Chapter 37
July 1st 1992
Greengrass Manor
Early Wednesday Morning Harry woke up in his bed at the Greengrass Manor feeling optimistic.
Ever since they had gotten home from Hogwarts he had been tested by Master Dao and Cyrus Greengrass over his knowledge with Magic and Bending.
They had both been impressed with his knowledge of Magic.
Ever since Harry had started at Hogwarts his goal had been to learn as many spells as possible to better himself.
Master Dao said though that the number of spells you know did not matter but how you used them.
Harry had pretty much knowledge of all the spells they would be learning for 5th-7th Years now his goal was to narrow his spells down to the best that could be used in a potential combat scenario.
And learning how to do those spells non verbally and without a wand as much as possible.
Which was important
Losing his wand temporarily in the Chamber of Secrets emphasized that point to Harry.
He was also learning even more on Bending.
Harry was very proud after he was able to make Fire Blades and a Fire Bomb.
Now it was just about learning as many Bending techniques as possible.
Just like with Magic.
There were a lot of Bending Moves to learn but Master Dao said that Harry should have them all down by the time he graduated.
Master Dao had also tested Harry over his knowledge of the Martial Arts and had been satisfied enough that he said Harry did not need to practice them as much during the next school year.
Which was nice to hear.
In Fifth Year they were to have their Ordinary Wizarding Level Exams which both Harry and Daphne were interested in how they would do.
They would be able to study a lot more with having a bit more free time that Harry didint have to spend doing Martial Arts.
Harry wondered how this next school year and who their next Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor would be.
Quirinus Quirrell and Gilderoy Lockhart, their previous two teachers, had not been the best and had to leave at the end of the year.
Both cases because of Harry he realized which was a sobering thought.
Hopefully this year will be better.
Getting out of bed he went downstairs to see everyone else was already up and crowded around the fireplace.
Confused, Harry walked over.
"What's going on?"He asked Daphne.
Cyrus answered.
"I am being summoned to attend a full meeting of the Wizengamot ''He said "They didn't say why or over what though".
Harry furrowed his brow "Does that not happen much "He asked remembering snippets he had heard about the Wizarding Legislatures in the past.
Cyrus shook his head "No we typically only have enough members to hold a quorum and everyone else just does voting remotely or by proxy the last time the full Wizengamot got together was to debate Minister Bagnolds tax bill in March of 88 and before that in November of 83".
"This is going to be on the radio though "Cyrus said "So you all should be able to listen in".
"That hasn't happened in a while, ''Adeline said.
"Yeah well most meetings are very boring and not worth being broadcast so this must be something important"He said giving Adeline a kiss "Got to go"Cyrus then went through the Floo.
"Wonder what Fudge wants,"Master Dao said.
Everyone else just shrugged.
"The Broadcast is supposed to start at noon,"Adeline said.
Just then Astoria came into the kitchen.
"Hey sis"She said "Please show me that dancing you did the other day".
Daphne and Harry both blushed.
The other day they both had been just dancing a bit for fun when Astoria found them and got curious about what they were doing.
Daphne turned to Harry "I can show you Tori if Harry joins us"She said.
Harry shrugged "Sure"He said "I havent got anything to do for a couple of hours' '.
Letting Adeline know where they were going they all went outside Harry following Daphne and Astoria.
He looked at the younger Greengrass.
She would be starting Hogwarts in another year during their sixth year.
Sixth.
Wow how fast time was moving.
SCENE CHANGE
A few hours later Harry,Daphne,Adeline and Master Dao were sitting at the table by the radio waiting for the broadcast to begin.
Astoria had gone over to a friend's house.
Soon they were able to hear voices and it just sounded as though everyone was getting settled in the Wizengamot Chamber.
After about twenty thirty minutes or so their was the sound of a loud gavel and the voice of Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge.
"Order,Order"He said "The clerk will call the roll".
A man then called a bunch of names before Fudge started to speak again.
"Welcome distinguished members of the Wizengamot"He said "I'm sure you're all wondering why I have called you here today".
"As you know the results of the 1991 Census have not been released yet and I intend to fully rectify that by releasing them tomorrow".
"The results are quite troubling though my friends"Fudge said "As you know every ten years we conduct a Population Census to determine how many Witches and Wizards there are living in the British Isles".
"The results of the Previous Census was that our Population in Nineteen Sixty One had increased by eight percent to fourty two thousand four hundred and twenty six individuals' '.
"The Nineteen Seventy One Census showed that our Population increased by five point six percent to fourty four thousand nine hundred and fourty two individuals' '.
"And then the Brutal War against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the seventies was responsible for the death or migration of thousands of people".
"The Nineteen Eighty One Census showed an astonishing decline of twenty four point three percent to thirty six one hundred and fifty six people as was to be expected after such a brutal war".
"Sadly the past decade has shown to be bad with a decline in population of sixteen point two percent to thirty one thousand one hundred and sixteen people".
"Ladys and Gentlemen our Population has declined by thirty percent over the course of the past two decades".
"That is dangerous and predictions show that if we continue at our current rate within the next fourty years our population will decline by almost fourty percent from thirty one thousand down to around twelve to thirteen thousand".
"And what's worse is where the decline is happening"Fudge said "The Hogwarts Class of nineteen ninety two and that of ninety three the year born right after the war are both more than half of what Hogwarts classes where of twenty years ago as you can probably tell by anyone who has seen the number of empty rooms at the Wizarding School".
"The percentage of the youth in our population is decreasing and the percentage of those older is increasing especially amongst those two old to reproduce".
"This is also a Security Issue"Fudge said "The Auror Corps already bloodied in the war is finding it harder and harder to find young people to join its ranks".
"What do you suggest then Minister?"A Man called out.
"Thank you for the question Lucius"Fudge said "And with that I would like to point out the French and how they dealt with the losses from the War with Gellert Grindlewald".
"In Nineteen Thirty One the French Reported that their Population had grown by six percent over the previous decade and stood at nearly twenty seven thousand people".
"The next Census they took was in fourty six fifteen years later that showed a decline of twenty five percent to around twenty thousand people, a drop similar to ours' '.
"But the French Population did not decline"Fudge said "In Fifty One they conducted another census showing an increase of nearly five percent".
"Over the next several decades the French experienced a large boom growing by twenty five percent in the fifties,nearly twenty percent in the sixties,ten percent in the seventies and seven percent in the eighties".
"Overall the French grew by thirteen thousand people over the course of thirty years and we declined by thirteen thousand in the past twenty years".
"Why you might ask, have the British and French Populations expercinced such opposite results after two very bloody wars' '.
"Last November I visited with President Delcour in France to talk about this sort of problem".Fudge said "And One of the major things that is clear is that we need to increase our population".
"Our current fertility rate is one point six five percent while Frances is double at three point four percent".
"That must change"Fudge said "And now the bill will be passed out to you that I believe will fix our problems and that Madame Umbridge will be explaining to you today".
Back at the Greengrass Home everyone was glancing at each other wondering what Fudge would be proposing.
Soon after a few minutes had passed a woman's voice was heard on the radio.
"Ahem"She said "The British Family Plan is just as it sounds, focusing on the family and aims to increase the population through these means".
"Number one starting in September there will be a New Year Long test run Home Economics Class being taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry".
What.
Harry and Daphne looked at each other confused,
"This will be a different class than you think"Umbridge said "All students fifth year and above and off all genders and houses will be required to attend".
"Our youth must also be prepared to be the Parents of tomorrow"She said "And as such they and everyone aged sixteen to fifty one will be matched together for the purpose of procreating".
At that there was a lot of noise that rose throughout the Chamber making it hard to hear anything.
A Loud gavel then banged repeatedly to restore order.
"Silence,Silence"Fudge shouted and then once there was quiet again "How this will work is first and foremost there will be groups exempt".
"If you are Married already then you are exempt from this law"Fudge said "There will be sums given out to those who have additional kids though".
"And if you are already engaged as long as you are married or have conceived by September First of Nineteen Ninety Three you are exempt".
"This Law will primarily focus on those unmarried and unwed"Fudge said "Starting in August and lasting for the next year all unmarried adults ages eighteen to fifty one will report for a series of screenings".
"These are not supposed to be bad"Fudge said "Those administering the tests will be taking oaths of impartiality and they will be working with you to find out more about yourself your likes and interests".
"After August First of next year then all of those individuals if they are not married will be paired with someone of similar interests and desires so that you will be paired with someone you get along with"Fudge said.
"The individuals will then have one year after that to get married and another year after that to have their first born,two years after their first born to have there second and another three to have their third born"Fudge said "And in order to insure that is possible I am also announcing a new program where the government will subsidise Fertility and Stamina Potions to ensure that this can happen".
"This will only apply to those currently born from Nineteen Fourty Three to Nineteen Seventy Seven with the possibility of this being expanded in the future"Fudge told the Chamber "If our plan is properly implemented my friends our Population is projected to increase by more than ten percent by Two Thousand and One and Fifteen Percent by Twenty Twenty One".
"The Population of Wizards could very well double over the course of the next century"Fudge said "And it must we can not afford to become extinct,now I invoke Wizengamnot Parlimentary Rule Sifty Six dash Five allowing for half a hour of debate and then a straight up and down vote".
Voices started arguing in the Chamber.
Back at the Greengrass Place everyone was looking at each other in stunned surprise.
"Well i'm over the age for this"Master Dao.
"Me too"Adeline said looking at Harry and Daphne "Hopefully Fudge says a bit more about what this means for you all".
They heard one of the questions.
"Minister Fudge"Someone said "Can you explain a bit more of how this is supposed to work for those ages sixteen to eighteen".
"Ah yes"Fudge said "For those in Fifth to Seventh Years they will be matched with someone in the sixteen to fifty one age range and will be married by the time they are eighteen and then they will have three children in the following six years just like everyone else".
They then heard Cyrus speak.
"What if someone will turn sixteen by next August? "He asked.
"Then they will be included in this just the same "Fudge replied.
Harry gulped.
That meant he would be included in this.
"What about if someone gets paired up with someone much older than them?"Someone asked.
"It can work "Fudge said "Remember people that are very similar will be getting paired together as I believe Mrs. Waldon you married someone fifteen years younger than you and Mr. Halder you married someone twenty four years older than you and both of you have now been married for over twenty years so It can work with the right people and that is what we intend to do".
There were about another twenty minutes or so of talk before Fudge called for a vote.
Names were called and people responded with either aye or a nay with Cyrus voting against the measure.
At the end of it Fudge announced "In this vote the Ayes are fifty seven the nays are forty two with one abstaining".
Fudge banged his gavel.
"The Motion is passed "He announced.
Daphne ran off to her room sobbing after that.
Adeline got up to go after her but Master Dao stopped her.
"She needs time to work though this on her own "He said "We all do".
Harry knew what he was talking about.
His own mind was in turmoil.
He was going to have to be married by eighteen and have a kid by nineteen.
Holly fuck.
What had his life became.
Author Note This is meant to show the problems that war can cause to a country.
A lot of British Wizarding Youth died in the War with Voldemort and fertility issues are leading to the risk of Wizards in England becoming extinct.
So this is a more extreme measure meant to reverse the Wizards Population Decline.
And Umbridge will be teaching a new Home Economics Class in the new School Year that is meant to teach Witches and Wizards how to do more things on their own without relying on Magic and House Elf's as much.
As a guy I took Home Ed in College and learned a lot of stuff that's proven useful since then.
So Fudges new British Family Act and Umbridge's new class are both meant to address real problems.
But there the ministry and I don't intend to make either Fudge or Umbridge much more competent in this story.
Cheers