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The Philosopher's Fate by peskipiksi [Reviews - 12]

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‘Happy eighteenth birthday, Hermione,’ Ginny said, sliding a wrapped parcel across the breakfast table. ‘You’re an adult in the Muggle world now, too!’

Hermione smiled her thanks at Ginny, but it was strained. “Happy” wasn’t the word either of them would have used to describe the start of the new year at Hogwarts. After many bitter arguments, it had been decided that Harry and Ron should search for the Horcruxes, while Hermione returned to Hogwarts to keep an eye on things. Both Hermione and Ginny suspected that she was to keep an eye on Ginny more than on Hogwarts. Ron wasn’t keen on his little sister returning to a school run by Death Eaters. The decision had been made, reluctantly, after the Daily Prophet announcement that Snape was to return as Headmaster. Harry said he wanted an ear to the ground - someone to report back to him. Admittedly, she had not been able to think of a way to contact him that wouldn’t be intercepted, but she was working on it.

Doing her best to look happy, Hermione opened Ginny’s present. It was a large, heavy book: Philosophy for Beginners. Much to Parvati’s amusement, Hermione’s smile was genuine as she thanked Ginny.

She opened the book and began to read from Chapter One. ‘“The most appropriate age for marriage is eighteen for women and thirty-seven for men.” – Aristotle’

Despite the restrictive atmosphere in the Great Hall, Ginny giggled. ‘So who do you fancy? Lupin? Lockhart?’ She threw a sideways glance at the High Table. ‘Snape?’

‘Tell me you’re joking!’ Hermione hissed, following Ginny’s gaze. Sitting in Dumbledore’s old chair, Snape looked cold and aloof, as usual, but there was something else. He looked strained, tense, as if he were waiting for something unpleasant to happen.

The arrival of the post owls distracted Hermione. She wasn’t expecting any more presents – Hagrid had slipped her a card as he passed the Gryffindor table, her parents would be in Australia by now, completely unaware of her existence, and she knew there was no chance of hearing from Harry or Ron – so she was most surprised when an owl dropped a letter onto her plate.

She caught her breath as she noticed the Ministry of Magic seal on the back. She and Ginny knew who was running the Ministry now, and no letter from Pius Thicknesse would contain good news. With shaking fingers, Hermione opened the envelope.

Dear Miss Granger,
As of 1st September, a new law is in force to which you must adhere. Under the Marriage Law of 1997, all Muggle-borns are required to marry Ministry-approved pure-blood or half-blood witches and wizards. Please find enclosed a list of approved candidates.


Stunned, Hermione unfolded the second piece of parchment. It contained a list of names.

Dolohov, Antonin
Lestrange, Rabastan
Travers, Jonathan
Mulciber, Edward
Murgatroyd, Despard
Murgatroyd, Ruthven…


Ginny had taken the first page of the letter and was staring at it, aghast. Now she grabbed the list, and her mouth fell open. ‘They’re all Death Eaters!’ she hissed.

Hermione felt as if she was going to faint. ‘How can they do this?’ she gasped. ‘I can’t marry… any of these. I can’t marry anyone!’

‘Ginny was looking as bad as Hermione felt. ‘There is a precedent,’ she whispered. ‘In the Middle Ages, when fighting and illness nearly wiped out the magical population, a law was passed requiring Muggle-born wizards to marry pure-bloods to keep magical bloodlines going. But I never thought they’d resurrect it! We can’t go back to the Dark Ages; it’s barbaric!’

‘It’s the new regime,’ Hermione answered grimly. ‘We all know who’s behind it, don’t we?’

‘And why today?’ continued Ginny. ‘Ruining your birthday for you.’

‘So they can push it through without objections.’ Hermione’s tone became even grimmer. ‘If they wait until we’re eighteen, you can get married in the Muggle world without your parents’ consent and no one can prove it wasn’t consensual.’ Tears sprang suddenly to her eyes. Not only was she being forced to marry a man she had never met, her parents wouldn’t be at her wedding, and they would never even know.

Ginny had turned the parchment over. ‘Have you read the rest of this?’ she asked quietly.

‘The rest?’ Hermione stretched out a shaking hand. Please God, a let-out. The letter continued:

Muggle-borns would, under normal circumstances, be given a choice from the enclosed list. In your case, however, the Ministry has made the choice for you. In view of your academic record, and in order to allow you to remain at Hogwarts, it has been decided you will marry Hogwarts Headmaster Severus Snape.

No let-out. It was just getting worse and worse.

‘It’s my fault,’ Ginny said in a small voice. ‘I jinxed it.’ She was looking at the book.

‘Jinxed it?’ Hermione tore her eyes away from the appalling letter and stared at her birthday present. She drew her wand unobtrusively out of her sleeve.

‘No, I don’t mean literally,’ Ginny corrected herself hastily. ‘I mean… I said you should marry Snape. I didn’t think…this would happen!’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Ginny,’ Hermione snapped. ‘You know I don’t believe in Divination.’ She lowered her voice as she caught sight of Ginny’s stricken face. ‘They’ve done this to keep me in line. So I can’t communicate with Harry. So he can keep an eye on me.’

Still, as she glanced up at the High Table and met the Headmaster’s severe gaze, the book did seem to be taunting her.

***
A/N: The Aristotle quote seemed like a great starting point for a fic, and I wanted to write a Marriage Law fic that didn’t depend on Snape being pure-blood. I know Lupin says no Muggle-borns are allowed back to Hogwarts, but we know Colin Creevey was there: McGonagall talks to him at the Gryffindor table before the evacuation of the younger students. (DH Ch 31). I have capitalised on that small inconsistency to allow Hermione back to school. Travers’ and Mulciber’s names are not canon; I have used them in other fics, though. Ruthven and Despard Murgatroyd are the villains of Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera “Ruddigore”.


The Philosopher's Fate by peskipiksi [Reviews - 12]

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