Chapter 46
At the Leaky Cauldron, everyone waved their goodbyes and agreed to meet again on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on the first of September. Mr. Weasley seemed eager to ask Mr. Granger something, but Mrs. Weasley quickly pulled him away before he could speak.
The Weasleys and Harry returned home through the Floo Network.
Just before stepping into her parents' car, Hermione turned to Albert and asked, "When we're back at school, could you teach me how to fight using magic?"
Albert blinked, surprised by the sudden request. "Why? I remember you used to dislike the idea of fighting. You even told me a few days ago that it wasn't the right time to learn."
Hermione sighed. "Because back at the bookstore today, during that scuffle between Mr. Weasley and Malfoy, you were the only one who thought to pull my dad away from danger. It made me realize something. People like Mr. Weasley are rare. Most wizards… they have a certain kind of prejudice, or indifference."
She continued, "Besides, the feud between the Malfoys and the Weasleys probably won't escalate too much. They're both pure-blood families with influence. But people like me, Muggle-borns… we don't have that kind of protection. If anything happens, the only thing we can rely on is our own strength. I don't think Malfoy would hesitate to attack us with curses if he had the chance."
"So yes, you were right. We do need to protect ourselves—and our families and friends. I think you've learned a thing or two about magical combat over the summer. Would you be willing to share what you've learned?"
Albert nodded without hesitation. "Of course. I'll teach you once we're back at school."
After saying goodbye to Hermione, Albert pulled his trunk behind him and reflected on what she had said.
"She really is a clever girl," he thought to himself. "If I hadn't read all those analyses in my past life, I might never have thought about it that way."
In the broader context of the British wizarding world, Muggle-borns and wizards are far from equal. Take Hagrid, for example—he broke the rules by giving Dudley a pig's tail, and no one ever punished him for it. Wizards like Mr. Weasley are rare exceptions, not the norm. For someone like Hermione to survive and thrive in such a world, she'd need to become significantly more powerful. The fact that she could grasp this reality at her age spoke volumes about her talent.
Hermione and her parents drove home.
Meanwhile, Albert made sure he was alone in a narrow alleyway before using Apparition to return home without being seen.
Once back in his room, Albert retrieved the diary—the one he now knew to be a Horcrux created by Voldemort. The dark magic pulsing from it was unmistakable. Its aura of malevolence seemed to distort the very essence of life around it.
Albert thought long and hard. Eventually, he sealed the diary inside a metal box and hid it in the restricted section of the family library.
At the very least, this would keep it out of anyone's hands until the summer ended and he could bring it to school with him.
Originally, he had hoped to use the newly-learned Life Magic to destroy the diary, but once he realized the artifact was far more dangerous than he had anticipated, he knew he had to leave it be—for now.
He couldn't help but admire Voldemort's twisted brilliance. That someone could create such a dangerous object during his school years, through self-study no less, was nothing short of terrifying.
Albert was beginning to understand just how far he still had to go. If he wanted to make real changes to the future, he needed more magical knowledge—much more.
The rest of the summer passed quietly. Albert spent most of his time locked in his room, mastering the enchantments he'd found in the family library—spells that would make him stronger.
Meanwhile, Hermione, during their occasional letters, expressed her admiration for Gilderoy Lockhart. She even planned to ask him questions after class about Defense Against the Dark Arts.
But this time, Hermione wasn't quite as obsessed with Lockhart as she had been in the original timeline. When she shared some of Lockhart's book excerpts with Albert via owl post, he casually remarked that their real-life adventures last year were far more dangerous than anything in Lockhart's books.
"At least three of the magical beasts we faced were ranked 'Highly Dangerous'—and don't forget the mysterious man," he reminded her.
In Albert's eyes, Lockhart was an adventurer worth respecting, but idolizing his stories was unnecessary.
"A real Hogwarts professor wouldn't boast about their exploits just to get famous," Albert told her. "Unlike Lockhart, most of them keep their achievements private."
(Albert didn't tell Hermione the truth—that Lockhart had faked all his adventures and built his fame on lies. He knew the truth would come out by the end of the school year. Besides, he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Lockhart was still one of her role models.)
Hermione reflected on this and admitted that she had been a little carried away by the books. Still, she found Lockhart's storytelling style captivating. She clarified, "It's not his looks that charm me—it's the way he writes and the adventures he describes." Having said that, she now viewed him as a strong and respectable professor, nothing more.
Time flew by, and soon it was September 1st. Albert had finally finished learning all the spells he'd planned to master over the summer.
Although he hadn't yet begun training in penetration magic, he'd already drawn up a detailed learning schedule to begin once he returned to school.
He made his way to King's Cross Station. Along the way, Albert kept thinking about what was about to happen in just a few minutes.
He found the same barrier he had crossed the year before. Gripping his trunk tightly to prevent it from falling mid-run, he dashed forward and disappeared through the wall onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
The Hogwarts Express was already waiting.
He glanced behind him and saw that the barrier had closed. The entrance was now gone.
Albert muttered to himself, "Now the story begins."
He knew what this meant: Harry and Ron were now stuck on the other side—blocked by Dobby the house-elf.
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On the other side of the barrier, outside Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Harry and Ron were bidding farewell to the Weasley family. Ginny, George, and Fred had already passed through the wall six minutes earlier.
After saying goodbye, Molly and Arthur Weasley turned to head back home.
Harry and Ron, carrying their luggage carts, ran toward the wall one after the other—but something unexpected happened.
They crashed. Both boys landed hard on the ground. Ron's trolley flipped over, and their luggage spilled everywhere. A small crowd gathered around them.
Harry groaned. "What just happened, Ron?"
"I don't know!" Ron replied, clearly panicked. "Let's try again!"
They scrambled to pick up their things and made another run for the barrier.
No luck.
Harry looked at Ron, confused. "What's happening to us?"
Ron's face paled. "Bloody hell! This only happens when we're late for the train. If it's already gone… the barrier shuts down!"
Harry stared at him in disbelief. "Does that mean… we can't get to school?"
Ron nodded grimly. "Yeah… I think so."
Harry asked, "Then what do we do now?"
Ron thought for a moment before saying, "I've got an idea. I'll probably get into huge trouble for it but it's our only option!"
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