Chapter 1 - The New Assignment

                                        

                                              
Published: 3/11/2025
Draco arrived at his office in the Ministry promptly at 9 o'clock Monday morning, coffee already in hand. He was glad that he had an office of his own, a rarity at the Ministry, but as a probation officer, his job required private, confidential conversations. He had even expanded it with Undetectable Extension Charms and made a private loo for himself. Yes, he enjoyed his quiet and organized office.
Draco sat down on his desk, glad that there were no new messages in his in-tray from the weekend. That meant his charges hadn't broken their restrictions, and it should be an easy day. He sipped his coffee as he checked his calendar and decided that he might do some surprise check-ups today. He had fifteen people under his supervision, which was the highest number in the department. They ranged from potion addicts to truants to emerging criminals. He had the highest rate of successful completion of probation out of the twelve officers in his department.
He knew how criminals worked, especially as he had flaunted the line of right and wrong a few times himself. Thankfully, he had been cleared of all charges from what had happened in the war. Kingsley, the Minister of Magic, had somewhat unofficially sentenced him to a mentorship program in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It was a handshake deal. Do six months of on-the-job training or face a litany of charges from his Death Eater days. It would have been monumentally stupid to refuse.
Those six months working between the Ministry, the Wizengamot and Azkaban were enough to get him on the straight and narrow, and also make him want to stay. He wanted to save people from the mistakes he had made and better themselves. However, they had already made some mistakes by the time he got them, but at least he could guide his charges through their hard times and save them before they hit rock bottom, like he had.
He remembered what it was like... waiting for life in prison or even death, if the Court had been willing to order the Kiss. Watching his mother and father be taken from their holding cells and escorted to their hearing had really shaken him. His mother had gotten a year and his father five. Lighter sentences than any of them deserved, but it helped tremendously when Potter testified on his behalf. Draco could see his hand in his "punishment", too, though Kingsley was the one that had taken him under his wing, too. He owed them a lot. More than he could ever repay.
He looked up and saw a folded paper airplane sail through the special opening made for them above the door. It lapped the room once before sliding into his in-tray. He sighed, expecting a probation violation of his charges, but it was a summons to come see his supervisor, Penelope Clearwater, down the hall. He downed the last bit of his coffee and walked to her office.
He knocked on the door and heard his boss say, "Come in, Draco."
He entered and was surprised to see the Minister was already sitting on the couch.
"Minister...."
"Come in, Draco, and sit down," Kingsley said.
"Yes, Sir."
"No need to call me "Sir", Draco," Kingsley huffed.
"Well, I wasn't sure you weren't here to discipline me for something."
Kingsley frowned. "Why would you think that? You're the best probation officer in the department. Heck, you're better than most of the Aurors, too. Trust me on that. I have half a mind to transfer you there, but you would absolutely hate it."
"Not to mention my criminal record."
The Minister shook his head. "Draco, you were cleared."
"The Aurors don't care about that."
"I can expunge any of those charges."
"Don't. I made mistakes. I refuse to say that they didn't happen. You both were gratuitous enough to let me join this department."