"What do you mean? The Malfoys are part of the Death Eaters and have done many, many things for him. How can you let them in the Ministry, Kingsley?"
Kingsley looked at Harry, a bit exasperated, but calmly replied, "Like I've said before, Harry, they are sorry for what they did. I know you don't like them, and I know that you've argued against them even being allowed to live in their manor. It's obvious that they were part of Voldemort's Army, but they didn't have a choice. Our Law states that we can't convict people for something they were forced to do. That's just how it is, Harry."
Harry knew that Kingsley wouldn't listen to his complaints, but he wasn't about to give up. The boy who lived was persistent, there was no doubting that.
"Listen, Kingsley. I know that you are aware of what's best for the Wizarding World. However, you must reconsider. You are putting Draco Malfoy into the Aurors department. I am aware that he's passed all the tests, but he's a known death eater. We have still not rounded up all of them, and some of them are still a threat to security. Letting Draco in is a big security risk to the mission, we can not afford letting the Death Eaters know who our mole in their camp is. It would be dangerous, and reckless of us to do so, and would endanger the life of a very brave person. Please understand my concern."
Kingsley tapped his fingers on the desk, for as long as he could get away with it. Gathering his breath, Kingsley began in a resigned voice, "Lucius Malfoy will take us to the Wizengamot if we discriminate against his son, Harry. If that's not enough, it'll defame the name of this organisation. I can't have that, not at all. You may be head of the Aurors, but I have the final say around here. The Daily Prophet will have a field day if we do not hire the Malfoy kid. He's done extremely well on the Auror tests, and is easily the best candidate. We are hiring him, that is final."
"But…"
"No buts, that is an order. Now go and send him an Owl to give him the good news."
Angry, but composed, Harry replied, "All right, Kingsley, whatever you say."
With that, Harry left the room and was immediately greeted by his best friend, Ronald Weasley, who accosted him with the words, "Tell me that Kingsley won't make that slimeball work here."
Harry's eyes conveyed what the conversation had been to Ron, who took one look at them and said, "Damn him. Why does he have to side with the Malfoys? They're bloody death Eaters."
"Ron," said a female voice, "It's not very nice to curse someone. I, for one, think Kingsley is absolutely right. Malfoy might have just changed by now, you can't always judge a person by how they were in the past. I mean, we've all made mistakes."
"Hermione, you know that boy's mistakes are nothing like ours. He killed Dumbledore."
"Nonsense, Dumbledore died on his own terms. And Malfoy wasn't going to kill him."
"What about Bill then? That," said Ron, uttering a word that made Hermione gasp, "boy is responsible for his state. The Death Eaters wouldn't have got in, if hadn't brought them inside. Or are you saying he was right?"
Hermione had an expression on her face, which reminded Harry of Kingsley's just moments earlier. Before she could reply, Harry interjected, "Listen, maybe you two should stop bickering. He's going to be working here soon, and we're going to have to stand him, might as well not fight among ourselves too."
"Do you think she likes him?" asked Ron, in a whisper.
"What, are you crazy?"
Ron looked unmoved at this accusation, and Hermione begun remonstrating on how rude it was to talk in whispers when a third person was there. Feeling a bit better around his friends, he went up to the Owlery with them to post the letter to Malfoy, and to inform him that he had been accepted as an Auror in the Ministry."