DISCLAIMER: Forgot this. I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the affiliated names.
Deciding that it'd probably be for the best in regards to his concentration, Tom decided not to open the shop that day. Instead, he grabbed a quill and a few pieces of parchment from behind the cashier's desk. He then started writing down different ideas he had about how best to avoid the new law and who would be helpful to him. The main question in his mind was whether to simply negate it from himself or nullify it completely.
Negating, while easier, was also a wasted opportunity. Nullifying it would spread his resources thinly, but it would also help the blood cleansing, which would gain him strong allies should they be needed. After a bit of pondering, he decided to try nullification.
After an hour of brainstorming, Tom had come up with a handful of people that might be of aid to- mostly slytherins of esteemed families that he'd known from various places, plus a couple of contacts. But still, it was a tad more people than he was comfortable with letting in on anything, even something so ultimately benign. He needed to weed out the possible liabilities.
"After all," he mused, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."
He set aside the list to inspect the half dozen yellow papers that he'd slammed onto the display table after the grunt had left. It would be of use to him to read them to collect information as soon as possible. The more he knew, the better he'd know who would be the best suited. 'Know thy enemy' was just as justifiable a statement as ever.
Plus, if he wanted to keep the operation under cover, he'd need to avoid any suspicious activity.
The first page was a form for general information- birth day, age, things of that variety. Although country of residence had given him pause- just how far had this thing spread? It had to be a large operation, with a large number of participants for them to need to know about it.
They could use translator ink so that all languages could read and answer, and then get the country from the answering language. But, if it were an especially large number, large enough that nomads were taken into account, it might be necessary.
However, a large number of participants also meant that it was being manned by someone of high rank, who couldn't be questioned lightly (else such an idea would have been scrapped early on). He could also deduce that they were probably married or otherwise engaged, and were either a proud idiot or playing puppet under another. The first seemed much more likely, as such a program would provide little gain to anyone involved.
Writing down all of these conclusions on a piece of scrap parchment, he continued onto the next page, a list of favorites. Rolling his eyes, he wrote down answers you'd expect of an normal, above averagely intelligence person.
He continued onto the next page, and then the next. As he went along, he wrote down notes regarding conclusions he could draw. After he sent the blasted thing, he wouldn't be able to extract more information, and ministry papers were always immune to copying spells for security reasons.
It was on the fifth paper that he realized that, by the by, the questions weren't actually all together mindless. Yes, there was the occasional 'zodiac symbol' type question, but by the by, they seemed to be genuine questions one might ask on, say, a date. So they must have some kind of brains in the mix, otherwise it would be a mound of dribble. Resources were being pulled in, so it was taken being seriously by somebody. That, or there were bribes involved. Possibly both.
If there were people on the inside who weren't completely dedicated to upholding the cause, then they'd be best to talk to, as they'd know the most about the inner workings.
Reaching for his list of names, he looked them over for any high ranking, somewhat intelligent ministry officials who might be willing to help. He came up with two- 'Leo Malfoy' and 'Cygnus Black' .
Both were the heads of rich, influential, pureblood families. Both, while head steadfast in their beliefs, were well versed in what was and wasn't a good idea. In other words, if given the right incentive, either one could help.
After all, in their positions, both would be all for Slytherin's cause of cleansing the magical world, and this law would hinder the cleanse by pressuring pureblooded heirs into marrying before a suitable spouse could be found. A generation could be wasted, and with muggleborns as prevalent as ever, any hindrance was a major one. Surely there'll be in for sabotage of the system, and he knew just how to play the right keys to get in on it. Perhaps he could even maintain ties afterward- a few good connections never hurt.
Smirking, he started writing a pair of letters. Undermining the ministry, gaining new allies... Illegal activities could be so much fun.