At the age of 15, Albus experienced what was probably the worst and most life-changing moment of her life. Returning from the Baluart's home, she witnessed a masked man reduce her house to ashes and take her mother's life into his hands. Flashbacks of her nightmares kept repeating while she remained in a state of shock, witnessing the scene. The eldest of the Baluart siblings, who was an Auror and accompanied them, raised the alarm and managed to capture the killer, sending him to Azkaban.

After that traumatic night, Albus became more afraid of fire than ever before. She ended up in an orphanage, but not for long, as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry claimed her as a student, citing her family's ancestral connection to the school. Albus wanted to object, but it was futile. On that same day, she left without even being able to say goodbye to Amelia, heading to a foster home.

The owner of the foster home was Eleazar Fig, who was now a widower and a professor at Hogwarts. He took her under his wing from that moment, becoming her guardian and trying to help her overcome the loss of her mother and leave her past behind. Despite Fig's efforts, Albus often resisted cooperating and accepting his support.