m.i.a.v.i. un: g.g.

[roblet]

I have a number of inquiries if anyone would be willing to humor me. Some are for any Ministry officials reading, others are for anyone.

Will accommodations be made for those of us that cannot legally Apparate yet? What I am asking is this: if one is too young to Apparate and lives in the village set aside for "time deviants," will the community be connected well enough to the floo network that they will be able to get to work in London or will they be restricted to finding work in Hogsmeade for proximity? I am not sure just how close an eye the Ministry intends to keep on us.

What if we already have the Trace on us from another country?

Now for some general questions.

Who is hiring, may I ask? My skill set is wide-spread and I am not very squeamish.

Fellow "time deviants" : how many of you have settled into this provided (as it were) housing? How many of you still need accompaniment or assistance in paying?

When are you from? Where are you from? How do you feel about this place? Tell me these things.

Thank you very much for your time.

Comments

[secondpotter]

Playing... isn't really the word I would use.

[Although, the more Albus thinks about it, the more accurate the word seems to apply. He had been playing three years ago. His actions were those of a kid who really had no idea what he was doing. Strange how he's able to admit that now...

At first, Albus only see's his name and he's completely bewildered. Thankfully, before he begins asking his own set of questions, he reads the surname.]

Albus Dumbledore. Ah, right. Well, from what I know he's currently the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

[roblet]

What is? My apologies if I have somehow offended.

Yes, Albus Dumbledore. [ the pen stills for a long moment. ] The Headmaster? Perhaps I must go visit him then. Thank you very much.

[secondpotter]

Offended? Ha, no, you haven't. I just haven't really thought about it as 'playing' but I guess that's as good a word as any. It was awhile ago... but considering it's time travel then it all depends on how you look at it.

You're welcome. He might be a bit surprised to see you, considering he's pretty old by now.

[roblet]

That makes sense. I have always been interested in time travel, but it has never been my wheelhouse.

That is all right, I will be surprised to see him at this age. I am still at the age when we met.

[secondpotter]

When you met? Was he your professor? He was my Dad's Headmaster. He's pretty great, at least, that's what he told me.

[roblet]

No, no. We are peers, you could say. Friends, confidantes. He is only two years older than I am when we are home.

I apologize, I have forgotten my manners. My name is Gellert Grindelwald. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

[secondpotter]

[Albus' quill hesitates. Something about that names tugs at his memory. He should know that name... why should he know that name?]

Gellert Grindelwald. That's an unusual name. My name is Albus Severus Potter. Did you really know Headmaster Dumbledore when he was-

[It finally hits Albus why he knows that name. His Dad had a book about Dumbledore - mostly garbage, he said, but it had some interesting stories in it. There was one about young Dumbledore and a young man who would grow up to be the first Dark Lord before Voldemort.

Oh fucking hell.]

[roblet]

[ gellert doesn't know why there's the hesitation or why the sentence cuts off so abruptly but he presses on, curious and intrigued but not offended. ]

Albus Severus Potter? Did your father name you after the Headmaster he is so fond of?

[ there's a spark of jealousy in him - perhaps unfounded - but it doesn't show through text, thankfully. ]

We are very close. I care for him very deeply.

[secondpotter]

[Alarm bells are going off in Albus' head. True, he's dealt with a Dark Lord before. Sort of. Actually, Albus isn't certain if Delphini really qualified as a Dark Lord or as a sort of Dark Lord wannabe. Finding out he was speaking to Gellert Grindelwald was a different matter all together.

Should he reply? Or should he just... close the book. Well, since Gellert knew his bloody name now (good going there, Albus!), he could always track him down.

How did he get into these sorts of situations?]

Sort of. Yeah, you know, I don't think my Dad really knew him. It must have been some other Albus. It's such a common name... and such...

Good! I mean, it's good that you care for your friends. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you again.

Um, well, I've gotta run. Things to do and places to see... you know how it is...

[engorgimpressed]

[Cue Scorpius running in to the Leaky Cauldron, darting to Albus' table at a full sprint, and nearly falling onto the table in his attempt to slam Albus' MIAVI notebook closed.

It was a very dramatic entry and now he's terribly out of breath because running is the Absolute Worst and he's just going to collapse ever more dramatically into a chair while heaving and giving Albus Such A Look.]

What-- [gasp] are you doing?

[guess who was reading through his own notebook on the way over]

[secondpotter]

[Albus did not expect to have Scorpius fly through the Leaky Cauldron just to snatch his notebook from his hands. He stares at Scorpius, surprised and a bit confused.]

Uh, well, hello there. What do you mean what am I doing? Oy, don't look at me like that. I'm just... chatting. Texting. Or, whatever it's called in 1980.

...do you think this is how your Dad felt whenever we tried to explain how muggle smartphones work?

[Is that Albus trying to change the subject? Why, yes. Yes he is.]

[engorgimpressed]

[Scorpius doesn't seem to know whether to be incensed or worried or terrified or some dreadful mixture of all three.]

What do I mea--

[He's still breathing hard, and his voice is getting an edge of shriek-y, but drawing even more attention is sort of against his point here. He stops and just tries to settle his breath for a moment, muttering a Muffliato while the regular buzz of the pub returns. He leans in close over the table, keeping his voice low.]

Albus. We're stuck in the past again, in some nightmare timeline where Tom Riddle is Minister, and you just put your full name and the fact that you've time-traveled where anyone could read it. For starters.

[And now he's started, so he has to keep going.] And you just told Gellert Grindelwald you're named after Albus Dumbledore. And-- [did he have another thing? Scorpius throws up his hands.] We are at such a disadvantage, here, Albus, and the only thing we have going for us is what we know that they don't! You have to be more careful about what you say and who you say it to!

[secondpotter]

[It's been a few months since he's seen Scorpius so worked up. The last time was over his final NEWT exam. Albus thought he was going to suffer a heart attack if he didn't de-stress.]

Breathe, Scorpius. It's ok. Really. I know we're in some mad timeline but I doubt that anyone actually reads these things. Especially when it's someone else's conversation. But all right, yes, I probably shouldn't have put my name out there. Of course, I did meet with my Grandmum and told her my name out in the open a few hours ago...

[Albus pauses, now wondering if it had been a good idea to meet with anyone outside of Scorpius.]

I'm sorry, all right? But honestly, I didn't realize who I was speaking to. I understand that's not much of an excuse... but really, just because I'm named after Albus Dumbledore doesn't mean much here. I'm not him, am I? And Gellert Grindelwald is young. Probably our age if not younger. I don't think we're talking full grown Dark Lord levels, after all. I was careless, I admit it, but honestly, I think we'll be all right.

[engorgimpressed]

[He's not panicking, is he? He's been here over a week without panicking why would he be panicking now, just because Albus is here and made a mistake and oh god they're going to die okay yeah he's panicking just a little tiny eensy-weensy bit.

He buries his face in his hands. It's not okay, but hearing Albus say it is makes it feel like it could be, maybe.] Please be more careful, Albus. We can-- We can get you a new pen, with a different username that's not in any way tied to your actual name, and you can't just tell people who you are on that one, alright? That'll be the secret one. But I need you to take this more seriously! We're not just messing about and then trying to fix our own mistakes, this is something-- far more complicated!

[Wait. Hold up. Backtrack a moment. He peers at Albus through his fingers.] You talked to your Grandmum? Which one?

[secondpotter]

[There's more to Scorpius' panic attack than just concern that Albus had completely blown their cover. Albus stands up and shifts across the table, sitting next to Scorpius. He puts his arm around Scorpius' shoulders and hugs him.]

I'm sorry. I am. I promise I'll be more careful next time. I forget what that other world was like, you know? I didn't see it. That doesn't make me less of an arse for running my mouth when I should have kept it shut. We're in this together.

[He picks up his notebook and flips through the pages, showing Scorpius the conversation with Lily.]

Grandma Weasley isn't around, not that I know of. I saw Lily's name show up and I just... I couldn't stop myself. Not after the last time we saw her. Or heard her...

[Where Scorpius is haunted by the visions of the Dark Timeline, Albus is haunted by the sounds of that drifted from the house in Godric Hollow that horrific night.]

[roblet]

[ he's being lied to. fascinating. but why? why, why, why? he wants to know very much. still, he's not against playing a long game. ]

Is it, in Britain? I would not know. I am not a native, forgive me. I had thought it rather rare.

I can only hope so. If he should wish not to see me, I do not know what I would do.

Of course. I hope we can speak again soon, Albus.

NOT HERE

[fishpetals]

[ GRANDSON WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS ]

un: kingweasley

[alwaysreturns]

Your name's WHAT?

[AND YOU'RE TALKING TO WHO???]

[secondpotter]

[Albus has his quill back and he's staring at the latest response. He knows that name. How could he not?]

It's... what I said it was?

Is this who I think it is?

[Uncle Ron?]

private

[alwaysreturns]

[He realizes, belatedly, that writing where anyone can see is going to screw him worse than anything else.]

Dunno, you tell me.

[don't believe his calm writing, he is full of panic]

[secondpotter]

[Ah, a private message. He promised Scorpius he'd be more careful this time. And he meant what he said. But this was his uncle Ron. Surely, Scorpius couldn't be upset with him if he chatted with his uncle.

Could he?]

Ron Weasley. You know I've heard you hum that song on multiple occasions. It alway earns quite a few groans. Once mum charmed a pillow to chase after you to get you to quit.

Hullo.

[alwaysreturns]

[Mum?

He feels about as bewildered as is possible to feel, or so he thinks.]

Where are you? I want to meet.

[secondpotter]

I'm at the Leaky Cauldron. There are a few spots that are out of the way where we can talk. And yes, we really should talk.

[There was a lot that Albus wanted to say to Ron and a lot he knew he should keep under wraps. Judging by his uncle's shock he guessed that it wasn't the same Ron who had offered him a job at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes after he finished Hogwarts this past year. How much should someone know about their future? If it was even the same future. For all Albus knew he only represented a possibility - one that might not even come to pass. That was a terrifying thought and one he'd have to run by Scorpius later.]

[alwaysreturns]

[He doesn't respond - almost says look for the baseball cap, but well, if this is who he thinks it is, and he has no idea WHAT to think about that, then Albus (Albus Severus???) will probably recognize him, anyway.

He heads for the Leaky straight away, baseball cap covering most of his red hair and nothing at all covering his freckles or lanky height. He starts scanning the crowd the second he steps inside, looking for - Merlin, looking for someone who looks like Harry.]

un: rodle

[purports]

Albus Severus Potter, is it?

I expect to see you in the Time Deviants Registration Department soon.

[ and by "soon", he means immediately. ]