Chapter 7 The Theory

“Once I arrived with the letters of introduction, Roy Disney met with me. He did not seem too happy about the situation. He seemed flustered by my appearance, and it was obvious that the American Ministry had been slack in their oversight. He quickly passed me on to the office of Disney’s CEO, Michael Eisner, and it was clear that he is the real power behind Disney.”

Hermione was becoming mesmerized by Snape’s voice. She was only too happy to sit back and listen to the tale.

“Meeting Eisner was the breakthrough I needed. From there pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. If you look at the Disney history you can see that the company began to struggle as soon as Walt left. With Mr. Eisner’s arrival the company experienced a new “golden age”. During his tenure, Disney has expanded into markets around the globe and has once again become a top draw at the theatres and in television.”

“Tell me, Hermione, what does the name Michael Eisner mean to you?” Snape queried.

“Well,” Hermione reflected, “very little. I guess I’ve heard of him in relation to Disney news. The name seems sort of familiar, but I don’t follow the Muggle business or entertainment world very much.”

“Yes, it is all somewhat ironic. Wizards outside America would not typically know that Walt Disney was a wizard, and wizards who live in America are probably not familiar with the name Eisner. Eisner is an old European wizarding family, but not with ties in Great Britain. As you are Muggle-born, I wouldn’t expect you to have heard the name,” Snape explained.

“A number of years back, prior to Voldemort’s first rise to power, the family was involved in quite a scandal. They moved to America to escape the social censure. The Eisners were always involved in wizarding finances. They had very close relations with the goblins. Then Michael Eisner’s grandfather was caught up in a scheme in Berlin that ended his good reputation. In Muggle terminology, it would be called money laundering. They tried to keep the whole thing quiet, and it was never determined to what degree the goblins were involved. Nevertheless, the family emigrated to America and lost connections with wizarding Europe,” Snape finished.

“What a strange story, and now Michael Eisner is Disney’s CEO. You think he is violating Disney’s contract with the American Ministry?” Hermione asked.

“The coincidence of the company’s rise in fortune once Eisner came to the helm is more than suspicious,” Snape replied.

“Couldn’t he just be a brilliant businessman?” Hermione suggested.

“While one has to remain open to all possibilities, I believe there is more than meets the eye to their worldwide success,” Snape responded. “Having spent several days touring the parks and offices, I’m certain that I feel the effects of latent magic everywhere. I have attempted various diagnostic spells to reveal it, but to no avail. They have gone out of the way to cover their tracks, which makes me more suspicious. I have my theories, but at this time that is all they are.”