Harry immediately sat up straight.
"Admit it?"
Harry looked at her.
"You're really going to admit she's right in front of the Daily Prophet and senior Ministry officials? Admit that the White List humiliation and the punishing schedule are right?"
"Harry, listen carefully."
Hermione's tone was steady.
"What I'm going to acknowledge is the results. Not the exploitation."
Ron frowned.
He didn't understand.
Ginny looked at the uncolored parchment on the table.
She understood what Hermione meant.
"You're planning to confirm the results they want first."
Ginny said.
"Then prove that her methods aren't the only reason for those results."
Hermione nodded.
She looked at Harry.
"If I go up onstage and immediately accuse this reform of being torture, accuse Umbridge of being a tyrant."
Hermione explained.
"The officials in the audience will just think I'm being emotional. Fudge will think it's nothing more than students' childish rebellion against strict discipline. We'll immediately lose our right to speak. Not only will that be useless, it'll also put the students who really have improved in a very awkward position."
Hermione tapped the pink draft with her finger.
"Because the results really do exist. We can't deny that everyone has genuinely become stronger."
Hermione said.
"So the first thing I'll do onstage is acknowledge those results. I'll tell Fudge and the reporters that the new textbooks really have helped us understand the logic of defensive magic. The intensive training really has cut our casting time by half a second. I'll acknowledge those facts."
"Once they hear that, they'll let their guard down. They'll think the briefing is a success."
Ginny picked up the thread.
"And then?"
Hermione picked up the second draft she had prepared.
"Then I'll tell them the cost."
Hermione gripped the parchment.
"I'll ask them why cutting half a