Sophia asked Carl if he wanted to play checkers while they waited for the traffic to start moving. While they were waiting, Carl informed his mother that he was hungry, "Let's go back and see what Harry packed in your bag, Carl. I'm sure your brother packed you something to eat," Lori told Carl.
Lori took Carl back to the car. She looked around to make sure no one was looking and pull out Carl's backpack. She reached into the pack up to her elbow until she felt something warm. Lori pulled out a basket that was filled with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, some corn, and a few bottles of pumpkin juice. There were also some plates and utensils in the basket.
Carl smiled up at his mother, "Can I ask Sophia to join us, Mom?"
"Sure, Honey, why don't you ask Carol as well?"
"Okay."
Carl ran off and asked Carol and Sophia if they wanted to eat some food with them. Carol looked at her husband, Ed, to see what he would say, but he ignored her, "Sure, Carl, we'll join you."
Carol and Sophia went back to Lori's car, where Lori was dishing out food on plates for Carl and the others, "Wow, when Carl said you had food, I thought he meant sandwiches, this is wonderful."
"Carl's older brother packed it for us before we left."
"Where's your older boy," Carol asked.
"He stayed behind to wait for his dad; they'll join us in Atlanta later."
Carol nodded, and they ate in silence. When Shane came back, Lori served him some chicken as well. He looked at her oddly, "Harry," Lori said. And Shane nodded.
The little group ate their meal until Shane heard what sounded like bombs going off in the distance. Lori and Shane looked at each other, worried, "You stay here; I'm going up further ahead to see what that is."
"I'm going with you," Lori said, "Carl, stay here with Carol, is that alright, Carol?"
"That's fine, Lori."
Shane and Lori took off through the cars to see if they could get a better view of Atlanta, what they saw horrified them. Bombs were going off all over the city and helicopters were coming in bombing the city, "My god, they're napalming the city," Shane said in anguish
Shane and Lori stood there and watched as Atlanta burned. Lori couldn't take it anymore and started crying. She hid her face in Shane's chest while Shane rubbed her back in soothing circles, "We have to get out of here. I need to find a safe place for you and Carl."
"What about Rick and Harry? They're going to head for Atlanta to look for us."
"Harry and Rick will find us, Lori. I know they will. Especially with Harry's magic," Shane said in a whisper, "You have to believe that."
Meanwhile, Harry and Rick were hunkered down at the house. It's been two hours since Harry administered everything to Rick, and he still hasn't woken up. The only explanation that Harry could think of was that it's because Rick was a squib, and he's been unconscious for such a long time that it was taking longer for his body to react.
Harry looked out the window, and he could see the walkers wandering around the streets looking for something or someone to eat. They would walk around aimlessly and bump into each other and into some of the parked cars. The good thing was that the wards were working precisely like they were supposed to; any time a walker would get close to the house, it would suddenly veer off. Harry had modified the wards a little so that it allowed animals that were being hunted to come through so that they would be safe. The last thing he wanted to see was an animal get torn apart.
At around 10:00 that evening, Rick finally started coming around. Harry heard his dad groan and ran upstairs to check on him. Harry entered Rick's bedroom and saw that Rick was barely beginning to open his eyes, "Dad, are you okay?"
"Harry?" Rick asked, then looked around, "Where are we? What happened?"
"You don't remember what happened?"
"The last thing I remember was being shot and taken to the hospital. But it looks like we're at home. Why are we home, Harry? How long was I out?"
"Dad, so many things have happened since you were in the hospital."
"Wait, where are your, mom and Carl?"
"They should be on their way to Atlanta to a safe zone with Shane."
"Safe zone for what?" Rick asked.
"You're not going to believe this…"
Harry then went on to explain what was going on, that people would die of a fever, and would come back to life and begin to devour the living. If a person were bitten or scratched by one of these creatures, eventually, that person would die and come back as well. And that the only way to kill these things is by causing trauma to the brain. Rick laid in bed listening to his son tell him all the horrific things that had been going on since he had been in a coma. He couldn't believe his ears.
"I need to see this for myself."
"Not yet, Dad, I need you to drink this," Harry handed Rick a Pepper- Up potion, "It'll make you feel better."
Rick nodded and swallowed the whole vial. Rick's face turned red, and steam shot out of his ears, but he felt a million time better, "Wow, that was amazing, thank you, Harry."
"Anytime, Dad."
"Alright, let's see these things."
With Harry's help, Rick got off the bed, and they made their way downstairs. Rick peered out the window and saw several of the undead wandering around the streets. He could see them shuffling about, and Rick could hear them groaning and sometimes growling. They would occasionally walk up to houses then turn back. But every time the Walker came close to their home, it would veer off as if the house wasn't there.
"Why do they do that," Rick asked.
"I set up some repelling wards around the house to keep the dead away. I wasn't sure it was going to work, but it's working like a charm, no pun intended."
Rick chuckled and patted Harry on the shoulder, "I think I'll go take a shower then go back to bed, Tomorrow we'll head to the station and pick up some guns for our trip to Atlanta. We can't depend completely on your magic to keep us safe," Rick said.
Harry nodded. "Oh, Dad, there's no hot water, the gas was the first thing that stopped working."
Rick nodded, "Then I'll wait until we go to the station. It has a propane tank. We can shower and change there."
"Alright, in the meantime, I'll make you something to eat. It's a good thing we have an electric stove."
Harry quickly made a few grill cheese sandwiches for Rick along with some tomato soup. Harry didn't want Rick to have anything substantial since it had been a while since he had eaten. Once Rick had eaten, Harry cleaned up, and Rick went to bed. Harry stayed up making runes to set up around the house. He was going to make their home a haven for anyone that needed it, though the people that use it will never know the reason.
Once Harry finished with the runes, he cautiously went outside and strategically placed all around the house, creating a protection array for the home and the yard. The wards would work for at least a hundred years, the way Harry had written them. After he was finished, Harry went inside and went to bed.
The next morning after breakfast, Harry and Rick packed up as much gear as they could from the house. They packed up Harry's magical tents, fishing poles, hunting rifles, and knives that Rick had. Some fishing gear and extra clothes for themselves. Harry suggested that they apparate to his apartment in Atlanta and start the search from there.
"We could do that, but what if Shane, your mom, and brother are stranded somewhere between here and Atlanta? We need to be meticulous," Rick tells his oldest, "Then we'll find a safe place to ride out whatever this plague is."
"We can go to the magical world and stay there," Harry suggests.
"Will MACUSA allow No-Maj into the magical world? and are you sure that they're not being plagued by this as well?"
"I don't know, but we can find out when we get to Atlanta."
Rick thought it over then slowly nodded his head, "Okay, I think that's the best idea. Let's get going to the station."
Rick grabs the spare keys to the station and the keys to his pickup. They get in and head out to the sheriff's station. When they arrive, the building seems to be deserted. Rick unlocks the door and motions, Harry, to get in; then Rick locks the door again. They slowly walk through the darkened building with their senses on high alert. Harry pulls out his wand, "Homenum Revelio." Harry said.
A pulse goes out from Harry's wand and comes back that there is no human presence in the building, "Does that work on the Walkers?"
"I had to adjust it a bit, but yes, it does work."
Since the building was clear, Rick and Harry made their way down to the locker room. Rick turned on the showers, and sure enough, there was hot water. He and Harry took a shower and shaved then changed into fresh clothes. Rick decided to wear his Sheriff's uniform and his Sheriff's hat. While Harry put on his dragonhide boots and dragonhide armor, it was lightweight and had cooling charms on it so that Harry wouldn't overheat. Harry had a set of armor made for Rick and Shane; it protected better against bullets than vests. Now they would protect them against the bites of the walkers. He had jackets made for Lori and Carl.
Harry reached inside his pack, "Dad, I want you to wear this. It'll protect you against Walker bites."
"What's it made of," Rick asked.
"Dragonhide. I have armor for you and Shane. You can wear it under your clothes. And I have jackets for Mom and Carl."
Rick smiled and hugged his son, "Thank you, Harry."
"You're welcome, Dad."
"Alright, we need to go to the armory to see if there's anything left."
Harry nodded.
Going down to the armory, Rick saw that a lot of guns were missing, but there was still a good supply of weapons. Harry gave him a bag, and they began to clear out the armory of everything that was left and all the ammunition that was stored. By the time Rick and Harry were finished taking everything, the bag barely weighed anything. Now that they had everything, Rick decided that he and Harry would take a patrol cruiser instead of his truck. His truck would waste more gas than the police cruiser.
They put the bags in the back seat and started to pull out of the station when Rick noticed a Walker shuffling toward them dressed in a uniform growling and reaching through the fence. Rick shakes his head, "Leon Basset, I didn't think much of him. Careless and dumb, but I can't leave him like this."
Rick walks over and pulls out his gun and walks up to the snarling walker and shoots it in the head. His brains splatter out the back of his head, and the body crumples to the ground.
"We better get out of here. The sound will attract more of them," Harry tells his dad.
Rick nods and gets into the patrol car and drives off.
Meanwhile, Shane has made his way out of the traffic jam and has followed several people to a quarry far from Atlanta, along with Carol, her husband, Ed, and their daughter Sophia. There they meet more people. Two sisters that were driving across the country named Amy and Andrea, an older man named Dale, with an RV who was doing the same thing. Two brothers called Daryl and Merle, another young man who lived in Atlanta that barely made it out named Glenn. There were several other families and individuals at the quarry as well.
Shane, Lori, Carl, Carol, and Sofia kept mostly to themselves since they were more acquainted with each other. Carl nervously paced their part of the camp, worried about his dad and brother. Eventually, he sat down with his mom and Shane.
"Dad and Harry, aren't going to find us, are they, Mom?"
Lori hugged her son, "Of course they will, Honey. I'm sure Harry has a tracking spell he can use," She whispered in his ear.
"You think so?"
"Yes, I do. It's only a matter of time, Right Shane?"
"Yeah, Little Man. Your bother has a lot of tricks up his sleeves; everything will be fine."
At that moment, Hedwig landed on Carl's shoulder and nipped his ear. Carl smiled and nearly hugged the Snowy Owl, "Hedwig, you found me!"
Hedwig hooted indignantly and nipped Carl's ear a little harder, "Sorry, girl, I shouldn't have doubted you."
She held out her leg, and Carl took the note from Hedwig. He fondly petted her, and the Snowy Owl cuddled with him, "It's from Harry. He said that he sent Hedwig to me to comfort me. That she has a spell on her so that no one other than the family can see her unless I reveal her, and so that the Walkers can't get her."
Lori sighed. She had been worried that something would happen to the owl. Lori was very fond of Hedwig; she was like a nanny for Carl when Harry was home in the summer. She watched Carl like a hawk, excuse the expression. Shane walked up to Hedwig and petted her, "See, Little Man, if Hedwig can find us, Harry and Rick will find us too."
Carl laughed, as Hedwig ruffled her feathers and tickled his neck, "Yeah, Shane, everything will be fine."