Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, it belongs to the marvelous J.K. Rowling and her publishers. I do not profit from writing this, but in writing/editing experience.

Summary: The Ministry got it right at last, or perhaps not... In an attempt to abolish Death Eater thinking, the Ministry of Magic passed a Service Mandate for all wizarding-raised witches and wizards. The Prophet is filled with perspectives on this issue. Severus is enjoying his daily paper. *Set before Harry goes to Hogwarts! Look at dates included in text*

A/N: This is idea for a fanfic that has been bugging me for awhile, but this is literally all I have for it. I can't think of what else to write. If someone would like to pick up where I've left off, you are welcome to, just let me know - I'd love to see where you take it. Enjoy. ~ with love, depressedchildren

Severus lit le journal

Severus Snape: Potions Master, unemployed, and former double agent. With no job after the war, he was forced to move back to his childhood home. Every corner of the dark and dismal home brought memories to the surface that would have been better to forget.

With a sigh, the twenty-four-year-old sat down heavily in a battered armchair. A copy of the Daily Prophet was folded under his arm. His subscription to the paper was being paid by the little money he earned from selling potions. His potions were top quality and decently priced, however the rumors of him being a Death Eater warded off potential clients, thus he was as poor as he had been when he graduated from Hogwarts.

Another sigh left the young man as he read the index in the corner of the front page. "Reactions to Mandatory Service Work – inside pg. 3", "Outraged Purebloods Accuse Ministry of Prejudice – inside pg. 5", "Controversy over Exclusion of Muggleborns in Mandate – inside pg. 6", "Uproar Caused by Morgana's Theatre Production – inside pg. 8", "Ireland's Loss to Bulgaria – inside pg. 12" Well at least Quidditch was at the backburner of everyone's mind these days. All the inside articles sounded interesting, save the Quidditch match.

Letting his ebony eyes travel down to the front page, Severus sucked in a sharp breath, "Terrorist Attack on Muggle Hospital, Death Eaters Still on the Loose!" With shaking hands, Severus quickly began to read the article.

Yesterday, August 29th at noon, St. Roderick's Children's Hospital was set ablaze through magical means and barricaded from the outside. Fifteen of our magical brethren were trapped inside the hospital alongside two-thousand muggles. This small group of wizards had been completing their mandatory service work at this hospital. In a great act of bravery, these witches and wizards set up protective charms around many of the patients.

Unfortunately, they could not save everyone and three hundred muggle children burned to death before muggle rescue services could put out the magical flames. Another one hundred children died later that night, most during surgeries to repair the damage done by smoke and falling debris. In the end, six hundred muggles died of varying ages.

Madeline Dubois, a newly graduated witch from Hogwarts gave us her statement: "There was a loud crack before the fire started, the muggle doctors and nurses began screaming about a bomb, but I knew from DADA class that it was incendio. But you can't tell muggles that, so we all just played along with them. There was another loud crack and the rest of us knew that people must have aparated in and then disapparated out after setting [the hospital] on fire.

"It was when the doctors had tried to open the doors after getting the kids organized, that everyone started to panic. Those Death Eaters barricaded us in! But a wizard, Lupin was his name, started muttering charms to keep the ceiling from falling on top of everyone. The muggles were too scared to notice anything we were doing so the rest of us joined in. I cast [an] air purification charm to help everyone breathe through the smoke.

"It felt like forever until the muggle rescue people came. They made us sit outside with these really heavy blankets on our shoulders, and they made us breathe from these weird metal cylinders that had air in them. It was really sad though, a lot of the kids in the hospital had breathing problems and died despite our efforts. I mean, they're just kids! What have they done?"

When Miss Dubois was asked why she believed the terrorists were Death Eaters, she replied, "Well of course they were Death Eaters, who else would do such a thing?! I mean there were little muggle children in that hospital. Who does that!? Besides we [witches and wizards] were volunteering there, Death Eaters think any wizard that helps muggles ought to die, right?" So it would seem after this attack.

Aurors have finished their initial investigation on the matter and have confirmed that the persSons behind this horrific attack were indeed known Death Eaters. This was based on the magical residue found in the hospital matching known Death Eaters. There will be more on the case as the investigation gets underway.

Severus took a deep breath after reading the article, his eyes drifted to the picture of a hospital being eaten away by fire. Though there was no Dark Mark hanging above the hospital, Severus recognized the handiwork. Miss Dubois was very correct in her assumption, if not a little brash.

Nothing had been quite right since the self-proclaimed Dark Lord's defeat. Severus knew that the snake of a man was not gone; he could feel it in his bones. But there had been so much- so much shit ever since the festivities ended. Everyone in Slytherin was suspected of being a Death Eater, anyone from a pureblood family that was not in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor was also suspected. It was impossible to find a job, and if not for Dumbledore, Severus would have been in Azkaban.

Then, in the fall of eighty-two, some genius came up with an idea to abolish Death Eater thinking. For the past two years it had been fought tooth and nail; however it finally won over the Ministry. Since then, there had been an increase in terrorist attacks, however they were not all done by Death Eaters, for some were done by purely prejudiced wizards that despised muggles.

Composing himself, Severus flipped open the paper to page eight.

This weekend, Morgana's Theatre Production shocked and enraged audiences with a performance depicting the War. Witches and wizards raged that the theatre troop was promoting You-Know-Who, through a rather artistic portrayal of his rise to power. On the other side of the coin, however, many praised the troop for their rendition of the tyranny of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Severus promptly flipped back to page three, not at all interested in the article. Usually he was rather fond of the theatre troop, they were known for their outlandish and satirical plays; however, it seemed their last play was done in rather poor taste.

Many witches and wizards have been upset by the recent Service Work Mandate organized by the Ministry of Magic. According to the Mandate, all non-muggle raised adults must complete one hundred hours of service through muggle organizations. This, the Ministry claims, will "open doors to a better relationship and understanding of our muggle neighbors." They explain that a new appreciation for muggles will arise from such interactions and Death Eater mentality will melt away, and give rise to a more peaceful future.

"Through our example, our children will learn there is nothing to fear from muggles, and that they are not defective," Jeremy Flocks, Minister of Magic's secretary, explains after spending the last hour ladling soup to homeless muggles in a muggle shelter. His infant son was with him that evening, since the many regulars wished to meet Junior Mister Flocks. "I've really become attached with these muggles. Despite having nothing, they keep fighting to live each and every day. I can't imagine a London winter without a home and magic!"

And there are many who share Secretary Flocks's view. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, has happily embraced the new mandate. "The Ministry has outdone themselves!" Professor Dumbledore exclaims before popping a muggle confection into his mouth. "Oh the wonders muggles have come up with, I doubt there is any treat better than a lemon drop," it was while he volunteered at children's hospital that Professor Dumbledore came across the muggle confection he claims to have fallen in love with.

"But on a more serious note, it would do good for everyone to see how muggles live and interact with one another. I cannot tell you how often I hear pureblood children asking muggleborn children if they lived in caves growing up. Now our children will have some background with muggle society, in fact, since the Mandate will be a permanent fixture in our law, the Hogwarts seventh years will have a new requirement for graduation.

"We plan to set up weekends where students can go and volunteer at the muggle organization of their choice. It will be a requirement for all students, not just the wizarding-raised. A little service work will do everyone good, and can be quite eye-opening. We will begin this during the student's fifth year, so by the time they graduate they will have completed their one hundred hours of service.

"For the sixth and seventh years this coming school year, we will have service opportunities over the breaks where they will be joined by a faculty member. I know I will be going over the Easter Holidays to volunteer at this delightful shelter in Lower London. Some of the stories you hear while working with the muggles!" Professor Dumbledore concludes with a rather far off look and pleased smile.

This reporter even had an opportunity to speak briefly with Auror Alistair Moody (only after avoiding a handful of hexes), who volunteered as mentor for "at risk youth." Auror Moody pulled off the eye patch covering his whirling glass eye before speaking, "This is the one thing I hate about the Mandate. I can't show my bloody eye!" he exclaimed with several creative expletives.

"I will say this," Moody continued, "We need a program like this, [mentor program for at risk youth], in our society. It'd keep a lot of young witches and wizards from veering down the questionable paths their parents took; especially the kids whose parents are in Azkaban.

"There is nothing like knowing a kid will clean up their act because of your influence. You tell them you lost your leg defending your family from a crack addict – which is like a dreamless sleep addict but more violent – a crack addict that never went jail because you killed that sorry son of a hippogriff! Then throw in that you're in law enforcement and lost your eye to a burglar who spent the next twelve years going insane in prison. Then you throw in the benefits of catching the "bad guy" and you know they won't be making those dangerous choices."

Severus snorted slightly at his fellow Order member's words. Mad-Eye would traumatize those children to keep them with the law; hopefully that service organization did not have to pay for therapy bills. Severus only hoped for the Wizarding World's sake that the paranoid man retired soon.

It seemed the article went on with a testament from a St. Mungo's worker and another Ministry Official. They said good things, but that was to be expected. However, what was this of Pureblood outrage, flipping to the next page, Severus settled down into the musty wingback chair.

The times were certainly changing, and he hoped it would be for the best. From scanning the article, he was shocked to not find the Malfoys protesting the Mandate. Then again, form the stories Draco would tell him, his parents seemed to enjoy volunteering at the nursing home. Well if the Mandate could change a Malfoy, perhaps good will come from it with time. So with that hopeful thought in mind he began to read about those opposed to the Mandate.

Fin

A/N:
 again that's all I had, it was a "what if...?" prompt. If anyone would like to continue it, you're welcome to. Also if anyone knows a fanfic like this, show me to it. I obviously am interested in this scenario.