For Love or The Law?

Prologue

                 A/N: Hello dears! Welcome to my new story! This is my first time writing a story pertaining to marriage law and not based off a movie, so bear with me ;)I'd like to thank my beta-reader for looking over the story! If you have the time, please leave a review, sharing your thoughts. Also, feel free to check out my other two stories!! Have a wonderful day!!!

               Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!

         It was August second, 2000 when Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt strolled into his office, opening a bottle of fire whiskey and pouring it into a small glass. For he had just come out of a hectic meeting with the Wizengamot. He knocked back the small glass of Firewhisky before taking a seat at his desk, his thoughts reeling of the new law he was forced to create.

             Over the last two years, the Wizengamot had noticed a slight decline in the magical population in Great Britain. During the last wizarding war,  half-bloods and muggle-born witches and wizards lost their life, causing a great decline. The Wizengamot noticed that there were only so many Pureblood wizards left in the community, which was a bit of a problem. For centuries Purebloods have married within their families, trying like hell to keep their bloodline alive, but even doing that has caused plenty of mishaps.

         Stillborn, squibs, and barren children had become more frequent over the last fifty years, according to the research gathered by the Wizengamot. They called Kingsley Shacklebolt to the dungeon where Harry Potter once stood trial five years prior. They were seated in their plum-colored robes, embroidered with silver initials on them as they went over all the information they collected.

         Kingsley was astounded at the recent findings, his eyes widening in awe. They had asked him what he had planned to do about the recent findings, reminding him of the fate of the wizarding world in Great Britain rested within him. After a few moments of pondering thoughts, he had suggested that a marriage law would be the best solution. Members of the Wizengamot agreed wholeheartedly, although there were about ten members who felt that this action would not sit well within the community. Kingsley agreed, knowing there would be some backlash once the new law took place. But what else was he to do? He refused to be held responsible for the pending decline of their community.

          He and the Wizengamot spent nearly an hour and a half, going over the details of the marriage law, finalizing it. Kingsley sighed as he placed the parchment on his desk, reading it over once more.

                                                                 The Wizarding Marriage Law

             Effective Immediately the new Marriage Law will be implemented to all eligible witches and wizards ages nineteen and over. The requirements of this law include:

            · All eligible witches and Wizards not married within the last year will receive a letter from the Ministry, providing three potential matches for you to choose from.

         · You are given no less than a week to pick a spouse, then must report to the ministry to make record of said engagement. If no spouse is chosen, the ministry will pick for you.

        · Once the engagement has been recorded, you will have one month to get married, the ceremony may be performed in a place of your choosing if you wish.

        · Once married, you will have 24 hours to consummate the marriage

        · A child must be born within the following two years

        · Failure to comply with the new law will result in your wand snapped, memory modified, and cast out in exile from our world.

        He wished there would have been a better alternative than forcing eligible witches and wizards to marry one another. He walked over to the window where his personal owl slept on its perch, gently stroking it awake. He tied the copy of the law to the tawny owl's leg, directing it to take the letter to The Daily Prophet.

       Once the owl was out of sight, Kingsley gathered his belongings, stepping into the fireplace that was connected to his home.