Wand-Leader & The Spy

30- British Exiles

London, Ministry of Magic, September 23rd, 1999, 15.30 hours

Wand-Leader Hermione walked through the atrium, ignoring the few nervous Ministry employees milling around. Apart from the Wands, the Ministry might as well be gone for the day. Half the employees hadn't even shown up for work, and the rest seemed to expect an attack by the Dark Lord any minute.

"Pathetic," Dean muttered next to her. He had said that a lot today. They hadn't talked about Dumbledore yet. Hermione knew she should, but… she wasn't certain she could make as convincing a case for the man's aims as was needed right now.

"The Minister was killed, and the Dark Lord returned, all within a day," Hermione said. "They're not trained to handle this." She didn't mention that most of the Corps was guilt-ridden having failed to save the Minister. The Wands didn't talk about that.

"That's what we're for!" Colin piped up as they entered the headquarters of the Corps. "We protect Britain!"

Benjamin was in his office with Cleo. The female Wand flashed a smile at Hermione, slightly twisted by the scar running from her forehead to her jaw. Benjamin just looked at her. "Any success?"

She shook her head. "No. We didn't find any trace of whoever spread the rumours about the Dark Lord's return. Nor of those who spread the rumours of Dumbledore coming to Britain." She knew, of course, who had started those rumours, but they had been in disguise.

The Wand-Leader sighed. "I didn't expect you to, but it was worth a shot."

Hermione wasn't certain she agreed, but she had to admit that having more Wands out on the streets, being seen, was probably worth more right now than working on her cases. Not that she wanted to actually solve every case. For some of them, she had been responsible after all.

Cleo nodded. "The whole Ministry's in a tizzy, and things have become even worse ever since Dumbledore contacted the Chief Warlock."

"Acting Minister Cornfoot," Hermione corrected her automatically.

"We can consider ourselves lucky if he manages to be a reacting Minister," Cleo said. "He was the Minister's mouthpiece, and with him gone…"

Benjamin didn't bother to call her on the remark, Hermione noted. The Chief Warlock wasn't exactly respected in the Corps.

"What's happening on that front?" she asked.

"Dumbledore is expected to arrive today, to talk to Cornfoot," Benjamin said. "We're part of the security for the meeting."

"That's a remarkably fast development," she said.

Her fellow Wand-leader snorted. "If Cornfoot had refused to see Dumbledore, the public outrage would have been too great. With the Minister gone and the Dark Lord revealed, people want their saviour."

"Kind of funny, that they turn to Dumbledore after he has been seen as the major threat to Britain for close to twenty years," Cleo said.

"They fear the Dark Lord more than Dumbledore," Hermione pointed out. "They fear his vengeance for following the Minister after he supposedly killed the Dark Lord."

"But Dumbledore was defeated by the Dark Lord in the last war," Cleo countered.

"Not personally. They never met on the field," Hermione said. "The Ministry's collapse was what ended the war."

"And we're currently reenacting that collapse," Dean said.

Benjamin shook his head. "As long as the Corps stands, the Ministry stands."

"But where does the Corps stand?" Hermione asked. She needed to know that, preferably before Dumbledore arrived.

"Where the Minister wants us to," the wizard answered.