July 1, 1899
Dear Elphias,
It was good to receive your last owl! I eagerly anticipate each of your letters; they dispel the monotony of life here in Godric's Hollow, where nothing ever seems to happen. Although I no longer enjoy the freedom to travel, reading the account of your journey is surely the next best thing. I almost feel as though I am travelling with you after all.
The sketchings you enclosed of the singular cranial features of the Chinese Fireball were of great interest to me. In particular, I was struck by the resemblance of the Fireball's snout to that of the Swedish Short-snout. I cannot help but feel that there is some connection there. If only research wizards would apply themselves to the study of relationships between extant species of dragon. There were once many hundreds of dragon species in the world, but most of them have vanished due in the main part, regrettably, to the short-sightedness and destructiveness of Wizardkind.
When I was a boy, my father would take me and my brother down to the beach at Dover and we would hunt for dragon fossils in the great salt cliffs. The cliffs of that country are a treasure trove for an inquiring mind. I am sure there are secrets waiting to be discovered all about us. If only I still had the luxury... but no, I mustn't indulge myself in selfish thoughts.
Life continues in Godric's Hollow as always. My family are well, and thank you for asking; you are always so conscientious. Aberforth seems to be coping with Mother's death by becoming more sullen, withdrawn and insolent than ever. As for Ariana, it is difficult to say whether she even realises that Mother is gone. This is a sad, old, abandoned house: misery hangs over it like a shroud, sorrow has built its nest among the eaves, laughter and joy have shrivelled and withered away from years of neglect. No one speaks except in hushed tones, and a thick, oppressive silence blankets the whole place... Even before my parents died this was not a happy household... one of the reasons I was so glad to be at school with you... but listen to me, I am becoming a bitter old man before my time. I mustn't burden you with my troubles!
On those rare occasions on which I do get some time to myself, I lock myself in the study and work on my research. I still receive correspondence from friends, colleagues and learned people. At present I am working on an article for Ars Arcanum on the refinement of dragonsblood. I have managed to earn a regular, though modest, income from my letters, which is important to me as I now have two other mouths to feed. Of course my parents left a substantial amount of money in their will, but it will not last forever and I must think of the future. The responsibility lies with me now. I was never very good with money, and I have spent the past few days reading through wills and testaments and contracts and other headache-inducing documents... it is my responsibility now.
The neighbours mostly keep to themselves. Had you met my mother, you would well understand why. She made it clear that privacy was very important to our family, which was probably for the best, all things considered. There is one neighbour who is friendly, Ms Bathilda Bagshot. You must have heard of her? She is a well-respected historian. She has been the source of much kindness and understanding in this difficult time.
That reminds me. Bathilda says that tomorrow her great-nephew Gellert will be arriving from Germany to stay with her here in Godric's Hollow for the summer. Apparently he is a very intelligent, talented and ambitious boy and was top of the school in Durmstrang Institute. She says that it will be good for me to have some company close to my own age, and that I will like him very much.
It is true that this place is lonely, but I am not sure that Gellert and I will be fast friends. In the first place, students from Durmstrang have an unsavoury reputation. Secondly, he sounds very talented, which probably means that he is conceited. And thirdly, from what Bathilda says, he was mixed up in some sort of scandal and ended up being expelled for some cruel and dangerous pranks. I cannot abide people who are arrogant, unkind and abusive to others. But I am still looking forward to meeting Gellert, as it will be exciting to have someone new in Godric's Hollow, and we must never prejudge people. Perhaps I will like him after all.
Do take care of yourself, and keep me informed of your adventures.
Your friend
Albus
A/N:
Warning: later chapters of this story may include, both explicitly and implicitly: violence, sex scenes, homosexuality and strong coarse language. If any of these make you uncomfortable, please read something else.
I know Grindelwald's nationality isn't specified in the books, but I made him German because I liked the title and it's one of the likely alternatives.