Wizarding Founding Law 000184191:
"Whereupon wizarding kind is on ye brink of extinction. It is incumbent upon the governing powers that be to enact Ye spell of Necesse Matrimony. Whereupon a significant number of depleted wizarding peoples exist upon the land the governing powers are within their rights to enact ye spell of Necesse Matrimony, including all wizards and witches of marrying age are to submit to a marriage union to a partner of ye spell's choosing. The marriage to be consummate on the first night of the union and a minimum of one child the eventual result of the union.
In this way may wizarding kind be saved from the horrors of extinction and order be restored across the land. Whereupon all citizens within ye lands of governance are subjected to the law and subsequent spell we ask that the unions be fruitful and abundant.
Ye partners chosen are subject to permanency, all partnerships are irreversible. Those seeking to nullify and therefore besmirch ye honor of ye binding and permanent unions are subjected to punishments to be decided upon by the governing powers that be.
Ye partners chosen to be ye most compatible with one another in order to result in fruitful unions. Take heed of this blessing.
We stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the unions of men and women: one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever
Let it be known that they are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder.
In the sight of the most sacred of unions do hereby seal these souls, binding them as one for eternity."
And so it was seen upon the governing powers that be in the year 1998, on the fifth moon of the fifth month that there went out a cry across the land.
A war so costly that befell, hard fought and won. That it wrought havoc and suffering across the channels.
So it became known that England, France and the Netherlands saw a great many people's gone from their citizens.
Too costly was the war that took many a life.
A people so greatly diminished that an ancient spell and subsequent law was enacted in order to rescue wizarding kind.
A law that would seek to strengthen the diminished number of peoples and bring forth a multitude of children in the years to come.
21 May, 1998
"I'm sure its nothing to worry about love," a tall, thin handsome man with long red hair tried to assure as his golden haired fiance paced about their shared flat.
"Nozing to worry about William!? It iz a compulzory marriage law!" the young woman retorted.
The young man could do little else but sigh as he continued to watch his partner pace about.
The day had started of rather ordinary.
They'd gotten up early to start their day and get ready for work.
They'd seen to some sub-standard easily feasible vaults at Gringotts, nothing too out of the ordinary.
Had stopped at a nearby restaurant to grab a nice bit of dinner before heading to the flat they'd acquired not long after the war had ended.
A flat of modest means, nothing too fancy as they'd soon be vacating it for the beach side home they were set to inherit from Aunt Muriel, Shell Cottage, upon the eve of their wedding.
A wedding they'd opted to wait to have until after the war.
A war that took the lives of many friends and loved ones.
But a hard fought war that was necessary for the long lasting peace it promised in its aftermath.
They'd thought to smooth out the remaining details their wedding would require when they'd gotten home.
Only no sooner had they left the restaurant that a cry had gone out throughout the denizens of the establishment.
A downpour of owls had descended all around them, each carrying letters.
News from the new ministry in power.
News of a mandatory marriage law.
A supposed ancient spell used only once prior during a time when wizarding kind had been on the near brink of extinction.
Designed to pair those most compatible with one another, perfect matches so to speak.
All citizens of the English, French and Nordic lands were to submit themselves immediately to the law.
The spell had been enacted that very evening so as to explain the severity of the situation.
A subsequent owl would be sent out in a week so as to allow all witches and wizards of eligible marrying age to get their affairs in order.
All pairings chosen were concrete and magically binding.
Those who would seek to fight against them would be subject to a punishment of the ministry's choosing.
"The law states that the spell enacted would make pairings of those that are most compatible with each other," the young man tried to interject once more.
This seemed to put a temporary pause to the young woman's pacing as she turned to look at her fiance.
"Oui,"
"And are we not compatible?" the young man inquires with a side smile, a charming feature of his.
Recognition lights up the young woman's features in an instant and she rushes into the man's waiting arms as she peppers his face with kisses.
"You genius man!" the young woman cries as her lover chuckles aloud and sweeps her into his arms.
"Who are we better suited for except each other, you'll see those letters will have our names, we're perfect for each other Fleur," the young man declares as he holds his female companion to him and the stress of the evening dissipates from their flat.
Right.
What could go wrong?
.
Elsewhere in a borough of Islington, London lies the ancestral home of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black.
A home once belonging to the now extinct Black family.
A home currently owned by one Harry James Potter.
Not long after the war had come to an abrupt close had the young man moved into the home that had once belonged to his since passed godfather Sirus Orion Black.
A home bequeathed to him by said godfather, once meant to give him a permanent home if his godfather had lived.
Now it housed the three illustrious members of the Golden Trio.
His best friends and fellow comrades in all things.
Ronald Bilius Weasley and Hermione Jane Granger.
Their day had started off at a rather easy going pace.
They'd all woken up modestly early to have a spot of breakfast before getting ready to set about the remodeling of the home they all resided in.
After the war, with the passing of his brother Fred. Ron could no sooner bear the thought of going back to live in the home that he'd grown up in.
The home that had once brought him fond memories of his childhood now held deep seeded sorrow.
For Fred would no longer step through its doors and brighten everyone's days with a joke or funny anecdote.
And so with this in mind had Ron asked Harry if he could bunker down with him after the war.
A sorrowful fate awaited Hermione Granger much the same.
Prior to their tumultuous adventure across the english countryside, had she foreseen the horrors that could befall her beloved parents.
And so it was with great conflict that she'd obliviated her parents.
She'd cast a powerful obligation spell, unlike the average.
Its ramifications were near permanent.
Once the war had concluded no sooner had they buried their fallen friends, then had she gone off in search for them.
She'd been shocked to find her childhood home intact.
And the deed surprisingly left in her name.
But as for her parents.
They'd been nowhere to be found.
Lost to her.
She'd spent a straight week without rest searching all across the country in the hopes that she'd find them once more.
Only to come up fruitless.
She'd been found passed out in the living room of her childhood home by Harry and Ron after they hadn't heard from her in a week.
She'd run herself raggad in her attempt to locate her parents.
Much to her grief, for the time being they'd be left lost to her until she could gather herself enough to continue the hunt once more.
And so it was with this in mind that Harry Potter asked his friend if she'd consider staying with him and Ron at Grimmauld place, while she gathered herself and gained ample strength to weather another journey in search of her beloved parents.
Not wanting to be left alone in the home that she'd grown up in, the young woman eagerly accepted the young man's proposal.
And so it was agreed that the three of them would live together for the time being and set about restoring the home that Sirius had left Harry.
It was while they were each fixing up a separate part of the home that the owls had made their presence known.
No sooner had they each opened their respective letters and read the contents inside, than they'd each bolted for the kitchen to find each other.
The contents within held a magical law that worked in tandem with an ancient spell.
A spell that would match them with a partner of its choosing a "perfect" union so to speak that would ensure the continuation of wizarding kind not just across the country but the neighboring countries as well.
They'd grossly underestimated the damage the war had wrought.
The lives lost must have been great or else the marriage law and subsequent spell would not have been necessary.
"They can't expect people to actually go along with this?" Hermione asked as she sat across the table from her two friends.
Harry looked perplexed if not a bit defeated, he'd hoped to gather himself a bit after the war before launching into any sort of relationship with anyone.
He'd even hoped to join the Auror program before any thoughts of marriage, much less children would cross his mind.
Blimey, he still had a crush on Ginny.
What if the partner chosen for him was anyone but?
He shuddered at the thought.
After all the pain and suffering he'd endured in his young life, he had hoped for some reprieve.
Alas that was not to be, as it would seem.
He looked over the contents of the letter once more before looking back up at his friend.
She looked positively furious.
Ron beside him only shook his head.
"Its an ancient spell Mione, one of the fail safes the early witches and wizards created when our kind was on the brink of extinction," he much like his friends was distressed at the news that he'd be made to marry someone not of his choosing, however he had heard the tales of such a dark time in their history.
"Be fruitful and multiply my grandsons so that we may never see extinction," his grandfather Bilius Weasley had told them when he and his brother's had been but boys.
Much to his mother's horror as she'd chided the old man about filling her young son's heads with hard tales not for young ears.
A sordid tale of grief and sorrow, their kind had once been near extinct if not for the quick witted thinking of the governing powers that be at that time.
They'd prevented that castrastophy from ever becoming a reality.
Much like the ministry was currently trying to do it would seem.
While he was upset that he wouldn't be able to choose his wife to be, he was resigned and prepared to do what needs must.
He only hoped that his compatible partner would be someone nice and agreeable.
"The ministry knows what they're doing," Ron spoke up with a sense of finality in his words.
"The ministry labeled Harry as undesirable number one just a few short months ago," Hermione countered, she could not take this lying down.
She would not! Not after all that they'd been through, what they'd been put through.
She would not subject herself to such a barbaric law much less spell, she'd find a way out of this or her name wasn't Hermione Granger. Brightest witch of her age!
"The ministry is also run by order members, Kingsley is the current Minister for Magic, he wouldn't have agreed to this if it wasn't necessary Mione," Ron tried to once more reason.
He didn't like it as much as the next bloke but who was he to stand in the way of extinction.
No.
He would not.
Trying to lighten up the subject he added.
"If you're worried about being paired with a bloke it probably won't happen, this spell takes that all into account,"
And it was true as far as his mother had gone on to explain after his grandfather's tale of horror.
The spell worked in a special way that it would find the partner you would be most compatible with.
A child would be expected from these unions and so compatibility was key.
It took sexuality into great consideration.
And afterall they were wizards, there were magical ways for partners of the same gender to conceive.
Not that his fuming friend would need it as he'd found out during their journey across the english countryside earlier that year.
They'd been in a relationship until he'd seen her morning wood one morning.
Much to both his surprise and the finality of their relationship.
He and Harry had been a bit surprised at first before asking her if everything was alright.
She'd tried to calmly reply with "That would be my penis," and had gone on to explain that she'd been born with the appendage.
He and Harry had assured her that it changed nothing and that she was still the bossy Hermione they knew and loved.
She'd been much relieved and they'd gone back to business as usual.
Their relationship however, had not lasted beyond another week or so.
They'd realized that they were better off as friends and had left it at that.
"On honestly Ronald! Thats the last thing on my mind," Hermione retorted as she set about analyzing the contents of the letter.
"It says that we have a week from today to set our affairs in order before we each receive an owl informing us of our partners, after which we will be given a date from which we are to marry with a ministry official present to verify the union," scoffing as she read the last word Hermione set about to find a reasonable solution to the madness the ministry was subjecting them too.
As they watched the retreating form of their stubborn friend, Harry turned to look at Ron.
"Do you think she'll be able to find a solution to all this?"
"Not a one, but if anyone can get close its Hermione," Ron said with a chuckle.