London, Ministry of Magic, August 18th, 1999, 14.23 hours

Lucius Malfoy, Minister for Magic, leaned back in his chair and watched his artificial hand while he bent each finger individually. As the healers at St. Mungo's had predicted, it felt now almost like his real hand. He glanced at the latest issue of The Quibbler, amused by the headline: 'Dark Dragon Attack!'

The things the Lovegoods came up with were always good for a laugh. And since Lovegood believed the Dark Lord had slain his wife, one of the more capable Aurors at the time, before Lucius could stop him, both father and daughter were staunchly opposed to similar threats to Britain. Not that anyone took them seriously anyway, outside a few naturalists.

Greengrass interrupted his reading. "Minister. Your Defense Advisor has arrived."

Lucius nodded at the girl. "Send him in."

Severus Snape walked in, clad in black robes and sneering at Lucius's secretary, as usual. After the spy had cast a few of his own privacy spells - Lucius couldn't say if the man honestly didn't trust his own precautions, or if this was simply a gesture - he nodded. "The new cover is holding. The Dark Lord is pleased with my position."

"Doubly so after the Notts' demise, I trust."

The spy nodded. "Yes. Though he has been asking when I will be able to arrange a similar situation for you."

"You can tell him that I've grown paranoid, and have found your tool. He should understand that you would need more time to cultivate another," Lucius said, folding his hands.

"He is less understanding of such concerns than you would expect. Mere mudbloods are of no concern to him, and so he does not grant the Wands the consideration they deserve." Severus sneered, either at the Dark Lord's folly, or at the mudbloods.

"I see. Did you find out if he'll attack Diagon Alley again?" That last attack had scared the population, and scared people lost trust in the government. Something he couldn't afford, not right now.

"He plans to attack somewhere else while you focus your mudbloods on the Alley."

"Hm." Lucius would have preferred another attack on Diagon Alley. The Wands would be able to handle it. Maybe even ambush the attackers before they could strike. "Hogsmeade then, or Godric's Hollow."

Severus nodded. "He didn't say so, but they are the most likely locations."

An attack on another manor wouldn't have the same impact on Britain as an attack on one of the two main wizarding villages in Britain. Godric's Hollow would be more vulnerable, having been a mixed village until a few years ago. "Any child could see that. Would you be blamed if his forces were ambushed?" The Wands might even manage that without any warnings, should the Dark Lord's forces use the same tactic as in Diagon Alley.

"I cannot say for certain. The Dark Lord has been quite volatile since his return."

He couldn't afford to lose his spy. Not until Severus managed to lure the Dark Lord into a trap. "Tell him that the Greengrass family is one of my most important, though secret supporters. That I plan to have their daughter marry Draco."

Severus slowly nodded. The spy understood what Lucius was thinking. "That might be enough to keep me from suffering for his mistakes."

And Lucius could hire a smarter secretary.

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London, Ministry of Magic, August 18th, 1999, 17.58 hours

Wand-Leader Hermione walked into the archives of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and nodded at the pureblood guard in passing. He glared at her in return, but she ignored it. He knew as well as she did that he was not allowed to hassle a Wand on duty - and he had no way to tell that Hermione wasn't exactly on duty. Or rather, was stretching the definition a bit.

The witch went past the room where visitors could study the archived files without taking them out of the archives, and stepped into the main repository. Row upon row of shelves filled a hall there, thanks to expansion charms. Many sections were sealed and required the permission of the Minister himself to be accessed. Those housed the cases involving dark wizards, traitors, and forbidden rituals. But she wasn't after that kind of information.

She walked to the shelves where confiscated muggle contraband was stored. Minor cases. Muggle clothes, muggle items, and muggle food. Filth that had no place in Wizarding Britain. She pursed her lips and told herself that she was doing this to fulfil her duty to her country, then grabbed the box labeled 'muggle magazines - Cosmopolitan'. That should be exactly what she was looking for: a magazine detailing the different muggle cultures.

Twenty minutes and five boxes of different magazines later Hermione had learned two things: Muggles were obsessed with sex and dressed utterly inappropriately. She really hoped she wouldn't have to try to 'fit in' while trailing the Obliviators in the muggle world.

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London, Ministry of Magic, August 19th, 1999, 01.57 hours

Wand-Leader Hermione was a criminal. Not only had she duplicated muggle contraband, but she was now breaking into the Obliviator Headquarters. It couldn't be helped though - she had to gain access to the tracking charms of that Department so she could follow the Obliviators in the muggle world without triggering the trace herself. Otherwise she'd never expose whatever crimes those wizards and witches might be committing outside Wizarding Britain.

Disillusioned and under a Silencing Charm, she waited outside the door on the third floor for the shift change. Like the Aurors, the Obliviators had members ready around the clock. Not as many, nor as prepared as the Corps, of course. Wands were always ready, after all. The clock struck 02.00 hours, and no one had arrived yet. Sloppy.

Two minutes past the time, a pair of yawning purebloods walked down the hallway. Hermione pressed herself against the wall and held her breath, but they didn't even glance in her direction. Hidden by her spells, she followed them, slipping through the door before it could close. The loud sound of a chime would have masked her steps even without her charm, or so she realized. Once more she hid at the wall while two equally sleepy wizards left through the door, triggering the chime again.

After a few minutes in the ante-room, she peered into what passed as the ready room for the Obliviators. The two wizards she had seen were sprawled out on the beds there, already falling asleep it seemed. She shook her head at the sight, then reminded herself that they were not Wands and didn't have to be ready for treason or an attack. They could trust the charms to wake them up if they were needed.

It also made it easier for her to reach her goal - the link to the runic array that controlled the tracking charms covering Britain. The runic array itself was located in the Department of Mysteries, of course, safely guarded by the most devious defenses the Unspeakables could think of, and tracking magic all over Britain.

The link was an enchanted quill and a never ending scroll of parchment, set on a sturdy table, noting all magic done in the muggle parts of Britain. Strictly one-way, of course - only the Unspeakables were allowed to actually manipulate the runes detecting that magic. Maps of Muggle Britain and of Muggle London hung on the wall, and more were on another table and in a cabinet there.

She studied the quill for a bit, noticing that someone had tied a bell with an an Amplifying Charm on it to the shaft. It seemed the Obliviators were not supposed to be sleeping on the job. That explained the loud chime on the door too. Shaking her head, she focused on her task again and pulled out a communication mirror and a lens borrowed from Colin. It wasn't quite as good as a camera, but it would allow her to observe the mirror from wherever she was, as long as she held the other mirror. In theory.

Placing the mirror so she had a clear view of the map was something of a challenge though, and took far longer than she had expected. She was still adjusting the mirror when suddenly, the quill started moving and the bell's ringing was amplified tenfold. Surprised, she barely managed to disillusion the mirror before a sleepy wizard entered the room.

"Something up?" she heard the second one ask from the other room.

The wizard who had entered glanced at the scroll and dispelled the Amplifying Charm. "East End," he said. "Just Martin and John, as expected." He waited several minutes while the Quill kept scribbling, then cut the parchment full of notes off. Instead of filing it in the shelves in the room, where dozens of scrolls were on display, he vanished it before he left the room again.

Hermione stared at his back. The Obliviator had erased all proof of magic done in muggle London! And he and his co-worker had expected that entry. Martin and John… Martin Tuckleton and John Merriweather were Obliviators. Her theory of a conspiracy involving the entire section seemed to be right on the mark.

The Wand-Leader adjusted the now invisible mirror until she had the view she wanted, then sneaked out again. The two men were fast asleep once more, as she saw. A Silencing Charm on the door took care of the chime, and she was out of the office. After dispelling the charm, she left the third floor.

All doubts and guilt she had had were gone. She knew now that the Obliviators were committing crimes, she just didn't know yet what they were doing. But they were casting spells in muggle London, without any magic being detected beforehand. To think that the very people tasked with upholding the International Statute of Secrecy were endangering it!

For a moment she considered apparating to the location in the East End, then decided against it. They must have left already, and she would trigger another alert from the quill, warning the Obliviators.

But next time… she grinned. Those criminals wouldn't escape!

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Hogsmeade, Britain, August 20th, 1999, 15.00 hours

Ron Weasley looked at the ruins of the "Hog's Head Inn", the location of Aberforth Dumbledore's last stand. The inn keeper hadn't wanted to follow his older brother into exile, or so Ron had been told by his parents, instead choosing to defend his home to the end. A fence surrounded the area, and no grass or any other plant seemed to grow over the blackened rubble and the few walls still standing. Stepping a bit closer, he suddenly felt as if he was in danger. After moving back, he felt fine again. Warning wards, then. And probably something worse behind them. If they ever wanted to use the tunnel that led from the cellar of the inn to Hogwarts, they'd have to deal with that. If the tunnel existed anymore.

That was what he was here to find out. He stepped around the area, carefully avoiding and noting the boundaries of the ward, and pretended to study the ruins in a crouch while he set down a "Nosy Niffler", as his brothers had called the thing. It looked like a rock, but would map the underground in an area using sound. Somehow.

He noticed someone walking towards him at a fast pace, and slightly turned to keep them in his field of vision, without looking like he was ready for a fight. Brown robes - a Wand. It was a young witch, probably his age or a year younger. Stepping away from the fake rock, he smiled at the witch.

"Hello."

"Hello, sir," she said. "Please be careful not to enter the area. The ruins are cursed."

"Ah!" He faked surprise. "That's why there is a warning ward."

Her eyes widened briefly in surprise, then narrowed slightly. "Yes. Do you have experience with wards?"

"Some. I'm from Québec. A number of areas have them now, until the traps left from the war are disarmed," Ron said, using his cover. "I'm Antoine Dupont. Enchanté, mademoiselle." He bowed to the girl.

She looked surprised again. "Wand Sally-Anne."

He turned to the ruins. "Do you know why the curse hasn't been dealt with yet? The ruins look rather old, and this seems like a prime location for a house or business."

"A very powerful wizard was killed here, and cursed the area with his dying breath. So far no Curse-Breaker has been able to deal with it."

Ron whistled. Dumbledore's brother must have been powerful indeed, to leave such a legacy. Not quite as impressive as the curse Voldemort had placed on Hogwarts, but still.

The girl frowned. "I'm positive that the curse will be broken soon though."

"After so many years?"

"Yes." She sounded confident.

He couldn't tell if she was just parroting the Ministry's line, or if she had reasons for her optimism, but nodded in acceptance. "I hope you are correct. Such a sight brings back memories I'd rather not remember."

"Oh?"

"The war. In Québec," he added when she looked puzzled.

"Ah."

"It's why I'm here. I am looking to leave my home country, so my future family will not be facing the same troubles I did. Either Britain or France look promising." He pointed towards Hogwarts, visible in the distance. "I had hoped to tour the school, but it's closed for visitors until further notice."

"Yeah. Sluggy's all afraid."

"'Sluggy?'"

The girl blushed slightly. "Horace Slughorn, the Headmaster. He's been very concerned about the safety of the school since those attacks started."

"Ah. A good stance, for a school. I'd want my children to be safe as well."

She snorted. "At the moment, there are only muggleborns there anyway. The purebloods spend the summer with their families."

She didn't sound sarcastic, which should have surprised him, but didn't. "Well, I guess I'll check out Hogsmeade then. Are there any shops and inns you'd recommend?"

That seemed to surprise the girl again. If she and Hermione were typical for the Wands, then they probably were not used to casual chit-chat with others. At least not with those outside the Corps.

"Ah… Honeydukes has the best sweets in the world." She grinned. "And the 'Three Broomsticks' serves good meals."

"Thank you." He bowed again, then started towards the village's center while the Wand went on towards Hogwarts. He should have asked if he'd meet her at the pub later, he thought. She could be a good source of information. On the other hand, he'd rather meet Hermione again. For information, he added, but it was an afterthought.

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London, Knockturn Alley, August 20th, 1999, 22.32 hours

The 'Blue Pixie' didn't look any different than during his previous visits, Ron Weasley thought. Only the show on stage had changed. Instead of a cauldron filled with two witches, three almost-nude witches danced around a stake surrounded by fire to the sounds of the Weird Sisters' song 'Fiendfyre'.

It wasn't too hard to keep his attention on the scantily-clad blonde approaching a corpulent wizard in his booth. He was just the backup anyway, and he didn't expect any trouble.

The wizard leering at Tonks was Eberhard McIntosh, a member of the Wizengamot who used the brothels in Knockturn Alley to indulge desires the Ministry wouldn't tolerate if exposed. His position and influence made him the perfect target for blackmail. His habits also made him the perfect target for some lethal spell practise, Ron thought, but they needed him alive. For now.

The man's smile grew when Tonks slid on the seat next to him, after almost falling into his lap, but froze on his face when the metamorphmagus whispered something into his ear. When he looked at the pictures she had placed in his hand, Ron could see the blood leave McIntosh's face. He masked his smile with his glass, enjoying the man's expression.

Tonks stuck to the plan and didn't give the wizard much time to adjust. She whispered once more into his ear, then stood up and left the booth. He ignored her when she passed his table, keeping an eye on their target. He felt the bugs they had placed a week earlier run up his legs, slipping into the case. Hopefully they'd reveal more useful information.

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London, August 21st, 1999, 10.02 hours

Wand-Leader Hermione was ready. She had her invisibility cloak, her communication mirror was charmed so only she could hear its signal, she had her maps ready and she had informed her team that she was 'researching facts', so she wouldn't be missed. All she now needed was for the tracking charm to actually give her and the Obliviators a target to apparate to. A target that would reveal more to her than how they dealt with a drunk wizard who had apparated to a muggle plot of land by mistake, and splinched himself.

Which was taking a bit more time time than she had expected. So much in fact, that she had already spent almost the entire Friday actually doing research into Fiendfyre and ways to hide with magic while she had waited. And today she was already a few hours into the latest book she had acquired for her private use.

A sudden ringing sound from her mirror interrupted her reading. The alert! She slipped the cloak on and peered at the mirror. Levitation spell cast in Watford in Hertfordshire. She pulled her map out, and checked where this town was located. Seventeen miles northwest of Central London. She cast a Silencing Charm on herself, then closed her eyes, visualizing the distance. Apparating to a location she hadn't been before was difficult, and more dangerous than normal Apparation, but Wands needed to be able to react to any attack, anywhere, after all.

This wasn't an attack, but it was as important. She waited until the tracking charm announced more magic - Apparitions - then focused and willed herself to travel to her destination.

Hermione appeared on a muggle street. She was about a hundred yards off her target she guessed, after checking the street numbers. A very good result. Under her cloak she hurried towards the source of the alert, a small muggle house. The front yard looked normal, if boring. Close-cut lawn, with a paved part for the family's car, a metal monstrosity. She shook her head - to think that the Ministry actually had used such contraptions, before the Minister had taken over and put an end to such nonsense.

She couldn't see any sign of the Obliviators. Pride filled her - she must have beaten them to their target, despite their far longer experience with such events. Though it also meant she could not simply follow them inside the house, and if she used a spell to open the door, she'd leave a trace. There were ways around that, but the Obliviators might spot them. So she walked past the house, to the backyard. She kept an eye on the sky, since a Levitation Charm had been detected.

She heard a child giggle, followed by a gasp. "Ben! Ben! Come, watch!" Muggles! But what was going on? Hermione turned the corner, and stopped. Sitting on the lawn in the backyard was a little girl, giggling as toys floated around her.

"Look, mum! Unicorns can fly!"

The Wand-Leader whipped her head around, spotting a woman in muggle clothes standing in the backdoor. She had her wand drawn in an instant - if the muggle tried to harm the child… she didn't remember what her own parents had done to her, but she knew she would have died if not for the intervention of the wizards who saved her.

To her surprise, the woman was smiling, not screaming. "That's… a miracle, Betty! Ben, come watch! Quickly!"

Another muggle, a man, arrived. "What's…" he trailed off, staring at the beaming girl while a pink unicorn toy and a small doll seemed to dance with each other.

"I told you, she's special! Our baby girl is special!"

"You did, you did…"

The two held each other. That wasn't the reaction Hermione had expected. Muggles hated magic, instinctively. Her own parents had … were those muggleborns, in hiding? But why would they… they would have known magic would be detected. What was going on?

Popping sounds made her jerk around. Apparition sounds! She saw two robed wizards - the Obliviators had apparated directly into the backyard. Martin Tuckleton and John Meriweather.

The two muggles gasped again, and the man took a step in front of the woman. "What … who are you?"

"Betty, come inside!" the woman yelled. The girl looked at her with wide eyes, the doll and unicorn toy falling to the ground, and stood up.

"Another mudblood! That's our lucky day!" Merriweather announced. "Stupefy!" A red spell struck the little girl before she could run to her parents, and she toppled to the ground, unconscious.

"Betty!" Both muggles screamed. The man charged the wizards, the woman ran towards the girl. Neither made it more than a few steps before he was stunned and she was bound in magically conjured ropes. The woman's scream was cut off by a silencing charm.

Another voice spoke up from behind the thick hedge screening the backyard from the neighbours. "Ben? Jane? Is everything alright?"

Merriweather cursed. "That's why you stun them, damn it! Go and deal with the muggle!"

Tuckleton frowned, but apparated away. Hermione heard another gasp through the hedge, followed by "Stupefy!" and "Obliviate!". Then he reappeared.

Merriweather had levitated the girl up. "How do we do this? Burn down the house?"

Hermione saw the woman's eyes widen. She was screaming, crying, but the Silencing Charm prevented anyone from hearing her.

"Burglary gone wrong?" Tuckleton was looking hopeful, and Hermione had the feeling that he wasn't just thinking about the loot.

Merriweather shook his head. "Can't do that. We do it a bit too often, and the muggles might get suspicious. The Minister wouldn't like it if the ICW started complaining." He looked at the two muggles. "Let's frame the man for killing the girl and faking a kidnapping. No loose ends."

Tuckleton nodded. "If only there wasn't that much paperwork when we discover mudbloods..."

Merriweather shrugged. "Let's do it. You do the woman, plant some suspicions about the man."

"What about the mudblood?" Tuckleton twirled his wands between his fingers. If a Wand had done that they'd had have received extra duties for a month as a punishment.

"Just wipe her memory. No need to go to the trouble of faking her memories or some injuries - Brendan is not on duty today." Merriweather cast a Silencing Charm on the muggle before waking him up.

"Ah, good. I don't know why they hired that idiot. He has no clue how things are done." Tuckleton shook his head and started to wipe the woman's memory.

Hermione was shocked. That wasn't how things were supposed to be. The Obliviators were supposed to save muggleborn children from the muggles, to protect Wizarding Britain. They weren't supposed to… Why would they consider faking abuse? The muggles wouldn't know, and the wizards wouldn't care. Or would they?

She had been abused by her parents. Or had she? What if… no, it couldn't be true. This had to be an isolated case. It had to be. But she had been trained as an investigator. The two wizards had not acted as if this was a special case. It had been routine for them. And she already knew that the entire Obliviator team was hiding something. What if that wasn't just theft, but more? What if this was the norm? This was… this had to be treason.

If not for her own Silencing Charm the two Obliviators would have certainly heard her panting as she reeled from the implications. She almost attacked the two, but managed to control herself. She couldn't be certain they were acting alone. She didn't know enough yet. She needed more information, to catch everyone involved.

So she waited, wand still aimed, when the two apparated out with the little girl - Betty - despite the urge, the need to strike at them, strike them down. She was about to apparate away as well, then hesitated. The two muggles… they didn't deserve this! She hurried over to them and oblivated them of the fake memories. Betty would have simply disappeared from the backyard.

She left the house, still under her cloak. She couldn't apparate back, not without triggering another alert, which would arouse suspicions - she had spent too much time arranging the muggles' memories. She'd have to find a way back to London using muggle means. But this was an easy task, compared to dealing with what she had seen.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please vote and comment!