Albus and Gellert exchange barbs and some updates on the fate of members of Dumbledore's first army (circa 1932). Marauder's Map ideas? McGonagall meets a Grim?
1974
12th March 1974
Dear Gellert
Forgive my tardiness in writing as I have been busy assembling a new band of brave souls to stand against Voldemort or rather Tom Riddle and his band of Death Eaters. It is a pity that at my age, I am unable to take retirement. He cannot confront him directly since he has cloaked himself in the shadows, ready to emerge as soon as our backs are turned. I have tried looking up our mutual friends, but I fear that they might not be up to hunting dark wizards. Tina and Newt have not seen any active duty since 1967 after that Horntail incident left Newt with a nasty limp. Tina's long retired from being an Auror and their children are traveling the world in the footsteps of their father. Well, Tina indicated she was willing to step in, subject to a list of conditions that included no squirreling secrets behind everyone else's back. Theseus has retired decades ago. Unfortunately, a Hippogriff riding accident has left him rather incapacitated in St Mungo's, where he will likely remain for months. Bunty has declined. She has lost 2 sons already in this war and must take care of her grandchildren.
I am not flying the Kowalskis or Lally in from the States. Not with the current fees and paperwork for inter-continent travel. Kama has been missing in action since the 1940s. I like to imagine he has retired to some quiet corner of the world to live out his days in peace, but I suspect this is not the case. Would you be aware where he is? I will not share more details on who I am gathering as I am still not convinced about you not being involved in this current war in some way. I would love to have some confirmation that you are not supporting Voldemort in some way.
Your maybe-friend
Albus Dumbledore
Spring 1974
Dear Albus
You wound me. Do you actually believe I buy into all this pureblood crap? Sorry to hear what happened to your first ragtag band of misfits. They caused me a lot of pain. About Kama, I must confess that Krafft and Carrow cornered him in this fancy chateau in Strasbourg. Burned the place down in 1944. Not before he took out a dozen of theirs single-handedly. About that Tina, she is one tough witch. In fact, I would recommend you accept her terms. She would whip your little army into shape with her willpower alone. She probably guessed we were an item back then, even if that seemed to have sailed over Newt's head (or he didn't acre either way).
As for direct confrontation – please, you took 13 years to look me up for that duel after that pact broke. You just need to flush him out of hiding and AK him, right? Maybe you are too arthritic now to go chasing after dark wizards. So you are setting up some young ones to flush him out for you. Fair enough. You got Newt playing fetch for you in the 1920s. I do not see what has changed.
How are your students doing? Any Death Eaters in the halls yet? Has your Divination master spewed any ominous omens of death for them?
Gellert Grindelwald
1st April 1974
Dear Tante Giselle
We heard of you from a family friend and that you are known for your discretion. We have been approached by a friend to be part of a club. Club activities might involve danger to our lives and limbs. We have been assured this is for a good cause. Well, maybe we are not making sense, but we cannot share all our secrets.
You know these Death Eater terrorists are wreaking havoc in our streets? We are purebloods but we doubt that will keep us safe. We have a sister with two young ones home at the Burrow. We get nightmares of them being burned out of their home. The way things are going. Her husband is working in Muggle Relations at the Ministry and the bloke is a pro-Muggle as they get. The Death Eaters do not look kindly on that and might consider him a blood-traitor.
Both of us are as scared as any other wizard on the street. But if wee Billy and Chip can grow up without the horrors of war, would it be just worth it? If our parents and sis find out, they would probably kill us – us being the family's heir and spare and still bachelors to boot.
F. and G. Prewett
Spring 1974
Dear Pea-wits
Why do you write in for advice if you have already decided? Blighty pureblood morons. If this is some queer idea of an April Fool's joke, go turn yourselves into herring. You might actually have more brains that way. You know you have already decided, so get on with it and prove yourselves worthy uncles to Billy and Chip – may they never need to follow in your footsteps. If your pureblood parents are kicking up a fuss for more grandchildren, find a nice girl to marry and reproduce with. Muggleborn or half-blood acceptable. Nothing is stopping you from social activities on weekends.
GG
P.S. If the leader of this club is one Albus Dumbledore, strongly recommend dosing him with a truth potion and have him spill his little secrets first before signing up.
1st November 1974
Dear Tante Giselle
I have been referred to you by a former colleague and close friend. I am a professor of transfiguration at Hogwarts and an animagus. I consider myself a level-headed witch, but I do believe I have encountered a Grim last night. I am not losing my mind. I was just doing my night patrols after the Halloween Feast and decided to complete them as a cat, just to keep my animagi skills sharp. I was resting atop this brick wall when this large black dog came bounding out of nowhere and knocked me clean off it. Cats landed on their paws thankfully. When I recovered my senses, said dog was gone. There are no black dogs that size running about the grounds. I have checked in with Hagrid the groundskeeper and his wolfhound. Hagrid is incapable of lying and I believe him when he said his dog – Tibbles – was with him all night. Moreover, Tibbles is a white dog and too old to leap over walls. Poor pooch looked as though he had been dipping into his master's whiskey.
I am not superstitious but getting knocked off my paws by some phantom hound is giving me second thoughts. I have spoken to Nick. He confirmed that there were no Headless Hunt shenanigans happening last night, so no ghost hounds where he is aware of. However, Peeves claimed a stag and a black dog had been seen running from the grounds into the Forbidden Forest from the Gryffindor tower. Not sure how trustworthy the poltergeist is.
Spooked,
Catawampus
1st November 1974
Dear GG
We did it. At least Prongs and I did it. We are now animagi. Would you believe how many close calls we had over the months to make the potion and complete the spell? Dodging Filch and the professors. Last night, I believed I knocked Professor McGonagall off a brick wall in her cat form. You should have heard her yowl. How is that for a Halloween trick? I got the heck out of there before she slaps me with detention. We need a better way of sneaking about, even with the new passages we discovered in the castle.
Thanks for the idea to become animagi, mate. We just need to give Peter here a little push along. Poor chap keeps muffing the chant and needing to start from scratch. Any ideas on how we can dodge nosey Filch, patrolling prefects and teachers? Actually, the prefects are not that much a problem. Prongs and Moony just obliviate them into forgetting they saw us in the first place.
Padfoot
Fall 1974
Dear Minerva McGonagall
I know it is you writing in as Catawampus. You are the only registered Animagus linked to Hogwarts with a cat form. If there is any morsel of truth to that Grim legend, that hound should be looking for Albus Dumbledore, unless you have also been playing hunt the dark wizard with him. Seriously, that old coot needs a better hobby at his age.
As a Seer, I do not believe in furry black death omens. The whole idea of a Grim is a British Muggle superstition that has somehow crossed into the magical realm. It was probably just some stray mutt that got onto the grounds and then made a quick escape while you were stunned.
GG
Fall 1974
Dear Padfoot
Good to know you have successfully achieved your animagus form without mishap. As for your friend, practice makes perfect. Or do you have some trusted professor you can rely on if things go horribly wrong? Did you get detentions all round after your little foray on Halloween? Knocking a professor off a wall indeed. Hope it was not a high one or maybe cats always land on their feet. You do know that animagi need to be registered even before they start the process, do you? I suppose we can overlook that irritating detail unless you want to out Moony as a werewolf. I guessed right, did I? Chap's lucky to have friends like you. Just try not to drag him into too many scraps.
As for the after-hours exploration of Hogwarts, perhaps you ought to map out these tunnels and passages. Make a map or something so you do not get lost. I recommend using vanishing spells to hide the evidence should you get caught. A tracking spell might go a long way to you keeping clear of nosey professors. I created a plan of my castle once to track one annoying little wizard when he gets into one of his sulky moods. By 1932, he was often tucked up in the rafters of the Grand Hall and spooking random acolytes by swooping down on them. Just an idea if any of you have a winged form. A pity the plan got destroyed along with rest of my correspondence in 1944.
GG
P.S. I would love to see Dumbledore get mobbed by a crow or some large bird of prey.
Author's Notes:
The next generation of Weasleys start to appear – Bill and Charlie Weasley would be born by this time. Yes, Albus is recruiting members for his Order of the Phoenix.
A nasty little trick on their Transfiguration Mistress. I doubt Minerva would take her 'death omen' seriously given her reactions to Sybill's predictions. Will Minerva figure out who GG is and put an end to his correspondence with her students?
The idea of Grindelwald trying to look for Aurelius in Nurmengard using a prototype of the map. Not sure how believable that is, but given the tensions between them in 1932, that might happen, especially when Aurelius apparently can turn Obscurus at will by then.