Goblin culture lessons with Bloodthorne were a bit surreal, to Hermione.

"If you would be respected, there are three things you would need to learn and do. The first: you would need to wear your sword everywhere. The second: you would need to bring an offering to the Horde," Bloodthrone reminded her. His eyes glinted. "The third: you would need to learn to argue and fight."

"Fight?" Hermione repeated, concerned. "Why do you pair that with arguing?"

"Arguments sometimes break down into fights," Bloodthorne said carelessly. "It is best you would know how to do both."

Lessons in argument were fairly straight-forward, luckily. Hermione was already well-versed in how to argue. It seemed the goblins valued directly logical arguments over appeals to justice or morals, which Hermione tucked away in her mind.

"Goblins would not respond well to appeals to emotions," Bloodthorne emphasized. His eyes glinted. "We are not a soft, forgiving, emotional race."

"Do appeals to bloodthirstiness work?" Hermione asked dryly, and Bloodthorne cackled.

"Perhaps coming from a goblin," he admitted, pointy teeth glinting. "But not from a wizard."

Bloodthorne explained that given the situation – a formal trial at court – it was unlikely Hermione would be attacked, but it was possible.

"You may be challenged outside of the court, and I would have you know how to respond," Bloodthorne said. "You would be at a disadvantage, without venom or claws."

When goblins fought each other, Hermione learned, it was done by trying to subdue the other without any weapons. Goblins were stripped of their armor and weapons before fighting. This, Bloodthorne emphasized, was because the truth behind the correct argument would bear out.

"So whoever's the better fighter is right?" Hermione was incredulous. "A goblin could have a completely stupid argument, but if he's bigger and the better fighter, he would be considered the winner of the debate?"

"He would," Bloodthorne agreed. "It is rare, though; the truth of an argument generally is reflected in the winner of such bouts. You, though, are not a goblin." His eyes gleamed. "A fight with you would not be on fair ground. I imagine someone would try to challenge you on that basis, presuming they could best you in a fight."

Hermione sighed. "So… I should prepare how, then?"

Bloodthorne's plan to have Hermione prepare to fight was to teach her how to throw a punch and what areas of a goblin were the most vulnerable – behind the ears, the temples, and the kidneys.

"You would not be able to use your wand or sword," he reminded her. "Only your body is your weapon."

"Would I be expected to strip naked?" Hermione demanded. "To prove I didn't have protective enchantments on my robes?"

Bloodthorne's answering grin was nasty.

"Maybe."

When she left the bank that day, it was only after Bloodthorne was satisfied with her ability to throw a punch, yell loudly enough to cause confusion, and kick while on the ground.

"I would see you the last week of July," he bid her. "I would not forget how to fight in that time, if I were you. It might be sorely needed."

Hermione was in a huff as she stalked from the bank, making her way through Diagon Alley.

"Learn how to fight, he says," she muttered. "Learn how to fight naked, at that."

Hermione began making a mental list of everything she would need to do to prepare for such a potentiality – including making sure she was wearing an obviously muggle sports bra and shorts under her robes any time she was underground with the Goblin Horde.

"Gabriel Truman's birthday is a month from Wednesday," Tracey told them, "which means election season will begin on Wednesday, when he announces he will be stepping down. That is when Hermione will need to be nominated publicly."

"Nominated?" Hermione asked. "I don't just announce my candidacy?"

"You have to be nominated by someone else," Tracey confirmed. "There will probably be a few other nominations, too. The decision, then, is if we should try to nominate Hermione first, or last."

"Last," Daphne said immediately. "The more important always goes last."

Tracey had arranged a meeting with the girls from their Slytherin class, plus Blaise. Blaise seemed entirely unconcerned he was surrounded by five girls in Tracey's backyard.

"Do we know who else might be wanting to run?" Pansy wanted to know. "It's better to know our enemies ahead of time."

"Cassius Warrington," Daphne admitted. "I don't think he'll win, but I'm certain he'll have someone nominate him, if only to make a statement."

"Do people ever get nominated unexpectedly?" Hermione asked. "What happens then?"

"Excellent question!" Tracey said. "Let's go back to the board."

Tracey smacked the board she'd set up with a pointer stick. She seemed very proud of herself.

"Public announcements and events like this take place here, in Carkitt Market Square," she said, pointing to her map. "The podium will be here. People will take turns nominating people, which will appear on the official nomination board."

"How it works is someone will step forward to nominate a person. There will be a call for the nomination to be seconded, and if it is, the person who put forth the nomination can give a short speech on why their pick would be good." Tracey gestured with her stick. "More than one person can give nomination speeches, I think. After they're done, there is a call for the person nominated to come up, and then that person either makes a small speech accepting the nomination or declining it."

"Declining it?" Blaise raised his eyebrows. "Why would anyone ever decline it?"

"Ravenclaws who don't want their marks to go down?" Hermione guessed. "Tracey said that they meet every second Tuesday during the day. That's bound to interfere with classes."

Blaise looked at her sideways. "And you're okay with that?"

"That's the thing," Hermione said, tapping the side of her nose. "I looked into it; Gabriel Truman never missed any of his classes unless he was ill. Whatever it is, the Ministry has some way of making sure a student can attend the Wizengamot sessions without missing classes."

"We'll have to decide who should nominate Hermione and who should speak in what order," Daphne was saying. "And compose major points to hit in each small speech."

Tracey frowned. "How many people?"

"Well, you don't want people to get too restless, right?" Daphne said reasonably. "No one wants to stand there through three or four speeches for the same person. It would lose the actual candidate goodwill fast."

"So we've got to limit it to two people, really, then," Millie said. "So: do we pick the most eloquent speakers, or the most well-known people we can?"

Pansy made a face. "Can't they be both?"

"The most well-known names we've got are probably mine and Draco's," Daphne said. "I can speak publicly, but I'm certainly not a great orator. And Draco…" She winced. "Well. Draco's good when he's worked up about something, but I have my doubts on his ability to stick to a script."

"Both Slytherins," Hermione noted.

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

"Should we try to get a second person from another house to balance it out?" Hermione asked. "I could ask Harry or Susan Bones. They're both fairly well-known names."

Daphne looked surprised, then considered the idea thoughtfully. Pansy scowled at her.

"I forget," she sneered. "You have friends just all over, don't you?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "I do."

Pansy didn't seem to have a comeback to that, and she sulked quietly while Daphne and Tracey discussed who should be ready to give nomination speeches.

"The issue is how it would look," Daphne said apologetically. "If Susan Bones gives a speech supporting a Slytherin, some people are likely to twist it that you're blackmailing her for support, even though it'd likely be genuine."

"That's rubbish!" Hermione said, shocked. "I wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't you?" Blaise mused, and Hermione shot him a dark look.

"The challenge with Harry Potter is, well, he's Harry Potter," Tracey said apologetically. "If he's around at all, there's a high chance someone will nominate him. And Hermione – your name is well known, don't get me wrong – but you wouldn't stand a chance against Harry Potter."

Hermione made a face. "If you say so."

It was decided Draco should make one of the speeches, probably the second. The Malfoy family, though not looked on kindly by everyone, was undoubtedly very influential in the Ministry and government.

"It'd be better if we could get someone not from Slytherin to nominate you," Daphne admitted. "You could reach out to Anthony Goldstein?"

Hermione winced. "I'd really rather not."

Tracey and Millie looked intrigued by this, sharing a smirk.

"I'll do it, then," Daphne said. "My family's name is well known, and the Greengrasses aren't directly connected to anything Dark. I'm the better choice to suggest Hermione as a candidate, and then Draco can go and try to get the crowd excited about Hermione."

"We're relying on Draco Malfoy's ability to persuade a crowd?" Blaise commented. "Really?"

"Draco is very good at persuading people when he wants to," Pansy defended, his voice sharp. "And it's clear he feels passionately about this, for whatever reason." She sneered at Hermione. "But we've all heard his story of Hermione saving him over and over again. He'd be able to ensnare a crowd."

"How long will all this take?" Hermione wondered. "How many people will be running?"

"At least three, possibly as many as ten." Tracey shrugged. "Depends on who's present and who wants it, really."

"Speaking of that…" Daphne turned to Hermione. "Hermione, during this, you must be circulating and networking with the hedgewitches."

Hermione blinked. "Hedge witches?"

"Hedgewitches is the general term for magical people who don't have the magic necessary to become great wizards or witches," Daphne explained. "They have the magic necessary to grow magical plants, to make potions, and to use magical tools, that sort of thing. But a lot of them lack the magic necessary to use a wand to its fullest potential. Many of them only ever manage household charms."

Hermione was shocked.

"What do you mean, they don't have the magic necessary?" she wanted to know. "Surely if they practiced at it, they'd get better?"

"They're born weak," Pansy said bluntly. She gave Hermione a cutting look. "There's a reason blood purists hold tightly to their values."

"That doesn't make any logical sense," Hermione said, annoyed. "Your magical potential grows with your use of it. If the children of hedgewitches can't use much magic, that's more likely to be a product of circumstance, not of genetics—"

"Anyway," Tracey said loudly, cutting her off. "Hermione, you will need to circulate among the hedgewitch teens and chat them up. Your general curiosity about their way of life will be enough as a sufficient topic of conversation." She gave her a pointed look.

"Always flattering to be asked about yourself," Blaise said mildly. "Probably the simplest and best way to go."

"I don't envy you," Pansy snickered. "Hedgewitches are so… unrefined."

"Just one more thing, then," Millie commented. She raised an eyebrow. "Hermione, do you happen to have an older brother?"

"No…" Hermione stared, not following. "I'm an only child. I thought I'd mentioned that?"

But already Daphne was wincing, and Pansy looked uneasy.

"What does that matter?" Hermione wanted to know. "Even if I did, he'd be a muggle."

"You've chyrsalized," Daphne said, matter-of-fact. "If you're circulating in society wearing a butterfly openly, in this sort of situation, you should have a companion with you."

"Why?"

"To accept or reject courting proposals, for one," Daphne said. "To guard your safety from the hedgewitches, as another."

"That's ridiculous," Hermione snorted.

"It's how things are done," Pansy sneered. "You don't just get to discount things are 'ridiculous'."

"Well, I'm not doing that," Hermione declared, folding her arms. "I can wear my sword, and I'll have my wand on me. I can defend myself. And if anyone wants to offer for me, they can go through me. I'm the first of my House, so I'd be the one who has a say in the matter, anyway."

"Hear, hear!" Tracey cheered, grinning.

"That's not likely to go over well," Daphne said slowly, uneasy. "The old Pureblood families will view it as a deliberate eschewing of tradition…"

"The hedgewitches are bound to like it though, right?" Blaise pointed out. "They're all about independence and self-sufficiency. I'd think they'd be inspired by seeing a young witch fully capable of protecting herself."

Pansy was smirking, somehow amused by Hermione circulating among the hedgewitches without protection. Daphne considered, looking torn.

"But the trade-off," she said. "Is it worth it, really?"

"Run the numbers," Tracey said. "Which population is higher? Uptight purebloods or literally everyone else?"

Daphne shot Tracey a dark look. "You don't have to be rude."

Tracey was unapologetic. "I'm right though, aren't I?"

"If necessary, I can stay by Hermione's side," Blaise offered. "I can help her navigate and recognize prominent people who might be around."

"Her right or left side?" Pansy asked, her tone pointed, and Blaise smiled blandly at her, not answering.

"We'll wait to see if that's necessary," Hermione decided. "It's probably better that we're all spread out across the square, but we'll need to adjust the plan as we go." She paused. "…do the Muggleborns even know about this?"

Daphne shrugged, uncaring. "Maybe."

"You all only know from being raised knowing about the inner workings of the Ministry," Hermione pointed out. "And there hasn't been anything in the Daily Prophet about it yet."

"The paper won't cover it until Gabriel formally steps down and nominations are complete," Daphne said carelessly, waving her hand. "And then the election results, of course."

Hermione felt a flare or indignation. "So they'd just be left out of a large part of magical culture?"

"It'd be their fault for not paying attention," Pansy sneered.

Hermione folded her arms very tightly and bit her lip very hard, barely managing to hold back her angry words.

The rest of the planning meeting continued largely without her input, Hermione's mind flying over her own plots and plans while the others continued with their schemes. From what Hermione could tell, all she was needed for was to show up at Carkitt Market Wednesday, look good, talk to people, and humbly accept her nomination, which she could do easily enough.

What was going to be more challenging was making sure that the Muggleborns of Hogwarts did know about the upcoming nomination day, regardless of what her Slytherin classmates thought. She could write a generic announcement, she was sure, and Gemino copies of it to send to everyone, but how many Muggleborns were there? Who all were they? Would she be able to get an announcement to all of them quickly enough for them to make plans to come, if they wanted?

If she was going to be any sort of leader, Hermione was determined it wouldn't begin with her leaving anyone out in the cold.