Chapter 44
Albert stared down at the open book in his hands, his expression a mixture of awe and curiosity.
"So this is how it is," he murmured. "I never imagined such a spell could have been crafted by an ordinary person. And yet... it was someone from my own family who stood against Voldemort. That's how he managed to create a counterspell to Avada Kedavra."
Though his voice was calm, a glimmer of admiration shone in his eyes.
"Even if I can only use it three times," he continued, "it's an incredible gift. It's almost as if... I now have three lives."
With a soft thud, Albert closed the book. The quiet hum of magic faded as he returned to his original room, the familiar surroundings restoring a sense of calm.
It was the final Wednesday of the summer holiday. Mr. and Mrs. Granger had taken their daughter to Diagon Alley for their annual school shopping trip.
There, they met Albert, who had just finished collecting his own supplies. Despite having already completed his errands, he graciously accepted Mr. Granger's invitation to join them.
Albert had discovered that, since his arrival in this world, things were both remarkably similar and subtly different from the one he once knew. Beloved books and works of art that had been universally known in his previous life were now written by different authors—or, in some cases, didn't exist at all.
He and Hermione first made their way to Gringotts to exchange money.
Albert, who already had plenty of gold, accompanied her not out of necessity, but out of courtesy.
As they climbed the grand white marble steps of the bank, a familiar voice called out.
"Hey!" Harry's face lit up as he spotted Albert and Hermione ahead of him.
Albert waved down at him with a grin.
"Going camping, are you? You look like you've wrestled a mountain troll. Hagrid... and Harry! It's good to see you both again. Heading to the vaults, Harry?"
"Right after I find the Weasleys," Harry replied.
"You won't have to look for long," Hagrid chuckled, glancing behind him.
Sure enough, the Weasleys appeared soon after. Fred, George, and Ron eagerly listened to Harry's tale of his encounter in Knockturn Alley, their eyes filled with envy and wonder.
Taking advantage of the moment, Albert discreetly slipped a small pouch into Fred's pocket. Only Ron, standing close by, noticed.
"What was that about, Albert?" Ron asked, his brows knitting.
"Oh, nothing really," Albert said lightly. "You know how much I love magic theory. Your older brother asked me to help him work on a spell problem he encountered while traveling in Iceland over the summer."
None of that was true.
Albert already knew what was about to happen: The Weasleys, burdened by the financial demands of another child starting Hogwarts—Ginny, the youngest—would struggle to afford all their supplies. Fred, in particular, would go without new books.
So Albert quietly gave him 200 Galleons. He knew Fred's pride wouldn't allow him to accept money outright—especially not from a friend. But this way, Fred would never realize the source. Only Ron had seen.
Albert, who had more gold than he needed, felt it only right to help those who truly needed it.
As they made their way up to the vaults, Harry told Albert about their recent encounter with Draco Malfoy in the dark magic shop.
Mr. Weasley, who had overheard, was eager to catch Lucius Malfoy in the act. But Mrs. Weasley, ever the voice of reason, urged him to focus on keeping himself safe instead.
Soon after, Mr. and Mrs. Granger found themselves face-to-face with the Weasleys. Mr. Weasley, ever fascinated by Muggles, bombarded them with enthusiastic questions. Though he meant well, his excitement made the Grangers a touch uncomfortable.
After exchanging polite farewells, the Weasleys and Harry headed to the vaults. Albert and Hermione remained in the main hall to complete their own exchange.
"The book fee this year is 250 Galleons per student!" the goblin at the counter barked, clearly irritated. It was perhaps the twentieth time he'd repeated this today.
Once everyone had reunited, they spent the next hour wandering through the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley, eating walnut ice cream and browsing colorful storefronts.
They spotted Fred, George, and Lee Jordan gleefully buying an enormous quantity of fireworks.
Hermione soon excused herself to purchase parchment and ink, while the rest of the group continued exploring.
Later, Albert, Hermione, Harry, and Ron ventured into a second-hand bookstore to see if they could find any useful old books. Hermione was particularly excited after spotting an 1893 edition of Brewing 100 Common Potions.
Unfortunately, Harry and Ron were less enthused and soon wandered off to the Quidditch shop.
"Knowledge is incredibly valuable," Hermione said, slightly puzzled. "Why do they find flying on broomsticks more exciting?"
Albert shrugged as he held the door open for her. "It's in their blood. Quidditch is a family tradition for most. Besides, not everyone enjoys reading."
Inside the dusty little shop, they found Percy Weasley deeply engrossed in a book titled How to Command Authority as a Leader.
Albert leaned over to glance at the page and smirked. Percy, catching the look, flushed slightly and quickly closed the book.
Despite the embarrassment, he welcomed them warmly. Percy had always been helpful when it came to organizing group projects, and both Albert and Hermione appreciated his dedication.
"This book is too simplistic," Albert said with a hint of disdain. "In a world as large as ours, politics don't always require subtlety."
Percy blinked. "I think it's rather insightful. Why do you say it's crude?"
Albert smiled. "You should read The Legend of the Tian Dynasty's King. It was written over a thousand years ago by an imperial prime minister. Far more depth and elegance. I think someone translated it into English."
Percy, now genuinely intrigued, asked Albert to write down the title in Japanese. He promised to look for it in the Japanese quarter of the city.
After bidding a rather excited Percy goodbye, Albert and Hermione began sifting through piles of old books. Many were scribbled on, and a few reeked of lingering potion fumes.
Perhaps it was beginner's luck, but Hermione eventually unearthed a real gem—an annotated Ravenclaw student's notes on ancient mantras. The knowledge within could prove incredibly useful.
As they left the shop, Hermione turned to Albert, her voice quiet and thoughtful.
"I used to think second-hand books were just for people who couldn't afford new ones. I never imagined they could hold so much value. Thank you for showing me that there are still people who share knowledge not for profit, but for the sake of learning itself."
Albert smiled. Sometimes, the most precious treasures were hidden among the discarded and the forgotten. It was a lesson he had learned well in his previous life—one not unlike Ron's, in truth. Though not from a noble family, Albert knew the weight of financial hardship, and had spent much of his youth combing through old shops for hidden gems.
For someone like Hermione, who had never needed to shop second-hand out of necessity, the idea was a revelation. Especially after she had struck gold in the middle of what looked like junk.
After checking out, Albert glanced at his pocket watch and noticed the time.
"The meeting's about to start," he said.
He and Hermione hurried back toward the library, their arms full of books and their minds full of thought.
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