Ministry Matchmakers
Chapter 1
Ron Weasley looked very silly indeed, sitting at the breakfast table in the Burrow. His hair was standing up in all directions, having not been washed or combed since he woke up, and he was still in his Chudley Cannon pyjamas. His hand was paused halfway to his gaping mouth, a fork in hand with a piece of sausage in it. The reason for his comical appearance was that he was reading an obscure article buried in the middle of the morning's Daily Prophet - and he was more shocked that he had been in weeks.
Muggleborn Marriage Incentive Attempts to Right the Wrongs of the Previous Administration
In a surprise move yesterday, the Ministry of Magic passed a series of laws designed to give muggleborn witches and wizards back the status they were denied during the past year. Among these new laws was a very generous Marriage Initiative, designed to encourage the intermarriage between purebloods and muggleborns. The Initiative states that any pureblood wizard who marries a muggleborn witch will be given a full pardon by the Ministry for any previous crimes against muggleborns.
In order to qualify, the pureblood wizard must petition in person for the hand of his chosen muggleborn witch at the Ministry's Department of Family Affairs within 30 days, and the subsequent wedding must take place within 14 days of submitting his petition.
Ron could not believe his eyes. He almost laughed, he was so shocked. This seemed like a very absurd law to him - and he was quite put out that nasty gits who had committed crimes against muggleborns might be pardoned - but he really couldn't see any of the blood purists being persuaded to marry a muggleborn, even with those inducements.
"Have any of you lot" he said, waving the paper at Ginny and Harry, who were eating breakfast across from him, "seen this new Marriage Law the Ministry has passed?"
Mrs. Weasley turned around from chopping potatoes, her wand raised dangerously in her hand.
"I have," she snapped, her eyes blazing. "Kingsley Shacklebolt is in a right state over it. Only been Minister for three weeks, and then something like this slips under his watch. He's working frantically to get it revoked, but they were smart, weren't they?"
Ron shook his head. "Smart?"
"Oh, yes! If the law had a longer time frame, it wouldn't stand a chance! But with only a month and a half before the initiative passes into obscurity, it's quite unlikely that the Minister will be able to shut it down before then. The process for rescinding a law is laboriously long."
"But surely there won't be many wizards who take advantage of this..."
Mrs. Weasley's face softened. "You're a sweet boy, Ron, and I'm proud of the fact that you don't think like Dark Wizards... But there is nothing a Dark Wizard likes more than to abuse muggleborn witches!"
Ron's thoughts instantly went to Hermione. "Abuse! How?"
Mrs. Weasley turned back to her potatoes, and Ron thought that he wouldn't get an answer out of her. But then, after a moment or two, she spoke.
"Muggleborn witches didn't have much protection under old wizarding law. It would be very easy for a Dark Wizard to petition for a witch who does not wish to get married, and for that petition to be granted. Especially with the Old Blood families. No one at the Ministry dares to question them."
"But what would a Dark Wizard want with a muggleborn..." Ron trailed off as he remembered the scene from Malfoy Manor, just a few dreadful weeks before. He remembered Bellatrix Lestrange, telling Fenrir Greyback that he could have Hermione... He shuddered. "Never mind," he said bitterly. "I think I know."
For a few moments there was no sound in the kitchen except for the chopping of potatoes. Ron finally put the bit of sausage into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
"Mum?" asked Ginny. "Could they really make a muggleborn girl marry someone against her will?"
"I'm afraid so," she answered.
"But what if... what if another bloke wants to marry her?" Ron asked
Mrs. Weasley turned around to look at him, her gaze penetrating. "You're not planning on marrying some poor girl, are you, Ronald Weasley? You haven't even finished your NEWT year - how are you going to support a family!"
"No, I just mean... what if two wizards tried to petition for the same witch? Is it on a first come first served basis, or does she get to pick between them?"
"No, it's not first come first served. They couldn't have gotten away with that. The rules are horrid, though - your father was telling me last night. After a wizard petitions for her, other wizards have twenty-four hours to submit a petition before her file is closed. She then has the two week waiting period before the wedding to decide who her husband will be. If she doesn't choose, there will be a sort of - well, a silent auction for her hand."
Ron shivered. He was very glad, for once, that his family was purebloods. He would never want something like that to happen to Ginny. Just the thought of someone snatching up Hermione... She was still in Australia with her parents. Australia was too far for an owl to fly, so he and Hermione had not communicated since Fred's funeral. He wondered if she knew about the Initiative. She would certainly be offended by it, but she was quite brilliant enough to come up with ten different loopholes to get her out of it if some git tried to make her marry him.
Just then, a whooshing sound came from the fireplace. The fire burned green, and Ron's father followed by his brother Percy stumbled out of the grate.
"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley cried, rushing to give him a hug. "What's the matter? Why are you back so soon?" She then turned to Percy and enveloped him in a tight bear hug - she had been doing that a lot over the past three weeks.
"Big fuss at the DFA," Mr. Weasley gasped, clearly out of breath. "Former Death Eaters - all want to be cleared - and get revenge -"
Mrs. Weasley let go of Percy and spun around. "Revenge? You mean with those poor muggleborn witches?"
"Not just any muggleborn witch," Percy said very quickly. "They all want to be the one to marry Harry Potter's girlfriend."
" Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley, Ron and Harry cried out at the same time.
"No, no. We know that Harry's with Ginny, but come on - who has the Prophet been reporting as Harry Potter's girlfriend for the past three years?"
"Hermione," Ron whispered in horror.
"There was a line twenty men deep when the DFA opened this morning. All nasty blokes, too, like Runcorn. They're thinking of closing her file early, because of the deluge of applicants."
Mr. Weasley spoke up again, having finally caught his breath. "Kingsley is keeping the line open for us as long as he can - he is Minister after all - but he can only do so much. I would guess we have another half hour to act."
"Oh..." Mrs. Weasley's face was open in shock. "The poor girl... what are we going to do Arthur?"
Mr. Weasley looked straight at Ron. "Are you coming, son, or not?"
Ron sat frozen in his seat. His mouth went dry and his pulse began to race. Things were moving too quickly - he did like Hermione, perhaps even love her, but they had only kissed that one time. Marriage was a big step. And how did his father know...?
"Arthur, no! Ron's just a boy... he's not even through with school yet. Surely one of the other boys could do it - George, or Percy, or Harry even -"
" Me?" Harry cried, horrified. He glanced surreptitiously at Ginny. "I can't marry Hermione! Besides, my mother was a muggleborn. I probably don't even qualify."
"Charlie, then," Mrs. Weasley was undeterred. "She needs someone who can support her."
"Are you mental?" Ron had stood up, breathing heavily. "I'm not going to just sit by and watch some other bloke marry Hermione! Not one of my brothers, and certainly not some Death Eater!" He grabbed his wand and strode towards the fireplace.
"Ron, you're in your pyjamas!" Mrs. Weasley cried after him, but Ron had already stepped into the fireplace, released some Floo Powder, and was just then saying, "The Ministry of Magic!"
"Don't worry Molly," Mr. Weasley said bracingly. "I'll transfigure them into robes."
He and Percy followed Ron through the fireplace. Once they were gone, Mrs. Weasley sank down in the chair Ron had been sitting in, buried her head in her hands, and moaned. "Robes are the least of my worries..."
AN: Constructive criticism is welcomed!