A new shadow
This was so unexpected Hermione didn't know what to say. Yet the implications of the situation came quickly to her mind.
"I suppose you have to put things right, even if it means taking your place at the head of that company. But it also means you'll have to confront a bunch of old blood-supremacists… That is, if the lot of them are not in Azkaban."
"Unfortunately, as you know, not all of them threw their lot with Voldemort. The most cautious just waited to see who would win the war. I have the names of the other sharoholders, most of them being in the executive board. Very nice people indeed."
"Who are they ? What have they done, exactly ?"
"Who they are is rather unsignificant. Imagine several clones of Lucius Malfoy, or my mother, some of them distant relatives of mine, I'm afraid. As for what they do… I'm affraid it ranges from traffiking of forbidden magical artifacts and house-elves trade to using the imperium curse against muggles in order to make them work for free."
"But it's impossible", exclaimed Hermione, horrified."It' s completely illegal and the government…."
"They widely use Muggle-repelling charms, of course, and often operate in areas protected by a Secret-Keeper as well. Besides, with the likes of Fudge, little arragements between friends were always possible, as you can imagine. And now the corruption runs so deep it will take a lot of time to erase it, even with someone like Kingley Shaklebolt. But as far as TP Mining is concerned, I plan to bring a definitive end to such things."
Hermione felt a sudden pang of fear. "You'll be careful !" she exclaimed, her words sounding more like an exhortation than a question.
"I will, of course my love. I have your safety to take into account now."
"Yours as well," snapped Hermione. "And don't think you'll go anywhere without me during that new crusade of yours. I might not be born into it, but I've been fighting against dark magic since I was eleven "
TBC