I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Side Dishes
7th Course – A Sharp Interaction
Takes place some time after Harry moved to New York to begin his international training.
"Tonks! Are you free?"
"I can be," she said.
Rufus Scrimgeour, the Head of the Auror Corps of the British Ministry of Magic looked down at her, eyebrow raised. She looked decidedly unbothered with her legs up on her desk, and reading a magazine, perfectly at ease. "Feel like taking a situation?" he asked sardonically.
"I could," Dora said, smiling widely, her hair turning blonde and wavy.
Scrimgeour snorted. "Incident in Diagon. Altercation resulting in an injury. Need someone to handle it accordingly."
"Shouldn't that go to one of the civil officers?" Dora asked, frowning slightly.
"Typically, yes," he agreed. "But all are out right now dealing with something else and this got escalated to us. One of the ones involved got stabbed."
"Stabbed?" Dora asked.
"Yes, and not with a spell."
"Oh I want to see that," Dora said, sitting up, feet hitting the ground.
"I thought as much," Scrimgeour snorted. "Go handle it please. Take Shack or Jones."
"You got it Boss." Dora stood up and pulled her jacket off her chair, slipping it on.
"Is that the newest Gourmancy?" Scrimgeour asked, noticing the magazine she was reading.
"Yes," Dora said, frowning at him.
"Well since you will be busy, I'll read it," he said, taking it from her desk.
"Hey! You still haven't given back my last one!" she complained. "You can't borrow it!"
"I'm confiscating it, not borrowing it," Scrimgeour smiled as he walked away.
"Abuse of position!"
"Complain to someone that cares!"
"I will!" Dora stomped down the Auror Department, grumbling, her hair turning curly and brown. "Shack, Jones, who wants to go to Diagon and see a stabbed person?"
"With a spell?" Kingsley asked, looking up from his desk.
"Apparently not," Dora replied.
"Where was he stabbed?" Hestia asked.
"Dunno."
Kingsley and Hestia looked at each other. "Let's all go," Kingsley said. "Been a bit since I've seen someone stabbed that wasn't spell related."
"Got nothing else to do right now," Hestia said, getting her things.
"Don't you have a report to finish?" Kingsley asked mildly.
"Like I said, nothing else to do right now," Hestia repeated, ignoring him.
The trio of Aurors apparated from the hub that the Aurors had and appeared in Diagon Alley. They walked down the street together and people gave them a wide berth, noticing how they walked together with a purpose and in their uniforms of dark red. Dora saw a crowd in front of Flourish and Blotts and headed to it. "Someone called for Aurors?"
"Yes." Biblia waved them over. "There was an altercation in the store. Lots of raised voices and that man was harassing those women and a baby. It got heated but before it could be broken up, he acted violently. He then started screaming and bleeding everywhere! One of the women stabbed him in the hand."
"Oh and it's still in his hand," Dora observed.
The man with the knife in his hand was sitting on the ground and against the wall, wincing from pain and discomfort. Frank Flourish had his wand trained on him. A trio of women stood some ways away. The youngest bounced an upset baby in her arms and the next youngest was helping her. The oldest was glaring at the man who alternated glaring back and trying to look at anyone else but them.
"I didn't want him bleeding on the books," Frank sniffed. "And one should usually leave the object in the wound in case more damage is done by removing it, or at least I've read that."
"You're not wrong," Hestia said. "That's a basic medic principle."
"So what happened?" Kingsley asked, looking interested.
"She attacked me! The crazy bitch stabbed me as you see!" the man shouted, waving his hand and then wincing when the consequence of his action hit him.
"He was harassing them first!" another woman cried and more in the crowd nodded with agreement. "The poor baby was fussing like a baby does and it was apparently enough for him to bother them about it!"
"Really? All this over a crying baby?" Dora asked, hair turning steel grey and giving the man a disgusted look. She turned to the women. "Are you okay ladies? Say, I know you."
"You are pota's older godcousin or sister, yes?" Durga asked, recognizing Dora as well.
"Yeah that's me! You're the Patwins' grandmum, right?"
Durga smiled at the word. "I must remember that. Yes, that is me. I am Durga, Aditi is their mother. Their cousin, Latika and her new baby Fatima."
"Aww she's darling," Dora said. Her hair turned bright pink and she smiled when the baby smiled back, no longer crying. She turned to glare at the man who shrunk down from the weight and heat of her expression. "Seriously? That's why you wanted to pick a fight?"
"I'm sensitive to loud noises," he complained and shriveled at the snorts and loud noises made by the other watchers. "But that doesn't mean she can stab me!"
"It does count as self-defense," Kingsley said mildly. "Granted we typically use magic first but still."
"You really just carry a knife around like that?" Hestia asked Durga.
"Oh it's one of these!" Dora flicked her wrist and her bracelet unfolded, becoming a long knife that fit in her hand.
"Precisely," Durga said proudly. "A gift from the Patwins and pota."
"Why do you have a knife?" Hestia asked. "And I want one too."
"Harry got me mine too," Dora said happily. She flicked it back onto her wrist and it made a neat bracelet once more. She and the other two Aurors conducted some interviews from everyone involved and the watchers.
"Right then," she said when they were finished. "You're being arrested for disturbing the peace, threatening three women and a baby, and littering."
"Littering?!" he shouted.
"Yeah, bleeding all over the place. That counts," Dora said. "If you try to fight, we're taking you to processing at the cells first. If you comply, we'll take you to St Mungo's first. You pick."
"This isn't fair!" the man shouted.
"Save it for your solicitor," Kingsley said. "So you want to be healed at the hospital or when an Auror medic gets to you?"
"Wait, what about my knife?" Durga asked.
"I'll bring it back to you after we remove it. I'll make sure no harm comes to it," Dora said.
"Good. And please. It is a very precious gift and a useful one." Durga gave her daughter a look.
"Okay, yes Mother, it did come in use," Aditi sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of this."
"No you will not," Durga said with a very large and triumphant smile.
-0-
"Healer Li? Are you available?"
Anna Li looked up from the chart she was reading. "At the moment."
"You're the best at lacerations and emergency wound care right now. The Emergency Care Healers are dealing with a case right now so I was hoping you could take this," the medi-wizard said.
Anna took the chart and looked at it. "Huh, don't see this often here. Hey, Padma, follow me."
Padma did as bidden, walking with her mentor healer. "What's the case?"
"Stab wound. With a knife."
"Like a real knife?" Padma gasped.
"Yup, and it's still in the wound site which is good. Means we can treat it a little better as long as it hasn't done too much damage while still there." Anna read as they walked and she snorted richly. "Apparently the patient got arrested for disturbing the peace and harassing some individuals which resulted in him getting stabbed. Poor dumb bastard. Imagine getting arrested and being stabbed on the same day."
Anna shook her head. "Usually people go for their wands though. Stabbing someone with a knife first, that's a new one."
"I can think of someone that would do that as a first reaction," Padma said dryly. "A couple people actually." They walked into the exam room, nodding at Hestia who was standing outside. Padma nearly stumbled when she saw the knife sticking out of the person's hand. "No, it can't be," she gasped softly.
"She's back to finish the job!" the man screamed, seeing Padma.
"She wasn't the one who stabbed you, you idjit," Dora said, staring at him.
"She looks like the one who did!"
Kingsley frowned mightily. "That's incredibly racist, first of all. Which having heard you talk as we came from Diagon, doesn't surprise me."
Dora took a second glance at Padma and smiled. "Oh hey Pads!"
"Hi Dora," Padma said weakly, still looking at the man warily who was alternating glaring at her and looking fearful at her.
"So yeah, guess not completely racist in this case," Dora said and Kingsley looked at her with confusion.
Anna waved her wand and the man slumped on the bed, put in a stupor. "Someone explain something to me? Why did you say what you said when we walked in," she asked, looking at Padma.
"Uh…," Padma gulped. "I might…recognize…that knife."
"You what?!" Anna gasped.
"It belongs to her grandmum," Dora said evenly.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Padma asked.
"She told me! Then I showed her mine!" She flicked her wrist and made her knife appear once more.
"Someone stole her knife?! Did someone mug her or rob her?!" Padma gasped.
"No, she did it herself," Kingsley said, smiling a little.
"GRANDMUM STABBED HIM?!" Padma shrieked, looking appalled.
"Yeah! He was harassing her and your mum and your cousin and your cousin's baby," Dora said, frowning mightily, hair turning pink and spiky. "Went for his wand when your mum told him to shove off and your grandmum stabbed him in the hand and kicked his wand away."
Padma gaped at them, jaw open. "Are they okay?! Latika and Fatima and Mum and Grandmum?!"
"They're fine," Dora soothed. "Baby's super cute too. But yeah, no problem on their end. Only person that got hurt is Knife-Hand here."
Anna blinked. "Why was her first instinct to stab him?" she asked, sounding curious and not judgmental.
Kingsley coughed. "Well she was rather 'irritated' at him, her words," he said and Padma groaned, making Anna and Dora smile. "And also in her words, 'no hand, no wand, no magic'. Which she's not wrong."
"Well, what's done is done," Anna said, shrugging. "Okay, let's take a look." She used her wand to lift the unconscious man's hand into the air and stuck it in place. She cast several diagnostic charms and examined the wound closely. "That's a very nice sharp knife, went in clean. Will probably have a very clean puncture wound on either side of it. Went through the hand, missed the bone."
She looked at Padma. "Diagnosis and treatment."
"Diagnosis, stab wound due to a knife," Padma said, flushing as Dora snickered and Kingsley smiled. "Treatment. Numb the area with a potion and remove the knife. Clean the wound with a cleaning potion to keep from getting an infection and then depending on the extent of damage, a flesh and skin reknitting charm with a treated bandage on top."
"Solid choice," Anna nodded. "Let's get to it then. You can cast the sanitizing charms and prepare the potions." She and Padma got to work, removing the knife and cleaning the wound with the potions and charms before Anna cast the healing spells and they wrapped the wound up with a bandage.
"Good work," Dora praised.
"She's a great student healer," Anna nodded smiling. She turned back to the Aurors. "Should heal up nicely. Shouldn't have any loss of function or lasting damage. That knife went in super clean and barely affected anything else. Where did you get those knives?"
"From my little brother!" Dora said proudly. "God-brother-cousin-bestie-thingie technically."
"He's my brother too," Padma said proudly. "They come from Clan StoneHeart."
"I need to see if they make medical grade blades and instruments," Anna mused.
"I can ask for you. I still have their catalogue to make the wrist-knives. They're very nice and fair on cost," Padma said. "Oh, speaking of, do you need to hold onto Grandmum's knife for evidence?"
"We documented everything and will take a copy of the chart," Kingsley said. "Shouldn't need to hold onto it. It's a cut and dry situation. Clearly self-defense and we've learned from our trip over that Knife-Hand here is incredibly racist so he's even more in the wrong. Clear harassment on his end with intent to escalate. So she won't be charged with anything. If there are any more questions, we can go to her and ask them."
"Oh thank Merlin and everything," Padma groaned.
"I said I'd take it back to her after but do you want to? Since you'll see her later I assume?" Dora asked.
"I'll take it home. We live together," Padma nodded.
Dora filled out a form and included it with the rest of the things they needed before handing the knife back to Padma. "There you are!" She smiled as Padma put the knife away in her pocket, in the bracelet form, and looked at Anna. "Anything we need to do more for him?"
"I'd advise not hitting it or jiggling the hand to reopen the wound," Anna said. "But your Auror medi-magicals can handle the rest. Call us if you want us to come over or need to bring him back."
"Will do. Going to leave him like this though, less chatty. Meaning less chance at pissing me off and doing something about it." She waved her wand and the unconscious man floated into the air. "Thanks! See you later."
"Remind me to never offend your family," Anna remarked.
"Oh well, I've been telling them I really like you and have been learning a lot from you, so they like you," Padma said weakly.
"Oh thank goodness," Anna sighed with sincere relief. "Also if you could bring that catalogue with you tomorrow, that'd be great. I'd love a surgical set." She tapped her chin. "A self-defense weapon wouldn't be bad either. Clearly it works."
"I will," Padma smiled.
-0-
"Oh you're walking in today," Durga remarked, seeing Padma return home.
"I don't have to drag your arse to bed this time," Parvati sighed happily.
"It was a lighter day," Padma confirmed. "Also, really Grandmum?!"
"What? What happened?!" Parvati asked, looking up. "And how did you know about it before me?!"
"Girls, please, don't get her started," Aditi said weakly.
"You stabbed him?!" Padma persisted.
"You stabbed someone?!" Parvati shouted.
"I did, and I would do it again," Durga sniffed. "Speaking of, I need my knife back."
"I have it," Padma said, taking it out and handing it back to Durga who took it eagerly. "I was there and helped treat the person."
"Who did you stab and why?!" Parvati gasped.
"He was bothering us," Durga said dismissively as she put the bracelet back on. "Saying awful ugly things and being racist. Threatened us and Fatima."
"Wait, he threatened a baby?" Parvati growled. "He deserved it then."
"Said she was too loud and ugly," Durga growled back.
"Oh I hope you stabbed him in the dick," Parvati said.
"Parvati!" Aditi gasped while Padma and Durga laughed.
"No, too small of a target," Durga said, ignoring Aditi's appalled look while the twins cackled. "I stabbed him in the hand. He ran away screaming and I lost my grip or else I'd have stabbed him more."
"Dora and the other Auror said he was super racist so it was race motivated," Padma said angrily.
"So he deserved it," Durga said, waving her hand.
"Are you mad at her for stabbing him?" Parvati asked her mother.
"No, I am not," Aditi said. "Why I said not to get her started is because of what she did after." She sighed deeply as Durga held up a clear crystal ball. She tapped it with her wand and an image of Aditi appeared. " Good thing you had it, Mother. It did come in use," the image said.
"Irrefutable proof," Durga said while the twins laughed even harder and Aditi closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "I need this as I get older and forget things."
"Mother, you will never forget details like that," Aditi said wryly.
"Is Latika and Fatima okay?" Parvati asked.
"Yes, thankfully," Aditi said. "Latika is still a bit shaken but she is fine. Fatima is as happy as ever after the incident."
"Harry's going to be so happy to hear that the knife came in use," Parvati smiled. "And Dee too."
"It is very useful," Durga said, making it transform and admiring it.
-0-0-0-
Arnie1701 - Me neither.
Wentley - Crookshanks knows what he likes and isn't ashamed of it.
odonnellzoo99 - The rat bastard line was my second favorite. Hedwig telling Dumbledore that he sucks and is old was my favorite. The mental image of Hedwig saying that to his face when no one else would dare do that made me laugh for a good long while.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Sunny definitely still has youthful energy while Crookshanks prefers to sustain his. Thanks for reading.
alix33 - Salmon is one of my favorite fish to eat but I don't like it smoked. If you can ever find it seared, I'd recommend it. Hedwig mouthing off at Dumbledore and Amelia made me laugh too. She's not wrong either.
TheSphyynx - Most definitely.
Shroudy9 - Blinky probably could if the need ever arose. I tried to insinuate here that Sirius, in his animagus form, couldn't exactly talk to the magical animals but was able to get his point across. That would be too easy in a way. Hedwig with a wand would be very interesting to see, but she has her own magic and doesn't need to use a wand. Her own skill and determination.
MarcusTrax - That was my favorite line. It was so damn funny. Thank you for reading.
HoneyBear84 - Thank you.
poka - Best wig indeed. Hedwig chasing Parvati will always be so much fun. I wanted a different sort of feeling here with Sirius, something canon-esque but not quite and still different compared to Family.