Chapter 3
Hermione Granger
June 19th 2003, Ministry of Magic, London
Hermione Granger was the last person in her department still at her desk. She wanted to wait for the session of the Wizengamot to end as they were discussing a law that was proposed as a result of her own research. Finding herself ill equipped for the Auror department she'd joined together with her best friends Harry and Ron she'd finished the training but transferred to Magical Law as soon as possible. There she was responsible for the legwork of collecting data for new proposals. Hermione loved her job and she was imminently suited for this kind of work. Her last research topic – demographics of Britain's wizarding world – had left her with an uneasy mind. The two wars, three if one counted Grindelwald, had cut dramatically the number of witches and wizards on the isle. Combined with their society's inherent snobbery against Muggleborns and Half-bloods as well as people from magical societies in other countries the diminshed genetic pool had led to less children and to a rise of Squib births. If her Arithmancy equations were right – and they usually were – by 2134 would be too few witches and wizards to uphold the infrastructure of their society and the Statue of Secrecy. The wards on Diagon Alley, Hogwarts or the Ministry would collapse.
The young witch had no illusions as to what solution the Wizengamot would propose. There were precedents. After the witch-hunts of the middle ages and two devastating Dragon Pox epedemies the governing body of wizarding England had installed Marriage Laws. A few years ago the Muggleborn would have balked at the idea of an arranged marriage but now she knew how the matching worked Arithmancy wise she was determined to give any suitor at least a fair chance at getting to know her. Dating had not worked out very well for the young witch during the last few years, any budding relationships failing either because Hermione was working a lot and tended to feel drawn to wizards who took their profession seriously as well, leaving very little time to spend together, or – and this was far worse – she'd dated wizards who only wanted to be able so say that they'd bedded a genuine war heroine. With her friends pairing off left and right, talking of having children even, she was ready to take the traditional wizarding route to matrimony, even more so as she and her partner would spend about hundred years together. Compatibility was much more important than passion. Although a little bit of it would be fine. More than fine actually.