The Marriage Decree

Are you following me? (Book 1 Ch 2)

"Morning, Mitty," he greets his house-elf.

Mitty is the only one who cares about his presence at Malfoy Manor. After Lucius' trial, his mother tried her best to ignore her son, only offering a few words of pleasantries at meal times. If his three friends hadn't been going home for Christmas, he would have quite gladly stayed at Hogwarts.

"Good morning, Draco," Mitty greets him, pushing her way into his room with a letter grasped in her tiny fist.

Mitty had practically raised him his whole childhood, and he considered himself closer to her than his own parents. After witnessing the abuse the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters threw at her during the war, he had chosen to set her free. Mitty thanked him for his consideration but claimed that as long as her master still needed her, she would remain by his side. Needing to make some sort of change, Draco ordered Mitty to call him Draco and frequently bought her gift as payment since she refused coins.

"Draco have letter," Mitty holds the thick envelope for him. "From Minister," she adds.

Dragging his hands down his tired face, Draco perches on his bed. Since testifying against Lucius, the Minister for Magic wrote to him weekly, requesting him to testify against other Death Eaters. No matter how often he declined, the Minister wouldn't take no for an answer.

"I thought we agreed to destroy all Ministry letters," Draco mumbles into his hands.

"Mitty did, but letter returns," Mitty explains.

Curiosity piqued, Draco reaches out for the envelope. "Must be important," he mutters as he tears it open, removing the numerous pieces of parchment.

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Minister of Magic

London

England

United Kingdom

Saturday 1st January 1999

Dear Mr/Miss,

As we enter a New Year, we leave behind the most horrific year our community has ever experienced. It is with heavy hearts we remember those family and friends whom we

lost at the hands of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. While we may never know for certain just how many lives were taken during the four years of war, we do know the number is devastating for our community.

Our statisticians have recently come to the conclusion that our community is at risk of extinction during the next two centuries. As such, the Ministry must take immediate action to ensure Wizarding Britain thrives into a prosperous future.

The Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, hereby decrees that a Marriage Decree will be enforced to increase the population and morale of Wizarding Britain.

The Marriage Decree

All persons to graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on Friday 24th June 1999 to persons aged 24 years on Friday 1st July 1999 will be required to marry in The Marriage Ceremony.

All persons The Marriage Decree applies to will be required to complete the attached questionnaire to ensure they are effectively married to the person with whom they are most compatible.

Once married, all couples will be required to reside for two years, or until the birth of their first child, in our new Ministry Starter House Estate.