Walking Dead Wizard
Chapter 9
Harry and Rick were the last of the Quarry group to say goodbye to the camp, both for different reasons, Rick was taping a map and letter to the red car that had been stripped bare for any parts they could salvage. Harry just leaning against Daryl's truck staring into the woods. He had a sinking feeling deep in his gut, and he listened to his gut these days, going with these people was going to be the death of him. That herd they'd dealt with last night though, the three of them would have been able to deal with it, but Harry couldn't help but wonder if the three of them would have come out on top. A single scratch or bite from one of those things was one hundred percent fatal. Travelling with more than just the three of them would guarantee their survival that is if Merle didn't screw it up for them he thought sardonically.
"Y'all lets go!" Shane shouted, smacking the side of the RV as he disappeared into it once more, a scowl on his features.
The roar of Merle's bike began to lead the way for them all leaving the quarry, Harry sighed but slid into the truck nonetheless, closing the door with a quiet but quick click. "How long?" Harry asked, turning to face Daryl, who was concentrating on the road ahead.
"Two days," Daryl answered, biting his thumb nail, his other hand patting at the wheel to a tune only he could hear.
"Hmm," was all Harry said in reply, stretching out he grabbed his backpack, which by the way wasn't spelled to be a bottomless pit. He couldn't risk anyone actually going into his stuff, so he left it normal, his trunk was obviously a whole other ballgame but most of the time it was shrunk down in his pocket, he never went far without it, much too risky for that. It was all he had left in the world, all he had left of the magical world too. Grabbing a book from his bag, which he discarded on the floor again before flipping open his book and he began to read the advanced medical text he'd removed from his vaults at Gringotts.
As time passed, Harry's various mutterings continued as he read from the book, learning how to heal deep cuts, the spells required to keep it clean and important details like that. He didn't want to use his potions when a spell was there for him to use, spells wouldn't run out potions would, and he had no idea when he would be able to get into the nearest magical area, or if it would even be remotely possible to get in there at all with the walkers everywhere. How many times has the name changed now? Inferi, Rotters, Biters, Geeks and now Walkers.
"What's it like?" Daryl asked, glancing sideways at Harry before retuning to his task at hand.
"What is what like?" Harry queried, coming out of his thoughts about walkers and the world being utter shit.
"Having magic," Daryl prodded, his blue eyes glancing at the book, most of which he realized was written in English with phrases he was sure were in Latin. Harry had said once that it was Latin they chanted in to say their spells.
"I don't know, I mean I've known about my magic for eleven years now, six of it was spent learning to control it," Harry mused thoughtfully, ignoring the snort of amusement, aware of why he was snorting. "I didn't use it an awful lot afterwards…I'm trying to make up for that now, I'll need to be able to heal myself if I ever end up hurt." silently gesturing towards the book.
"After what?" Daryl asked catching the pause.
"After school finished," Harry replied, technically he wasn't even lying. Then he added absently, "I didn't know what I wanted to do with myself, and there were only a dozen or so career options, only one of which was expected of me, other than that…magic can't save you, not any more than a knife can, welcome to the apocalypse." he chuckled darkly, shaking his head life hadn't been easy before the apocalypse but to Harry…life after it had been…easy, less complicated, avoid the walkers, don't get bit or scratched, survive, it just showed how messed up Harry really was.
Daryl grunted, facing forward.
"Magic isn't something that makes life easy, in fact it's hard," Harry admitted quietly, his fingers flipping one of the pages on the book in his lap absently back and forth. "Have you ever been in a situation where everything felt completely out of your control?" upon seeing Daryl nod just once, he continued, "That's what its like having magic, the constant struggle for control, at least for me." he wasn't sure if everyone else was like that, and he wasn't about to ask anyone and have them thinking he was unstable. He knew he was powerful; probably one of the most powerful wizards in the world and that probably had a bit to do with it.
"That how you destroyed the cabin?" Daryl asked straight-faced, teasing him.
Harry flushed red, turning to stare out of the window, "That wasn't my fault," he protested, they'd given him Muggle drugs for the pain, he'd been a bit out of it they'd just held him down and yanked the arrow out of him after all. That was the last thing he could remember until he woke up to a room choked with magic and everything surrounding him broken by his magic which had gone haywire. "Your faces were a picture though," Harry added laughing wryly. "Surprised you put up with me after that," they'd accepted magic easily enough, too easily actually, then again the dead were walking around so next to that nothing was hard to believe.
Just then Daryl stopped the truck abruptly, Harry turned back to see what was going on, sighing softly, wondering what had happened now. Sliding out of the truck, he observed Daryl doing the same, his ever present crossbow slung over his shoulder protectively, and his eyes roaming around to ensure there were no walkers happening upon them. He noticed the RV was smoking; evidently it wasn't going to get anywhere now.
Harry didn't go further down, just leaned against the truck, keeping an eye out for anything that might come their way. That didn't mean he couldn't hear what was going on, apparently it needed a new hose, surprisingly Merle offered to do it, if they could get the part he needed. Shane and Glenn immediately left to try and salvage the part he required to get the RV up and running again - it was too dangerous to linger long.
Boredom got the better of him so he began to rummage through some of the cars looking for anything that would see them surviving just that much longer. Mostly just looking for medicine or food, since it was going to be a two day journey to the CDC they would need stuff they couldn't cook after all not until they found somewhere safe. He wouldn't see the kids going hungry, he knew how that felt and refused to allow it to happen - even if it meant dipping into his supplies and getting odd looks although as long as he didn't bring too much out at any given time it should be fine. The five cars he managed to look into bore fruitful results, by that time Merle had the hose attached and they were soon to be on their way.
"Hungry?" Harry asked peering around the door of Carol's car, to the two kids who looked rather bored.
Both of them nodded immediately.
"Thought you might be," Harry grinned, stepping aside when he felt Carol coming up, letting her slide into the car before he handed over five tins of fruit and five bars of chocolate. "Best eat the chocolate first so you don't end up thirsty," the tin of fruit had light syrup in it which would quench their thirst hopefully.
"Thank you," Lori said, placing her delicate hand on Harry's back, smiling at him in gratitude.
Harry nodded before he wordlessly waved goodbye to them before putting the rest of the food that was in one bag into the RV for the others to eat. He didn't wait for them to say anything, just made his way over to the truck; Daryl was already inside smoking half a cigarette. Once he was inside, he handed Daryl a packet of crisps, a sweet he didn't recognize and the nearly full pack of smokes.
"Thanks," Daryl murmured quietly, he wasn't used to anyone caring enough to make sure he had enough to eat. Since joining the group, Carol always made sure they had a share of the food and Harry was always making sure he had something too. That and bringing him stuff, arrows for his crossbow and smokes too.
Before long they were on the move again.
The CDC loomed over them; the repugnant smell of the dead permeated the air letting them know it wasn't good before they even drove up. Harry shook his head wordlessly, he'd told him, but the prospect of even just a little new knowledge being in the building was drawing him in. Patting his pockets making sure he had his trunk, wands and absently scooping up his bag, unsheathing one of his daggers he stepped out silently, the night was upon them, if they didn't get into that building they were screwed.
Everyone else was out of their cars as well, keeping quiet as they made their way through the maze of dead bodies, military, civilian and scientists if the white coat he saw was anything to go on. Once they were there, Shane and Rick began to try to open the shutters, which didn't even budge at their pathetic attempts, it was the CDC it was a secure building for Merlin's sake, it was never going to be that easy.
"There's nobody here man," T-Dog said his voice low but still everyone in the group could hear him.
"The shutters are closed, someone is here," Rick said adamantly.
"Incoming!" Harry stated sharply, his gaze shifting around nervously, more and more were appearing at the smell and prospect of fresh meat. His hand skittered to his gun, before bringing it out, aiming just in case he had no choice but to fire.
"You lead us into a graveyard!" Daryl shouted pissed off raging at Rick, getting in his face, Shane went to defend Rick and of course Merle wasn't going to let anyone touch his lil brother except him.
"Daryl quiet, the noise it's drawing more!" Harry hissed, firing his gun at the one nearest to them, the kids were crying now, drawing even more of them down on them.
"He made a call!" Shane defended Rick, "No blame," he added to Rick trying to urge him away before they were crowded.
"We can't be in the city after dark," Lori said clutching her son close, watching the looming threats close to tears.
"It's a dead end, let's go!" Shane urged Rick, trying to get him to leave.
"The camera it moved!" Rick shouted just a bit louder than before.
"You imagined it," Shane said still trying to urge his best friend away from the CDC.
Daryl shot one of the lumbering closer walkers, while Merle took care of two coming closer from the other side.
Harry looked back; Rick was getting desperate, slamming his fists against the door, hollering at the top of his lungs attracting more trouble. Harry closed his eyes and fired off a few more shots, as Rick tried to get whoever was inside to feel sorry for him by shouting they had kids, no fuel and no way of getting out that they were killing them. Harry was just about to grab Rick himself seen as Shane wasn't having much luck when a sound of metal grinding on metal attracted his attention, the shutters had been raised, flooding the entire area in light.
"Daryl, Merle watch the back," Rick said as he slowly ventured in gun raised defensively, not sure what they were getting themselves into but anything was better than going back out there.
"Anybody infected?" someone asked, appearing in front of them his own gun raised, dressed in his nightclothes and in desperate need of a shave.
"Nobody," Rick assured him right away.
Harry cocked his head to the side, curious about the man.
"Why are you here and what do you want?" the man asked.
"A chance," Rick said desperately.
"That's asking an awful lot these days," the still unknown man asked.
Harry snorted in amusement, "Just these days?" he asked the man a tired wry smile on his face, a bitter look appearing briefly before all expression was removed.
The man smiled just a tad, glancing at everyone he'd never seen such a combination of people before but hell, the world had ended so what did it matter. "You all submit to a blood test, that is the price of admission," he conceded after glancing at the children.
Rick agreed he would have done anything really to ensure his family had a safe place to stay.
"If you have anything you wish to bring in get it now, once those doors close they stay closed," the man told them.
Harry stared at him as everyone rushed out, he was speaking the truth, and those doors would definitely not open again. The question was why? He was still staring shrewdly at the man when everyone came rushing back in, only then did the man close the shutters back down, locking them away from the walkers and outside world.
"Harry Potter," Harry said, holding his hand out in introduction.
"Doctor Edwin Jenner," the scientist said, shaking his hand in turn. "Follow me," he told the others and with that he marched off, calling the elevator, for once the entire group was quiet, no questions, and no nothing. They stepped into the elevator, or lifts as Harry was thinking of them as.
"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl said, gazing at the scientist.
"There was plenty left lying around, I familiarised myself with them," Jenner admitted with a tense smile, "But you all look harmless enough," Harry and Merle both snorted, "Except for you, I'll need to keep my eye on you," he told Carl watching him grin before he stared ahead again.
Harry turned to stare at Merle who seemed to catch on what he was thinking or was thinking it himself and nodded. So it wasn't just him and Daryl then, Daryl wouldn't have said anything if he wasn't suspicious. They would need to keep an eye on him, then again he had been cut off from the world, trying to find a cure, that kind of pressure couldn't be good for anyone, but at least he wasn't alone - or he assumed so anyway since so far they hadn't met a single other soul. He briefly glanced at Rick, wondering if he suspected or if he was just too relieved his family was safe to see the reality in front of him. Not that they thought the doctor was dangerous, they just felt as if they were missing a bigger picture.
You know i'm through trying to make them exactly as they're portrayed in the series! :D I'm just going to enjoy writing it! And if it means an OOC Merle then so be it! I want him in the story and i think he got the really bad end of a deal and i think he was capable of change - Daryl was so Merle should be too! so there we go! they're officially in the CDC and Daryl and Harry were actually able to have a conversation as short as it was (and mostly one sided lol) as you can see its obvious i'm starting to enjoy writing it :D :D hehe R&R please