AN: Thank you to Chester99, 4everanime, and Guest for reviewing. To Chester99, I know Hermione's not being very brave right now, but this is a big thing to suddenly be faced with, her emotions and thoughts are a little up and down right now, but she will have her brave moments, so please stick with this.
So what are the Ministry doing in Hogwarts? Read on to find out and then review.
Song suggestion: Who owns my heart, Miley Cyrus.
Chapter Seventeen: Forcing I do.
"Good morning students." Dumbledore said sternly and everyone glanced at each other-normally Dumbledore was cheery-this was not good, "Thank you for waking early to be here. Now may I introduce Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic."
"Thank you Headmaster." He switched places with Dumbledore and stood at the owl podium, "And thank you students for being here. I bet you're wondering why I am here to speak to you today and let me tell you it is not under…pleasant circumstance. As you will all know by now the Wizarding World is in the grip of Trucidatorus plague and though the Ministry is close to a cure, we still have the problem of the population. So the Ministry has come to this conclusion and we may note not without reluctance." He paused and regarded the students in front of him, "The conclusion is that we…kick start population regrowth."
"What does that mean?" Hermione immediately asked, though her mind was coming to its own conclusion and wasn't happy with it.
"It means people between the ages of sixteen and thirty are going to be encouraged to procreate."
"Encouraged Minister?"
"We are going to arrange for you to procreate." He explained slowly.
The Hall was silent for a beat before outrage cried out and students started scream and shout and rave.
"Silence!" The Minister used his wand to amplify his voice, "Now, we know most of you are probably don't feel ready to produce children yet, but we must think of our populace."
"So basically he wants us to become breeders." Ginny muttered angrily.
"We do not consider this lightly, but as between the ages of sixteen and thirty, you are most fertile, we must start planning for the future."
"Minister, you can't expect us to willingly do this, can you? We aren't even old enough to vote!" Hermione spoke up, "You want us to basically jump head first into this and for us women to carry and care for children, when we're just out of that category ourselves."
"Now Miss Granger, I understand that this is not easy to comprehend, we found it hard to conclude, but this must be done for the sake of the Wizarding World…though something of your statement is interesting, you say 'us women' as if the men won't be involved."
"I did Minster because women have no choice. We will be forced to carry the child for nine months and care for it. Men can choose to walk away once they impregnate us."
"Ah, that is whether you are wrong. We at the Ministry have decided to make this an equal footing, so to speak. Although it will make this…easier for you. You will be married to your chosen partner."
"Chosen partner? As in we don't get to choose who the father of our child is?" Ginny said first gripping Harry's hand.
"Miss Weasley, I understand your worry but you shouldn't. We have devised a method in which your partner is chosen to best fit you." Kingsley nodded, "We shall draw your names like those in the Triwizard Tournament."
"You're going to just draw names?" Hermione gasped, "How can that possibly result in the best match?"
"It will expel two names at a time for each coupling; the Goblet has been charmed to do this to fit the best coupling."
"And we are supposed to marry and procreate on the decision made by a charmed Goblet?"
"Yes, I understand it is hard for you but you must understand this is not taken lightly." There was a murmur along the students in apprehension before Kingsley called them to order again, "It will start now. Girls please sit on Hufflepuff table, boys on Slytherin. When we match you I want you to sit on the centre aisle benches. Boys on Ravenclaw and girls on Gryffindor."
"Minister…is there a time line for this?" Hermione hesitantly asked.
"Yes, you must be married by the end of the month and pregnant by Christmas." There was uproar but Hermione yelled over them.
"What happens if you don't?" Everyone looked expectantly silent at the Minister.
"If you are not married by the end of September, you will be married on the thirtieth with anyone else who has yet to in a mass marriage assembly. Then, if you are not pregnant, if it's not because you are not consummating, then you will be put through what most of you know as IVF, otherwise if it's because you just haven't then you will be checked and helped if we can help you. Now that is cleared up we may begin."
The students started to move, there were emotional displays from couples and good luck from friends. Slowly, everyone was in position as the Goblet was levitated in.
"Write your names on the slip of parchment and put your name in the Goblet." A Ministry official said as she handed out parchment, quills and ink.
"What if Harry and I aren't together!" Ginny fretted.
"It'll be okay Ginny." Hermione rubbed her arm.
"It's okay for you to say, you automatically go to Malfoy anyway, this is just show and tell for you." Ginny hissed quietly.
"Thanks for beating down my hopes." Hermione sighed sarcastically.
"Ron." Lavender cried softly next to Hermione.
"Have faith Lavender." Hermione tried to reassure her.
"I think this is a good thing." Luna murmured dreamily and everyone who heard turned shocked at her, "It means we won't have lots of heart break before we find them." People considered it slowly before going back to writing their names.
"Come forward." Kingsley said and everyone swarmed to the front and put their parchment in.
"Worried Granger?" Malfoy's voice was in her ear and she resisted the urge to shiver, "Don't worry." His voice softened but she ignored him.
"Hermione, you're up." Ginny hiccupped once she and Harry had done.
"Thanks." She mumbled and put her name in before joining the girls at their table. Once everyone was done Kingsley stood in front of the Goblet and muttered a spell.
"We may begin." He smiled as a roll of parchment started to come out of the blue flames and he took the end and started to read.
AN: After the whole Umbridge incident, Fudge quit and Kingsley was elected, in my version anyway.