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Chapter Text

I can't stand my cousin's grumbling of boredom anymore; it makes the plane trip even more boring and long. The only thing that cheers me up is the lovely lady sitting next to me, telling me stories about her children when they were little, but the little lady had already fallen asleep, leaving me to endure another hour of the journey listening to Dudley complain.

Sighing in irritation, I sit back in the plane seat as I hear my aunt whisper affectionately to my cousin again, that we were already arriving and that when we arrived he could eat whatever he wanted, making him smile at the mention of food like a hungry pig.

Oh, God knows how much I wish I could curse that disgusting brat who pollutes my ears with his whining. My uncle is lucky to be able to sit far away from them, but of course, he had to take two seats.

"Attention, dear passengers, we will be landing in Atlantica in five minutes; please fasten your seat belts."

The plane pilot's soft voice snaps me out of my intrusive thoughts that have appeared more and more since I lost my godfather, making me straighten my seatbelt and wait.

Five minutes later...

The plane has already landed, and I'm disembarking with my relatives and the lady who said goodbye to me before going towards her grandson. She wanted to introduce me to him, but my uncle grabbed me by the arm, pulling me towards the exit. I just managed to look at the lady's grandson, noticing how handsome he was...

My uncle dragged me all the way to the car he had rented, only letting me go when I got in there and he was in the driver's seat.

"Listen carefully, boy, if I see you doing anything strange on this trip, I swear you will regret it for the rest of your life," he says, looking at me through the mirror, his face a disgusting mess of sweat and reddened skin. "Do you understand?" He spoke again as he drove to the hotel.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," I respond begrudgingly, stopping myself from rolling my eyes in boredom.

He looks at me with disgust and continues to drive away from downtown Atlanta, toward the house they had rented.

I sigh, closing my eyes. This vacation will be long...

Chapter Text

The trip to the cabin was short and long at the same time. At least Dudley slept the whole trip and didn't disturb me with his insidious murmurs about being hungry. It's amazing and bizarre that the more he eats, the hungrier he gets, and my lovely Aunt is happy to push more food into him.

The noise of the car stopping takes me out of my thoughts, and my aunt's thin voice calling Dudley makes me look out the window. The house was very simple but resembled a beautiful chalet, surrounded by trees which gives a feeling of tranquility and peace. At least this might stop me from completely freaking out...

Big mistake.

The night was peaceful and comfortable. My uncle gave me the third bedroom so he wouldn't have to see me much around the house, so I slept comfortably. The next day, my aunt woke me up to make breakfast with her, then she sent me away with toast and a glass of juice, telling me to get lost outside.

What I did with great pleasure. I sat on the bench near the trees enjoying the sunny morning until Dudley came out of the house with an annoying smile, the same smile he gives when he chases me with his friends. And here we go again, I got up from the bench and ran down the forest path with Dudley behind me, running until the house became a small dot behind me. Huffing irritably, I hid behind a tree. While I caught my breath, I saw Dudley run past me. This brat is already annoying me, and we haven't been here for a day.

I lean against the tree, taking a deep breath before heading towards my cousin's post. Eventually, I find a stream. I crouch down on the edge of it and wet my hands, enjoying the coolness of the water. I wash my face and wet my neck to cool off, then sit on the grass with my feet in the water. The peace that this place gives me is incredible. Not even at Hogwarts do I feel like this. That place that, in the early days, I considered a home and a safe place only brought me pain and suffering...

I only returned home at dusk, the cold winds making my skin crawl, prompting me to leave. When I came back, my uncle gave me a strange look, but I didn't say anything. I guess, as I haven't disturbed him with my "oddities," I have nothing to do with, he can't fight me.

I went directly to my room, took a shower, ate the cold soup that my aunt had left in my room, then slept.

And so, a slow and tedious week passed.

Now, at this very minute, it has been exactly twenty-four hours since I was "locked" in my room after pushing Dudley off a small cliff (in my defense, he deserved it, I didn't tell him to say derogatory things about Sirius), and he possibly broke his arm. I don't know if it really happened because they went to the hospital and haven't come back yet. This is due to the hospitals being overcrowded this week because of the disease that is spreading quickly everywhere. I don't know much about it, except that the symptoms are very high fever, cardiac arrest, and a lot of violence.

Authorities are saying to stay home, and if you see someone sick, run and call authorities as soon as possible. My uncles think it's silly and talk a lot about it. When they go to town, this is the most discussed topic. I witnessed two of these discussions. They're both big idiots. Dudley doesn't even care about it, with the internet and food; he doesn't care. And I have nothing to say.

I just hope I don't have to deal with these people...

Chapter Text

"Tick tock, tick tock," is the annoying noise that the clock in the hallway makes incessantly. The silence in the house allows me to hear it clearly.

Now it's ten o'clock at night, and my uncles haven't returned. As a result, I'm still locked in the room without food. My stomach hurts from hunger, and the only option I have to get out of here is to jump out the window or try to go to the next room. If I jump, I could break a leg or something worse. If I try to go to the other room, the risks are the same, but I'm more likely to get out in one piece. It's decided; I'm going to go to the next room.

Sighing, I move my body completely through the window and hold onto the edges and wall, walking calmly across the roof to the other window. It is closed, but fortunately not locked. So, balancing myself, I open it and quickly enter, closing it behind me. Dudley's room is a disgusting mess, with plates, glasses, and empty snack packets scattered around. I quickly walk through the place, avoiding stepping on anything strange on the floor, and leave, closing the door.

Walking down the dark corridor, I imagine how things must be in the city because my relatives haven't returned until now. The television footage was portraying chaos. I think, while I'm eating, I'm going to watch the news.

"What am I going to eat?" I grumble, walking into the kitchen. "I think I'll make some sandwiches."

I take the sliced bread from the cupboard and the chicken breast that was seasoned in the fridge, lettuce, cheese, tomato, and ham, putting everything on the counter. I fry some pieces of chicken and assemble the sandwiches, making three and a can of Coca-Cola. With all ready, I go to the living room and put things on the coffee table and sit on the floor behind it, open the Coca-Cola, and take a sandwich and take a bite while I absentmindedly flip through the television channels looking for some news. I ended up finding one with live news, in which a young reporter is on the streets of Atlanta, sampling the city's situation.

There were crashed cars, people running in panic, with others following them more slowly, and others being attacked. The reporter was in panic, quickly telling no one to leave the house until further news, that the hospitals, fire department, and police station were working to contain the infected. She was going to say something, but her speech was cut off by an infected man grabbing her and biting her neck, tearing off a piece of her flesh. The cameraman dropped the camera on the ground, screaming, and ran. The last thing the camera recorded was the reporter's lifeless eyes.

I stare at the black television screen in horror, until everything hits me at once, making me drop the sandwich and run to the bathroom, vomiting what I had eaten. When I have nothing left to get out, I sit on the floor, trying to regain strength.

Some time later...

I ended up falling asleep on the bathroom floor. A quick look at my wristwatch tells me it's one in the morning. I hope it was all just a nightmare, I think as I go back to the living room, but the television on with an emergency message playing tells me the opposite. Scenes began to repeat in my mind, making me sit tremblingly on the sofa, fear penetrating every cell in my body, making me hyperventilate, my pulse racing, and my ears muffled, until a loud knock on the door echoes throughout the house, followed by another and another loud sound, making me stand up in panic, looking at the door in fear.

A growl and another knock make me approach the door silently, leaning on it to listen, hearing only low growls. Curiously, I look through the peephole and see a woman of medium height with a disfigured face full of blood.

There's an infected person at my door...

Chapter Text

Shit, Shit, Shit.

There's an infected woman on my doorstep!

There's an infected woman on my doorstep!

What do I do?

I can't confront her, the emergency info made it clear the infection spreads through saliva, bites, and scratches. I know their weak spot is the head, but without a long-range weapon, I'd just put myself at risk. I'm tired and hungry, and throwing up everything I ate didn't help. Plus, just looking at sandwiches makes me sick.

But what's the plan? I have to get her out before she attracts more.

Think, Harry...

Maybe noise could lure her away, but how?

I pace back and forth.

A radio, perhaps?

No, I'd have to go out to set it up.

Magic?

No way, I don't know what the wizarding world's like, I could get in trouble.

I've got it! Dudley has a drone, a gift from my uncle to calm him down when he's bored. I can attach the MP3 to it and lead her away with music. It's a temporary fix; I'll have to find a better solution to face them next time.

Decision made, I dash upstairs to Dudley's room, searching for the drone. It's not hard to find; it's under the bed.

Spoiled, tantrum-throwing brat...

Damn, I'm acting like Snape.

Forget it, Harry, focus on solving the problem.

Taking a deep breath, I grab the MP3 and electrical tape, attaching it to the drone and turning it on at a safe height. Opening the window, I release it outside, guiding it to the front porch away from the woman's reach. She doesn't show much interest, but eventually follows it to the road. I lead her as far as possible, ensuring she can't follow it back, then quickly bring it back inside.

With her gone, I finally breathe a sigh of relief, but relaxation is short-lived. I can't rest until all the downstairs doors and windows are secure. Only then do I sit down, exhausted and starving. It's already six in the morning; I force myself to eat something light, making tea and nibbling on biscuits. Then I decide to research the disease on Dudley's computer.

Hours pass as I review news and reports, all with the same message: STAY AT HOME.

I make a list of everything we have, especially food. There's plenty; if I ration it well, I can stay here for weeks.

I hope it's enough until things get back to normal...

Chapter Text

Hours have passed since I got rid of the infected person and researched everything I could about the disease. It's already eight at night, and I spent the day resting, tidying the house, and putting together an emergency backpack in case I had to run out.

The backpack is a camping backpack. I packed in it: a map, Dudley's tent, two flashlights and some batteries, a one-liter water bottle already full, a small first aid kit, Dudley's coat that was bigger and warmer, some of my clothes that I bought with Hermione, some biscuits and dried fruit, and a hunting knife that my uncle uses when he goes fishing. And that's all I can think of that would be needed in this situation.

After I had sorted things out, I sat on my bed with Dudley's computer, looking for more information. I was so immersed in the research that I almost didn't notice a small red box appear on the carpet next to my bed. When I realized what had happened, I put down the computer and slowly approached the box.

As soon as I got closer, I looked at it closely, searching for something that would tell me if it was something that would hurt me, but nothing happened. The box didn't move from its place or make any noise, so I picked it up and sat on the bed, opening it. The box was much bigger than it looked, and it contained some letters and two small bags.

Surprised, I picked up the letters. The first card had the Gringotts symbol; the others were letters from Hermione and one from Ron. Out of curiosity, I decided to read the Gringotts one first.

"Dear customer, this is a standard emergency letter. In view of recent events, ministries worldwide are providing carte blanche so that all teenagers/children capable of producing magic are free to use it in case of emergency. In other words, if you perform magic outside of school, you will not be penalized. Stay safe!

Kind regards,
Your trusted bank, Gringotts."

This was a surprise! I never thought that the wizarding world would allow the use of magic outside of school. But when you think about it, things must be pretty bad out there.

Setting the letter aside, I picked up Hermione's letter, dated yesterday.

"First day of the Outbreak

Dear Harry, I found out why you don't answer me; the letters are being intercepted. I've already resolved that, so the letters will be sent by Gringotts. Along with the letters, I put some books, some potions and ointments in case you need them, and food from Mrs. Weasley. The letters cannot be answered, but we are fine and going to Hogwarts.

We are going there because things here are not good. The numbers of infected people have tripled in the last twenty-four hours, and Diagon Alley has been closed and can only be accessed through Gringotts, where the goblins allow us to pass.

I tried to talk to Teacher Dumbledore to bring you here, but he keeps saying you're safer wherever you are.

I hope to change your mind.

Signed,
Your best friend, Mione"

Anger consumed me. Why the hell does Teacher Dumbledore think I'm safe here? He must have some kind of problem! How would I be safe with Muggles who hate magic and infected people running around? Holy crap.

Taking a deep breath, I started to read the next letters.

"A week before

Dear Harry, where are you?

Teacher Dumbledore said you went traveling with your relatives. I know you would never agree to this willingly, but I know you have no choice. I hope they are not mistreating you.

How are you feeling? Have you been eating? I wanted to be with you, at least that way I know you wouldn't have the chance to deceive me.

Signed,
Your best friend, Mione"

| Two days later

Harry, you brat, why don't you answer me? I'm starting to get worried! Ron says maybe your relatives are confiscating the letters, I hope that's it and you're not ignoring me.

Signed: Your very angry best friend, Mione |

| Four days before the outbreak

Harry mate, I hope you're okay, Hermione and I are worried!

She thinks you are ignoring her; I said it wasn't possible that maybe your relatives are being the usual idiots. She didn't really believe it.

In any case, take care and respond as soon as you can!

Signed: Your favorite Weasley, Ron |

| Three days before the outbreak

Dear Harry, I don't know what I did to you, but I moved to Ron's house with my parents. Things in Muggle London are not going well; many outbreaks of this disease are happening.

Mrs. Weasley sent you a kiss and hugs and is asking if you are taking care of yourself. The twins are saying they have new things to show you from the store, but they will do it in person. Mr. Weasley sends his regards. Ginny still hasn't given up on her feelings, but at some point she will move on and forget you.

With love, Mione |

Smiling, I put down the last letter. It's good to see that they care and that even though I couldn't respond, they didn't give up. It makes me feel so loved, and that's good.

Digging into the box, I take out the three books: one on herbology that talks about both magical and Muggle plants from all over the world, one on potions and healing ointments, and one on spells. I put them next to me on the bed. Then, I take a small bag with the Aesculapius stick drawn on top. Opening it, I see several bottles and pots. Closing it again, I take the last bag and open it to see some containers and bottles with food and drinks, all of which are still hot and cold. Smiling happily, I take one of the containers marked "Chicken Pie" and an orange juice.

While I read the spell book looking for something that would help me, I flip through the pages and find some spells that would be more useful at the moment:

Capacious Extremis

Which allows me to enlarge and modify the interior of objects.

Protegum Totallum

It creates a protective area that doesn't allow anyone to enter. I don't know if it will be useful against those infected, but it will be useful against people.

Lepor atmosphaericus

It adapts to any place with the climate I want, this will be very useful in the winter, and now in the heat of Georgia.

Cave Enimicum

It creates a kind of bubble that prevents anything from seeing, hearing, or smelling whoever is inside.

Engorgio and Reducio

They allow me to scale things up and down.

Finishing eating, I put the bowl on the bedside table and start practicing the spells. I decided to start with the spacing one. After some failed attempts, I finally managed to modify a backpack that was in my room.

I spent some time practicing all the spells until I was sure I could do them without exploding something. At the end of it all, I ended up with a cool house and a suitcase full of compartments and the spell that would make it light as a feather, some air-conditioned us. In which I put the food I hadn't saved and the others with some things from around the house. As I can't carry a suitcase around, I shrunk it and put it on a chain around my neck. I decided not to touch the backpack I had packed because of the Muggles. I also decided that I would only use my magic in cases of extreme importance. I am fully aware of what Muggles are capable of doing with what they don't understand.

Something that wizards should understand and not be so careless...

Chapter Text

Atlanta Central Hospital/First Day of Outbreak

The hospital was in chaos, with people running everywhere, including the Dursley family who fought for care. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley tried at all costs to get someone to treat their son, even resorting to confrontation with others present, much to the displeasure of everyone involved.

One of the soldiers, stationed to ensure civilian safety in the hospital, was patrolling near the reception when he heard shrill screams. He rushed to the reception and found a nurse being brutally thrown to the floor by Vernon Dursley, who was shouting for his son to be attended to, while his wife held the child.

The soldier, witnessing the scene, felt his blood boil. Approaching the man, he pushed him away from the nurse and stood between them, observing as the man's face turned red with anger before he began shouting at the soldier. Enraged, the soldier pointed his gun at him, ordering him to move away. Other soldiers, hearing the commotion, approached, forcing Vernon to retreat and leave the hospital. The soldier then relaxed, helped the nurse to her feet, and returned to his patrol.

The Dursley family was compelled to leave the hospital without care and faced chaos on the streets of Atlanta. Some people ran frantically, while others tried to protect themselves from the infected. The Dursleys looked around in panic as they got into their car and started driving back to the cabin. They were so distracted that they didn't notice a runaway truck coming towards them until it was too late...

Parallel to this, wizards tried to defend themselves in every way possible, barricading themselves in their homes and schools with magical security protections. Magical creatures sought refuge in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

The wizards didn't fully comprehend what was happening. Those who were bitten or somehow infected were taken by their relatives to their homes, leaving other residents to suffer the consequences of their actions.

Wizards living in the Muggle world suffered the most. Among them, those lacking the security of magical properties or unable to access the shelters provided by the ministries had to rely on their magic for protection. This led to astonishment and fear among Muggles, who attacked them "in defense," resulting in unnecessary deaths worldwide.

Chapter Text

Sleeping has never been easy for me. I've never been able to actually fall asleep since I started studying at Hogwarts. Constantly being the target of assassination attempts does that to you.

But that brings us to now. I'm lying in my bed, looking at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It's not long before sunrise. The silence of the house is filled with the sound of a few birds singing outside, making me sigh internally and sit up in bed.

Well, let's start the day then...

Some time later...

I had already taken a shower and had coffee, and now I'm meditating a little. Meditation was a habit I acquired with Remus, something that helps me a lot to think and organize my feelings about what I need.

I still have no idea what happened to my relatives. That means they are possibly dead. I have no idea how I should feel about that fact, but whether I like it or not, Petunia and her son are the only direct blood relatives I have left.

Okay Harry, enough thinking. I have to concentrate on my meditation...

Three days later...

It's been three days since it all started, and not much has happened here. Well, until this morning at least...

Everything started normally. I got up early, checked my protections, meditated, and trained spells until noon. Then I ate and counted my food supplies until it started.

First, several planes flew over the house toward the city. Then came the noise. Then came the tremors that made me run under the table until everything stopped, leaving me there horrified, thinking about how stupid human beings are, in short (no offense to those who are smart). Needless to say, I threw up all my lunch again on the kitchen floor.

It breaks my heart to think of all the uninfected people coming to an end so suddenly.

This is sad, very sad.

Hot tears bathe my face as I curl into my cold body.

Humanity is terrible...

Chapter Text

Five weeks have passed since the world went into a frenzy of death and chaos, these long weeks have been hell, infected people have shown up more often than I would like on my doorstep, forcing me to get rid of them as I am alone. I used my magic to get rid of them, in this way I ended up discovering that the head is their place of weakness, which made everything easier, but as I can't depend on my magic if I decide to be with other people (which I'm going to do, I can love the silence lately, but this is not very healthy)  I decided to use a transfiguration spell to make a very sharp and difficult to break sword, the sword is a wakizashi its blade is a little smaller than a katana, I needed some time to practice, but it turns out well for me.

At this moment I'm on the road towards the city, which is why I ran out of food a day ago, I only had a few cookies left, in short I'll have to venture out, specifically in the city of Atlanta since there are no houses near the cabin and the city are closer than children's summer camp.

It's so hot that the shirt I'm wearing is sticking to my skin because of the sweat, it doesn't help that I'm carrying my backpack, not that it's heavy (I have a spell to make it light, but not so much in case someone picks it up) it's the fact that it warms my back, I just wanted a little rain....

Holy crap.

A few seconds of walking, and out of nowhere, a heavy rain started, I had to run and hide in the trees, so my things wouldn't get so wet, and I cooled off in the rain then I stayed under the tree waiting for it to pass, it didn't take long, but it still rained enough, I changed my clothes as I was wearing one of Dudley's clothes, I simply threw it away and continued my journey, luckily I didn't find anyone infected, this allowed me a smooth and quick journey.

The city's highway was quite quiet, until I reached the city center, there were some infected people on the street making me walk through the alleys to avoid them, I entered a door in one of the alleys, turning on my flashlight, I observed the place that ended up being a small grocery store.

How lucky!

I smile, closing the door behind me and lightly tapping the wall with the tip of the flashlight and waiting a few minutes to see if it was empty, when nothing happened I took out my wand and cast the Incendio Tria spell that creates blue flames, I do a small fire floats next to me as I take my backpack off my back and hold it in my hand, starting to look at the shelves.

I managed to find some cans of beans, some bales of water and soft drinks, cans of soup and biscuits. I took two of the four bales of water from those little ones and one of the two bales of soda cans, I put them in my suitcase after filling my water bottle which was half full, I put a can of soup and a can of beans in my backpack, and they kept the rest in my suitcase along with the cookies, I didn't take everything because there are people who might need it too, there's not just me out there so if anyone needs it, it will be here.

After tidying up everything I put out the fire and went out the side of the building, my next stop would be the pharmacy on the other side of the street, it would be difficult, there were five infected people on the street and I didn't want their attention, much less the others I saw in the other alleys.

I should have brought my invisibility cloak!

Sighing, I pick up a rock from the ground and throw it with all my strength into a trash can, barely missing it. I wait a few minutes for the infected to leave and run as quietly as possible, barely managing to complete my objective.

How lucky I am that the door is open and there's nothing inside, and the door closes without any squeaky noise.....

The answer is none.

The door was locked, I was forced to use magic to open it.

There were two infected people in pharmacy uniforms inside, I managed to deal with them, cutting one's head in half and piercing the other's.

And the door closed with an annoyingly loud noise, leaving me trapped there with the five infected trying to get in.

As Hermione says, “Potter luck is amazing!”

But other than that, getting the medicines was easy, again I didn't get everything except for the sweets I got them all, the years of being deprived of the paradise of cavities spoke louder in my ears.

I ended up spending the night at the pharmacy, the infected at the door attracted a few more and I didn't want to face them in the dark.

I fell asleep with the blue flames glowing around the place.........

Chapter Text

~I was in the veil room at the ministry, around me my friends were casting spell after spell at the death eaters, Sirius was dueling next to me with one of the masked men until Bellatrix shrill laughter echoed in my ears, her mockery falling into mine ears as I screamed in Lupin arms as my godfather fell into the darkness of the Veil ~

I wake up shaking, bile stuck in my throat, sweat runs down my face along with my tears, it's been a while since I dreamed about this, I always wake up feeling bad and I wake up screaming, this made my relatives furious for the rest of the day, luckily I I didn't scream, it would be bad if I had.

I sigh and get up from the sleeping bag and ball it up and put it back in my backpack, then I go to the bathroom, pee and wash my face and glasses to get rid of the little blood stains on the lens that I hadn't seen the night before. , using my blouse to dry it I walk in blind steps to my backpack and sit on the floor after putting on my glasses.

I start to put away the things I had taken and take the opportunity to grab a packet of cookies that I eat quickly before leaving.

When leaving the pharmacy the hot air makes me shiver with discomfort, I miss the English climate, it would be cool there now, it's not even ten in the morning and I already feel like I'm going to melt.

But there's no point in complaining so much, it won't make any difference now, even if I wanted to I can't go back, not without a portkey.

There are few infected people on the street, I think they dispersed during the night, which is good, it makes me safer to walk around, not that I do it openly as Moody says "constant vigilance". As incredible as it may seem, I follow this, even if they think "wow, Potter is a delinquent, he doesn't listen to anything they say to him blah blah" bunch of annoying gossips, especially that blonde from the daily prophet.

I was looking for something worth picking up until I passed a clothing store with broken doors, shrugging my shoulders I entered, stepping carefully on the broken glass. The store was a little messy with clothes hangers thrown on the floor, some bodies and three infected people in the middle of the store, who, when they saw me, growled and started to advance towards me. Deciding not to risk it, I remove my wand from the holster Sirius had given me and launch three simultaneous bombs, blowing up all three's heads.

Brain matter spread throughout the place, making me wrinkle my nose in disgust as I put away my wand. Looking more closely around the place, I start to sort out the clothes, taking some shirts and jeans, a leather jacket and a pair of jeans, two thick fabric sweatshirts and a thinner coat, I put the jackets in the suitcase along with the two sweatshirts and some of the shirts and pants I picked up, I replaced Dudley's clothes with the ones I picked up, leaving the ones I bought with Mione on top of them, then I moved on to the underwear and socks section, taking some and distributing them between the backpack and the suitcase, doing that I I organize and put everything away and get ready to leave. Well, I was going to leave until I saw a pair of silver bracelet with emerald stones on the jewelry display stand, and I decided to take them to give to Mione when I see her again. I put it in a box and put it in my backpack ready to go.

I was already at the door of the store watching the street to see if it was safe to go out, until I heard screams coming from inside the store I was in, frowning I went in again looking around trying to identify the location of the screams, but they stopped.

— It must be my mind playing tricks on me! I ruffle my hair and turn to leave until a loud thump echoes through the store making me run towards the noise, finding a staircase that should lead to the terrace, I quickly climb it and end up finding a door closed by a chain with three infected throwing himself at her.

Panting, I take advantage of the fact that I haven't been noticed yet and draw my sword and make quick blows, eliminating them. Seeing their bodies fall now really lifeless I drag them away from the door and analyze the padlock.

Did they arrest someone here? It would have been very cruel if they had done so.

I take my wand and use alohomora to open the lock and wait for her quickly and open the door.....

The vision I see is cruel, a man is handcuffed to a pipe in the hot sun trying to saw off his own hand.

Eyes widening in amazement, I drop the backpack on the ground and run up to the man, removing the saw from his trembling hand. The man looks at me with wide eyes, as if he doesn't believe I'm real.

— Holy shit, I ask for help and you send me a skinny boy! The man screams to the sky.

I look at him, crossing my arms irritated.

— Well, the skinny kid just stopped you from ripping your own hand off and suffering blood loss. I speak petulantly and the man looks at me before laughing.

He laughs so hard his breath hitches before his eyes roll back and his head falls back into the hot pipe leaving me worried.

Damn, that was all I needed right now!

Approaching the man I check if he is breathing, seeing that he had just passed out, I sigh and take my wand unlocking the handcuff and check the cut on his arm.

It doesn't look very deep but there's a lot of blood running out, I'll have to fix that, but first I have to get him out of the sun.

— Dude, you couldn't have fainted after I let you go. Snorting, I grab him under the arms and drag him through the door, leaving him in the shadows.

So I take the first aid kit out of my backpack and clean the wound, unfortunately he needs stitches and I don't know how to do that, but I still sew his skin and bandage it, putting just a little bit of the ointment that Mione sent me, just so as not to run the risk of the stitches opening too quickly. Once that was done I examined the man, his skin seemed a little hot and was a little red and checking his temperature he really had a fever probably because of heatstroke, this made me angry as to why they would leave him unprotected and trapped.

Taking a bowl I use aguamenti to conjure up fresh water and use a cloth to wipe the man's hands, neck and face to lower his temperature before he gets worse......

~Some time later~

I spent a few minutes lowering the strange man's temperature, and he still showed no signs of waking up. In that time I placed two bottles of water next to him along with a packet of biscuits, and left him there and sat on the stairs leaning against the wall. in a way that you can see him if he tries something funny, my things were even two steps down, I'm not going to immediately trust a stranger even though I helped him.

Now I'm listing the places I had gone to in the city, to possibly return, having gotten a map that has the shops and restaurants listed helps with this, apart from the map of the region that I had in the cabin, I would have to find a way to get back home , maybe if I can find a magical district I can get a book on portkeys or get a pre-programmed one.

While circling some areas that might have magical districts, I hear a low growl, making me look towards the man who was sitting looking around, his eyes stopped on my face and his eyes widened slightly.

— Holy shit, so you weren't a hallucination. He talks and laughs as I fold the map and put it in my notebook.

—Do I seem like a hallucination to you? I question crossing my arms.

— Not at all, boy. He gets up, leaning against the wall. — anyway, I'm leaving, I have some stupid people to beat and a brother to find. He steps over my legs and goes down the stairs.

— Seriously, not even a thank you? I get up with a huff.— and to think that with the end of the world people would be more grateful. I grumble and take the bottles of water and biscuits, and put away the other things I took. - You just woke up, you have heatstroke and you haven't eaten or drunk water in a while, you're going to end up killing yourself out there!

When I look ahead the man is standing in front of the stairs looking at me with a stupid smile.

— Now, cutie, don't worry your balls about this, old Merle here won't go down easily. With furrowed eyebrows I push the bottles and the packet of biscuits into his hands.

— I didn't save your life just so you could kill yourself later. I walk past him looking at the store to see if it was free.

I hear a snort and the bottle being opened and its liquid being quickly downed.

— So what is the name of my savior? The mockery in his voice so.

Oh great, another Snape.

Sighing I respond

- Harry Potter.

— Very cute, my name is Merle Dixon. He laughs and starts to leave the store, I follow him silently.

It was a silent consensus that I would accompany him, maybe it's not a good idea, he could be a murderer or a psychopath but it's an opportunity to not be alone anymore...

Chapter Text

Merle seemed to be a strangely quiet and observant person as we walked through the destroyed streets of Atlanta, his steps were like a cat's, silent and careful, we didn't talk even though my throat was literally itching to talk to another human being.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I looked him over meticulously as we walked out of town, and if he noticed my gaze he didn't show it (much to my relief), not that I was interested in him it's just that my old family circumstances made me be more observant with the surrounding people, this protected me sometimes.

Wiping the sweat from my face I follow Merle through the city, he wants to get a car, so we were heading to the parking lot that the guys in his group took to get away.

My curiosity grew stronger as we approached the parking lot, I needed to clear my doubts and satisfy my curiosity.

— So. I speak in a low tone, not wanting to alert the infected of our presence. — What did you do to get stuck on the roof? I glance momentarily before returning to scan the street.

— I threw from the roof at the walkers in the street, and hit a guy. He shrugs as if it were the most normal thing in the world, which made me look at him dumbfounded. — oh don't look at me like that, sweetie, I wasn't that lucid. He enters the parking lot and goes directly to the key box.

—Like this? Do you mean drinks or drugs? . accompany him, keeping watch at the door.

— You got the last one right. He gives a stupid smile and takes a key and leaves.

I stand there looking at his back as he tries to find the right car.

—Are you going to come or not? He says opening a silver SUV.

— I am going! . I walk up to him and get into the passenger side while he starts the car. — What are the people in your group like?

— It's not my group. He says, playing on the radio. — And I don't care about them at all, they're all idiots who think they're in a summer camp. He snorts and dodges an infected person. —We have a queen bitch and her trained dog, be careful with these two they are a pain in the ass.

— Are they that bad? I ask, looking.

— Oh, cutie, you have no idea, they want to boss everyone around while they fuck like rabbits in the forest.

I blink stupidly, I don't think I'll get used to his language anytime soon.

— You've seen them do that, haven't you? I don't need an answer, his disgusted face speaks for him, because of that I have a laughing fit.

— It's good to see that my unhappiness amuses you. He mumbles making me laugh more.

The rest of the trip to the quarry was peaceful, I ended up falling asleep halfway to the sound of the radio and Merle's murmurs........

Temple breaking

When I woke up, Merle had just parked next to some cars.

— Good morning, sleeping beauty! And there's the stupid smile.

— Good morning prince charming! I say seeing his eyebrows twitch in amusement before he opens the car door.

I follow him outside, observing the people there.

Above the trailer there was an elderly man with a shotgun resting on his lap and binoculars in his hand, the man shouted something to a young blonde who was climbing the stairs to the roof of the trailer, the woman's neck turned so quickly towards us which I thought would break her once calm features were now a mixture of relief and fear, the young girl quickly got down and ran towards a group of people she gestured towards us and the others looked before a tall man with a crooked nose. Walk quickly closer.

I moved my gaze to Merle seeing that he had a frown and arms crossed and tense, he looked at me from the corner of his eye, swallowing hard I returned my gaze to the man who was a few steps away from us.

I hope this isn't the guy who trapped him on the roof.

The man approached until he was a considerable distance away from Merle and me.

— Merle, it's good to have you back, man! The guy spoke with a touch of disdain. — your brother and the others went looking for you.

— It's good to be back! The blonde said with sarcasm dripping from his voice. — Well, at least my little brother cares about me. The two stared at each other.

Great they started measuring dick!

I sigh and remove my eyes, which makes the brunette look at me, narrowing his eyes.

— And who is this?

— That's my lovely savior Harry Potter! Merle says putting his arm over my shoulder.

—Hello!. I say nodding slightly, the other man's eyes pass over me, evaluating me, which makes me very uncomfortable.

So much so that I squeeze myself next to Merle, which makes him slide his arm around my back and tighten it around me.

The brunette snorted and stopped looking, he introduced himself and left after giving us a strange look.

Merle chuckled and pulled me across the camp to two tents a little apart, he had me set up mine next to his and then took me to the quarry pond where some women were doing laundry while a man watched and Shane was in the water with a boy.

I was taking a shower behind some rocks, Merle was smoking a little away when the women started screaming, I looked behind the rock and saw Shane on top of the man in the truck beating him while one woman is held down by the others.

I look away from the fight looking at the blonde who was smoking as if nothing was happening.

Where did I end up......

Chapter Text

Now I remembered why I didn't want to be around people, I've been here for half an hour, and I'm going to freak out, it all started after the fight in the lagoon.

After Shane finished beating the man, I finished my shower and accompanied Merle back to camp, there I tried to socialize with other people without being the sarcastic crazy person I saved, and until it worked I managed to make a small friend with Amy and talk a little with his sister Andrea.

Amy is really nice, but her sister is a bit stuck up, but it's not something difficult to deal with, I also talked to Jacqui, the sweet lady, she was questioning if I was okay with being around Merle, according to her, he's not the easiest person to talk to. dealing, which I don't really agree with, people just don't know how to deal with sarcasm and the comments he makes very well.

I even questioned him about the comments he makes about people, and he simply said it's the best way to keep people away, apparently none of the Dixon's are social people, I think it was fate that I found Merle, you know, antisocial tend to meet more people ease.

But back to the main subject, everything was fine, I played with the children and even talked to Carol, I gave her some ointment for the bruise on her face (if she used it on her stupid husband it's a waste) until unfortunately the bee The queen got tired of fighting with her lackey and came to bother me, which is why she saw me handing the ointment to Carol and came to ask about my things.

Irritated snort!

Unfortunately for her and fortunately for me, Merle was nearby, I was defended by an adult who had no obligation to do this for the first time in my life, it was emotional, very emotional, so much so that I hugged Merle's arm showing my gratitude...

He pushed me at the end, barely anything to hurt and left mumbling about little flowers with no balls.

I'm not offended, maybe I should?

Okay, I'm not going to get hung up on that, now as if the queen bee wasn't enough, his lackey came to “talk” about me not being a dead weight for him and the others, but for the others from what I heard he doesn't go for a walk I was in town to pick up some supplies. I answered him calmly, taking all the eloquence that Hermione and Luna had infused into my mind and answered him in those exact words “you have nothing to worry about, I'm quite capable of going into town to pick up some supplies. But I believe there is no need for me to go now, as four people who can carry a weapon effectively are out there leaving some casualties in their protection!” I still had the ability to smile sweetly and say goodbye before he could reason out everything I had said.

I'm sure I heard Merle laugh loud and boisterous from where he was sitting cleaning up some squirrels, people who didn't hear what I said must think he's finally lost his mind.

Other than that the rest of the day was peaceful, until night came...... Damn time I joined a group.

We were around the campfire, talking normally or as normal as one can be in these situations, the night was cold and calm, the group members were exchanging funny stories while warming up, I was a little far away with Amy, she was telling me some things about the school, and Merle was sitting against a tree a few feet away (which I really appreciate, the barely concealed looks I'm getting are freaking me out!). When Amy stood up and Andrea questioned her, my magic fluttered furiously over my skin, making me completely nervous, it reminds me of the feeling I felt when Dudley chased me.

Rubbing my arms to warm up the area I get up and walk over to Merle and sit down next to him, his big booming presence makes me comfortable enough but doesn't take away my nervousness.

Merle noticed my nervousness and questioned me, but before I could explain anything, a stomach-chilling scream ran through the clearing, all the people who were spread around the fire jumped up in fright, drawing my sword and I put myself in attack position.

Looking around I finally see the reason for the scream, one of the survivors of the group ran to the center of the clearing completely bloody, one of her hands was on her neck behind her infected crawled in search of meat, the woman collapses to the ground and is Soon surrounded by the infected, everyone panics, some run like cockroaches running away from death, others try to defend themselves.

I've already lost count of how many heads I've had to hit. Amy is now next to me along with the little girl Sophia, Carol is behind Lori and a few others, in the middle of all the panic and chaos a group of four men arrived. It took until dawn, we had five casualties, luckily Carol's husband's pig along with us.

Now I'm with the kids and Amy in the trailer on Merle's orders, because according to him, I have to rest, and it would be better for me to stay with Amy because of the trauma she must have suffered from being painfully almost killed, I agreed with her and her. First Muggle friend I have, and I will value her friendship for the rest of my life (if she doesn't do anything wrong).

I'm sitting with Sophia, she's lying on my lap while I play with her hair, Sophia is sniffling softly with sadness, Carl is with Amy playing chess, outside the others are removing the bodies.

Time break

The clearing was already completely clean, the bodies of the strangers were burned and those of the group were buried with a small ceremony, now we are trying to decide where we are going, Rick the sheriff and the guy who handcuffed Merle to the roof want to go to the CCD and Shane wants to Go to the Fort Benning refugee center, both options seem like shit, but I don't have much to say since I've only been here for a day, and I honestly don't want to get involved in their leadership dispute.

Sighing I lean against Merle's truck and observe the situation from afar, Merle and his brother Daryl were talking in a corner a little away.

Speaking of Daryl, I don't have much to say about him, we talked a little after the funeral, and he thanked me for saving his brother, actually it was more like grunting and nodding, but it was actually nice I think it was a good At first, it would be strange for me to get along with his brother and for him to hate me.

Tired of just watching people argue, I go back to the trailer and sit down with Sophia and Carl to draw with them.

This will take time.........

Chapter Text

After a few minutes of discussion, it was decided that we will go to the CCD first and as a last resort Fort Benning, a couple that I didn't talk to, decided to go after some relatives with their children, it's a shot in the dark, but I understand that they need it.

After packing all our things, we distributed them to the cars, the distribution looked like this, Dale, Glen, Jim and Jaqui in the trailer, T-dog, Amy and Andrea in his car, Shane went in his jeep, the Grimes family along with Carol and Sophia in their car and me with Daryl and Merle who will join us if he gets tired of riding the bike, I asked him if I could go with him, but he said no (I definitely didn't pout) so I just got in the truck when he started the motorcycle and accelerated in outrage.

And now I've been exchanging half looks with Daryl for half an hour without knowing what to say, it's always like this I look at him, and he looks at me from the corner of his eye and I look away, then he looks at me and looks back at the road.

It's so strange, I was able to talk normally to Merle (it helped that he's a foul mouth and really speaks his mind) but Daryl is so closed off that I have no idea how to bring up a subject, one day I'll have the courage...

It didn't take long actually, after the trailer stopped three hours into the trip.

It started like this....

I had my head pressed against the window of the truck when Merle signaled for us to stop.

Daryl stopped the car on the side of the road, along with the others, the reason for the interruption of our trip soon became visible, the trailer apparently had a problem with the carburetor hose, and it became bad again.

Whatever that means, no I don't know what a carburetor is, I didn't have anyone to teach me about cars and I didn't see much need to learn since I would be permanently in the wizarding world after school.

— is there a way to fix it? I ask Merle who was tinkering with the trailer.

— Not without a new hose, I can try to make it last until we get to the CCD. He says wiping his hands on a flannel.

Rick who came to our side with Shane sighed frustrated.

—Would my jeep hose work? Shane asked a brief look of displeasure crossing his face.

—It would be a temporary option, but it's better than the hose that's here. Merle says, leaning against the trailer.

—How long until it's ready? The Sheriff asks adjusting his hat.

—an hour maybe more. Biker says scratching his stubble.

—There's time to get some things, we're low on water and gasoline. Shane says pulling Rick away.

— right, right!. I hear Rick mutter as he walks.

Merle laughs softly and starts fiddling with the carburetor.

—Give me the pliers, cutie. Merle asked me pointing to the toolbox near my foot.

I reach down and pick up the pliers and hand them to him.

— Would you like anything else? I question wiping the beads of sweat off my face.

— No, I'm going to take the hose out of the jeep and install it here and everything is ready. He says scratching his chin with his thumb, making me laugh because he got grease on his face. — What are you laughing at? He looks at me with half-slitted eyes and I point to his finger, snorting, he rubs his thumb on my cheek, tracing a line with grease.

— Hey! I look at him indignantly.

— Isn't that funny? He mocks and I stick my tongue out at him, and he laughs. — Oh, how manly. I hit him on the arm making him laugh, this attracts the attention of the other members of the group including his brother who comes close to us smoking a cigarette.

— Control your laughter Merle, otherwise you will attract zombies from all over the forest. He says leaning next to me.

— Darlinda, you have no sense of humor. Merle scoffs, taking out his cigarette.

I laugh as Daryl rolls his eyes.

— Whatever, the friendly cop and the lackey plan to go to the gas station to see if there's anything useful. Snorting Merle throws the cigarette butt away.

— It means they want you to go and look!

— Exactly, they want me to go with Shane and one other person, I was going to call you but you're busy.

— Hmm. Merle is silent for a while.

Seeing where this was going I start to wander away to get into the trailer.

—Take the cutie with you! I can feel your malicious look and stupid smile in the air.

I turn around slowly with an irritated look, all I want to do is be close to Shane.

— We leave in three minutes. Daryl speaks and leaves, I follow him unwillingly and casting angry glances towards Merle.

Idiot he pays me! I'm going to make his hair blue and his skin green.

Tightening the hem of my wakizashi, I approach Shane alongside Daryl, the ex-officer looks at me strangely before picking up his backpack and starting to walk to the gas station.....

A few minutes of walking, and I'm already dripping with sweat, the Georgia heat is really overwhelming, I don't know how Rick can handle being in that hot uniform. It's a mystery that I will discover someday, if I have the courage to ask.

Speaking of the sheriff, I hope Merle doesn't try to kill him if he gets angry, it would be a problem if he was expelled (I would go with him without thinking twice!) I don't want to leave the kids and Amy behind.

Taking a deep breath, I stop next to Daryl who was in front of the gas station, Shane who was a few meters away from us started to touch the gas pumps which by a miracle were still full.

I thank Merlin for that.

— Hey, while I fill up the gallons, go take a look inside! . Shane says filling a gallon.

— Right! . I nod as Daryl groans heading to the store.

— Open the door, I'll go ahead! He positions himself with the crossbow raised, and I open the door slowly after knocking on the glass.

He enters after nothing comes out, and I go after him with my sword drawn, inside the store it was dark but not so dark, the inside of the place stank of rot and there were flies hanging around the place, with a disgusted face I walk around Be careful in the establishment in case something tries to surprise me, by chance I end up discovering the origin of the bad smell, it came from the bathroom, in which a body was on the floor with its head blown off.

— close that door! . Daryl says pushing me to the side and closes it. — don't stare too long, if you faint I won't carry you back. He says and walks away. — take what you can, we won't be here long! . He said, starting to fill the bag he was carrying.

Was it just me or did he indirectly care about me?

I move robotically around the store filling the bag with canned food and cookies, sodas and chocolates for the kids, Daryl put everything he could find including the cigarettes that were behind the counter and a bottle of what looked like whiskey.

I will never understand how people like cigarettes, and before you ask, yes I have smoked, the Weasley twins are not a good influence.

They would always take me on some crazy adventure of theirs, which could be a new experiment, a prank or going to the forbidden forest at dawn to get drunk and look at the stars, we had been doing this since the beginning of my second year, and they wouldn't let me drink, even my first kiss was with them, they are in the plural. It was strange but it was good.

But that's not the point now, what matters is that I get out. Of this stinking place.

— I finished! . I say closing the bag, Daryl grunts in recognition (a man of few words) and leaves the store, I soon follow him.

Outside Shane was waiting for us, son of a bitch not even ready to help us. Huffing I begin to follow the men back to where we left off.

The walk back is quicker than when we left, arriving at the cars I hand out some cookies and soft drinks to people and some chocolates to Carl and Sophia who hug me before sitting on the steps of the trailer to eat.

When I finish delivering the things I put the bag in the trailer and Amy follows me to talk a little, since Merle was checking out his bike, I'm still upset that he didn't let me ride it, but I'm still going to do it anyway. That a few upset looks and some sulking won't solve.

Talking to Amy is nice, she's an intelligent and fun girl, unlike her sister who is serious and thinks she's a little bit, it's not that difficult to deal with her even though sometimes she looks at me the wrong way, I think she thinks I want her stay with her sister, oh if she knew the truth, she would probably be embarrassed.

(....)

A few minutes later we were heading towards the CCD again, the rest of the trip was peaceful.

When we arrived in front of the laboratory the place was very deserted, bodies were scattered on the floor, ambulances and police cars were abandoned there, this should have been a divine warning to leave but as always human pride is greater than instincts.

Even though I didn't want to, I was forced to get out of the truck and go to the laboratory door.

I stood next to Merle and Daryl looking around while Rick and Shane tried to get someone's attention, it was more like Rick trying Shane was trying to convince Rick to leave, this just made the ex-sheriff get angry and yell at him and continue calling out to whoever was inside, the other members of the group started to get hysterical which attracted the infected to us, forcing us to kill them, I was so focused on protecting the children that I didn't really understand what happened next just I know Daryl grabbed my arm and dragged me into the lab.

Well Rick wasn't delusional so the camera actually moved!

I think watching the man standing in front of us holding a shotgun......

Chapter Text

When we entered the CCD, we were greeted by a man with a gun in hand, his face bearing a serious expression, his eyes shrouded in a haze of pain and madness. Needless to say, I don't trust him one bit. It's not the same distrust I feel with Snape, but it's not as bad as the one I feel with the older Malfoy, but it's still there as an unbearable reminder.

As Rick conversed with the scientist, he glanced around as if assessing us. I felt like meat in a butcher shop. You might think, "Harry, you're exaggerating." No, I'm not. Years of being ostracized and constantly pursued have helped me develop a sense of people, which has been very useful over time. But even if I'm a bit paranoid, it would take a fool not to notice how strange this scientist is, and I really hope the others aren't fools.

Dr. Jenner told us to run if we wanted to grab our things because if the doors closed, they wouldn't open again.

Things that make the doctor a disguised psychopath:

Locking up his victims.

Mentally noting, I followed Daryl, who for some reason didn't let go of me, to get our things from the pickup truck. I don't think he even realized he was holding onto me; if he had, he would have let go by now.

When we returned inside the lab, Jenner yelled for someone to close all the doors and cut the power to that floor, and he led us to the elevator. According to him, the condition for us to stay was him drawing our blood for analysis. We agreed, of course, but this place gives me bad vibes.

Seriously, what scientist carries a gun inside a laboratory?

It seems Daryl had the same train of thought as me, but he had the courage to voice it.

"Do doctors always carry guns around here?" he asked, leaning against the elevator wall.

"Plenty of guns lying around, and I've gotten used to them!" he said, turning to us. "But you all seem harmless," he looked at Carl. "Except you, I'll have to keep an eye on you!" he joked, making Carl laugh.

Weird guy!

Things that make the doctor a disguised psychopath:

Locking his victims ✓

Deceiving his victims by pretending to be a good guy ✓

Soon the elevator stops, and we step out of it.

"Are we in the basement?" Carol asks, slightly out of breath. You can see in her eyes her desire to leave that place.

"Are you claustrophobic?" the doctor asks, walking down the long white corridor.

"A little!" Carol replies, somewhat nervous.

"Try not to think about it," the doctor says, briefly looking back.

He, apparently, is terrible at comforting people.

We walk for a few more minutes until we reach zone five.

"Welcome to zone five," the doctor says, entering the large room.

"Where is everyone? The doctors, the other staff?" Rick asks, stepping into the room. As we followed him, I observed the deserted and cold place.

"It's just me, I'm the only one left here," Dr. Jenner replies, standing amidst the scattered computers in the room.

"What about the person you were talking about?" Lori asks.

It's a valid question, but it's also a little silly. It's clear that the place is completely empty.

"It's probably a robotic assistant!" I respond, leaning my head on Merle's arm, shielding myself from the discomfort, while Lori and the others look at me as if I'm stupid.

"You're right!" Dr. Jenner laughs and says. "V, say hi to our guests, tell them welcome!"

"Hello, guests, welcome!" The robotic voice fills our ears as everyone looks around in amazement.

"I'm all that's left," he says, watching as the faces of my companions fall with disappointment. "I'm so sorry!" he finishes somewhat reluctantly.

After that, we walked to a room to have our blood drawn.

"Who's going first?" Jenner asks, putting on sterilized gloves.

A moment of silence falls over us as we look at each other, until Merle gets impatient.

"Oh, for God's sake!" Merle exclaims irritably. "I will, you cowardly little shits" he says, dropping the backpack at my feet and approaching the doctor who was waiting not so patiently.

The order went like this:

1. Merle
2. Daryl
3. Rick
4. Shane
5. Carol
6. T-dog
7. Glen
8. Dale
9. Amy
10. Jacqui
11. Jim
12. Lori, followed by Carl and Sophia
13. Me, and lastly, Andrea, who was now getting her blood drawn totally indignant with the situation.

"Why bother? If we were infected, we'd have a fever!" she says.

"I've already broken all the rules in the manual by letting you in here, so let me at least be cautious," he says, removing the blood vial. "There you go." He applies an alcohol-soaked cotton ball to the needle wound, and Andrea gets up, supported by Jacqui. Andrea's face was pale, and it seemed like she was about to collapse at any moment, if it weren't for Jacqui holding her up. "Are you okay?" the doctor asks with a hint of concern in his voice.

"She hasn't eaten in days, none of us have," Jacqui replies, and I can see Jenner take a deep breath.

Well, Jacqui exaggerated a bit. I've been sharing a lot of food supplies with them sporadically when I go out alone to scavenge some houses or stores, but without giving myself away.

"Come with me," Jenner says, getting up after storing the blood vials.

He walks with us to the dining area, telling us to make ourselves at home. The women started cooking, while the men tidied up the place. Doctor Jenner disappeared somewhere, probably to store the blood in a secure location.

I sincerely hope my blood doesn't show anything abnormal. I don't know how wizard blood reacts to Muggle chemical components.

But well, dinner was soon ready, and we all sat at the table, including the scientist. The atmosphere is pleasant; all the adults were drinking and laughing cheerfully as if the world wasn't a mess.

"You know, in Italy, children drink a little wine with dinner, and in France too!" Dale says, handing Lori a glass of wine.

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some!" Lori says before taking a sip of wine.

"It won't hurt, just let him, let him," Rick says, slightly tipsy. Lori looks at him and then laughs, letting Dale pour some wine into the child's glass.

"Here you go, kid!" Dale says, handing him the glass.

"Ew!" Carl says with a disgusted face, eliciting laughter from all of us. "It tastes bad."

"That's my boy." Lori pours the wine from his glass into hers.

"Stick to soup, kid," Shane says, chuckling lightly.

"Not you, Glen," Daryl says, pointing to the youngest.

"What?" The Asian guy questions, laughing.

"Keep drinking, kid, I want to see your face all red!" Daryl says, filling his glass, while everyone laughs.

"And what about you, Harry, not gonna drink?" Amy asks playfully by my side.

"No, I'd rather spare myself the hangover pain," I say, sipping orange juice.

"Don't be a pussy, sweetheart!" Merle says in his usual charming way, grabbing a bottle of wine and pouring a bit into a glass. "Just a little won't hurt you," he says, raising the glass towards me. I sigh resignedly and take the glass. "That's it, cutie!" Merle laughs, patting my back.

Actually, the reason I don't want to drink is that I ended up completely wasted after the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. The twins managed to smuggle in some bottles of liquor, and I grabbed one and headed to the Black Lake while everyone was partying in the common room. Viktor Krum found me, also escaping from his classmates' celebration. It turned out he stayed to drink with me, and we found out that I'm a lightweight when it comes to alcohol and a cheeky pervert. We drank the whole bottle, and then the night was a blur. I woke up in Viktor's room on the ship, our naked bodies entwined and a hellish hangover. When we recovered from the hangover, we talked, and it turned out we became friends with benefits. The last time I saw him was before leaving with the Dursleys. After that, I promised myself I wouldn't drink like that again, it's better for my mental sanity.

The atmosphere was great, aside from the fact that the scientist had a sour expression. Rick seems to have noticed this, as he stood up tapping lightly on his glass.

"I don't think we properly thanked our host!" he says, catching everyone's attention.

"He's much more than our host," T-dog says, raising his glass, followed by the others murmuring cheers.

Doctor Jenner watched everything with a slight smile on his face, raising his glass along with us.

The mood improved a bit, but like the big idiot he is, Shane decided to question Jenner.

"So, when are you gonna tell us what happened here, doctor, huh? All the other doctors who were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?" Shane, in his infinite wisdom, asks, totally ruining the peaceful atmosphere.

"We're celebrating, Shane," the former sheriff says, sitting down. "We don't need to do this now!"

"Oh, wait a minute, isn't that why we're here, huh? It was your decision to come here for answers." He says mockingly. "But we ended up finding only him, we found one man. Why?"

An uncomfortable silence settles in the room, until the doctor audibly breathes before speaking.

"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people left, went to be with their families." He sighs. "And when things got worse, when the military got wiped out, the rest fled." He says without enthusiasm.

"Everybody fled?" The brute opens his mouth again.

"No, not everyone had the courage to escape through the door, they simply gave up. There was a wave of suicides," he says, and the atmosphere in the room gets heavier than it already was. "It was a bad time."

"You didn't leave, why?" Andrea asks.

"I stayed working, hoping to do some good!" The doctor says, and Andrea nods understandingly.

"You know what, you're a buzzkill, man," Glen says, sitting down near us.

This quiet guy is a poet; honestly, I should have glued his mouth shut with the pipe glue I have in my backpack.

Chapter Text

The rest of the dinner was horrible, the tense atmosphere was felt even by the children. At the end of dinner, Dr. Jenner led us down another hallway.

“Most of the facility is shut down, including the living quarters,” he says, walking down the hallway. “You're going to have to make do around here. The sofas are comfortable, but there are beds in storage if you want. There is a recreation room at the end of the hallway; Your kids will like it,” he says and turns around.“Just don't turn on the video games, okay? Or anything that consumes energy,” he says to the children, who wave. “Same thing with bathing; handle it in the hot water,” he points to the adults and turns away, leaving.

“Hot water?” Glenn says excitedly.

“That's what the man said!” T-Dog responds equally happily, and I confess that I also share that joy.

I watch with the others as the two men walk away like two children who have been given their favorite candy.

Soon we parted ways to find our rooms. I was picking one near Carol and Sophia when I was pulled over.

“No way, cutie, you're going to stay with me and Darlinda.” Merle carries me like a sack of potatoes under Daryl's watchful eye and Carol's silent laughter.

“But, Merle, I can sleep alone!” I protest, slapping him on the back.

“No way,” he says quickly. “I don’t trust certain people at all!” He says it without naming names, but I know he's talking about a certain crooked-nosed police officer. “Then you'll stay where I can keep an eye on you,” he says, entering the room as I wave to Sophia and Carol, wishing them good night.

Sighing in resignation, I wait for the brute to put me down. Which he does only when Daryl enters the room and closes the door.

“Stubborn brute,” I grumble as I’m placed on the ground.

“I heard!” Merle says, pushing me lightly.

“Great, you were supposed to listen!” I say, sticking my tongue out at him.

“Such maturity, cutie,” he laughs, plopping down on the couch.

“Just because of that, I will take a shower first.” I grab my backpack and enter the room's small bathroom.

Closing the door, I can hear the brothers talking about getting the beds. As I place my backpack on the bathroom, I stop in front of the mirror and look at my pale, slightly thin face. It's not scary, but it is a little worrying. I know this will be more frequent than usual now, but it still scares me. This new world scares me. Not knowing what could happen or what's going on out there is completely terrifying.

Sighing, I remove my glasses and start to undress while looking in the mirror. Some bruises are visible on my skin, because of the constant situations in which I had to get involved in a tight place or fight with an infected person and ended up hurting myself in the process.

Finishing undressing, I go into the shower and turn on the shower with warm water. I think very hot water would make me sick after so long. At the Dursleys' house, I could only take hot showers in the winter, and that made me sick. Already at Hogwarts, I took a hot bath every day, even if I had a cold at first. It sucked, but it was worth it.

Washing my hair calmly with whatever shampoo was there, I rubbed my hair fervently, removing the dirt and dried blood that was there. And how disgusting, the water that ran into the bathroom drain was red because of the blood. I had to wash my hair twice with shampoo and twice more with conditioner to get it completely clean. After that, I start washing my body with a liquid soap that was there, and again the water comes out red because of the dried blood. My body had less blood than my hair, which is incredible considering the facts. Finishing my shower, I dry off quickly, dressing in some clean clothes that I have in my backpack and leaving the bathroom.

Entering the room again, I see three beds set up and the two Dixon's lying on their beds, apparently asleep. Standing in front of the bathroom door, I cross my arms indignantly.

“You’re not thinking about sleeping dirty like that, right?” I ask, watching the two men sigh together before Merle grumbles.

“We’ll take a shower tomorrow, cutie!” He says, turning to the wall.

Huffing, I throw my backpack on the couch.

“No way, Merle Dixon. Go to the bath. I’m not going to sleep next to two smelly drunks!” I poke Daryl with my foot as I throw a pillow at the older Dixon.

Daryl swears under his breath, grabbing my foot as it pokes his ribs and sits up grumbling as he pinches my foot, making me laugh and almost fall over before he stops and lets me go, going to take a shower.

“See, your brother obeys me!” I say, throwing myself at the drunk brute. “You should be like him!”

“My brother is a sissy,” he says, his voice muffled by the pillow.

“Do not say that!” I settle on top of his body, resting all my weight on him. “Don't sleep, Dixon,” I say, pinching his cheek.

“Holy shit, you’re heavy!” He exclaims, trying to knock me down. “Even if I wanted to, it would be impossible to sleep with a hundred and fifty pounds on me,” he says and receives a slap from me.

“I’m not even that heavy.” Clinging to his body to keep from falling, I hear the bathroom door open and Daryl comes out, visibly cleaner, drying his hair. He pauses in the doorway for a moment, taking in the scene in front of him.

“And then I'm the sissy,” he laughs, sitting on the bed as he watches Merle try to knock me down.

“Get off, damn it!” For a moment, I lose control of my hands on Merle's body and end up falling to the ground.

“Ouch, that hurt!” I exclaim, rubbing my head as I hear the two men laugh. “No need for that,” I say, sitting down on the floor.

“You deserved it, little brat;” Merle gets up, patting my head.

I put my hand on my forehead as I watch him stretch and head to the bathroom; At least he's going to take a shower. Rising from the floor, I see Daryl lazily drying his hair. Approaching him, I decide to take the towel from his hands and dry it myself.

Daryl looks at me dumbfounded as I dry his blonde hair, but he doesn't stop;

I dried her hair completely and untangled it with my fingers, and then put the wet towel hanging on the couch, and sat on my bed waiting for Merle to get out of the shower.

He didn't take long and came out completely clean.

“Satisfied, you little shit?” Merle says throwing himself onto his bed.

“Completely!” I say, getting up to turn off the light.

“Good night boys!” I lay down on my bed.

“Good night, brat!” Merle says and Daryl murmurs with his eyes closed.

Beads of sweat run down my skin as I wake up from yet another nightmare. This is nothing new, but after so long I still haven't gotten used to it.

With a sigh, I silently get up, heading to the bathroom to wash my face. I didn't even sleep for an hour properly, I think it was a matter of minutes, but that didn't seem to have stopped the Dixon brothers from falling deeply asleep, so deeply that they didn't notice when I left the room, heading into the silent hallway.

Well, almost silent, if it weren't for the slightly raised voices coming from the recreation room.

And I, like the good gossip that I am, went to the living room, seeing something revolting.

Shane held Lori while trying to kiss her. I was going to interfere, but Lori proved capable of defending herself; she scratched Shane's neck and moved away as he looked at her scared. They argued some more before Shane ran to leave, and I hid in the first dark gap as he passed.

God, this guy is a danger to society.

I hope others notice before something bad ends up happening.

Holding back a shudder, I walk down the deserted, dark hallway. The silence of the place only makes it more frightening. The feeling that something is not right only gets worse; that annoying itch under my skin just makes me nervous.

And honestly, my instincts tell me to clean this place up and get out.

I ended up walking further than I intended, so much so that I stopped in the main room of the laboratory; that timer clock read 05h 43 minutes and 56 seconds. I feel like this is important, very important.

My mind spins with the possibilities of what that is, and my desire to clean the place increases. I decide to listen to my instincts at least once in my life.

Removing my wand from its holster, I cast "Lumos" as I walk through the laboratory, summoning medicines and other things from the rooms I passed, and the food that was in the storeroom, leaving only the food in the kitchen and placing it in the trunk that I enchanted. Once that's done, I go back to the room, going to sleep as much as I can.

In the morning, or what I suspect was morning, the room was silent aside from the light breathing coming from the brutes next to me. I couldn't sleep well; In my dreams, the timer clock tormented me incessantly on a loop throughout the night. That and Merle's snoring, seriously, he snores really loud. I almost put tape over his mouth to see if he would shut up once and for all.

Sighing, I get out of bed, fold the sheets and go to the bathroom to relieve myself, brush my teeth and wash my face. Afterwards, I leave the room and go to the kitchen, determined to make breakfast for the drunks.

In the kitchen, I take powdered eggs from the cupboard with orange juice and sliced ​​bacon. I make a big batch of eggs and bacon and put them on the table along with the jugs of juice.

Little by little, the group members arrived, their faces a variety of tiredness and hangover pain. Glenn, somehow, looked like one of the zombies out there. The worst of all was Shane; the damage Lori did to his neck was clearly visible, and it brought me immense joy.

The last to arrive was Jenner; his face was not good at all, he looked completely tired, his eyes were more haggard than the night before.

We eat in silence until again an idiot decides to end the peace.

“Doctor, I don't want to start the day by filling you with questions,” Dale says awkwardly.

“But go ask,” Jenner sighs tiredly.

“We didn't come here for the eggs,” Andrea says.

“By God, let the man eat at least!” I exclaim with an irritated huff.

“It's okay, your friends just want answers,” Jenner said before gesturing for us to follow him into the main research room.

(I'm going to skip this dialogue directly to the tense part 🤗)

After the scientist's explanation, a harsh truth settled into our bones: there was no cure! At least not by conventional methods.

And, as if it couldn't get any worse, Dale decided to speak again.

“Doctor Jenner, I know this has been difficult, and I hate to ask another question, but...” he hesitated, before pointing to the giant clock. “That clock is ticking backwards; what happens when it hits zero?”

“Well...” he hesitates, “the depot's generators ran out of fuel.” He says and turns to leave.

“And then?” Rick asks, distressed, but gets no response from Jenner. “I've seen what happens if the generators run out of fuel.”

"When the power goes out, there will be decontamination of the facility."

When Vi responded, we all looked at each other in fear; we knew what that meant.

Rick, Shane, Glenn and T-Dog went to the basement to check the fuel canisters. When they returned, they seemed agitated and afraid.

We were in a room where people usually relax, when the air conditioning stopped working and the others invaded the place in terror.

"Quickly, let's get our things!" Rick shouted, grabbing his son and wife's hands. He started running with the two of them towards the rooms, and I and the others ran after them.

I've never been so glad I trusted my instincts and grabbed everything I thought I needed.
I ran to the room with the Dixon brothers, and we grabbed our things before running back to the lab.

'Thirty minutes for decontamination.'

Vi's voice echoed through the silent room.

Daryl, Merle and Shane tried to open the door while Rick tried to reason with Jenner, but the doctor was adamant.

Until I got tired; I wouldn't let children die for a selfish person.

Sighing heavily, I utter a word I never thought I would use in my life:

"Empire," I say in a whisper, my voice coming out breathy and nervous. The doctor's eyes turned milky as the spell settled over his body. "Open the door, doctor. You don't want the children to end up like that, right? Your wife wouldn't want that." Low blow, I know, but I'm not letting Sophia and Carl go without having a choice in this.

The doctor freezes, seeming to fight my words, but I stand my ground, sending waves of magic his way. He sighs, typing the password into the computer, and the door slowly opens.

"I was serious, those doors won't open," he says, sitting down.

"We will find a way!" Rick says.

"Let's go!" Daryl yells running, and I follow him, holding Sophia and Carol's hands. I only have time to see Jim and Jacqui looking at us with regret, and Jenner pulling Rick and whispering something in his ear.

The elevator doors closed slowly. Rick ran with a resigned look; the atmosphere was tense, our heavy breathing sounded through the small space of the elevator.

When the doors finally opened again, we ran outside and tried to break the glass, but it was extremely strong.

"I have something that can help!" Carol shouted, rummaging through her bag.

"I'm sure a nail file won't be useful right now, Carol!" Shane says mockingly as he tries to break the glass with an axe.

Idiot.

"Quiet, Shane!" Rick approaches Carol.

"I found it while I was washing your clothes," Carol pulls out a grenade. "I thought it would be necessary!" She says, handing the grenade to Rick, who blinks as if he's just gotten the best Christmas present.

"Everyone on the floor!" Rick shouts.

And we didn't even question his orders, running away and staying protected. The former sheriff throws the grenade at the large window and runs for cover; within seconds, the window explodes, shattering everywhere. We wasted no time and rushed to leave; there were only a few minutes left before the explosion.

We ran to the cars, taking cover just in time. The noise of the explosion echoed in the street, the ground shook, and as we left, we left behind a large 'mushroom' of fire...

Chapter Text

Harry -Point of view

With every hour that passes I regret having joined these people, don't get me wrong, I like Merle, Amy, Sophia, Carl, Jaqui and Carol (I don't have a very strong opinion about Daryl, but he is totally bearable) but the rest are like ants on a rainy day, running like crazy, a part of me wanted to be like them, but I know the gravity of the situation we are in.

Since the disaster that was the CCD, the group has become more aimless than it already was, as was agreed, if the CCD didn't work out, we would go to the military base and that's what we're doing. But to be honest, it's looking more like a dead end. If Doctor Jenner said the military fell, what guarantees do we have?

I've lost count of how many times we've had to stop to see if we're on the right path, or have to pick up supplies, because the two idiots in charge don't want to stop for a day/two to gather enough supplies for the trip.

Honestly, these people's lack of intelligence worries me, if Hermione were here she would have already freaked out and screamed at them, I know they don't know what to do in this situation, but it's kind of common sense that first you look for shelter, food, and medication, and then see what you'll do next, don't run around like some dizzy cockroaches, the only ones who seem to know what to do are Merle and Daryl, I've seen and see them constantly making escape plans, counting their supplies by making bags of emergency and hunting;

Like now, that Daryl is hunting, I accompanied him after a lot of begging, saying that I was going to keep quiet and that I just wanted to learn how to track and differentiate the tracks of animals, people and zombies. He's not a very talkative teacher and is quite grumpy at times, but I'm learning well. I managed to find a rabbit, which he shot with his crossbow and I swear I saw a smile on his lips, it was very quick, but it was there.

After that, he got some squirrels and another rabbit, and we went back to the temporary camp. I was taught to skin and make jerky with the squirrel meat. We stayed at the temporary camp for a while and then returned to the road.

Surprisingly, we didn’t have any problems, not even the trailer broke down, but as everything good doesn’t last long...

I was in the truck with Merle, while Daryl, outside, was riding the motorcycle, leading the convoy to check the route. Everything was calm; we talked about various things, and he laughed at me for not knowing how to drive. When the convoy started to slow down, I looked at Merle, confused, who was driving. He looked back at me, equally puzzled. We quickly discovered the source of our problem: we were in a car graveyard. We could go back, but the gas was insufficient, so we chose to continue. However, halfway through, we were forced to stop.

“Damn it!” I grumble, grabbing my sword and getting out of the truck.

“Great, I bet it’s the trailer,” Merle says, also getting out of the truck.

“With all that smoke, it’s definitely the trailer,” I walk beside the older man.

As we approach the trailer, we can hear Dale talking to the other group members.

“I told you it wouldn’t last. We were lucky to get this far!” Dale says after looking at the problem in the trailer.

“Can it be fixed?” Rick asks, approaching Lori and Carl.

“It can, but it’s going to take some time.”

It was decided that while Dale and Merle fixed the trailer, the rest would search the cars.

“This is a cemetery... I don’t know how I feel about it!” Lori says, holding Carl’s shoulders.

“You don’t have to feel anything. The world’s a mess; we can’t pass up an opportunity,” I say, staring at the brunette, who gives me a dirty look and walks away with Carol and the kids. Weird woman, she thinks the world is a fairy tale.

Snorting, I approach Merle, who was fiddling with the trailer along with Glenn and Dale.

“Merle, I’m going for a walk in the forest to try to find something.” I lean against the trailer, cleaning my glasses.

“Okay, try not to die, darling,” Merle briefly glances at me before returning to work on the trailer.

“Be careful, son, don’t stay out too late!” Dale says, looking at me with concern.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” Waving goodbye, I grab my side bag, checking if I had everything I needed.

After that, I let Merle know I was leaving and entered the forest. The real reason I wanted to go to the forest is simple: I had to sort out the stuff I had taken from the CDC, and I wouldn’t have another chance to do it except now, so heading into the forest was my best option. As I walked through the forest, I stayed alert to the surroundings. The forest was silent, except for the gentle rustling of leaves swayed by the light breeze.

Georgia’s hot weather can be overwhelming for someone used to England’s climate. My skin is suffering from the sun so much that I have some burn marks, which I’m treating with a healing ointment. I have to remember to thank Hermione for sending those things. Without them, I’d be in bad shape.

Finding a spot away from the road, I finally stopped walking and sat on the ground, casting a Protego Totalum. With a heavy sigh, I removed the necklace from my neck and released the bag, undoing the shrinking spell and returning it to its normal size. I was already mentally preparing myself for the mess that awaited me; after all, I hadn’t organized these things since we left the CDC, and that was almost a week ago. So, it was no surprise to find everything completely disorganized.

---

Daryl’s POV

Since my brother returned with Harry, things have been strange. The way my brother treats Harry with so much trust and protection makes me question what’s going on in Merle’s head. I’m not judging—the kid has something about him that makes us trust him quickly. And in the few times I talked to him for more than five minutes, the topics were interesting. Besides, he learns quickly; he’s not a total mess like other people in the group.

Feeling a tap on my shoulder, I turn around to see Merle with a cigarette in his lips.

“Hope you’re thinking about something real interesting, since you didn’t hear me calling you five times,” Merle says, blowing smoke and offering me the cigarette.

“It’s nothing, just... got lost in my thoughts.” With a sigh, I take the cigarette offered to me, taking a drag while watching the sea of cars in front of us. The others in the group were checking out some cars.

“Lost in thoughts—such a girly thing,” Merle laughs, shoving me. “Come on, Darlinda, let’s do something productive instead of sitting there thinking like an old lady.” He walks away, heading back to the trailer. I stub the cigarette out, tossing it on the ground, and walk over to check some cars near T-Dog.

I have nothing against the guy, even though he was one of the people who left my brother on that rooftop to die. I know, partly, it was my brother’s fault—Merle was never easy to deal with, and it was worse when he was high. But if there’s someone I can’t stand, it’s Shane. That guy has something really bad about him, and that story he told at the CDC about scratching himself while sleeping wasn’t true at all. And there’s one person who knows the truth: Harry. I’m going to find out what happened, even if I have to involve Merle to make the kid talk. And I swear, if that guy did something to Harry, I’ll kill him slowly and painfully.

---

Harry’s POV

With a tired sigh, I finish sorting all the items in the bag, noting everything in a notebook, which I’d soon put with the books Hermione had sent me. As I had predicted, the bag was a mess, and it took an hour and thirty minutes to organize—I know because I timed it to avoid staying out too long and making Merle angry. It’s 4 PM, and I’d take the chance to hunt. I hope to get a deer or at least some rabbits.

I know you’re wondering, “How do you catch your prey, Harry?” Simple—Daryl does it for me. But since he’s not here, I’ll use magic to stun the animal, making it a clean and quick kill.

Standing up from the ground, I stretch my sore limbs from staying in the same position for too long, cancel the protection spell, and start walking. The forest is relatively quiet this afternoon. There wasn’t a single walker in sight or any other animals, which is extremely frustrating, as the only trail I found led to a den that had been empty for a long time. I wanted to give up, but thinking about the two kids waiting at the camp keeps me going. So, I try again, locating a promising trail, venturing further into the silent forest.

---

Sophia’s POV

Running was the only thought on my mind; the fear of walkers chasing me was something I had never experienced. The terror of dying and never seeing my mom, Carl, and Harry again was overwhelming.

Already exhausted from running, my steps began to slow, and I stopped, looking around. After finding Mr. Rick, he told me to hide and only come out when he was far away, and I obeyed. But now, I’m lost. It’s getting dark, and I have no idea where the highway is. My feet hurt from so much walking, and the trees all look the same. With every noise I hear, I fear it’s another walker.

Tired, I stop for a moment, leaning against a tree, trying to catch my breath. Sitting on the ground, I look at the state of my feet. My left ankle is swollen and sore, with a reddish color that will soon turn purple. With a moan of pain, I rub my ankle, distracted, until the sound of a snapping branch followed by footsteps reaches my ears, making me stand up to run...

Chapter Text

Hello loves, how are you? I hope you're doing well!

I launched a new fanfic, this time from Twilight, please take a look, it's just a small experimental prologue!

And as for the other one, I haven't given up or stopped, I'm jus trying to work on a good chapter, but it's a bit complicated. I always think it's not good enough and up starting over, but don't worry, there will be an update!

Love you all, see you later!

Chapter Text

-------------------
Daryl  P.O.V
-------------------

I was searching the cars with the others while Harry went hunting. A few minutes after he left, things took a turn for the worse: a bunch of zombies appeared. We had to hide under the cars, and in the meantime, T-Dog got hurt on some metalwork and Sophia disappeared.

Rick went after Sophia when she ran into the woods, and a few minutes later he returned without the girl, saying he had told her to come here if he was late. Now Glenn, Shane, and I were in the woods, standing at the creek where Rick had left Sophia. The sheriff was once again explaining how he had left the girl there while he led the walkers away.

"Are you sure it was here? "I ask Rick, looking at the small cave created by the tree roots.

"I left her right here! I lured the zombies right over there, towards that creek." He points in the direction.

"She got lost, couldn't find her way back..."

"She was already gone when I got back here! I thought she had left and gone back to the group." The officer says, walking through the water. "I told her: 'Go back that way and keep the sun on your left shoulder.'" He points to where Glenn is.

"Hey, Jaspion, can you move to the side? You're messing up the trail!" I say to Glenn, who leaves.

"That's if she knows the difference between left and right!" Shane says.

"Shane, she understood me fine." The friendly officer says, trying to convince the other.

"The girl was tired, man! She almost got caught by two zombies. How much of what you said did she hear?" Shane says, seeming to doubt Sophia's intelligence.

"There are clear footprints right here." I analyze the ground where the girl climbed.

"She did as you said: she went back to the road! What we have to do is spread out. Let's go back there." Glenn helps me climb up, and Shane helps Rick.

"Come on, she can't have gone far! Let's find her." I hear Shane say to Rick as I follow the girl's trail.

We walk for a few minutes until we stop in a clearing. The girl's tracks have changed.

"She was going fine up until here. All she had to do was keep going." I crouch down to get a better look. "But then she turned that way." I point in the opposite direction.

"And why would she do that?" the pizza boy asks.

"Maybe she got scared by something and ran away." The crooked-nosed officer says.

"A zombie?" the pizza boy asks, apprehensive.

"I don't see any more footprints, just hers."

"So, what do we do? Are we all going to keep going?" Shane gets up from where he was crouched next to me.

"Shouldn't you and Glenn get back on the road? They'll panic. Let them know we're following her trail, doing our best. The most important thing is to keep them calm."

"I'll keep everyone working, searching the cars. I'll keep them busy." Shane assures, receiving a nod from Rick. "Let's go." He calls Glenn, and they both leave, leaving me with the sheriff.

We follow the trail until we find a zombie. We open its stomach to see if it hadn't fed on Sophia. It was a relief when we saw that it hadn't. Then we get back on the road. Facing Carol was painful; the woman seemed on the verge of a breakdown.

After all the confusion of emotions, I was looking for Merle, who disappeared between the cars. I hope he's not getting high again.

"Harry not back yet?" I ask Merle when I finally find him.

"Not yet. The cutie must have gotten distracted again!" Merle huffs, throwing a nearly empty pack of cigarettes at me.

"It's getting late!" I light one of the cigarettes, looking at the forest. "He should be back by now."

"Relax, Darylinda. The boy can take care of himself." He pulls a magazine out of the glove compartment, whistling. "Now that's a gold find. Look at those melons!" I shake my head, walking away. Great, my brother found a porn magazine. He'll be entertained for a while.

-------------------------
Hermione P.O.V
-------------------------

The world is in chaos: dead everywhere; there are laments and prayers to every God that people can believe in.

Hogwarts, once a place of joy and home for many students, found itself cold and silent. We are few — a few students and families who managed to take shelter in the safe castle; many others resorted to their family homes.

When the first cases were recorded, the order was clear: 'Stay away from those infected; any family member who has been infected must be handed over to the Ministry! Stay at home until further notice!'

Letters sent by Gringotts arrived everywhere with magical resisters. As expected, almost no one followed this order — wizards tend to be very arrogant. As more and more cases were recorded, the panic began. Another letter was sent, containing explanations and orders that every British wizard in the Muggle world should go to Hogwarts via Gringotts, where they would undergo screening. Of course, many did not make it, or, being skeptical or overconfident, decided that they could survive on their own, thinking that everything would be over quickly.

Fools, I must say!

During all this chaos, I've been worried about Harry, and taking advantage of the situation, I've managed to send my letters—which Headmaster Dumbledore was preventing from being sent, for what I assume was 'so that no one with bad intentions could find him'. Bullshit. As Fred said, when I told the Weasley family why we couldn't contact Harry: 'Pure bullshit, then he shouldn't be with his relatives.' This earned him a slap from Mrs Weasley for the swear word, but he made a very good point.

But well, the letters were sent by the goblins. Unfortunately, it's a one-way street: he can't reply, but I can keep writing and sending him things whenever I want.

I'm taking advantage of all the free time I have to study spells and potions. Since there won't be any regular classes, the students and teachers who stayed at the school have set up clubs and self-defense classes, since one of the parents of a Muggle-born student was a fighting teacher. That sums up my current days:

Studying, trying to create spells and potions, and hoping that the school's defenses don't fall.

--------------------
Harry P.O.V
--------------------

After following the deer's trail for half an hour, I lost it. That's it, I lost it because of two damn zombies and a gray dog. Not a dog, a wolf. And worse: a magical wolf, son of the moon, spawn of werewolves born on the full moon.

And how do I know this? Well, the wolf simply jumped on me when he found me. This is because wolves born on a full moon are often attracted to magic, and when they encounter a witch, they usually bond with him when they are not part of a pack.

According to my encyclopedia — aka Hermione — wolves born on a full moon are: magical wolves, children of two werewolves conceived on the night of a full moon, hence the name "children of the moon." These wolves usually stay in packs or, sometimes, are sold when the Ministry or poachers manage to remove them from their packs. Their abilities are: magical sensitivity; their bite is infectious on a full moon; their saliva is healing; they have stealth; great strength; a very sharp sense of smell; excellent hearing; they have the ability to understand human emotions and can also increase in size. Their characteristics are: unlike normal wolves, they are a little bigger and stronger, capable of taking down an Acromantula alone when adults.

Now, I have a wolf leading me somewhere deep into the dark forest. I even tried to get back to the road, but this wolf is extremely persistent — it grabs my pants and knocks me to the ground every time I move away... I'm calling him Nasemomi in my head — it means "plague" in Bulgarian. I learned this and other words (mostly swear words) from Viktor. For a calm person, he swears a lot.

But back to my furry companion: he stopped me at an abandoned cabin.

"Why did you bring me here? Is your family here?" I ask.

The wolf butted its head against my calf, wagging its tail frantically, before running off and climbing through a hole in the wall.

Sighing, I followed the wolf, keeping my sword in hand, before opening the door and stepping inside...

--------------------
Sophia P.O.V
--------------------

The sound of breaking branches approaches, increasing my fear. I get up from the ground, ready to run, until a large dog comes out of the bushes.

He was furry, with pitch-black fur and red eyes. Beside him, a smaller dog also emerged from the bushes; this one had gray eyes, but his fur was equally black. They didn’t look hostile, but I knew one wrong move could change that. So I stood still but prepared to run at any moment.

The dogs just watched me for a few minutes, until the biggest one slowly approached, sniffed me, and nudged my body with his nose before sitting down and licking my injured ankle. The puppy came right after, wagging his tail as if asking for affection.

And I gave in.

I sat on the floor, picking up the puppy, while the larger dog stood guard beside me.

"You're so cute!" I smiled, petting the puppy, who licked my fingers and barked softly.

The older dog, however, gave the smaller dog a light bite on the ear, scolding him.

"We have to be quiet, there are monsters around here…" I whispered. "It's getting dark. I need to find a place to hide."

The larger dog let out a yelp, pulled the puppy off my lap and placed him on the floor. Then he grabbed my shirt with his teeth and gave it a light tug.

"Do you want me to follow you? Okay..."

He presses his nose against my belly, and I stand up, following them through the forest.

The dogs led me to a cabin, which I assume is their den. The place was messy and looked like it had been abandoned before all this trouble started.

As soon as I entered, I noticed another pup — a gray one — nestled in a pile of blankets. When he saw the black wolves, he trotted towards them, licking and barking happily. But when he noticed me, he approached cautiously, sniffed me, and then barked, wagging his tail.

I leaned down and patted his head, and soon both puppies ran off to the pile of sheets. This allowed me to go into the kitchen.

There I found two cans of beans, which I opened with an old can opener, and a bag of dog food, which I poured into a bowl for the three canines.

I sat in the living room, eating with them as night fell. The only sound was their chewing and playful growling.

Well... that is until another gray dog ​​comes through the hole in the wall.

He went straight to the black dog, sniffing him, before repeating the same gesture with the puppies. Finally, he came to me, licking my face before sitting down, facing the door.

That's when it abruptly opened.

" Sophia?" The male voice sounded surprised.

"Harry?" My eyes widened, filling with tears, before I ran across the room and threw myself into the older man's arms. "Harry!" I cried, feeling him hold me close.

"What are you doing here? Where are the others?" He examined me, wiping the tears that were streaming down my face. I swallowed hard, trying to control my tears, before answering.

"When you left, a lot of zombies appeared on the road. I hid with Carl under a car, like Mr. Rick told us to do, but… I was scared and left before he told me to. Two zombies appeared, so I ran into the woods. Mr. Rick found me and asked me to wait, but he took a while and… I left." I said everything quickly; the words jumbled with tears. "I couldn't get back to the road."

"Oh, honey…" Harry pulls me into another hug, allowing me to cry in his arms." It's going to be okay. I'm going to take you back to your mother". He whispers, trying to calm me down.

[...]

That night, I slept clinging to Harry.

The family of wolves—Harry had told me they were wolves, after all—stood nearby.

I slept restlessly. It was the first time I had slept away from my mother, and Harry tried to make me comfortable in every way he could. He cleaned some cuts I had with a smelly paste and also examined my ankle, which I swore I had sprained but which now seemed in perfect condition.

Harry said that I might have just put too much pressure on my foot and imagined the sprain in the heat.

I didn't really believe him, but I let it go.

I just wanted to go back to my mother...

Chapter Text

-------------------
Harry P.O.V
-------------------

Finding Sophia was something I never expected, but I’m grateful it was me and not someone cruel or one of the walkers. I don’t like to think about what could’ve happened to her otherwise. She’s one of the few kids I can actually tolerate because of how calm she is. I know that’s thanks to the piece of shit that was her late sperm donor.

So, when she clung to me that night, I promised myself I’d take care of her like no one ever did for me during my childhood. I’d show her that I was there for her, that I’d be the annoying older brother she never had, that I’d protect her and teach her everything no one taught me. I’d make her a brave and strong girl...

The next morning, I woke up with Sophia. The girl had her face buried in my chest, her small hand tightly gripping my shirt. It took me a while to get off the couch we’d slept on together at her insistence. She didn’t want to sleep alone, even though I wasn’t far. The wolf family was asleep on the other side of the room, the pups protected between their parents.

I gently untangled myself from Sophia’s grip, not wanting to wake the little girl. I moved carefully to my backpack, sitting on the small coffee table. Rummaging through it, I pulled out one of the powdered egg packets I’d brought from the CDC that I hadn’t packed in the trunk. I also grabbed two bottles of water, a pot, two plastic forks, and plates. I headed to the kitchen to check if there was still gas in the stove, and, miraculously, there was. I set the pot on the burner and used my magic to light the flame. I rehydrated the powdered eggs and poured them into the pot to cook. Once they were ready, I served them onto the plates and cleaned the pot with a cleaning spell. I cast a stasis charm on the plates to keep them warm until Sophia woke up.

I didn’t have to wait long. Soon, I heard a small excited voice and footsteps approaching before a tiny body clung to my back.

“I thought you left!” Her tearful voice made me turn around and hug her.

“I’d never leave you,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “I made breakfast.” I combed her hair with my fingers, tying it back with an elastic band I had around my wrist.

She hugged me tighter before letting go and stepping back, blushing when her stomach growled. I chuckled softly and pointed for her to sit at the table where the plates were waiting.

We ate in silence until the wolves woke up, and the pups demanded attention. We played with them for a bit before heading out with the wolf family.

I didn’t mention before, but the pups seem to be around five months old. They’re big and clever, always walking near Sophia and their parents.

“What are we going to name them?” Sophia asked.

“I don’t know; I haven’t really thought about it,” I replied, keeping my ears alert for any sound in the forest.

She looked down, watching the gray female pup.

“Hmm, how about Cleo?” The pup looked at her, barked, and then rubbed her head against the girl’s leg.

“I think she liked it.” Smiling, I looked at the large gray dog—it was the female. “Sirius?” she growled. “Cersei?” another growl. “So picky! Nephthys?” The wolf let out a whine and wagged her tail. “Alright then, Nephthys, goddess of mourning and death in Egyptian mythology.” I looked at Sophia, who smiled.

“Barty,” she pointed at the gray wolf, who barked, earning a look from Nephthys, almost like she was saying, I got the name of a goddess, you didn’t. Barty playfully bit Nephthys, making us laugh.

“Now for you,” I looked at the other pup. I could’ve named him Sirius after my godfather, but for some reason I didn’t want to; I suggested it to their mother as a joke. “Set, god of chaos, disorder, and violence—another god from Egyptian mythology.” The little wolf passed between my legs before returning to Sophia’s side.

“Looks like they all liked the names,” she said, smiling happily. She walked beside me. “Are we close?”

“No, we’re almost there.” I helped her cross a small stream; the pups were carried by their parents.

“What do you think that shot was? Do you think it was the others?” The shot in question was one we’d heard about half an hour ago.

“It was just one! I don’t think Rick or the others would waste a bullet like that. Well, maybe Andrea would, but I doubt the others would let her carry a gun when she doesn’t even know how to take the safety off.” Last I checked, that blonde pointed a gun with the safety on at Rick—Glenn told me that.

“Hope you’re right.” She sighed, falling silent.

The rest of the walk was peaceful. We made a few stops to eat and rest before continuing. We crossed the rest of the forest without issue—not many walkers, just a few I dealt with quickly. We made it to the edge of the woods by nightfall, the sun already hiding behind the trees. When we spotted the roadside, the trailer wasn’t in view yet because we had exited a bit further up the road.

“Don’t wander away from me, okay? I don’t want to risk another group of walkers showing up like last time!” I helped her hop onto the side of the road; the wolves slipped underneath and stayed by our side.

“Alright!” I ruffled her head. I knew she was nervous and wanted her mom, but even so, she listened to me and didn’t run off.

-------------------
Daryl P.O.V
-------------------

We went out early to look for the little girl. Harry was also missing, and part of me was hoping he and Sophia were together and safe.

In the middle of the search, we found a tent. Inside, a man had done what Jenner called “finishing it.” He ended his own life with a shot to the head. I took his revolver, along with a letter that sounded more like the ramblings of a delusional man.

What the hell were Voldemort, the magical world, and Inferi? And why was Harry referred to as “The Boy Who Lived”?

I didn’t tell anyone about that letter, not even Merle. I planned to ask Harry about it directly and then bring my brother into it. The search was a disaster. We heard bells and ended up in a church. Then we split up: the officers and the Grimes boy went one way to continue the search, while we headed back to the road. Now, in addition to two missing people, we have a kid who’s been shot and five of us at a farm, with the rest on the highway waiting for dawn to get the hell out.

“We should go look for them,” Carol says. She spent the entire time since we got back crying and staring at the edge of the road.

“It’s late; we’d just stumble over each other like newborn deer,” Merle says from where he’s sitting. He had a rifle in his lap and a comic book Harry had left on the car seat in his hands.

“We could get lost too,” Amy adds. She and Andrea were organizing the supplies we found, rummaging through the cars. I was sharpening my arrows while Dale was on top of the trailer keeping watch. “We just have to wait until morning, and once we get to the farm, we can organize a better search. Maybe the farmers have a map of the area.”

Reluctantly, Carol sat next to the blondes and started helping them.

“I don’t think we’ll even need to wait,” Dale calls our attention, pointing ahead.

Walking between the cars, Harry and Sophia come into view, holding hands. They both look fine—dirty, but fine.

“Sophia!” Carol jumps up, running toward the younger girl, who, after looking at Harry and letting go of his hand, runs into her mother’s arms.

The two embrace, crying. Harry stays back, not too far, watching the scene with a happy smile before looking away. Our eyes meet, and he starts walking toward us.

“Told you the little shit was smart!” Merle says, slapping my back before grabbing the boy, checking his face and arms, then locking him in a headlock and rubbing his fist against his head, while Harry hit him trying to get free.

-------------------
Harry P.O.V
-------------------
“So you're telling me Carl got shot, and now he, Shane, Lori, Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog are on a farm with strangers?” I watch Daryl nod, murmuring a “yes.” I’m incredibly surprised by how stupid these people are. A little girl going missing wasn’t enough — they had to take another child into the forest. They never learn. And why take everyone into the forest when the only ones who know how to track are the Dixons?

Sweet Merlin, give me patience. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how people think.

“Okay, fine. So the plan is to go to the farm tomorrow,” I say, rubbing my temple as I lean back in the chair. Only Daryl, Merle, and I were awake. Well, Daryl and I. Merle was lying on the floor with the wolf pups sprawled across his stomach, Nephthys on one side and Barty on the other, keeping the human and the pups in the middle.

“We were worried. You didn’t come back,” Daryl says. His voice is as serious as always, but I can tell he’s concerned. “Merle may not show it, but he was worried too.” He starts biting his thumbnail. He does that a lot when he’s nervous.

I smile. I’m still not used to people caring about me. Even with Hermione, Viktor, and the Weasleys constantly smothering me with affection, it’s hard to erase years of abuse.

“I’m fine. I didn’t come back because Barty dragged me to where Sophia was,” I say, glancing at him as he nods and mutters, “Smart dog.”

Oh, if he only knew!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Hazzy,

I hope you are well. I hope to God that you are not getting into trouble!

Everything is fine here, as far as it can be. The school has become a haven, and this week we have welcomed a few more people and have managed to get in touch with the other schools. I didn't think they would want to keep in touch, thanks to what happened at the tournament, but we have reached an agreement to exchange resources.

I'm sorry I can't say more. The teachers are keeping the students away from these matters, which I think is a mistake, considering the world situation.

When we meet again, I hope that there will be a Quidditch match.

Best regards,
V.K.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry!

I believe Viktor told you about the agreement between the schools. I don't have much to update you on, except that I've been working on creating spells with the help of the twins, and they send me sweet, sticky kisses? Whatever that means to you!

Why didn't you ever tell me you hooked up with them? Or that you hooked up with Viktor?

For the love of Merlin, Harry! All I need to do is find out that you hooked up with some Slytherin.

I'm not judging you or anything; I'm glad you're having fun. Just remember to use a condom — even wizards can't cure STDs.

P.S.: SERIOUSLY, BLAISE ZABINI?!