Thank HP-Fan-4Ever and Lily Rose for their reviews :)

Disclaimer: All rights go to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the plotlines.


Albus' Day Out

"No! I don't wanna go!" James cried, running away from Ginny as she tried to put a sweater vest on him. She waddled after him, her stomach very large. Lily was due in a few short months.

"But, Jamie, you have to look your best!"

"No!" He screeched.

"Isn't it a bit early for preschool, Gin?" Harry asked, coming down the stairs wearing a Muggle blazer.

"The earlier he starts, the better. And this is a very prestigious Muggle academy."

"It seems a little too strict. They have a uniform, Ginny! He's only three and he has to wear a tie. Everyday. Even I wouldn't be able to do that."

"Why are you arguing with me now? The interview's in half an hour! You could've objected before I scheduled it!"

"Alright... let's just see how it goes."

"Gotcha!" Ginny caught James and pulled the sweater over his head.

"Hello?" Hermione's voice rang out from the fireplace. "I'm here to watch Albus!" She came into the room. "Hi."

"Aunty 'Ermy!" James cried, unable to pronounce Hermione properly. He ran to her and held his arms up like he wanted her to carry him. She picked him up and he giggled.

"Hermione! You're wrinkling his sweater!" Ginny took James back and smoothed out the fabric.

"Where 'Oogo?" Jamie asked.

"He's with Uncle Ron and Rosie," Hermione answered.

"Jamie, go check if you have your bookbag," Ginny ordered. The school had a mandatory dress and school supply code. Even if you weren't attending and were just getting an interview you had to dress up anyway.

"How long do you expect to be?" Hermione asked.

"Well, there's quite a lot of waiting because loads of people want their kids in this program. I'd say maybe two or three hours, honestly," Harry replied. "Hope that's alright."

"It's fine…I've left Rose and Hugo with Ron... but, to be honest, I don't think this school will fit him. If he goes, he'll probably end up like Percy," Hermione whispered the last few words.

"See?" Harry said. "If Hermione Granger is saying no to this education, it must be a bad idea."

"We're going, Harry. Come on, Jamie." She grabbed his hand and Disapparated.

"Sorry about that," Harry said apologetically. "With her pregnancy hormones from Lily, plus handling Albus and James alone while I was on that mission for the past two weeks has been pretty stressful for her. I'm taking the two kids out for a movie tomorrow, you know, so she can de-stress a little."

Ginny Apparated back into the room. "James is already waiting with his teacher!" she screeched. "COME ON, HARRY, WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"

"You can just go up and get Albu-" Harry was cut off in mid-sentence by Ginny, who grabbed his arm.

"Bye." He and Ginny Disapparated.

"Alright, Albus, let's go to Diagon Alley," Hermione said, walking up the stairs. She found Albus playing with some toy cars in his room. "You ready to go to Diagon Alley, Al?" Hermione asked, picking him up.

"Yesh! Wet's go to Dagally!" Albus said excitedly. Diagon Alley was too complicated for his little mouth to say.

"You get bigger every time I see you," Hermione said, lifting him up with a grunt. She carried him down the stairs and put him into the stroller.

"Yay! Wet's go!" Albus said excitedly, clapping his small hands.

Hermione smiled, then pushed open the front door of the Potters' house. If Harry and Ginny would be gone for three hours, she and Albus could walk to Diagon Alley. It was a nice day, anyhow. The summer heat wasn't too humid or sticky, but pleasant.

"Are you excited to go shopping, Albus?" She asked.

"Wha' sopping?" he asked curiously, his big green eyes blinking up at her cutely.

"That's how your mummy and daddy get you toys and things at Diagon Alley. Shopping."

"Yay! Sopping!" he cried. Hermione chuckled.

They made their way down the street, past the gardening neighbors and the children playing.

"Par'! Par'!" Albus cried.

"Park?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah! Yeah!" he clapped his hands excitedly. Hermione smiled

"I guess we can stop for a few minutes." She steered the stroller towards the park.

"Sing!" he cried. Hermione lifted him out of the stroller and into the toddler swing. "Yay!" Albus clapped his hands excitedly as Hermione pushed the swing.

After spending a little more time at the park, Hermione decided that it was time to leave. And so she dragged a reluctant Albus back to the stroller and, to cheer him up, told him, "We'll get some ice cream when we go to Diagon Alley, okay?"

"Yay! Ice cweam!" he cried. "Chocwate!"

Hermione laughed again. "Yes, Albus, we'll get chocolate."

She pushed the stroller down the Muggle street and into the Leaky Cauldron. Out back, she pulled out her wand and tapped the bricks, opening the passageway.

"Dagally!" Albus exclaimed, overjoyed. He bounced in his seat, barely able to contain his excitement. Hermione, chuckling to herself, pushed the stroller through the archway and into the chattering busyness of Diagon Alley.

"Ice cweam?" Albus asked innocently.

"No, we need to go to Flourish and Blott's first," Hermione said.

Albus looked up at her. "Books?"

"Yes, books," Hermione said, laughing. She and Albus made their way down the street, waving to Neville as he helped his wife, Hannah, with the Leaky Cauldron summer rush. The old Leaky Cauldron had gotten too small, so after Hannah and Neville bought it, they expanded with another building down the street. Neville worked there in the summer to help Hannah, otherwise he'd be at Hogwarts teaching Herbology.

Hermione stopped outside the gate to the outdoor restaurant. "Hi, Hannah!"

Hannah looked up and her face immediately brightened. "Hey, Hermione." She filled up a glass for a customer and then made her way over.

"How- how's Neville been holding up?" Hermione asked, after hugging her friend.

"He's been doing okay, to be honest. I think what you all said in the hospital that night really helped him. There have been some bad days, yes, but that's to be expected," Hannah said, filling up another glass while she talked.

"And Alice?"

"She's been really good for Neville. She can always cheer him up on those bad days."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Hannah said, "I really ought to be getting back to the restaurant. Bye!"

"Bye, Hannah. You and Neville should come by sometime this weekend. It'll do Neville some good."

"Absolutely."

Hermione and Albus waved and made their way down the street once more.

"Ice cweam book!" Albus said.

"You want a book made of ice cream?" Hermione asked.

"Uh- no, tanky wu." Albus's cute way of saying thank you made her feel warm inside. She and everyone else had fought for this, this future where the children could live without fear of Dark wizards.

Hermione pushed open the door to Flourish and Blotts and breathed in the comforting smell of parchment and books.

Hermione went to her favorite section, the Wizarding History aisle. It was all so fascinating. But when she made her way to those shelves, Albus playing with a toy quietly, her mouth dropped open.

"What?" she said, dumbstruck. All of the history books were gone, replaced by large, colorful, glossy spines. It couldn't be…. she thought. Upon closer inspection, she read titles like Year with the Yeti.

Lockhart? I thought they removed his books after he was sent to St. Mungo's! Hermione thought angrily. He took up her whole history section!

"Come on, Albus, we need to speak with the manager," Hermione huffed. As she and Albus made her way around the shelves, a large table crammed with books caught her eye.

They were all copies of one book, and it was titled, Lockhart- An Autobiography. Groaning, Hermione grabbed one and turned it over, the glossy cover glinting annoyingly, just like his teeth used to.

The summary read: After he courageously defeated the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets over fifteen years ago, Gilderoy Lockhart tragically lost his memory during the Battle, and even though he saved three students, he was sent to St. Mungo's for treatment. Last year, a miracle occurred. Lockhart regained his memories. Now, back and better than ever, Lockhart is here to share his life story- the true chronicles of the man behind the legendary smile.

"Dat man's ugwy!" Albus shouted, pointing at Lockhart's picture.

"Now, now, I'm sure he hasn't seen the picture properly, that's all. He's only about one anyway," a voice said from the back of the room. Hermione whipped around.

"Lockhart."


"Why, hello, Miss Granger." Lockhart grinned, walking towards her. "And who is this sweet little boy?"

"This is my nephew, Albus. And it's Mrs. Weasley now," Hermione snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously. Lockhart seemed to notice and stepped away cautiously.

"Which Weasley did you marry? There were quite a few, I can't remember…"

"Ron."

"Surely not that imbecile!"

"Why, you-!" Hermione seemed to remember herself and her surroundings and took a deep breath, stepping back. "How could you lie again? You know you didn't defeat the Basilisk, Harry and Ron did! And they saved you! You lying, cheating, dirty little coward!" Hermione held up the book she had been looking at. "This whole book is a lie! All of your books are lies! Your whole life is a lie!" The entire store fell silent. Everyone turned to stare at Hermione and Lockhart. Albus looked on with big eyes and an open mouth.

"Tell them. Tell everyone how you've lied, and cheated, and taken credit for other people's work. How you erased the memories of the people who actually did these heroic deeds, how you've turned them into blundering idiots while you stand here in the spotlight and take credit for their brilliance!" Hermione was beside herself with fury. Not only was this man a cheater, but he had ruined books by using them as a means to lie. He had ruined books for her, and by Merlin she was going to make him fix it, or her name wasn't Hermione Jean Granger Weasley.

"I-I-" he spluttered.

"TELL DEM!" Albus yelled. Apparently Lockhart was angering him as well. Albus threw his toy at Lockhart's face.

Lockhart stared at Hermione. Then he looked at Albus. And then he turned his head to look at the sea of people who had come into the store when they'd heard all the yelling. Lockhart looked at Hermione again. He gulped. He opened his mouth, then closed it, and opened it again. Hermione thought he resembled a fish.

"Tell them." Her voice was deadly. Lockhart glanced around the room, as if looking for an escape.

"Tell them," she said again. "Before, when I was just a schoolgirl, I had no power over you. But now, things have changed. I could walk right over to the Ministry and inform them of what you did. They don't take lightly to imposters, especially if the person who reports them has connections," she whispered the last two words in a deadly tone. Normally she wouldn't use her "Chosen One's Best Friend and Valued High-Ranked Ministry Employee" card, but this was a special case.

Lockhart knew there was no way out. So he gulped, and opening his mouth, started to speak.

"I- I can't, Miss Gran- Weasley," he added, "The end of my career- wouldn't ever be able to show my face in public anymore-"

She gave him her best "do it or I'll unleash a multitude of hexes upon you" look, and he blanched, then gulped.

"I- I'm a big fraud," he said sadly.


"Lockhart's back?" Harry asked, reading the Evening Prophet.

"What?" Ginny came over.

"Here, read this."

Lockhart Exposed- The REAL man behind the smile.

Rita Skeeter has discovered the latest scoop behind Gilderoy Lockhart, winner of the Witch Weekly Best Smile Award and of numerous other accolades. But is he really the man that his books paint him to be?

No, he is not. Skeeter can exclusively report that Lockhart is in fact a FRAUD. That's right, he is a giant fake.

"I track famous people down, people with big adventures. I go into smaller towns, yes, so I can wipe these people's memories and claim them as my own." He said, confessing to none other than Hermione Weasley, the scarlet woman who has kept herself out of the papers as of late.

(More on Lockhart, along with his full confession, pgs 6, 7, 8)

"Hermione got him to confess?" Harry asked incredulously. Ginny, speechless, ran to the fireplace, Harry close behind her.

"Ron and Hermione Weasley's house!" Ginny said, throwing Floo powder into the flames. They burned green. Harry and Ginny put their heads into it and saw the living room of Ron and Hermione's house.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted.

"Oh, hi, Harry!" she said, coming into the room. "Hey, Ginny!"

"You made Lockhart confess?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, well, he was in the bookshop yesterday, and I got rather mad at him. I wrote down everything he said and gave it to Rita Skeeter. Best get her to dish up some dirt on someone we hate, for a change." Hermione grinned.

Harry was speechless.

"I never thought we'd see the day that Hermione worked with Rita Skeeter," Ginny said, shaking her head.


So, what did you think of Rita's comeback?

And I've decided to start hinting at what the next oneshots are going to be. Get you all excited for next week's, so to speak.

So, here is your hint for next week's oneshot: The last time we've seen this character was with Dominique. Now they're back, and Molly has a special task: to find them a special someone.

See if you can guess who it's going to be about ;)