McGonagall cast three of the little messenger patroni with one spell, if I'm recalling correctly. To fetch Flitwick, Slugwhore, and Sprout.

 

You know, I just realized Dumbledore was just out of school when he first met Grindewald - which was in 1940 (because he defeated him 'five years later', in 1945).

That means Dumbledore was born in 1923 - only five years before Riddle. He was merely 73 years old when he died!?

Why the hell did Voldemort call him old fool, when they were almost yearmates? And how did he become Tom's teacher and deputy headmaster so fast?

 

Was it 5 years after they became friends? I don't have a book copy available atm, but I thought it said he held off facing ol' Grindel for 5 years after he became a Dark Lord, despite the pleas of many in the Wizarding World.

 

Erm, Dumbledore certainly did wait five years before he defeated Grindelwald, but I don't think that happened immediately after Grindelwald left Godric's Hollow. In fact, I'm just about positive that the meetings between Dumbledore and Grindelwald as children weren't even in the 1900s.

I'm not sure how easily false this is, however the HP Lexicon, Mugglenet and Wikipedia all agree that Dumbledore was born around the 1840s. He was definitely well over one hundred years old when he died.

 

I don't know if it has been said, or not, but here's a change. In the fifth book, after the dementor attack, Petunia says something to the effect that she heard her and "that awful boy" discussing dementors. I think it is evident, now, that she was referring to Snape and not James.

 

About 5 years...

You're right. It is a bit ambiguous, but it seems it's five years after the war started. Although, it can be taken as literal 5 years too, in a pinch.