19 August 1993
Castle Arghezi
Dear Marina,
I must apologize for not writing to you sooner, but I have had little opportunity for owl post until now. First, please accept my gratitude for your hospitality in Bucharest. With your guidance, I arrived at the village of Stilpescu (which is exactly as charming as in your description) after only three days' journey. The mountains are delightful this time of year and I thoroughly enjoyed my travels.
Second, I have found the wizard of whom we spoke. Several shocks, both pleasant and unpleasant, accompanied this event. The wizard in question is known to me. In fact, he is a former student of mine and one of the finest wizards to graduate Hogwarts in the last two decades. Finding him here was an utter surprise, but also a pleasure. We had not heard from him in almost twelve years and were concerned. He is everything that his reputation has conveyed, and more besides. I have high hopes that I may persuade him to take up the teaching post at Hogwarts, if certain impediments can be removed at this end.
The unpleasant news is that Alexandru Arghezi -- one of your former students, I believe -- died here in the castle of his family four years ago. The wizard of whom I spoke previously was a friend and pupil of Alexandru's. I believe that he was saddened by his death and by the tragic events surrounding it. The circumstances have not been fully explained to me. But, when I am acquainted with them, I shall inform you further.
I have a favor to ask of you, Marina, but I must make a rather long explanation first. Please bear with me.
The wizard, whom I shall call Lupeni as that is his name in these parts, has great skill in recognizing and outwitting creatures of Darkness. I suspected this even when I admitted him to Hogwarts over twenty years ago. He is also a werewolf, the first ever to be admitted to our school. I hope that I have not shocked you overmuch. Werewolves are rare in England, although I am finding out how common they are here in the mountains of Transylvania. As a student, we made provisions for Lupeni to be isolated during the full moon so as not to present a danger to others, and he agreed to this readily. In this way, he was able to have a nearly normal life at Hogwarts. He excelled at many things, particularly Charms and Dark Arts, and graduated fourth in his class. As I said previously, we lost touch with him twelve years ago and feared the worst. But I have found that all our fears were groundless. He has acquitted himself well in the mountains which are now much less dangerous because of his efforts (as well as those of Alexandru).
Were he to return with me to Hogwarts, he would make an excellent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The Wolfsbane Potion, of which you may have heard notice, has recently been improved. If made by a skilled Potions Master, it should guarantee that Lupeni will be no danger to any students or faculty at the school.
Now I come to one of the impediments to the return of my former pupil to Britain, and also to the favor I need to ask of you. Lupeni has a foster son, also a werewolf, and the two do not wish to be parted from one another (although neither would scarcely admit this). His son is a boy eighteen and appears to be a gifted wizard according to a few tests I have performed. The boy needs training, but I fear that he will not accept such from his father. O! To be young again.
When I visited with you in Bucharest, you told me of your great-grandson Radu's desire to re-open the academy for wizards and also of his fears that Bucharest would no longer be the best place for it. (And I must agree, after seeing the sad condition of your once-beautiful city for myself.) Castle Arghezi is in need of serious repair, but I believe that it would make an admirable place for a new Romanian wizard school. Lupeni is its caretaker and I believe he would agree to such an arrangement, provided that he knew that his son would be well educated. There are also many promising pupils in the village of Stilpescu whom I have observed myself.
This, therefore, is the favor that I ask of you. I do not think that you will regret educating the boy, who seems as talented in some ways as his father, and your great-grandson will have a hand in bringing proper magical education back to Romania.
I hope that you will confer with Radu and make an answer to me soon as I must return to Hogwarts within the fortnight. Please reply using the owl that brought
this message since it is the only such bird which can enter the enchantment's of the castle. I look forward to your swift response.
Yours very sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
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22 August 1993
Bucharest
My dearest Albus,
Your letter surprised me greatly, I will confess to you, and makes amends for your previous terse correspondence. Your recent letter was anything but terse, giving Radu and me much to discuss.
Please do not think that you have shocked me with your tale of an educated werewolf. It is the sort of thing that would be likely to happen in Britain, a country vastly different in some ways than our own. Your story of the young werewolf is most surprising and intriguing. Perhaps our prejudice is showing somewhat, but in our experience, the "native" werewolves in our country are little more than savages. As you have seen and tested the boy you describe, I must conclude that education of werewolves is possible.
Radu is quite interested in your suggestions for the founding of a new school. For some time, he has chafed at the lack of suitable candidates for a school and, as you are right to point out, Bucharest may no longer be the best place for wizards with all the upheaval we have seen in the last forty years. Radu believes, as I think you do, that more pupils might be attracted to a school outside the city. And it pains me greatly to agree with him.
Since he is young, Radu has already made up his mind to accept your offer. I have counseled him to take more time to mull over his decision, but he does not seem to be of a mind to accept the advice of a very old woman, who is also his great-grandmother!
Thus, he begs me to ask you to reply quickly by owl and he will set off immediately upon receiving your response. He is really a very clever wizard, but tends to make decisions rather quickly. I hope that you will not hold this against him. Time improves many things, and I am certain that Radu will be one of them.
I shall leave the traveling to my energetic great-grandson, and look forward to hearing a full report from him concerning the state of the castle and the young
werewolf. If you will pass through Bucharest when you return to Hogwarts and have the time, I should love to see you once more.
Ever yours,
Marina Verdeza
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24 August 1993
Castle Arghezi
Dear Marina,
I write hastily to give you further information as well as to bid you goodbye. I am certain that you recall the many and unexpected things that come up right before the start of term. I must this morning leave for Hogwarts by the quickest route (as I have delayed too long in these delightful mountains). Therefore, I shall not be able to visit you once more. I feel the loss greatly, I assure you.
I am almost certain that the wizard Lupeni will agree to take the job at Hogwarts now that I have laid Radu's proposal in front of him and this lifts a great burden from me. I feel now that our students will be well educated in the Dark Arts at a critical time. His foster son (whose name is Bela) will benefit greatly from the training which Radu can provide. The young man has some reservations about the undertaking, I believe, but will be won over in the end.
You write that Radu is eager to embark. I have learned much about werewolves in my fortnight in the mountains and I would counsel him to wait until after the full moon has passed (which will be in one week's time). Until then, he could perhaps write to Bela (or to Lupeni who will probably wish to remain at the castle until the full moon).
I must close a very short letter which should not be taken as an indication of lack of gratitude for all your kindness. With your help, much misery and suffering will be prevented both in Britain and in Romania. My very best wishes to you and to Radu.
Yours very sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore