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.

"And if that's with Dumbledore?" Hermione looked at him. That was the real question.

"That's better than with the Dark Lord," Benjamin retorted.

Cleo nodded emphatically, then ran a hand over the scar on her face. "I don't want to surrender to those Death Eaters."

"No one wants that," Dean said. "And I think Cornfoot knows that."

"If he doesn't he'll be made aware," Benjamin said. "We'll not betray the Minister's legacy to his murderer."

Hermione forced herself to nod at that pronouncement. She told herself that it was the right thing to do - the Dark Lord wanted all muggleborns dead. Not that she could tell them that, the Wands still believed that the Dark Lord had survived Halloween 1981, and had not gone mad until later, when the first Wands had already been through Hogwarts. She changed the topic. "Has the investigation of Rookwood's disappearance shown results yet?" she asked.

Benjamin shook his head. "Nothing. If he's still alive, then he hasn't appeared yet."

"I doubt he'll show his face, not with the Dark Lord and Dumbledore back in Britain," Dean said.

Colin nodded.

Cleo snorted. "Let's hope he's dead. The situation is complicated enough."

"Rookwood would at least be a capable leader," Colin said. "And he's British."

"If he's still alive, then he's a suspect in the murder of the Minister," Hermione pointed out. She felt bad when Colin's face fell, but it was better if the Corps didn't consider Rookwood as an alternative to Dumbledore. "Besides, Dumbledore has been British longer than any of us has been alive." It was far easier, she realised, to push Dumbledore's agenda when she was faced with the alternatives.

"He didn't save us from the muggles though!" Colin said, frowning. "How many muggleborns were abused and killed by muggles while he was in power?"

"I don't know. But I know that the Dark Lord's forces killed a lot of muggleborns during the last war. And the surviving muggleborns went into exile with Dumbledore," Hermione said. She would have liked to point out that the Minister had been a follower of the Dark Lord during that war, but that might be pushing things too far, with Malfoy dead for less than a day. The wound was too raw still, everyone but herself and Dean was ready to lash out at the Minister's enemies. If they suspected Dumbledore had a hand in this...

"That just means that they saw Dumbledore as the lesser evil." Colin could be stubborn.

"I wish we could ask them about it," Hermione said. She had to remind Dumbledore of this possibility. Then again, he likely had thought of that already. Planned for it. "Do we know who will be coming with Dumbledore?"

Benjamin shook his head. "No. Sarah wants us all ready, just in case this is a trap, or if the Dark Lord attacks."

"Great. Guard duty again," Dean said.

"We'll be observing the delegation from the Exiles. Gathering information," Benjamin said.

"While acting as guards." Dean snorted.

Benjamin looked at Hermione. She sighed. "Give it a rest, Dean. We'll do our duty, as usual."

"Of course. At least it'll be interesting to see how our acting Minister will be reacting."

While everyone chuckled at that, Hermione made a mental note that Dumbledore's plan had decent chances to succeed. At least the Corps wasn't opposing it, as far as she could tell.

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London, Ministry of Magic, September 23rd, 1999, 17.30 hours

Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the Floo connection in the Ministry's atrium and found himself facing a dozen Wands. They were not quite threatening him, their positions and posture showed that clearly - he had expected that. Miss Hermione had warned him in advance as well. He spotted her, in the background, with Mister Dean and a younger wizard. Albus would have felt better if he had either obliviated the man, or spoken to him some more. But the risk of the Wand turning on them, condemning his best friend to death, was very small. Acceptable, he had decided. Behind Albus, the Floo flashed again, and Sirius stepped out of it, followed by Arthur.

"Welcome to Britain, Professor Dumbledore," Elias Cornfoot, the acting Minister, standing in the middle of the Wands, next to Crispin Greengrass and Phileas Parkinson, said.

"Good evening, Minister," Albus said. "It is kind of you to welcome me in person." He nodded to Crispin and Phileas. "Mister Greengrass. Mister Parkinson." Then he gestured to his two companions. "May I introduce you to Sirius Black and Arthur Weasley?"

Arthur smiled widely. "We've met before, when I was working at the Ministry."

"Ah, yes." Cornfoot's smile seemed more than a bit forced. Greengrass wasn't quite as obvious, but Albus could see that he looked a bit embarrassed. Parkinson didn't show any emotion.

The Minister cleared his throat. "Shall we proceed to the Conference Room?" He hadn't introduced Wand-Commander Sarah, who stood behind him, Albus noticed.

"And who might you be?" the professor asked, smiling at the young witch.

"Wand-Commander Sarah," came the reply. The woman didn't smile, but nodded at him.

"Pleased to meet you. You command the Corps then?"

"Yes."

Albus nodded, hoping Sirius wouldn't flirt with the witch, and then followed Cornfoot to the room that had been prepared for their meeting. Six seats were prepared at a massive table made from black, polished oak. Daphne Greengrass was standing at the wall, next to another seat.

"Greetings, Miss…?" Albus trailed off.

"That's my daughter, Daphne," Greengrass said.

"It is my pleasure to meet you, Miss." Albus turned to the three pureblood wizards. As he had expected, his greeting of Sarah and Miss Greengrass had thrown them off a bit. "Shall we begin then?"

"Of course."

Everyone took their seats. Sarah took up a position behind the Minister. Half a dozen other wands formed a line behind her, including Miss Hermione. Miss Greengrass took out a Dicta Quill.

"Ahem. You are aware of the Dark Lord's return and the Minister's demise. Minister Malfoy, I mean," Cornfoot began.

"That is correct. I've kept a subscription to the Daily Prophet after my departure from Britain," Albus said. It was correct, though his information was a bit more detailed than that, of course. "My condolences on your loss."

"Ah, I see." Cornfoot fidgeted a bit. "We are currently in a bit of a crisis. The death of the Minister has shaken our country, and the return of the Dark Lord has shocked and terrified the people."

"They have a good reason to be shaken," Albus interjected. "He has proven to be rather unstable, and as I understand, he has sworn vengeance on all who have betrayed him. A definition that, I believe, extends to just about every prominent pureblood."

Greengrass nodded gravely. "He already tried to kill me and my entire family. If not for the Minister, we would be dead."

"The Wands saved your family, I believe?" Albus asked. "I do not think Lucius fought the Dark Lord by himself."

"Yes, of course."

Albus saw that Sarah squared her shoulders. He wasn't about to overdo the flattery, of course, but he wanted them to know he respected and acknowledged them. He looked at Cornfoot and waited.

The acting Minister coughed. "As I was saying, we're faced with a crisis. The faith of the people in the Ministry has been shaken. Our forces haven't been able to provide us with any successes against the Dark Lord's followers to give the people new hope."

"Not surprisingly, given that it has been less than a day," Albus said. "I am familiar with the Dark Lord's tactics. He is very hard to find." Unless you could track his very soul.

"He's also terrifying on the battlefield," Parkinson said. "We've lost dozens of Wands when they met him."

"Back in the last war, he avoided a direct confrontation, and withdrew whenever we met on the field." Albus smiled. "Unlike Grindelwald, he refused to duel me."

"He has grown more powerful in his absence," Parkinson said. "He has taken an inhuman appearance even."

Albus raised his eyebrows. "Things have changed then. When my allies and I left Britain, mixed blood was not seen as a sign of great power by Mister Malfoy."

The reminder that Lucius had ruled Britain in the name of blood purity caused the three wizards to squirm, just has he had expected.

"Nevertheless, I am quite confident that I can match him spell for spell." He smiled at them.

Cornfoot looked like a drowning man who had just been offered Gillyweed. "That's very reassuring to hear, Professor. Britain needs help, or it will fall into his inhuman hands."

"A Ministry on the brink of collapse, a terrified population, and dark forces on the advance… I am very familiar with this situation. As are my allies. We had to leave Britain under similar circumstances."

Cornfoot winced.

Albus leaned forward. "But rest assured that I and many others would gladly return to our home to help the Ministry in its time of need. Provided, of course, that there are certain changes in the Ministry, and its policies."

He leaned back in his seat with a smile as the acting Minister exchanged glances with the other two purebloods.

Lucius's blood purist regime wouldn't survive its founder. Albus would make certain of that.

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London, Ministry of Magic, September 23rd, 1999, 21.15 hours

Wand-Leader Hermione was very glad that the negotiations between Dumbledore and the Ministry - at least the first round - had concluded, and not just because the professor had managed to receive the concessions he had wanted, and the likelihood of the exiles fighting against the Corps had diminished greatly. It had taken almost four hours, and she was glad for a break. Not that she'd show that, not in front of Sarah. The Wand-Commander would have her hide if she showed such weakness in front of their guests.

The results were, broken down to essentials, quite clear: The British Ministry of Magic welcomed the return of the British exiles who left Britain in 1981. A general pardon was extended to them. Confiscated property would be returned to the original owners, with compensation for the current owners decided at a later date. The same went for destroyed property. The British exiles would be joining the fight against the Dark Lord under the leadership of Dumbledore. No more discrimination based on blood status.

To acting Minister Cornfoot, those would have looked like easy concessions. Most of the land and houses the exiles wanted back were owned either by purebloods rich enough not to care much about losing them, or purebloods poor enough not to matter much. Most of those who still cared about the actions in the last war that the exiles were being pardoned for were enemies of the Ministry anyway. And even the end of discrimination might not look like much to a Minister desperate to get help against the Dark Lord since all muggleborns currently in Britain were Wands, and the half-bloods had had almost twenty years to get used to their place.

The real struggle would come after the Dark Lord was defeated, when the returned exiles would demand changes to Britain. And, Hermione thought when she saw Dumbledore approach Sarah after the meeting had ended, some of the groundwork for that would likely be laid today as well.

"Wand-Commander Sarah, may I have a word about our strategy?" Dumbledore asked politely.

Sarah looked surprised for a moment, then she nodded. "Of course."

"Splendid!" He smiled widely, then turned to the acting Minister. "Shall we proceed to inform the press now, so the good people of Britain might go to sleep knowing that things have changed for the better?"

"Of course," Cornfoot hastened to say.

Journalists from the Wizarding Wireless, the Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly, Teen Witch Weekly, and The Quibbler were waiting in the atrium. She smiled at Luna, sitting there with her oversized notepad, next to her father. The blonde witch beamed at her, before sticking out part of her tongue from the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on reporting. Behind the journalists stood what looked like half of the Ministry employees. The cowards had returned after rumours of Dumbledore's presence had reached them.

"Wizards and witches of Britain, I have good news!" Cornfoot said. "In our time of need, Albus Dumbledore has returned to Britain, to fight the Dark Lord."

Even though just about everyone already had to have known that, the whispers and murmurs grew louder, and the acting Minister had to wait almost a minute before he could continue. At least the people sounded hopeful rather than hostile. Not that the two dozen Wands in attendance would let anyone cause trouble.

"With him, return our fellow wizards and witches who left Britain for the shores of France when the Dark Lord took over. Despite the tragic loss of our Minister, the Ministry stands strong."

Dumbledore kept smiling while Cornfoot informed the press about their agreement with far more words than were needed. Finally, the press could ask questions. Unsurprisingly, they were aimed at Dumbledore.

"Why are you returning now, and not before?" asked the Daily Prophet's journalist, Rita Skeeter.

"I am returning now because the Dark Lord's presence has been confirmed."

"Would you have returned if the Minister was still alive?" Skeeter asked.

"I do not think Lucius would ever have asked me to come back." Dumbledore nodded at Xenophilius Lovegood.

"Do you foresee any problems dealing with the Dark Lord? He has taken the form of a half-naga, after all," Luna's father asked.

"I do not care what form he takes. I am here to fight him and defeat him, just as I defeated Grindelwald."

"You fled from him twenty years ago, why would you think you'll be faring any better now?" Jones from the Wizarding Wireless asked.

"I moved to France because the Ministry at the time had collapsed, and organised resistance to the Dark Lord had vanished. There were no Wands of Britain around at the time, and my allies, brave though they were, were facing too many enemies. This is obviously not the case today. The Corps has fought the Dark Lord several times, and has proven to be both effective and courageous. Together, we will end this threat to Britain."

Hermione couldn't help but smile at that. It felt good to be acknowledged. Then she remembered that Dumbledore had been planning all of this, and had no trouble schooling her features again.

Rita Skeeter, of course, couldn't let such a statement stay unchallenged. "Wouldn't you question their competence, since the Minister and his entire family have been killed while guarded by them?"

Dumbledore frowned at the witch. "While I am not familiar with the details of Lucius's death, it is known that he was killed by a wizard he trusted, and met without Wands to guard him. You cannot expect the Corps to guard you when they are ordered away." He nodded at the reporter from Witch Weekly.

Graziella Gibbons smiled. "My question is for Sirius Black."

The wizard, who had until then been smiling at all the pretty witches in the audience, and among the Wands, straightened up and beamed at her. "Cast away, Miss!"

"You haven't married in exile, despite having been among the most eligible bachelors for years. Will you be looking for a wife in Britain?"

Hermione saw the wizard twitch, but he answered with a wink and a smile. "I've been looking for the right witch all my life, but I haven't found her yet. I'm not about to give up though."

That caused more murmurs among the audience. Mostly among the witches, though, Hermione noticed. As if there was nothing more important to ask.

Then the representative from Teen Witch weekly asked about Ginny Weasley's relationship to Harry Potter. Hermione almost wished the Dark Lord would attack the Ministry.

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London, Ministry of Magic, September 23rd, 1999, 22.15 hours

When the press conference finally ended, Wand-Leader Hermione was ready to hex the lot of the journalists, just to shut them up, even though she realised that Dumbledore had deliberately shifted the topic away from the death of the Malfoy family. It was just too aggravating.

She was walking back to the Corps Headquarters with Dean, behind Dumbledore's delegation, when Colin caught them and handed them two packages with a sandwich and sweets. She beamed at him. "You're a lifesaver, Colin!"

Dean chuckled. "But whose life did he save? Yours or the reporters'?"

She snorted. "Both - Sarah would have killed me for losing my patience." She hastily ate a few cauldron cakes. That should tide her over until she could eat in peace.

They reached the Corps' HQ and Sarah led the three exiles into her office. Hermione tagged along, and used the opportunity to study Arthur Weasley some more. During the negotiations, he had not said overly much, presenting the picture of a harmless, friendly wizard. Though given Ron's abilities as a spy, and after meeting Fred and George, Hermione didn't believe the act. Dumbledore wouldn't have taken a harmless wizard with him. His open curiosity was likely just a way to spy without acting suspiciously.

Sirius Black, on the other hand, might truly be a flirt - he had complimented every witch he had met, including herself, and not even the coldest stare from Sarah seemed to have impressed him. Hermione didn't know what his game was.

Once inside her office, Sarah turned to her visitors. "You wanted to talk about strategy."

"That is correct, Wand-Commander. I have about two dozen witches and wizards ready to move to Britain at once, and engage in combat. More will follow, though they need a bit more time to get ready." He smiled. "After almost twenty years in exile, they didn't exactly expect to be able to return so quickly."

Sarah nodded. "You need safe quarters then."

"At the start, at least."

Hermione was certain the exiles had more than the one safe house she knew of, but she understood that telling this to Sarah would do more harm than good.

"We've been fighting a defensive campaign so far, which limited our options. Efforts to track the enemy to their bases have not been successful yet." Sarah seemed to look at Hermione when she said that, and the Wand-Leader frowned. The debacle with Draco hadn't been her fault!

"I believe I can help you out there. I know some rather obscure spells to track people. There is a good chance even the Dark Lord does not know them, and therefore would be hard-pressed to defend against them." Dumbledore nodded. "Though this information should remain confidential."

"Of course," Sarah said, in a flat tone. She didn't seem to be too impressed by Dumbledore, unlike most of the older wizards and witches Hermione had seen in the atrium.

"You have not voiced your opinion during the negotiations," the old wizard said.

"It isn't my place to make policy." Sarah's answer was in line with everything Hermione had been taught.

"And yet you could, if you wanted to. You are currently among the most influential people in the Ministry."

"The Wands serve Britain. They do not rule it." Sarah stood straighter.

"An admirable stance. Too many discovered too late that entering politics was a mistake. I can understand if you wish to keep the Corps out of that sort of business. Though at the same time, you might wish to have the same say in your future as every other witch and wizard has." He smiled. "Some of the people coming to help us would have been among your ranks, had they been born but a few years later. I know they are interested in your experiences and would like to talk to you."

Hermione understood what Dumbledore was doing there. Had thought of that herself. Talking with muggleborns who hadn't been kidnapped by the Obliviators might make the Wands question what they had been told about their own lives. Subtle enough to not raise suspicion too. Mostly, at least. With a bit of luck, others would discover the Minister's lies, without Hermione having to push things along.

If things went well, that would solve a lot of problems. Among them the fact that Ron couldn't reveal himself yet without threatening this new alliance. Hermione wasn't planning on marrying 'Antoine Dupont' just to keep Dumbledore's schemes from unraveling.