The Weasley family is one of - if not the most - famous pureblood families of current times due to their actions over the past thirty years. The Weasley family is famous for their participation in the Second Wizarding War, most famous for Ron Weasley's and Ginny Potter nee Weasley's respective contributions to the destruction of Voldemort and to the rebellious Dumbledore's Army at Hogwarts during Voldemort's reign on Hogwarts. The family has close ties with many prominent members of our community, including Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Fleur Delacour, and others. As if that was not enough, no Hogwarts student can ever forget about Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes or Ginny Potter's success with the Holyhead Harpies. The Weasley family is one of the more connected and, well, integral families in our community. But yet, their humble beginnings are just as renowned. In recent years, the outcry has grown at the state that a family so vital to our community existed in for years prior to the Second Wizarding War.
All of this is to say that the Ministry of Magic has been warring within itself over a new bill to help magical families, named in honor of the Weasley family. The bill is intended to give financial aid to magical families whose annual income is under a certain threshold. Beatrice Johnson, the witch in charge of writing the bill, explained, "This is not just an act of compassion, but practicality. While those families deserve to have the aid that they need when they fall on tough times, there is also the simple issue that witches, wizards, and wix without the proper equipment to channel their magic may end up lashing out in unexpected ways. By providing this aid for them, not only are they able to improve their standard of living, but we're able to prevent incidents prior to them occurring."
Others, however, have announced their opposition to the bill. A major camp in the Ministry is simply the terminology used in the bill's writing. In the section about eligibility, the bill specified "magical families" for potential recipients. There was not, however, any explanation or clarification on what the magical make-up of "magical families" consisted of. Many protested in concern over potentially denying families with non-magical ancestry, Squibs, or Muggleborns.
Ophelia Vega argued, "Without a more explicit explanation of what constitutes a magical family, I can't support this bill. While it may seem acceptable now, future generations may create completely new and different sentiments about what a magical family should look like! The ambiguity in the bill is, to put it simply, a risk to the effectiveness of the proposal. I absolutely agree with the intended aims, but it is necessary to cover all of our bases."
Pierce Verde, however, believes that the opposition is unfounded. He was quoted saying last week, "Is it a bit vague? Yes, but that doesn't mean that we need to outright shut the bill down! Edits can wait until after we get it through! That's all that matters! Nitpicking such a small detail is ridiculous."
When we reached out to Johnson for a comment, she said, "I agree with Ophelia because she makes an excellent point! The last thing I want is for my blind spot to restrict the effectiveness of the bill. That isn't why I proposed it. However, it's currently on the way to the floor, so my hands are tied for now. Despite that, Ophelia and I have been in constant discussions on revisions to push through as soon as possible. I won't let this turn into an excuse for blood purity discourse to rise up again on what a magical family actually is."
The bill is expected to be voted on next month. If accepted, it would still not debut for a little over a year at the earliest.