Rock Bottom

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."

"Draco," Penelope said. "There are several here that don't have a clean record. It's not just you."

"Son, you really changed. We all could see that, and we can see it in your work. You're thorough, patient, stern and, most importantly, you care," Kingsley said, looking at him... proudly.

He blushed a little. "I do. I want to give people another chance... like I got."

Kingsley smiled. "That's a great mentality to have, Draco, and it's why we're here."

He swallowed. He had a feeling what was coming. Kingsley hadn't buttered him up for nothing. There was only one thing that they could want.

"No," he said, before the Minister could even ask. He had been avoiding it since the first arrest.

Penelope cleared her throat. "You're the last one, Draco. Sanchez handed Potter's file over this morning and said he was going on leave."

Draco looked at the floor, trying to keep the tears at bay. "You know why I can't take him."

Kingsley nodded. "I do, but maybe... you're the only one who can reach him?"

"He hates me."

"Harry doesn't hate you. He testified for you, Draco, and your mother. You're the only two people he did that for."

"Exactly. I owe Potter my life and my freedom. You expect me to control him? Treat him like my other charges?"

"Yes, I do. You owe me, too, Draco, to put it bluntly. Harry's falling hard, spiraling, and are you going to let him crash? He needs you to save him like he saved you."

Draco took a deep breath, though Kingsley was getting to him. There were debts to pay. "Potter is not going to listen to me."

"Draco, quite frankly, he doesn't listen to anyone. Not me, the Wizengamot, not to Aurors or his previous probation officers... all eleven of them. I'm sure you heard the stories."

Draco certainly had. It was all anyone in the department could talk about. Potter had assaulted half of them and made life unbearable for the others. They were all trapped into playing games, and Potter knew it. They couldn't revoke Potter's probation as Kingsley would always commute his crimes for him. Honestly, it was a huge scandal, but so would be sending the Chosen One to Azkaban for bar fights, assault and minor probation violations.

"I have. You let Potter get away with everything, and he knows it," Draco said, flatly.

Kingsley took a deep breath. "I know. Last night... Harry assaulted two Aurors, resisted arrest, and made a scene at a muggle pub. Robards wants him in Azkaban."

"Robards is a fucking asshole, and I wouldn't trust a word that comes out of his mouth," Draco hissed and Penelope raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Kingsley gave him a smirk. "I agree with that. Scrimgeuor had promoted him, before the Death Eaters killed him, and it's complicated to remove him without cause."

"I'd find a way. He's a fucking scumbag, and I blame this whole mess on him."

Kingsley gave him a piercing look and nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Now, the fact is... Potter is on his last fucking chance. You're the last probation officer in the department. Everyone else refused to take his case, again, so trust me, you are his only hope. I can't bail him out anymore. I've overridden every single request to revoke from all eleven officers and Penelope. They all are pissed, she's pissed and Robards is pissed."

Draco looked at his boss and she nodded, and then pretended to sift papers around.

"Draco... if you don't take his case, I'm going to have to send him to Azkaban for a few months, if not a year or two," Kingsley said, shaking his head. "Sometimes... it works, scaring people straight."

Draco nodded in agreement. Those few months waiting for his trial were enough for him to take any deal they offered.

"But Draco... those dementors... they'd destroy Harry. He's been through too much. I... can't let him... I won't lose him. I know he's struggling... he's dying inside. I'm asking you to give it a go. I'm asking that you try to save him, because... if you don't take his case. He's going to prison. I'll have no choice."

Draco let out a deep breath. Now, he had no choice. He owed Potter. "Fine... but I have some conditions."

"Thank you, Draco. What are they?" Kingsley said, happy that he had agreed.

"Potter is my case, and I will decide if his probation is revoked."

"That is how it usually is, Draco."

"I imagine that Potter is going to resist and violate his probation a whole bunch of times out of spite. Give me a chance to bring him to heel."

"Agreed."

"I don't want him armed during our sessions. I have enough nightmares from the war," he muttered, repressing a shiver. Truth be told, his PTSD was fairly acute when it came to wands being pointed at him. He'd never be able to be an Auror.

"His wand is already confiscated by Security upon arrival, so he shouldn't have it within the Ministry. For home visits, you can request Auror support, if you want."

Draco nodded. "I want full authority to impose whatever sanctions and restrictions I see fit, short of Azkaban."

"Whatever you want. I'll have it drawn up. You'll have full legal authority to control him. There are holding cells in the Auror department, too. You can keep him there to dry him out if you need it. Anything else?"

Draco thought about it and locked eyes with Kingsley. "I want his file... his whole file... even the restricted bits."

Kingsley frowned. "That's asking a lot."

"Why? Last I checked, the war was over."

"Some of it... could get Harry arrested or even committed for the rest of his life."

"I'll sign a confidentiality agreement."

"Fine. It'll take a few days. The Department of Mysteries doesn't like when their files are taken."

Draco nodded.

"If that's all, I'll have the Aurors bring him down to your office, then?" Kingsley said.

"Fine."

"Draco, thank you for doing this. I know you didn't want to."

"No... but you're right. He needs some... direction. Don't think that this is going to be an immediate fix," he said, sighing.

"No, Harry's got a lot of anger."

"I wonder why," Draco seethed.

Kingsley nodded. "He'll be down within the hour. I'll send the papers that you'll need." Then Kingsley left out the door.

"Here's his file since the war ended, anyway," Penelope said, and handed him the largest file he had ever received.

"Geez... and this isn't half of it."

"Yeah... most didn't bother to read it, but I know you will."

"Every person has a maze of issues to get through. If I can understand him, I might be able to get through to him."

"You're the best, Draco. You have my full support, if anyone can put an end to his shenanigans, it's you."

He nodded and went back to his office to start to read the monstrosity of his file and wait. Potter had been a rascal for the past two years. Draco had heard from his other co-workers what a menace he was. He had punched three of them and hexed two others. He made Berkley nearly quit and Chandra see a mind healer. He was mean, violent and usually drunk. Draco hid in his office whenever Potter had been escorted in, and he was always escorted in. Potter never willingly showed up for his appointments.

Draco read arrest after arrest for probation violation. Potter was drunk in nearly every one of them, which was a violation in itself, but he also never came willingly. Aurors had to physically restrain him and escort him out. Potter seemed to frequent muggle clubs, including some LGBTQ+ bars. Interesting. Probably, it was the reason Murphy handed Potter's file over so quick, homophobic prick.

But Potter only went to muggle bars, which Draco also found worrisome that the Aurors found him nearly every night. Surely, they had better things to do... or, more likely, they had made stalking Potter a priority. He grumbled under his breath. Fucking Aurors. They started this nonsense. He felt it in his bones. They probably over-exaggerated all of his charges, too. Though, as he read on, Potter had some thief reports, too, again from muggle shops.

Three paper airplanes flew through the slot and landed in his in-tray. He read and signed the confidentiality form and sent it back to Kingsley with a wave of his wand. The next left him frozen in shock. Kingsley had done one better than giving him carte blanche with Potter. Before him was a signed, witnessed, and certified Declaration of Incompetence. Potter had just signed his rights away, and Draco wondered if Kingsley had even bothered to explain to Potter what he had just given up.

The last sheet was a Wizengamot-approved appointment orders for him, Draco Malfoy, to become a deputy over Harry Potter. A guardian of his mental, medical, personal and financial affairs. His mouth dropped. He literally had absolute power over Potter now and even Kingsley couldn't take it back. The Minister had gotten the Wizengamot to declare him Potter's caretaker in ad infinitum. Only they could lift the DOI, the Declaration of Incompetence, and most knew what Potter had been up to. Holy fucking Salazar.

He didn't read further. He sat there stewing on what had just happened and waiting for Potter to be brought down to the basement levels. 

Don't worry... I wrote these six chapters months ago. I'm still writing my other stories right now. Also this one isn't done, either... cause I'm an asshole and apparently like leaving my readers in the lurch.