Marriage Law Challenge
| Challenge | |
|---|---|
| Name: | The Marriage Law Challenge |
| Date(s): | 2003 - |
| Moderator(s): | |
| Founder: | chelleybean |
| Type: | fanfiction challenge |
| Fandom: | Harry Potter |
| Associated Community: | WIKTT (whenikissedtheteacher) |
| URL: | The Marriage Law folder at the Yahoo! Group (requires membership) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Marriage Law Challenge was a fanfiction challenge proposed by chelleybean at the WIKTT Yahoo! Group. The premise of the challenge is a forced marriage of a Muggle-born to a Pure-blood due to a new decree passed by the Ministry for Magic to help preserve the magical population. A number of variants of the challenge have developed.
The challenge was described by its creator, chelleybean, as "an illustration of just how far a society will go to save their own skins, and potentially how far a scorned man will go to get his way."[1]
Guidelines
The Ministry of Magic has finally acknowledged, publicly, that the wizarding world is in danger as the continued intermarrying of the Pureblood line causes more and more stillbirths, squibs and barren children. In an attempt to save the old families The Marriage Law has been put into place. Under this law any Pureblood wizard or male head of a Pureblood family can petition for a betrothal contract giving them legal power over a Muggleborn witch. This step has been deemed necessary as they discovered Muggle families feel that betrothal contracts are too ‘old fashioned’ and would rather let their daughters ‘fall in love’. Our leading man of choice is going to get a contract on Hermione.[2]
The WIKTT challenge required stories to be Snape/Hermione, where either Snape's father selected Hermione to preserve the family bloodline, or Snape himself selects Hermione because he is in love with her and she initially rejects him. It also required Lucius Malfoy to challenge Snape for claim to Hermione and for there to be a confrontation between Snape and Hermione's father. Additionally, the challenge did not allow rape.
The original premise of the challenge was Jossed when it was revealed in Half-Blood Prince that Snape was a Half-blood, not a Pure-blood.
Variants & Adaptations
The challenge has been adapted to apply to a variety of pairings, especially other Pure-blood/Muggle-born pairings (such as Draco/Hermione and Lucius/Hermione) where the rules and premise do not need to be altered. The trope has even been applied to slash couples, for example with a "Male Breeding" law. The trope has since evolved that it doesn't have to be a Slytherin character would or could claim a character, but any and all Pure-bloods and/or Half-bloods as long as they are of age; such as any the Weasley's boys petitioning to have Hermione Granger (Bill/Hermione, Charlie/Hermione, Percy/Hermione, Fred/Hermione, George/Hermione) or other characters such as Oliver Wood, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Neville Longbottom.
The challenge has also been altered so that the law requires two pure-bloods to marry (for example in Voldemort Wins AUs). This is a somewhat popular trope for Draco/Ginny stories.
See also: Forced Marriage, Arranged Marriage
Links
- The Marriage Law Guidelines and Responses[dead link] at WIKTT
- Marriage Law Challenge fics at Ashwinder
- Responses to the Marriage Law Challenge, compiled by gioiamia
- Marriage Law Challenge works at AO3
References
- ^ (not archived) whenikissedtheteacher (2003-09-13). "Message #31172: Challenge - The Marriage Law". Yahoo! Groups. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ (not archived) whenikissedtheteacher (2006-04-25). "Marriage Law Challenge Guidelines". Yahoo! Groups. Retrieved 2011-12-17.