More flak for Albus over his dubious decision to leave Harry with the Dursleys, plus his dubious choice of Potions Master in Hogwarts.

1983

19th May 1983

Dear Tante Giselle

I have heard of you from a friend. I am writing in with my concerns about a young neighbour. Firstly, I am a squib. So don't expect me to do any fancy wand-magic stuff. I have been tasked by a wise old wizard to keep an eye on my neighbours, especially a young lad under their care. Now I am starting to suspect said old man is gaga. I have sent multiple reports suggesting that the boy be removed for his own safety and so far - zilch. The last time I checked, toddlers do not come in shades of black and blue, and the boy's little more than skin and bones. I have the feeling that if I am too nice to the lad, they would just take him off my hands for the sake of making him miserable. They have another babysitter to watch their brat. A nice one who lets him stay up late and eat loads of candy while she and her man hang out in the guestroom.

I am half-tempted to call in the Muggle child welfare services, if I can be sure the boy will end up in a better situation. Muggle child welfare services sucks, take it from me. Apparently, you need to have a child die before they would act. And those foster homes, ick – I have had the privilege of being raised in one at age eight when my folks booted me out for being a squib. I ran out as soon as they left the door open a couple of months in and hid out with some friends in Knockturn Alley until a cousin set me up in a nice cottage in the Muggle world. Living rough on the streets beats starvation, slave labour, and being groped by some creepy caretaker.

I am wondering if I can get away with taking wee Harry off to my pals at Knockturn. It has been a while since I got back on the straight and narrow, but I do miss that pack of misfits and we owl regularly. It would be a shame to give up my cottage now my Kneazles have a warm home to live in. I will have to make it clear to Boggy I am not trading the kid in as a werewolf chew-toy. I might have to persuade Mundungus to keep his trap shut. I know he has been nosing about the neighbourhood. Do not want him to go bawling to old Al.

Worried as a Kneazle on a hot pan

Figgy

Spring 1983

Dear Figgy

Generally, I have little dealings with squibs. However, you strike me as a tough old battle axe and a canny old crone. I suppose you can figure out a way to keep the lad safe without need for magic. Do not waste your time with Albus Dumbledore. He is too stubborn for his own good. It might not be advisable to kidnap the boy or call in more Muggles. Likely that old coot has more spies than that one you caught snooping about. Hightailing it to Knockturn might not be an option.

You did mention Kneazles. How clever or obliging are your furry friends? I did recall one witch who trained her ravens as an early warning system around her cottage and had them spy on her neighbours. Or you might want to read that chapter about The Cats of Queen Beruthiel in Tolkien's Unfinished Tales. Just few wee ideas you might find useful.

GG

P.S. How familiar are you with Obscurials? You might want to read up on them too. If the boy starts showing signs of turning into one, I advise you to owl Dumbledore, then pack your bags and get the heck out of there.

21st April 1983

Dear Tante Giselle

I hate our Potions Master! He is creepy and smells funny. He looks like some oily vampire bat. Everyone says he is a Death Eater and has the Mark to prove it. I do not know what Headmaster Dumbledore sees in him to vouch for him before the Wizengamot. He should be in Azkaban with the rest of them. My parents say he is too young to be teaching at Hogwarts. My da tried to veto his appointment but the rest of the board approved it thanks to Lord Malfoy. Apparently those two are such good chums. I have written multiple letters to the Ministry's education department to no avail. He hands out detentions regularly to all his students (except those in Slytherin House). He is evil, I say! I have been scrubbing cauldrons every weekend and our Houses have had points deducted. Hufflepuff is currently holding a negative twenty.

I used to love potions before I came to Hogwarts. Used to help in my granny's workshop since I was seven. Now I loathe the idea of potions after two years under him. He made Rowan cry and Lucas was so miserable being bullied, his folks had to take him out of school. Our Potions Master knew what was happening in his classroom but allowed the Slytherin bullies to get away with it as he is likely sucking up to their parents.

I Hate Potions

Spring 1983

Dear Potions-hater

I am afraid I cannot advise a youngling like you about what might be so charming about your Potions Master to your headmaster or Lord Malfoy. Clearly his charm does not extend to the students. Has said wizard been sending potion-ed bon bons to the headmaster? I understand some potions might induce compulsions. Is he related to Lord Malfoy? Purebloods tend to stick together. Is he any good at his subject? I suppose if he has yet to blow himself up, he might have some rudimentary knowhow. Or maybe he just has some embarrassing blackmail material concerning your headmaster and the school board.

Hang in there and complete your education, tough as it may be. Once you get your OWLs or NEWTs, you might want to go out into the real world and find an alchemist or some other potioneer who might be able to guide you should you choose to pursue a mastery in potions. Perhaps you might rekindle that passion. Otherwise, there is always scrubbing cauldrons.

GG

Spring 1983

Dear Albus

May I enquire if you are really senile or acting it? I have been hearing that you have installed a young professor who seems to have made it his life's mission to terrorize his students and put them off his subject entirely. Did you have your head turned by some handsome young buck? Apparently, the man is a sadist who enjoys tormenting his students emotionally and mentally. Is this some Death Eater rehab program? If yes, you have chosen the wrong candidate. Hello to an entire generation of students scarred for life by your bad decision-making. At least put him in the duelling class so the student might have a chance and motivation of getting their own back. Back in Durmstrang, I lived for the joy of executing that perfect Crucio on that toad of a Dark Arts tutor we were stuck with.

Gellert Grindelwald

P.S. I am starting to wonder who the real Dark Lord is here.

7th August 1983

Dear Gellert

By any chance would you have something to do with some foreign wizards trying to straight up kidnap Harry from Mrs Figg's while the Dursleys are on vacation in Brighton? The Aurors received a call about a full-blown wizard duel in Little Whinging. Figgy was not hurt, but she did pop out with her cats and a bowl of popcorn to watch the fireworks on her lawn. Rather enjoyed herself, I might add. Then we find ourselves in a diplomatic nightmare as both parties are Very Important Wizards - the current Koldovstoretz headmaster and the Magic Keeper of the Hawaiian Islands. Both claimed the other gravely insulted their spouses and that apparently that offence needed to be addressed with cursed spears and knives thrown.

The spouses of the duelling parties made quite a fuss over the lad and even offered to blood-adopt him. One is part-kitsune and the other's a Rusalka. Their hubbies are part-tanuki and part-Veela respectively. This is exactly why Harry should remain away from the Magical world least he gets spoiled. Harry is far too frail to travel to Russia or Hawaii. I cannot allow it no matter how much they extoll the strengthening properties of the Siberian wilderness or Hawaii's sea air. Both ladies and their hubbies piled on the blessings on the Potter kid, which I had to have removed. That Veela even had the cheek to propose some highly complex soul-magic diagnostic test which I declined to have him carry out on the child.

The Ministry has listed the parties as persona non grata, which will not bode well for the exchange programme with Koldovstoretz we were almost finalizing. Oh, and Madame Yukiko might have hexed me with problem weasels or something. I did not catch her exact words. Apparently, they took offence to having their blessings purged from Harry. I have petitioned the Wizengamot to make the whole of the village a no-go zone for wixen.

Albus Dumbledore

P.S. I never saw Figgy laugh so hard.

Summer 1983

Dear Albus

Have you utterly lost your marbles? Has it occurred to you that the child is so frail and sickly because he is being abused at home with his 'loving' family? Siberia or Hawaii will more than do him good. Please tell me you did not purge the blessings granted to him by representative beings of the 4 Elementals. Kitsune is fire. Tanuki earth. Veela air. Rusalka water. Many would sacrifice their lives and magic for their children to have such magical beings as godparents, which is what they are offering Harry here. One might think a higher power at work. This is high level guardianship being offered. No wonder they are furious. Do not be surprised if you wake up tomorrow to find your magic has done a flit.

About that soul-magic thing. The lad was in the vicinity of the possible death of a dark wizard. Did no one run any tests on his magical core and soul? Being in the vicinity of a dying dark wizard can be hazardous for a child with no protections yet against possession. Did anyone do a test before sending him off to the Muggles? If that Veela wanted to run tests, something must be seriously amiss. About Yukiko's curse. You probably have more to worry about than weasels. Maybe your butt or nose will rot and drop off. In fact, she might have cursed your descendants with a litany of ailments. Offended vixens can really carry a grudge. Aren't we lucky not to have any children?

More than annoyed with some old coot.

Gellert

10th August 1983

Dear Grindelwald-sama

You are right about that old man. What did you see in him back then, or were you under a powerful love charm all those years? I have never met a more infuriating fool.

My new friends had to restrain me lest I claw out his eyes. They who have eyes but do not see clearly have no use for them. Volodymyr is a tad ruffled as is Tot-chan. They both saw something in the child that has their hackles up. Post-duel heightened awareness. There is something foul riding on the child and we should really have it removed. Yes, the process is complex and might be dangerous, but the alternative is unthinkable. The child's spirit is being crushed by his unfeeling family and he will be like putty to that malignant influence on him.

The four of us compared our notes on this Voldemort while being packed out to France on a ferry. He is not quite gone. Volodymyr had a run in with him some years back in Albania and he recognized his magical signature on the child. Of course, our senile Mugwump was not listening at all. We tried to work our protections on the child. He took them all off.

We clobbered together a plan. First, the child's body must be strengthened – perhaps less beatings and proper nutrition. Cannot have him dying in the process. Then we will need to heal and strengthen his heart, spirit, and mind. Mixed ideas here but we came up with disciplined exercise regimes and meditation. We cannot agree on the creative pursuits bit. The Slavs go for dance and music, we islanders prefer art and wood carving. Tot-chan has a longhouse of magical kids in need back home we can slip him into as another orphan. It comes with being clan chieftain. If a child's folks declare him taboo because of his magic, the local Manna Keeper on the island becomes de facto guardian until he is of age. There is an automatic vow that forms between the guardian and his ward too. Tot-chan enjoys being Papa Bear to the youngsters, so no risk to his magic there. Consequences can be dire for Manna Keepers who abuse their wards. We have a few who got turned into stone and grace the hillside behind the longhouse. Too bad Britain does not have that law in place.

Koldie has her children's house for orphans, Muggle and magical alike. The village is apparently charmed to watch out for their wellbeing. Adults who ill-treat those in their care receive warnings and if they do not repent of their ways after the third time, they end up dragged into the lake by magic. Ruslana can vouch for that part – she always checks in on who is at the bottom of the lake if anyone goes missing. Most who do end up there would not be missed. We will try to ensure he survives the best we can. Or if the purge cannot work, he keeps that soul-parasite in check.

The rate things are going, we will not be surprised he gets fully possessed and turns out into a baby dark lord without all the class you had back in the day. You were more borderline grey rather than full dark. Most of us are, come to think of it.

Spitting with fury

Yukiko Ohana

P.S. Ruslana pointed out an alternative plan that she thinks the old man might be up to - using him to best Voldemort. It has a dead boy at the end of it, just to let you know.

Summer 1983

Dear Albus

I am a tad surprised you did not kill the Potter child upfront. Might this entire thing have to do with the contents of a prophecy? Let me see… you want to keep this pup alive until as and when he is to die at a time of your choosing. During which, you are happy to toss him onto the tender mercies of his magic-hating kin. At least when Aurelius was in my care, I did try to watch out for him. He never had to worry about going hungry in Nurmengard and he had his own room, not a broom closet. I hate you. Can you still look at yourself in the mirror? I bet his parents will have a lot to say to you on the other side of the veil.

Gellert

P.S. Maybe since karma is a regular bitch, his uncle and aunt might hit him too hard one day and oops, there goes your precious prophecy and weapon against the dark lord.

Author's Notes:

I have written Arabella Figg as a bit of a tough cookie. The students' suspicions about and dislike of Snape and someone adding fuel to the flames by suggesting the headmaster is being doped. Snape is not going to win any popularity contests in Hogwarts.