Chapter 45
They arrived at the entrance of the bookstore, only to find it packed with people.
A sign above the door read: Today's Special Appearance – Gilderoy Lockhart, Author of the Bestselling "Magical Me."
"This is even more fanatical than comic book fans in my previous life," Albert muttered, gazing at the crowd of wizards swarming the entrance.
"We get to see him in person!" Hermione exclaimed to Albert, her face alight with excitement. "Most of the books on our required reading list were written by him!"
"He might be powerful, but using a novel as a textbook seems a little over the top..."
"You make a fair point. Mr. Lockhart's books aren't bad, but they're hardly suitable as academic material," Hermione agreed, sounding slightly conflicted.
Albert spotted Harry and Ron standing in line ahead, books in hand, waiting for Lockhart's autograph. At the end of the line stood Mrs. Weasley, nervously adjusting her hair, with Ginny following quietly behind.
As Albert and Hermione approached, they overheard Mrs. Weasley whispering to Ginny, "I'm sorry, dear. We could only afford the basics for you... Lockhart's books aren't exactly cheap."
"It's alright, Mum," Ginny whispered back. "Schoolbooks are important. I don't mind."
Just then, Fred and George entered the conversation.
"Mum, I found a pouch of Galleons in my robe pocket!" Fred declared. "With this, we can buy Ginny exactly what she wants."
Mrs. Weasley looked skeptical. "Let me see that."
She took the money and began to count it—only to find it was quite a generous sum.
"Did you really find this in your pocket, or did you steal it from somewhere?" she asked suspiciously.
"I swear we didn't steal it!" Fred replied quickly. "George and I were talking to Albert, when suddenly something clinked in my pocket. I reached in and found this pouch of gold—honestly!"
Mrs. Weasley sighed in relief. "Well, thank goodness we can now afford everything Ginny and the rest of you need for the school year."
Albert smiled to himself, quietly pleased at the joy and relief washing over the Weasley family. Even Mr. Weasley looked visibly happy, no longer burdened by financial stress.
Standing in front of the store, Albert watched as Lockhart eagerly pulled Harry in for a photo, smiling so wide it seemed unnatural.
Albert knew the truth behind Lockhart's fame. The man had built his reputation by using Obliviate—a memory-erasing charm—to steal the stories of others' adventures and rewrite them as his own. Those books sold like wildfire, giving him both wealth and a carefully crafted image.
No wonder he had such a devoted following. He reminded Albert of social media influencers from his past life—charismatic, adored, and completely hollow on the inside.
Not to mention, Lockhart was undeniably handsome. If you didn't know any better, it was easy to be taken in by his charm.
Albert entered the store, remembering a pivotal moment from the original timeline—the one where Lucius Malfoy secretly planted Tom Riddle's cursed diary in Ginny's cauldron. The Ministry had long suspected the Malfoys of dabbling in dark magic, and the diary—one of Voldemort's Horcruxes—was a dangerous artifact he needed to get rid of.
Lucius, nervous that the Ministry might one day search his home and discover the diary, saw an opportunity to dispose of it—and to spite one of his old enemies, Arthur Weasley.
What followed was a heated argument between Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley. Amidst the chaos, Albert calmly led the Grangers to a quiet corner of the shop.
Mr. Granger, visibly unsettled, whispered, "Is the wizarding world always this chaotic? Is this kind of prejudice common?"
Albert understood their concern. "There are a few bigoted families, but they're not the norm. In the magical world, knowledge is power. Hermione is a brilliant student. People are less likely to mess with her."
Reassured, Mr. Granger relaxed slightly. Around that time, Hagrid stepped in to break up the fight. As the crowd began to filter out, Albert, the Grangers, and the others left the shop. Mrs. Granger still looked shaken, and Mr. Granger stayed close, trying to comfort her.
At the door, they reunited with the Weasleys and Hermione. Hermione immediately rushed to her parents, thanked Albert, and said, "Thank you for calming them down. I was really afraid they'd get too worried after seeing all that."
"No need to thank me," Albert replied warmly. "We're friends, aren't we?"
As the group headed toward the Leaky Cauldron, Albert intentionally fell back to walk beside Ginny. He reached into her cauldron and pretended to spot something unusual.
"Hey... did you buy this old book yourself?" he asked casually.
Ginny turned, surprised. She recognized Albert—her brothers talked about him often.
"Hi. I'm Albert Black. You can just call me Albert," he introduced himself. "Every time I come to Diagon Alley, I visit the secondhand shops looking for old books with useful notes. Not everyone understands this hobby, but today, I saw you with an old book and thought—maybe I've found someone who shares that interest. Sorry if I'm being weird."
"I know who you are," Ginny said, lifting her chin a little. "Ron told me you were top of the class last year. He says you're one of his best friends."
They chatted for a while, and as they approached the broken cauldron shop, Albert tapped his forehead as if remembering something.
"You're starting at Hogwarts this year, right? I should give you a gift—something from a friend of your brother's."
From his pocket, Albert pulled out an old notebook and handed it to her. "These are my notes. I hope they help you."
Ginny accepted the gift happily, tucking it into her cauldron.
That's when Albert noticed another notebook—an old black diary stuffed between her Transfiguration textbook and a worn-out spellbook. He pointed at it and said with feigned curiosity, "Wow, you're already taking notes? Impressive!"
Ginny pulled the diary out and frowned. "This doesn't look like mine..." She flipped it open. It was blank.
Albert examined the faded inscription on the cover: Tom Riddle. The back bore the stamp of an old bookshop in Vauxhall Road, London.
"Who's Tom Riddle?" Ginny asked curiously. "Maybe the secondhand shop didn't check the book properly."
Seeing Albert's interest in the diary, Ginny handed it to him. "Since you like it so much, you can have it. Consider it a trade for your notes."
Albert thanked her and slipped the diary into his bag, telling Ginny it would make a great gift for his father, who loved antiques.
As he walked beside her, Albert couldn't help but smile. By taking the diary from Ginny, he had just altered the course of the year's events. In the original timeline, the diary had allowed Voldemort—through a memory of his younger self, Tom Riddle—to possess Ginny, open the Chamber of Secrets, and unleash the Basilisk upon Hogwarts.
If not for Harry destroying the diary, things could have ended far worse.
But now, Albert held the diary in his own hands, and with it, the power to change everything.
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