Walking Dead Wizard
Chapter 32
"Pureblood's never really go into the non-magical world," Luna explained after Merle asked why it is that she didn't even know what the basics of technology. After showing her where to put the charger in, since the van was moving it immediately began charging much to Luna's delight, the music was so different to all she knew. Her body was so grateful to be sitting again, allowing her muscles to rest, she definitely needed another potion, and she ached in places she hadn't known even existed.
"Pure what?" Merle grumbled as he shifted gears, it was as though she was talking a whole different language to him.
"Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting you don't know everything," Luna admitted sheepishly, clicking off the music for now seen as she wasn't going to get to listen due to the fact it seemed Merle was in a rare talkative mood, she wasn't going to miss that opportunity to talk to him. Leaning back against the seat properly, she began to explain. "There's a…unofficial yet official hierarchy system in the magical world. Unofficial is that they never actually outwardly agree, but they do think it."
"That ain't explainin' anything'," Merle stated, more confused than he was a few minutes ago.
"Alright, let me see if I can get you to understand, there's three categories in the hierarchy system, there's the pureblood's, to be classed as a pureblood you have to have magical grandparents on both side of your family. They're considered to be the best; or rather the pureblood's like to think they were. Truth is they were all inbred, they kept marrying their cousins and it declined the magical population. Which for us in Britain was a bad thing, we were already thinned out due to three wars…not that it matters anymore the whole world has gone to shit." Luna explained shrugging her shoulders. "Not all pureblood's thought they were the best though, my great grandfather fell in love with a Muggle born, and we were considered blood traitors for a while. I'm a pureblood by magical standards."
Merle was beginning to regret asking, he had more questions than answers at this point.
"Blood traitors is a term elite pureblood's used for people who like non-magical people, sympathise with them or marry them that and Marrying Muggle born's." Luna explained, "With me so far?"
Merle grunted, he just had to find out what Muggle-born meant and he was pretty much keeping up.
"The second in the system are half blood's they're tolerated I suppose, it's a term for those with a magical and non-magical parent, or a magical parent and a Muggle-born parent, like Harry, a Muggle-born is the only magical person in a non-magical family," Luna explained, "Like my best friend Hermione, they're considered lower than dirt by most of society, you'll rarely find a Muggle-Born with a job even within our Ministry."
"Anyone can be a wizard?" Merle asked incredulously, that didn't seem right. They had their own Ministry? Just how bloody big was the magical world and why had Harry left to come here? It made little to no sense at all. The more he learned the more he was tempted to believe Harry was insane for leaving a place of safety.
"No, there's another category I failed to mention, squibs,"
"Explosives?" Merle uttered confused, in the military squibs were small sticks of dynamite.
"No, it's our term for a child born to a magical family without magical powers of his own, its one of the biggest shames in the magical world, they're considered even worse than dirt under your shoe. They're cast out, left to fend for themselves, most families give money for their child so they can live in relative comfortableness in the non-magical world. They have families of their own, somewhere along the line magic shows itself again. Then they come into the magical world as Muggle-born's but the purebloods like to think that they steal magic." Luna snorted in disgust, "that belief's caused two wars in our world; many were killed as a result of it,"
"Truth is Muggle-born's and half-blood's are more powerful than pureblood's, due to the influx of new blood," Luna added offhandedly. "We have our own community hidden from non-magical people, because normally they don't react well to the news. We hid ourselves out of necessity, to survive, there were manhunts for us before we hid, so many people killed and not all of them were witches or wizards. Everything was hidden so that nothing magical at all remained; magic became a fairytale to them,"
"What do you think of me and my lil brother knowin'?" Merle asked, turning the van to the left, he'd memorised the way to the prison.
"I trust Harry with my life, I've trusted him with my life for years, he's the reason I'm alive," Luna revealed honestly, "He's a great judge of character, trust me if he didn't want you knowing, you wouldn't know."
"Kinda hard to forget everythin' flying around," Merle snorted.
"That's kind of the point, he could have made you forget and gone on his way, we have a spell that makes you forget," Luna explained, "Why do you think I asked you why Harry trusted you? He literally doesn't trust people, but he did you and your brother, more than he's trusted anyone for a long time. It isn't because you saw him using magic."
Merle frowned, staring out at the road wondering why the hell the boy had trusted him…trusted them. When Luna spoke of Harry not trusting people, she obviously meant it; she'd repeated it often enough he'd just assumed Harry hadn't really had any other choice since they'd seen magic used. Now that wasn't the case at all, he could have made them forget and went on his merry way, nobody trusted them, they were dirty rednecks, it just went against everything he thought he knew.
"You don't have to worry, he won't make you forget, not now, it's been far too long," Luna spoke, thinking Merle was concerned about being Obliviated.
"I ain't worried," Merle stated, before bringing the van to a stop - it was at the only available place for them to stay the night that was nearest the prison. As Harry said it was too dangerous to actually go to the prison in the dark, they had to make sure nobody was in it, and then there were the walkers that were no doubt inside the prison.
"No, you don't strike me as someone who does," Luna grinned glancing at the side mirror to see the rest of their group coming to a stop behind the van. Opening the door she climbed out, giving a small smile to everyone else, they were all exhausted and sore, no doubt they're glad to be here for some rest.
"Please tell me we don't have to go through this again," Carol asked between two groans, having done more than her fair share today and was feeling the affects quite badly.
"We're close to the prison, if we are lucky it's our last stop…if not we might have to continue pushing on." Harry said, as always giving them the truth. "I'm going down to see the prison after I've checked the area and have a nose around, we might even have our answer tonight."
"Splitting the group could be dangerous," Dale said, "Perhaps you should wait until tomorrow?"
"We cannot always be together," Harry said shaking his head, "There are times where people are going to have to go hunting or scavenging and there are people going to be left behind to protect our…camp. Which means we might even be split into three different groups, you have to gain confidence in yourself and your ability to see and gauge instances and do what you think is right."
"He's right, we did it at the quarry," Carol conceded his point with a graceful nod. "The only good thing then there was more people, greater safety in numbers."
"Numbers were redundant especially seeing as how you didn't know how to defend yourself back, you do now, each and every single one of you, that is greater than any number of people screaming their lungs over walkers instead of stepping up." Harry replied, "I have faith in all you to be able to handle a situation." well, a small one maybe, but a big one? He suspected they'd still panic but baby steps.
"Against a herd we would be useless," Amy said adamantly.
"What makes you think I make the difference between you getting bit and surviving?" Harry arched a curious eyebrow more amused than anything.
"It won't just be you," Amy grinned, eyes shrewd. "You'll be going with at least Daryl but most likely with Merle and Luna too."
"Good, you're thinking ahead and becoming observant, that's vital in this world right now." Harry said in pride, Amy flushed but grinned sheepishly, Andrea nudged her sister smiling at her, no longer feeling the need to compete with her. They'd mostly figured everything out while they were at the quarry. "As it stands I'm only going to look at the prison, I'll be gone all of five minutes, if there's someone in there chances are we will see some sort of light if we're lucky, if not…tomorrow's a whole new day. Now same set up as yesterday, be careful." with that Harry moved to the surrounding area, which for once wasn't all forest.
Anubis as always followed him when he wasn't in the RV with the girls and Dale or when he was told to stay.
"The place is completely empty," Luna said as she wandered back down the stairs having checked absolutely everywhere. Merle grunted from behind her, agreeing.
"Same down here," Andrea nodded, either it had been looted already or the family had taken everything with them.
"I'll get dinner started to," Carol suggested, but it was more than a suggestion since she had everything she'd need in a box in her arms.
"Are those stones real gemstones?" Andrea asked staring at Luna's sword as she sheathed it.
"Yes, they're sapphires," Luna nodded in confirmation, as if the Goblins would use inferior metal or stones in anything they made.
Andrea whistled, "That's some find," she said impressed. It probably cost thousands upon thousands of pounds.
"I didn't find it, a friend gave it to me during the initial outbreak," Luna absently corrected her, lying because she couldn't say a friend had given it to her just a few weeks ago, they'd ask a lot of awkward questions she couldn't answer. So it was best just to embellish a few facts, it was actually kind of scary how quickly she got used to lying as well.
"The area is clear," Harry commented, grabbing his bow and shrugging it over his shoulder and head. "It's about a two minute run to the prison; we'll be back within five or six minutes."
"And if you aren't?" Sophia asked a hint of fear in her voice.
"I will be." Harry stated strongly, "We are only going to have a look, then coming straight back. Until then I want you to keep Anubis safe for me can you do that?"
"I will," Sophia nodded, relaxing and trusting Harry that he was telling her the truth, and she had no reason to believe otherwise.
"Good." Harry replied, petting Anubis, "Alright Andrea you stay on watch, we'll be back soon."
Andrea nodded, standing up she went up the stairs to the window and took watch.
The four of them ran Harry in the lead followed by Luna and Daryl and Merle lagged behind just a bit. They began to slow down when the prison structure came into sight. Sticking out of sight, just to be on the safe side, not that anyone would see them unless they were directly in front of them. Harry took a crouch as he looked at the sight before him.
"I guess that confirms whether anyone is there or not," Harry mused thoughtfully, his eyes roaming over the entire area trying to mentally map it.
"Merlin, how many are there?" Luna said wide eyed.
"At least two dozen, probably more," Harry answered her automatically.
"More is right," Daryl stated, "Fifty or more walkers. Even with all of us there is no way we would be able to fight them all."
"Unless we use the two fences," Merle pointed out, "It would stop em gettin' at us, while we thin the herd out."
"That will take too long, and with the risk of ending up boxed in on both sides." Harry logically argued, "Unless…"
"Unless what?" Luna asked only to be met with a tree, Harry had Apparated. "Harry!" she hissed under her breath.
"…The fuck?" Daryl muttered looking around trying to find out where the hell Harry had gone.
"Oh that idiot," Luna cursed, stepping onto the pavement staring at the prison.
Daryl followed her line of sight, seeing Harry in the middle of the herd that was advancing on him and he was just standing there. Automatically loading his crossbow, taking aim he stood there feeling useless, his heart beating through the roof, a growl leaving his lips.
"Don't worry, just watch," Luna said with a hint of reverence, she knew what he was going to do. Flicking out her wand she spelled the area so nobody would notice what was happening or rather what would be happening.
Then it happened. Harry uttered a single spell. Fiendfyre.
"HOLY SHIT!" Merle muttered jumping back slightly, gazing in awe.
"…the fuck," Daryl said watching the scene which was lit up like the fourth of July; he could swear it was in the image of a snake.
"It's a spell called Fiendfyre," Luna explained, "Its cursed fire, it's extremely difficult to control, and only three wizards have been able to control it in the last hundred years without causing untold damage. A boy at our school cast the spell, just about burnt the castle down."
"Fire shouldn't work on em," Daryl pointed out, mesmerised by the sight, Harry was twirling around his wand waving, the fire continued to spew out.
"This fire can incinerate anything in its way, see look the walkers are turning into ash," she pointed to the left of Harry were nothing but ash remained after he focused the fire elsewhere. "Look at the control, he isn't even touching the grass, I could never do that in a million years at least not for this long and not like that."
Both Dixons would have been jealous of the reverence for different reasons if they weren't too enchanted by the sight themselves. They'd thought they had seen it all, but this was some serious shit, making them realize they'd only seen the tip of the iceberg of what Harry was capable of. They were also beginning to realize that Harry wasn't just an average wizard, based on comments Luna had made…he was obviously very powerful. He down played his own capabilities, until there was a reason to broadcast them.
Then slowly the fire began to dim, until it disappeared completely, leaving Harry in the middle of an ash filled prison ground. Not that the ash was there for long, a single flick of his wand later it was gone, leaving no evidence of a fire or even the walkers. Then Harry himself was gone, reappearing next to them.
"You stink of smoke," Luna pointed out, knowing better than to say anything; Harry would do what he felt needed done and always had been that way. "Next time please give a bit of warning,"
"You worry too much, don't, I wouldn't do anything that risked my life, I haven't come this far to do anything stupid now." Harry replied, flicking his wand and cleaning his clothes and body, with two different cleaning spells to ensure that he didn't smell of smoke and alarm the others. "With the amount of walkers in the area it's probably safe to say there isn't people inside, but I would prefer if you checked tomorrow Daryl, is that alright?"
Daryl just nodded, his mind replaying what had just happened.
"Then let's head back before they worry," Harry said, "I put spells up so I would know if anything happened and it's been calm so far."
"Good, I'm hungry," Luna said, she'd been used to three cooked meals at Hogwarts, but these meals weren't so bad she was just used to having more that's all.
Harry smirked, "Those aren't words I'm used to hearing every day anymore."
Luna shared a smile with him, both of them thinking of a red headed boy, one they'd liked before he became dangerously co-dependant on Harry and screwed everything up. Fractured the shared friendship between everyone.
"Well, looks like we found our place, but if there's walkers inside, it's going to take ages to get it cleared out." Harry mused, glancing back just once.
"Clearin' one wing is all we need for one day; the rest can be done gradually, as you said each place is contained with locked metal doors." Merle muttered it looked as though they were walking back then.
"How big is it would you say?" Harry asked thoughtfully.
"Big enough for it to take weeks." Daryl stated.
"It beats shifting cars," Luna said with a light laugh, she was sure if she did any more pushing her shoulders were going to pop.
Finally got the scene I wanted in at the prison :D haha next chapter will be the prison itself :) right will I have Michonne find the prison sooner or rather find Harry and the group since the prison isn't full of walkers or would you prefer her to join the group when tension is quite high for some reason i'll come up with...personally i believe the only reason Michonne actually went to the prison was because of the baby formula otherwise she would have left Glenn and Maggie to it...it would need to be something like that to really wake her up out of the self imposed punishment she put herself through...needlessly through! will Harry find out her son is still alive? or is that done too often in these kind of stories? I don't suddenly want everyone to be alive...damn it wouldnt work, he's not magical ah well there's no logical way for him to find that piece of information out! unless he uses the Resurrection stone and yes he does have all three items but he's NOTHING special he's no Master of Death with extraordinary powers or anything like that! THAT is definitely overdone in stories so not happening :) R&R please