OH GOTT I hate the evil called common tests. It's basically a test, just that the whole form has it together, has the pressure of exams, yet we still have to do homework and stuff. The terrible thing is that this year's test seem to be more about common sense than anything else, yet we've been studying like crazy... exams are in less than a month, I have 3 projects to do and drama performance… someone save me…

It's just that… I'm facing an important crossroad in my life. That's no excuse for my slow speed, but the decisions I make now, the achievements I have, they will all carry on into and affect my three years of senior secondary (I have no idea what it is called in other countries), my public exam, and ultimately my university life. My performance and results this year will affect my entire life, so I wasn't able to write as often as I used to.

Oh and I'm looking for a beta. So basically I need someone who will look over my mistakes (god knows how many of them I have made) and set a deadline, for example three weeks, for me to finish a chapter because I really need someone to push me XP

Oh great Merlin, it had really been too long since Harry had felt water cascading down his back. Even if he couldn't enjoy the water for long, it was nice to actually feel clean for once. After the hecticness and craziness he had been through this whole week, Harry was glad for a moment of silence and purity.

Soon though, too soon he knew he had to come out, before he wasted the precious water. Dressing in the clothes, they were still a bit too big for him. Maggie and Beth were outside, conversing in low tones. They looked up when they heard him.

'Sophia hasn't woken up yet,' Maggie said, 'It's almost time for dinner anyways, wanna help?'

Harry appeared enthusiastic, but he knew they were as wary of him as he was wary of them. Nice people who suddenly appear? Not that likely.

He followed the two girls to the fridge. on it were many photographs, very much like the postcards stuck to the Dursleys' fridge. Harry could recognize the members of the family in the photos, save for two.

One was a young brunette man, arms slung casually over a younger Beth and Maggie's shoulders. 'That's Shawn.' Maggie said when she saw what he was looking at. 'Take these potatoes to the sink.

'Whose the lady next to Hershel?' He asked. The girls exchanged a glance. 'That's mom.' Beth answered.

'Come on,' Maggie said, 'We need to prepare dinner.' She opened the fridge wide and crouched down in front of it.

As she began to retrieve ingredients, Harry asked, 'Where does all the electricity comes from? I thought all of the power stations are done.'

'We have a generator,' Beth replied shortly. Harry supposed that it answered his question, Except he didn't know what a generator was.

Harry almost choked when he saw their selection of food. 'You sure you don't need to… save up or something?' he asked.

Beth smiled. 'We're on a farm, Riddle, we feed ourselves.'

'The most part of our harvest is stored up in the mill,' Maggie added, 'We have more now that we don't have to sell them to the market.'

A sudden sense of melancholy washed through the three. 'What do I have to do?' Harry asked awkwardly, 'What are we making?'

Beth relaxed her stiffened shoulders and guided Harry through the kitchen, but Maggie was still tensed up, fully understanding what she had said.

The Greene family plus Harry enjoyed a lively dinner. It was as if he was back at the Weasely's again, eating dinner with the family of redheads and fighting over food.

Sophia still didn't wake up.

Take the broom, Harry!

I'll come out soon!

'Can't sleep, eh?' Otis asked when he heard Harry's footsteps. Harry shook his head, and sat down next to he man on the veranda. He eyed the rifle on the man's lap suspiciously. Otis saw where his gaze was at and snorted, patting his gun. 'This is my baby,' Otis said, 'Won her off at the town pub, from a man who had as much respect for this beauty as I respected my cranky maths teacher. A damn waste, I call it.'

'I don't know much about guns,' Harry admitted, 'Haven't touched a single one in my life.'

'Damn right you shouldn't!' Otis exclaimed, 'This world ain't for kids anymore, but there are some things I reckon are still applicable now.'

'You keep watch everynight?' Harry asked.

Otis nodded. 'The girls keep watch at day, me, Adam, and Pat take turns.' He supplied. 'Patricia, I mean.' he added.

'Hershel said you were neighbours. '

'I lived just across the road. Pat was at my home then, my old parents were down at Atlanta, when the whole thing started. We ran into Jimmy, that's the boy whose as big as Beth, and well, we figured out what happened.

'Hershel was kind enough to let us stay, after all I worked on the farm from day to day.' Otis went on, 'So Pat and I stayed here, and we never left.

'What about you, Riddle? How did you wound up with the little girl?'

'I was stumbling out of the woods,' Harry admitted ruefully, 'When I bumped into our group. I passed out, but Jacqui, who was with the group, she took care of me and I've been with the group ever since.'

'Where did you come from? You have a distinctive British accent, but what are you doing here in America?'

'Uh I'm from England, and I… was… in… America… because…'

'I know!' Otis crowed, 'You're an exchange, right?'

'Yup!' Harry replied, relieved.

'So, how's England like? I've never been there, I always wanted to but I never got the time.' Otis asked, clearly very curious.

But how could Harry describe London? Specifically, Muggle London? Harry had barely been there himself.

But Otis was staring at him expectantly, ready for his lie.

'I grew up in a place called Privet Drive,' he started carefully, 'It was a fairly simple cottage, I suppose, identical houses in the whole street. There were four bedrooms and a cupboard under the stairs.'

'Sounds pretty American,' Otis commented, 'But I suppose they're the same everywhere. Do you English people really love tea like they say?'

Harry was a bit surprised by the quick change of topic, but he answered, 'I suppose not, well, at least not me.' Then he added, 'Come to think of it, I hate tea. Tea leaves, actually.'

'Why?'

Suddenly a low humming sound filled the air. Otis stood up immediately, alert. Harry rose more slowly. 'Walkers bumped into something?' He suggested.

The sound increased.

'No,' Otis shook his head firmly. 'No, there's nothing for them to bump into. Not the zombies.'

He cocked his rifle and aimed it into the dark. "You'll have to tell me the tale of why-Draco-Riddle-hates-tea-leaves later." Helpfully Harry took the man's flashlight from his pocket and shone it into the dark.

They could see nothing.

Er… and I have no idea if Jimmy and Beth share the same age xp

And I have never went to Europe or America or Australia bla bla bla so I have no idea what these places look like.