Reconstruction of a Death Eater

Dobby stood wringing his hands and hopping from one foot to the other in a constant twitter of anguish. "Dobby is promising Old Master, but Young Master is not playing fair and Dobby is a bad elf...."

The house-elf had approached Draco as he and the Gryffindor trio left the infirmary after spending some time with Lysander, who was quite happy to nap under Madam Pomfrey's eagle eye while he was so young.

"No, Dobby, you are not a bad elf, we just played a few tricks with the rules that's all," Draco assured the skittish creature who had almost knocked his brains out by hitting his head on the corner of the wall so hard. "We had to keep it a secret as you know how my Father would react."

Dobby keened and went to bang his head again, but Harry caught him and held him tightly. "What on earth is it?" he demanded as he struggled with the upset house-elf.

"It's a letter."

"From the Old Master to be given to Young Master two days after his wedding, but Dobby failed! Old Master trusted Dobby, and Dobby failed Old Master's trust!"

"Dobby, you didn't fail, it is two days after my wedding, sort of," Draco said in exasperation, his patience short with mad elves. "Look, you moronic idiot, just let me read the damned thing!"

Dobby shivered all over but at least he stopped fighting Harry and stood limp before the three Gryffindors and one Slytherin as all eyes were fixed on the limp and age-yellowed parchment the house-elf had pressed into Draco's hands that morning. The script on the front was bold and angular but a little shaky in places, that of a strong man who was ill. The seal was the Malfoy coat of arms and unbroken although a little worn on the edged from years of being stored in a house-elf's nest. Taking a deep breath, Draco broke the wax with a crack.

Dear Draco,

As I pen this I am looking down on you in your cradle, wondering what to say to the man this tiny child will grow into. I am not an old man and by rights I should be there with you in your future, but alas, the follies of youth have caught up to me and I will not see this year out. Thanks to Severus I have had more time than is usually granted to most sufferers of Perryander's Disease and I have had more freedom of movement and more mental agility, again thanks to my dear Severus' potions. Enough of that.

If Dobby has done the job I asked of him, you were married two days ago and I hope to a girl worthy of the Malfoy name. I cannot imagine which family it will be; I know Lucius was trying to connect you to Nordestrom, but I have my doubts about that connection. Perhaps you have secured a Snape, one of Severus' cousins. That would be a valuable connection and he would be pleased. However, regardless of the girl's Family, make her a worthy successor to your grandmother.

I have no advice for you; my own marriage was very sweet, unfortunately cut short by jealousy and a Curse. Lucius and Narcissa will not be the best of parents, I'm afraid, both very self-centred and far too young to have a child yet. However, we have done our best to protect and nurture you by appointing Severus as your Godfather. He will look after you no matter what the outcome of the impending war between Light and Dark. If Lord Voldemort wins then Severus will sit at his right hand as he deeply loves his Tom, and in that position of favour, you too will be favoured. If Lord Voldemort fails, then I trust with all my heart that Severus will use his power to keep you safe and get you out of the country before any harm can come to you.

When you return to Malfoy, go into my study and speak to my portrait, the rather ordinary one that Lenthic Montrose did. It will direct you to where I have secreted a few mementoes for you. Take care, my boy, and have a long and happy life.

Your Grandfather

Abraxas Malfoy

"Wow, a voice from the past, indeed. Thank you, Dobby, you have done me a great service," Draco told the house-elf with a slightly crooked smile. "It's... I don't know what to say. He died before I even knew him."

"He thinks a lot of Snape," Harry commented softly into the thoughtful silence.

"What he said is true, Severus was and is a powerful wizard, only not quite as Grandfather envisaged. I - I have to go think about this for a while," Draco said distractedly, dropped a kiss on his wife's nose and wandered off.

~~*~~

The new Minister for Magic sat behind his wonderfully fashioned and polished desk and smiled at the three men seated before him. "I am most pleased to be appointed Minister, and I will fill the office to the best of my abilities," he assured them with a smile. "I realise the office of Minister has fallen into disrepute over the last few years, and you, Rufus, had only just begun to bring it back to its full significance, a hard and long journey, I think. However, it is one I plan to continue, working in your footsteps to accomplish the things a Minister for Magic needs to accomplish to keep all our people safe from the horrid menace of Lord Voldemort."

The smug complacency his first part of speech had fostered in Scrimgeour withered when the older man saw the light in his successor's eyes. This man had his own agenda, and they were about to feel the first whisk of the new broom. The Supreme Mugwump was still nodding and smiling as the new Minister produced a roll of parchment and opened it on the desk's pristine surface.

"My first decision concerns you and your department intimately, Rufus. During my time as High Court Justice, I was most distressed to find a number of people were being tossed into Azkaban without even a rudimentary hearing. Now, you must agree that one fiasco like the Black case is quite enough in each lifetime, so I have decided to appoint a Junior Minister to review the status and condition of every prisoner held in Azkaban, look over the cases, weigh the evidence against each person and classify the person. I have appointed Percy Weasley to this task as he has an eye for detail and is a son of a well respected and very fair-minded hero of the Wizarding world. I believe you have worked with Percy before, Rufus."

The eyes were clear and guileless but Scrimgeour knew he had been done over like a dinner; all he could do was bow slightly and accept the new auditor of his Department. Still, Weasley was a reasonable and most conscientious young man who could be 'guided' if handled correctly.

Aramaus Morneloten looked slightly apprehensive as the smiling maniac turned his open and honest countenance on him. "The Wizengamot has also been hampered by a Minister with an agenda that does not do our people very much good," he said softly. "Many of the recently passed laws were sent through with a stamper spell on them, usually without being properly read or even evaluated against the good of the wizarding world as a whole. I'm sure you will agree that alienating whole segments of the population is not a very wise thing to do when you are on the brink of war, particularly when the laws seem especially designed to send those sections discriminated against fleeing into the arms of the opposition. I refer particularly to the laws pertaining to internal security, discrimination against magical creatures and the disruption of international trade."

"What... what? How has international trade been disrupted?" Morneloten asked in shock.

"Half of the European Congress of Nations is made up of Old Families, many of which have Vampire, Elven and Veela blood. They are usually served by the second level of non-humans, Centaurs, werewolves and the Afrit races. The Commonwealth's removal of basic rights from these races is seen as a slap in the face for the powerbrokers in Europe and consequently, many of the Continental nations are beginning to refuse trade agreements. If we want to repair the damage we need to review and repeal quite a lot of the newest laws of discrimination, do you see?" The earnestness of the Minister shone through like a beacon in the darkness, however there was a hardness behind the eyes that informed the Supreme Mugwump that this was not a suggestion.

"Do you have any ideas or directions?" the man asked, running a finger around the collar of his robes.

"Naturally..."

~~*~~

Percy looked around his new office in quiet satisfaction, rubbing his hands together gleefully. It was twice as big as his old office, and he now had four secretaries to do his bidding. Every magical record of the proceedings of the High Wizard Court had been accessed and was at his fingertips, the newest first. It was his job to evaluate the cases, see first of all, who'd had hearings and who had been sent straight to Azkaban without trial. Those who had no trial were his first priority. He was to make sure there was a case against each person, see what evidence was there and whether the case was a real one or a nuisance 'Death Eaters under the bed' case. It was all very exciting and he couldn't wait to get started. Besides, if he buried himself in work he might be able to drown the memories of the post funeral fiasco with his family, what was left of it.

He shuddered when he pictured his mother cursing him in the kitchen, Charlie telling him he was a self-centred git who put prestige and recognition before the good and indeed the love of his family, which was just not true! He had said that too, loudly, glaring at Charlie and Ron as they faced him across the restaurant table where they had chosen to meet him. He had loved his father as much as any of them, but he was a realist, he knew which side his bread was buttered on, and where the cake could be had. Yes, his father was a loving one, a fine husband and a good man, but he was a complete nightmare when it came to the things that mattered, like upholding the family name and making sure they didn't look like bloody charity cases all their lives.

Percy felt he had scored a telling hit with Ron on that point but then Ginny had waded in, saying Mother had told her Percy had deserted their father in the face of the enemy, making sure he got out and safe without even bothering to lift a finger to send help back to the beleaguered Ministry. At that his two brothers had gone wide-eyed, and Percy still cringed as he watched the tide of disgust and hatred creep into their faces.

"You ran? A Weasley and a Gryffindor ran in the face of the enemy? What sort of coward are you?" Charlie had asked in disbelief.

"I'm the live kind!" Percy had snapped back without thinking, and Ginny had slapped him, knocking him over backwards in her fury.

The bruise was still on his face two weeks later, hidden under glamour charms. They had told him never to darken their doorways again, never to contact, speak or even think about any of them as he was dead to them, as dead as last week's dog's meat, not fit to be buried in the Weasley plot or appear on the Weasley clock or be written in the Weasley bible; he wasn't fit to polish the shoes of a Weasley living or dead.

Sighing deeply, Percy scrubbed his face and pulled the first folder closer. Even if he had lost everything he thought he didn't care about but actually did, he still had his work to keep him going.

~~*~~

Jonathon McCarthy unrolled the piece of parchment he held and took a deep breath before he began to read aloud. "By order of the Minister of Magic, with the consent and ratification by the Wizengamot and the Aurors Department, let it be known that the following laws, edicts and decrees are now lifted, voided and made null. Let it be known that first; the Isle of Cardoul is no longer maintained as a concentration camp for those infected with lycanthropy. Werewolves caught committing an offence or breaking laws will still be sent there for their own protection but only as a last resort. Secondly, the Child Protection act - Werewolf Clause - has been completely repealed, and those children still in care will be returned to their parents as soon as is practical. Thirdly, werewolves will no longer be processed and given mandatory sterilisation upon infection or their 13^th birthday, whichever is the more practical...."

The dull hum of conversation from the gathering grew louder as each amendment was read out. A strangled sob greeted one clause, a grunt of satisfaction another until the old man lowered the parchment and surveyed his Alphas with hooded eyes. "Any questions?"

"Who are they trying to kid?" a burly man demanded, pushing to the front of the pack. "No more sterilisations? What good is that?"

"Ask Shadow Bitch, Windbiter, her daughter is almost thirteen and terrified, now she will be spared the indignity of sterilisation," someone else called from the back of the gathering.

"Will we really be able to get our children back? Even if they are not werewolves?"

"What about the people who are already incarcerated on Cardoul? What of them?"

"Will we be granted jobs and full citizenship?" someone else demanded bitterly.

The Alpha Prime tipped back his head and howled for order, the restless wolves settling a little as a rather slender man stepped out of the shadows, waves of nervous stink rolling off him. The gathering sniffed as one, then growled uneasily. McCarthy smiled toothily. "Let me introduce you to the new Minister for Magic, Constantine Clearwater. He is here to answer any questions we might have as best he can. Minister?"

"Er, Ladies and Gentlemen, I realise this is somewhat unorthodox, but I felt it would be best if I was to address you directly rather than just make pronouncements from the Ministry building, which is really more of an idea than an actual building at the moment." The crowd allowed themselves to laugh at his small joke but all were listening, their attention an almost physical pressure on the man. "The 'Werewolf Reforms' as they are being called are more a matter of repealing recent, very unfair laws that were put in place unlawfully. A number of the former Ministry staff have been exposed as Death Eaters or sympathisers, and a lot of the very worst abuses have been traced back to their interference in the natural course of lawmaking. Years ago one of your own people alerted us to the horrors that were being perpetrated on the Isle of Cardoul. Once we did our duty and investigated the island, we were disgusted and have been quietly working to make the island into a place fit for human habitation. There are proper shops and homes, schools and amenities for people living on the island and all may freely apparate in or out except at full moon when the wards close and no one can apparate in or out."

"So now if you offend you are turned straight into potions ingredients instead of being exiled to freeze to death then getting turned into potions ingredients," a wit from the left said sarcastically.

The Minister smiled. "Well, perhaps not quite that quickly, at least we can now guarantee the offender a trial instead of an instant trip."

"Our children, how are we to reclaim our children, when can we reclaim them?"

"The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was pretty much destroyed by the Death Eaters' last raid and a lot of the records were lost. However... however, we have set up three liaison officers to help track down the children and get them back to any family which wants them as soon as possible." He tried to continue over the roar of angry voices but was unable until a howl rang out, making the trees around them shiver with the noise.

"Listen to the Minister, some of us lost more than just records in that raid, don't let it be in vain!" a thin faced man with a the marks of great sorrow still on his cheeks said flatly. "Those bastards arrested my Pellar for nothing more than a glare at a pushy witch, and she was destroyed in the raid, her body carved by torture when it was returned to me. Was it the Death Eaters or was it the Control Officers? I don't know but I care that those times might be stopped."

There was an uneasy but deferential silence as the Minister sighed. "I can promise you it was Death Eaters who hurt your wife; they killed a lot of people in their raid, ours too, as well as civilians. Oh, and that is something else we have been redressing. Marriage of lycanthropes and non-lycanthropes are as legal and as binding as any other marriage. No one partner will 'own' the other, and the rights and responsibilities will be equal in the eyes of the law. Any children born of the union will be the legal offspring of that union with full wizarding birthrights and entitlements...."

"Even if they inherit the lycanthropy from their parents?"

"Even so," Minister Clearwater confirmed. "So it is written, so it is done. It was proposed, seconded and carried this morning. I don't say the public will change their minds instantly and suddenly enfold lycanthropes into the bosom of their families, but at least you now have a chance of living a reasonable and humane life. Are there any further questions?"

"What's in all this for the Ministry?"

Constantine Clearwater took a deep breath then sighed. "Hopefully, unity within our borders and to give a clear message to those outside our borders, we of England can co-exist with members of other species and of other magical races. Quite frankly, we need to keep the Europeans on-side, and if granting our own citizens a few of the basic human freedoms is how to do it, then there is absolutely no conflict of interest. It should never have happened in the first place but since it did, my government will do everything in its power to redress the balance and restore the rights of semi-humans."

"Thank you, Minister, Remus Lupin will escort you back to the Ministry and meet with the liaison officers to set up the child return system. Alphas, return to your packs and spread the word, contact the Beta Prime for any questions and information. Dismissed."

~~*~~

"How did you feel it went, Mr Lupin?" the Minister asked as they apparated into the temporary office space the Ministry had rented from the Muggle Government.

Remus weighed his words carefully. "As you said, it is a start. And when you managed to realise we are people with a disease we didn't choose to have, not 'semi-humans' to be tolerated, then we may all live in peace and harmony forever."

Such cynicism from the blandly smiling man rocked the Minister to his core.