HENNEY: Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for attending our referendum debate this afternoon. Today myself and the advisor to the Minister for Magic, Mr. Migel Barage, will be debating our recent publications outlining potential changes in Ministry legislations that are to be voted upon in the following weeks. Both myself and Mr. Barage will be addressing the public’s questions and concerns through this platform.
I will be speaking on the behalf of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where we have a diligent team of workers who have committed themselves to bettering our community and striving for equality amongst “Beasts” and Beings.
MIGEL BARAGE: Hello, and thank you all for coming to listen to us on such a fine afternoon. As Advisor to the Minister for Magic, it is my job and duty to think of our people first. Because of the latest happenings in the wizarding world, I took it upon myself to put forward my own set of legislations pertaining to the magical creature referendum.
I speak out for those who care for our country and safety.
MINISTRY WORKER: Members of the press, we will now be taking questions for Mr. Henney and Mr. Barage. Please raise your hand and wait to be chosen, thank you.
PRESS ONE: Hello, yes, I have a question. Where is the logic behind Mr. Barage’s proposal? Isn’t he just placing the blame for everything on the already oppressed ones?
HENNEY: Thank you, that is indeed a very good question. We, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, believe that Mr. Barage intends to fight fire with fire. His proposal is a permanent and damaging solution to a temporary problem—
MIGEL BARAGE: I gave the reasoning for each of my legislations during my speech. As I said, magical creatures are dangerous to our society and action must be taken against them.
PRESS TWO: My question comes on behalf of a student at Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
Mr. barage, how is it that you actually believe that the natural state of man is a predator and that veelas must walk on eggshells so as to avoid “victimizing” themselves? how does any sane being think this is fair? these girls never asked for the attention — they never asked to be targets, to be born with two x chromosomes and charming abilities. veelas are not born to be feasted upon. but according to you, us boys always have a justification, while veelas only have the things that provoked us.
MIGEL BARAGE: I don’t believe that men are predators– I never said that. Many males have become the victim of Veela advances and must be protected at all costs. Veelas are dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed to attend schools, where young and impressionable men are trying to learn and grow.
PRESS THREE: This question is for Migel Barage, regarding Veelas and the Human Protection legislation. Aren’t you concerned that by barring Veelas from our schools and forcing them to undertake private tutoring, we will be unable to regulate the education of these Veelas and more specifically, what they are and are not being taught?
MIGEL BARAGE: Not at all. We can still control what Veelas are being taught under their own curriculum. More importantly, lessons should be focused on controlling their Veela magic, so that other students are not in danger when in their presence.
PRESS FOUR: Where do you think the so called ‘Ministry Resistance’ could have gotten their ideas from? What is their motive?
MIGEL BARAGE: They’ve probably pulled their ideas and motives out of a place that I can’t say in this interview. They have to accept that the Ministry knows best.
HENNEY: Unlike Mr. Barage, we believe that the Ministry Resistance is a result of increased tensions between humans and magical creatures. It is important that we recognise this fact in order to work towards effectively defusing tensions in our magical community. As for their motives, they are currently unclear to the Ministry.
PRESS FIVE: Hello, my question is for both Mr Henney and Mr Barage and it comes from another Hogwart’s student:
Do we know how big this 'Ministry Resistance’ is? Have they mobilised? Are they a threat to us?
MIGEL BARAGE: I think that this ‘Ministry Resistance’ thing is a load of nonsense. They must be stopped immediately for not complying with the Ministry’s decisions. Nothing is a threat to the Ministry.
HENNEY: Thank you for your question. Unlike Mr. Barage I intend to answer your concerns to the best of my ability. We are currently unaware how many members of our community are involved, if any at all. We do however, believe that the Resistance is a threat to the safety and well being of our community and therefore, we should take necessary cautions when dealing with matters pertaining to them.
MINISTRY WORKER: And that marks the end of today’s debate. Any further questions can be submitted to directly to the Ministry of Magic via O.W.L. Members of the press, thank you for your participation.
MIGEL BARAGE: Hello, and thank you all for coming to listen to us on such a fine morning. As Advisor to the Minister for Magic, it is my job and duty to think of our people first. Because of the latest happenings in the wizarding world, I have taken it upon myself to put forward my own set of legislations pertaining to the magical creature referendum.
I will be speaking out for those who care for our country and safety. I’ve talked to our public to find out what they want -- and their biggest concern is the increase in population of magical creatures. This is a big issue that I believe must be tackled.
These “Beasts” are dangerous. This is why I am of strong opinion that these blood-suckers and hounds should not be allowed to pass on their genes to innocent babies and children. If I were in power, I would strongly recommend chemical cauterisation to stop this from happening.
Under my “Beast” Reduction legislation, any vampires or witches/wizards with vampiric ancestry should be forbidden to reproduce completely. Any witch or wizard suspected of having vampiric ancestry will be called in for questioning until proof of their ancestry is provided. Those who are found to be of vampiric ancestry will then be chemically cauterised so that dangerous genes cannot be born into our society.
Now, vampires are not the only dangerous magical creatures woven into our society and country. The second part of the “Beast” Reduction legislation reads as follows:
Any werewolves or witches/wizards with werewolf ancestry (both bitten and cursed) should be completely forbidden to reproduce. Any witch or wizard suspected of having werewolf ancestry (bitten or cursed) will be called in for questioning until proof of their ancestry is provided. Those who are found to be of werewolf ancestry will then be chemically cauterised so that dangerous genes cannot be born into our society.
I have urged the Minister for Magic to take more serious measures than birth control, but it will not be enough to control the magical creatures that lurk in our schools and workplaces. We need to take control back.
In regards to the rather quite ridiculous claims from Daniel Henney, I think that the ‘statistics’ are utterly wrong. Veelas should learn how to control their magic instead of victimising themselves when they are clearly the perpetrators here. The 57% rise means more male victims of Veela advances and the 20% increase in schools supports my belief that Veelas -- of any amount of ancestry -- should be banned from schools entirely.
My Human Protection legislation calls for all Veelas to be prohibited from attending wizarding schools. If a witch or wizard is found to be of Veela ancestry, then they shall be forced to leave the school and seek private tutoring. To protect the young men of our generation, Veelas should not be allowed on the premises of any scholastic establishment.
And I also believe that the most unsuspected threat in our country is metamorphmagi. Metamorphmagi should be registered on a public database and should be classified as Beasts, just like any other magical creature. Just because they look human doesn’t mean they are human. And that’s a fact.
My last legislation, known as the META.BEAST legislation states that Metamorphmagi should not only be registered, but should also be classified as “Beasts”. All Metamorphmagi (regardless of age) are required to be registered on a public “Beast” registry with the Ministry of Magic. If any Metamorphmagi is found to be unregistered, they shall immediately be arrested and called in for questioning.
I feel that it is worth mentioning that the amount of money that we spend every week on magical creatures is £350 million. -- That’s £350mil that belongs to St. Mungos, not the magical creatures that have been using and abusing our care systems for the past few decades. Medicines for Veelas, vampires and werewolves are nearly four times as expensive as normal wizarding treatments. And I will not stand to see our country be leeched off of by creatures who pay the least into our care systems.
We’re not going to see a fall in the amount of magical creatures in this country. In fact, over the past year we’ve been seeing nothing but a rise in the number who come here with their children, claiming the benefits from us British wizards, and taking our jobs.
Let’s take a stand and make the Wizarding World of Britain great again.
Don’t forget to send us an owl if you’d like to contribute to our debate. Myself and our Danny-Boy here will be having a nice debate, before going down to the pub in Diagon Alley after.
DANIEL HENNEY: Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for attending our conference this morning. Today myself and the advisor to the Minister for Magic, Mr. Migel Barage, will be debating the Ministry’s recent publications outlining potential changes in Ministry legislations that are to be voted upon during the upcoming referendum. Both myself and Mr. Barage have prepared proposals that will be presented to the public over the course of this conference. There will be an opportunity for press photographs and questions after the conference has ended.
I will be speaking on the behalf of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where we have a diligent team of workers who have committed themselves to bettering our community and striving for equality amongst “Beasts” and Beings.
In order to tackle the increasing numbers of dangerous “Beasts” in our society, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures proposes that new legislations must be made in order to control birthrates and reduce the number of dangerous “Beasts” naturally conceived in our society. The Ministry of Magic has determined these “Beasts” to be dangerous and, therefore, backs the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in its proposal to reduce birth rates and promote further cooperation between existing “Beasts” and Humans.
Section one of the “Beast Birthrate Control” legislation pertains to vampires and witches and wizards with vampiric ancestry:
I. Vampires will henceforth be prohibited from bearing offspring. This includes, but is not limited to, vampiric recruiting—a practice strictly forbidden by current wizarding law. Witches and Wizards with Vampiric ancestry will be required to submit themselves to DNA testing that will verify whether or not the presence of vampiric genes, in both partners, is under 25%. In cases where the percentage of vampiric genes is above 25% when both partners’ percentages are combined, the right to bear offspring will be denied by the Ministry of Magic to prevent the further spread of vampirism in our society. Free contraception will be provided to witches and wizards of vampiric ancestry, providing they have valid health insurance.
In the event of accidental conception, both parents must submit themselves to DNA testing within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. If the presence of vampiric genes, in both parents combined, is found to be over 25%—by law the pregnancy should be terminated. In cases where the pregnancy has exceeded 24 weeks or the parents refuse termination, the parents will be fined a minimum of 200 galleons and may face criminal charges.
Section two of the “Beast Birthrate Control” legislation pertains to cursed werewolves and individuals born with the lycanthropic disease:
II. Cursed werewolves will henceforth be prohibited from bearing offspring. This includes, but is not limited to, offspring conceived by two werewolves during a full moon. Witches and wizards suspected of cursed lycanthropy will be required to provide legally notarised health documentation, proving that no traces of the lycanthropic curse are present in their family. If traces of the lycanthropic curse are found within the last three generations, the right to bear offspring will be denied by the Ministry of Magic to prevent the further spread of lycanthropy in our society. Free contraception will be provided to witches and wizards suffering from cursed lycanthropy, providing they have valid health insurance.
In the event of accidental conception, the mother will be required to submit blood samples for testing within 24 weeks of pregnancy. If traces of the lycanthropic disease is detected in the fetus, by law the pregnancy should be terminated. In cases where the pregnancy has exceeded 24 weeks or the parents refuse termination, the parents will be fined a minimum of 200 galleons and may face criminal charges.
As the Beast Division currently has no evidence to suggest that bitten werewolves can pass along the lycanthropic disease to their offspring:
The Ministry of Magic will continue to permit bitten werewolves to bear offspring, providing that the date of conception occurs a minimum of five years after contracting the lycanthropic disease.
The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures would like to make it clear, however, that a Werewolf’s and Vampire’s right to marry within their own classification and marriage to Human partners will remain unchanged and intact. Furthermore, the Ministry of Magic will not condone the termination of pregnancies that have exceeded 24 weeks, regardless of the child’s classification. Children born in defiance of these legislations will be placed under Ministry protection.
Over the past year, incidents of reported sexual assaults and sexual harassment against Veelas have increased by 57%. A majority of these cases involved Veela women, who suffered unwanted verbal and physical advances from Human males. 20% of these cases in 2016 have occurred in wizarding schools throughout the UK. These shocking statistics represent a deep rooted problem in our society that must be addressed immediately. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is committed to protecting Veela victims of sexual crimes and decreasing the frequency of these incidents within our communities. Our second proposed legislation addresses these issues head on.
Section one of the “Veela Magic Protection” legislation pertains to increasing funds towards sexual education in wizarding schools throughout the UK:
I. Sexual education is a vital part of our children's education that has proved to have been severely lacking over the recent years. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures requests that more funding should be made available to the Department of Magical Education in order to properly educate our children and teach them restraint against Veela magic. Increasing funding towards sexual education will result in lower numbers of recorded incidents of sexual assaults and sexual harassment against Veelas and will ensure your Human children are thoroughly protected against potentially harmful Veela magic. This funding will also go towards ensuring “Beast” supervisors are appropriately trained and equipped to deal with instances of sexual assault and sexual harassment against underaged Veelas.
Section two of the “Veela Magic Protection” legislation pertains to the unlawful incarceration and criminalisation of Humans who have conducted sexual harassment and/or assault under the influence of Veela magic:
II. Humans accused of sexual harassment and/or assault cannot be prosecuted if it is proven in a court of law that their actions were the result of Veela magic and not of their own free will.
Our third and final legislation addresses a well-known and increasing public concern regarding Metamorphmagi. As many of you know, in 2015 five Metamorphmagi were found to be impersonating Ministry officials for an undisclosed amount of time—hundreds of documentations were stolen from the Ministry as a result of this security breach, including a handful of the general wizarding public’s personal information. At the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, we believe that the safety of the general public and your trust in the Ministry is vital for us to uphold a stable democracy.
Section one of the “Metamorphmagi Registration” legislation pertains to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creature’s request to enforce the mandatory registration of all Metamorphmagi witches and wizards:
I. All Metamorphmagi witches and wizards aged 16 and over are hereby required to register themselves on a public “Beings” registry with the Ministry of Magic. Failure to register will result in a fine and/or imprisonment.
We invite the public to owl their thoughts and opinions to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Myself and Mr. Barage will be hosting a debate later this week, where we intend to address public concerns regarding both the threats made against the Ministry and our proposed legislations.
