Dear Ms. Granger,

We are writing to inform you of a new, temporary resolution the Ministry of Magic has passed regarding the serious de-population of Wizarding communities in Great Britain and the continent. As you are aware, the Great War has had a number of negative effects, including the death of thousands of outstanding members of your local community. As a result, a panel of Ministry officials, including the Head of Muggle Relations, the Minister's personal council, and the Council on Secrecy Statutes, have implemented in order to re-populate our world.

The Ministry of Magic of Great Britain is hereby acknowledging a Marriage Resolution, to take effect one month from today. The law requires that eligible witches and wizards ages 19 through 30 enter into a marriage within the next six months. These marriages are intended to produce a new generation of magical children; the unions may be dissolved without consequence five years after their consummation. Individuals who marry before their assigned time period are exempt from this resolution. Additionally, individuals who produce a magical child within two years of the passage of this resolution are absolved of the legal obligation to continue the union for the requisite five years. Penalties will not be issued for the physical inability to produce children, and subsidies will be given to aid with the medical costs of pregnancy.

Due to the incendiary nature of this resolution, the Ministry has decided to implement their re-population plan in several phases, beginning with witches and wizards ages 25 – 30. Witches and wizards falling into this age group must marry within three months of the date on this notice. Witches and wizards ages 19 – 24 must marry within six months of the date on this notice. Subsidies will be given for childcare, and monetary assistance for necessities may be granted on a case-by-case business.

The Ministry of Magic has made every effort to accommodate requests for marriages received since the initial planning of this resolution, but we are unable to fulfill everyone's wish. Therefore, we have taken petitions and requests into consideration in pairing each wizard and witch with a suitable partner. The matches were drawn from the personality questionnaires collected by the Ministry this past year. Although we recognize that this resolution is not ideal, we must work to strengthen the numbers of our community. We appreciate your understanding.

Below is a list of the petitions and requests we received for a legal union with Ms. Hermione Granger:
Ronald B. Weasley
Neville Q. Longbottom
Percy A. Weasley
Cormac H. McLaggen
Terry K. Boot

We recognized these requests and gave them due consideration. However, upon consideration of other eligible wizards in your age range and the parameters established by your personality evaluations, we have selected you to be paired with the following wizard:

George F. Weasley

As per the Marriage Resolution, you and Mr. Weasley will be expected to marry within six months of the date you received this notice. The Ministry feels that this union will be extremely beneficial to both parties involved as well as the wider wizarding community. Violators of the Marriage Resolution will have their wands revoked for a period of up to five years. Expulsion from the Wizarding community will only serve to negate the goals of this resolution and will not be considered. Requests to change assignments will only be granted in extreme cases, such as unknown family feuds, different sexual orientations, history of violence, or a partner's willingness to have wands revoked. We highly encourage that you follow the regulations set forth in this letter. We appreciate your cooperation and expect to see your marriage license before the Council for Legal Unions within six months.

Sincerely,

Addleworth Consortia
Assistant to Nigel Consumma, Chairman of the Council on Re-Population

Hermione's heart sank. The whispers had been true, after all. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the current Minister of Magic, had hinted that the council would do something like this, and he wouldn't have the power to stop it. Hermione hadn't believed it, though, for several reasons, such as the de-population only being severe in the British Isles and the resolution itself being more reminiscent of Cornelius Fudge's ministry than Kingsley's.

However, here she was, three years after the Great War, and the next five years of her life had just been handed over to the ministry. She understood the purpose, yes, but there had to have been a better way around it, like offering compensation for having multiple children over the next few years. Forced marriage seemed so twelfth century. Hermione supposed this council, like so many other parts of Wizarding culture, were indeed vestiges of that time.

Hermione's ruminations were then rudely interrupted by her flatmate, Ginny Weasley, younger sister of her now betrothed. The fiery redhead came bursting through the front door, curses flying from her mouth.

"Hermione! Please tell me they didn't send you a ruddy letter?" Hermione simply held up the parchment in her hand, and Ginny groaned.

"I can't believe it. I thought Kingsley was just being dark last time he was 'round for dinner. I was at the Burrow for breakfast and the letters came in for everyone there – well, for Ron and Harry and Percy. Did my letter arrive?"

Hermione gestured toward the kitchen table, where her thick envelope lay, addressed in green ink.

"Who did everyone get paired with?"

Ginny was fumbling with her letter. "Well, Harry is apparently exempt from the law because of his "extreme sacrifices" he made during the war – not like you didn't make them, too – so he didn't get one. He apparently petitioned for me, though, so I'm hoping…" Ginny trailed off, and then gave a cry of surprise and pleasure. "I'm set for Harry, but I'd have never expected these other petitions. Colin Creevey? Blaise Zabini? And ugh, Crabbe."

"What about Ron?"

"Oh, he's gotten himself paired up with Victoria Frobisher."

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"She was a Gryffindor, my year. Apparently Ron competed against her for the Keeper position one year."

"Interesting. I don't think I've ever met her."

"She was president of the Charms Club back then, but it's not surprising. She's a quiet girl, spent almost as much time in the library as you. I haven't seen her in four years. Percy got someone named Audrey. I don't recall ever meeting her, but I think she was a Hufflepuff prefect around the time Percy was." Ginny paused, rereading her letter and smiling faintly. "Harry and I had been talking marriage before this resolution was passed. We were going to wait another year or two. But, it seems as good a time as any. Oh," Ginny looked up suddenly. "Please tell me you aren't marrying a Slytherin or something."

Hermione smiled forcibly and shook her head in the negative. "Nope. I've been paired with George."

Ginny dropped the bowl she had been getting from the cabinet. It shattered into dozens of pieces on the stone tile of the kitchen. "Wh-what?" she spluttered. "George, my brother George? Why not Ron?"

"Come on, Ginny. You know that ship sailed a few years ago. Ron petitioned, apparently, as did Percy."

"Percy?" Ginny laughed, stooping to pick up the glass shards.

"You saw how he was all over me last Christmas, gushing about how we were so much alike. Your mum seemed kind of happy about it. She told me she had always wanted me as a daughter."

"Well, she got her wish. Just not the son she was expecting."

"Indeed." Hermione fell silent for a minute. "Ginny? I haven't even seen George in months. Is he alright?"

Ginny cocked her head. "I haven't seen him but for a few minutes at his shop last week. I was helping restock the U-No-Poo."

"I should probably go talk to him." At these words, an owl with a scroll clamped in its beak flew in through the open window. The bright magenta ribbon tied around the parchment slid off easily, and Hermione read the short note.

Hermione,

I think we should get together to talk. I'm sure you received your letter by now, and I think it would be best if we sort this out before the deadline. I'm sure Ginny knows by now as you live with her, but it would be best if we tell Mum together. I'm going to be at the shop all day and can't get away, but if you could swing by at your convenience, if you're not busy, that would be great.

George