Back from the Future (Open)

[secondpotter]

Who: Albus and others
When: September 1
What: Albus realizes he's not in Kansas anymore (not that he's ever been to Kansas in the first place, but you know the drill)
Where: Around Diagon Alley



Waking up in The Leaky Cauldron didn't top the list of the strangest things that had happened to Albus Potter in his young life. It didn't even make the top ten (which was saying something). That didn't change the fact that he was damn confused at being in the middle of the pub with no memory of coming there in the first place. His first thought was to blame his brother, James. Perhaps he slipped a Portkey into his bag. The last thing Albus remembered was packing an overnight satchel for his annual "School Let Out, Let's Celebrate" party with Scorpius at Malfoy Manor. It made sense, except, why would James choose the Leaky Cauldron as his destination and not a pond somewhere near home or The Burrow?

A man stood up from the table next to Albus, leaving The Daily Prophet behind. Albus waited until he'd walked a few steps towards the door before he picked it up, the headline having caught his eye. His stomach dropped as he stared at the date: September 1, 1980.

No. It wasn't possible. Well, of course it was possible, it just wasn't probable. Portkeys didn't work through time. Only Time Turners did that, and Albus knew far too much about Time Turners to know that one couldn't possibly have been slipped into his pocket without his knowledge. He scanned the paper, the sinking feeling in his stomach growing worse as he saw the words "Time Deviant" and the call to have them register at the Ministry immediately upon arrival. Well sod that! He wasn't going anywhere near the Ministry, especially not if the Minister's last name was bloody Riddle. Perhaps it was a coincidence - the name wasn't that uncommon - but Albus found it unlikely. What he needed to do was to find more information, to talk to someone, to talk to...

Scorpius. Shit.

Change of plan. He needed to get a message to Scorpius. If he was somehow stuck in 1980 then his best mate was the only person who would know what to do. Next, he was going to need to track down anyone in his family history who would be alive at this point. He and Scorpius had made a list once upon a time, just in case. Lastly, they'd agreed to keep their heads down and mouths shut until they were certain of their surroundings. At least he was prepared this time. Sort of.

He walked out onto the street, already scanning the Alley for a somewhat familiar face. He could feel a growing sense of panic but he stamped it down. He'd done this before and managed to find a way back with everything put right. Albus could do it again, he was sure of it.

[Albus is out wandering around Diagon Alley. Fell free to bump into him!]

Comments

[engorgimpressed]

Once he'd gotten the news that the "Time Deviants", as they were now being called, had to register, Scorpius knew there was no avoiding it for himself. He was too noticeable, too easy to pick out on sight alone... he'd woken up in Malfoy Manor, and this horrible timeline's Lucius knew he was around. Trying to escape it wasn't an option, so the best thing he could do was happily go, be perhaps a bit annoyed (because of his pureblood pride, see, not because of any other reason) but understanding of the sacrifices that must be made for the safety of all.

Ugh. The very idea was making him feel ill. But he's done this before, really done it, and that time, the true horror of that world was right on the surface, no shiny mask of "protection" glossing over it.

He may as well try to put what time he does have before his newly-established curfew to good use, he figures, by trying to find other people displaced in time, and Diagon Alley seems to be the place to do that. It's the touchstone of the magical community in the UK, and for all that the missing or different storefronts are disconcerting, the familiar ones that haven't changed a bit are immensely comforting.

It always scared him a little, how easy it was for him to pull up an act of haughty detachment. Like this was his true nature all along and the over-enthusiastic history nerd was the act. Of course, he knew that wasn't true, but-- it was harder to remember that, without Albus around.

Finally, though, a stroke of luck. A familiar head of messy hair, and Scorpius knows better than to jump to conclusions, he gets closer first to verify before he starts yelling out any names, but-- yes! It's him, it's absolutely positively completely entirely "Albus!"