Author's Note: This chapter is exceptionally short and all I can say is my life has been a dumpster fire this week. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. MNF

Chapter 37:

Surrounded by Idiots/Surrounded by Friends

The one in charge looked around the room and wondered how it was that they were going to lead this gaggle of wives, mistresses, children and assorted other low-level criminals against an ever-strengthening Ministry for Magic and Wizengamot. Over the last six months, nothing had gone to plan. Even the simplest of tasks, like kidnapping a werewolf, had been executed effectively. They'd lost one of the sharper minds in the failed bombing attempt and now the Ministry had better protections and procedures than ever.

Then there was the capture of the two strongest allies within the Ministry – the damned werewolf working with precious Amy Bones, excuse me, Amy Black. She'd been perfect in school, perfect grades, perfect prefect, just annoyingly perfect and she was now married to Black – someone who had annoyed the leader since childhood. The two of them together was a political powerhouse. Who would have ever imagined a Black married to a Bones?

Then there was Potter. How had one boy gotten so in the way of the Dark Lord's plans. Oh, they knew well what would happen on that night – Wormtail had never been the sharpest tool in the shed. No, he needed a guiding hand, and that is what they'd been for dear Peter in these recent months. Everything should have gone to plan, after all it was they who had found the spell, not that hapless rat of a human. Then Potter had to get himself in the middle of it.

The Dark Lord had been insistent that Potter was his nemesis – the boy had done nothing, it had always been the mother who created and performed the magic. Even a few years younger than they, it had been obvious that Lily Evans was a magical powerhouse and smarter than ninety percent of the student body at Hogwarts. That she delved into deep family and blood magics when she married Potter was surprising, but then again, the Potters had held onto their magic, lands and wealth for centuries.

Their last remaining useful lieutenant entered the room, barely noticed by the throng of gossiping ganders and inept lotharios, and the leader chose to slip into their private anti-chamber.

"Please tell me it went to plan?"

"It did. His brain was scrambled like eggs, but I was rushed off when a specialized healer came in," the man reported.

"Did he say anything of any worth to the healer?"

"Yes, but I doubt she believed him, it was all messed up together and what useful information might have been was interspersed with gibberish. I doubt she'll believe him." The man went to light a cigarette, but the leader flicked it away with their wand.

"Don't do that in my presence! If I return smelling like smoke, they'll know I'm up to something. Did you learn anything useful?"

"Just confirmation that Potter was behind the wands disappearing, like our mole at Hogwarts told us. What was strange was how Cuffe sat on the information. He's known for months but didn't say anything."

"He must have had his reasons, including something like the drivel Dumbledore espoused about 'the greater good'; what shite."

"Did Cuffe recognize you at all?"

"No, I told you, transfiguration is a gift for me. There is no way anyone will recognize me."

"Good. Go out the back way." The man nodded and slipped into the darkness. The leader then considered what task to set the masses on next. Hmmm, Hogsmeade weekend was approaching…it could prove promising?

ITWAU ITWAU ITWAU

Meanwhile, at Sirius and Amy's House

The adults were in an uproar over the news that Cuffe had known about Harry being in the graveyard and in some way responsible for the wand-out. Hermione clutched Harry's arm and Neville looked at his friend, surprised.

"You're too calm, Harry."

"I don't understand how anyone can be surprised the news got out," he said in an almost blasé way. "There were too many people who knew. Moody had been concerned about it from day one."

"What did you say, Harry?" Sirius asked, quieting Amy, Augusta, Andi and Remus immediately.

"I said that I'm not surprised the information is out there. Moody was worried about it the morning after while I was in the hospital wing. What I don't understand is that if he had in news, why didn't he report it?"

"That's a good question," Hermione said. "Surely news like this would have made his sales rise and we know from experience; he likes to slander Harry."

"He was ordered not to share what he knew," Andi added. "I saw a woman in his memories, and she looked vaguely familiar, but I can't place her."

"Relatively tall, slender, dark hair?" Harry asked.

"Yes, although I'd say it was more brown than black," the Healer said. "I only used passively legilimency, his mind was too chaotic to do more. The poison was making him anxious and agitated."

"Sounds like the same woman I saw at the park, although without seeing her I couldn't say," Harry said. "So, there are now two questions, who spilled the beans on me and why didn't this woman want the information that I was instrumental in the destruction of the wands becoming public?"

"It should be easy to figure out who knows about you're being in the graveyard," Hermione said. "Everyone in this room, obviously, Professor Moody, Madame Pomfrey –"

"Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout, as the Heads of the houses, er…" Harry had to think, "I think that's everyone."

"Aurors Tonks and Shacklebolt both knew, as they were put to work on the masks you sent with Moody," Amy added. "It wasn't anyone in this room, correct?" Everyone shook their heads.

"Maia knows, you kids have loose lips while you're working," Remus added, "but she has kept many a secret for a very long time, so I think we can safely assume it's not her."

"Well, if I had to lay the blame on anyone, I'd say Pomona or Poppy," Remus said. "They were both rather gossipy with any sort of information. Did your Legilimency show anything about who might have shared this information?"

"No, there's a huge gap where they memory should have been. His memories were like Swiss cheese for the last few years. Whomever this is has been working him for a while."

"My money is still on this being Rita Skeeter, using Polyjuice," Sirius said.

"Polyjuice is hard to brew," Hermione said. "I know from experience. It takes patience and that isn't something Rita ever had."

"It's not her," Amy said. "I had MACUSA track her movements, as she's a foreign national and therefore on a tracking charm for the first year she's there and they verify she hasn't left the continental United States since she arrived in October."

"I felt certain it was her," Sirius said.

"If it were an unmarked female Death Eater, you would have recognized her. Even if she'd aged from when we were younger, you knew everyone," Amy said to Sirius.

"We can go round and round here, or we can come up with a plan," Harry said. "If we are afraid the information will get out, I think we should control the narrative. I need to push up my interview with Luna."

"She's back in the country?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, and she'd asked for a week to adjust to the time change," Harry said. "I don't think I can give her a week. I'll send her a note when we're done here. It's not that far, Hedwig can bring a message back by tonight."

"Harry, do you think that's wise?" Remus asked.

"No, but I'd rather have the information disclosed under my terms and in my own words rather than have someone else twist it to their needs. Maybe it will help people understand why patience is needed with the wand situation. What is the wand situation?"

"Ollivander and his students have been creating wands," Amy said. "He will have five hundred very basic wands available as of the first of March. They can produce roughly one hundred a month there after. If we can convince any countries to help us it will speed things up, but at the rate we are going, it will take the remainder of the year to get everyone who wants a wand to have one. Ollivander doesn't know if either he or his son will be able to go back to making custom wands, since much of the stock of wood and cores he had were destroyed as well."

"Damned night in that graveyard," Harry muttered.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry, magic took the wands; not you," Remus said kindly.

"Magic might have taken them, but the blame for everything that happened that night lays squarely at the feet of Peter Pettigrew and Tom Riddle. I will make sure everyone knows it too when I give that interview. Sirius, Hermione, will you be with me while I give it?"

"Of course, son."

"Yes, I'm by your side for good, Harry."