Disclaimer: A compound fracture is nature's way of telling you to slow down.
Multiple Breaks
Note: Part III of 'Big Sister Tonks.' Part I, Odd Ideas 107. Part II, Odd Ideas 129.
"Two bones and two more cracked," he agreed cheerfully. "Have you met my daughter, Luna?"
"Hello," the little blonde girl said shyly.
"Hello, Luna," Andromeda replied, stooping to get to eye level. "May I present my daughter, Nymphadora, and her ward, Harry."
"Call me Tonks," the aforementioned daughter requested. "You're going to be in Hogwarts soon, aren't you?"
"Yes," Luna agreed, stepping closer to her father.
"Then you'll want to get to know Susan, Hannah, and Hermione too," she said, pointing at each girl. "They're about to enter their second year."
"Come on, Luna," Susan said, seizing the initiative. "We'll tell you all about Hogwarts."
Luna looked up at her father who gave an encouraging nod. "Al . . . alright," she agreed. The shy girl would later look back with great fondness on the night that she met and joined the group of life long friends, a group that would, years later, shake the very foundations of the wizarding world. But that's not important, at least not yet.
IIIIIIIIII
Andromeda's eyebrow rose when she saw the hand-sign Amelia was making. It was one they'd used in the old days indicating that the woman wanted a word away from the brass. Amusing since her old colleague had risen to the very top.
"If you'll excuse me a moment, Nymphadora, I feel the need to revisit some old memories."
"Do you mean you need to use the toilet, mum?" Tonks asked with a grin. "Cause it might not be in the same place it was when you went to the academy since it's been so long."
"What happened to your combat instructor after you tried something I taught you?"
"I broke a couple of his bones, mum," Tonks said proudly.
"Do you think that move was the only one I know?"
"No, mum, sorry, mum. I'll try to be more lady like in the future."
"Good. If you succeed, I may consider showing you a few more moves the nice way."
"The nice way, mum?"
"Perhaps I should have said the way that doesn't result in visits to a healer. You are going to learn everything I know that will help you stay alive, Nymphadora. One way is much less painful than the other."
"Understood, mum, I'll be good, mum."
"I know you will, dear," Andromeda said with a wide dangerous grin. "You're much too bright to disappoint me in this." She gave her daughter an affectionate pat. "Now if you will excuse me."
"Revisiting old memories, got it, mum."
"Why don't you mingle while I'm gone? There are a number of potentially useful contacts for a young Auror at this gathering."
"A smart young Auror would take advantage of this situation, thanks, mum."
Andromeda waited until her daughter was occupied before making her way out of the room to see what it was the Director wanted.
IIIIIIIIII
Tonks took a moment to consider who first to approach. Preferably one of her mum's old connections, someone she'd known as a child that wouldn't mind dropping a few bits of wisdom to an aspiring Auror. Mind made up, she started across the room towards someone she remembered being a retired forensic technician.
"Hold on a sec, girlie."
Tonks spun around, intent on driving home just how little she liked being addressed as 'girlie.' This intentions disappeared when she realized who had addressed her.
"You the one who broke Odd's foot?"
"Y-yes, Auror Moody," she stammered, surprised to suddenly be talking to a legend.
"Mad-Eye or Moody," he corrected her. "Heard you also softened up a tub of lard with a sap."
"I did, sir," she agreed.
"Mad-Eye or Moody," he said firmly. "You got it on you."
"I do, Mad-Eye," she agreed, pulling it out of the pocket she'd had added to her cadet robes.
"Mind if I take a look?"
"Go ahead." She offered her sap to the Auror.
"Good weight," he muttered, smacking himself in the palm. "Can you get another one of these?"
"I can, Madame Bones has already ordered several for the Department."
"You willing to trade for a custom job?"
"Trade for what?"
A horrific grin bloomed on the man's face and he opened up his left hand to reveal what appeared to be a modified police whistle."
"What is it?" Tonks asked, her attention captured by the item.
"Called a Metsubushi, got the idea from one of our colleagues in Japan when I did an exchange there before the late unpleasantness got hot. Ya fill it with my special blend of ground up chilis and blow it into the eyes of anyone that doesn't want to go down with a stunner."
"How do you keep the powder from falling out?"
"Magic. The thing's enchanted, the ground chili ain't so ya get the same loop hole with this that you got your your lovely."
"Madame Bones know about this?"
"Doubt it," Moody frowned. "Didn't have much cause to do things gently back when I was her training officer. Something didn't go down with a stunner we just got rougher till it did or till it died. Dug this thing out after I heard what you did."
"I'll trade a custom sap for a custom one of those things and I think Madame Bones will want a whole lot of them for the rest of the department."
"I'll show it to her on one condition."
"Yeah?"
"That I get to delay it till after you try it out on Odd in your next class. Also want to be there to see it."
"Deal so long as you also teach me a couple things I can do to Mr. Lovegood while he's distracted. I gotta go to St. Mungos, I want company to come along with me."
Moody looked like he was having a seasure and it took several seconds for Tonks to realize he was laughing.
"Deal! Come on, we don't want the dirty bastard to see any of this or he'll be ready for you."
IIIIIIIIII
It didn't take long for Andromeda to find the Director, she was quite experienced at tracking people down and it wasn't like Amelia wanted to stay hidden.
"I need a favor," Amelia started things off.
"Oh?"
"A go between, someone who can work out a deal."
"With the Headmaster, I presume."
"Let myself get too close to it to be objective," Amelia admitted.
"You don't think I am?"
"You've always been better at keeping things under control than I am. I've never seen you lose it, not even after Ted . . ."
"I assure you, I was most put out by that," Andromeda said tightly.
"But you never lost control. Not one of us who was there thought for a moment that you'd lost control." Amelia laughed. "Made it a whole hell of a lot scarier to see what you did and to know that every bit of it was cold and deliberate. Don't know if you remember, but we took two prisoners from that incident."
"I do."
"They couldn't spill their guts fast enough when Moody told them he'd leave 'em alone with you if they didn't."
"Do you remember what happened to them?"
"Hanged themselves five minutes before we had a chance to tell 'em they'd posted bail," Amelia replied. "Really shouldn't have tried to go back on their deal after they had a bit of time to think about it. Really really shouldn't have believed the rumor that your sister had decided to deal with you herself."
IIIIIIIIII
Harry awoke with a smile on his face the next morning as he had every day since his cousin had rescued him from the Dursleys. There was plenty to eat, he got to spend the days with his friends, no one yelled at him, no one expected him to do all the house work or landscaping. It was the best summer ever!
IIIIIIIIII
Dumbledore's eyebrows came together when the wards informed him that he had a visitor. They went up in surprise when the door opened to reveal who that visitor was.
"Andromeda," Dumbledore greeted the woman with a smile. "I assume you're here to register your objections to my attempt to ruin your daughter's career?"
"I am not," Andromeda said politely. "I would prefer her to be in a safer line of work and your actions would have forced that."
"Though you'd have been obligated to retaliate in some way anyway if I had succeeded," Dumbledore finished.
"One must always remember one's reputation," Andromeda agreed. "I'm here on behalf of Amelia."
"Didn't trust herself not to hex me on sight?"
"You are not one of her favorite people at the moment," Andromeda stated. "I must confess that I also find myself more than a bit angry at young Harry's treatment at the hands of his relations."
"I accept full responsibility for that," Dumbledore sighed. "I had not realized it had gotten that bad. Too many responsibilities to give any one of them the attention it deserves."
"Perhaps you should pass one or two of them to a worthy successor," Andromeda suggested.
"Are you volunteering?"
"I was not." Andromeda's lips twitched upwards. "But we can discuss it after we're finished with the current matter."
"Alright."
"Why do you insist on Harry staying with those people?"
Dumbledore popped a lemon drop into his mouth as an excuse to stay silent.
"You have lost that fight, Albus, there is no reason to keep silent beyond stubbornness."
"Residing with his mother's blood for a few weeks every year recharges a few protections on him," Dumbledore explained, conceding the woman's point.
"Powerful ones, I suppose?"
"Powered by Lily's sacrifice."
"Does he have to go to them or can they go to him?"
"Pardon?"
"Amelia has a scandalously large number of rooms in that monstrosity she calls a house and there are several guest houses on the grounds."
"It wouldn't be ideal," Dumbledore mused. "Too much chance the wards she already has would interfere with things."
"But it could work," Andromeda stated. "But we don't want to leave the boy's safety to chance. Which, coincidentally, brings me to my next issue."
"That is?"
"While I do not take your actions personally; Amelia, my daughter, young Harry, and all his friends do. They've demanded some sort of reparations."
"Oh?"
"You said there was too much chance that the wards around Bones' home would interfere with Lily's protections recharging, what if one were to construct an entirely new ward scheme that took advantage of them."
"That is an interesting question," Dumbledore mused. "Might be better this way anyway as the new home wouldn't have to rely so much on obscurity if we put it in the right location."
"It's much easier when one doesn't have to worry that one is standing out too much in a muggle area," Andromeda agreed. "Do we have the beginnings of a deal?"
"I believe we do," Dumbledore agreed. "Always a pleasure to deal with a professional, Andromeda."
IIIIIIIIII
Andromeda walked through the bullpen on her way to the director's office with a nostalgic look on her face. Not nearly so many Aurors now compared to how it'd been when she'd been on the force. Not nearly as much need for them either.
"Boss told us to let you in as soon as you got here," one of Amelia's aides said, opening the door.
"Thank you," Andromeda stated, stepping past the woman.
Amelia waited until the door was closed and the privacy wards activated before speaking. "How'd things go?"
"Quite well. We were able to come to an understanding that achieves everything we want and most of what he does."
"Most?"
"I made sure to include a few things to drive home the fact that he came out the loser on this one." Andromeda smirked. "I rather think that amused him if."
"What sort of things?"
"Some changes to the defense curriculum, removing some of the slack from his pet death eater's leash, that sort of thing."
IIIIIIIIII
Tonks no longer felt the rush of fear she'd gotten the first time she'd been called to the Commandant's office, it had become rather routine.
"You must be living a charmed life, Cadet Tonks!" the Commandant said with a grin. "I can not think of a cadet that has managed to break an instructor's arm so dramatically. Artistic is what Instructor Lovegood called it."
"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir! Instructor Lovegood pausing to admire the compound break is the only thing that saved me from a trip to St. Mungo's."
"Be sure to remember to thank Healer Rage for stopping the match the next time you see her, Cadet Tonks."
"Yes, sir! I will, sir!"
"I've seen the memory of the fight, your mother wasn't the one that taught you how to do that."
"No, sir! Auror Moody was kind enough to share some pointers with me, sir!"
"He the one who gave you the toy you used?"
"He was, sir! Traded it to me for a custom sap and the understanding that I would use it on Instructor Lovegood, sir!"
"Figured that was why he decided to grace us with his presence today," the Commandant said with a satisfied smile. "Instructor Lovegood was so impressed by your little performance that he asked that you be made an assistant instructor while in his class. Be sure to thank him as well the next time you see him."
"I will, sir!"
"Pleasure out of the way, it's time for business. At the director's request, you are to be released to your mother for the day. You will draw muggle kit, including a muggle badge before you go. Do you know where to do that?"
"No, sir."
"Same place you drew your cadet robes." The director scribbled a quick note, folded it, and sealed it with wax. "Give that the the clerk, get changed, and meet your mother on the front steps in ten minutes."
"Yes, sir!"
"Dismissed."
IIIIIIIIII
Andromeda hid her amusement at her daughter's reaction when the girl learned about the meeting with Dumbledore.
"It was nothing personal on his part, Nymphadora, the Headmaster decided that destroying you was worth keeping Harry safe. I think he'd have honestly regretted the necessity of it if that helps."
"It does not, mum," Tonks replied.
"He's paying for a rather nice estate and arranging for better wards than money can buy to be put on it to make amends," Andromeda stated with a grin. "And it's yours if you're willing to do one or two tiny little things."
"What things?" Tonks asked suspiciously.
"Nothing you'd object to," Andromeda assured the girl. "In fact, I dare say you'll enjoy doing them."
As it happened, her mother was right. Her mother first took her to meet with the crown prosecutor that was handling Harry's case and then to the holding facility that held the monsters that had harmed her adorable little cousin.
Vernon and Petunia shuffled into the room, their heads down. Tonks grinned at the man's pained limping gait and the patchwork of purple bruises on every visible part of his body. Bastard was lucky she'd been short on time or he'd have never walked again.
The two along with their barrister took a seat across the table from her and the crown prosecutor.
"I think the first matter we need to deal with is the brutal treatment my clients received at the hands of the arresting officer," the Dursleys' barrister began. "At a minimum, I expect the charges to be dropped and for charges to be filed against-"
"Shut up," Tonks ordered. She glared across the table at the Dursleys. "You ever lay a finger on Harry, you ever even come near him, I even think that you've had an unkind thought about him and I'll beat you to death."
"You can't just . . ." the Barrister blustered.
"I told you to shut up," Tonks interrupted. She turned back to Vernon and fixed him with a glare that would have done her boss proud. "You hear me, you fat tub of lard?"
"I . . . we hear you," Vernon squeaked.
"Good." Her gaze swept to Petunia.
"We hear you," Petunia said softly.
"The crown prosecutor has an offer for you. Take it," Tonks ordered. Without another word, she rose from her seat and stormed out of the room.
"Fair warning," the crown prosecutor leaned towards his colleague so he could whisper, "She's been recruited directly into the special branch. Her parents were in the special branch. Her father got a medical retirement from injuries received in the line of duty, her mother writes books about how to be a better copper. Her grandfather was a copper, her great-grandfather was a copper, her great-great-grandfather was a copper and the boy your client is accused of abusing is the son of another special branch copper. People worry about crossing organized crime, but crossing organized law is much worse."
"Shit." The Dursleys' barrister turned deathly pale. "Thank you."
"Professional courtesy." The crown prosecutor waved it off. "You are in the know, are you not?"
"My daughter was a claw, if that is what you mean."
"Good enough." The crown prosecutor smiled. "I'm going to be exceedingly generous, I am going to give your clients an offer they can't refuse."
"What kind of offer?"
"They get to serve out their sentences during their holidays and weekends so long as they pay reparations and so long as Petunia and her son make themselves available for no less than six weeks every summer."
"What will I have to do?" Petunia spoke up.
"Be locked in a room," the crown prosecutor replied. "It will count against your sentence."
"This is rather unusual," their barrister stated, stalling for time.
"You may have till tomorrow to decide. Good day."
IIIIIIIIII
The grin on Gilderoy Lockhart's face couldn't be wider or brighter as it was the product of practice, the best cosmetic charms one could learn, and mostly genuine due to the fact that the man was doing his favorite thing in the world. Basking in the adoration of a loving crowd. The man let his gaze sweep over his adoring fans pausing for a moment on the one knot of people that marred the event with their rude refusal to pay attention to him. A shame their had to be people like that, he thought with a mental sneer, but one had to accept the fact that not everyone . . . wait, it couldn't be? The man's gaze sharpened, it was!
Unwilling to let such an opportunity pass, the wizarding world's brightest smile sprang to his feet and, with a covert hand signal to his favorite camera man, pushed through the crowds towards the boy-who-lived. It would be perfect, he thought to himself, all he had to do was get a couple pictures with the boy and to start the rumor that Dumbledore was bringing him in to train the nation's greatest hero. Have to be careful with that, wouldn't want the public to focus too much on the boy. Maybe put out another rumor that the boy was a bit dim? Best give the matter some careful consideration before acting he decided. After a quick glance to make sure the cameraman was in position, Gilderoy lightly shoved two of the boy's groupies out of the way and prepared to strike a pose.
IIIIIIIIII
Six things happened at that moment; The first was Hermione and Luna falling to the ground, victims of Lockhart's thirst for fame. The second was Tonks going for her sap with the intention of using it to teach the author some manners. The third was Susan darting behind her security detail, just as she'd been trained to do. The fourth was Harry going for his wand, similar thoughts to Tonks' whirling around his head. The fifth was Hannah reaching for her wand, her entire focus on her two fallen friends and determined to do whatever she could to help them. The final thing that happened was Odd Lovegood moving. The situation was resolved a split second later.
IIIIIIIIII
Dumbledore was just finishing up the day's paperwork when the floo chimed to announce that he had a caller. Old joints creaked as the old man rose to his feet and again as he knelt in front of the fireplace.
"Amelia," Dumbledore greeted the face in the flames with no small amount of surprise, the woman on the other side had made no bones about her opinion of him after winning their little disagreement on the best way to keep Harry Potter safe. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Mind if I come through?"
"Not at all," Dumbledore said grandly, stepping aside.
The head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement took a few moments to brush the soot off her robes, using the opportunity to gather her thoughts. "I'm afraid I have a problem to drop into your lap."
"Oh?"
"Happily, I also have a possible solution," Amelia continued. "The problem is that you no longer have a defense professor for the upcoming school year."
"What has Gilderoy gotten himself into?"
"He was doing a signing on the day that young Mr. Potter and his friends decided to purchase their school books at Flourish and Blotts. Mr. Lockhart saw Mr. Potter and thought it a good opportunity to get a photo with our young hero to drum up a bit of publicity. In his haste to get to young Mr. Potter, I'm afraid he was a bit rough with two of young Mr. Potter's companions."
"I see." Dumbledore frowned deeply. "Not the sort of behavior one likes to see in an educator. Not that it matters, but which of his companions?"
"Ms. Luna Lovegood and Ms. Hermione Granger."
"I trust that neither of them were seriously harmed?"
"Nothing but a couple of bumps and scuffs," Amelia assured the man.
"I take it that Nymphadora took violent exception to Gilderoy's ungentlemanly behavior?" Dumbledore suppressed a grin, it would have been impolitic at best.
"I insisted that the group have adult supervision along to keep her and the other children from getting into too much mischief."
"Your niece's security detail then?" Dumbledore guessed.
"I wanted someone that could focus on the children rather than any possible threats to them." Amelia licked her lips. "So I asked one of the academy instructors to accompany them. As an aside, were you aware that I'd convinced Odd Lovegood to come out of retirement to teach the close combat course?"
"I see." Dumbledore spared a moment of pity for his former student. "I trust Odd was less than amused by what happened to his daughter?"
"Violently so."
"The children weren't traumatized by the incident in any way were they?"
"Young Mr. Potter was rather put out by the fact that he'd only managed to get his wand half out by the time the incident was over," Amelia said with a touch of pride in her voice. "Seems he wished to register his own objections. Susan felt a bit guilty that she hid behind her detail, though I think several people praising her for doing what she'd been taught to do has resolved that. Hannah showed that she has her parents' instincts, her wand was out a touch slower than Mr. Potter's and the first thing she did with is was to cast a diagnostic charm to assure herself that neither of her friends had been hurt. Hermione was a bit surprised to learn that she'd been deliberately pushed."
"And Ms. Lovegood?"
"Was more worried that her father was going to hurt one of his hands than the fact that a famous author had tried to trample her on his way to the-boy-who-lived."
"Alls well that ends well, I suppose," Dumbledore sighed. "You said you had a solution?"
"I was thinking that since Odd was responsible for causing your problem, he really should be the one to solve it as well."
"I was under the impression that he was not interested in teaching this year," Dumbledore stated. "He turned me down and my sources tell me he said the same to you."
"His main objection was the fact that someone needed to run the presses to get his newspaper out. I solved that dilemma by introducing him to a retired counterfeiter I'm acquainted with."
At Dumbledore's raised eyebrow she clarified. "Muggleborn, worked for SOE during the war."
"I see."
"He's who we used to go to when we need genuine looking muggle paperwork and we don't want to get it officially."
"Alright," Dumbledore agreed. "I suppose that you are correct. It's only fair that Odd provide the solution to the problem he caused us."
The hastily amended booklist that went out that year was a bit . . . odd to say the least. Most of the books for most of the classes were fairly standard, it was only the ones for defense that raised a few eyebrows.
Rules are for suckers, there are no such things as fair fights, by O.D.D.D. Lovegood
Paradoxes of Defence, by George Silver
Basic Law Enforcement Techniques, by Andromeda Tonks
Basic Combat Charms, by Lily Potter
Self-Defense for Gentlemen and Ladies, by Col. Thomas H. Monstery
Backstabbing for beginners, by Lily Potter
An Analysis of Dark Lords, the conditions that lead to their rise and fall, by Narcissa Malfoy
Fighting fair and a hundred other things you should never do, by A. Moody
Get Tough, by W.E. Fairbairn
Defendu, by W.E. Fairbairn
All-In Fighting, by W.E. Fairbairn
AN: Been a while, but the urge to write a bit more of this arose and here it is.