A Gypsy Star

Dear Siri,

I feel almost silly writing to you after such a long time. How many years has it been, five, six, seven? I wish we had stayed in better touch; we were the best of friends once upon a time. I hope my letter finds you well, and I do hope you write me back. You have always managed to pick me up when no one else was able, and I do so need a pick me up about now.

It feels like just yesterday that we were sitting in the pool at your parents' villa in Italy, and that you were trying to convince me of the existence of, what was it, Snap Pea Dragons? I can only imagine what would have happened had we actually encountered one of those fair tale creatures of yours. Had our fates meant to be entwined, then I suppose that we would never have fallen out of contact with each other, regardless of how quickly our lives snuck up on us.

I heard about your parents' untimely death. Is that why you never returned to England to visit old friends, too many memories? I never did get to tell you how sorry I was for your loss. Your parents were like second parents to me. They never questioned my inane love of books and accepted me for who I was. Their deaths were a hard blow to my heart. I can't imagine how hard it must be to lose the two people that meant the most to you.

I wish I could say that as my letter finds you, it leaves me well, but alas, I think my life is destined to be difficult. It probably won't make much sense to you, and if you need me to, I will gladly answer any questions you may have. I have just found out that a law in my world was passed that is going to make me marry someone that I do not know. Needless to say, I am actually very upset, scared, and quite frankly pissed off. I cannot believe that there is absolutely nothing that can be done to fight this law. (Trust me, I've tried.) I suppose that I just needed to talk about it, though thinking about it makes it hurt even more than not thinking about it.

Hermione

o-o-o

Hermione,

You should never feel silly for writing to an old friend, even if that friend hasn't spoken to or seen you in twelve long years. I've been counting. I don't think we ever lost touch, I just think that our lives took us by surprise. I often find myself thinking about you, and wondering what would have been different if I hadn't gone with my family to Italy. Perhaps we still would be the best of friends, but alas, you are right and I suppose it wasn't meant to be. Your letter finds me at a cross roads in my life. As you say, you heard that my parents were murdered when I was 12, very shortly after the last time I saw you. Since that time, I have never stayed in one place for very long. Things just didn't seem right with one family member or another, and so, I am 24 years old, and I find that I am standing at this crossroads completely unsure of which path to take. I suppose in a way I know that whatever path I choose, it will be the final big decision I make. In that regard, I am actually pleased, though I have yet to make a choice.

Now, please for the love of all that is holy; tell me that you are joking. Can Parliament actually pass a law to make British people marry? That has to be the most asinine thing that I have ever heard of. There has to be a way to fight it! Tell me everything that you can about this supposed Marriage Law, and I'll do everything in my power to help you get out of it, and to abolish it.

Yours,

Siri

o-o-o

Siri,

I wish that I could say that I am joking, but I am afraid that I'm not. Of course you are correct in your assumption that Parliament cannot, and undoubtedly would not, pass a law making people get married. But I wasn't speaking of Parliament. I suppose that you would find this out about me eventually, and I am only sorry that this has to come by way of letter, and not by way of a nice conversation in front of a fire.

I was actually speaking of a different world. I don't know the best way to tell you this, so I can only come out and say it. I am a witch. Not in the Halloween sense of the word, but more in the literal sense. I can cast spells, make potions, and all in all wield magic. I know that that sound surreal, and strange, but I am being honest with you. Do you remember that boarding school I went to when we were younger? It was a school for witchcraft and wizardry.

In any case, the Ministry of Magic that keeps rule over Britain, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, has passed a law in which witches and wizards from non-magical parents must marry witches or wizards from a pure magic lineage. I have tried everything in my power to get the law abolished, and nothing has worked. I know it is asinine, but because the ministry has become little better than a dictatorship, there is nothing that I can do. I know that all of this comes as quite the shock, but I must tell you that I really didn't write you so that you could help me out of the law. I have no doubt that I will be chosen. It seems inevitable; I just wanted to talk to someone that would have an outside perspective, and I trust you.

Always,

Hermione

o-o-o

o-o-o-o-o

o-o-o

It had been a month and a half since Hermione had sent her last letter to Siri, and she had given up on the hope that her one time friend would reply. She should have known better than to write a letter to a muggle explaining that she was a witch. If she thought about it; it wouldn't have made any sense to her had their situations been reversed. Hermione had drawn upon a desperate hope, clinging to an old friend that she didn't even know, and now that the Marriage Law was permanent, she couldn't help but think that perhaps her childhood friend was going to extricate herself from the psycho that Hermione probably appeared to be.

She sighed, sitting at the kitchen table of her one bedroom flat that was situated over Diagon Alley, reading the Daily Prophet. It took all the self control she possessed to keep from throwing her tea cup at the far wall as soon as she saw the headlines.

Marriage Law Passed to the Delight of Influential Pureblood Leaders

Hermione looked with disgust at the face of Lucius Malfoy, on the cover of the newspaper before scanning the article.

It came as a shock yesterday afternoon, as the Minister of Magic and the Wizengamot passed what has now become controversially known as the Marriage Law. As many of our readers know, the Marriage Law has been in the works for the last five years, as more and more studies showed that the rate of stillborns and squib births among pureblood families has drastically grown with no sign of stopping. The Minister brought to the attention of the Wizarding world that because of countless years of inbreeding among the old pureblood families, many of the powerful lines have been dying out. In order to preserve many of the powerful bloodlines of our world, and keep them from dying out, the Marriage Law has been enacted.

The predicted uproar from upset members of the pureblood community was surprisingly not present in the final hearing last night. Instead, Lucius Malfoy stood with the Wizengamot in acknowledging that the Marriage Law is indeed a necessary action that we must take in order to preserve the magical world. The affluent member of society is quoted after the hearing as saying, "It comes as no shock that our once powerful and strong wizarding families, are dying out based solely on our prejudice as a community against those who are not born into our world from magical lines. It stands to reason that our long stance on pureblood/muggleborn inequality, would eventually lead to the problems we are now experiencing. This Law may not be met with open arms, but I assure you that my family is more than willing to support it. In hopes that others will follow in our footsteps my son, who is also my heir, will be sending out his petitions to young muggleborn and half-blood witches once their names come available."

The sentiments of Mister Malfoy were strongly echoed throughout a large part of the pureblood community. One can only speculate though as to what the reactions will be among those muggleborn and half blood witches and wizards that this Law will affect. Many may also wonder how Harry Potter, consequently the Boy-Who-Lived, will react to the news that he must essentially marry a pureblood witch in order to help her continue her blood line. Mister Potter's current conflict with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may also be called into conflict. Would it be wise, in the eyes of the Ministry to have Mister Potter marry a young witch and have the two children required by the Law putting them in possible danger? I am sure in the coming months many questions will be running through the public's minds.

(For full details about the Marriage Law 1179, please see F7.)

Hermione turned to the desired pages of the Prophet and read, once again with growing anger, the full details of the Marriage Law.

Marriage Law 1179:

In the proceeding month, all muggleborn and half blood witches and wizard must register with the Department of Matrimonial Licenses. If a witch or wizard fails to register voluntarily, the Ministry will send out an Auror detail to retrieve said witch or wizard and bring them to the Ministry. There, the witch or wizard in question will have a choice of registering or having their wand snapped and memory modified, being cast out of the wizarding world.

After registering, petitions will then to be sent to all muggleborn and half blood witches and wizards, by purebloods, over the course of the following month. The muggleborn or half blood has exactly one month in which to choose a petition from one pureblood and marry. Failure to do so will result in the Ministry choosing a bride or groom instead, or the aforementioned punishment.

The marriage must be consummated without use of any contraceptive, muggle or magical, once a week, leaving one week for the witch to have her menstrual cycle. A charm will be used in the marriage ceremony to ensure that the consummation is a regular occurrence and that no contraceptives are used. If either of these stipulations is not met, the marriage may be dissolved pending a Ministry investigation.

A child must be conceived with in the first year or the marriage will be dissolved, pending medical examinations, and the muggleborn or half blood will be petitioned for once again. The marriage can be mutually absolved after two children are born and proven to have magical abilities, leaving the muggleborn or half blood in question free to pursue another marriage voluntarily, or to continue their lives having fulfilled the Law.

The weaker blood in the marriage is to become the responsibility of the stronger blood. The pureblood in the marriage, will take the other into their home, providing food, shelter, and financial stability while the marriage lasts. After children are born, the pureblood will decide what course of action is to be taken after dissolving the marriage, either continuing to raise them or passing them over to adoption.

Hermione stared at the newspaper for a moment, before standing and incinerating it with a flick of her wand. Writing a quick letter to her office at the Ministry telling them she wasn't going to be in for the remainder of the day, she gathered her things and Flooed to the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.

Dumbledore will know what to do.

o-o-o

o-o-o-o-o

o-o-o

A month earlier, toward the southeast, some fifty four hundred miles away, a young woman sat on her knees in a small temple study staring at a letter from one of her oldest friends. Hearing a bell ring in the distance, she stood from her position, the letter clutched tightly in her hand and mechanically walked out of the room, slipping on her shoes once she passed out of the door.

In the courtyard, a young man stood waiting. When he saw her walk quietly out of the study she was supposed to be researching in, he smiled to himself. He had been lucky to have her as a partner, something he never let himself forget. She was a beautiful woman, beautiful and exotic. Beneath her beautiful soft exterior, though, there was a fierce and loyal fighter. He smiled to himself as he looked her over.

Long black hair fell down her shoulders to the small of her back, tied in a tight braid. Her eyes were the blue color of a stormy sea, deep enough that when you looked into them, you may feel as though you ought to drown. Her complexion, olive and tan, was a startling contrast to his pale complexion. It was her height though that caused one to turn and gawk at the striking woman. She was a startling 182.8 centimeters (6 feet), and though was taller than an average woman, stood proudly with her head high. She carried herself with the purpose of someone that was well bred and from a good lineage.

She is from a good lineage. He mused to himself for a moment, before noticing the troubled look in her eyes.

Stepping forward, he looked at her a moment before asking, "What's wrong? Did you find something?"

There was silence between the two for a moment as she looked up at her companion, before she shook her head. "No, I didn't find anything interesting. All of the annals in this village are the same as they have been. I think that it is safe to assume that the darkness has not reached the people here, yet."

"Then what is the matter," he asked, confused as to what was troubling her.

"I received a letter from an old friend. Someone I haven't spoken to, or seen since I was twelve years old. She sent news to me that I find quite startling," she replied vaguely before handing him the letters and slowly walking away.

He watched her go, wondering what could have made her so upset, before looking over the letters quickly. As he read, his eyes widened. They had been out of contact with the world while they were in the small village searching for any sign that darkness had touched the people, and to finally have news of the world they belonged to, from a source that had been least expected, was almost to much to comprehend. He finished reading and followed after his partner, finding her on a small balcony porch overlooking a canyon.

"I think that it is probably time to return home," he said, coming to a stop next to her.

She nodded and looked at him. He wasn't a bad looking man, and many of the young women of the village fawned after him. His honey blonde hair was cut short, curling against his head, like a Grecian statue. His hazel eyes sparkled with knowledge and mirth. His skin was a darkened ivory color, which told of the hours he stayed in the sun. He stood over her at 190.5 centimeters (6 feet 2.5 inches), and walked with his back straight, head always held high. Where her curves were soft though, his were hard angles. He was a well built man, tall and broad. He was a kind man though, with a warm heart and gentle touch.

"I think you are right," she replied softly, casting her eyes back over the canyon. "We need to return to Italy, if what she says is true, England is going to need help protecting many of their number, lest they fall into the hands of darkness."

He nodded, "I'll inform the village leaders that we require quick transport to the city early tomorrow morning. That should allow enough time to gather our research and things before leaving."

She merely nodded at him and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Alysandra, things will be fine."

She looked up at him, touching the hand on her shoulder and said, "Thank you Devon. I do know that, I just wish sometimes that this war didn't hit so close. I've lost all of my family, sometimes I wish that was enough."

He smiled down at her sadly before walking away, his voice echoing in her ears, "I know Alysandra, I know."

o-o-o

o-o-o-o-o

o-o-o

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace at 12 Grimmauld Place and quickly dusted her self off taking in the loud arguing going on in the kitchen. She had apparently not been the only one incensed at the Prophet this morning as Molly Weasley's voice could be heard over the din of noise, arguing on behalf of muggleborns and half bloods everywhere.

"THEY CANNOT DO THIS!" Hermione cringed as the Weasley matriarch shouted at Dumbledore as though he had something to do with it. Hermione stepped into the room, and took a seat next to Harry, noticing that when she walked in, conversations stopped.

Trying to be brave, Hermione smiled sadly at Molly Weasley and said, "As much as I want to agree with you Molly, they obviously can do this, and they have."

Harry looked up from his hands, and nodded his head before saying quietly, "We shouldn't be here arguing about whether or not the Ministry is a daft bunch of old coots," he paused looking at Hermione and taking her hand in his, "We should be coming up with a plan in order to get as many people out of harms way as possible. We need to find a way to at least keep those within the Order, safe from the Death Eaters. Accept that they have passed the law, and then find a way to keep people, like Hermione, out of harms way."

Hermione nodded her agreement before saying, "As much as I loathe admitting it there are no loopholes in the Law. I have studied it backward and forward, and I see no possible way to get out of it without having our wands broken and our memories modified. The best course of action to take is the one pointing us in the direction to at least find a pureblood witch that will be able to keep Harry safe."

As she finished she saw Harry grimace but he didn't say anything, instead it was Professor Dumbledore whose voice echoed in the kitchen. "They are right. There is no choice but to find a way to keep them safe. They are our first concern, most of the others already being married. We need to find suitable partners for them, people sympathetic to our cause, willing and able to take on this sort of mission."

There was silence again for a moment before Molly spoke up again, "Well then, the logical decision is for Hermione and Harry to marry into the family. Ginny and Harry have been dating for a while, and Hermione can marry Ron. I know it isn't ideal, but they will know each other, and we already know that they work well together."

Hermione glanced at Harry, whose shoulders were slumped in defeat, before Remus spoke quietly from the corner. "That won't work Molly. We have to find two different people."

As Molly huffed, it was her youngest son that sighed and cut her off, "Remus is right. The Law clearly states that the pureblood witch or wizard takes full responsibility for the muggleborn or half blood witch or wizard. They must be financially supported, have a roof over their heads, food, clothes, and basically be completely dependant on the pureblood they marry. That wouldn't be a bad thing for me, but Ginny can't very well support Harry like that without digging herself an early grave."

"Well, we only need one then, a witch to marry Harry until this whole thing blows over," Arthur said from his place next to his distraught wife.

"Unfortunately, Arthur, that is not correct," Remus sighed from his place next to his wife. "Ron still cannot marry Hermione. Bill has already produced a child outside of the British pureblood families. That isn't necessarily a requirement for getting out of it, but there is the financial clause. While Ron would be able to comfortably support himself and Hermione," Remus hesitated for a moment, and Ron continued.

"I can't solely support two children as well."

Molly's face fell into her hands as the kitchen was quiet again. Eventually Hermione noticed that everyone was waiting for their leader to speak.

"I will send out letters to all those persons that I believe trustworthy and sympathetic to our cause. Perhaps there is someone that will be comfortable enough to step forward and take the request as a mission. Until that time, Hermione and Harry should register as soon as possible. We can then, by process of elimination, see if there are any options still left us," Dumbledore said, his eyes resting heavily on Harry and Hermione.

Slowly, the Order dissipated, and Hermione was left sitting at the kitchen table with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Molly and Arthur, Remus, Sirius, and the Headmaster. She looked at them all, before settling her eyes on Harry. Any witch that did get him would be a lucky one. Harry was a good man, a brave soul, and kind heart. She sighed as she thought of what this would mean for him. So many things already rested on his shoulders, now he was asked to give up his chance with the one witch that love him, and worry about what it would mean for another witch to marry him. He would worry about the woman's safety, the safety of his unborn and eventually born children. It wasn't fair to him. Life was never fair to him.

Her musings were brought to an end as she heard Molly asking the question they stayed behind for, "Albus, who are you going to contact? Is there anyone left that you trust that much that isn't in the Order? And why on Earth can't they marry someone that is already in the Order, Severus, Sirius, or any number of the other young pureblood witches and wizards that we recruited?"

Hermione heard the Headmaster sigh before he answered, "Molly, the Order is large enough, no doubt, but there are still some that have yet to prove their absolute loyalty to us. Do I trust anyone that isn't in the Order? Very few, but those that I do trust are those that are abroad and have started Orders of their own. I have a very old friend, a cousin that I am distantly related to on my mother's side. I trust him to send me to of the finest people he can conjure. I won't tell him who the young witch and wizard will be forced to marry, and will interrogate them with Veritaserum. I will exhaust everyone I possibly can in order to find the two most trustworthy purebloods that fulfill all of our requirements and exist outside of the Order." With nods to them all, he stood from the table, and left the room, preparing to Floo back to Hogwarts.

"I hope it's that easy," Harry whispered into his hands.

o-o-o

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o-o-o

Hermione sat in front of the fireplace at Headquarters, contemplating the fire. She had moved into the old house with Harry and Sirius, after they convinced her that is was unsafe to live in London alone. She sighed, things had steadily gotten worse. The registration month had passed, and the petition month was nearly over. There was a good chance that they would be forced to sign petitions forcing them into marriages with Death Eaters, and Hermione sighed again, tearing her eyes away from the fire to look at the to piles that had accumulated in the library of petitions for both herself and Harry.

Dumbledore had interviewed countless people under the influence of Veritaserum, and none had been able to pass the questioning by Snape. All of those that had come forward did so for the glory, none for the sacrifice. It had been a useless endeavor, and while they continued to question, the petitions continued to come. Hermione feared that the only people that would be able to get a petition through now, would be the ones that threatened death to the Ministry.

As Hermione surrendered herself to her feelings of hopelessness, Harry sat in the back parlor staring out into the back yard, trying to find peace with himself.

Since the war began, his hopes for a family were overturned by his fear of losing it. His fear had been the reason he had broken up with Ginny at the end of his sixth year. He felt, now, more than ever, that it had been a mistake to break up with her. Perhaps if he had stayed with the young Weasley, he would have been married by now, and wouldn't have to wonder if he was going to be auctioned off to the highest bidding Death Eater. It was a selfish thought, but he had hoped that he would someday marry someone he loved and not someone that either he barely knew or wanted him dead, possibly both.

He had always imagined himself with a family, a wife that he loved and loved him, the children made from their love, running through a big yard in the English countryside, their laughter filling his heart. He hadn't been able to see himself married to Ginny and having children with her, since the war started full swing. Often though at night, he would find himself dreaming of what a life would have been like with her if the war had never started. He doubted now, that even if they both survived until the end, that she would want him. It was difficult to think about, but he reasoned with himself that all he had done was push her further and further away.

He worried about the rest of his family every day as well. What would happen to the rest of the Weasley's? Bill and Fleur had just had their first child. Charlie was, well, Charlie was Charlie, the cool older brother of the family. Percy had just gotten married. Fred and George wouldn't survive as anything less than a team, and the world needed their vivaciousness to counter all the despondence. Ron, here Harry sighed. Ron was his best friend, the third part of the trio, helping get into and out of trouble since they were eleven. Harry knew that neither he nor Hermione would survive their heartbreak if Ron was taken from them. Ginny was an altogether different story. There were days when Harry felt that he loved her, and days when he knew he didn't. He often wondered if it was because there was such a lack of love in his own life that he now was unable to know what it truly was. The thought often scared him.

There were others as well. All of his friends from school that had joined the Order; Neville, Luna, Hannah, Colin, Dennis, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Oliver Wood, Susan Bones, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, the Patil twins, and so many more. They were all in danger, and Harry wondered how terribly it would feel after the war was over, and people no longer had things always occupying their minds, to look back and let all the loss they were sure to encounter sink in. He would willingly give his own life to have no more death. Faces of his friends flashed before his eyes, and the faces of his family followed. Hagrid, Sirius, Remus and Tonks, Hermione.

Hermione.

Harry looked at his hands. What he wouldn't give to protect his friend, the closest thing to a sister he had, from all of this. He was afraid for himself, but more so he was afraid for his bushy haired friend. What would it mean for her if they couldn't find an alternative to all the petitions stacking up in the library? If she had to marry a Death Eater, the likely hood of never seeing her again was great. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen.

Harry stood and walked out of the parlor, making his way upstairs to that he could sleep in his bed. As he passed the library though, he saw the unmistakable outline of the young witch he had just been thinking of. Walking in, he sat next to her, and noticed the tears streaming down her face. His heart wrenched at the sight, and without a word he wrapped her in his arms.

They lay there, not speaking, just taking comfort in the presence of the other, and eventually Harry felt Hermione's breathing even out as she fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he stretched them out on the sofa, and closed his eyes. His comforting thought, before he fell into his first peaceful sleep in months, was that he wasn't alone. Hermione would be with him, and together, they could find a way out of this mess if Professor Dumbledore couldn't.

Dumbledore will know what to do. He always knows what to do.

o-o-o

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o-o-o

Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest and most powerful wizards to ever live, sat in his office above Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with his head in he hands. Never in his life had a situation appeared so hopeless. He had sent out letters to all of his foreign allies, and though some had sent him people, none had proven that they wouldn't turncoat if offered a better solution. It was a simple matter of what was right and what was easy, and most of those that had sat before him in the past month and a half, were more inclined to take the easy road.

Albus sighed as he stood from his desk, walking to a window and looking out at the grounds of Hogwarts, one of the last good places left. He was startled out of his reverie, as he heard a loud tapping at the far window. Turning, he saw a beautiful eagle owl with a scroll attached to its leg. Opening the window, the owl flew in and landed on his desk. After carefully removing the letter though, Albus was surprised to note that it immediately left, apparently no needing a response. Curious as to what the scroll contained, Albus opened and read, shock registering on his face. Had anyone else been in the room, they would have witnessed the recently missing twinkle of the Headmaster's blue eyes, return. Hopefully, this was the answer to the prayers he admitted to saying every night.

o-o-o

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