Chapter 1: Muggles and Muggleborns
For the incessant pureblood wizard, Muggle and Muggleborns are the lowest social class. Their knowledge of the muggle world is not valued by our own world, and several pureblood families flaunt this value. The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office has the lowest amount of workers and the lowest salary for its head of department. Even after the head of the office, Arthur Weasley, was promoted to the new Office of Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit and Defensive Spells and Protective Objects, the office is only a little more important than the Centaur Liaison or Goblin Liaison offices in the department of magical creatures.
The office under Weasley was run with only a few clerks, with Weasley having to step in himself with obliviators or aurors depending on the case where a wizard artifact had ended up in the care of a muggle, whether by accident or for more malicious purposes. This simple act of having the head of the office having to conduct and take part in most of the raids also leads for the department to be seen as less important. The head of the Aurors, for example, only goes into big raids or raids where a specific skill which they possess is needed. There is no need to risk a capable fighter who also organises the rest of the fighters. It is better to keep them in the ministry where they can protect and can be protected themselves. By not giving the office the same importance as the Quidditch offices this department remains a symptom of our society's unwillingness to acknowledge that muggles, and muggle-borns are just as important.
There are many claims that are made to indicate that muggle-borns should be kept in a lower place. They are more likely to break the statue of secrecy (statistics kept by the Obliviators Office have shown that accidental magic showing to muggles was about the same for muggleborns as it was for other witches and wizards living in muggle high areas. It was actually more common for obliviators to be needed for adult wizarding magic that was not concealed properly for those who had magical parents), they are more likely to challenge tradition and the natural order (Goblin rebellions aside Britain's premier school of magic does not delve into the whens and whys of beings unless for defence or surface knowledge for merfolk and centaurs). That their magic is not as strong (this is something that is under high debate which I will get into in later chapters).
The Obliviator's office typically only provides statistics of when and where obliviates happen, and possible muggle names to those with the correct clearance. It took several requests over a period of several months to get the more information. I found when compiling the information that obliviators were needed slightly more for young wizards raised by wizard parents in muggle areas. This was due to a slight increase of needing to obliviate the other parent due to the choice of not revealing magic until the child turned 11. When corrected for those statistics though the threat of muggleborn children revealing magic to their neighbors was the same as children raised by wizards. Through our Ministry's due diligence and maintenance of the trace this threat is grossly overstated.
Once they become adults, muggleborns who have maintained contact with the muggle world tend to be more aware of muggles and how to avoid being caught with magic as opposed to wizards who grew up knowing about our world. After taking into account those who took muggle studies or other muggle awareness programs, it was noticed that muggleborn wizards slipped up less then wizard's who grew up in our world. They knew more about what muggles understand about the world, and how to keep their magical side hidden. It's a nuance that even the most muggle educated wizards have been unable to master.
But this flies in the face of the natural order as we are led to believe it since we step into the political landscape that is our world. It's not direct all the time, the word mudblood is too impolite for most society, especially after Tom Riddle's demise. But simple exclamations about ability is enough to show how poorly we view muggleborns compared to pure and half bloods. This subtle blood classist is just as dangerous as overt hatred. Muggles over in America have coined the term microaggression to explain this phenomenon.
If attacking someone for their heritage and calling someone a mudblood is an overt act, microaggressions are small and overlooked by most of society, and this may include those who they are done against. Research indicates that the number of muggleborn witches who marry pureblood wizards greatly outnumbers the numbers of muggleborn wizards marrying pureblood witches. By contrast those who marry half-bloods remain about the same for witches and wizards, and the number of purebloods who marry purebloods fluctuate greatly through the age groups. For these numbers I'm taking the assumption that someone who has all magical grandparents are pureblood, half bloods are those with at least one magical parent who do not have all magical grandparents, and muggleborns are those whose parents and grandparents do not have magic.
After talking to muggleborns there is a sense that marrying into a 'pureblood' household is considered 'marrying up'. When it comes down to it, having a muggleborn or in some cases a half-blood witch as a daughter-in-law is more favorable than having a muggleborn or half-blood son-in-law. The tradition of taking the wizard's last name probably plays some role in this, as it allows names to continue to be established, and in the case of a half-blood witch the children of the union are still considered pureblood most of the time.
This goes back to the tradition argument: traditions are largely family based and based around a political idea of who is who. Even if people enter the political stage through appointment and promotion through the ministry you are thrust into games that families who have spent time and money to control the political landscape they are merely a pawn in their eyes. Unless you have blood or some other connection or power to back you up you're never seen as important as those who had the luck to be born to one of these families.
Blood-traitors is a term lofted to any pureblood or pureblood family who does not prescribe to these ideals. This term by itself sets muggleborns apart, despite it not being used to describe them. When you refer to people who behave in a positive or allied manner with those whose birth did not give them a predefined place in our world as traitors you indicate that those who were brought into our world are not welcome. This belief causes one of three things to happen. Muggleborns leave, believing they can never truly be a part of the world they were brought into, that their gifts are not worthy. Muggleborns assimilate by buying into the beliefs of purity and encourage their children to marry half-bloods or purebloods, to rid the world of their impure blood as fast as possible. Or they work actively to change the perception. There are many powerful half-bloods and muggleborns. Albus Dumbledoor, Tom Riddle, and Harry Potter are some of the best known half-bloods of this age and arguably some of the strongest wizards in their age group. Finding powerful well known muggleborns are harder, if only because muggleborns for the most part leave, downplay their strengths or have their noritiey attached to other well known purebloods and half-bloods (many teachers at Hogwarts for example acknowledge Lily Potter nee Evans' strengths, but her being Harry Potter's mother brings up the question of why she and not another muggleborn comes to the front the teachers minds.) Powerful muggleborns are simply snatched into wizard friends and family groups.
Muggleborns are then not any less powerful then their wizardborn counterparts. In fact the trace and its methods of working are probably the reason we see any discrepancy, which tends to wane after witches and wizards turn 17. The rule about underage magic is frequently ignored in most wizarding households. As the trace reacts to all magic, it is unable to determine if the magic set off near a witch or wizard is their own or an over age witch or wizard. Controlled and uncontrolled is the limit to the trace now. Rules to relax this restriction in certain wizard areas or within the domicile of the witch or wizard in question may totally eliminate any discrepancies we see, and may be more encouraged then the wand ban that the Americans originally used (Wands were to be left at the school, home schooling was strictly regulated).
This further pushes Muggleborns to see our world as unfair. And any student who takes an OWL in Care of Magical Creatures or in Defense Against the Dark Arts or an equivalent will see this same inequality played out by how merfolk, centaurs, and goblins are treated. Despite the request by these cultures to be referred to as creatures to keep them out of the same category as hags, vampires and other beings, this gives those cultures a lesser standing in the eyes of the law despite their understanding being that of beings. House elves add more confusion to the puzzle. Despite being originally bred from brownies and other wood elves the terms of their service is seen as cruel slavory by muggleborns who don't swallow the rhetoric put forth by purebloods who grew up with these truths. This can easily be addressed by including the full information in an easy to access place, but there is little emphasis placed on this in school (with the exception of the goblin rebellions).
So the reasons that muggleborns are considered not as valuable are perpetuated by our own treatment of them, and the need to keep them in willful ignorance. Our world is based on rules we have made up to keep those who feel that the circumstances of their birth makes them more powerful than those around them, rather than the merits of their deeds. Despite having had muggleborns in positions as high as the Minister of Magic we have failed to counteract these thoughts and feelings in our own community. And when we as a community lost control of our government these feelings were allowed to run rampant, killing and scaring muggleborns out of our country.
The Muggleborn Registration Commision did more harm than good to our community. Even now there are more notices of transfer from those who were forced to go to Hogwarts during the time the Registration Commision functioned, due to muggle parents lack of trust but with their child's needs to be educated on control at the for-front of their mind. Beauxbatons (with the help of translators and extra French lessons), and Ilvermorny are the two most popular schools for muggleborns who did not return to Hogwarts after the Commission was abolished, further cementing that muggleborns do not have a place here. And Muggleborn parents who are aware of our history are less likely to send their children here and warn neighbors and family who have suspected magical offspring.
In Percy's Past
Percy trotted down Diagon Alley, towards the Leaky Cauldron. He had heard from a few of his old classmates that Tom had hired Penelope to help him wait on the increase of patrons. People were picking up the pieces, putting their stores and apartments back together, but the Leaky Cauldron had maintained its presence through the struggle and take-over of the Ministry. The bell above the alley entrance jangled above his head. The tavern was loud, with the full lunch crowd sounds of eating and chatter hitting him in the face. Penelope burst from the back, a tray on both arms, a third floating in front of her. She had an apron tied over her robe, bright white against the black fabric. She moved skillfully through the tables and chairs, levitating one of the treys off her arm to place down food at the three tables around her. She swept back over to a small family taking their order before disappearing back to the kitchen, all three treys under her arm.
Percy took a place at the bar and waited for Tom to turn his attention away from his regulars. "An' what can I get for you?" Tom asked wiping down an already clean part of the bar.
"I'll have a butterbeer," Percy ordered watching Penelope spring from the back again with a basket of bread for the family she had just taken the order from, "And a chance to have a word with Penelope."
Tom paused, giving Percy the hard side-eye, "Too many folk give that girl trouble, and I'll not have it happen on my watch."
"No, we're friends from our days at school. Just let her know Percy Weasley wants to talk to her." Tom kept his eye on him as he poured him a mug of butterbeer before sliding it his way. He served a few more customers before following Penelope to the back after she'd delivered a few more tables of food. The Butterbeer tasted too sweet coating his tongue and teeth.
After a few anxious minutes Penelope stepped out of the kitchen her apron off. She locked her brown eyes on Percy and his heart sank. When they were in school together meeting Penelope's eyes typically resulted in a tickle or small pressure, her natural legeimins ability never hidden from him. Percy was aware of the absence of that pressure now. "It's been a while Percy," She said with a small smile as she came around the bar, "Step out with me," She said, taking Percy's elbow, leading to the back which would lead to the magically hidden alley. "I'll be back in fifteen Tom!" She called out as she gripped Percy's elbow harder.
Out in the back Penelope's cheery demeanor collapsed. She grabbed Percy by his ministry robe and pushed him against the bricks, a mental bolt piercing his mind. Percy felt his limbs go limp as his memories blew about in a whirlwind before he was pulled back to the alley, everything standing out with a crystal sharp clarity as his mind was held in a vice grip. "Okay, you've got your fifteen minutes Weasley. What do you want from me?"
Percy understood why it took three snatchers to take Penelope down. Her reflexes were battle honed, and she had weaponized her ability, something she once said she'd never do. "I wanted to talk to you," he felt a probe strike deeper in his mind, causing him to grimace, the bits and pieces of notes for his book, already on his mind, pulled to the front.
"For your book?" Penelope aggressively pulled at his memories causing him to grunt as she pulled forward the memory of George reminding him that he had gotten off scot free while other ministry employees had been written up, fined, or sent to Azkaban. "You think this book can change that you got off because of who you are?" The vice tightend on his brain.
"Let me tell you something Percy Weasley," her words punctuated by more probes, searching for something specific, memories flickering up to the top only to be pushed back down from a new onslaught, "Nothing is going to change that. You got off because you are a Weasley who ran into a battle after showing your true colors." One of the probes pulled up a memory harshly pulling his attention to it.
"You have to tell me where you got the wand," Percy told Penelope in their old flat. "Or your family tree, I'm pretty sure you aren't like the others. Your ability to naturally perform legamancy is something only true Wizards and Witches have."
"Percy my wand comes from the same place yours does. Olivanders, and you already know that I'm the only magical person in my family. We did that geneology search back in school, remember?"
"It's more important now," Percy told her while staring into her eyes, knowing that she would easily see the documents he had read from Umbridge's office, "They're going to round up the mudbloods who stole magic-" Penelope cut Percy off with a smack to the face. Her wand pulled out as she glared at him.
"You think we stole our magic?" Her face showing disgust, her calm pressuring on his mind becoming a burr, sharp and pointed forcing him to look away to lessen the sting. "Look at me!" Her hand grabbied his face and turned it towards her.
"Penelope this is no way-ugh" The burr grew and was sharpened. The pamflet Umbridge was working on burning at the top of his memory, wiping out his sight of Penelope.
It was like being plunged into ice water when she released him, both mentally and physically. "I guess you were sorted into the right house. IF you can't see the rubbish the ministry is choosing to print." She waved her wand, a suitcase flying out of their room, followed by robes and clothes. A flick of her wand and the clothes folded themselves settling into the suitcase.
"Penelope," he started reaching out for her.
"Hands off WEASLEY," She shouted, a bang coming from her wand.
The memory ended abruptly, the feeling of being drenched in ice water painfully making Percy aware of just how much had changed. The warmth of the day felt hot on his sweat drenched skin, his robe sticking to his arms and legs. "You think that some book can just set things like that right?" Penelope spat. "Of course you do," Percy's answer died on his lips. She didn't need to hear his words to understand him. "You think that one book written to try and make you seem like a champion for our rights will change how you facilitated our being locked up in Azkaban. For how you were willing to rat out your brother's friend. For how you were willing to let children be separated from their parents for the crime of being born to them. There were many who fought for our freedom. Who hid us and smuggled us out. And there were people like me," She leaned close to Percy's ear, "Who lived constantly on the run trying to get to a safe house. And you facilitated that. And I'm going to remember that. I am nothing to you Percy Weasley. You told me that." She let him go, pulling away the mental probes as she broke eye contact. "I'll cover your butterbeer for today, but next time you step in here you remember we are not friends. I'll treat you civilly if you can remember that." She stepped back into the pub, leaving Percy alone in his own thoughts.
In Percy's Present
Kingsley led the way into the Leaky Cauldron. Percy made it a point to ignore the brunette who was running between the tables. He barely registered Kingsley asking for a private room or nook for them to have their lunch. Tom showed them to a small alcove, added after the war probably by use of an extension charm, with a folding wooden partition. Tom took their order, cottage pie for Kinsley, the guinness stew for Percy. After the partition closed Kinsley turned towards Percy. "I wanted to hear your thoughts on how the Ministry was functioning."
Percy sat back, tilting his head up as he began to recite what he had seen from other departments, "The Auror department has had a surge of applicants, probably from the feelings left over from the war. Most of them are having to have their records reviewed due to the high incarceration under Thicknese. A few extra secretaries would help that department get through the backlog which is still there. They are having to prioritize the Auror applicants which means more people applying without the credentials in order to get cleared to apply for other jobs. The department of transportation is trying to find ways to better protect the floo network, and pushing through several isolated flu connections accessible to muggle born students in an attempt to make parents feel safer. Several of those just connect to St. Mungos and a ministry international flo or other transportation hub," Percy rattled off.
Kingsley cut him off, "I've read the reports Percy. What I want is your take. You've been in more departments and have spent time working towards improvements no matter where you're placed."
Percy paused as the waitress pulled back the wooden partition, up close Percy could tell Penelope was doing her best to ignore him as well. The food and beverages left and she turned and closed the partian almost as fast as she had opened it. "Honestly we have two seperate issues," Percy gripped his spoon, stabbing hard into the soup, stopping just short of the bread that held it. "The first is we are woefully understaffed. Even with fining people to prevent mass incarceration, the people we had to incarcerate left holes in the department that we struggle to fill as there is a greater call on the ministry. The second is trust. Between Fudge's denial, Scrigmore's incompetence and Thicknese being impersued people aren't sure if they can trust the ministry. And people aren't subtle about it, there have been inquiries on safety from muggleborns and muggleborn parents on safety and information about moving to other countries. More than normal. You being appointed and then elected minister helped but it's not enough for the Ministry to gain trust. And a government can't function without trust from the governed."
"And how do we earn that trust back Percy?" Kingsley asked, digging into his own food, "It sounds like we're just one bad day away from our society falling apart again."
"We can't, at least not directly. Apologies from those who were directly involved with the unlawful round ups might help public sentiment. Denouncing the actions taken by previous administrations may help those who actively disagreed at the time but will also be seen as foisting off blame. Putting in measures to prevent it from happening again would be prudent and may eventually help. Anything that can be done to test for the imperius curse would be especially helpful. It may also be a good idea to place a note that Thicknese was under the imperius curse by Yaxely who was following orders from Tom Riddle. Normalizing the abnormality of that administration may place hope in the ministry. Especially if we push Voldemort's real name out there," Percy bit into his soup, chewing the beef and lamb slowly, the heaviness of the topic matching the flavors in his mouth.
Kingsley nodded, "So it's more than a fear that he can possibly come back. Well then perhaps we need to focus on what we can to open up our world to those who feel alienated. And I'd like you to spearhead that."
"Me?" Percy nearly choked on his mouthful of food, "Sir, not that I'm not honored, but I can't possibly do that. I was an active part of that regime. I wrote the implementations of the round-ups at Hogwarts, and wrote several press releases against Harry Potter. I'm the last person you should ask. My father maybe, or maybe bring on someone who was actively affected to help correct it," he stammered.
"Arthur doesn't have the know how, or drive that you do. He's an expert on objects, and he can read the overall climate but this is going to need some finesse and someone who knows the ins and outs of the ministry. There is no one more qualified for this then you Percy. And didn't you say that apologies might help the situation?" They sat in silence, Kingsley's question hanging in the air as they ate.
"I won't force you to do this Percy, take a few days to think it over and give me a response by Monday," Kingsley assured him.