The marriage law
Hermione stared at The Prophet, too numb to cry. She'd been fighting for months, and still, this law had passed. A marriage law, as if they all hadn't given up enough. Now they were being ordered to give up their choice, their bodies and their futures. Most of her friends were alright, married quicker than they’d intended, but at least married to the person they chose. She had no prospects and no urge to marry just for the hell of it. Nothing to save her from the Ministry's mandate.
She felt rather than saw Harry enter the room.
“Well?” he asked, a hint of fear in his voice.
“It passed,” she whispered, unable to look at him as she processed what was going to come next. She’d prepared for this, hoping it wasn’t needed but unable to ignore the voice that reminded her how corrupt the Ministry had always been.
“Fuck,” he hissed, sitting down heavily next to her, “Hermione… isn't there…?” he trailed off sounding close to tears.
She shook her head sharply, the tears finally coming as she saw the devastation on his face. Giving in, she clung to her best friend and cried for all that was about to be taken from her.
Steeling her spine, Hermione flooed into the Ministry, her back straight, her shoulders squared and her chin raised. They would not see how much this was costing her. She wouldn't let them. In the atrium she was immediately accosted by reporters, asking if she was here for her match; how she felt knowing that she had failed to halt the law she’d been vocally opposed to, she shook her head. “There will be a statement after I’ve met with the new Marriage and families department,” she informed them firmly, “Not before.” At that she strode towards the lift, ignoring the calls behind her.
It was over four hours before a pale and shaking boy-who-lived stepped into the atrium. “I have a statement from Hermione Granger,” he called, unable to stop the first tear as it fell down his cheek. “As off…as off one o’clock this afternoon, Hermione Granger ceased to exist.”
The immediate swelling of noise was cut off by several loud bangs from the wand of a furious, red-eyed Ginny Potter, who took the parchment from her husband and scrunched it into a ball. Her voice carried through the atrium, barely contained rage evident in every word she spoke. “You were happy to rely on her. You relied on Hermione, Harry and Ron to save us from that fucking madman, and then you threw her to the wolves. Hermione warned you. She warned you that this was nothing more than Ministry sanctioned rape. She warned you she wouldn't be used, that she would never support this.”
“Mrs Potter that's enough,” Kingsley interjected, looking shaken. He’d never expected her to go through with it. Watching as the brightest witch of the age had her wand snapped and her magic bound before they obliviated her would haunt him until he died. He didn't agree with the law, but he had been bound by the Wizengamot's decision; never had he felt so powerless.
“Is it?” Ginny screeched, “Is it really? You all owe her your freedom! Every single last one of you that ran or hid, you fucking owe her! And this afternoon…." she faltered, letting out a sob that had Harry reaching for her, "this afternoon they snapped her wand, bound her magic and obliviated her. How the fuck could you!”
The entire atrium went still before a reporter asked softly, “They actually did it? To Hermione Granger?”
“Yes,” Kingsley sighed, running a hand over his face wearily. “She…she made the choice not to comply, knowing that they would.”
The eyes of every reporter looked at him in horror, even Rita looked stunned before a group moved from behind them and stood in front of the Minister. Pale but resolved, Dennis Creevy stepped out from the crowd, “I was chosen as spokesman.” he informed Kingsley, “I have no idea what anyone elses decision will be, but we’re muggleborns, living without magic doesnt scare us. Be prepared to snap a lot of wands Minister. Hermione is right. We will not be used. Not again.”
And just like that, the rebellion really began.