The First Wizarding War in Britain kicks off. Albus is too busy to write. Gellert has to make do with his Auntie's letters.
1970
Summer 1970
Dear Auntie
What is happening out there? Albus has not written for almost a year. Is he alright? Is he still mad at me?
They are limiting the number of letters I can send out because of some developments in Britain. No one is telling me anything. They have fixed that runestone on the roof. That stopped my Visions but I am nowhere clearer what they are all about. Are you safe? Please do not open the door to any more reporters, new neighbours or total strangers. Better still, beef up all the wards to fry any unwanted intruders to a crisp.
I never really got round to telling you this – but you are the only one in the family who actually cared about me more than what grades I was getting or how well I performed at duelling in school. About Albus… Actually, he is not blame for my current circumstances. It could have been the Kiss for me (had he not put in a good word or two) and I would probably deserve it too. Will you be nicer to him for my sake, please? I want to tell him I am sorry about the duel in 1899 and how things ended up from there, but I cannot bring myself to do so. Does he hate me? Is that why his letters have stopped? Do I sound too clingy?
I want to be his friend still, but I do not know how.
Your nephew
Gellert
25th September 1970
Dear Gellie
It is a surprise hearing from you after so long. I thought you might have forgotten about your Auntie in Godric's Hollow. I do not understand how the Europeans seem to have missed out on what is happening in Britain. There is some upstart Dark Lord stirring up trouble. I must say he and his cronies lack the classiness of your Alliance. The lot of them look like some Muggle dress-up cult with their masks and black robes. And they were not that fun to hang out with. I had a blast hobnobbing with those hippy kids and their van when I got some problems Apparating cross-country to Surrey from Liverpool. The Wicaans and neo-pagans at Stonehenge were a more subdued lot, but they simply adored those old rituals. And there was that cute Muggle druid priest with his Santa Claus beard and talk about ley-lines. Let's just say I gave him another perspective on fertility rites.
Their leader is nowhere as good looking as you were. If Dumbledore was too busy to write, we might blame them. The Ministry's running itself ragged and it is likely we will not see the end of this by winter. I have taken note of your kind words about Albus and will invite him over for tea should he be in the neighbourhood. Merlin knows I have not seen any much of the Dumbledores since that summer (that little stint in old Koldie notwithstanding).
As for friends, I do think you need some other than Albus. You are over-reliant on him. It is not as though the pair of you are married to each other. If I can get some pen-pals for you, please do not scare them off. What would you say to writing a memoir of the Global Wizarding War from your perspective? You need some healthy hobbies. I would recommend Kneazles and books, but I doubt they will fare well in Nurmengard.
As for the wards on my cottage, are you sure you are not overreacting? I have level 3 wards on my premises to ward of unwanted salespersons and wildlife. That should be enough to deter burglars as well. I do not think raising them to deadly levels would be advisable given the number of Muggle children in the neighbourhood. Some kid could climb over my fence to fetch a stray ball. I do not wish to use magic too openly like Repelling Charms or such.
I invited some friends from Koldie to spend the summer - Ruslana the Rusalka Charms Mistress, and Volodymyr the part Veela Runemaster. We had such a delightful fortnight discussing ancient runes and charms between frolicking in the river and rambles in the local woods. The pair are a real delight to watch. They might just be a couple, even if they do not know it yet. They make almost as charming a pair as you and Albus were back then. Would you believe that Volodymyr has read that paper you published in your last year in Durmstrang on Celtic, Norse and Slavic curse-runes for Runica Obscura. It's a real pity you got expelled. He tried out some of your theories in the 1960's and confirmed your hypothesis about rune combinations and black cockerel blood. The downside was blowing up someone's launchpad and being suspended for gross negligence.
Love you always
XXXX
Your Auntie Bathilda
P.S. I have sent over some pumpkin pie. I do hope they will let you have it.
Fall 1970
Dear Auntie
Never thought I would say this, but – What by Merlin's pointy beard are you doing hobnobbing with some unwashed druid in the wilds and hitching rides from hippies? Your wand aside, that is asking for big trouble. Remember Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf? What if that druid turned out to be a werewolf? And never trust the young ones these days. What if they turn out to be some serial killing cult? You do not want to be gutted and stuffed with sawdust like some creepy mannequin. And swimming with a Rusalka – you know they drown people for kicks and giggles, do you?
Please, please. Be careful. I am still holding out for possible parole and will like to visit you in that pokey English village if they do let me out. You are welcome to cosset me all you want with gingerbread and chocolate. I promise not to run even if you get out the Toadstool Tales book again. Did you burn your copy?
Thanks for the pumpkin pie. I received it as a farewell gift from the outgoing warden. He was feeling generous. They de-hexed it to a crisp. It is a change from the grey slop and mush I normally receive.
Your nephew
Gellert
P.S. I am writing down a series of protection runes. Please place them at the cardinal corners of your property. And never invite the veela and Rusalka over again.
3rd November 1970
Dear Grindelwald-sama
How are you? I have heard whispers in the fall leaves of some new dark wizard picking up where you left off and would like to check if you know about him. What I have so far:
His name is Lord Voldemort – likely a pseudonym. Clearly he has some serious image issues. Ideology seems to be pureblood supremacy, which is a level up from your Greater Good aka magical supremacy. The whispers in the shadows tell me he is halfblood. He clearly has daddy or mommy issues, even more so than you.
By any chance are you supporting him or his ideology? He is not only anti-Muggle but anti-Muggleborn. Will be keeping an eye on developments in case it spills over to Asia. If he tries anything on my kits, I will turn him into a pile of ashes and scatter him to the four winds.
As to our little problem wizard, it is amazing how a year as a teapot seemed to have rubbed off some zen into him. Tot-chan is now a contributing member of the campus and working towards a mastery in potions. The downside is that Tot-chan occasionally turns himself into a teakettle when stressed. It is an improvement over biting and fireballs. We pop him over the fire a bit to coax him to change back. We got the tests run by the ministry and he is part-tanuki, which would explain all his acting up and flashing his bollocks at his fellow students. At least he has learnt to keep his robes and sandals on when outside the bathhouse.
Kitsune Yukiko
P.S. I took Tot-chan over to that US army base for some exposure to foreign Muggle culture on Halloween night. We had such fun messing with their patrols. No one got hurt and Tot-chan gained an appreciation of the ukulele. Perhaps we should organize a school trip over to Hawaii.
Fall 1970
Dear Yuki
Good to see that you are still dabbling in the shadow-arts. Please tell your shadow-beast not to try biting my fingers off when I take the letter from it. How do you dodge the dark magic radar at Mahoutokoro? Or have you taken to wearing white as part of your daily garb to avoid exposure? Oh, my bad. Your lot were always partial to the colour white.
N.O. No. I have nothing to do with this Voldemort. I do not support his hatred of Muggleborn or half-blood wixen and I think the entire pureblood thing is overrated. Good to know your student problems have been resolved but I shudder to imagine the two infamous mischief-makers of Japanese lore – a kitsune and a tanuki - pairing up to wreak merry havoc on an army base. Do recommend that he stick to the colour white in whatever garments he decides to keep on lest the both of you be outed for dabbling in the dark arts. Perhaps he would be running about in his skivvies instead of the standard issue school-robes?
Yours sincerely
Grindelwald
How did you know about lemon sherbet drops? All the same, I am not touching them lest you added some nasty potion that will make me spill my guts or worse.
Author's Notes:
I do wonder who else should be writing into Dark Wizard Grindelwald. Does anyone have any ideas on who Bathilda can send Gellert's way? She has been enjoying herself mingling with the Muggle hippies, neopagans and such.
The tanuki (raccoon dog) and kitsune (fox) spirits are known in Japanese folklore for making mischief. Yukiko and her student have somehow managed to bypass their school's dark magic detection system, so Grindelwald alleges.