Windbound 23/35

[herumtreiber]

Title: Windbound - 23/35
Chapter: Twenty-three
Author:herumtreiber 
Genre: post DH, slash, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, nor do I make any money from writing these stories.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Epilogue compliant? Epilogue complaisant
Chapter length: ~4,316 words
Summary: Draco/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Hannah/Dean, Justin/Daphne, Ginny/??? My take on the Marriage Law. Should they obey the government’s edict or fight it the Muggle way? This leads to marriage equality. Plus there’s a twist exploring how a Horcrux operates. Good!Lucius, finally:) Hufflepuff house is amply represented here.



Table of contents


Chapter twenty-two

January 12th, 1999
Hogwarts

There was an inexorable sense of dread and excitement coursing through Hogwarts. The avowed Marriage Day had come. Some people looked at the whole idea with loathing, and some others couldn't wait for things to come out like they wanted to.

Hannah and Susan had spent most of the night walking nervously around the Hufflepuff common room. They had been joined by a concerned Justin, Daphne and Draco.

Justin and Draco had been initially nonchalant. However, as time went by and they received innocuous-looking messages from their fathers – Jason and Lucius sent short notes telling them to stay put and man the ship, that things would turn out ok– they started to get worried.

Draco was pacing to and fro as he muttered angrily to Justin, "Man the ship! What are we, pirates?" Draco tried to unsuccessfully tug his short hair, scowling, he continued, "We should have used mother's help instead! She's more reliable!"
Justin sought to calm the irritable blond. He said, "Calm down, Draco! Or do you want Hannah and Susan to become more nervous?

"I know they will pull through because I know my dad. He is not a Member of Parliament for nothing, you know? He's sharp, incisive and keen in getting things right. He especially likes to pose awkward questions to the Government during the Friday Questions. It was he who dealt the Marriage Law a severe blow when he wondered sarcastically why the Commons had to deal with a law designed for pureblood horses. The Minister of Magic clearly did not expect that the Muggles would be as nosy and unruly as to question a piece of legislation before voting.

"It set a tone of derision and disbelief that would herald the final defeat of the Law in the Commons. I also know Lucius is a political man through and through and I trust them.

"Concerning your mother, I have no doubt she would do just as well. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the supposed decision-makers tend to be men."

Meanwhile Daphne was talking to the blonde and the brunette. They were really angry that Etienne Zabini and Zacharias Smith still intended to pursue their union, after they had been publicly rejected and the whole Marriage Law called into question both politically and by the newspaper, The Quibbler.

Daphne took out from her pocket two small translucent pebbles and gave them to Susan and Hannah, saying, "If things turn out bad, grab the portkey and mutter the password Kürbissaft. It will take you to our Manor in the West Midlands and then you can decide what you will do. Astoria is probably at the Manor, and she will take you to our parents. They are kind, so don't worry."
Susan and Hannah hugged the brunette Slytherin.

Draco was idly perusing the Serpent's Map, when he noticed someone coming. Apparently, they had prevailed on Pansy to show up, to cover all their bases. He decided to meet with the former Slytherin near the Great Hall.

Pansy was in front of the stairs, pondering whether to go downstairs to the Slytherin common room, or visit the Hufflepuff one. If she knew Draco she would be in Slytherin. Thing was, he had changed, and he and the others appeared to enjoy an intense friendship. So chances were he'd be in Hufflepuff.

She was about to go upstairs when a mocking voice said, "I knew you would see it my way, Pans! Who wouldn't want to be married to me, debonair, handsome, a hero through and through?"

Pansy snorted as she turned and beheld Seamus Finnigan. He was near a stout-looking woman with some of his features.
The woman scowled and said, "Are you sure about it, bonny lad? This lass does not seem as pretty as the ones you have brought home. She looks downright dowdy! And frankly staying in this dusty old castle is playing havoc with my sinuses!"

Seamus turned to his mother and replied, "She will have to do, mother. It's because of that Marriage Law I told you about, and you'll only stay here until after the ceremony."
The woman said angrily, "And because of that stupid Law you have to marry a slut such as this!"

Pansy whipped out her wand and pointed it at the woman; Seamus also took out his wand and directed it towards Pansy. The stalemate was broken by a drawling voice that said suavely, "I suppose that ugly bitch is the one that you call mother, Finnigan? She looks as stupid and obtuse as you, which is not a simple feat. Now lower carefully your wand before I decide I want some fun and start using that bitch as transfiguration material."

Faced with Draco Malfoy, Seamus was forced to put his wand away. He'd been beset by mishaps since the kidnapping incident, all irritating and humiliating, and never had he been able to prove anything against Malfoy. He'd started to avoid the blond like the plague.

Whenever they met, Draco smirked disdainfully at him and went his way.
Draco continued, "You and your relative are free to go and get lost. I hope Peeves finds your lovely mother and they have a fruitful discussion about Poltergeist affairs. I'm sure she will understand, being one herself."

After the sorry Finnigans had left, Draco kissed Pansy's cheek as he led her upstairs to the Hufflepuff common room. He said, "Sorry for that. Fortunately I was able to stop it in time."

Pansy asked shrewdly, "The Serpent's Map?"
"Yes, I've managed to modify its programming somewhat. Now it will show the strongest magical feature of the person and doesn't show the blood status. I also changed the icons."

When they arrived to the Common Room, Draco conveniently forgot something and had the time to order the house-elf Flibby to go and get Terry Boot. Pansy was greeted warmly by the gang, although some Hufflepuffs still looked at her very distrustfully.

Hannah asked Pansy, "What about Greg Goyle and Blaise? I heard from Marietta and Parvati that they were also supposed to be married today."
Draco replied, "Greg doesn't care. He is of the opinion that the Marriage Law cannot order his marriage. He doesn't seem to care that he puts himself at some risk through his defiance. Actually, he has started to show a rebellious streak. First the long hair, and now this.

"Blaise is another one who doesn't care, though his approach is shrewder. If the Marriage Law goes on, he will apply for Swiss citizenship. His grandfather and father were Swiss, you know, and he was born in the canton of Ticino. Blaise is really smart."

Then the door was opened and Terry came in. He hurried to Pansy's side and kissed her passionately. Some of the onlookers blushed while others smiled.
Terry said, "I'll be here if you need me, Pansy! Fortunately Anastasia Warbeck will not be here. Like me, she detested the idea of forced marriage and jumped at the chance to be free."

Terry leaned towards Pansy and murmured sotto voce, "If they try to marry you against your will, we can always ride the reduced broomstick I carry on my pocket and fly away into the light of day."

They finally made their way to the Great Hall. They sat at the Hufflepuff table, where they were joined by Hermione, Ginny and Harry. They ate breakfast as if it were a cardboard meal, an ominous start that would be followed by the shackling of free will – as they considered it – or the renaissance of the Magical world, as the Ministry liked to spout.

Draco saw that Harry was far away, meditating about heavy stuff. He jostled his arm and said, "A Knut for your thoughts."

Harry replied, "I'm thinking about what is better: the good of the many or the happiness of the one? Ideally I would be for free will, especially about something like marriage, but the Marriage Law promises to solve the issue of the Blood divide."

Draco answered, "There is no easy solution, Harry. If the Marriage Law succeeds and we all wed according to it, who's to say that it won't be for naught? Who is to say that one or two generations down the line, people won't be at each other's throats because of a silly thing we disregard?

"To assume that the Marriage Law is the panacea for all things is really silly. It is just not right that the putative happiness of the Wizarding World seemingly depends on treating us like slaves, bereft of free will.

"Furthermore, there are things we could do right now that would alleviate tensions, without falling into tyranny."

Harry said, "But the Marriage Law would surely save the peace we sacrificed so much for!"

"There are concrete steps that would be much more doable and lasting than the stupid Marriage Law. Things like stopping Hogwarts prejudice in the bud, demolishing the idea that all Slytherins are evil and the others are certified good. You know that is not the truth, Harry!"

Harry replied, "I don't know, I still stand by the Marriage Law."

Draco sighed and said, "You are very stubborn, you won't change your mind easily, I know. For me, I hope to remain free.

"I hope that someday, we'll tie the knot. I don't need a piece of paper to tell me that you're mine, or I'm yours. But I will sure enjoy having it, if only to taunt Weasel."

Before they could finish the breakfast, Zacharias Smith approached Hannah and asked her unctuously, "Do you want to meet my parents?"

"No, unless it is in Hell. Which it might be if we are to be wed."
Smith said disdainfully, "You think this way now, Abbott; you will soon learn a better way to be!"

Harry stood up and advanced protectively toward Hannah. He said, "Leave her alone, Smith! This is not the way to go."
Zacharias turned to Harry and said condescendingly, "Why are you sticking up for her, Potter? Perhaps because she is the friend of your boyfriend, Malfoy. It's common knowledge that you spread your legs for him, so it shouldn't surprise me that you would be so accommodating."

Hermione flinched, remembering how Harry sometimes lost his cool and hit with whatever he had handy. She dreaded to see another demonstration of accidental magic.

She was surprised when she heard Harry answer calmly, "That is no concern of yours, Smith. What is at stake is how you treat your prospective wife. You should treat her with the same respect you expect to get from her. Anything else will cause trouble in your married life. You have always put stock on words, Smith. Learn to wield them well and do not use them to demean and hurt."

Harry unobtrusively took out the Elder wand and swished it a few times. Zacharias Smith was duly transformed into a weasel, a blond weasel. He was repeatedly bounced back and forth against the wall. Eventually Harry had to transform back the Amazing Bouncing Weasel, due to McGonagall's hectoring.

A disgruntled Harry complied, but he left Smith with a weasel's snout.

They ended their breakfast in a somber, dour mood which had been lifted briefly by the weasel incident and then they went to walk in the Gardens.
Classes had been cancelled for the day so the weddings would take place. Some enraged Ravenclaws had therefore contacted the ombudswoman and complained about the lost day of classes.

Liz Lehmke informed them in sorrowful tones, "I can't do anything. This was ordered by the Ministry. The Minister of Magic himself will be attending! You'll just have to bear it and study harder."

At 10:00 am, the house-elves started putting tents in the back of the lawn. A long table filled with cold cuts and bottles of champagne was provided. Several fairies started singing a soothing song, as if trying to cheer up the mostly depressed brides and grooms.

At 11:00 the dignitaries started showing up. Among them were Percy Weasley and his father Arthur Weasley, who had been chosen the new Minister of Magic after Kingsley Shacklebolt's surprising resignation.

The moment of truth crept increasingly closer, and the gang was understandably nervous. Susan, Hannah and Pansy were motioned to their places beside their prospective fiancés by an authoritative Justin and Draco.

The ceremony started. Draco was very worried. Still no sign of Lucius or Jason. The older men would not leave them to face this alone, would they?

He thought of attacking the uppity wizard officiating the ceremony, a loony like Dumbledore. This one had pink flamingos flying in his robes! The same measured stance, the calming glance, maybe it was Dumbledore's long lost brother or something.
But if he attacked this man, he would go to Azkaban and accomplish nothing. They would use another one at a later time, and the girls would not be saved.
So Draco held his peace and brooded.

When the wizard got to the part where he asked if anyone had an objection to the weddings, no one expected a lonely voice to loudly say, "I object."

A man strode towards the lectern used by the officious officiator. He was dressed in a dark grey Armani suit, had a white shirt and red-striped tie. He had a briefcase and he started to speak, as he was taking some documents out of it.

"I am John Martin, a representative of the Queen's Bench. We have reviewed the case of this Marriage Law since its inception. The Law as such was defeated in the Commons. Later a complaint was lodged against this Law, claiming that it was forcing some British subjects into conditions akin to slavery.

"A review by the Bench decided that this law was null and void in British soil. Later the Government fought this decision through the process of appeals, and it was finally decided in the House of Lords. The decision witnessed by the Lord Chancellor upheld the judgment deeming this law void.

"Still this so-called Ministry of Magic insists on forcing British subjects to make a lifetime commitment against their will. Their behavior is appalling and will not be allowed to proceed in Britain!"

An enraged Zacharias Smith shouted, "We are not British!"
Mr. Martin replied calmly, "You stand on British soil, you were born here. Britain surrounds you. You are a subject of this realm, whether you recognize it or not."

The Ministry wizards were getting restless and angry. One of them proceeded to whip out a wand and tried to curse Mr. Martin.
The man shouted 'Obliviate!' Everyone could see the beam of light going towards Mr. Martin.

Then a strange thing happened. The beam turned back on itself. It did not just bounce back or stopped showing, like would have occurred if a Protego shield had been used.

Instead, it went back and hit the hapless man. He shuddered and wobbled, and would have fallen if Percy Weasley had not grabbed his shoulders to steady him.

Six men and women appeared out of nowhere, they were dressed in khaki jackets, shirts and ties; they wore regimental tartan kilts or trews. The special pattern of the jackets worn with a cut away front identified them as belonging to the Royal Regiment of Scotland. They brandished guns and they politely asked the Ministry wizards to surrender their wands.

A melee broke out. The Ministry wizards would not give up so easily, and believing they had the upper hand when confronting some insignificant Muggles, the accompanying Aurors started shouting curses at them.

The soldiers defended themselves superbly. They knew they had to disarm the wizards, and proceeded to shoot at their arms. Mostly they succeeded and several wizards fell to the floor after having been wounded in their arms or legs.

During the fight, the Aurors were indiscriminate in their targeting, and two students were hit with Dark spells. Hannah and Susan approached them and took them to the Infirmary. The Hufflepuffs were protected by Harry and Draco. Susan was about to be hit with a Dark spell when a Protego shield cast by Harry protected her.

Eventually the four students reached the Infirmary and left their charges with Madam Pomphrey. They returned to the Garden and the fight.

The wizards managed to fire off some effective curses, including several green Avada Kedavras. When the targets were the soldiers, the curses rebounded directly on the person casting them. The Aurors who shot the Avada Kedavras fell dead, victims of their own reflected curses.

At the end, three Ministry workers were dead, and the rest effectively out of combat.

Meanwhile, the soldiers fanned out and started taking prisoners, including the Minister of Magic himself. Harry came to the woman who seemed to be in charge and pleaded for Arthur. Eventually they stopped listening to his pleas and Arthur remained a prisoner.

McGonagall was predictably furious. She shouted, "How can you do this? How can you arrest the Minister of Magic? What law has he broken?"

Mr. Martin answered calmly, "The Minister of Magic is a subject of this realm, as well. He has disobeyed the will of Parliament. He has repeatedly tried to impose his own will on the hapless people he supposedly protects. He has broken enough laws in our realm to be held accountable. No doubt he has also broken some of your flimsy, arbitrary laws, if you look hard enough."

Jason Finch-Fletchley approached Justin and shook his arm, saying, "Justin, I'm sure you could escort nice Mrs. Gramson to your Room, so she can tell the helicopter where to meet them with their guests." Jason looked like the proverbial cat that got the canary.
Justin didn't need to see the writing on the wall to know who had arranged for the miraculous apparition of Mr. Martin and the soldiers. Still, they could have been told the plan!

Grumbling, Justin went to Mrs. Gramson and asked her to follow him to the Room of Requirement. The athletic woman, who looked to be in her thirties, looked interestedly at Hogwarts' portraits, the moving stairs, and a whining Peeves passing by.

Curious, Justin asked, "Mrs. Gramson…"
"Just call me Frankie, hon. My mom is Mrs. Gramson."

"Frankie, how is it that you are not overly concerned about all the magic? I know it must be a hell of a shock! I found out about magic when I was eleven, but you, how do you cope with all this?"

Frankie smiled and said, "There are so many things I don't get, kiddo, like the way these computers work, or how doctors heal patients. This is just another thing I don't understand."

"But, don't you feel threatened by magic?"
"No, I don't get it, but I don't fear it. It would be like going around smashing computers because I don't like them. I just endure them and go on."

Justin paced back and forth in front of the Room while Frankie made fun of the dancing trolls. The door opened and then they went inside. Frankie was able to use her phone to call for a helicopter to meet them in the town where Jason generally left his car, near Hogsmeade.

After the impromptu guests had left the smashing party known as 'the wedding day,' Draco nodded at Luna. The blonde Ravenclaw took off her outlandish glasses and winked, indicating the story would appear on the next day's Quibbler.
A visibly enlightened Pansy said goodbye to her now official boyfriend Terry Boot and kissed him soundly, ignoring Draco's and Harry's catcalls.

When they entered the castle, Ginny and Harry were looking at Hermione a little fearfully. The brunette Gryffindor had commandeered the help of several house-elves and was ready to sew uplifting sentences using her group RAMS: Resistance Against Marriage Submission. The slogans said 'RAMS wins again,' 'Don't mess with RAMS,' and the classic, 'RAMS 1: Ministry lost.'

After Hermione peremptorily told them that she expected their voluntary contributions of clothing to be ready at the earliest convenience, she stared at Draco particularly hard.

Ron came up to them and spoke with Harry. The redhead looked very worried. Harry looked up and met Draco's eyes, twinkling a little. Harry said he had to go to the Ministry with Ron; to be sure they did not hold Mr. Weasley for too long.
Draco nodded and the Gryffindors left them.

Justin suggested that they gather in the Room for what he importantly called a 'debriefing.' After Susan smacked him in the arm, the gang accompanied by Jason and Lucius made their way to the Room of Requirement.

This time it was Lucius who paced in front of the tapestry the required amount of times. When they entered they beheld an exquisite room with tapestries hung in all walls, comfortable couches everywhere, and a long table filled with delicacies.

Draco inwardly snorted as he realized the room looked just like his grandmother's parlor in Elsinore.
Hannah asked, "So what happened with the spells rebounding, and where did those soldiers come from?"

Lucius smirked and replied, "As Miss Granger has suspected from the start, the geas is very powerful, the blind Obedience Vow our ancestors tried to impose mutated and became what is today: it bounds all decisions to the will of Parliament. Even magic must submit to the geas."

Susan said, "But you say that all decisions must obey the will of Parliament. What about Cromwell's war then? What about the countless clashes within England and Scotland? What about Voldemort's evil behavior?"

Jason commented, "You raise interesting points, Miss Bones. Lucius should have been more precise." Here Jason flashed a smile at Lucius while the blond seethed inwardly.
Jason continued, "The geas binds all decisions to the will of Parliament, as expressed through the Commons and through the Wizengamot."

"So you see that the Ministry, when it tried to cover all loopholes and force everyone to submit to the Marriage Law, unwittingly showed us the way to go. Use Parliamentary procedure and methods to reach in the Commons and Lords what could never be achieved in the Wizengamot, a wise decision.

"Sure, there was Civil War during the reign of Charles I, but because it dealt only with Muggle aspects, the geas was not activated. When Voldemort was reigning triumphant, only the Wizengamot was an active participant, and Parliament remained largely uninvolved, thus the geas was still inactive.

"When the Ministry wanted to involve the Commons in approving the same Law and creating a binding metalaw, they opened the door to the actions of the geas. The Wizengamot approved the Law, which was rejected in the Commons. The Ministry had a last opportunity to affect the outcome, by arranging for the Wizengamot to appear in the House of Lords as the Lords Magical and vote for the Law. They did not react, and thus subjected themselves to the effects of the geas."

Lucius said, sporting a thoroughly malicious smirk, "As to how those charming young people showed up at Hogwarts, let me put it this way: they had friends in strange places, able to help them pass the Hogwarts wards against Muggles and transport them to that lovely fête at the lake." Lucius kept smirking as he tapped his cane against his right foot.

Draco touched Justin's shoulders and motioned to the side. The two students went to a secluded alcove in the room and Draco asked, "Have you thought about what this means, this victory?"
Justin shook his head. Draco said, "As my recent readings suggest, British law is based on precedent. Think about it, now there is a precedent that selected people in the Wizarding World must be treated according to the Human Rights Charter approved into law by Parliament."

"This means that further cases involving breaking such laws should have nearly the same results. It is important in the case of the werewolves. Their human rights are being abused. They are being ostracized, ridiculed, shunned and hurt in many ways because of something they can not prevent. We must build upon this as we struggle for their rights."

After everyone left, Draco remained behind to talk with Lucius. They spoke about young Miriam, and Lucius eagerly told his son about Miriam's quick grasp of concepts.

That Monday she had her first session with the children's counselor. It was still too early to sense how much progress they were making, but they were going in the right direction.
Then they talked about Narcissa and how she and Antonia were faring in their project to protect Muggleborns from physical and mental abuse.

Finally, they got to the ticklish part. Lucius started fidgeting with his cane and Draco replied rapidly, before his father could enter that metaphorical landmine, "It's all right, dad! I know what has you worried. I solemnly assure you that I will eventually produce the Malfoy Heir you have been yearning for."

Later that night Draco mused that things were starting to look well. The sea was calm, and there appeared to be a stable breeze moving the vessel along.
He took out the Serpent's Map and started looking at random common rooms. Then he saw something that was so strange, he didn't know what to think.

He cursed himself, he should have known better than to taunt the gods thinking that everything was ok. Things were not ok!

Chapter twenty-four