Written with deepest thanks to my beta, shelly-wa. Comments and criticism are always appreciated.
June 30th, 1899
Dear Gellert,
Do you like him? The owl, I mean. His name is Maurice thanks to my sister, though I prefer to think of him as Theseus. Regrettably, he only answers to my sister's appellation.
I was thinking of our discussion today on the question of the influence of Muggles on Wizarding society. I still stand by my assertion that while, yes, they do pose a threat to us through the dangers of misunderstanding, we are the ones with the wands, and it is our responsibility to protect them, not oppress them. I shall say no more on the subject until you can present me with substantial evidence to back up your daring claim that Muggles are an active threat to our way of life. I wish you luck in that enterprise, my friend. I very much doubt that you will be able to change my thoughts on this issue.
That, however, is not the reason I contacted you so late in the evening. The article you left me to read has lit the fires of my mind, and all night I have been delving into the subject with more fervor than I have known since my school days. Dragon's blood was always a pet project of mine at Hogwarts. I am ashamed to admit that my research on the substance has not moved forward since my internment at home. You can understand, I hope, the sense of loss that pervaded me when faced with what I thought was to be a barren future. Then you came to me. Since then I have realized that I have been wasting my time in self-pity.
All that is now dross. You and I, Gellert, we shall do great things together. Know that I am not being arrogant when I profess my sincere belief that we shall change the world.
Returning to the Dillonsby article, the gentleman seems to discount the caustic properties of dragon's blood which, when properly diluted, have proven so useful in cleansing wounds. To suggest that it can be used as a fabric softener is laughable. I shall rekindle my own research on that front and submit my findings to The British Journal of Sorcery once I have reached conclusive results. Thus far, I have found at least eight uses for dragon's blood, none of which that charlatan can claim to have fabricated in his dubious research. In glancing over my notes, I can guess at roughly three more uses for dragon's blood, if not four, and as you know by now, my guesses are usually good.
The Flynt article you sent me has however left me with a different feeling altogether. While I readily admit that a great deal of wisdom can be found in old children's stories and that there is historical basis in such tales as "Babbity Rabbity and the Cackling Stump," "The Tale of the Three Brothers" is largely understood as an allegory. "Do not fear death," and all that. Obviously a certain wand has torn a bloody swathe throughout history, but the cloak? The stone? A disillusionment charm cast by a skilled wizard eclipses any need for a mythical, never-fading invisibility cloak, and though I loathe to mention them, there are several vile dark magics that can "raise" the dead, as it were. It would be fascinating to rediscover these relics, but I see no evidence that they existed at all. Unless there is something you have yet to reveal...?
Tomorrow we shall have to discuss this further. I understand that this subject is important to you by your frequent mentioning of it, and I would like to learn more about the roots of your fervor. Though I have not known you long, already aspects of your personality are as clear to me as if I have known you all my life. You would not devote yourself to a frivolous endeavor.
Meet me for lunch at my home, at noon tomorrow. I have been trying new recipes in an effort to please my siblings, and have been pleased to discover that the culinary arts are surprisingly akin to the subtleties of alchemy. To know one's ingredients well enough to create something that goes beyond filling the belly, but rather ensnares and delights the senses, is a rewarding affair. I shall be offering bacon sandwiches, split-pea soup, and trifle for pudding. If you give me your assurance that you will be present, I can also promise a fine claret as a pairing. After lunch, we can walk the river path and discuss your Hallows.
Until tomorrow,
Albus
Notes
As most children of our world are taught their first years of school, Albus Dumbledore went on to discover the twelve uses of dragon's blood, the last of which, oven cleaner, remained elusive to researchers for many years after the first eleven were discovered. In his article outlining the twelve uses, he attributes the discovery of the twelfth use to an accident. "Upon repeated testing, I have confirmed that my mistake of confusing one of my vials of dragon's blood with Mrs. Scower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover was a fortuitous one indeed, and that dragon's blood is an invaluable method of removing what even a well-cast scourgify cannot."
The British Journal of Sorcery remains one of the most prestigious and cutting-edge research magazines ever printed, and has been published bi-annually since 1809. Dumbledore's final paper on the twelve uses of dragon's blood was first revealed in this periodical.
The Julian Flynt article to which Dumbledore refers, "Hallows or Hollows? A Thorough Examination of the Deathly Hallows Throughout History," was published in the now defunct history quarterly Time Enough, which fell out of print following financial difficulties in the nineteen thirties. In it, Flynt outlines his hypothesis that the items mentioned in the Beedle the Bard tale, "The Three Brothers," could be easily traced throughout history if one payed attention to the clues. It received mixed responses, from thoughtful criticism of his arguments to outright ridicule. Flynt then closed his investigations into the location of the "Deathly Hallows," and continued his work in documenting the historical context of Wizarding children's stories*.
Ivor Dillonsby's article on the eight uses of dragon's blood was not well-received by researchers of his day. Subsequent findings concluded that his research was rushed and his results faulty, though there are some holdouts among his peers who still attempt to soften their cloaks with a few drops of dragon's blood. Only a few of Dillonsby's uses remain among the twelve today**.
*The historical context of "Babbity Rabbit and her Cackling Stump" is actually quite interesting. Witch Hunts and Their Consequences by Mirabella Salem is a fascinating account of how the Spanish Inquisition affected Wizards and Muggles alike, and A History of Fire by Sylvester Rook mentions Babbity Rabbity by name as the Witch who saved many Muggle towns threatened by Witchfinders and their ilk throughout the worst of the seventeenth century. -H.G.-W.
**And those, I am not at all hesitant to say, only remain because others discovered them before him. -M.M.
