In previous issues we've discussed what genteel ladies should (and shouldn't) do during campaign season, but with the election around the corner let us turn our attention to what good women of society will be doing after the election: crystallizing themselves around the new Mrs. Minister.

The position of Minister's wife, while not one with a formal title, comes with codified responsibilities. The Minister's wife hosts Wizengamot members and foreign dignitaries alike; she serves as the first introduction to British hospitality for many and an example of standards upheld for many more. Dozens of hostesses each year design their balls and galas inspired by annual events like the Minister's New Years Tea, the Minister's Masquerade, and others.

In the weeks preceding the election, aspiring societal pillars (someone, after all, must fill the void left by the passing of Mrs. Ophelia Devine) ought to rub elbows with women like Helga Crouch, Cecilia Lupin, and Thomasina Dempsey. Create good rapport, and for the truly ambitious perhaps see if you can become good enough friends with them to influence future decision making on their part.

But what about the other candidates who are as yet unwed? Maxime, Prewett, Wright?

It's simple, England: don't let your husbands vote for a bachelor.

Who shall tend to the duties of the Minister's wife if the Minister is not married? There are only two options, neither of them good. The first is that the Minister simply won't realize the importance of these tasks, and they will be left to languish. Perhaps a private citizen might step up to host a grand masquerade each year, but who shall ensure our allies on the international stage are appropriately welcomed? Who shall keep the Minister's household running well so that he may focus on the work of the country?

The second possibility is one more likely for widowers like Picardy; he likely understands the value a wife brings to a household and would recognize the lack of one as an opportunity which must be filled. We might expect a hasty and perfunctory marriage — but to whom? This route presents an absolute wildcard. Would the new Minister's wife be up to the task? Would she like you, or might it be that old Hogwarts rival you had mostly dismissed?

Do not risk becoming an outcast in polite society. Do not allow your husband to vote for a bachelor.