Invictus [Tom Riddle / Tomione]

Into the Darkness

"Come along, Piksy!"

Hermione's kitten heels clacked along the pavement leading up to the old factory. She wore a rather elegant set of robes, black and quilted, with a high neck and gilded accoutrements, the sleeves long and trailing as the robes whirled around her.

Hermione had never really cared for the color black, but in this season it had become her favorite.

She wondered if that was telling.

Piksy hopped along beside her, practically bouncing in a brand new cerulean blue dress.

Hermione flicked her wand, opening the creaking double doors with their fogged glass. She found her way down the hallways and to the left, to the factory's office. It was her day off and she had a very important meeting scheduled.

A bellowing laugh met her when she entered the office. A long, oval table sat in the midst of the office, and around it, sat a grouping of her very favorite people: Brutus Quintus, Delores Diggle, Tobias and Winnie Haywood, Septimus and Cedrella Weasley, Eulessia Baron, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, her lawyer, Starling Sylvanox, Professor Slughorn, her financial advisor, and a team of magical architects.

Brutus stood and crossed the room with a brilliant smile, extending his hand to shake Hermione's with a beaming look. "Well, look who it is! Our very own writer slash auror slash entrepreneur... what'll it be next, Miss Dumbledore... Minister?"

Hermione's eyes widened, lips parting. She glanced over the room full of people, then swallowed thickly.

Brutus cleared his throat. "Do forgive me, perhaps that was in bad taste, considering the recency of the Minister's passing."

"No," Hermione murmured, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I understand your intent perfectly. I appreciate the compliment, but as you can see, there's quite enough on my plate already!"

Hermione took her seat at the head of the table. Piksy hopped onto its surface and presented her with a large scroll, which contained an exhaustive list of the orders of business which had yet to be addressed.

Hermione started at the top, with the financial allowances for each department. She discussed with Slughorn, the Potters, and Miss Haywood the necessary budget for potion-making equipment and stores of ingredients. She delegated to Winnie the purchasing power for new cauldrons and the various necessities to get the factory up and running.

The next order of business was the restoration of the factory itself. Her team of magical architects quoted her a number for the budget, which her financial advisor marked in his notes, and a time frame for making the needed repairs. Hermione discussed with Delores Diggle the security measures for protecting the factory. A security plan was set and put in place, delegated to Delores for execution.

Then, Hermione broached the subject of the Chronomancer. Eulessia Baron was appointed Editor-in-Chief, and tasked with hiring columnists. Hermione picked Eulessia's brain, and they settled on the purchase of a new printing press which would be magically enchanted with duplication charms for faster distribution. The factory's blueprint was examined and a part of the factory was sectioned off as an owlery for the paper.

Hermione had already discussed with Piksy a sort of coup. Piksy and Lucky would approach the elves who were tethered to the House Elf Placement agency and determine which elves wanted to be freed. Then Hermione would buy their freedom and hire them for the Chronomancer. They desperately needed workers to keep up the factory and to take care of the owls, which Piksy had suggested were perfect entry level jobs for newly freed elves.

Cedrella Weasley was hired for the Chronomancer, and she, in turn, planned to hire her own house elf to take care of little Bilius during the day. Septimus had also left his unsavory job at the Ministry in favor of being the factory's overseer.