Chapter 233
The days passed by at an astonishing speed, as if time itself had suddenly accelerated. Before the students even realized it, the months had flown by, and they found themselves in the final days of the school year, packing their belongings and arranging their luggage in preparation for returning home.
The farewell between friends was filled with mixed emotions—joy for the beginning of the holiday, and sadness over the temporary separation.
Crowds of students flowed through the castle corridors, each carrying their bags over their shoulders as they headed toward the railway station, where the Hogwarts Express awaited to take them back to their families. The scene was filled with the usual chaos: friends laughing, farewell shouts echoing, and warm hugs exchanged between students who had formed strong bonds throughout the year.
Once everyone had settled into their seats on the train, Albert, Fred, and George Weasley gathered in one of the compartments, where the twins enthusiastically began discussing the latest developments regarding their ambitious project.
Fred smiled proudly and said, "Well, we've got good news, Albert! During the last break, we finally managed to obtain the uranium product at a lower price than expected, and because of that, we were able to complete the required quantity exactly as you planned!"
Albert looked at him with admiration before exchanging a glance with George, who nodded in confirmation.
"That's amazing!" Albert said excitedly before continuing proudly, "Well done, guys! We're on the right track. If we can maintain this level of progress, we'll start introducing our products to the market within two years, and after that, our company will begin to flourish."
George looked at him eagerly and asked, "So what's our next step?"
Albert smiled as he explained his future vision.
"The next step is establishing a headquarters here in the city as a beginning, where we can manage our operations easily. After we get our first wave of profits, we'll start expanding to other cities, then to different countries. I want this business to become global!"
The twins exchanged glances. They were excited, but they couldn't completely hide their concern over the enormous costs of such an ambitious plan.
Fred tried to calm Albert's enthusiasm a little as he said, "But… isn't that extremely expensive? Building a headquarters and then opening branches… that could require thousands of golden Galleons!"
Albert laughed confidently and pointed at himself.
"And who said money is a problem for me? I have more than enough resources to fund all of this and much more. Trust me."
The twins immediately understood that their friend wasn't joking. From the beginning, they had known Albert wasn't just an ordinary student, but someone with a vision and ambition far beyond everyone else around him.
So instead of arguing further, they simply smiled at each other, as if silently admitting that as long as Albert was on their side, there was no reason to worry.
The three continued talking throughout the journey planning, discussing, and imagining their future business empire.
This was no longer just a dream.
It was a reality slowly taking shape, step by step.
The school year had ended, but for them, this was only the beginning of something far greater…
---
A Year of Mystery and Great Changes
While Albert sat in his seat staring out the window as the landscapes rushed past his eyes, despite the students' laughter in the hallways and the noisy farewells between friends, his mind was somewhere else entirely.
This had been the strangest year of his life.
From the very beginning of the school year, there had been mysterious signs that something different from usual was happening.
It wasn't just the Triwizard Tournament.
It was something else…
Something deeper and far more mysterious.
His dreams…
Since the beginning, he had started seeing strange visions about Voldemort. They weren't ordinary nightmares, but vivid dreams as if he were witnessing events through the Dark Lord's own eyes.
He watched Voldemort plan, move, and prepare for his return.
At first, Albert thought they were mere hallucinations, but as time passed, he realized these visions were real messages… warnings of what was coming.
Then there was his encounter with Harry and Draco's children from the future…
That was no less strange.
How could Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy appear in this timeline?
Was it a disturbance in time itself?
Or was there some hidden force that had brought them here?
Their appearance wasn't a coincidence it was proof that the future was no longer following its natural path, and that something had already changed.
Then came the most confusing thing of all…
That warm female voice he heard inside the maze.
It was a voice he didn't recognize, yet at the same time it felt strangely familiar…
As though it belonged to a memory he had forgotten, or perhaps to something even deeper.
But who did it belong to?
And why did he feel that strange mixture of nostalgia and comfort the moment he heard it?
Yet all of these mysteries were nothing compared to the decisive moment:
Voldemort's return.
Albert had read the original story and knew everything that was supposed to happen, but now he was living through the events himself, fully aware that reality might no longer follow the same written script.
This was no longer just a novel.
It was real.
And now Voldemort was here again… alive and powerful as ever.
From this point onward, there was no certainty anymore.
In the original story, Albert knew how events would unfold who would survive, and who would fall.
But now, he realized that his very existence in this world had changed everything.
He could no longer assume events would proceed as expected.
Perhaps the future itself had already changed.
But the real question was…
What would Voldemort do now?
In the original story, the Dark Lord needed time to rebuild his strength.
But what if his plans had changed this time?
What if he decided to strike quickly before anyone could prepare?
Albert thought about his friends Harry, Ron, and Hermione and every person who had become part of his life here.
He knew the coming war would not be easy.
But would he be able to change their fate?
Would he be able to defeat Voldemort before he plunged the world into darkness once again?
Albert closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then opened them once more.
He knew what was coming wouldn't be easy.
But there was one thing he was absolutely certain of…
The story had changed.
And now, it was his role to write its ending himself.
---
In the original story, Harry Potter did not defeat Voldemort because he was stronger than him.
Voldemort himself was the reason for his own downfall.
His arrogance, his underestimation of Harry, and his blind confidence that victory was inevitable—those were the true causes of his defeat.
After Dumbledore's death, Voldemort believed the path before him was completely clear.
He thought Harry was nothing more than a lucky boy who survived by chance, not because he was truly dangerous.
He never took him seriously.
He never considered him a worthy opponent.
Even during their final confrontation, Voldemort never imagined that his end could come at the hands of that "boy."
But what now?
Albert's existence in this world had changed everything.
This was no longer a repetition of the events he knew.
It had become an entirely new world one that could take completely unpredictable turns.
What would happen if Voldemort realized there was a new variable in the equation?
Albert was not an ordinary boy.
He possessed knowledge of the future, of history, of everyone's mistakes, and of weapons that no one had ever used properly.
If Voldemort noticed his existence and influence, he might become cautious this time.
He might rethink his plans.
He might move far faster than he originally had.
He might decide to eliminate Harry immediately instead of dragging him into the long cat-and-mouse game from the original story.
He might attack Hogwarts earlier.
Or perhaps change his entire strategy altogether.
Albert considered every possible scenario, and all of them led to one terrifying conclusion:
There was no guarantee things would proceed as before.
In the original story, there was always time to prepare.
But now?
Perhaps they wouldn't have that opportunity.
Perhaps they would have to fight much sooner than expected—before anyone was truly ready for what was coming.
A cold shiver ran through Albert's body.
This time, there was no script he could follow.
No fixed scenario he could rely on.
But on the other hand…
That also meant Voldemort himself would not be able to predict Albert's moves either.
If Albert could act quickly…
If he could change things before Voldemort fully realized the extent of his influence…
Then perhaps he still had a chance to change the ending for everyone's sake.
Albert stared at his reflection in the train window.
"The story has changed…" he muttered quietly.
"And now, I need to make sure its ending changes too."
To be continued...