Percy watched that line take shape.
He offered no comment.
Arthur wrote another sentence.
"Wartime reform needs standards."
"It also needs boundaries."
Barton leaned over from beside him.
"That's far too polite."
Arthur did not even look up.
"Being polite gets it onto the right desk."
Barton chewed on his pen.
"Does that mean I need to rewrite mine?"
Percy pulled his parchment over and glanced at it.
"Delete the first paragraph."
Barton froze.
"Why?"
"You called her a pink toad in the first paragraph."
Percy said.
"That will invalidate the entire complaint."
Several people nearby laughed aloud.
Barton's face flushed red.
"But she really is..."
Percy cut him off.
"Do you want to insult her?"
"Or do you want your complaint to succeed?"
Barton struggled for a long moment.
"Succeed."
"Then delete it."
Barton snatched his paper back.
"Fine. I'll delete it."
"Keep the second paragraph."
Percy said.
"She directly transplanted her experience managing minors at Hogwarts into adult job certification."
"That sentence is useful."
Barton glanced at him.
"Whose side are you on, anyway?"
Percy said solemnly, "The side that makes the paperwork effective."
Arthur sighed softly.
"That's a very Percy answer."
Percy did not respond.
Someone started shouting at the other end of the atrium.
"Who has the page number for appendix three?"
"Page seven."
"Not page seven of the handbook."
"Page seven of the third section of the appendix."
"How many citations should we put down?"
"Seven."
"No, eight if you count the footnote."
"Footnotes count too?"
"Of course they do."
"Isn't Umbridge's name right there in the footnote?"
The crowd began dividing into groups.
Some took charge of copying page numbers.
Some took charge of refining the wording.
Some took charge of writing up the rumors about Hogwarts' Red and White Lists as supporting evidence.