House:Gryffindor
Position: Potions
Drabble
Prompt: [First line/last line] "It was times like this when name would hide"
Word count: 737
CW: Police brutality
Beta: beawrites, Ash Juillet, TheMajesticDolphin
It was times like this when Padma would hide. Theory days had been her least favourite part of the Auror programme. Many thought that just because she was a Ravenclaw, Padma would be a good test-taker. They were wrong.
Auror training tests were no joke. Each question was carefully designed to trick or stretch a new Auror's imagination. Padma shivered, thinking back to the long nights and cold, dreary days in Grimmauld Place, where she had lived with Harry and Ron during her training days. The long hours studying and the millions of practice tests had paid off when she finally got her black Auror robes.
However, this wasn't like any test Padma had taken before. This required Padma to be brave, and she wasn't sure she had that kind of bravery in her.
Parvat felt out of place standing in the prestigious room. Although she was wearing her best robes (the one with the anti-wrinkle charms) she still found herself running her hands across the sleeves in hopes of straightening out her robes. The chair she sat on felt comfortable, but she dare not squirm in fear of looking childish.
Her chair faced a long table with familiar faces on the other side. This was Padma's biggest fear: a disciplinary hearing.
"State your squad and rank," Percy Weasley said. His voice, magically enhanced, boomed across the room. The tone of it wasn't something Padma associated with Percy. It was too authoritative and cold.
"Squad Potter, rank Hit Wizard," Padma said. Her voice sounded croaky, rough from the extended healing it had gone through.
"It has been brought to the attention of this committee that this is your fifth hospitalisation in just as many missions. Is it true?" Percy asked—no, demanded.
Padma fought the urge to cry, to look like she didn't care was a sin, but if she cared too much they would write her off as emotionally unfit. She did care; to care meant that she at least tried to be worthy of her position. This was her job, the one thing Padma truly cared about. This was the only job she knew how to do, but one wrong answer could mean her badge on the line. She cleared her throat, wishing for a sip of water.
"This is true," Padma simply said.
"You have been known to throw yourself into unnecessarily dangerous situations, use excessive force and disregard orders."
Padma winced at the allegations, knowing they were true. She could see this being her last hearing. The thought of it terrified her and then it hit her–she could lose her badge over this. It was one stray Dark Curse, a curse Aurors in her position did have authority to use, but the body they had brought in for autopsy showed that the force had been unnecessary. Her anger had been out of line. Shame filled Padma at that moment and she wanted to turn back time to undo her terrible actions.
Percy continued. "You have had three warnings against you, and your mental health reports have shown that you may no longer be fit for service."
"No longer fit for service."
The words seemed to echo around the room. It wasn't fair! Padma wanted to scream.
She wanted to tell them about therapy and the fact that she believed that she was getting better. However, none of the facts was in her favour. Hell, if she were in their position, Padma would fire herself too.
The list of her wrong-doings did not sound like someone who should be part of law enforcement. Those weren't the actions of someone the public could trust and feel safe to call.
If it was any other hearing, Padma would probably have an opportunity to defend herself. But Auror's didn't work that way. They took their orders and did what they were told.
"This committee hereby suspends you for three months, during which you will be relegated to paperwork, and requires you to redo the de-escalation programme. You are also required to undergo a psych evaluation before going back into active service." Percy said.
Padma nodded. She couldn't even make out the words to affirm that she had heard him. Padma had always been a bad test-taker, but now she was no longer able to hide from the things she feared. She had to become a better person, a better Auror, because, without this job, Padma was a failure.