Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry about the delayed update, a day trip and work got in the way! I can't promise not to do that again, but I'm going to try not to abandon this story.

After the confrontation with Larry, they decided exactly how they were going to apparate everybody over to the Motor Inn. After some deliberation, the group decided that Ron, Harry and Hermione needed to go check it again – they needed to double check everything and make sure that the fortifications had held while they were at the drugstore. After that, Ron would apparate over with Larry, Harry with Kenny, and Hermione with Clementine. The second round, Ron would take Lilly, Harry would take Duck, and Hermione would take Lee. Third time, Ron would take Doug, Harry would take Katjaa, and Hermione would take Carley. Harry would make a final trip to retrieve Glenn.

"Are we ready?" Hermione asked her two boys.

"Ready," they said at the same time. The trio apparated to the Motor Inn.

"Harry, take the top floor, I'll take the bottom. Hermione can check the defenses we've set up. Should we ward the place once we have everybody here?" Ron pondered.

"I wonder if muggle repellant wards would work? I mean, these people were muggles before they turned," Hermione questioned. "We'll have to do some testing once everybody is settled in."

"We'll have to find a lone one to test some different things on. One by itself is pretty easy to handle – they're pretty stupid," Harry returned.

"I've noticed. Okay, let's do this and get the group here," Ron said. "If you need help, yell. And don't forget you can apparate away if you get in a bind!"

"Wow, Ron. When did you get so intelligent?" Hermione said lovingly, giving him a quick squeeze.

"Oi, I take offense to that!" The ginger mock-yelled, before giving her a quick kiss. The three separated, checking their appropriate areas.

"All clear!" each of them yelled once they had rechecked. All of their defenses had held really nicely – only one walker had managed to get in, and after Hermione took it down and fixed where it had broken a barricade, everything was taken care of. They apparated back to the drugstore.

"It's all good," Ron said to the ten people looking at them expectantly. "One had broken a barricade, but we got it taken care of and the barricade fixed up tight."

"Larry, you'll be with Ron first. We want someone there with brute strength to protect the others while we're transporting all of you lot. Kenny, you'll be with Harry and I'll take Clementine. When we get back, Ron will take Lilly, Harry will take Duck, and I'll take Lee. Repeat, with Doug, Katjaa, and Carley. Then Harry will come back for Glenn. When we're all there, we're going to try testing some wards. There's a certain type that keeps people like you away, people without magic. We're going to try to see if they'll keep the walkers away, since they used to be like you," Hermione finally finished. Before they could actually start apparating, there was a foreboding noise coming from outside the drugstore – it sounded like… creaking metal?

From his position at the door, Doug suddenly looked very nervous. "Uhh, guys? They've broken down the gate!"

"Let's go!" Ron yelled, grabbing Larry and twisting on the spot. Harry and Hermione followed suit before going back for more of them. The order was slightly messed up, and Glenn went when Doug was supposed to.

On Harry's final trip, the walkers had broken down the door. Doug was currently struggling with one of them. With a quick cutting hex, the walker crumpled on top of him.

"Oh, no, God… please…" Doug said, clutching at his arm. Looking at it, Harry saw a small bite mark.

"Doug, we have to go…" Harry urged, pulling him off of the ground. Walkers forced them to move back into the office before Harry magically locked and barricaded the door.

"We have no way of fixing a bite, Doug."

"There has to be a way! I can't die like this!" Doug cried. For having held up so well before, he was falling to pieces in front of Harry.

"We tried, hell, Hermione tried! We did everything we could think of for a girl we found before we found the group. The fever from the bite is like nothing we've ever seen. I have to leave you here, Doug."

"You can take me with you! We can see what happens," Doug begged. "Don't leave me here, those things will chew me up!"

"Think about what watching you turn would do to those kids, Doug. Do you want them to see that?"

Doug sat down on the floor, clutching his head. "Is there any way you can kill me? Like, with a spell?" He looked up, suddenly hopeful.

"Yes… You won't feel a thing, Doug. Is that what you want?"

"Yes! Thank you so much, Harry!" Doug whimpered.

"Then I'll do it for you. I don't want to watch you turn into one of them," Harry said. "Close your eyes, please. Do you want me to tell any of the others anything for you?"

"Tell Carley thank you, for being great and for saving Lee and them from the street. And tell them to keep Larry in line – he can be a right asshole. Don't paraphrase any of that, okay? Oh God, I'm rambling now. What happened to college, and video games, and girlfriends and simple things like paddle boating and mini golf? Oh God. What happened…?" Doug rambled. "Just do it, please, Harry," he begged as tears rolled down his face.

"Avada Kedavra," Harry incanted, raising his wand to Doug's face. He stood there for a few seconds mourning the person who could have been a friend, but was suddenly jolted out of his reverie when Doug's eyes reopened, a milky white color taking place of the previous blue. With a snarl, Doug stood and lunged at Harry.

"REDUCTO!" Harry aimed the curse at Doug's head and he fell still.

"There's one test out of the way…" Harry sighed, and apparated back to the motor inn.