Y'all got me feeling so excited to keep writing!
While I don't quite have a set schedule for updates, I am intending to update at least once a week, perhaps a bit more if I can get the story down.
I am in continued awe over the feedback for this story and just want to jump around and thank all of you for reading!
I have edited the first two chapters slightly to continue to fix grammatical errors I've found, so you may notice a few small differences!
ENJOY! :)
Three days later found Hermione slumped over her coffee table, a cup of cold tea in her hands, once again in tears. There are small stains on her navy blue tank top and flannel pajama pants. Her hair sticking in twenty directions with two quills perched in the massive bun on top of her head. Stacks of parchment piled around her, frustration clear on her face.
"Kings, I checked all the layers of the spell. I checked the casting movement. I checked everything." she moaned to the man sitting behind her on a frayed dark red love seat. "I don't understand where the spell is broken. It all looks correct. It worked for all of you! There's no reason it shouldn't have worked for me Kings. There is no reason I can find."
"You're going to make yourself sick." Kingsley chuckled lightly. "I know your results are shocking Hermione. And before you get angry, I took them before everyone could look, but the spell isn't broken. You've done the work and the research yourself. You know it's true."
"Kingsley, you're mad. It paired me with dead men. It must be broken somewhere." she replied.
"I think it's time for us to call another meeting. We'll meet in the morning. I'll floo call the others and have them prepare." The man rose regally from the sofa, as though he were made for another world completely. His finely tailored robes stood out among the aging furniture and piles of books, although he seemed comfortable and at home in the space.
"Bring your research, and that stack of parchment you have on how you think the law should be changed, too. You've got good advice in there and I think they need to hear it. I'll see you at 9:00.
And Hermione, do try and get some rest, you look a bit mad".
She threw a quill at the man as he stepped into the green flames of the floo network.
"Of course I look a bit mad", she mumbled. "I am a bit mad! I must be, to go to another meeting of his".
Hermione arrived at the Ministry of Magic the next morning without a minute to spare. She dressed to impress, in a smart pencil skirt and an eggplant colored silk blouse. She knew if she was going to make it through the meeting without bursting into tears or screaming in rage, she'd need to at least feel a bit self-confident.
She stepped quietly into the conference room and started pulling her files of research from her briefcase. As the years had passed, she'd taken to casting the undetectable extension charm on all of her bags, so the piles of parchment that were building up on the table took no one by surprise. She thought she heard a snort from one of the Unspeakables, but she couldn't be sure, so she ignored it.
She cleared her throat, looking at the men seated around the room.
"I've researched your spell thoroughly, as you can see. At this time, I haven't been able to find the flaw in the design and layering that has caused it to find results for myself that are as impossible as they are. I'd like to talk about the spell more, of course.
I also have redrafted your legislation for the marriage law. You've pigeonholed only a young generation of this community to fix the mistakes made before some of us were even born. We all know that witches and wizards are fertile well into their eighties, and there is absolutely no reason for those of us who are only years out of school to take the brunt of this burden. I have quite a few recommendations on how to fix that, as well."
It was clear to those around the table that those recommendations were more like demands, judging by the fierce look on Hermione's face and the stern tone of her voice.
"Where would you gentleman like to begin?" she inquired.
"We need to start with the spell" spoke Croaker, although he could tell that others in the room disagreed. "I know the law seems a bit less... emotionally charged, so to speak given those of you who understand the implications of the results, but we need to get it on the table so everyone can participate freely in the discussion".
"Actually, Mr. Croaker" Hermione interrupted, "I would much rather start with the law. I've done some research and made some changes to your spell, but without an understanding of why I made some of those changes, I think you might be rather upset at how I changed the spell."
She looked pointedly at Kingsley, who nodded in support.
"Great". Hermione stood and began handing stacks of parchment out to the group sitting around the conference table. "In these packets of parchment, you'll find my redraft of your honestly oppressive legislation.
While I still disagree with the Ministry forcing themselves into our private lives, I can understand the fear you must have in regards to the future of our community. That being said, I will not allow your fears to be an excuse to treat the people of our world with such inherent disregard." She looked around the room slowly, straightening her spine as though preparing for battle.
"First, we will need to increase the age range required of the law. Mr. Ogden, you stated the law would apply to those between 21 and 45. I propose we increase that to mandatory participation up to age 65, and optional participation from those aged 66 to 80."
Tiberius Ogden looked fit to be tied, and before he could sputter out a single word, Hermione continued.
"Please, gentleman. Don't interrupt. I have a lot to get through and I will explain the reasoning behind the changes I've drafted fully. After I've gone through all the changes, we can discuss them. I would argue that sounds fair given that I've already tested your spell for you, don't you think?"
Her stern tone of voice and the truth of her statement rang in the ears of the gathered men.
"Thank you. I'll continue then." Hermione went on. "The average life span of a magical person is 140 years. If a person were to marry and become a parent at age 65, they would have quite a life with that child in the remaining years. Even if a person had a child at age 80, they would average about 60 years before passing on.
Your desired age range limited the brunt of this burden to be carried by the youngest generation of adults in our community, who have just fought a war, to box up their collective traumas and personal beliefs and desire for true love. I think you can ask other generations to do the same.
However, I think it's safe to say most 21-year-olds would be quite uncomfortable with a match to an 80-year-old, and vise-versa. I've modified the spell to show all matches, but only those within a 25 year age range would be required matches. Matches outside that range would be at the discretion of both parties.
The law as written only specifies that matches must marry and have children within a two-year timeframe. You'll find specifications I've made to this on the third page of your parchments.
Simply telling married couples to procreate does not ensure the repopulation of our society. I am proposing that individuals have 30 days to comply with the summons to cast the geneticae spatium. After the spell has been cast, magical matches will be summoned and will need to cast within that 30-day time frame. I imagine you'll want the first castings to be people who have researched the issues and will support your law, as well as those you can get to agree to follow the terms of the law that have a high public respect.
I'm assuming you'll have me be the muggle-born voice of the committee, but you'll need other younger and older people to speak for the Ministry and agree to be the public face of this spell. I have included a list of those I think you should consider on page four, but I am getting ahead of myself.
After the casting has been completed by all parties in a magical match, they will have 10 days to agree to the matches. Those who agree will have six months to marry. After the marriages, couples will be pregnant within the first year of marriage. This gives them time to get to know each other both before and after their vows and to be comfortable enough sharing a bed in order to conceive. After the birth of the first child, couples will have five years to conceive a second.
I expect St. Mungo's to be on hand to provide no-cost consultations for fertility medication and should they be needed, even potions to assist with sexual encounters, like inhibition reducers or lust potions."
She thought she saw a flash of anger on a few faces in the room, but there were still no interruptions, for which Hermione was extremely grateful.
"On page five you will find that I've changed your legislation to allow the spellcaster to add an intent-based layer to the casting to specify if their matches should be of the opposite gender, same gender, or both. The Wizengamot is forcing magical matches and that is horrible enough, participants should be allowed to stay within their own sexual preferences.
Again, I expect St. Mungo's to provide potions to help same-sex couples conceive. I have researched several potions, found on page six, that will allow for the extracting of DNA from both parties to create either egg-based or sperm-based pregnancy components that can be then implanted into a female's existing uterus or a temporary uterus for male carriers.
Your law also presumes that married families will have the means to care for multiple children. Even if families do have the means to adequately provide for marriage and children, the Ministry is forcing them upon the community, and the Ministry should hold the burden of providing for them.
I am proposing that the Ministry cover all the pregnancy and birth-related costs that arise from magical matches. The Ministry should also put aside money to help with educational costs both prior to Hogwarts and for Hogwarts educations. You all know that the Ministry has confiscated a large number of galleons and artifacts within the last two wars, and there is absolutely no reason you cannot spend some of that to help the ease the burden on the families you are creating.
This should be extended to children born from the law requirements, but if families chose to go beyond the law requirements for births, the Ministry would not be held to the same monetary requirements."
Hermione paused, giving time for these changes to sink in with the group. She expected there to be more fighting and pushback on the demands she had made. While it was clear there was discomfort within the room, she was shocked that no one had fully disagreed with her yet. She knew patience was wearing thin and pushed on with her findings.
"The law as written has placed a high responsibility on unmarried persons within our community. I have changed the legislation to include already married couples as well.
Married couples will be required to report to St. Mungo's for genetic fertility testing. Those with compatible genetic lines will be required to birth an additional two children. I imagine families who have had numerous successful births will fall into this group. If their lines are compatible, they will not be required to cast the geneticae spatium.
Couples who do not have compatible genetic lines for continued healthy births and low familial intermixing will have two options.
The first option will be to dissolve their current marriage bonds, and cast as single participants. I expect you'll receive a lot of anger over that. The second option will allow married participants to cast together, to find magical matches that will complement both genetic lines. Matches could then marry into the already established families. These matches would be held to the same two birth requirement per line as other matches.
There are only a few other changes I'm suggesting, and I've already made changes to the spell to reflect these.
The Wizengamot will exclude any participants from long-term care wards of St. Mungo's and any interred prisoners within Azkaban. While the law is a requirement, it does also require informed consent. We will not force partnerships with people who cannot understand them. Should a patient leave the care of St. Mungo's or the halls of Azkaban as a reformed citizen, they will be subject to the constraints of the law.
Lastly, this law places a large number of people in potential danger. While we have won the last war, there are lingering pockets of fanaticism and continued blood purity supporters. I have changed the spell to prohibit unsafe matches."
Hermione sighed and took a seat next to the Minister. Her hands trembled upon her lap as she fought to remain calm.
"None of these changes matter much at this point" she spoke defeatedly "because your spell is still broken, and even in all my research I haven't figured out how to fix it."
A chuckle came from under one of the thick black robes. "The spell is not broken, Miss Granger." an oddly familiar voice declared. "As you clearly researched it in depth, you already know this."