The St. Mungo's Conspiracy
Summary: Shortly before Harry's 7th year, the Death Eaters are clearly winning the Second War. A powerless but vengeful Fudge meets with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, discussing their newest plan to make Harry and his friends suffer: arranged marriages. After planning out the pairings, they must get their Marriage Law passed, convince the new Minister to join them, and then break the news to the students!
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Chapter 1
"Ah, Cornelius, Dolores. You're right on time, please come this way," Lucius greeted them at the gate. He took the two former Ministry officials into his towering mansion and down several flights of stairs into what looked like a barren dungeon. Fudge and Umbridge joined the Death Eaters sitting at the table. Fudge sat on one of the bare stone chairs and found it surprisingly comfortable, as it had a cushioning charm on it.
"Now, our next order of business," Fudge said. "We are preparing a Marriage Law to be released in five days. The law will enable the Ministry to arrange marriages between purebloods and non-purebloods at will. We plan to use it to punish our enemies as well as ensure the survival of the noble wizard families. We thought you might enlighten us on what your preferences would be, as you do have a stake in this law.
"As we know, St. Mungo's Hospital recently published a report on the increasing incidence of pureblood Squibs, which poses a threat to the continuance of several pureblood bloodlines. They have found evidence that squibs are caused by inbreeding among purebloods, due to the shallow gene pool that originated with Merlin himself. Squibs, it seems, are caused by a recessive gene whose frequency increases as related purebloods procreate with each other. In order to deepen the gene pool and reduce this interbreeding, the report suggests that purebloods be cross-bred with halfbloods or Muggle-borns.
"Your families are among the bloodlines that may lose their magic within the next few generations unless you find half-blood or Muggle-born mates. So, I would like your preference, if you have any, on who you would like to marry."
"I see…" Voldemort nodded in understanding, "I see…one major flaw in this plan. Cornelius, you have no more influence in the Ministry. Unless you are certain that Minister Scrimgeour is on our side, it is highly probable that he would be slightly lax in enforcing our plan. Potter and his friends might escape the full impact of our scheme."
"We need not reveal my part in creating this law," Fudge answered. "Although Scrimgeour is not yet corrupt, we can easily bribe or threaten him to our side."
"Did you also mention punishing our enemies? For example, by forcing them to marry people not to their liking?"
"Yes, I did," Fudge replied. "One reason we're here today is to work out who we'll force to marry whom. We have to match purebloods with non-purebloods, while also making it as unpleasant as possible for certain people. Dolores, would you show everyone our blacklist?"
Umbridge pulled out a roll of parchment from her robe, unrolling it on the table.
"This is our list of opponents," Fudge explained, "people we know are in the Order or in Dumbledore's Army. If we've neglected anyone, please add them to the list."
The Death Eaters looked over the list:
Political Opponents
Arthur Weasley
Minerva McGonagall
Rubeus Hagrid (Suspected)
Fred Weasley (Suspected)
George Weasley (Suspected)
Molly Prewett Weasley (Suspected)
Firenze
Department of Mysteries
Harry James Potter
Hermione Jane Granger
Ronald Bilius Weasley
Ginevra Molly Weasley
Neville Longbottom
Luna (Loony) Lovegood
Kingsley Shacklebolt
Nymphadora Tonks
Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody
Remus John Lupin
Ambushed Draco Malfoy
Ernie Macmillan
Hannah Abbott
Susan Bones
Justin Finch-Fletchley
Anthony Goldstein
Terry Boot
Resisted Interrogation
Marietta Edgecombe
"It is satisfactory," Voldemort hissed, "but what would we do with Firenze? A centaur?"
"We included him for completeness," Fudge said, "I guess he won't be in our scheming this time around."
"Agreed," Voldemort hissed, "We will probably target the students this time. The adults, I shall dispose of in other ways. There is, unfortunately, still a problem. My Death Eaters and our enemies attempt to kill each other on a regular basis. It is highly likely that there would be dueling in the bedroom on our wedding nights.
"Rest assured," Fudge declared, "that if Potter or his friends are violent towards their new partners, we will make sure the Ministry prosecutes them to the maximum extent of the law."
"This could be useful," Voldemort said to himself, "It will soon be illegal for Potter and his friends to fight us!"
"Alright, so let's start at the top," Umbridge said, "Harry Potter. He's a half-blood, so we need to find a pureblood witch who he absolutely detests and who's strong enough to make him miserable."
"I'd do it," Bellatrix said, "except that Rodolphus might object…"
"It's for the cause," Voldemort answered. "Rodolphus, just to make one of our worst enemies miserable, would you give up your wife for a moment?"
"Of course, my lord," Rodolphus said. He knew that he would get a Cruciatus if he refused.
"So that's our first match," Umbridge said, mostly to herself, as she took notes. "Harry Potter and Bellatrix Lestrange…Black family…no, wait, that'd be the Potters…"
"Second on our list," Fudge went on, "Hermione Granger, Muggle-born. We'll need a pureblood Death Eater for her. Nott, perhaps, or Lestrange?"
"I volunteer," Lucius said confidently. "I have the Malfoy name, the one Granger detests more than any other, if Draco is to be believed. She would hate me, not only because I was a Death Eater, but on a personal level, as she has already met my son and hates him thoroughly."
"Are you sure?" Fudge asked, "Your current marriage would be annulled, as well."
"Fine by me," Lucius replied. "I tired of Narcissa long ago. Perhaps she could be given to one of the other mudbloods, in the Black name."
Umbridge could be seen writing with a quill pen on her parchment, ----Lucius Malfoy / Bloodline: Malfoy, next to Hermione's name on the list.
"Next, Ronald Weasley, a pureblood. We'll have to find a half-blood witch on our side. Hmm…a bit difficult…"
"Millicent Bulstrode," suggested Lucius. "My son mentioned that name. Said she was a half-blood in Slytherin. Not an ideal choice—she's not firmly on our side—but it's the best we can do."
"Actually…" Fudge said, "Dolores, aren't you half-blood as well?"
"Of course," she replied, "But there might be other pureblood wizards on their side. I might end up pairing with one of them."
Umbridge wrote Millicent Bulstrode / Bloodline: Weasley next to Ron's name.
Fudge glanced at the list once more. "Next down, another Weasley. Ginevra Weasley, pureblood as well…"
"There are too many blood traitors," Rodolphus lamented, "We don't have enough half-bloods on our side to punish them all!"
"I am half-blood," Snape interrupted, "I can take her. We would share a mutual dislike from the past few years of Potions classes at Hogwarts."
"No, I will have Ginevra for myself," Lord Voldemort declared. "Severus, she fears you no more than any other pureblood Gryffindor in Hogwarts, so you are more versatile. But her fear of me is on an especially personal level—and the dislike would flow in only one direction. We should use your famous personality to terrorize any other pureblood enemies we may have." Snape quickly hid his disappointment and fear for his student behind his Occlumency shield. He knew he would have to warn his students later.
"What bloodline, sir?" asked Umbridge.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle, last descendant of the Slytherin bloodline," Voldemort replied.
Umbridge duly wrote the information down next to Ginny's name. Voldemort smiled a twisted smile to himself, imagining the expression on her face when she learned who her husband would be. Lucius Malfoy, who knew what this entailed, was entertaining similar thoughts.
"Next victim," Fudge read off the list, "Neville Longbottom. If I remember correctly, he is also pureblood. Dolores, can you think of any half-blood witches other than yourself?"
"No," Umbridge had to admit. "That said, I think we should revise the pairs a bit. The Weasleys and I have a bad history, and I have a score to settle. How about giving Weasley to me and putting Bulstrode with Longbottom?"
Snape winced mentally, but carefully kept his Occlumency shield raised. He knew that Neville would have a very difficult time handling Millicent. Umbridge wrote the revisions down, smiling inwardly. Snape started to wonder if he could keep up this pretense much longer. The marriages that he had heard ordained today were so sickening to him that he struggled to avoid throwing up right in front of his fellow Death Eaters.
"Next victim," Fudge read, "Luna Lovegood. Pureblood, I think. Any half-blood wizards on our side?"
"We have the Half-Blood Prince," Bellatrix suggested, clearly indicating Snape.
"There might be another way," Snape said, trying to hide the desperation in his voice; his mission was one that would be easier for him if he remained single. "We might declare her insane. It would be the equivalent of a life sentence; the St. Mungo's mental ward is little better than Azkaban itself, after all."
"But when exactly would we declare her insane?" Fudge asked. "Before we publish this Marriage Law, or afterward?"
"Before would be better," Umbridge suggested, "We can take her out first, and then while her friends try and rescue her, we hit them with the marriages."
"I beg to differ," Lucius said. "Once we release the Marriage Law, all publicity will be diverted to it. If we then condemn Lovegood to the asylum, the event would largely escape public notice."
"I am inclined to agree with Lucius," Voldemort commented, ending the matter. Umbridge took up the quill again and wrote declare insane next to Luna's name.
"Our next victim is Kingsley Shacklebolt!" Fudge announced…
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Next Chapter: The Death Eaters and Fudge finish deciding the pairings and bribe Rufus Scrumgeour. Snape warns the Order about the conspiracy. How will Harry and his friends react?
Author's Note: This is my take on the idea of Marriage Laws. All the fics I've read so far with the "Marriage Law" seem to include an arranged marriage between Hermione and Snape, where they start off hating each other but gradually fall in love. Harry and Ron tend to get arranged marriages to Slytherin students. I disagree with this—I think Fudge and the Death Eaters would team up to make Harry&co. much more miserable than that! I think, for example, that Hermione/Lucius Malfoy would be worse than Hermione/Snape, and Harry/any Slytherin (or even Harry/Narcissa) is preferable to Harry/Bellatrix.