Harry's second face-to-face encounter with Voldemort. Moody's issues with Auror trainee Tonks. The start of the second year. Loads of things happening
1992
14th February 1992
Dear Gellert
You might be pleased to know that Potter is living up to our expectations. He has proven himself a worthy champion by saving a fellow student from a mountain troll last Halloween. The brave boy. Academic-wise, he is not so inclined, but he is wonder on a broomstick like his father was. He had also gathered a knot of close friends from his House.
I have gifted him his father's old invisibility cloak over Christmas. I do hope he uses it wisely. We had a close call when he stumbled over the Mirror of Erised. My bad for leaving it out in the corridors. I suppose we can expect many great things of the lad, despite my Potion master's claims to the contrary. We know Voldemort is returning soon. There have been whispers in the underground and strange happenings. Still, I have faith that Potter will be ready to face him.
Proud as punch
Albus Dumbledore
Spring 1992
Dear Dumbledore
Seriously by Merlin's pointy beard, what are you doing with Hogwarts? Competing with Drumstrang to see who can rack up the most student deaths and injuries on the campus annually? Do you not set up wards against trolls and such dangerous critters for the students' safety? You Brits and Houses. I would be worried if he has friends from only his House. I gathered my acolytes from all over the world back in my day. If I stuck to networking only in Drumstrang, we would never have taken off as we did. Did I tell you about when I almost recruited a Director of Magical Law Enforcement to my cause? Ilvermorny man. And that pretty Miss Lestrange from Hogwarts? Those were the days. We had friends as far afield as Japan and Brazil. We could have taken over the entire ICW were it not for your meddling…
What took you so long to give the lad his father's bequest? Had it slipped your mind for the last ten years or were you waiting for him to come of age? The only thing going for your gift is that a standard invisibility cloak is worn out in five years, so you need not worry about him using it to sneak into the witches' dorms.
Once more, this is a little boy we are speaking about. He is not going to save Wizarding Britain from Voldemort. Being Muggle-raised, he likely has no idea how to even hold his wand in the correct duelling posture. Wake up, you addled coot! That incident with the troll was likely a fluke. You are not throwing some untrained kid before a powerful Dark Wizard and expect him to prevail. I had Aurelius trained before siccing him on you. Five years of duelling instruction – Drumstrang standards.
Utterly disgusted to consider you a friend
Grindelwald
P.S. About that Mirror, what do you see when you look in?
15th March 1992
Dear Gellert
I fear you quite misunderstood me. We are working on his training bit but with DADA post curse, we are unable to find competent teachers willing to risk life and limb. You have some nerve mentioning Aurelius. Do you know I sometimes see my family whole in the Mirror? Including Aurelius if he had not died from his illness. All the what-ifs. Sometimes I see him as a boy wearing a Hogwarts uniform, or grown-up and helping Abe at the Hog's Head. I often see Ariana too.
About the training, I have been trying to convince Flitwick to start a duelling club, but he is not biting. My potions-master has decried Potter is an incompetent who should not be allowed anywhere near a cauldron. Quirrell is barely managing the first year DADA classes as it is.
Albus
20th April 1992
Dear GG
I have a friend who came into possession of a baby dragon. We were there when it hatched. He wants to raise it himself, but he works in a school. Also, I seriously doubt his ability to manage the beast seeing he had his bread set aflame within minutes of Nobert's hatching. Since I am the Muggleborn, no one listened to my concerns. I thought that perhaps this was a magical thing and folks keep dragons as pets at home. Even though my textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ranks them under XXXXX. Then another friend of mine got bitten by the baby Norwegian Ridgeback and ended up in the infirmary. Hagrid insists he can handle it and begged us not to tell the headmaster. What should I do?
Muggleborn Miss
Spring 1992
Dear Miss Muggleborn
Inform a responsible adult. Your House Head perhaps. Not the headmaster if he is still Dumbledore. Dragons do not make good house pets. Take it from me. Lost too many good house-elves that way (plus a squibby cousin) before Uncle Kurt gave up on his backyard dragon breeding. To keep dragons, most places will require you to have ward-fortified pens and living space of several hundred hectares for an adult dragon. Certification as a dragon-handler is also compulsory. This is generally a three-year advanced mastery course offered only in Romania and Peru. Unless your friend has met the above requirements, he has no business hatching dragon eggs. It is for his own good. The dragon will grow quickly and might turn on its keeper, if not set your school ablaze.
GG
7th June 1992
Dear Gellert
I have confirmed it. Voldemort is back as a wraith and we are short of a DADA professor again. Poor Quirrell has been walking about the school possessed by his master and is now dead. Lily Potter's protection saved her son, again. Harry is alive and well. However, I fear it is only a matter of time before he returns in a more corporeal form and finds a way to nullify that protection. As a dabbling necromancer, what can you advise on the likely methods he would utilize to return? I know he has been preying on unicorns in the Forbidden Forest, until he lost his host…
Your friend always
Albus
Summer 1992
Dear Dumbledore
Dabbling necromancer? Do you have any idea of the pain I had to put myself through to get that ritual with the Qilin to work? It was not pretty. There is no such thing as a dabbling necromancer. You are or you are not. Do you have a well-furnished library at your disposal? Please tell me you did not dispose of all the necromantic texts in your library. You may want to look up any literature on Horcruxes too while you are at it. I have a niggling suspicion as to why your current Lord V is still floating about the place and batshit crazy to boot.
Seriously offended
Grindelwald
15th June 1992
Dear GG
My Director is setting me up for early retirement by putting me in charge of training the current crop of Auror recruits. Madame Bones does not appreciate my motto of Eternal Vigilance, especially after I dehexed to pieces a box of breakfast bagels delivered to the office pantry. I do not mind mentoring the young ones, but there is one cadet who is driving me crazy. How can Miss Tonks be so hopelessly clumsy as to trip up all the caterwauling wards during the test, not only of her own obstacle course but that of all the adjoining rooms as well? The girl's got spunk. She is a natural Metamorphagus but I shudder to picture her on any mission. She'd give us all away faster than a Foe-glass. Thing is, Madame Bones has her eye on Miss Tonks as an Auror. We have not had a Metamorphagus born in almost a hundred years on British soil. Tonks herself is very keen, like an over eager puppy keen. What should I do?
Auror instructor
A Moody
Summer 1992
Dear Moody
Hang in there. I generally do not approve of Aurors, but a Metamorphagus is much like an unpolished gem. You need to put in extra effort to get them to even walk without tripping over their feet. It is all that shape changing, they forget where their limbs are. Try to play to her strengths. I had one student who was hopeless in offensive wand magic. Could not cast a stinging hex to save his life, much less a Crucio. Strong defence though. In the end we gave up and decided he should go full Obscurial in a duel if he must go on the offense.
Otherwise, what are your chances of persuading Miss Tonks to consider a career change? Bear in mind that she might hex you into next week for suggesting that. I know that like spiders and dragons, it is the females who have the aggressiveness where Aurors are concerned. One of the few Aurors to get the better of me was a witch.
GG
30th July 1992
Dear GG
We sent a birthday card to our friend, and he did not owl back like we expected. We know he has a rough time of it at home. We are concerned that maybe something might have happened to him. Will it be alright to fly Dad's car to the Muggle world to check on Harry? I mean, we can sneak the car back into the shed before Dad gets home from work, but Mom will kill us.
Weasley Brothers
Summer 1992
Dear Weasleys
Your concern for your friend's well-being is commendable. Do remember to cast Disillusionment spells on the car before heading into the Muggle world. Would not want you to get into trouble with the Ministry. If there are any Muggle witnesses, I hope you have mastered your Oblivate. This might turn into a full-blown rescue. So have your wands at the ready.
Give them hell
GG
1st September 1992
Dear Grindelwald
Albus has hired a puffed-up popinjay for a DADA professor. After browsing through his recommended texts, I found multiple discrepancies in Lockhart's accounts. Our potion master looks set to hex the man into the next century, especially since Albus declined to install him in that post. I have written a note to have the infirmary restocked with all the necessary potions as I fear we will be seeing more injuries than normal this year from DADA. We might have to forgo some of the lesser-used potion ingredients like mandrake juice after the recent budget cuts.
Well, one of out governors has seen fit to outfit the Slytherin Quidditch team with new brooms but that is that. His son's the team's new Seeker. I do not think he will be open to a generous donation to defray the costs of running our infirmary.
Minerva
Fall 1992
Dear Minerva
How accident-prone is the good governor's son? Perhaps if the boy were to spend more time in the infirmary this year, you might get another generous donation for the much -needed restocking of potions. Just a thought since we know the lad will be flying in the vicinity of bludgers.
As for your popinjay, perhaps your potions master might wish to slip him a little something in his pumpkin juice. Otherwise, it would be more satisfying for the man to challenge him to a duel before his class and let those hexes rip.
Grindelwald
30th October 1992
Dear GG
My friend put me in touch with you for advice. My parents were wizards, but they passed when I was a baby. I was raised Muggle by my aunt. I just learnt last year that I am like the Chosen One in the British wizarding world. I am only twelve and everyone is treating me like some freak show. I had it bad at home with my aunt and uncle when I was just this weirdo orphan kid under the stairs. But I was still an average kid in school, even if I get bullied a fair bit. Now it is like I cannot brush my teeth without some camera flash going off or getting mobbed when buying my textbooks in Diagon Alley. It was my mom's protection spell that killed Voldemort the first round, not me. I was just fifteen months old then!
The same thing as to what happened at the end of term last school year. I wanted it to be kept quiet, but the story got out and I am sick of my new celebrity status. The worst culprit is this first-year kid with a camera running about my dorm. At least the teachers keep those pesky reporters off the grounds. Also, I seem to have a stalker house elf who seems to be out to get me expelled from Hogwarts.
Not a Hero
Fall 1992
Dear Kiddo
Might it be possible to Vanish the little pest's camera? The elf might be trickier, but is leaving Hogwarts a bad thing? My suggestion will be for you to make a fresh start elsewhere. Might your kin consider emigrating to the States or France? You might want to apply to Drumstrang since you are at least a halfblood. They have this rule about not accepting Muggleborns.
Good that the fame is not going to your head. It kind of makes one lose focus on the bigger picture. That said, the fame might come in handy in the future should you need it. It is a kind of power. Use it wisely. The public can be terribly fickle so all the fuss about you might die down in a few years if you keep out of the public eye and let them forget you. Do not go saving the day or righting wrongs. It isn't worth it. Do not let anyone manipulate you into anything you do not wish to do. That is easier said than done as I know an authority figure close to you is a master of that game. I have half a mind to write you a recommendation letter to Drumstrang. At least they will teach you what you really need to know about the Dark Arts and how to defend oneself.
All the best
GG
17th December 1992
Dear GG
I need some help. There is someone or something going about attacking and petrifying Muggleborn students in the halls and everyone thinks I am behind it. I am not some Heir of Slytherin. My best friends include a Muggleborn. Then I just spoke parseltongue to a snake in front of my class, without even realizing it. Everyone says that is a dark wizard thing since Voldemort was also known to speak to snakes. I have also been hearing voices threatening to kill Muggleborns where my friends hear nothing. I am scared. What should I do?
Tongue-Tied
Winter 1992
Dear Tongue-tied
First, I need to correct a misconception. Parseltongue has nothing to do with whether you are a dark wizard or not. It was Voldemort's campaign that gave all parselmouths a bad rep. If you read up on your magical history, you will be aware that Salzaar Slytherin's descendant was also a parseltongue and she set up a wizarding school in North American open to all magicals, and that she married a Muggle. No Muggle-killers there. Slytherin was very old when he passed and likely addled from potion fumes. It was a thing before the Bubblehead Charm was invented and the introduction of venting spells. Most serious potioneers were demented by their fifties back then. Further back in history, and even today in Africa and Asia, parseltongues are just like any regular wizard apart from their innate talent. We have had Master healers emerge from their ranks, so just because you can say a few words in snake does not mean you are a dark wizard. You decide what type of wizard you want to be.
About the voices, is only you hearing them? What do your friends hear if they are with you? Might you know another parselmouth for verification purposes? Are you facing a rough time in school or at home? You might consider a Calming Draught if it is only you hearing those voices. See a mind-healer even. Otherwise, if your non-parseltongue friends hear it as hissing, get the hell out of there and inform an adult. Honestly, I am puzzled by the mention of petrified students. You might want to do some research into that. I would expect more dead bodies instead of petrified ones if my guess is correct.
GG
Author's Notes:
Moody will likely never write to GG ever again once he finds out he has been corresponding with a war criminal and his paranoia takes over. Minerva is sharp enough to pick up on Lockhart the fraud. Yes, the Golden Trio have written in for advice from GG.
It is getting more challenging to squeeze everything into a single chapter for each year. I might need to split by school terms moving forward. Any thoughts or feedback on this?