We are now entering the Marauders' era. Perhaps more familiar faces and events will surface. Some possible spoilers, if anyone is still reading this long multi-chapter fic.

In 1971, Harry's parents, godfather and their friends start at Hogwarts. I hope I get their characterizations mostly in-character should they write in knowingly or otherwise to a dark wizard. Meet Tante Giselle – Agony Aunt? I wrote Agony Aunt column parodies for other fandoms before, but I think a choice of dark wizard as counsellor might be controversial.

1971

31st March 1971

Dear Gellie

Since Dumbledore is likely too busy with his upcoming promotion to Hogwarts headmaster on top of that pesky British dark wizard, I have taken it onto myself to arrange for possible pen-pals for you. I have been doing this Agony Aunt gig under the name Tante Giselle. A little something to top up my pin money while waiting for the publishers or that application for a teaching post to get back to me. However, I note that a good number of the letters never make it into the Daily Prophet, even though some young wizard or witch clearly needs a word of advice. I will be sending a few of these your way.

Do play nice. These are sensitive souls like you.

XXXX

Your Auntie Bathilda

P.S. If you misbehave, no more gingerbread.

Spring 1971

Dear Auntie

Thank you for the offer, but I must pass on this. There is nothing more unsettling to me than the idea of dealing with the petty problems of children and adolescents. Dealing with young Aurelius' insecurities and anger issues was punishment enough and he still betrayed me in the end. Don't they have some professor or career counsellor in Hogwarts to deal with those?

Gellert

P.S. Somehow, I imagine you will be attaching these letters to yours in spite of my wishes.

7th April 1971

Dear Tante Giselle

I am writing in as I wish I can go to Hogwarts like my cousins. I am a wizard, but I heard Father say they will not let me go to Hogwarts because I might be a danger to other kids. A nasty werewolf bit me when I was five. Now Father has to lock me up in the cellar whenever there is a full moon. I cannot go to regular Muggle school too. Mother tries to teach me at home, but her health is not good. No one wants to play with me because I might turn into the big bad wolf and eat them up. Sometimes they are really mean to me and that hurts. I feel so mad at them. I really do not want to hurt anyone.

I want to go to Hogwarts and have friends like other wizards. I have no one to play Quidditch, chess or gobstones with. I do not want to be a werewolf. All that worrying is making Mother sick. It is not fair. Please help?

RL

Spring 1971

Dear RL

Firstly, allow yourself a good howl, pup. Life is not fair.

It is a pity no one has found a cure or anything to ease your malady. If these words are too complex, use a dictionary. I am sure your mother might have one lying about. Homeschooling was the norm for wizardkind before they set up formal schools like Hogwarts and Durmstrang in the Middle Ages. Before I get too academic about the history of magical education, I will recommend that you not give up hope. If Hogwarts does not accept you, try writing in to Durmstrang. They have solid dungeons there and a curriculum that might toughen you up. If you cannot find a school willing to take you in, find a local werewolf pack for support. Do be wary there as some packs are nasty thugs while others are nice law-abiding wizards. If you are not type who would enjoy running wild and savaging people, do try to find the latter type of pack.

Not all werewolves are bloodthirsty beasts, not without a full moon. I used to know a werewolf once, a quiet bookish chap who sold wands, until some wand-happy Auror blasted him over a cliff when he turned werewolf before he could get home to his cellar. I will not sugarcoat it. Life is hard for werewolves. If you do make friends who accept you for who you are, those are for keepers. Ja, the type who stand by you, even die for you and you will likely do the same for them. Don't you think that is worth more than just someone to play gobstones with, not that I was blessed with either type of friend growing up…

Be careful of Aurors. They are bad news for werewolves, especially on full moon nights.

All the best, pup

GG

11th September 1971

Dear Gellert

It is with great relief that I have managed to convince Minerva to return to Hogwarts as my Deputy Headmistress. There is no way I can juggle my other duties as Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock otherwise. It did help that with the latest Wizarding War kicking off, her Ministry beau wanted her somewhere safe. She is holding out on the marriage bit as she is not quite ready. Actually, I am not to write to you about the ongoing war, but to heck with the Ministry. As a dark wizard, hopefully you might be able to provide us some unique insight into what Voldemort's next move might be. I have requested that we lift your correspondence restriction to facilitate this.

So far, we have had anti-Muggleborn propaganda and random magical attacks on Muggleborns and Muggles alike. And almost weekly hexes tossed at the Ministry. Nothing as organized as your outfit back in the 1930s. No indications of him setting up a political front or anything of that sort yet. You did write about me admitting a werewolf into Hogwarts sometime back. Do you have any leads as a Seer on the current war in Britain?

I seem to have started my tenure as headmaster not only on the back of a Wizarding War, but on a possible bombshell. I have admitted a werewolf in the current cohort of students after much pleading by the child's parents. Minerva and I have come up with a failproof plan on how to deal with those full-moon nights to protect the other students, but all hell will break loose if this secret leaks out.

Apologies for taking so long to write.

Albus

Fall 1971

Dear Albus

Oh Merlin, you selfish prat. How like you to come begging me for help after ignoring me for two frigging years. The guards have fixed the broken runestone and wards, so no more Visions. Britain is not the entire magical world. I am sure no one will miss it if it burns to ashes in your miserable war. A hint – remember Director Graves. You might want to check who is being employed at the Ministry. Background checks, core scans, purging spells – the works. Otherwise, get them to ease up on the wards on my cell and send me some Divination tools. Not sure if I can do a directed Seeing long-distance the way my magic is now, but I can give it a crack.

Admitting werewolves into a school full of magical, non-werewolf children. You might as well admit a few Muggles so the rest of the students might toss them to the werewolf as distraction while they fly off to safety. Have you thought of finding the pup a proper peer support network? Or are you having him sit on his secret until the entire thing explodes under him? If you are not careful, your little werewolf might come back to bite you in the bum.

Gellert

P.S. Is there any chance that you can convince the ICW to release me and facilitate my travel to Britain as a special tactical consultant? Or are you just going to cut me out of this adventure too? Probably everything will be over by Christmas, and you can send me a card.

31st October 1971

Dear Tante Giselle

The girl next door and I got places in Hogwarts, then the Sorting Hat sees fit to sort her into Gryffindor and me into Slytherin. It's not fair. I thought we were going to go to classes together and practice charms in the same common room. Instead, I have some Housemates who pick on me because my dad is a Muggle. Prefect Lucius had to stop them from just chucking me in the lake for giggles. The House will lose points if I do drown. He says I'm under his protection, but I suppose I better learn to swim before he graduates since he is already in his sixth year.

There is this bully from Gryffindor who keeps picking on me just because I am a Slytherin kid trying to hang out with my friend from Gryffindor. We were very close friends well before Hogwarts as the only two magical kids in the village. I tried to ask for a re-Sort but Professor Slughorn says the Hat's decision is final. This stinks.

Yours sincerely

Half-blood Prince

P.S. How do I know if she like-likes me?

Fall 1971

Dear Prince

Ah, puppy love. You might grow out of your infatuation with this girl next door, or not. Thing is, one never quite forgets one's first love. Even if they do not work out in the end. I will not suggest using any love potions to an 11-year-old as the complexity involved in their brewing is well above your comprehension and those only work on a short-term basis. You do not want to end up accidentally poisoning the object of your affections.

In case it escaped your notice, life is inherently unfair. I will not comment on the quaint practices of Hogwarts or their House reputations. Surely interactions between students from Houses are allowed or unavoidable in some cases. In Durmstrang, we used to have monthly duel-nights between Battalions. All in jolly good fun, of course – even if we had to brush up on our healing spells afterwards – Vulnera Sanentur, Episkey, Brackium Emendo and such.

As for your bully issues, brush up on your jinxes, hexes, and curses. You cannot rely on the wand of another all the time. If possible, come up with something new and impressive. I will also recommend a study of defensive spells and occulumency. The aforementioned healing spells too. Sooner or later a duel will be inevitable. You do want to step away from that with your pride intact, especially if that special girl is watching. It will be a bonus if you can get away with mopping the floor with the bully. Just try not to get expelled or kill/ maim anyone. That might get messy.

Good luck with your endeavours (academic and otherwise)

GG

Author's Notes:

Looks like Albus is not the only wizard giving advice and guidance to his students. Not sure how his letter to RL or the Half-blood Prince comes across, but you might be able to guess who we are referring to.

Not sure how believable a dark wizard dispensing relationship and other advice to a bunch of preteens, teenagers and young adults will be. It will be hilarious if someone twigs onto who Tante Giselle or GG is.

Any suggestions of who else could write in over the coming years when the Marauders are in Hogwarts (1971-1978)? I might include the Black brothers and Lily. Perhaps some of the Marauders' achievements had a little boost or guidance from GG?