The Wizengamot, as exciting as it had seemed for Hermione in the beginning, seemed to be a lot of politicking and general bickering about things she didn't care about. The British Youth weren't likely to care about the budget of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, for example, so Hermione found it hard to care when arguments for budgetary decisions went on and on and on. They were just so dull.
There was also a lot of discussion around clerical things Hermione thought the British Youth also didn't care about, like if witches and wizards should be required to file a time of day and location on a birth certificate application in addition to the day. Apparently, there was some astrological significance that could be used later in aptitude tests for something or other, but others thought it was an invasion of privacy for the Ministry to demand such information, and there was strenuous arguing from both sides.
Hermione figured that the youth aged 11-17, not having babies just yet, wouldn't really care, and she herself could not be less interested in whatever Astrology had to say about something.
Dumbledore always had to pay attention, being the Chief Warlock and sort of moderator, but Hermione found it easier and easier to let her mind drift during these sessions, often brainstorming ways she could get her own potential legislation presented or talking quietly to the people who sat around her in the far back seats.
The more Hermione spoke to Royce Fiddlewood, the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, the lower her opinion of the department in general became. He seemed exceedingly preoccupied recently with things that Hermione thought shouldn't be an issue.
"You don't understand," he told her, frustrated. "They want to trade."
"Who cares if the goblins want to trade for parchment and quills?" Hermione shot back. "They're offering gold. You'd have to be a fool to not make that deal."
"Wizards, historically, have not traded with the goblins," Royce told her seriously. "We have a mutually beneficial relationship through Gringotts, but it's limited to that. Add in anything else, and they're likely to get upstart ideas and start pushing for more."
"I think this is a good sign," Hermione said insistently. "They run the bank, sir. They probably had reams of parchment to keep records on, and they're just running out. To deny them their trade requests will likely make them upset, and it could jeopardize the accuracy of their record keeping for Gringotts."
Royce looked put out.
"People would not like goblins just coming out and shopping in the stores," he warned her. "It happens, but it is rare. Opening general trade to them… this would not end well."
"It's your job to make sure relations are kept positive, isn't it?" Hermione said pointedly. "It can't be that hard for you to appoint a go-between. Just get a wizard from your department to take their gold, go and buy the goods, and bring it back to them at a set meeting time. Simple."
Royce sighed. "It's not that easy, Miss Granger. I know you mean well, but goblin-wizard relations are a lot more complicated than you'd think."
Hermione privately disagreed. It seemed like Royce had a lot more complicated prejudiced feelings about the goblins and a deep-seated psychological need for control, if he was refusing to allow the goblins to buy pens and paper because he thought it would destabilize the wizarding economy.
As the end of the year approached, budgetary discussions and decisions ramped up in preparation for the next year, and during one hearing, Hermione was surprised for her ear to catch something new that would apply to the British Youth: Reinald Parkinson was arguing that families should be able to raise the taxes on their tenants independently.
"If we are expected to protect our tenants, and the Ministry provides no assistance, how are we to afford such measures?" he argued. "If you will not raise the taxes on the populace or budget more for the protection of these people, we will have to make the money up somewhere!"
Fudge looked very uneasy at this. "Now, Parkinson, that part of the budget has remained static for years now. To suddenly give the Sacred 28 money taken from the rest of the wizarding community…"
"So we are to provide for our tenants out of the goodness of our heart?" Parkinson said incredulously. "I'm sorry, Minister, but I can't manifest bread and stone out of good will."
He was sneering sarcastically, and Fudge looked very red, but Hermione had an idea. For the first time since joining the Wizengamot, she pushed the button on her desk, and it began to glow softly. Down on the Chief Warlock's desk, a corresponding small light lit up with a glow, and Dumbledore looked surprised.
"Thank you, Mr. Parkinson," Dumbledore said, nodding. Parkinson threw a dirty look at Fudge as he went back to his seat. Dumbledore cleared his throat. "The Wizengamot recognizes the British Youth Representative, Hermione Granger."
There was a murmur of surprise as Hermione determinedly made her way down the aisleway to the Wizengamot floor. When she reached the bottom, she looked around for a moment, swallowing. Everyone else was literally towering over her at their desks, and she suddenly felt very small.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"The Sacred 28 are pledged to protect a large part of the wizard populace," Hermione began. "If the Ministry chooses to ignore this, and the Ministry will not provide the funds to allow the Sacred 28 to protect their tenants, the Ministry should at least enable the Sacred 28 to get such funds themselves."
There was a murmur at her words.
"I have spoken to the Head of the Department of Magical Creatures," Hermione said, nodding back up toward her seat. "The goblins have been requesting a formal trade agreement for quills and parchment. If the Ministry would grant exclusive trade agreements to the Sacred 28, or perhaps to be run through a committee of some of the Sacred 28, they could benefit from these trades and use the profits to reinvest directly in their tenancies."
Fudge looked confused. "I'm not sure I'm following."
"For example," Hermione said, turning to face the Sacred 28. "The Sacred 28 are honor-bound to protect their tenants from harm. But they have not had the investment necessary from the Ministry to recast the silver wards they need to keep their tenants safe in many years. Pure silver of the highest quality, the kind needed for these wards, is not cheap." She turned to face the other half of the room. "But the goblins have silver. They have a lot of it. If you allow the Sacred 28 to trade with the goblins in exchange for silver, the problem is solved. Let the goblins trade for parchment and quills, and the Sacred 28 get the resources they need in the process."
There was a murmur amongst the people in the room.
"Are you then proposing," Dumbledore asked, looking down at her over his spectacles, "that the Sacred 28 openly trade with the Goblin Nation?"
"The goblins have been politely requesting trade instead of sneaking into society and stealing or buying what they need," Hermione pointed out. "To refuse their diplomatic request would probably worsen the state of things, wouldn't it? To allow the Sacred 28 to profit from this trade so they can protect their tenants, and to keep the goblins appeased and happy in the process, with the rest of the wider wizarding world none the wiser… it seems like a win/win to me."
She bowed before returning to her seat, shaking slightly but proud of herself. When she reached her seat, Royce Fiddlewood was giving her a dark look, but Era Hornbeam, the Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, seemed surprised and pleased.
"Well done," she told her quietly, when Hermione returned to her seat. "If the landlords can extend better protections to their tenants, it would make my job a lot easier – there would be fewer injuries and catastrophes to contain."
One of the regional representatives spoke next, saying that the citizens of his region were not likely to bear additional taxes well, but the person who spoke after that was Phaedra Lestrange, who began by announcing she agreed with Hermione, to the shock of the rest of the hall.
"Though she may be young, the Youth Representative has keenly seen straight to the heart of the problem," she declared. "We cannot be expected to keep our people safe without being allotted the resources to do so. And if we cannot raise rents or taxes, we must find another way."
To Hermione's surprise, more and more Sacred 28 families rose to speak in defense of Hermione's proposition. Augusta Longbottom was firm in insisting that maintaining the silver wards was a matter of honor that had been long neglected, and Melker Travers was adamant that trading quietly with the goblins would be a good way to appease them while not alarming the public in general.
The arguing and bickering continued on for a while before the bill was tabled. The proposed part of the budgetary bill was determined to be sent to committee to have the specifics worked out, and to Hermione's surprise and pride, she was assigned to the committee, alongside Royce Fiddlewood, Phaedra Lestrange, and Melker Travers.
Royce winced when his name was called, but Hermione was thrilled. She was going to get to help write legislation—!
After the main meeting of the Wizengamot was dismissed, Hermione approached Phaedra Lestrange, and Melker Travers and Royce Fiddlewood came over to join them.
"How does a committee work?" Hermione asked, bouncing on her toes. "Do we meet just after the Wizengamot is over? Are there meeting rooms here?"
Royce looked uncertain. "I mean—I suppose—"
"Traditionally, we just handle the issue outside of sessions and present the results," Phaedra said perfunctorily. "Generally, such things are done over tea or hosted in one's house with the others." She peered at Hermione. "Things might be a little more difficult, with you being a student at Hogwarts still."
"If you sent me a formal invitation to come to a committee meeting in the evening, I'm sure I'd be allowed," Hermione assured her, eager. "My Head of House, Professor Snape, could probably Floo in with me and pick me up afterward."
Melker Travers gave her an oily smile.
"We'll proceed according to that plan, then," he said. "We'll draft the legislation later this week, try and pick it apart the next, and present it the Tuesday after. Agreed?"
Hermione was happy to agree. She was getting to do something, now. And she was going to actually get to help the British Youth like she'd said she would.
The fact that the goblins would get their parchment was a small bonus as well. Hermione wondered what Bloodthorne and the rest of them wanted with so much paper. Maybe they were making goblin textbooks?
Whatever it was, Hermione felt well pleased with herself when she returned to school.
Snape was not amused when Hermione approached him that evening about being permitted outside of the school alone, and he was even less amused when he learned it would be to go to the home of either Phaedra Lestrange or Melker Travers.
"Again, Miss Granger, because I seem to keep needing to remind you, there is a mass-murdering Dark wizard on the loose." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is the worst possible time for a student to need to leave the grounds."
"I wouldn't need to go out on the grounds, though," Hermione argued. "I could just Floo to their house. You have a Floo like that, don't you?"
"You would still be in danger," Snape snarled. "The Lestrange family and Travers family are not likely to look kindly upon you, Wizengamot standing or not."
"I practically avenged Lilian Travers from the basilisk—" Hermione argued.
"You are the reason she was petrified in the first place!"
"—and I wouldn't be there alone,' she continued. "Royce Fiddlewood will be there as well. He's on the committee too."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to be reassured?"
"He's the head of a Ministry Department," Hermione said. "No one would dare—"
Snape snorted, cutting her off.
"Miss Granger, I daresay you have a vast over-estimation of the credentials needed in order to be appointed to the head of an inconsequential department of the Ministry." His voice was very dry. "Your fellow Wizengamot representatives will just simply have to carry on without you."
"But Professor," Hermione pleaded. "This is my first chance to actually help people! For real!"
"With a budgetary bill?" Snape was incredulous. "Miss Granger—"
"I know that the Sacred 28 just want more money and they're using their tenants as an excuse to get it, that part's obvious," Hermione said. "But if I'm there, I can help write it into the bill that some percentage of it must be spent on helping their tenants. And if I can get the hedgewitches silver wards—"
"Silver wards?" Snape interrupted. He looked curious despite himself. "What exactly are silver wards, Miss Granger?"
"It's an old warding scheme that the landlords used to use to protect their lands from werewolves," Hermione said. "When they're activated, the wards carry an element of the silver along with them from point to point, making it painful for a werewolf to try and cross and keeping them out of their lands."
Snape snorted. "Nonsense. I've never heard of such a thing."
"That's because there hasn't been a working one in ages," Hermione said eagerly. "With the old ones that still remain, the silver's long since tarnished and the magic's faded away and worn out. But if part of the budgetary bill makes sure that the silver wards are restored, it can help protect them."
"You are awfully invested in protecting a group of people you barely know," Snape commented, his eyes glittering. "Why is that, Miss Granger?"
Hermione didn't understand.
"I don't know them, really, but the youth helped elect me," she said. "When I asked what they wanted me to push for as a political agenda, protection from werewolves was one of the few things that came up." She paused. "I suppose I could probably write in that a percentage of the profits have to go toward increased grain allotments as well. They wanted that, too."
Snape pinched the bridge of his nose tightly.
"You misunderstand the question," he said, frustrated. He looked at Hermione. "You are speaking of the hedgewitches, correct?"
"Yes," Hermione said. "The tenants of the Sacred 28."
"The community of people who have no wands and serve as serfs," Snape said flatly. "The ones who still practice old folk magic? Chanting over herbs in the air and the like?"
"Err," Hermione said. "I mean, that's part of it…"
"I understand what you can give to these people," Snape said. His eyes pierced hers. "What I do not understand is what they can give to you."
It took Hermione a moment.
"You're asking as a Slytherin, aren't you?" she said. "You want to know what I'm getting out of it because you don't trust altruism."
Snape's eyes glittered. "Do you?"
"Not really," Hermione admitted. "Not anymore."
She paused to consider, really thinking over the question.
"For the first part, I'm repaying a debt," she said slowly. "I said I would try and help them when they elected me. To be able to do so would fulfill that sort of 'bargain' that we made. And it would strengthen their loyalty to me - possibly over that of their loyalty to their landlords. That could come in handy someday."
"You want their loyalty?" Snape raised an eyebrow. "The loyalty of a weak, impotent group of wizards that can barely cast magic?"
Hermione bit back the retort on her tongue. "Yes, sir."
Snape looked at her for a very long moment, before pinching his nose, disgusted.
"Students require permission from the Headmaster to leave the school grounds during term," he said, standing. "Come."
He swept out of his office, and Hermione hurried after him, up several flights of stairs and down the hallway to the great stone statue of an eagle.
"Kit Kat," he sneered at the statue, and Hermione stifled a giggle.
When they reached the top of the staircase, Dumbledore seemed to be expecting them, and he greeted them warmly.
"Severus! And Miss Granger! Do sit down," he bid them, eyes twinkling. "Lemon drop?"
Both Snape and Hermione demurred, and Snape got to the matter at hand immediately.
"Apparently, you assigned Miss Granger to a Wizengamot committee, Headmaster?" he accused.
"She was the one to suggest the budgetary measure in question," Dumbledore said calmly. "It was a logical choice."
Snape scowled. "And yet, now, as a result, she will need to venture out after hours, alone, into the homes of one of two notorious blood purist Houses to work on the bill. She will be in danger, Albus."
Dumbledore considered, sucking on his own lemon drop.
"The Lestrange family is known to be fairly Dark, though Phaedra would have us as a society move pass the embarrassment of her cousins," he said. "She would be the most likely to host – I cannot see Melker Travers arranging a society committee meeting."
"She would not be safe at a Lestrange family gathering," Snape warned. "Albus, the wards alone might seriously hurt her—!"
"Blood purity wards and the like?" Dumbledore fixed Snape with a sharp look. "I imagine those can be temporarily suspended if necessary, can't they?"
"If someone there insists upon it, perhaps," Snape said, disgusted. "But Miss Granger is fourteen years old. She is not of legal age to be gadding about in strange households—"
"That's rather the point, though, isn't it?" Dumbledore mused. "Of being Youth Representative. The whole point is that she's not legally an adult."
Hermione had been biting her lip the whole time, watching them bicker back and forth.
"Maybe I could go with a chaperone?" she suggested finally. "An adult you two would trust with my safety could come along?"
Dumbledore and Snape turned to look at her. Snape was scowling, but Dumbledore looked thoughtful.
"That's a possibility," he said. "The issue would be, of course, finding an adult at the castle willing to do so. It would need to be a person capable of understanding what all was at stake, of course, and one capable of carefully navigating the complicated political implications of the situation too…"
Snape's expression grew darker and darker as Dumbledore went on, Hermione carefully keeping quiet.
"Just damn me to it already," Snape hissed, his eyes flashing at the Headmaster. "We both know I'm the only one to fit that description."
Dumbledore looked affronted. "Why, Severus – I would never. I said as much – we need a willing chaperone for Miss Granger here."
Snape groaned and rolled his eyes.
"And what do I get," he said, "in exchange for giving up my evenings for this nonsense charade?"
Dumbledore looked saddened.
"Severus," he said. "Hermione is your charge. If you want to see to her safety, surely you—"
"Time and a half," Hermione cut in. She looked at Professor Snape. "If you're working after hours for it, you should get overtime for it, right? That's time and a half."
Dumbledore looked thrown, and Snape looked torn between being confused and incredulous.
"Professors are not paid on an hourly basis, Hermione," Dumbledore told her, looking over his eyeglasses at her. "They get paid a yearly salary."
"This isn't part of his general job description, though, so I think it'd count as overtime," Hermione argued. "So Professor Snape should be paid as such."
"Miss Granger…" Dumbledore looked tired. "I do not have the authorization to just dispense funds from the treasury to teachers. It would require a vote by the Board of Governors, who are not likely to—"
"I'll pay it, then." Hermione looked up at Snape, determined. "If this is my responsibility as Youth Representative, I should take on the associated costs with it, right?"
Snape stared at her. "You will pay me?"
"Sure," Hermione said, shrugging. She grinned. "I'll be able to write it off on my taxes."
Snape muttered something about children not filing taxes, but Hermione wasn't paying attention. She was looking to Dumbledore, who was regarding her with thoughtful eyes.
"If Professor Snape is willing to escort you to your committee meetings and play chaperone while you are there, you are granted permission to attend," he said finally, nodding. "If that truly requires you to bribe your Head of House to get him to go along…"
He looked saddened as he regarded Snape, but Hermione didn't care if Dumbledore preferred to rely on guilt-tripping people to get them to do what he wanted. She preferred to work differently.
"Brilliant," Hermione said, grinning. She turned to Snape. "Does that work for you?"
Snape looked at Hermione in exasperation, before finally relenting.
"Fine," he snapped. He glared at Dumbledore. "Thank you, Headmaster."
"Yes, thank you!" Hermione piped up, her own voice utterly devoid of sarcasm. "I really appreciate it, sir!"
Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again as he watched them go. "Of course, Miss Granger. It is good to see you taking your responsibilities so seriously."
Snape rolled his eyes and practically dragged Hermione out of the office and back down the stone stairs.
He was still exasperated when they returned to his office, Snape stalking to his chair and rubbing his temples in small circles, as if staving off a migraine. Hermione felt a moment of sympathy for him, but it wasn't much.
"So," she said cheerily. "How much do you make a year?"
Snape gave her a dirty look, and she shrugged, unrepentant.
"You can do this out of the goodness of your soul, or I can pay you," she said. "Up to you, really, but I know I would rather get the gold."
Snape rolled his eyes.
"As Potions Master and as a Head of House, I earn 16,500 galleons a year," he said finally.
Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "So… roughly 8 galleons an hour?"
"Less." Snape sounded exasperated. "I do not work a standard work week, Miss Granger. You may be aware that I am expected to be on call at all hours of the day."
"We'll just go with 8 galleons, then," Hermione said, nodding decisively. "Every hour you spend chaperoning me in the evenings, I'll give you 12 galleons for your time. Oh! And because it's Wizengamot business, I can even spin us back with the Time-Turner to give you your evening back as well!"
Snape looked surprised by this.
"I'd forgotten about your little device," he said. He looked thoughtful. "If it ends up that I won't be sacrificing my entire evenings for your politiciking—"
"No, still paying you," Hermione said. She gave him a crooked grin. "Don't want to build up resentment from my Head of House this early in my Hogwarts career."
Snape smirked.
"You do realize your safety is my responsibility, correct?" he said dryly.
"Yup," Hermione said, popping the 'p'. "But seeing as it's not your responsibility outside of Hogwarts, it seems reasonable to compensate you appropriately for the extended duties."
Snape gave her a look, before he sighed.
"Miss Granger, as gauche as it is to discuss, I think you are unaware of exactly what you are committing to," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "These meetings might take hours. They probably will. And the exchange rate is not 1:1, you realize. Twelve galleons an hour will add up very quickly."
"It's fine," Hermione said stubbornly. She lifted her chin, defiant. "Thank you for your concern, Professor, but I assure you, I can do arithmetic perfectly fine myself."
Snape looked at her for another long moment, before he sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Shall we a make a contract?" he said dryly, summoning a bit of parchment and an inkwell. "If you truly want to do this by the books…"
"Yes!" Hermione scooched her chair over to his desk eagerly. "This way, I'll have something to include with the write-off with my taxes."
"Minors do not pay taxes, Miss Granger," Snape said, raising a sardonic eyebrow. "That happy duty is left to adults."
"Well," Hermione said, shrugging with a smile. "It's still good practice, I guess."