The Order of Merlin, First Class, was awarded posthumously to Regulus Arcturus Black by order of the

The Order of Merlin, First Class, was awarded posthumously to Regulus Arcturus Black by order of the Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, despite hearty opposition from the Wizengamot, whose counters included, “He’s a Death Eater,” and “He committed atrocities unaccounted for,” to “Others more deserving will be passed over!” And so on.Kingsley ignored it. In truth, the Order of Merlin was only in part meant for the memory of young, tragic Regulus Black. At least half of it belonged to a house elf named Kreacher, a foul being made foul by his masters, who nevertheless was instrumental in the defeat of the self-styled Lord Voldemort.Of course, the Minister knew that no matter how much opposition he received, no matter how many bridges he was burning, no matter the dissent sowed, it would be infinitely worse should he attempt to award a house-elf the Order of Merlin, First Class. Never mind a house-elf brainwashed into being a vehicle of pureblood propaganda in its least subtle form. Kingsley, however, attempted to rectify the animosity the Council were throwing his way like particularly quiet curses.“Regulus Arcturus Black–” said Kingsley Shacklebolt, newly elected Minister of the British Wizarding World, “–was a scion of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. In truth, through his self-sacrifice, he has salvaged the perception of his blood and his house. I ask you, most noble Council of the Wizengamot, what the effect of an Order of Merlin, First Class, on such a martyred descendent, would have on the views of the populace which we govern.”Annalise Wilding stood, tall and stern, the silver scars on her face shining in the gloom. “It would, I believe, have a stabilizing effect on the populace, and the press, that we sorely need. A pureblood, a Slytherin, to be awarded the Order of Merlin, would reassure other purebloods, other Slytherins that they will be judged by merit by the Ministry. It would, in fact, encourage meritorious action that will be received most welcomingly by all, despite intentions that might indicate those actions are not altogether altruistic.”“And what of the effect such an award would have on the victims of the Dark Lord’s terrorizing?” asked elderly Llewelyn Mell. “Would they not think the Ministry weak, think that our establishment has reverted to the old ways of bribery and corruption?”Kingsley smiled to himself, but hid it behind a veneer of tranquil attention. The ‘old ways’, indeed. He cleared his throat, and regained the attention of the Wizengamot. “We must not forget the numerous other upstanding wizards and witches who will also be awarded. This should serve to counter any dissent. As it is, I feel as though it will be worth it.”No less than seven hours of debate later, the Wizengamot came to the same conclusion.-In a dark house slowly being reclaimed by light, a house elf held a golden medallion on a purple ribbon with tearful awe. “My master has been recognized,” he croaked to himself, utterly unaware that such a matter had been debated by the greats, nor, in fact, that it had been done on his behalf.Harry smiled to himself from behind the door and turned away as the aged house-elf named Kreacher reverently hung the Order of Merlin, First Class, on the centre of the wall of his cupboard, where it was surrounded by glum photos of a dark-haired boy all in black and green.(written and submitted by petrichorlore. This is all I want for Kreacher, one of my most favorite minor characters ever, so please excuse me if I gush a little. petrichorlore creates a wonderful reward for him here, a reward on his own terms, and imbues her story with a beautiful understanding and a kindness that he could never receive in canon. On top of that, we get a competent & clever Kingsley, playing the powers that be and moving politics forward even as he does a good turn. Wonderful, just wonderful.) -- source link
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