. Steward. He appears frail with a gaunt face, delicate bone structure and round spectacles. Steward is ever-present as Volvere. If watched long enough one would be quite certain the ancient man does not ever leave his shoppe, not even to eat. In truth, Herbert R. R. Stewart is simply a cover, a disguise which is worn by various Unspeakables who work at Q-65. Any unauthorised persons attempting to enter Q-65, forcibly or even just slightly, will be politely asked to leave. Not heeding such request will result in a very rapid loss of life, body to be disposed of as only the Department of Mysteries knows how, untraceably.

Through a door in Volvere there is a long, dark passage which leads to a tunnel (dry, empty and smelling of lavender). The tunnel is a shifting, very close to being a living, thing. It will dip and climb, nestled in the earth, and loop back around as it sees fit on any given day. At the end of the tunnel is a row of small, vertical capsules, each just big enough for one man or woman to squeeze inside of. These capsules then make the trip 5,137 feet below sea level a quick and usually painless one.

Deep in the earth lies a city unto itself where the small capsules deposit their passengers. Vacant corridors stretch out in all directions leading to various chambers, resembling more something built by ants than humans.

Recruitment[]

Unlike the more search and experimentation oriented public sector of the Department of Mysteries, one does not apply to join Q-65 as no one outside the DoM even knows it exists. All Unspeakables working in the Q-65 sector are recruited into their positions. They come from a wide and varying array of departments and locations. People are recruited from within the DoM itself, particularly for Magical Specialists, but most people are recruited from outside the DoM and outside the Ministry as a whole. Constantly Q-65's head is looking for people who excel at skills useful to Q-65.

Without being recruited there is no way for a person to become a Q-65 Unspeakable.

Training[]

Training varies greatly within Q-65. There is no one standard training protocol because there is no one standard base to the jobs across the division. Magical Specialists receive intense training in their magical speciality to get the recruit up to speed with the others in their particular field. Field agents receive intensive combat training, becoming the best combatants and duellers possible. Some people are also trained in muggle fighting techniques as well depending upon their assignments. It is not uncommon for field agents to undergo training anew with each new assignment. Muggle technology is also taught to specific persons within the division for use in certain operations.

Traditional Divisions[]

Operational Officers[]

Field Agents[]

Field agents plan and execute covert intelligence operations. They work both in London and abroad to gather secret intelligence the Ministry needs to defend the Wizarding UK. Influence and persuasion are both key skills for a field agent to have, as well as the ability to be an exceptional liar. Field agents often work over seas for long stretches of time in national interests.

Researchers & Analysts[]

Researchers and Analysts research and analyse intelligence in order to plan and manage operations for field agents. Researchers and Analysts focus on identifying and disrupting terrorist activity. Their information is then given to field agents who go out and then execute an operation to protect the UK from terrorist actions against it.

Magical Operations Officers[]

Magical Operations Officers travel overseas to deploy magical equipment in support of the core objectives of Q-65. They are capable across a wide range of magics, particularly potions, transfigurations, arithmancy, charms and astronomy. Magical Operations officers work in small teams.

Language Specialists[]

Language specialists are multi-lingual. They learn new languages and dialects throughout their careers so they can serve both at home in the UK by working with raw intelligence data and overseas as part of operational teams. Interpretation is the main job of a language specialist.

Magical Specialists[]

Unspeakables who are particularly skilled with specific magical skills also research and further develop their skills. They often do research, create new spells and/or potions and are generally responsible for the cutting edge of new magical discoveries to aid their field agents. Advances are made in combat, stealth, and defensive magics.

The magical specialists have sole access to what information Britain has on the old, lost magics which are no longer practiced. This information has lent itself often to the development of better spells, enchantments, disguises and artifact creation.

Specialised Divisions[]

Person & Artifacts Recovery Squad[]

PARS is a specialised squad of individuals who encompass a wide range of abilities and skills. Their primary objectives are to rescue hostages; extract persons of interest from domestic and international lands; retrieve ancient relic artefacts to be studied by Unspeakables in a controlled, safe environment (this duty most often lands in the hands of Unspeakables in one of the main divisions of the DoM in the catacombs); recover artifacts of interest in third party possession to be studied by Unspeakables; recover or destroy artefacts that pose a threat to wizarding security.

Special Operations[]

Spec Ops most often is the subdivision of Q-65 that handles all deep cover operations. Agents are placed in both the wizarding and muggle worlds for their assignments. Wizarding assignments are often to infiltrate and bring down a specific foreign or domestic organisation seen as a threat to Wizarding Britain. This includes any wizards who are openly dealing with muggles in the trade of magical items or harming muggles via magical means.

Muggle assignments are often for the purpose of controlling the flow of information and items. Q-65 does not want muggle paraphernalia (such as guns and muggle drugs) in the hands of wizards as the wizarding world is not adequately familiar with, or properly prepared to deal with such things. Wizards do not know how to handle a person with a semi-automatic gun on a killing spree and Q-65 wishes to stop them from having to learn how to first-hand. It is also of the utmost importance to Q-65 to keep wizarding items (drugs, potions, magical items, etc) out of the hands of muggles. Deep cover operations in muggle assignments are about maintaining the veil between the worlds where dangerous information and items are concerned alone.

Not much is known about Spec Ops even within Q-65. Operatives in the Spec Ops division are entirely unknown to anyone save the head of Spec Ops and Q-65. Their names and assignments are highly classified and trying to find such information without authorisation will result in a very quick disappearance. No such persons have ever been seen again.

Clearance[]