1,173Author's Note: This could be a short story on it's own, but if there's interest, I'd really like to continue it. I've got 12 more pages written.
Prologue
He stared at the paper in horror, hardly believing his eyes. He brushed a lock of blonde hair out of his eyes, staring at the letter yet again, the words sinking into his brain against his will. Surely this had to be illegal. There was no way they could enforce it. Surely he had rights, didn't he?
1st of August, 1999
To Mister Draco Malfoy,
Upon careful consideration, the Ministry of Magic has determined that the out-dated ideology of blood purity was the driving force behind the war that wracked our civilization for several generations. It has lead to distressing amounts of life-loss and increasingly wide chasms between various segments of the wizarding population here.
Furthermore, to ensure that this does not occur again, the Ministry is prepared to take rather drastic measures.
The number of Pureblood families in Great Britain (with records dating back to 1532 or older) is now scarcer than one hundred. In addition to the social unrest caused by Pureblood mania, wizards studying heredity have determined there are serious physical risks associated with the amount of inbreeding that would occur if the remaining Pureblood families married only Pureblood families for the next 3 generations or more. It is hereby ordered that unmarried Pureblooded witches and wizards over the age of 17 and under the age of thirty must marry (with the intent of producing offspring with) a person of Halfblood or Muggle-born status. In this way, we can guarantee that no families will remain Pureblooded, and the tragedies that have followed our world for decades will not be repeated. History is inclined to repeat itself if those living in the present do not learn from their predecessors mistakes.
You are given the span of one calendar year to find a suitable mate. If you are unable or unwilling to do so, the Ministry does offer two alternatives. Ministry representatives will assist you in finding a partner of suitable age, blood, and (if possible) temperament. The second option is that you can at any time undergo voluntary sterilization (thus preventing the possibility of enduring Pureblooded lines).
Ever Yours,
Martia Goolenhaus
Under-Secretary to the Head of the Threat Assessment Office
He had a year to marry or be sterilized. He shuddered at the thought, wondering what in the name of Salazar's forked tongue he was going to do. This was the worst birthday ever and it wasn't even lunchtime yet.
Author's Note:So this could be a short story on its own, but, if there's interest I'll publish the rest of the chapters (which are considerably longer). Chapter 1 is about a dozen pages. I know this seems Malfoy-centered, but it actually seems to be developing as more of an ensemble story-thus far: Malfoy, Blaise, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Neville, Hermione, Ginny...I haven't made any major decisions on pairings yet.
If you're interested in seeing a continuation of this story, please review. My goal is the prologue and 12 chapters (a chapter for each month).
I'd also dearly love suggestions for another title. I'm not real thrilled with this one. Preview for the next chapter:
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He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but only just. "I'll tell you what, Mother. I don't want to think about this right now. I have a full year before they can take any direct action against me. Let me enjoy this year to myself and I'll let you introduce me to my bride-to-be the day before my next birthday."