Chapter 3
The next morning Hermione is sitting in the Hogwarts kitchens having breakfast with the teachers when a house elf walks up to her holding a brown pile of feathers.
"Miss this bird came for you." The elf says while handing Hermione the pile of feathers she now recognizes as Errol, the owl of the Weasley family.
"Thank you." Hermione tells the elf while putting the owl careful down on her lap. She takes a saucer and pours some pumpkin juice on it. She holds it near Errol's beak in hopes of getting him to drink something while mumbling "Please be alive." After nearly a minute the owl blinks open his eyes, lets out a soft hoot and takes a sip from the pumpkin juice. Hermione let's out a relieved sigh, finally looking up and seeing all of her teachers look at her. She looks back at them confused. It's Professor Slughorn who speaks up after a few moments.
"Is that an owl? It should be retired years ago instead of having to travel farther than it obviously can take."
"It's the Weasley's owl professor." Hermione tells him anger clear in her voice. She hates it when the Weasley's are made out to be cruel to animals since she knows they only use him when there is no other way and they have been saving for a new one for a while now. Luckily Slughorn looks chastised and goes back to his meal.
"I thought you said your conversation with Ron went well and you're taking some time apart to let Ron deal with his feelings?" Minerva asks Hermione. Clearly confused why she is getting an owl from the Weasleys.
"We did, this letter isn't from Ron, it's from Ginny." Hermione explains when she has freed Errol from the letter and scanned its content.
"I talked to her yesterday about going to find my parents and she offered to come with. She wrote me to inform me that she has talked to her parents and she's good to come with." Hermione looks like she suddenly remember something. "Oh I'm sorry Minerva. I should have asked if it was okay by you first. Since you already said you would come with. If you rather not have Ginny come I'll tell her I changed my mind and she can't come."
"Nonsense dear. It's going to be hard enough to find your parents so we could do with an extra pair of eyes. Besides seeing you parents again and have them not recognize you might be harder than you expect. You could probably do with an extra friend." Minerva asures Hermione.
Hermione feeds Errol some more pumpkin juice and some bacon while reading the letter. When breakfast is over Minerva assigns everybody their tasks for the day. She and Hermione will be working on Gryffindor tower.
While everybody leaves the kitchen to start their tasks Hermione stops Minerva.
"Minerva."
"Yes Hermione?"
"Ginny asked if it is possible for her to visit somewhere in the next couple of days in order to make plans for Australia. She said she's more than happy to help with the repairs."
"Well we could always use an extra wand and it might not be a bad idea to make a plan for Australia. Tell her she's more than welcome to visit."
"I'll write her back right away. See you at Gryffindor tower in a little bit." Hermione picks up Errol and heads off in search of parchment for her letter.
Hogwarts staff and Hermione are discussing which part of the castle they're going to rebuilt tomorrow, over dessert when an elf comes over to Minerva.
"Excuse me Headmistress. There's a miss Weasley at the gate asking for permission to enter the grounds."
"Could you please let her in and lead her to the kitchen Edo."
"Certainly Headmistress." The elf answers and leaves with a pop.
"What is miss Weasley doing here Minerva?" Professor Flitwick asks curious.
"She offered to help with the repairs of the castle. She also will be joining Hermione and I to Australia in a little while to retrieve Hermione's parents." Minerva explains.
"I'm glad you've decided Hogwarts can do without you for a little while. I'm sure the time away will do you some good." Professor Flitwick tells Minerva while the rest of the staff nods their heads in agreement.
There is a knock on the door and Ginny walks in looking a little haggard.
"Good evening Professors, Hermione. Does any of you happen to have received the Evening Prophet?"
"It is usually brought to my chambers." Minerva tells Ginny. "Pips?" A elf appears next to Minerva. "Could you see if the Evening Prophet has already arrived, and if so can you please bring it here?" Minerva asks the elf before turning to Ginny. "Care to explain why you look so haggard and what the Evening Prophet has to do with that?"
Ginny takes a deep breath before she starts her explanation. "When dad arrived for dinner tonight he had some news. Today the Minister and Wizengamot have had a meeting regarding the future of wizarding kind. Apparently the losses during the last year have been so severe that extinction of magic is a very real possibility. Kingsley has found documents drafted by Umbridge and Picknesse which indicate that Voldemort was aware of this and had plans in place to repopulate the wizarding community. According to my dad Kingsley and the Wizengamot have concluded that even though Voldemort's plans should never be put into action it is necessary to repopulate the magic community and they have passed a marriage law that applies to all magic folk between the ages of seventeen and sixty-seven. The Evening Prophet will hold the announcement of the law and the specifics."
Everybody looks at Ginny with their mouth hanging open.
"A marriage law? What does that even mean? Is some ministry employee going to decide who I'll marry?" Hermione is the first to regain her speech and is absolutely livid. In the meantime Pips has arrived with the Evening Prophet. Minerva takes the paper and starts reading aloud the article about the marriage law which is taking up most of the front page.
Minister of Magic announced Marriage Law.
The Minister of Magic has announced a new law he and the Wizengamot have drafted after the battle of Hogwarts. The law, that's given the name 'The marriage and repopulation act', will become effective on september 1st 1998 and will apply for everybody with magical blood that is between the age of seventeen and sixty-seven on september 1st, and not married. It will also partially apply to all people already married. Only exceptions are those incarcerated at Azkaban.
If the Law applies to a person they need to be married before september 1st 1999. All intended marriages have to be announced to the ministry no later than december 1st 1998. Persons who haven't announced an intended marriage will be paired by the ministry. In order to make sure ministry-paired couples will be a suitable match there will be a mandatory aptitude test during the first week of september. An owl with more information on the aptitude test will be sent to everybody unmarried nor engaged on september 1st.
Every married couple, whether married because of the new law or previously married, has to produce two children before september 1st 2004. Couples not capable of getting pregnant need to provide proof of infertility in the form of a signed statement from a healer. In case the ministry suspects fraud they have the right to demand a second opinion by a ministry appointed healer from St. Mungo's.
Anybody who refuses to comply to the law will face binding of their magic and eviction from the magical community.
Minister of Magic Shacklebolt emphasises the importance of complying to the law in a statement. "I am aware that a lot of us are still mourning the loss of loved ones during the war. However desperate measures are called for. Studies by the department of mysteries show that magic needs a certain amount of magical folk to be able to survive. If our population goes below this critical point no new magical folk will be born and those who still have magic will slowly be drained and turn into squibs. We are dangerously close to this critical point and if we don't take action now magic will cease to exist within a few decades."
The ministry of magic has announced that the study by the department of mysteries will be made available for all those interested.
When Minerva is finished it is deathly silent at the table. Its again Hermione who speaks up first.
"So either I have my magic bound or I get married, birth two children only to divorce my husband and have my children grow up in a broken home. Great." Hermione summarizes sarcastically.
"Actually Hermione." Minerva carefully interjects. "A magical marriage is for life. The wizarding society does not know divorce."
"That's just bloody great. The only thing missing is me getting paired up with some pure-blood supremacist like Malfoy." Hermione says and stomps off. Leaving the teachers and Ginny looking after her with their mouths hanging open at her outburst.
Ginny stands up to go after Hermione but Minerva stops her. "Best to let her blow off some steam. I'm sure she'll come and find you when she's cooled off."
"Are you sure?" Ginny asks not convinced.
"Yes I am. Now miss Weasley, are you staying tonight?"
"Ehh… I guess, if it's not to much trouble?"
"Of course not. Gryffindor tower is not fully rebuild yet, nor are the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff dormitories. However the Slytherin rooms have survived the battle rather well. Let me show you where they are."
"You want me to sleep in Pansy's bed?"
"I believe Hermione has already called dibs on miss Parkinson's bed. miss Bulstrode's bed is still available though." Minerva answers dryly and Ginny can't help but chuckle.
"Alert the press the great Professor Mcgonagall has a sense of humor." Ginny teases
"I have you know miss Weasley, I'm known to joke on occasion." Minerva takes the bait in obvious mirth.
After showing Ginny to the slytherin dungeon she shifts into her cat and heads of in search of Hermione. She finds her on top off the astronomy tower.
"Hermione?" Minerva asks tentatively.
"I'm sorry for storming of Minerva, how ever it might be best if you leave me be. I'm not the best company at the moment."
"I understand." Minerva says and conjures up a chair before sitting down. Knowing Hermione will start to talk when she's ready.
An hour later Hermione finally turns to Minerva..
"What am I going to do Minerva? I know I'll never be truly happy with a man. But if I refuse my magic will be bound and more importantly I face eviction. I don't think I can give up magic, but I don't think I can get married to someone who I know I'll never fall in love with."
"Have you ever looked into wizarding marriage laws?"
"Are there more marriage laws than the one announced tonight?"
"Just like the muggle world the wizarding world has law regarding marriage. Unlike in the muggle world wizarding law does not take in account gender. As long as the couple getting married is of age their gender doesn't matter. You can get married to a women."
"I can?" Hermione asks relieved.
"Yes."
"I still don't agree with the forced marriage and I plan to look into the research to be sure this whole extinction of magic story is true. But knowing I might end up with somebody I could over time fall in love with makes me feel a little relieved."
"Good. Now I believe it's time for bed. We decided to repair the Great Hall tomorrow, we're all going to need all the strength we have to accomplish this. Besides I'm pretty sure miss Weasley will still be up to make sure you are okay."
