authorsnotes: I enjoyed writing this chapter, hopefully you enjoy reading it
bbys be about revolutioning 3
songrecs: handlebars - flobots
They stream into the Ministry Chamber like a swarm of angry wasps.
A swarm, a thunder, their footsteps harsh against the perfectly treated floors, anger flowing through the crowd like a plague, it is whipped up, harsh among them as they spill forwards, the Ministers eyes wide and shocked.
There is barely even any security, no Minister believing they'd even dare invade her, thought some doors would keep them out.
The Ministry employee who'd let them in would likely lose his job for it, so would any Ministry employees here, but none of them care, not with so much at stake.
He'd meant what he said; sure, there was no way they'd repeal the entire law, he'd seen the data alongside Ron and Hermione (both who stood next to him with Lavender, Luna having found them too), but he knew they could force them to repeal some of the more unsavoury stuff.
He would have guessed the Ministry would exempt him and Hermione for their cooperation in being the marketing stunt.
Fuck that.
He hadn't let the Ministry use him before, there was no reason he would now.
He'd fight this, fight the overreach the Ministry was trying yet again. He spied the Ministers, this was not the formal Wizengmont of the Sacred 28 (with a few additions, himself included), had yet to reform after the War, and though he knew it was a matter of weeks not months before that happened, here it was the Ministers running things.
Hermione had given him a quick crash-course of the Ministry dealings when he'd got his letter inviting him to assume his seat at the Wizengmont, the Wizengmont passed laws and budgets, but the Ministry had a council of Ministers for different departments who brought laws forward and ran the Ministry, they could also pass emergency laws (as they had with this), whilst the Wizengmont was out of session.
Harry had never had much interest in politics, hated it even, was far too honest for it, but if taking his seat at the Wizengmont, flawed as it was, meant preventing stuff like this, he would gladly do so.
But that was in the future, (and he knew the Wizengmont was only weeks from sitting, hence the rush through of this law, as surely the Wizengmont would have voted it down in an instance), for now he was just a citizen, a citizen protesting for their rights.
And there were many of them.
Many more than he'd thought, for usually the Ministry got its way, but not now, not with people furious over having fought a war against fascism only to face it again.
They would not cave, they hadn't before, they wouldn't now.
"We won't follow this law!" A voice screamed.
"Stuff your data" Another roared.
"You can't expect us to accept this" Slightly more muted.
"I won't marry her"
"I won't marry him"
"This is wrong" Fury and yelled agreements.
He stood, didn't yell but stood in solidarity, hand still in Hermione's.
He was protesting the law not her, squeezed her hand and her smile warmed him. They had been matched for different reasons than most, and yet he couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather weather it with.
Even when he was terrified of screwing it up.
But he knew he would end up married to Hermione either way, he'd said it himself, they could stop the Ministry to an extent, but they'd passed the law and he, as Hermione did knew they'd never repeal in whole.
Part of him was glad, though he wasn't ready to acknowledge that yet.
Squeezed her hand again and she managed another smile even as the yells continued, he added his own shout to the mix.
They wouldn't repeal it.
Maybe he didn't want them to, though there was no maybe about it.
It felt like she was sat in a boiling pot, a boiling pot almost ready to fizz over, almost, but not quite.
Everyone was scared.
Everyone in the riot of people who'd surged in, tremoring with a mixture of anger and fear, clamouring to reach the pews and tables that the Ministers sat on; they looked scared to, eyes wide as they watched the cohort of furious wizards and witches demanding answers, demanding change.
This wasn't usually how things were done in the wizarding world, the Ministry rarely saw backlash on things, not this publicly anyway, and yet people were not just angry, or frightened, they were furious.
Furious that after a war so many of them had fought in, had lost people to, they were having their freedoms stripped away. They had already given so much, how could the Ministry see fit to take more and more?
The data, Hermione thought, that flicker of doubt thrumming at the back of her head. Yes, here she stood, hand clasped firmly in Harry's, Ron at her side, Lavender's hand in his, and yet there was doubt in her, as she knew was in Harry and Ron.
They were here out of fury and outrage, but they knew it went beyond losing their freedoms, if the data were to be believed they might not have a choice here.
And that was the most frightening bit of all.
"We want answers!" One wizard shouted furiously as guards stood in front of the Ministers, wands aloft, not offensively but defensively for the members of the wizarding government, all who looked worried and annoyed that whoever had built this chamber hadn't had the forethought to add a back entrance.
"No!" A witch screeched, "We want this law abolished!"
A loud cheer cried through the crowd at that, people shaking their fists and screaming, furious shouts and cries, Hermione almost joined them, but couldn't, not with what they knew, and instead clutched Harry's hand so tightly she couldn't believe he didn't complain, but he didn't, her rock always.
She could do far worse than him as a husband, and little better.
The thought struck her as Harry smoothed a thumb over her knuckles, but she pushed it away for later as someone in the crowd yelled louder.
"None of us want this!" The man yelled, shaking his fist, "We sacrificed everything to keep the world safe, our children safe, and you want more from us?" Furious yells joined that, Lavender among them, Hermione knew if they hadn't seen the data she'd scream too.
Perhaps she should be anyway.
"My dear people" It was Kingsley who spoke, raising his hands in a symbol of peace, the crowd did hush at him, many respected Kingsley, most likely everyone here had voted for him in the quick election that had taken place after the final battle, well it had been him or Lucius Malfoy who so knew.
But still, they all respected him, knew this decision was bigger than him alone and so they let him speak, but that glimmer of anger in every eye did not diminish, if anything it sparked.
"We had no choice in this" As someone yelled, he held up a hand, and yet the crowd was growing more restless, they didn't want more empty platitudes or press release worthy words, they wanted the truth, "The wizarding world is at stake…"
"We heard all this!" One witch yelled, "How badly at stake? To ask us to sacrifice our freedoms, our choice, in all witches' cases our bodies!" There was more of a roar then and without thinking Hermione nodded, as always, the women had it worse than the men. Muggle or magic, that never changed.
"Just know we would only take such drastic measures because of how badly our world is at stake" Kingsley said, a few people calmed at this but if anything, the majority of the crowd just seemed angrier.
"Then just tell us!" Someone said incensed and Hermione nodded, she felt the same; she and Harry and Ron may know there was little way out of this considering the data, and yet hadn't they thought the data might not be the whole truth? Wasn't this their chance to call the Ministry out? To put the data to the test?
And if the data was the truth, if things were that dire … was this needed to give everyone the realisation just how bad things were.
The three of them knew, didn't everyone without an all-access Ministry pass deserve the same? Hermione knew if she hadn't seen the data she'd be screaming and yelling alongside the angry crowd.
She glanced at Ron, who shrugged, but she knew he would go with what she thought, she turned to Harry, who was looking at her with an intense look in his eye, it flickered and was only present for a moment, but then with another smooth over her knuckles he nodded.
And she did back, and took a step forward.
"Listen everyone" She yelled, and yet when her voice didn't carry that far, she was thankful for Ron.
"Oi!" Ron yelled over the crowd, his booming voice immediately silencing everyone, "Listen up!" He said, and then turned to Hermione, as did the entire crowd as she stepped forward to the front of the group, Harry followed but she dropped his hand as she took a stance to talk to everyone.
To tell them the truth.
"The Ministry aren't telling you everything" She said, and her expression she knew was grim, "The data … the data that informed this law is as bleak as Kingsley suggests, I don't know why the Ministry didn't put it on the front page of the Prophet to convince people to be honest" She knew if she was Minister that was what she would have done, fear was a powerful motivator.
And they all feared the ending of their way of life, of their world, they'd fought to defend it after all, with their lives, for some not with them, permanently so.
"We didn't want to cause a panic" Kingsley said, and yet there was a defeat in his voice, perhaps he too realised this information needed to be public to hope for any kind of compliance.
Though that wasn't why Hermione was telling everyone this, it was only because they deserved to know.
Deserved to know the price of their freedom.
"The data shows how lowly populated the wizarding world is" She said, rubbing her lips together, nerves coming to her, she was no natural public speaker, but she had to be here, "There aren't enough people getting married, aren't enough babies" She paused then, but carried on, "And there are too many squib births, too much inbreeding, too many muggleborns marrying muggles and then not having magical children"
"This is no-one's fault" She said, feeling the importance to say so, it was true, this was just the way of things, "But it is the truth, I don't know what it means, but I thought you all should know"
She did know what it meant, but didn't want to say it, not out loud, not as the crowd almost deflated in on itself, like a balloon at a fair stabbed with a thumbtack, as everyone went quiet, mumbling dying out to silence.
"How bad?" Some brave soul called, "The numbers?"
"Two generations" Kingsley said with a shake of his head, more forthcoming now he'd seen the effect, "Two generations if birth-rates continue the same, and we start to die out, by the fourth, the wizarding population of Britain is gone"
Then the mumbling stopped, and only silence carried over the crowd,
"What about the invasive stuff?" It was Harry who spoke then, the bravest of them all, not quite done even as the crowd stilled, some sinking to the floor, others making for the way out, Hermione hadn't wanted to hurt peoples spirits, only wanted them to have the pertinent information, but motive aside it had deflated people.
Even she had felt her shoulders hunch as Kingsley explained the generational effect, wizarding Britain wiped out in less than four generations … it was unthinkable.
And apparently their job to fix.
That was the unfairness of it all.
"What do you mean Harry?" Kingsley asked, raising an eyebrow, a few of the Ministers behind him sat up alert again, looking nervous.
"The stuff about monitoring people, checking everything" She could see his cheeks turn a bit pink then, and resisted the urge to grab his hand; not the time, "We understand this is necessary, but overseeing us in this is not"
"It is to ensure people don't just marry and not have children, the desired effect Mr Potter" One of the Ministers sneered, but Harry only glared back, not so easily cowed, he was not the type to backdown.
"People know what is at stake" Harry said, and Hermione resisted a smile as his fingers twitched, Harry was a far better speaker than she, the crowd rallying behind him now as he stepped forward, anger infused in his voice, he was the natural leader, never her, she was thankful he'd be in the new Wizengmont, a voice among it of reason, of truth, of bravery.
Her husband, as he would be.
Something fluttered in her stomach as she thought that, but squashed it down, and instead turned back to Harry, just Harry, who she knew was resisting the urge to start yelling, calmer after the war yes, but he could never tolerate injustice.
"They know how important this is, they don't need to be prodded and poked, watched over like criminals" He said, hands shaking, she did step forward then, took his in hers, squeezed, and she felt him calm a little, turn and offer her a quick smile before turning back, "That is not right"
"Yeah!" Someone yelled in the crowd.
"I'm with the Boy Who Lived!" Another shouted.
"So am I!" Another agreed.
And then everyone was yelling again, the phrasing turned from 'repeal the law', to demanding it be amended, as least invasive as possible, allowing people some element of freedom as it were. Hermione managed a smile, this could be positive, this could be something.
Truly thanks to Harry.
"Well done" She whispered, squeezing his hand again, "This is thanks to you"
"No" He said, "You're the one who stood up" He said, smiled at her, and she found herself smiling to, as she always did; when Harry was happy, so was she.
"So did you, and you're far better at the public speaking aspect than me" She said breezily, hating to admit to any flaw, but begrudgingly acknowledging it all the same.
"Nah" He said, "Only when I don't actually need to know anything" He teased, "If the speech had needed facts or references, you'd have it down"
"Don't make me pinch you" She whispered back, as Kingsley turned to them, holding his hands up again, and the crowd quieted.
"Don't be pinchy" He muttered back, and she smiled, he knew how to cheer her up, even in the middle of a wood-be riot, that was her best friend.
And he'd be so much more than that soon.
Each time she thought it, it became easier, and something else, stored at the back of her mind, at the edge of her heart, at the bottom of her tummy, flickered.
"Those aspects of the law were deemed necessary by the Ministers Harry" Kingsley said and yet Hermione could tell he agreed, he had been outvoted on this; interesting. She glared at the rest of the Ministers then, mostly men, and old, of course they'd voted baby monitoring through, bastards, though she could see one or two sympathetic faces. What did they do if it had been voted through?
"Which you have no authority to do" Another voice spoke up then, on the edge of the crowd, one she recognised, but couldn't quiet place, the room went silent though as he spoke, "Only the sitting Wizengmont can pass such laws"
"The Ministers can pass laws in the absence of a Wizengmont thank you" Another said with an upturned nose, "That was how the marriage law was passed"
"The marriage law yes" The voice said again, and then the crowd gasped as the person stepped into the middle of the circle, of platinum hair, dark circles under his eyes, in an expensive cut suit, his grey eyes full of disdain, Draco Malfoy of all people was fighting for human rights, she almost laughed, "But only that as an emergency measure, not this crap you've tacked on"
"He's right" A voice spoke up at this side, dreamy and sweet, "You can't pass amendments or additions to a basic law" Luna?! What was she doing at Malfoy's side? Hermione's eyes widened as her friends caught hers and she winked, oh, that was why, "Like when Minister Fudge tried to pass the Goblin-Pie act of 1988…" She began, but drifted off with a little grin.
"Its true" Hermione said, having already started studying legal statutes and matters, in preparation for whichever Ministry department she'd be entering (something she was beginning to doubt), knew the ins and outs of law-making in Wizarding Britain now, "You can't pass additions to an emergency law"
"There we go" Harry said, stepping forward again, and she was surprised to see Malfoy take a step back with Luna, acquiescing the floor, last time she'd seen him he'd been shaking, clutching his Mothers hand at the trial, perhaps the experience had changed him, perhaps Luna, evidently his match as she took his hand, had too.
A mystery for another day, for now she turned back to Harry.
"You can't pass the invasive laws" He said, with a triumphant nod, but the Minister stood behind Kingsley looked far too smug.
"Then we'll reconvene and pass it separately" The Minister said furiously, a little red in the face.
"You'll do no such thing" Harry said, eyes wide, and he looked around the room then, "As a member of the Wizengmont, I have the right to request its reform" Hermione's eyes widened, he'd remembered their chats and studying about the WIzengmont, about how it was formed and suspended, and about how in emergency situations a Wizard member could force it to be reformed.
She smiled then, squeezed Harry's hand tightly, at just how brilliant he was.
And hers.
For once, she didn't flinch.
"I second" Malfoy said, raising a hand, a point of order, Hermione's eyes widened as Harry quickly raised his, but his expression remained serious, no teasing at missing protocol, this was too serious.
"As do I" She recognised Theodore Nott from across the room as he spoke.
"And me" Blaise Zabini next, but with no Ginny next to him, Hermione winced, another bridge to repair, another issue for later.
"And I" Someone she didn't recognise stood, though he looked a lot like Hannah Abbott.
"And me" Another person, a younger woman, but nodded, smiled.
"As Minister, I must take this petition to reform the Wizengmont seriously" Kingsley said with a smile, one of relief, with the Wizengmont in place he wouldn't be voted out without their approval, and so wouldn't have to bow down to the bullyish pureblood Ministers, though Hermione knew they'd need to chat to him about the laws. "And upon seven ranking members I would accept"
"Then add me in!" Someone else called who sounded out of breath, as though they'd just arrived.
It was enough.
"Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Roger Abbott, Jasmine Rosier and Azriel Yaxley, as seven ranking Wizengmont members, do you vote to reform?" He asked.
"We do" Their voices were strong, firm, thunderous, and the chamber was silent in return.
"The first session shall take place Thursday, as is tradition" Kingsley said, "And the Ministers will no doubt want to put amendments forward for law" He said then, looking back at the furious Ministers who nodded.
"They can try" Was all Harry offered, before he took Hermione's hand again, and turned to leave, they were done here, they'd achieved what they'd came for, and the entire crowd seemed lighter for it, there was no repealing this law, but a damn lot could be done to make it as palatable as possible.
And she felt utterly bursting with pride, so much it threatened to spill out of her, that Harry would be one of those people fixing this law.
That he would be standing up for human rights, and justice.
That he would do it whilst no doubt asking her input and for her help.
It was perfect.
It was Harry.
Who she followed happily as they made their way to the chamber door, peoples eyes following them as she clutched his hand.
"Is Hermione your match Harry?" Susan Bones asked, stood near the entrance, smiling, as the entire crowd listened.
"She is" He said with a smile, and looked around the chamber, "And I couldn't be happier"
And with that he swept her away, and her heart jumped.
boooooooom
lots happening
ofc our bbys wont go down without a fight! I'm now excited to be able to delve into the wizengmont, wizarding culture and laws etc, don't worry we ain't got no hadrian black or lord malfoy slytherin potter hufflepuff marvolo planned, but we will be delving into the wizarding world lore! hypeeee
also yes, feelings are happening and will be explored... I'll say no more!
speak soon