Chapter 45: The Economics of Power and the Weight of Choice
The Ministry of Magic, while a governing body, is a strangely independent entity. For any organization to function, it requires funding—either allocated from a higher authority or generated through its own profitable ventures. The Ministry of Magic has neither. It is nominally a subordinate body of the Council of Elders, yet it receives not a single Knut from them. The Ministry itself owns no significant property; almost all industry in the wizarding world is controlled by ancient pure-blood families.
So, where does the money come from to pay its employees and fund its operations? The primary source is the pure-blood families themselves. They donate vast sums of Galleons annually to cover the Ministry's daily expenses. In return, seats on the Wizengamot and managerial positions within various departments are reserved for their members. If a pure-blood scion wishes for a Ministry post, it is a simple matter of sending a notice; the entry paperwork is completed by afternoon.
Other revenue streams—like land sales in Diagon Alley, property development in wizarding enclaves, and fines for magical misdemeanors—are mere mosquito bites compared to the financial lifeblood provided by the old families.
In essence, the salaries of every Ministry employee are paid by these pure-blood families. Even the wizards working on farms and plantations controlled by pure-blood interests are on their payroll. To put it bluntly, the entire wizarding economy operates to sustain the power of the pure-bloods.
The Weasleys have three wage-earners: Arthur, Bill, and Charlie. The institutions they work for are, at least in part, funded by families like the Malfoys. In a very real sense, the Weasleys work for the Malfoys.
"I told you before that the Weasleys' continued existence relies on the forbearance of pure-blood families like the Malfoys," Solim said, his gaze fixed on a now-silent Ron. "You would do well to remember that, Weasley. Keep your mouth in check, lest you bring terrible trouble upon yourself and your family one day."
"But Malfoy is a Death Eater," Harry interjected.
"Yes. Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater. No one denies that." Solim gave Draco a sidelong glance. "But if the Malfoys were truly loyal to Voldemort, would they have spent the last decade in comfortable inaction?"
"Perhaps you only learned yesterday that Voldemort wasn't dead, but I can tell you now: on the very night he fell, the night ordinary wizards celebrated the end of the Dark Ages, many knew he had survived. Every Death Eater knew their master lived. Listen carefully—every single one."
"Even without me saying it, you should know what a wizard like Voldemort does to traitors." Solim shifted to a more comfortable position. "Some of his fanatics, like the Lestranges, searched for him frantically." He glanced at Neville, whose face had gone pale. "Others, like Lucius Malfoy, rushed to distance themselves. Do you know why?"
"Isn't it obvious? To avoid being judged by the Ministry and thrown in Azkaban!" Ron said dismissively.
Solim looked from Ron to the seething Draco and shook his head. "Not only that. They were seizing a rare opportunity to be free of him."
He turned his focus to Harry. "Harry, let's hypothesize. Your parents weren't killed eleven years ago. Voldemort didn't fail. You live happily with your family, you come to Hogwarts, you graduate. Then, one day, Death Eaters—or even Voldemort himself—appear at your door. They demand your loyalty. If you refuse, they will kill your parents. Tell me, Harry, what do you choose?"
Harry's mouth fell open. He had no answer. If his parents were alive... the happiness of that thought was overwhelming. No cupboard under the stairs, no leftovers, no bullying, no being called a freak. If they had lived, how fiercely would he cherish that life? But could he really become a Death Eater to protect it?
Seeing Harry's struggle, Solim continued. "From what they did, your parents loved you deeply. They gave their lives for you. And you? To save your family, would you choose to become a villain? Or would you remain a 'good person' and let your entire family die?"
"All of you, think about what you would do in that situation," Solim said to the room.
"I'd never become a Death Eater!" Ron declared, his face a mask of disgust.
"Oh? Even if the price of refusal is the lives of your mother, your father, Ginny, and all your brothers? Could you be that resolute?" Solim pressed.
"Then... you pretend to agree, and then find a way to hide with your family later," Hermione suggested.
"That would mean a far more terrible death," Solim countered. "You may not fully understand, but Voldemort is a master Legilimens. To lie to his face, your Occlumency would need to be powerful enough to hide the deceit from a wizard for whom reading minds is instinct. Few possess such a skill."
Legilimency was not some obscure art among powerful wizards; it was a fundamental tool, the spear to which Occlumency was the shield. Any witch or wizard of high standing learned both, to varying degrees of proficiency.
"So, you see," Solim concluded, "if Voldemort comes to your door and you wish to save your family, your only real choice is to swear the oath. Of course, some wizards, like those of the Bones family, would rather die than yield." He glanced around. "Susan Bones is the last of her line. When she marries, the Bones name will vanish, just like so many other pure-blood families who chose principle over survival."
Harry and the others exchanged looks. They knew the shy Hufflepuff girl; they hadn't known the tragedy that defined her family.
"The choice is brutal, but simple: join him to save your family, or be wiped out." Solim spread his hands. "Unless your family is under the direct protection of the Council of Elders, boasts a wizard powerful enough to give Voldemort pause, or is considered utterly insignificant." His eyes flicked to Ron. "Only with one of these shields would Voldemort or his Death Eaters likely leave you alone."
He looked at Draco. "Lucius Malfoy chose to save his family. From that perspective alone, his choice is... understandable."
"Even so, he's still a Death Eater!" Ron insisted, his principles clashing with the grim reality Solim presented. "To protect his family, how many innocent people did he let die? How many murders did he commit or allow? Two families in Godric's Hollow were killed! My dad told me!"
"Weasley, you hate the Malfoys, don't you?" Solim's next words were a razor's edge aimed at Ron's heart. "If Voldemort found you and ordered you to kill the Malfoys to save your own family, would you do it? Would you sacrifice your principles for your family, or sacrifice your family for your principles?"
A person's principles, their moral bottom line, are their final bastion of self. Once that line is crossed, the heart changes. The old limit is destroyed, and a new, lower one is instinctively erected, only to be broken again later. Slowly, a person becomes utterly unmoored—a corrupted wizard is born.
This was where Voldemort was a true master: he played with hearts. He forced the cruelest of choices: the instinctual desire for life versus the principles that define a soul. The agonizing struggle between human nature and conscience was, for him, the real prize. He didn't truly care if they knelt; he reveled in the spectacle of their internal torment.