Epilogue

A year later

The Council of seven and the Minister had worked hard since he had invoked Act 3, and while they weren't done yet, they had been able to make major progress.

They started by barring anyone with a criminal record to work in the Ministry or step in it. Although Lucius Malfoy had been disposed of thanks to a potion that triggers underlying health conditions to a lethal degree, he wasn't the only one of the old guard to strut around the Ministry like he owned it.

Sadly they couldn't simply overturn a previous Wizengamot ruling when it came to post-war trials, but they did make finding fugitive Death Eaters a priority and the ones still alive were now enjoying Azkaban.

Using the death of Fenrir Greyback, they created a new department focused on bettering the lives of witches and wizards with lycanthropy, from free Wolfsbane to a sanctuary named Lupin Woods where Nott Manor used to reside, they also overturned the discriminatory laws preventing lycanthropes from marrying or accessing Saint Mungo's. Lupin Woods also had a small building where the young victims of Greyback were being deconditioned.

Head Auror Robards had been forced to retire, promoting Auror Williamson to the Head office, a transfer from MACUSA after the war who was more than qualified and had been so far underutilised.

Although the Ministry didn't have much say in the running of Hogwarts, the Council met with Headmistress McGonagall and a new class on Wizarding Culture had been introduced a few months ago, mandatory for Muggle-raised students the first three years. On the other hand, Muggle Studies had been revamped as Muggle Culture and was similarly mandatory to Wizarding-raised students. The idea was to shatter prejudices as early as possible and expand the worldview of the students.

The prejudices were still there, of course, even a year wouldn't change people that much. However, the hiring policies at the Ministry had been reviewed and modified to completely stop muggleborn discrimination, with the introduction of quota of Muggle-raised employees in key departments, such as the DMLE, which had seen the recruitment of Dean Thomas as an Auror and a few former Ravenclaws in the Law side of the department.

Harry Potter had learned a lot this past year, and as a result had distanced himself from Ronald Weasley who had thrown a fit when he wasn't asked to be a part of the Council. He had spent a lot of time talking, and apologising, with Hermione, and while they would never be as close as they used to, they were friends again. Although he had never voiced it out loud, or talked about it with anyone really, he was also certain she was the one who had been going after the fugitives. He was choosing to ignore it, and especially ignoring the deaths of Parkinson and Malfoy, who were a bit too coincidental, but there was no proof so he would say nothing. With the help of Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom, a weird combination to him but it worked, he had even claimed the Potter seat on the Wizengamot and had caused quite the scandal when he declared for the Grey Faction.

The group of vigilantes had a busy year, moving from morally questionable shadow work to very public government work, they still found some time for themselves. While Theo and Hermione had married before the Act was invoked, Draco and Blaise had gotten engaged during the Summer and Pansy Parkinson was slowly breaking down Harry Potter's defences. However, Blaise Zabini was choosing to continue his bachelor lifestyle and Marcus Flint had begun a quiet romance with Anastasia Berger, a French muggleborn Auror who transferred to Britain a few months ago to pad up the department while recruitment was slow going.

Hermione Nott hadn't picked up her sniper rifle since Corban Yaxley but she hadn't closed off the basement either, she remained prepared for anything. While she hoped she wouldn't need to hunt down fugitives again, she kept her options open.

Act 3 had a 2 years maximum longevity, and the Minister and his Council still had a lot of work to do to unravel centuries of isolationism and ignorance. They knew they couldn't be done in a year, but they would be in a much better place to continue through the normal procedures of the Wizengamot and the Ministry.

If they got stuck again, well, Hermione still had her rifle.

Fin