Where There's a Will There's a Werewolf

“Werewolf rights are human rights! Werewolf rights are human rights!” The chanting might have been more compelling if their numbers were greater, but they were making a disturbance and that was definitely a step in the right direction. Darcy stood underneath a banner held by two other witches that read ‘WWWAR is coming!’ the lettering then flashed and the banner now said ‘Witches, Wizards, and Werewolves Against the Registration’. The protest group had been there for two days now, fighting for politicians to take notice of their cause. The werewolf registration was completely unjust, stigmatizing people who, in most cases, were complete innocents to their illness. Forcing victims of lycanthropy to check in with the government every month was not only a violation of their wizarding rights, but also impeded their ability to go about their lives as normally as possible. Imagine, you finally find a job that that would overlook the stereotypes of your disease only to have to take time off work every month to go into London and sit in a busy Ministry building, missing paid work and putting a strain on your reputation as a hard-working employee. And that was only for the lucky ones. Most werewolves couldn’t get a steady job to begin with, ending up turning to illegal means of profit. Forced criminality! It was inhumane and WWWAR was going to make sure their few but mighty voices were heard.

Darcy had a clipboard in her hands as she chanted along with her fellow WWWAR advocates, her free hand thrust into the air as a group of finely dress business wizards walked passed. “End the registration! Sign our petition for werewolf rights!” The men hurried passed them, waving Darcy off but she was not deterred. “Please, sir, sign our petition. The werewolf registration is harmful to innocent werewolves just trying to-” She was shut down as the man ignored her and walked faster, leaving her alone. “You’re blessed with anonymity!” she shouted at the man’s back. “Lycans deserve the same, you wanker!” She was getting heated now. There were only six names on her petition board, one of which was her own in the hopes of getting the ball rolling. A cute brunette in a blue top caught Darcy’s eye as she walked swiftly by, avoiding eye contact. “Miss, people with lycanthropy are being unfairly targeted by this administration’s racist policies. Sign our petition to end the registration?” Darcy trotted after the woman, extending her clipboard and quill toward the witch as she walked by.

The cute brunette hadn’t agreed to sign, but she’d also not said no. In fact, she’d even stopped walking, which was far more than the vast majority of people Darcy had spoken with today. It was a good sign and Darcy was enthused. It was natural to be hesitant, as was clear this woman was, but Darcy felt she had a duty to help anyone belittled or beleaguered simply for trying to live their life within circumstances beyond their control. She was privileged in so many ways she hadn’t recognized when she was younger and she wanted to ensure that privilege could result in additional privileges for others who were not blessed in society’s eyes just because she had been born in the right place and time or never happened across the wrong people in her life through no fault of her own.

“The Minister and this administration are targeting lycans, subjecting them to unfair and biased policies that most of us are blessed enough to never feel the weight of, but everyone deserves to be treated with respect and equality. All we’re asking is for your signature to show the Minister that the majority of Britain’s wizarding citizens are not in support of his policies regarding lycans. He’s using smear campaigns and lies to scare Britain into thinking lycans are dangerous to society, completely disregarding the vast research that proves his statements false. Please consider signing here, to show the Ministry that we will not fall for their lies.” It was a mouthful to be certain, but rarely had anyone stopped long enough for Darcy to get a word in edge-wise. She became a little overzealous. It didn’t help that the woman was far too attractive to be talking with anyone on Darcy’s level, and she might have been a little flustered given the circumstances.