Disclaimer: In case you have been living in a cave on mars with your fingers in your ears for the last ten years or so; JK Rowling owns Harry Potter and all terms and characters associated with the fandom. I only own the story, some characterisations and an occasional OC, I try to limit them as much as possible. Song lyrics which may crop up now and then will be attributed as appropriate.
Chapter 4 - Spring Cleaning
"But her mans got an angry mouth,
he once told me to rot in hell,
he's poisonous, reasonless, demons and Jesus,
if he died it'd be just as well.
So I'm having it out with the rain.
It argues so long and so loud..."
Bright Eyes
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Magical Decree No.159
Applies to ALL Wizarding Folk
By Order of the Ministry
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Dear Sir Or Madam,
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You have been sent this notice because you belong to the Wizarding population of Great Britain. Below is a list of new laws which come into effect today. Please read them through carefully and if any should apply to yourself or a member of your family, please take the appropriate action. If you know of any person or persons defying the laws set down by the Ministry, please do not hesitate in notifying a Ministry official as soon as possible, you may receive a community action cash reward. More decree's are sure to follow, please do not throw them away as all Wizarding households are required to retain copies due to amendments and/or additions.
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Signed - Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot
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Darius Nott
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Part A. From this day no Pureblood may pollute his or her line by marrying half-bloods, squibs, muggleborns or muggles. All unmarried purebloods over the age of 17 must register with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement so that they may be placed on the marital register. From information gathered during the last Wizard's Census, we gather that the female Pureblood popular vastly outnumbers the male. To remedy this, young men are encouraged to take a minimum of two wives and may have in their household, should the proper financial support be available, up to and including six. At least two children should be produced from each individual wife, ensuring that the number of purebloods is greatly increased over the coming years. The children should be produced within the first five years of marriage, to ensure that the best help is given, upon signing the register, all persons shall be given fertility tests and those with low chances of conceiving (especially males) shall be given special treatment at St.Mungos.
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Part B. To prevent even further diluting of Wizarding Blood, Half Blood's also may not marry squibs, muggleborns or muggles. In efforts to enrich their lines, it shall be encouraged for them to marry and begin families as early as possible although it will not be required for them to enter themselves on the register.
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Part C. Muggleborns may not marry nor produce any illegitimate children.
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Part D. Muggleborns may no longer be allowed to use wand magic or be educated at Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Those already living within the Magical community must if they have not already, report to the ministry to be entered onto the register for Muggleborn re-assessment. Those who are unmarried into Wizarding families shall be allowed to remain in the community as house workers for Pureblood and some half-blood families. Pureblood's are encouraged to take on at least one Muggleborn worker into their homes. We have been told they make excellent; nannies, gardeners, cooks, etc...
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Part E. Random spot-checks will be made by hit-wizards to ensure that all new Magical laws are being obeyed. Hit-wizards may enter a home they suspect to be law breaking without warrant, refusal to allow entry may result in interrogation. (Exceptions will be may if you were in the bath or on the toilet at the time.)
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Part F. Any breaking of the laws in Magical Decree No.159 will result in interrogation and may result in imprisonment in Azkaban or public execution.
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All questions, comments and queries should be address to Under-secretary Drew Avery at the Ministry for Magic.
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Blaise looked up at Draco as he finished reading the entire sheet of parchment, he knew what his and Draco's job's were at the Muggleborn re-assessment office, he knew which parts had been glossed over carefully and they had glossed over that much on Part D. of the decree, just what Part A. was saying, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Draco threw the piece of parchment onto the floor in despair, he for one had planned to enjoy being a bachelor for a while before being forced to settle down and produce an heir. And even then, he had planned on producing only one, he didn't want to be like the Weasley's, more kids than you could keep track of and all in hand-me-down robes. Saying that, with his families wealth, there was no way a child of his would ever be in a hand-me-down. Over his mother's dead body would that ever happen.
He had even planned to ask Blaise if he fancied turning the old Black family house in Kennet into a bachelor pad for the pair of them. His mother and aunt had both decided long before that neither of them wanted to have their old family home and that Draco could have it when he became of age for his own. Perhaps they still could if both of them could fob off a girl with a long engagement. He looked up at his friend, who looked like he was on the verge of exploding, he had always said he wanted to be nothing like his mother, who had been married seven times, Blaise's real father along with his six step-fathers had all died, leaving Lucretia Zabini vast amounts of wealth each time. His mother had often been known to say, when she thought no one was in ear-shot; 'Lucretia, that girl, every time she loses a husband, that mansion gets a new wing.' Blaise had told him once he was sure his last step-father, who had disappeared mysteriously, had just gotten lost and one day the house-elf was going to find a skeleton in one of the unused rooms. "Mate, do you want to move in with me?"
Blaise looked up from the parchment in his hand and then looked to Draco. "Thanks mate, but I'm not gay."
Draco laughed and picked up a coaster from the table, throwing it in the general direction of his friends head. "Don't be daft you soppy git. You knew what I meant. The old Black place in Kennet, turn it into a bachelor pad, it's close enough for both our mother's so they can't moan and we could..."
"BLAISE ZABINI, you better be decent and out of that bed because I'm coming in!" The frightening voice of Lucretia Zabini boomed through the door, causing Draco to jump slightly and Blaise to merely roll his eyes as his mother opened the door and swanned into the room. "Ah, your both awake, excellent. Now get dressed and go to work, it'll hardly be appropriate for you both to turn up in your underwear." She eyed Draco sideways as he grabbed for a pillow to cover his crotch, even though he was wearing boxer shorts.
Blaise sighed at his mother and looked at Draco for a moment with a slight smirk. "Mum, I'm moving in with Draco at his mother's old house in Kennet."
Lucretia placed her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrow at her son. "Well be it on your own head if you can't get yourself out of bed in the morning young man." She looked to Draco for a moment. "Tell your mother I'll be there on Sunday if you are planning to return to your own home tonight."
As she started to walk out of the room, Draco nodded meekly. "Yes Mrs Zabini, thank you for having me by the way..."
Blaise laughed.
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Author's Notes:
So what I thought I was going to do in this chapter has been pushed back a chapter so I could get some more information in, but I need to jump off this computer so I doubt I can get it started tonight.
Theres a lot of information in this fic, so bear with me, it'll be easier doing it little bit at a time, rather than trying to get too much into one chapter.
BTW, kudos to me for cutting you guys a break and not ending on a cliff hanger... Well no one else was gonna say it...