Title: Bending Spoons
Author: Bluehaven4220
Summary: "Miss Ramona Coltrane, in accordance with Statute 658, you are hereby summoned to the Ministry of Magic for a Blood Status hearing" AU, SS/OC
Disclaimer: I don't lay claim to Harry Potter, so anything related to said books and movies. I'm only playing with them, and promise to return them exactly as I found them when I am finished.
A/N: Hello everyone! Here is the first story I have written in well over a year, and my first Harry Potter story in over 5 years. It feels wonderful to be writing again after such a bad case of writer's block. Please feel free to leave a review, the door is always open.
ooOoo
This one's for the faithless, the ones that are surprised, they're only where they are now, regardless of their fight. This one's for believing if only for its sake, come on friends get up now, love is to be made.
Comes and Goes in Waves- Greg Laswell
ooOoo
Who was it that said "Being loved gives you strength, but loving someone gives you courage?"
Well, whoever it was, they were a damned liar and a fool, especially in this instance.
Ramona Coltrane, often called Remy, walked almost numb through the corridor, turning the words written in the piece of parchment lying on her bed in the girl's dormitory of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry over a million times in her head. How could this have still become a reality so soon after Harry Potter had defeated the most powerful and feared Dark Wizard of all time? Weren't people free to live their own lives, free to leave the Wizarding world if they so wished?
Pushing through the gaggle of people milling about in the hallway, she continued her journey as quickly as she could, ending up in the school dungeons. Finally coming to a halt, she slid down the wall and brought her head down to her knees.
"Can I help you, Miss Coltrane?" a slow, deliberate question from the school's Potions Master, Professor Severus Snape.
She looked up to see him giving her an odd look, perhaps wondering what she could possibly be doing sitting on the floor with her head in her hands.
"Oh for the love of…" she ran her hand down her face. "No, thank you, Professor, I'm fine."
"Someone who is "fine" does not, by my recollection, sit in the dungeon corridor with their head in their hands," he answered. "But if you insist." He moved to walk past her.
Sighing, she got up.
"Wait, Professor, please."
He stopped.
"Can I speak with you?" she asked. "As you're a Head of House?"
"Very well," he opened the door to his office and waited.
Once inside, she could have kicked herself. She could hardly expect him to read her mind and know what the problem was. Having that piece of parchment would have been extremely helpful at that moment.
"Well?" he asked as he sat down across from her at the desk that took up only a small part of his sparsely decorated office.
"Um…" she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Professor, but this is quite difficult to talk about…"
His eyes narrowed.
"There's just… there's an issue that I don't know how to approach."
He nodded.
"How exactly am I to help if I do not know what this issue is and you somehow cannot seem to tell me, Miss Coltrane?"
"Well, I'd have had the evidence with me if I hadn't been such a…"
He held up his hand to stop her talking. "Evidence?" he leaned forward, folding his hands on the desk. "Am I to understand that you have done something illegal?"
"No sir, I don't believe I could have done anything illegal, it's only… how could I explain how confusing this whole thing is?"
"You're beginning to speak in circles, Miss Coltrane," he answered. "Either say what it is that has you so confused or head back to your dormitory."
Clearing her throat and giving her head a shake, she drew her wand and summoned the parchment from her dormitory, and waited.
It took less than 30 seconds for it to appear in front of them.
As he picked it up and began to read, she could not place the expression on his face.
Putting the parchment down, he calmly looked her in the eye.
"Well then," he said, not visibly shaken. "It seems as though you're between a rock and a hard place."
It was no secret that Severus Snape was a half- blood wizard, who no doubt would have been used to a number of Muggle expressions. Between a rock and a hard place would have only been one, she was sure.
"I suppose that's an excellent way to explain it," she answered. "But I really don't understand. Wasn't this whole thing supposed to have died out with Voldemort?"
"Yes, supposedly," he answered. "But unfortunately, it takes years to change people's ways of thinking, and wizarding government officials are no different. And that is with new officials in place. There's very little I could do to sway their vote."
"That wasn't what I was asking, sir," she insisted. "Is there any way to stop this from happening?"
"I honestly do not know, Miss Coltrane, and if it must come to that, would it not be better to simply grit one's teeth and do it?"
"Would you do the same if you were in my position?" she asked. "The thing is, Professor, I'm simply tired of all this. Of magic and war and constantly having to look over my shoulder," she hung her head and rubbed her temple.
"We all are, Miss Coltrane," he answered. "I shall speak to the Headmaster about this, and I shall speak with you again tomorrow."
"Thank you, sir," Remy answered, getting up and heading out the door. "I apologize if I interrupted your evening."
Saying nothing, he waited until she left his office and closed the door behind her. Once she had done so, he picked up the piece of parchment and reread it, if only to be sure he had not missed anything the first time.
Dear Miss Coltrane, it read.
In accordance with Statute 658, you are hereby summoned to the Ministry of Magic for a Blood Status hearing. This is to be done no later than 24 December 1998.
Please send a response no later than 31 August to confirm your appointment.
Hoping you are well,
Kingsley Shacklebolt,
Minister for Magic.
Severus narrowed his eyes. For all intents and purposes, Ramona Coltrane was right. Blood Status hearings and compulsory attendance to such things were to have died with Voldemort. And Shacklebolt had been one of the Order; surely he would have seen just how asinine the entire thing was.
What could they possibly want to continue Blood Status hearings for?
Getting up, he decided there was no better time than to go on to the Headmaster's office and speak with Albus Dumbledore than the present. As much as he had to think about, the fact that a seventh year student had come to him asking about a Blood Status hearing was worrisome to say the least.
Whispering the password between clenched teeth, he climbed the stairs to Dumbledore's office.
"Ah Severus," the Headmaster turned as soon as Severus stepped through the door. "May I offer you a spot of tea?"
"No, thank you, Headmaster," he answered. "Although a student has come to me with a disturbing piece of news." He pulled the parchment from his robes and handed it to the older wizard.
Taking it, Dumbledore read quickly.
"I shall certainly be sending an owl to the Ministry if this is indeed true," he folded the parchment and handed it back to the Potions Master. "A Blood Status hearing for a seventh year student... this is simply odd. And what I also find most curious is that Miss Coltrane is not in your House, yet she came to you."
"As a Head of House," Severus answered. "From what I understand, she was walking about the Castle in shock, and ended up in the dungeons. And said reaction would certainly be justified, would you not agree, Headmaster?"
"I suppose so, yes," Dumbledore agreed. "What was it that you told her?"
"That I would consult with you and let her know of your answer tomorrow morning. As I am not privy to the inner workings of the Ministry I could not give her advice one way or the other."
"That's perfectly well, Severus. Leave this with me, and I shall confer with you tomorrow before you speak with Miss Coltrane again."
"As you wish, Headmaster," Severus' mouth twitched slightly. "A good night to you."
"And to you, Severus," Dumbledore answered.
ooOoo
Remy stumbled to the bathroom in search of a shower. Perhaps the hot water would serve to clear her head and perhaps give her some insight into why she would have received this letter. She had no idea what Statute 658 actually was, let alone why she would have had anything to do with it. Still, as confused as she was, there was no point worrying about it yet. At least until Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore had had a chance to investigate.
Rubbing the shampoo through her hair, she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Exactly as she'd thought… there was little point getting herself so worked up if there was a way to get the entire thing overturned.
Her head hit the pillow a little over half an hour later, and within moments, she was asleep.
ooOoo
Tap, tap, tap
Remy rolled over in her four-poster, squishing her pillow over her ears, trying to block out as much noise and light as possible.
Tap, tap, tap
Finally, the taping had increased in volume, forcing her to sit up and take the letter from the clearly irate owl who wanted the folded parchment out of its talons as soon as possible.
"Oh alright," she sighed, taking the parchment and offering the owl a treat from her bedside table. "Thank you."
The owl hooted and took off through the open window.
Rubbing sleep out of her eyes, Remy unfolded the paper and read Professor Dumbledore's invitation to meet him at his office at 11am, ending the invitation with the notion that she must be careful in eating Acid Pops, lest they burn a hole in her tongue.
Taking this to mean that he had just given her his office password, she dressed quickly, went down to breakfast, and raced to Professor Dumbledore's office just before 11.
"Ah, Miss Coltrane," Dumbledore greeted her as she sat down opposite him. "Could I offer you a cup of tea?"
"No thank you, Professor. Might I just have some water?"
"As you wish," he answered as a glass of water appeared at her elbow.
She picked up the glass, "Slainte mhath, Professor," she offered in toast, and sipped.
"To you as well, Miss Coltrane," he answered, clearly understanding its meaning of "Good health", and waited until she set down the glass before continuing.
Remy looked to her left to see Professor Snape sitting in the office with them as well.
"I take it this isn't good news?" she deduced.
"Oh I think that depends on your point of view," Dumbledore answered, smoothing out the piece of parchment she had given Professor Snape the night before. "Now, both Professor Snape and I sent owls to the Ministry after you'd gone off to bed, and received word this morning about this Statute 658 that is referred to in your letter."
Her eyes narrowed as she picked up her water glass and sipped again.
"Statute 658 is part of Law 18486, which is a new Marriage Law that was put in place only a few months ago."
Remy choked, placing a hand over her mouth to keep from spitting water at Professor Dumbledore. "A what?" she managed as she accepted a handkerchief from the silent Professor Snape. "Thank you, Professor Snape," she added as she wiped her mouth, folded the cloth, and offered it back.
He held up a hand, signaling that she could keep it.
"A Marriage Law, as I said, Miss Coltrane," he explained as Remy put the handkerchief into her jeans pocket. "Now, this particular Marriage Law maintains that all Muggleborn witches and wizards should marry by the age of seventeen, eighteen at the latest, and the Blood Status hearing is simply to confirm that one is able to continue the production of magical children."
Remy stuttered, struggling to comprehend such a thing. Would they not have heard about this in the morning papers if this law existed? If it were true, why would they have wanted to keep everything hushed up?
"Wait, wait, hold on…"she shook her head, blinking more than a normal person ever should. "Professor, I don't even know if I am Muggleborn. I could just as easily be a Half-Blood. Could this not just be a mistake?"
"How do you mean, Miss Coltrane?" Professor Snape interjected, choosing that particular moment to speak.
"Well, I know my mother is a Muggle, but my father died when I was three. I have no way of knowing if he was a Muggle or if he was a wizard. He could easily have been either, couldn't he?"
"Not in this sense, I'm afraid, Miss Coltrane," Professor Dumbledore answered. "If you received the letter as you did, then the Ministry has ample documentation that you are Muggleborn, and are therefore subject to this law."
Remy inhaled a sharp breath, and blew it out forcefully through her nose.
"I see," she answered. "Well, if this is the case, Professor, what must I do?"
"The Ministry sent this secondary letter with their response. I suggest you read it, and then write to confirm your appointment." Dumbledore handed another piece of parchment to her and waited as she put it in her pocket. "After that, kindly speak with Professor Snape."
Taking another deep breath, she stood up.
"Thank you, Professor," she answered, leaving his office more confused than ever before.
