Chapter 39
After bidding farewell to Ron and Hermione, Albert made his way into a narrow alleyway and came to a stop in front of a wall. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no Muggles were watching, then whispered, "To home."
In the blink of an eye, Albert found himself standing before the Black family home.
A sense of warmth and nostalgia washed over him. Though he had only lived in this house for a single month, he already felt deeply attached to it—especially to the creature who lived within.
He stepped forward and opened the front door. The moment he crossed the threshold, he heard the same voice that had greeted him the first time he ever set foot here.
"Welcome back, young master," came the raspy but loyal voice of Kreacher.
"Oh! Hello, Kreacher," Albert said, a smile forming on his face.
He approached the old house-elf and extended a hand in greeting.
"I really missed you, Kreacher. Have you been bored while I was away?"
"These past months were but a pinprick compared to the centuries I've spent alone in this house," Kreacher replied, his tone as dry as ever.
Albert understood what he meant. Kreacher had served the Black family for over 600 years; solitude and boredom were concepts he had long since grown numb to.
Changing the subject, Albert grinned. "Well, I bet when you found out I was coming home, you prepared a magnificent lunch for me."
"But of course, sir. Your meal is waiting for you in the dining hall," Kreacher said with a bow.
"Excellent work, Kreacher. You're the best."
Albert strolled into the dining room, only to be greeted by a feast that made his mouth water. The long table was filled with all sorts of dishes. Two whole roasted chickens sat on one large platter, and beside them was another containing a massive grilled fish. Surrounding them were various vegetables and a tall glass of cola.
"This looks absolutely delicious," Albert said with delight.
Half an hour later…
Buurp.
"Wow… I'm stuffed. I don't even remember the last time I felt this full. Kreacher, I won't be needing dinner—I've had more than enough."
"As you wish, young master," Kreacher replied.
With his belly full and his heart content, Albert made his way to the Black family library. Back in his first year, he hadn't had much time to truly explore its books, but now—with three months of summer ahead of him—he finally could.
The Black family library was divided into three sections: the Standard Collection, the Advanced Section, and the Restricted Section.
From what Albert recalled of his previous life, his father, Sirius, had never been allowed to read anything from the Restricted Section. His grandfather had kept it off-limits, claiming that the books inside were far too dangerous, even forbidden. And after Sirius returned from Azkaban, he had no time to study those books—his days were spent either with Harry or searching for evidence to clear his name.
Albert's pulse quickened with excitement. He now had access to a part of the story that had never been revealed in the original timeline.
Still, he forced himself to remain calm. It would be wiser, he thought, to start with a few books from the Standard Collection before diving into the deeper mysteries of the Restricted Section.
He reached for a random book from the standard shelf. It was white, with the title "The Cleaning Charm" printed across the cover.
"Oh! That's actually useful," Albert muttered. "I already know this charm, but it'll be perfect for Harry, Ron, and Hermione."
As he glanced back at the shelf, he noticed that five more identical white books were sitting in the same spot.
"Nice! I'll give each of them a copy as a gift."
He continued browsing the Standard Section, but nothing else particularly caught his attention.
Moving on to the Advanced Section, Albert discovered that he had already studied most of its contents—except for two intriguing books.
The first was titled "The Maximum Level of the Disillusionment Charm."
Just reading the title made Albert's eyes widen.
"This is amazing," he whispered. "Everyone knows the basic Disillusionment Charm—it lets you blend into your surroundings and move around without being seen. But the problem is, people can still hear your footsteps, your breathing, or see your footprints. But according to this book, if you train the charm to its highest level, all of those flaws vanish. The charm becomes flawless. No one would be able to detect you."
An idea suddenly lit up in Albert's mind.
"So that's how... I always wondered how my father escaped from Azkaban. That prison is crawling with over a thousand Dementors, plus human guards. Escaping should've been impossible. But this—this explains everything. He must have mastered this version of the charm. I bet he found a moment when the Dementor patrols were thinner… and slipped away."
He placed the book on the chair beside him and picked up the second one, titled "Revealing the Hidden."
The book described a powerful detection charm—one capable of revealing anything that had been magically concealed or hidden by mundane means.
"For example," Albert read aloud, "if there's a magically disguised trap on the ground, this charm can uncover it. Or if there's old blood at a crime scene that no one can see with the naked eye, this charm will make it visible."
---