Jennifer Potter and the marauders (Book 3) The New World

A last minute adjustment

When Jenny had finished planning for the next day, she began to make her way down the Grand Staircase, heading for Hogsmeade. She had just reached the last step, when she heard someone shout behind her.
Jenny span around and saw Minerva running towards her.
"Ah, Jenny. I'm glad I caught you before you left" panted Minerva.
"Is everything alright?" Questioned Jenny.
"Oh yes. There's just been a slight, last minute change, that I wanted to tell you about, that I didn't want to say to all the staff in the meeting"
"What kind of change?".

"Well, originally Draco Malfoy was not going to return to Hogwarts to finish his NEWTS, like Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. But him and his parents have decided that he will rejoin  his classmates, and take his exams at Christmas, with the rest of our year 8s" explained Minerva.
Jenny felt as if she had been slapped in the face.
"The Malfoy boy is coming back to school? I'm going to have to teach that little Death Eater kid?" She quizzed, hoping that she had misheard.
"Yes. He will be returning to complete his studies, with the rest of the students, from tomorrow until December"
"You let that boy back in?"
"He was never expelled, so there is no reason why he shouldn't come back to school"
"Oh, I can think of quite a few good reasons".

"This is why I wanted to tell you about this, in private. I know how you feel about the Malfoy family" admitted Minerva.
"That boy's father tortured me, and I lost 14 years of my life. His whole family is evil" spat Jenny.
"Draco Malfoy has never hurt you personally"
"That doesn't mean he hasn't hurt other people, like my nephew, for example"
"He has made some mistakes, I agree. But I had a conversation with him recently, and he has changed a lot. I think seeing one of his best friends burned alive, right in front of his face, made him see things differently".

There was an awkward silence that passed between them, as Jenny tried to process all the information. After a few minutes, she began to smile unpleasantly.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Questioned Minerva.
"I was just having a thought... If he's a student and I'm his teacher, then he has to do as I say" replied Jenny.
"To a certain degree, yes"
"Well then. I think Draco Malfoy has a lot of detentions headed his way. And I think he will be losing quite a few house points before he leaves, as well"
"You shouldn't abuse your position of power"
"I won't do anything that I know Snape didn't do to Harry. Snape hated Harry, and took points from him just for breathing, so there is no reason I can't do the same to Draco Malfoy".

"So you are going to bully all the children who are related to Death Eaters?" Minerva asked.
"No. Just him. And I wouldn't call it bullying. Besides, I'm sure he knows that coming back to Hogwarts won't be easy for him. He is going to get a lot of hatred from the other students, who aren't in Slytherin" Jenny replied truthfully.
"Unfortunately, I think you are right about that issue. There are some students, and even parents, who won't be happy that Mr Malfoy has returned to school"
"You've opened a can of worms, by letting that boy come back"
"I am aware that things might be difficult at first, but I hope that after a while, everything will go back to normal"
"Well, I hope you are right".

Jenny said goodbye to Minerva, and continued on her route, down to Hogsmeade. She prayed that she could remember which house she had bought, as she only seen it once.
It had two small bedrooms, and a little garden, but Jenny had decided that it would do for the meantime.
There were several empty shops in Hogsmeade, as a lot of people had been forced to close down during the war. Jenny stopped a local, and pointed to the old joke shop.
"I didn't know Zonko's joke shop had closed down" she admitted.
The local man smiled sadly. "Yeah, this branch had to close down, a year or two ago. It was bought by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. But nothing ever happened, it was never renovated, it just stayed abandoned".

After asking for directions to her house, Jenny thanked the man, and continued to where she hoped her new home was. Jenny found it sad that George had no interest in his joke shop, since Fred's death.
She had hardly seen him all summer, as he lived in the flat above his shop, and didn't return to the Burrow. Jenny and Charlie had gone to his shop, and found an assisstant running the place, instead of him.
As Jenny reached her house, she saw Charlie standing on the step outside, holding Sky in his arms. He smiled at her, and gestured for her to come forward to meet him.