The Old and New Collide (Open)

[William Anderson]

He felt like someone had put ten thousand bricks on his head. The pressure was enormous-it felt like his head was going to explode. What was going on? This didn't usually happen during such a travel. Maybe it was just him. He wasn't sure. Or maybe it was the unyielding and extreme bout of nausea he was going through right now. He thought for sure that he was going to get sick. Port key transport always made him a little queasy but this was more so then normal. He clenched his eyes--he just wanted this to be done with already. Of course then he was going to have to use the same travel methods to get back to his house (he kept the baseball cap that he had used the first time), but he'd cross that bridge when he'd get there. 

When he had got to his destination -- the alley near the phone booth that would take him where he wanted to go--he felt so dizzy and disorientated that he thought for a moment that he was going to fall flat onto his face. Thankfully he didn't and after a moment, he began to walk towards the booth. Apparently he just looked like he felt -- not well. He distinctly remembered someone asking him if he was all right. He said yes-- he thought -- or something like that. He couldn't recall but apparently it was a satisfactory enough answer because the person left him to his own devices. It took him several more moments to get his composure and wits about him. It was then he realized that something was different. Very different. 

Where were the signs? The signs warning of the demons? 
Things looked different. People were acting different. Things seemed less...dire. Less eerie. It was...strange. 
Something was off here. Very off. He couldn't quite put a finger on it but something was just off. 

He slipped the cap in his pockets and looked around for a bit--it was weird. It was all the same and yet not at the same time. He shook his head. He didn't get it, but there was business at hand and so he would have to 'get it' later. He had to register as an animagus lest he get fined or something crazy like that. He had no plans on being an illegal anything and so he walked towards the booth -- headache and all. He'd worry about the headache later. There were more important things to worry about. 

He pushed the specific set of buttons and after a few moments, the booth was taking him down underground to the ministry. He walked out to the Atrium when he got there and ahh there was a notice board nearby. Perfect. Maybe that would explain why everything seemed so different. He looked at it and saw the most recent daily prophet and he was in for the shock of his life, 

"Twen-twenty thirty eight?" he sputtered out with a slight gasp as he stared at the board with a look of horror. What?! 17 years?! How could a port key transport take 17 years?! He turned with a start looking as if he had just seen a ghost. How?! How had this happened?! What about his parents? And brothers? What about Michelle?! Were they okay? Why was he here? And in the now? All of this questions ran through his head and all of a sudden the registry was the last thing on his mind.

He felt the headache pain blossoming and his queasiness coming back with force. Oh man this was not what he expected. What was he going to do now?! 

[Alecsander]

"Oi, you alright?" Alex reached out a hand to steady the younger man. He'd left Elle resting at his house, gone to check on Wallace, and been to his office, where he found his aurors in complete disarray. People were popping up all over, 17 years too late. The hitwizards and obliviators had already been out to several Muggle communities that had popped up in the intervening decades, to rescue stranded wizards and to obliviate the muggles. One man had popped out of the sky over a lake, and being surprised by a parasailor, promptly crashed his broom into the lake.

"Sir?" Alex was supposed to attend a meeting shortly to help coordinate efforts to deal with this new crisis, but it looked like he had just stumbled upon another of the Lost. "Perhaps you should sit down." He suggested, guiding the man to the edge of the fountain.

[[Ministry of Magic]]

[William Anderson]

He was trying to process this information. And what it could mean for him and his family. Not to mention for everything else. He wasn't sure if he was doing a good job at it, but he was trying. 2038? This had to be a mistake. It couldn't be true--could it? He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at the stranger. The man who had asked him if he was all right. Will just shook his head. "No. I am not okay. How-how can this be?" he turned to look back at the Daily Prophet article again. The confusion was probably as clear as anything on his face. "This has to be a typo right? Its not 2038, its 2021."

The man was guiding him towards the fountain edge--suggesting to him that perhaps he should sit down. "No thank you. I-I don't want to sit down." he protested even though in all honesty it would have probably been a good thing. His mind was far too hyped up to even think about being still right now. What had happened? He had to find out what happened? And where his family and friend was? Period. End of the story.

"I am -- I have so many questions right now." he said more to himself then to anyone else, but he was talking to himself out loud (a habit of his really) again. His hand reached up to his face and gently pinched the bridge of his nose. Perhaps this was not the best time for a headache after all...

[Alecsander]

Alex sighed, the man really was a flux victim. He increased his gentle pressure on the man's shoulder, insisting he sit on the fountain edge. "Deep breaths, sir. The date is correct." he took a step or so back, letting him have breathing room but ready in case he,should need to catch him if he keeled over at the news.

"You were caught in the biggest flux of the war, along with hundreds others. Welcome back."

[William Anderson]

The other insisted that he sat down as the other didn't let up with the pressure on his shoulder. Oh okay. He'd sit. And so he sat down, still confused and still not completely sure of what was going on. The other assured him that the date was correct and Will just sighed. The other wasn't messing with him - he could tell by the look on his face and the way he was saying it. But how? The question passed through his mind again. He couldn't have screwed up the Port Key spell THAT badly. He was more skilled than that.

"But my family. My friend. Are they all right?" that was the one of the first things on his mind. He could figure out the who did it, the what precisely happened, and the how it happened later. He had to make sure they were all right. Last he remembered, one of his brothers had just graduated from Hogwarts, the other was still in Hogwarts and his mom (bless her heart) was working her tail off at the hospital due to the demon wars. And he had been researching ways to get rid of the demons with Michelle.

And now he was 17 years past that?
It was -- a lot to take in.

He looked at the other for a moment unsure of what to say. It was then that it hit him. This guy looked familiar. He was almost sure that he had heard of the other before. Hadn't he been an auror or something like that? Will wasn't too sure and he was almost afraid to ask. Lest he make himself look like more of a fool. And so he just kept his mouth shut about that. Instead he had a more pressing question. "What do I do now?" he asked not expecting an answer but some sort of direction would have been real nice right about now...

[Alecsander]

"But my family. My friend. Are they all right?"

"I'm sure they're fine, sir. What's your name? We can help you contact them." He fished a bit of chocolate from his robes, handing the wrapped candy to the man. He'd bought a few for Elle to help with the shock. Magical Accidents and Catastrophes was teaming up with the Transportation department to deal with what was beginning to be called the Return. In fact as they spoke a few witches and wizards were setting up a booth not too far from them, he motioned to them as if to say, See?

And now he was 17 years past that?
It was -- a lot to take in.

"What do I do now?"

"Eat the chocolate. How did you get here? You're looking a little green." Alex flexed his hand, the lad didn't look too familiar, though judging by his look they must have been close in age. He wasn't an employee, so perhaps portkey sickness? Nasty way to travel, even without 17 years missing added in.

[William Anderson]

"Will. William Anderson." he said in response to the other. The man said he could help him get in contact with his family. That would actually be real reassuring right now. Of course he wasn't sure how such a meeting would go. 17 years? They probably thought he was dead or something like that by now. But of course he never had been. How were they going to react to seeing him all of a sudden? To them, it would be like he was brought back from the dead! It was -- going to be interesting to say the least, but there was no way that he wasn't going to show up. They were too close for that.

Will accepted the chocolate though in all honesty he was in no mood to eat anything (his stomach was still churning) -- though he reckoned it would help with the shock of it all. And shock was a good way to put it. 17 years -- he was having trouble wrapping his head around it. 17 years of his life -- gone? He wasn't sure if that was the right word. Just how much had changed though?! The laws, the people, the times?! Clearly the demon war was over with --- but surely there was more to it then just that. There was so much to do! His head was figuratively swimming with it all.

He unwrapped the chocolate and took a few bites. He closed his eyes and focused on just taking a few deep breaths. There was a lot to do. So much to do....but he wasn't going to get any of it done by having a complete freak out. Just relax. Calm down. There are people here who will help you get back into the groove. You just have to breath.

He kept telling himself this for a moment before he heard the other ask him what had happened. He opened his eyes and taking an other breath, he began to relay what he had last recalled, "I used a port key. It always makes me feel a bit queasy." and that was without the whole 17 year bit. That sorry to say did not help matters much.

"The last thing I can totally recall was how relieved I was when the war was over. I almost couldn't believe it to be honest. Then I had remembered that I hadn't yet registered as an animagus. Of course I had no intention of being an unregistered one...so I had used the port key and the phone booth to get here." he shook his head - the look of confusion still clung to him almost like a second skin.

"It wasn't supposed to go like this. I was only supposed to come here, register and then use the port key to get back home."

[Alecsander]

"It wasn't supposed to go like this. I was only supposed to come here, register and then use the port key to get back home."

Alex listened with sympathy to the man's story. He wasn't sure which would be the bigger mess--the Disappearance or sorting out the mess of the Return. Hundreds of people misplaced in time. Merlin that was a mess. He caught the eye of a portly man from Transportation, waving him over. Wellington bustled over, sheaf of papers in hand. He beamed kindly at Will and nodded to Alex in greeting.

"This is Will Anderson." Alex introduced them, "Nate Wellington. He's heading up the booth over there," He jerked a hand at it in illustration. "Its a bit stop-gap at the moment, but once we get more information..." He trailed off and Wellington picked up.

"Hi! Yes, right now we're taking your information and we will see what we can do about your situation, look up any family, find you temporary lodging...

[William Anderson]

Will was at a loss. He truly was.


And spoiler alert-he was not enjoying this one bit. He was still mentally swimming in all of the implications that what the other man had told him was putting forth. He had no doubt been declared dead. He had been gone way too long not to have been. And now he was back so to speak. And he was coming to several realizations now. None of them he liked.

He now had no apartment, no job and probably no money either. And that he was going to have to figure out how to regain these things again. How
was he going to do all of this? It had taken him months to get that apartment and to save enough up for it. And now he was going to have to do it all over again. He was not amused.  



One thing at a time though he told himself so as not to get all overwhelmed again. First he wanted to find his parents and his brothers. Then he'd get to the other stuff. He smiled weakly as the man who approached them. Nate was going to help him figure things out it would appear. "Nice to meet you Nate." though didn't he wish it was under different circumstances, but that was neither here nor there. He turned back towards the other,

"Thanks for the help man. I appreciate it. Maybe we'll cross paths again sometime." he said then he followed Nate to the booth that he had seen being set up. He was really hoping he was going to get good news...good news would be a good thing right now...