A/N
Sorry this chapter is out later than normal! This is why I promised two weeks per update at MAX instead of something shorter. Things just get into the way and sometimes you just can't feel the emotion or motivation to write.
Anyway, I would like to thank everyone for reviewing! Thanks a whole bunch guys! I appreciate it a great deal.
And so beings the final chapter of Season 1!
I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters… Or any of the Walking Dead characters either… If I had, Carl would not have been shot and Lucius would have had a much bigger role in things, just saying. Shane would still be dead though… Yeah…As a doornail
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Previously, on Death, Decay, and Diffindo:
As he laid his head down, he couldn't help but think that the world had gotten a whole lot more sad since he had been in a coma. So many people had died….the magical way of life was all but destroyed. Harry closed his eyes. His last thought before sleep finally took him was wondering how he could make Hermione feel better.
Throughout the night, as everyone slept soundly for the first time in months, the clock continued to count down. Inching closer and closer to zero every second on the night.
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Harry awoke in much the same way he had been the past two weeks. He didn't gradually become aware, slowly moving from sleep to awake. Instead, he was instantly alert, as if a switch were thrown between 'sleep' and 'awake'. He had hoped that, after two or so months after the Battle of Hogwarts, he wouldn't awake in such a…combative manner. Harry could easily track the start of his waking issue right back to the second day of the Horcrux hunt.
It annoyed him to no end that, when he had finally made some progress and had started waking up like a 'normal' person, his Auror training demanded otherwise….joy. And so, Harry resigned himself to always waking up like this, as if a battle were about to commence and he hadn't a second to spare….
The fact that it was an advantage in the current situation galled him to no end.
Harry quickly went about the bare essentials after he woke up. After relieving himself, combing his hair with his hand (a futile effort as always), and checking his wand was in place, he set out to find his friends. Draco held the closest room to his so he made his way there first. His short trip down the hall ended in failure as Draco's door was already open, no occupant inside.
He continued down the hall and to the left, past several open and vacant rooms before coming upon Hermione, Teddy and Andromeda's connected rooms. They too had their doors open. At that point Harry knew he had woken up later than he had expected and that everyone was together. Harry changed his direction then and headed to the 'big room'. The closer he got the more the smell of cooking food increased. He turned the last corner before his destination and ran smack into a firm body.
Neither Shane nor Harry expected the collision and both stumbled backwards slightly, Harry quickly regained his bearings.
"Didn't see you there Harry…" Shane said after a moment of silence.
"I noticed that when I ran into you. Sorry about that." Harry responded with a neutral tone. The young wizard had not forgotten about the incident in the hallway. He could understand wanting to punch a Malfoy….but after the world had ended, and especially after Harry heard Draco's story, he just couldn't shake the feeling of needing to stick together. And why did Shane have scratch marks on his neck?
"No harm done. Look Harry…about last night." Shane began to talk before tapering out at the end. Never mind how lame that sounded….how could he even explain last night. All he knew was that he was happy this new Brit hadn't seen his and Lori's…..altercation. Draco he could deal with…but he didn't know much about this newcomer.
"Look Shane, I don't have any real issue with you. But you were drunk, and I can understand being annoyed at Draco for something. But keep in mind, He's 19 and I am sure he didn't start a physical fight with you. On top of that what are you? 29? Used to be a police officer? Punching him was not the right thing to do. And you should know that." Harry replied, keeping his tone neutral. This was not a discussion he had wanted to have first off in the morning. Doubly so since most everyone would be in a fairly agitated mood, what with being hung over and all.
"You're right Harry… I was outa line last night. Musta been all the time not being able to get a drink. Lost my…uh….tolerance. Yeah that's it," .Shane said, jumping on the opening Harry had given him. Harry just gave him a blank look in return. Talk about lack of personal responsibility.
"Right…just make sure it doesn't happen again. I'm not one to let my friends be punched around, regardless of the circumstances." Harry replied before turning and heading the direction of the central room. Shane walked fast to catch up.
"Friends huh? Didn't think you and Draco were buddies. Not the way you two were acting….." Shane said conversationally, the underlying challenge in his words as apparent as a neon sign to Harry.
"Things change." Harry replied simply.
"They sure do…" Shane responded before the pair entered the well-lit main room. Immediately he could tell the mood was happy, but tense. The tension wasn't due to an argument however, but to the pain everyone was in after their excessive drinking. Harry was glad, once again, that he had never taken up the bottle as easily as the rest of his friends.
He made his way over to sit beside Hermione, with Teddy in her lap, and, by consequence also sitting next to Draco who had once again taken position next to Andromeda. The last Malfoy greeted him with a nod to which Harry returned.
"Hi Haawee!" Teddy burst out excitedly as he sat down beside him.
"Morning Harry." Hermione said at the same time.
"'lo Teddy, Hermione. What's for breakfast?" Harry asked in response, sending her and his godson a small smile. He was happy she was acting more chipper than the other night. A good night's sleep can always do wonders.
"Eggs courtesy of T-Dog." The last Black sister replied around a fork full of food.
"You're looking better Andromeda, and no wheelchair?" Harry asked, pleasantly surprised that his cousin was quickly on the med.
"Yep! Walked here all by myself this morning." She replied happily.
"I halped you too granma!" Teddy voiced indignantly. His displeasure at being left out apparent….and loud. Cringes were seen all around the table.
"Uhhhhgggg" Glenn moaned.
"Shut it brat! Inside voice or whatever is quieter." Draco admonished before picking up a fork full of eggs. Secretly Draco was pleased at the amount of discomfort Teddy had given the hung over group. They deserved it.
"I have a plate for you two right here." T-Dog called out to Harry and Shane. He made his way over and deposited two decently sized plates of food. It wasn't an English breakfast, but it acceptable.
"Don't ever, ever, ever let me drink again…" Glenn slurred out over the pain of his aching head, earning a great deal of snorts and small laughs. Harry smirked along with Draco at the poor young Asian's problem. Unknown to either of them, they both had the same thought about the hangovers from firewhiskey. There wasn't a comparison.
"Do you feel as bad as I do?' Rick called out to Shane. The former police officer busied himself with getting a drink.
"Worse." He replied absent mindedly. His thoughts were focused on Rick's demander. He certainly didn't act like a man whose wife had been assault by his best friend….He was sure Lori or the little twerp would have mentioned something by now.
"Da' hell happened to you?" T-Dog asked after seeing the scratches on Shane's neck. "Your neck man." He said again, pointing for extra measure.
"Dunno. Must have done it in my sleep." Shane replied quickly, taking a seat on the opposite end of the table.
"I never saw you do that before." Rick stated with curiosity. Self-mutilation was certainly not something Rick ever expected Shane to do, consciously or not.
"Me neither. It's just not like me at all." Shane replied before looking over to Lori. Harry thought that action was a little weird…and the way Draco tensed up when the man looked in the woman's direction…..
"I guess we all learn something about ourselves eventually. Right Shane?" Draco asked snidely, a sneer prevalent on his lips. Shane glanced over at the blond wizard before quickly looking back down to his food.
"Enough Draco." Lori said, her tone saying the conversation was finished. Harry watched bemusedly as Draco sneered even more towards the woman before going back to his food. Something was definitely going on…..
Draco for his part was irritated and bewildered with Lori and her actions. He hadn't even taken one step into the room with all the lights and screens before she had come up and drug him off to a secluded place. When she asked him not to talk about what happened he had just stared at her incredulously. How could she even be serious? Sure…Draco considered her a pain in the ass and would never willingly associate with her….but to keep such an event from her husband? And Shane had laid hands on him as well.
Draco lost every shred of respect he had for her in that one moment. Sure, he could understand not wanting to 'upset the group' as she said….but what happened could always happen again. At that point, if it ever came out that he knew, Draco would find himself in a bad situation as well. The nerve of the woman!
In the end he just couldn't stand her bleating-like voice any longer. With a sneer and a coldly delivered 'whatever' he walked off in an act of indifference. He wasn't truly indifferent, however. Oh no…he was pleased. It only took him a few seconds of brooding before he realized that he had perfect blackmail material now….oh how that dumb muggle had messed up. Now he could extort from both parties!
Draco smirked at the possibilities while he continued to eat his food. Let the muggle think she won something.
There was a small period of silence where everyone just concentrated on their meals. Soon enough though, Doctor Jenner made his way into the big room.
"Morning." He said as he walked to the beverage bar,
"Hey Doc." A variety of voices replied.
"Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions the first thing….." Dale started to say.
"But you're going to anyway." Jenner's voice called out, still gravely and deep from sleep.
"We didn't come for the eggs." Andrea stated as a matter of fact. Jenner turned around then and began sipping his coffee, just watching the group. Andrea was about two seconds from making a comment when the doctor spoke up.
"Come to the big screen when you are all done." He said before walking off towards the viewing screen on the wall.
"Can I finish eating Hawwee?" Teddy asked Harry, his eyes big and watery with hope. It was way too early to have to deal with puppydog eyes from his godson. To make matters worse….Teddy could change his eyes to a puppy's! He could never win.
"Yeah, but don't dally." Harry replied before tossing a small smile at Hermione.
"How are you feeling Hermione?" Harry asked before putting another fork full of eggs in his mouth.
"Better Harry, thank you for asking. I wanted to come wake you up for breakfast, but Andromeda convinced me you needed sleep." Hermione relied with a small blush. Harry just waved off her concern.
"Don't worry about it. I did enjoy sleeping in a little." Harry replied, his smile still in place. Hermione smiled back at him before turning her attention back to Teddy to help him with his spoon.
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Everyone was soon finished with their meal. They all got up and moved mostly as one towards the wall Dr. Jenner was near. Harry was able to get Teddy away from Hermione and back into his arms right before the lights started to dim.
"Give me the playback of TS-19." Jenner said to the computer.
"Playback of TS-19." VI stated as numbers and pictures started to appear and resize on the massive wall screen.
"Not many ever got a chance to see this….so few…so very few." Dr. Jenner said in a quite voice while gazing up at the screen. Everyone else was gazing up at the screen too. Some in wonder, some in curiosity, and some with irritation.
'How could that voice not belong to a woman!' Draco raged in his head. He believed Potter when he said it was a computer responding and talking…..but that still didn't mean he could wrap his head around the idea.
Soon, the main screen coalesced into a vague outline of a human head with a shiny bright brain. Everyone stood and watched in various amounts of awe. Draco and Teddy both had their gaze locked intently on the screen. Teddy liking the colors and Draco in astonishment that muggles could make such a thing.
"Is that a brain?" Carl asked. Draco nearly snorted. But of course it wasn't a brain, the silly child.
"An extraordinary one!" Doctor Jenner replied as he smiled down at the young boy. Draco was flabbergasted.
"Not that it matters in the end….Take is in for EIV."
"Enhanced Internal View." Vi's response echoed through the cavernous space. The screen rotated and zoomed into the segment of the brain while everyone stood and watched. Several seconds later a mass of…what Draco could only described as strings of pulsating light dominated the screen. He wasn't sure what he was looking at so he glanced around curiously. Everyone else seemed to be mesmerized…but not confused. Even Potter. Draco again felt foolish when confronted with his limited knowledge of muggles and their sciences. He really didn't want to ask what it was he was looking at, however.
"What're those lights?" Shane asked. The last Malfoy praised the buffoon in his mind.
'At least I have a reason for being in the dark.' He thought maliciously.
"It's a person's life…their experiences, memories. Its everything!" Jenner responded with a passion none of them had seen within in the man.
"Somewhere….in all that organic wiring and pulses of light….is you. The thing, the piece that makes you unique from everyone else." The doctor continued as he looked over the group.
"You don't make sense? Ever?" Daryl asked. Draco was grateful he voiced the same question he had in his mind. It felt like the Doctor was just lording his intelligence over everyone….at least Draco thought so.
Harry, Hermione, and Andromeda all knew what the man was talking about. Growing up with, and living in, the muggle world did have a few advantages….all of which was greatly beneficial now. Harry was secretly pleased though that Shane had asked such a dumb question. He really didn't like the man.
"Those are synapses. Electric impulses in the brain that transmit every message. They determine what a person says, does or thinks from the moment of birth….to the moment of death." Jenner replied with a powerful tone of voice to hammer the point home.
"Death? So this is a vigil?" Rick asked as he walked around several computer banks to stand next to the Doctor.
"Yes…err well rather a playback of the vigil." Jenner replied quietly, a stark difference from his past few comments.
"So this person…died?" Draco asked out loud
"Who was it?" Andrea asked.
"Test subject 19….someone bitten who elected to let us….record the process from the beginning." Jenner replied, his voice trailing off at the end. Draco felt his respect for the person….whoever it was on the screen (if that could even be believed….muggles…) go up. While he himself would never be as altruistic…he could at least respect the person who sacrificed a quick and easy end to it all so other may learn.
For some reason, Draco was bothered by the idea that he didn't know if he would do the same or not.
"VI. Scan to the first event."
"Scanning to first event." VI's voice boomed out. The picture zoomed out once more, showing the head, face, brain, and upper body of the test subject. Though the brain picture was much, much different. Even Draco could tell what was happening. Whatever it was….had made its way up into the brain and began killing it.
"What is that…" Glenn asked in awe, echoing all the questions in everyone's heads.
"It invades the brain like Meningitis…" Jenner explained. Harry tuned out his lecture though as something caught his eye. He could see a dark….pulsating blackness or something. He could see little tendrils waving, pushing in and retracting all around the spinal cord and dark area of the brain. It was so much…darker and…alive than the other aspects that it almost drew his gaze in. He quickly looked over the rest of the body, finding a large pool of pulsating blackness around the heart area. The dark tendrils were much thicker there, and longer.
"What about those dark tendrils?" Harry asked out loud, not hearing an explanation about them. Jenner looked over at Harry with a questioning glance.
"Those are nerve fibers, dead nerve fibers."
"No…not those. The moving tendrils around the spine and the heart. " Harry responded. Perhaps he hadn't made himself clear enough.
"What are you talking about…." Jenner replied in confusion, studying the image again before looking back to Harry. Now the last Potter was getting a little annoyed…they were right there after all. Harry looked over to Hermione for help, only to be on the receiving end of a strange look.
"There aren't any moving tendrils Harry…." Hermione spoke over Teddy's head. Even Harry's godson was looking at him funny. A quick look at the rest of the group showed they all were looking at him strangely.
"They're right there. They're the only things moving!" Harry pointed with his finger, getting irritated at everyone's responses.
"Harry was it? The image is paused…..nothing is moving…" Doctor Jenner replied. Harry was stumped. Even Draco was looking at him like he had lost his mind. His irritation was quickly replaced with confusion. Why couldn't anyone, not even magicals, see what he was talking about?
"Never mind then, musta' just seen….never mind." Harry said, putting a small false smile on his face. Maybe he was just still tired….yeah that had to be it.
"VI…scan forward to the second event." Jenner said out loud after taking one last look at Harry.
"Scanning to Second Event." VI responded.
"The resurrection times vary widely. We had reported of reanimation happening at quickly as three minutes or as long as eight hours." The doctor said as the image fast forwarded on the screen.
"In the case of TS-19 reanimation occurred in two hours….one minute….seven seconds." Doctor Jenner said out loud as he stared at the screen. Everyone was in shock at what they saw. Draco, on the other hand, felt a great deal of apprehension when he saw the once bright brain…come back to life in a morbid way. Hermione held Teddy closer as she watched the dead brain restart, at least partially.
"It restarts the brain?" Lori asked incredulously. Hermione felt the same was she did. This was….not something she ever expected. And to see it, actually see it happen with, what appeared to be one of the most advanced pieces of medical equipment she had ever heard of. She had her theories about what was happening…nothing that was concrete but still….
"Only partially. Just the brainstem really. It basically just gets them up and moving." Jenner replied quickly.
Harry once again saw the dark, pulsating…wrongness. Only this time, it looked like a writhing mass of tendrils, all moving about looking for…something. The sight made him think back to his encounter with devils snare. He was sure he wasn't seeing things…but no one else made any comment. And Hermione, even she looked at him in concern when he had mentioned it the first time. Harry briefly took his glasses off and rubbed his face.
'Maybe I really am just tried…yeah…that's it.' Harry thought to himself, the only explanation that seemed likely, deciding not to mention what he saw…again.
"But they're not alive?" Rick asked as he walked closer to the screen. Doctor Jenner looked back before gesturing towards the image.
"You tell me?"
"It isn't like before. Most of that brain is dark…." Rick responded as he thought out loud.
"Dark and dead. The Neocortex? The human part? That doesn't come back. Ever." Jenner said with finality, "All that comes back is a shell driven by base instinct."
The entire group watched the image for a few more seconds before a bright light washed the screen out for a second, a trail leading through the brain appeared a moment later. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat that had formed.
"What just happened?" Carol asked. Harry couldn't believe she had asked a question with such an obvious answer.
"He shot his patient. Didn't you?" Andrea asked while she looked intently at the doctor. He didn't respond.
"Vi. Power down the main screen and the workstations."
"Powering down 'main screen' and 'work stations'. " The voice boomed out once more. Draco couldn't get over the fact that the man was actually talking to himself…or so he claimed. Who knew muggles had created something as amazingly intricate as…whatever this VI was? And all without magic….
"You have…have no idea what this is? Do you?" Andrea asked suddenly. Jenner turned back to her and paused a moment before letting the truth out.
"It could be microbial….bacterial…viral…parasitic….fungal…." He listened out.
"Or the Wrath of God?" Jacquie bit out tensely.
"Well there is that…" Jenner replied with a small smile.
"Someone…somebody has to know something! " Hermione burst out, startling Teddy. She quickly hushed him while she looked at the doctor.
"There are others right? Other facilities?" Carol asked hesitantly. She knew, deep down that she wouldn't like the answer.
"There may be some….people like me who didn't leave." Jenner allowed with no small amount of hesitation.
"You don't know? How can't you know?' Rick asked disconcerted. He had to know…this place was where they would get answers!
"Everything just…went down. Communications, directives, it all just shutdown. I've been in the dark for a month now." Jenner replied. Everyone in the group tensed at his statement.
"So it's everywhere then? There is nothing left…nothing at all. That's what you're really saying right?" Andrea asked while she advanced on Jenner. She stopped a few feet away, a passion in her eyes that matched the tone of the voice she had used.
Jenner just looked away, not saying a single thing. In that moment of silence, the unspoken words were ringing loudly in everyone's head. Several people gasped as the full weight of what they had just learned hit them. Harry, who had found his way over to Hermione's side grabbed her hand. He was thankful she squeezed back. Draco and Andromeda, on the other hand, let the grim truth settle around them with no outward signs of distress. They were both Slytherin, after all, and even if they were terrified they would do their best not to show it.
"Man im gunna get shit faced drunk…again." Daryl said morosely. Draco had a thought that Daryl being unconscious would help everyone. HE wouldn't be able to talk and lower everyone's intelligence that way.
"Doctor Jenner…" Dale began, making his way over to the wall holding the clock. "I know this has been a trying time, and an equally trying explanation. And I hate to ask one more question….but that clock has been counting down."
"What happens when it reaches zero?" he asked as he turned back towards the Doctor.
"The… basement generators run out of fuel." Jenner replied before turning and beginning to head off and out of the room.
"And then?" Rick asked the man's retreating back. No response came from the doctor and he was soon out of everyone's view
"VI what happens when the power runs out?" Rick tried. He didn't know if the computer would answer him, but it was worth a shot.
Less than a second later, he felt bad for asking,
"When the power runs out, facility wide decontamination will occur."
Everyone stood still as the announcement washed over them. The silence in the room was deafening.
"What the bloody hell does that mean!?" Draco yelled.
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Hermione was in a slight panic and she held Teddy closer to him than was comfortable for the little child. He didn't complain though, picking up on his Auntie's tension. Everyone else had wandered back to their rooms but that wasn't what upset the young witch so much. No…what upset her was that she had just seen Harry run off again. This time down into the bowls of the facility with Draco and the other men in tow. She really, really hadn't wanted him to go…but she just couldn't get her voice to work before he disappeared into the depths of the basement.
In fact, if she was honest with herself, she was irritated at Andromeda for forcing her to let Harry sleep. She had wanted to see him…that piece of her life that was still constant. All her actions, all her thoughts and time spent on research had turned into nothing. For one of the few times ever in her life, she was completely at a loss at what to do. After the evacuation of Hogwarts and Ron's death, she spent nearly six months hoping…praying to whatever up there would listen that he was still alive.
She had never felt more useless than that one night with the troll.
And now he was out of her sight again and she hated it. When she had argued with Andromeda, the elder woman had calmly told her that, while she had been alive and fighting for the past eight months, Harry had not. He wasn't in the same mindset she was, he didn't feel like death was around the corner every waking moment, often times following everyone into sleep. He just wasn't thinking in the terms the magical survivors (and muggles) were.
"Hemoonie? Can we plat wit tha blocks again?" Teddy asked, bringing her back to the here and now. Hermione was thankful in so many ways for Teddy. He was always an easy way to lift her spirits and take her mind off things.
"Not right now sweetie. But maybe soon." She replied, bouncing Teddy a little bit,
"Awwwww." He whined.
Teddy passed the time playing with her hair while she and Andromeda sat in basic silence. Both were deep in thought about all the implications, first and foremost being the 'decontamination' that was going to occur soon.
Several minutes after the men left, the lights flickered down low.
"Emergency Lights Activated." VI informed everyone. Hermione frowned as she looked at the clock. Only thirty-three minutes remained, and they were steadily ticking down. The tense feeling in her stomach was getting more and more pronounced.
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Harry, Draco, T-dog, Shane, Glenn, and Rick all made their way back upstairs after failing to find a way to refuel the generator. On their way back to the big room, they ran into Doctor Jenner descending some stairs.
"What's going on Doc?" Shane asked only for the doctor to breeze right past him. Everyone exchanged a questioning glance before the small group took off after the Doctor. They soon were walking down the hallway where most people slept. Several people were already out of their rooms and milling about looking for answers.
"Hey why's everything off?" Daryl asked as he poked his head out of his door. Jenner reached down and grabbed the bottle from Daryl's hand before taking a long swig as he kept walking. Soon, everyone not already in the room was following the doctor like a trail of ducklings.
"Energy use is being prioritized." He said as he kept walking.
"Air isn't a priority?" Dale asked in a joking manner. "What about lights?"
"It's not up to me." Jenner said simply as he walked past Dale without even looking at him.
"Zone five is shutting itself down." Jenner stated as he walked around a corner.
"What? The building? How can the building do anything?" Draco asked confused. Clearly the man was….something. Talking disembodied voices was one thing….but a thinking building? Not without magic, silly muggle.
"You'd be surprised." Doctor Jenner replied offhandedly. Eventually, the group made it into the big room.
"What is going on Jenner?" Rick growled out.
"Power is being conserved….it's a protocol designed to keep the computers running until the last possible second. And it's right on time for the thirty minute mark." Jenner responded while gesturing to the clock on the wall.
"Harry!" Hermione called out. The young wizard moved quickly to her and Andromeda's side, Draco following soon after. The entire group extruded confusion as they all followed the last doctor up into the center of the room. Jenner paused at the first step for a moment before turning and handing the bottle of alcohol back to Daryl.
"It was the French you know." He stated as he walked over to a bank of computers.
"While we were all running or killing ourselves, the French stayed and worked on the problem. They thought they were close to a solution."
"What happened?" Jacquie asked.
"No power. Just like here. No electrical grids to keep the facility running." Jenner replied. He turned back to the bank of computers before pausing and turning to look at the group once more.
"The world ran on fossil fuels! A thing that took millions of years to produce. We had a finite amount and acted as if it was infinite! How stupid is that?"
"Let me tell you something…" Shane started to growl before Rick stopped him.
"I don't care! Lori! Get the stuff, we are getting out of here NOW!. Go! Now!" Rick commanded. As soon as the words left Rick's mouth, a loud alarm started to blare, scaring everyone present. Draco would never admit to it…but he jumped along with everyone else.
"Warning. Thirty Minutes until Decontamination." VI warned over the speakers.
Everyone stood in silence for a moment before panic started to set in.
"Alright everyone, you heard Rick! Get your stuff and let's go." Shane yelled out. Hermione passed Teddy off to Andromeda so she could help. She was the quicker of the two seeing as the older witch hadn't completely recovered from their ordeal. Hermione was quickly organizing things in her head, making plans on what items to get first, what could be left, what needed to be taken etcetera. All the instant planning was for naught, however, as a large shutter fell over the only exit. Everyone stared at it in shock.
"Did you just lock us in?" Glenn yelled out in a panic, "HE JUST LOCKED US IN!"
"Bloody hell! What the hell are you doing!?" Draco yelled, irate. Oh how he longed to use his wand….
Jenner didn't respond.
The group moved towards the center of the room, keeping a sizable distance between all members in case they needed the room to run. It was a tactic used for dealing with both walkers and raiders. The idea was, not all of them would die if they had clear avenues to bolt.
"You son of a bitch! You locked us in here!" Daryl yelled as he scrambled to grab the doctor. Shane and T-Dog pulled the irate man off the doctor quickly as Rick fast walked down the ramp to confront Jenner.
"Jenner, open that door now!" Rick ordered the man point blank.
"There's no point! Everything topside is locked down. I told you; once that door closed it wouldn't open again. I told you that." Jenner replied immediately.
"What happens in twenty-eight minutes Jenner? What happens at zero?" Rick changed to a question. He had to know how bad it was….how hard he had to try to escape right that moment. Jenner, however was proving uncooperative and didn't respond. A simple look and nod at Shane caused the other man to violently kick the console next to the doctor, startling him.
"What happens in…." Rick started before he was violently cut off.
"Do you KNOW what this place IS? What we did here!? We stood guard against things you would never be able to see! Protected the world from very…NASTY…..STUFF!" Jenner roared as he jumped up from his seat. The passion and anger in his voice was not something Draco, or Harry had expected to hear.
"Weponized Smallpox! Ebola strains that could WIPE OUT HALF THE COUNTRY! THINGS YOU DON'T WANT GETTING OUT….EVER!" The man continued to yell. Hermione had discreetly palmed her wand when the man started yelling. Everyone was shocked at his display, even Shane had his mouth hanging open. Draco was mildly impressed however. The man had kept such a cool exterior that he hadn't thought he would ever have hot anger to throw around. Very cunning….
Soon after his rant, Jenner calmed down and once again at in one of the workstation chairs.
"In the event of a catastrophic power loss, a terrorist attack for example, HITs are deployed to make sure nothing escapes the building." Jenner explained in an eerily calm voice. Harry thought the man could be bipolar at this point.
"HITs? You can't mean…you don't…." Hermione stuttered out her question, paling considerably and placing a hand over her mouth. Even Draco was worried at that point. If something, after everything that had happened to them the past few months, could scare Granger this bad….
"VI…define." Jenner stated calmly.
"HITs, high impulse thermobaric fuel/air explosives consist of a two stage aerosol ignition that, when ignited, produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum pressure ignites the oxygen in the affected area between five thousand and six thousand degrees. It is effective when the most structure damage and greatest loss of life is desired." Vi explained, though many wish it hadn't.
"It sets the air on fire." Jenner said quietly, causing Carol to burst into tears. Rick moved over immediately to hug his family close. How could he have been so wrong?
"Potter, what does all that mean?" Draco asked Harry quietly. He was sure he didn't want to know…..but he really didn't want to be in the dark about this.
"Think…err think fiendfire Draco. Fiendfire through the entire building, all in an instant, at its hottest tempature." Harry replied, trying to think of an accurate magial alternative.
"You are not funny Potter….tell me you are trying to be funny…."
"Sorry Draco. The muggle militaries uses it when they want nothing to be left standing." Harry responded quickly
"No pain…an end to sorrow...grief….regret….everything" the doctor continued talking to himself. Harry looked over to his terrified friend. She was pale and shaking; Andromeda was hanging onto Teddy like her life depended on it. Draco, Harry could see, held Teddy's hand tightly. The young boy, still confused about what was going on, knew something was really really wrong, so he didn't complain about Da'goon holding his little hand so tight. Maybe he could get a sweet out of him later.
Harry didn't know what was running through the young Malfoy's mind. But one thing was for sure. Whatever it was had taken his full concentration as the other wizard just starred off into space. Harry didn't have time to do that though, he needed to find a way out.
Draco, meanwhile, was caught up in the memory of his fight with Harry in the Room of Requirement. The fiendfire that had killed one of his friends. The memory flooded Draco's senses and he could think of nothing else than the fear he had as he hung there on a stack of rubbish waiting to burn to death.
"Shit!" Shane yelled as everyone began to breakdown into despair. He frantically began looking for something to open the door with.
"Over here!" Daryl yelled as he hefted two fire axes he had found. Shane quickly grabbed one and the two set out and attacked the door. Harry and Glenn followed them over and watched as desperation and adrenalin fueled their strikes, but to no avail.
Shane turned away from his futile actions against the door and ran back down the ramp towards the doctor, Daryl close behind. Glenn stayed put, looking at the closed door in desperation. They were trapped and he couldn't do anything! He sure as hell wasn't as physically strong as Shane, so what could he even hope to accomplish? It was again, one of those times that the young Asian felt completely and totally useless. When Harry approached the door he didn't pay him hardly any attention to him, such was his introspection.
Harry knew they didn't have much time. The clock on the wall was steadily counting down and nothing would stop it. Throwing caution to the wind, he whipped out his wand and, to Glenn's amazement, shot a white light out of the tip.
"Alohomora!" Harry said, pointing his wand at the security shutter. He was shocked when the spell just, disintegrated as it touched the shutter. Harry cast it again, putting more power into the spell, causing it to increase in brightness and speed. The unlocking spell hit the shutter with an audible whoomp but had otherwise no effect. Harry had no idea what was going on. He put enough power into that spell to override an Auror prison cell door. How was this shutter not open yet? Maybe it didn't work on this type of door.
Harry was getting desperate, so he focused his as much of his will as he could muster before casting a massively overpowered Bombarda Maxima. The result from the spell was a slightly louder dull thumping sound. Harry just wished that no one wondered what the sudden lightshow was about.
"What was that Harry? " Glenn asked from the side. Harry cursed the Asian's curiosity.
"Nothing Glenn, never mind. " Harry responded, hoping to be dismissive enough to curb Glenn's questions.
"That wasn't nothing Harry! What were you doing?" Glenn persisted. He may not know what Harry had been doing, but he was sure it was something other than 'nothing'.
Harry, on the other hand, sighed in frustration. 'We don't have time for this!' He thought.
"Look Glenn, we are all going to die if this door does not open. So forget about what you saw, I will talk to you later about it." Harry bit out, perhaps more harshly than he intended, if the hurt look on Glenn's face was any indication. He would apologize later, but for now, he needed to figure out how to get them all out. Maybe apparition? Harry grimaced at the thought. That would be an absolutely last resort. He needed to talk to Hermione, she might have an idea.
Turning, Harry was about to start running back down the ramp before he looked over at Glenn again. "
"Don't tell anyone what you saw, I'll talk to you about it later. Trust me please." Harry asked before sprinting back down to the center of the room, leaving Glenn behind to stew in his curiosity.
"Open it up man! Open it up or I'll kill you!" Shane bellowed, pointing his shotgun right in Jenner's face. For the most part, the good doctor looked very unconcerned. Harry approached the screaming, crying group just as Rick intervened against Shane. Rick looked like he was talking Shane down, only for the irate former officer to unload several rounds into the closest computer terminal, the deafening report of the shotgun echoing through the room over and over again. Rick began fighting Shane for the shotgun at that point.
While Rick was dealing with Shane, Harry quickly told Hermione what had happened.
"Hermione I tried…to unlock the door and couldn't! " Harry explained to his friend in code, stressing his words to make her understand. She looked confused for a moment before her mouth dropped open slightly. For a brief second, Harry thought she looked rather cute, all shocked like that. His musing was quickly chased away as he remembered the dire situation they were in.
"What happened? How did it not work?" She questioned in bewilderment. If Harry, who was vastly more powerful than she was, couldn't get the door open with the unlocking spell…how could she? The pit of her stomach started to go cold.
"I don't know! I ca…sent it at the door and it just…it was like I hadn't even done anything. I even tried…the explosive and nothing happened!" Harry replied in a mild panic. Either way, the situation was grim. Either they wouldn't be able to get out or they would….but only through apparition. Harry was not keen on exposing what the four of them (five with Teddy) could do. Speaking of Teddy, Harry looked over then to where he had taken up post hanging onto Lori's leg. Carl was hanging on to her other one, both looking as terrified as possible. He looked for Andromeda then, finding her hugging Draco fiercely while the young Malfoy just stared blankly ahead. Oh how Harry wished he could go over and promise everything would be ok to his godson, but he had….he just had a duty to try and get these people out! Harry cursed his saving people thing once more. Life would be so simple if he just worried about himself and his. Regardless, he would get Teddy out even if it was the last thing he did! Him, Hermione, Andromeda and Draco…
"How is that possible? How much did you overpower it?"
"At least three times normal. All it did was make a sound."
"That doesn't make any sense! How could a normal shutter repel power of that magnitude!?" Hermione asked mostly to herself. She had said it out loud, however, loud enough to capture Dr. Jenner's attention.
"It won't work, what you're planning." Jenner said, looking at Harry and Hermione. Harry felt the blood freeze in his veins. Was the doctor saying what he thought he was saying?
"What do you mean? We aren't doing anything but trying to open the door you closed." She replied coolly, spitting out the 'you', walking closer to him, putting her hands on her hips in displeasure. The doctor just smiled slightly up at her in response.
"I wasn't sure, not at first. The blood test could have been wrong. But when I saw those lights he made. I know now…I know." The doctor replied, stressing his knowing. If Harry's blood was frozen before, it was positively solid as granite now. He had felt Hermione stiffen beside him and he had known then. The doctor was talking about exactly what Harry feared he was.
"How?" He whispered, barely able to speak past his shock. Hermione quickly used her palmed wand to cast silent muffliato charm when the man started to speak.
"The CDC was the most important government entity these past few months. We got a lot of classified information we normally wouldn't have had." The doctor explained in a quiet voice only the three of them could hear. Hermione thought that was something at least, the man couldn't have known the others were unable to hear them. He wasn't trying outing them in front of everyone, for which she was grateful.
"You mean your government knew?" Hermione asked with a frown. This seemed like a massive breach of the Secrecy Statute….Jenner just scoffed lightly.
"Of course the government knew. Unlike over there, where your world and ours is highly separate, no information shared between the two governments, we didn't do that. The President of the Unified American Ministry was in constant contact with any number of United States Presidents. To think, all that wisdom and knowledge you English wasted! You people live for hundreds of years! Why wouldn't the head of the most powerful nation in the world want to have a man as an advisor that had been alive for centuries?" Dr. Jenner asked rhetorically.
"How does that have anything to do with our spells failing to open your bloody damn door?" Harry hissed out. His frozen blood had turned to a boiling fury the more the man spoke. He was keeping people trapped, imprisoned to die and he had the gall to complain about how the British did things?
"As with all of our allies, the US knew of your capabilities and built in…safeguards to protect itself against a magical assault." Jenner lectured.
"Nothing modern can function around magic! Electricity and Magic just can't coexist. Our spell should have been able to open that door….." Hermione refuted, trailing off as she thought of something.
"Unless…it's not a normal door…." Dr. Jenner nodded once, a small smile playing on his face.
"You were mostly correct when you said nothing modern can work with magic, as it all runs on electricity. The irony is, however, we had to go back five hundred years to find our protection. Cold Iron, iron formed and treated in such a way it became resistant to magic. The formula was thought lost until an expedition into the Amazon stumbled across an ancient battle sight between magicals and mundanes. The whole site was scrutinized heavily and, eventually, it was noticed that the iron used in the armor had unusual properties. The practices were reverse engineered. By applying production techniques learned over the years we were able to create a Cold Iron mesh that was nearly three times as resistant as was produced all those years ago."
"Now, all it takes is a small application of Cold Iron mesh and everything, even electricity, is insulated from magic. All government facilities were retrofitted. That door can withstand rocket, tank, and terrorist attacks. But sandwiched in-between the titanium and carbon steel, is an inch thick layer of Cold Iron mesh. You could have a ten thousand magicals firing every spell at it they could, and all it would do is heat up and be warm to the touch. This whole facility is protected in the same way."
"But…how…there is no information about this anywhere!" Hermione cried in shock.
"Of course not. When people live hundreds of years….they have long memories." Jenner explained in a soft voice, "Everyone made sure that the whole thing was kept secret. You do understand that many of the American witches and wizards had parents who fought in the revolutionary war don't you? Their issues and anger towards the British throne and the British Ministry survived on in their children. Your recent terrorist problems and constant disregard for non-human magical creatures didn't do you any favors either. Everyone over the years, magical and mundane alike, made sure that the English would never again be a threat to the country. Even the Civil War, which also had its magical equivalent, couldn't shake that core idea!"
Harry and Hermione stood in astonishment at the man's explanation and history lesson. It all made sense, in a roundabout way. But still….how had the British Ministry missed such a…a blending of magical and muggle worlds? The magical government and the muggle government of America had been working hand in hand for hundreds of years! Had they really been that backwards? All at once, the full ramifications of what the doctor had said hit Harry.
"Hermione…we can't apparate out!" Harry cried in a panic. That was his only backup plan! If the choice had been between saving Teddy and Hermione or the group….well it wouldn't even be a contest! With apparition, he could have waited until the last second, trying anything and everything he could think of to get everyone out. Now…now he was stuck in this death trap like the rest of them.
Harry had never been more scared in his life. His entire family was here! Even Draco was somewhat of a companion. They were all going to die….
The two magicals attention was drawn to Rick as he finally got the gun away from Shane. Hermione's concentration was broken and the spell quickly fell apart.
"Are you done now? Or are you done?" Rick growled out.
"Looks like we're all done." Shane responded immediately. Rick had nothing he could say to that, so he just looked at his partner for a long second before moving back and taking a look around. All he could see the terrified faces of everyone around him. The look on his wife and son's face cut him to his core.
"You should have just left well enough alone. It would have been so much easier if you did." Jenner said to the assembled group.
"Easier for who?" Lori spit out as she held the two children attached to her legs close.
"For you…wouldn't it have been better not knowing? You could hold your family close and just….let the clock run out. If you hadn't known you would have gone about the day…and your end would have been quick and painless."
"This isn't what we want! Not at all!" Rick yelled back at the calm doctor.
"But it is…it is what you want. You said last night that it was only a matter of time before everyone you loved died…isn't this easier than the brutal death that waits for them outside?" Jenner asked with a perplexed look on his face. No one, not a single person had expected to be shocked even more than they had been. Now they knew better.
"Come on, you didn't really say that did you? Not after your big talk?" Shane asked as he glared at Rick. Lori looked at Rick with just as much shock as everyone else. Rick looked like a deer caught in headlights for a second before he turned to his wife.
"I had to keep our hope alive. I had too! We had to move forward! If we didn't have something to aim for we would have just…just sat down and died!" Rick tried to defend himself. He didn't know how well he did. The way Lori was looking at him he didn't think he was too successful in his defense. Rick looked around hoping to find someone who understood…someone who could see where he was coming from…but he found nothing. When he looked towards Harry, gripping Hermione tight, however, he saw the only person who understood. How couldn't Harry understand keeping hope alive? That was the only reason he had willing gone to his death, the hope his friends would actually have a fighting chance his only fuel in those last desperate moments. Draco had enough however. He wouldn't let some muggle keep him here. He turned then to Harry and Hermione.
"We can get out of here Potter. Let's just do it."
"No…we can't Draco."
"What are you talking about?" Carol asked between sniffs.
"We can app…"
"NO Draco…we can't! It's impossible here. Like at school!" Harry quickly replied, shutting down the last Malfoy before he could reveal anything. He thought he had come up with a good way to impress upon him the seriousness of the situation on the fly.
"What? Really? Never mind, there are other ways Potter. I'll make you open those doors." Draco said, turning towards the muggle doctor and narrowing his eyes.
"If you are talking about what I think you are talking about, Draco. As soon as VI hears those words, everyone who was in the room those words are spoken has their security privileges revoked instantly. There would be no chance of opening them then." Jenner replied calmly. This new information tracked with what he had explained just a second ago….but they were still startled by the information. To think both magical and muggle American's worked together to such a degree, that such protections were in place….
"You can't be telling the truth."
"Believe me Draco, its most likely true." Harry responded to the question, even though I wasn't aimed at him.
"How can you know that!"
"Just believe them Draco! " Andromeda snapped off to the side. She was nearing the end of her rope and was quickly devolving into panic. Harry and Hermione, meanwhile, racked their brains for any way out of the situation. The only thing Harry could come up with was a shield charm….but he definitely was not confident in his power to keep everyone protected. He couldn't even guarantee he could protect Teddy or Hermione, much less everyone else. The silence in the room was only broken by the light sobs coming from Carol, Sophia and Carl.
"I think you're lying…." Rick started slowly, breaking the silence and swinging his gaze around to focus back on Jenner.
"What?" The doctor asked, more curious than irritated.
"About hope…there has to be some. You stayed after all."
"I just kept working"
"No, I don't believe that. There had to be more. Why didn't you run like the rest?"
"I made a promise….to her….my wife." Jenner spoke as he stood up, pointing at big screen they had all watched the infection progress.
"TS-19 was your wife?" Andrea asked in surprise. That wasn't something she saw coming, no one did.
"It should have been me up there….I wouldn't have mattered. She was a loss to the world! Hell she ran this damn place. I was just a functionary! She could have done something about all this…..not me."
" But that's all we want. A chance, a choice." Rick replied seriously. He had to make Jenner understand…everyone, his family depended on it! Everyone held their breath as Jenner and Rick stared one another down, waiting for the man's decision. Jenner held Rick's gaze for a moment before coming to a decision. Rick was about to continue pressing when the doctor started talking.
"There's nothing I can do about the upper doors. " He said before hunching over his keypad and typing in several numbers. The security shutter rolled up with a grating sound, revealing the hallway that lead to the stairs up to the surface.
"There's your chance….go take it."
"Lets go!" Daryl said as he grabbed his rucksack and started down the hallway. Everyone scrambled to move out of the room. Harry looked quickly to Draco and Andromeda, giving them a nod to get moving. There were only minutes left before the clock ran out of time. Andromeda grabbed Teddy as she moved past Lori and the three magicals made their way to freedom. Harry heard his godson yelling for him all the way until he was out of sight.
"Get going Hermione, I have to ask Jenner a question."
"I'm staying with you Harry. I'm not letting you out of my sight again!" Hermione replied with finality. Harry didn't argue the point. He had seen that look in her eye many a time during their adventures together. He knew when he wouldn't win the argument.
"I'm grateful." Rick said to Jenner with sincerity while holding out his hand.
"There will come a time where you won't be…." The doctor replied ominously before shaking Rick's hand. He leaned in to whisper then, something Harry couldn't make out. Rick looked like someone had punched him before he quickly looked over at Harry.
"COME ON RICK!" Lori yelled from down the hall. Rick didn't take his eyes off of the young wizard as stumbled towards his wife, his footing slipping due to his distraction. It was then, when Rick had turned and run down the hallway that Jenner turned back to the pair of magicals.
"It was the Delacours that were left in France. "
"Uhhh what?" Harry asked intelligently. He was caught flatfooted by the man's statement.
"Fleur was there?"
"Monsieur Delacour was working with the French scientists at Zone 15. They thought they had a solution before…they were ended." The man said as he walked over to one of the many computer terminals. Harry and Hermione followed him over silently.
"What happened to them? Are they still alive?" Harry asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"There was….a malfunction, a breach in the middle of the night. The HITs went off while everyone was sleeping, or so the last logs showed. I'm sorry." Jenner let the bad news flow out of him as he worked quickly at the terminal. Rick had sense left, leaving only Jacquie, Andrea, and Dale.
"This is the last thing sent to me by Zone 15. I would have given it to you sooner….so many things could have been different. I didn't know until now, not until Draco called you Potter, that I realized who you actually were." Jenner replied with a small, sad smile. He held a thumb drive clenched tightly in his hand.
"You know about Harry?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"Yes….I read a lot about in my…down time. This was meant for you Harry." Jenner replied, holding out the thumb drive in his hand. Harry took the drive almost reverently.
"Now go…you need to go. This is your last chance." The doctor said. Harry nodded, pocketing the drive and grabbing Hermione, pulling her away. The young witch quickly recovered from yet another shock and began following Harry willingly. They quickly passed Dale and Andrea, both of whom were sitting, waiting for the end. At the cusp of entering the hallway they heard the woman scream out.
"FINE! You win Dale! But I won't forget this!" Andrea yelled before she sprung up and ran to towards the hallway, the older man in hot pursuit. In turning around, both Harry and Hermione saw Jacquie still there, standing next to Jenner. When she noticed them looking at her with wide eyes she gave them a wide smile.
"I'm going to be with my family. Tell Teddy I'm sorry please." She called out to the young pair.
"We will. " Hermione replied with tears streaming down her face.
"Thank you for your help with him Jacquie. I hope you find peace." Harry replied with a nod before tugging Hermione back into action. With on last glance back, Hermione let lose a small sob before turning and running with all her strength.
With Harry and Hermione's departure, Jacquie was alone with the doctor. She looked down the hallway for a moment before she turned around looking for chairs. She went for the two closest ones she could find.
"They would make a nice couple, don't you think Doctor Jenner?" Jacquie asked as she pulled two chairs over, one for her and one for the doctor.
"More than that…they will save the world. And call me Edwin." Jenner replied as he fell into his chair for the last time. Jacquie looked over in surprise at the man's statement.
"You think they can do that? They are so young…."
"I think…they were the only ones who ever could." Edwin replied. He grasped her hand then as the clock continued to countdown.
When the red lights changed to show nothing but zero's up on the clock Edwin and Jacqui saw a light so bright they felt it. A moment…or an eternity later, both were sitting with their respective families once more.
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"Harry! We're not going to make it…" Hermione cried out as they reached the stairs. They were six stories underground and they only had seconds left.
'Just gotta try it.' Harry thought with conviction.
"Hold onto me Hermione. I am going to try apperating."
"No Harry! We can't! You heard Jenner, the place is shielded!" Hermione yelled back, terror creeping into her voice. She couldn't climb all those stairs fast enough…but maybe Harry could.
"Just….just go Harry. You can probably make it to the top in time." Hermione demanded, her tone firm.
"No! Absolutely not! Never in a million years!" Harry cried out indignantly. Who did she think he was? To leave a friend like that….even if it meant his death, he would stay with her.
"Just grab on!" Harry demanded harshly.
"But Harry…" Hermione tried again, hoping he would listen. He had to survive…that was all that mattered to her right now.
"NO!" Harry bellowed out before grabbing and holding her close. He immediately tried to apparate to the outside but his magic resisted. It wouldn't let him travel, the protections on the outside wall were too thick. Desperately, Harry poured all his will and power he could muster into the spell once more, hoping to break through.
As the clock hit five seconds, Harry and Hermione felt the familiar feeling of being squeezed through a hose before they landed in a heap at the entryway of the building with a loud crack. Harry wasted no time in jumping up and pulling Hermione along with him. He would drag her out if he had to! The young witch's feet gained purchase on the ground in time for her to run, following Harry.
"Here! The window!" The green eyed wizard yelled, dashing towards and through the blown out window. He looked to his side only to feel relief course through him as she saw Hermione keeping pace with him, if only barely.
'Her legs must be really toned…' He thought absently.
"Get DOWN! GET DOWN NOW!" Someone yelled from their parked vehicles. Harry followed the shouted order straightaway, turning and throwing himself over Hermione just in time for the explosion.
The resulting self-destruct of the CDC left both magicals slightly singed, coughing, and had their ears ringing. Hermione quickly took stock of herself. When she was satisfied she had not been wounded, she looked over Harry for any obvious injuries. The young wizard was doing the exact same thing, but in reverse. Once he had seen Hermione had no viewable injuries he checked himself over.
"Walkers are coming! They must have heard it across the whole city! GET IN GUYS!" Andromeda yelled from the camper window. Harry was only able to understand half of what she said over the ringing in his ears.
"Come on Hermione, let's get out of here." He said to her with a playfully crooked smile. He was exhilarated! He knew his adrenalin was pumping madly. They had lived! They hadn't been hurt! Those were truly things to be thankful for.
"Good idea." She replied as her heart beat a little faster.
'What was that look for…' Hermione thought in wonder.
Harry got to his feet before reaching down and helping Hermione up. Once they were both mobile again they quickly made their way to the camper. They could see walkers ambling towards them as they ran. Right as they got up to the camper's door it burst open, revealing Teddy standing in the way.
"Didja see? Didja see? It was a big...BOOOOMMMM!" Teddy yelled out in excitement and throwing his hands up when he saw Harry. The boy let out an indignant squawk when, instead of answering, Harry picked him up and moved inside, placing several kisses on his head as he went.
"Ewwww! NO KISSY THE HAIR! NO KISSY THE HAIR!" Teddy cried out as Harry continued his assault. Andromeda let out a small laugh at the two's antics while Hermione just looked them over with a smile.
The camper lurched suddenly, sending Hermione careening into Harry's lap with Teddy. The pair was still shocked still for a moment before Harry looked at his godson out of the corner of his eye, a devilish smile on his lips. She knew she was in trouble when she saw the same look returned by the boy.
As one, both Teddy and Harry began kissing Hermione's hair. Hermione squealed in mock protest, earning throaty gawfs from Harry and high-pitched laughter from Teddy. She may have even heard a snort from Draco's direction…but she couldn't swear to it.
As the adrenalin high subsided, the group in the camper mellowed out significantly as the weight of the situation fell back upon the adults' minds. Still, Hermione had found that she needed to look on the brighter side of things ever since the world died and reanimated or else she would go crazy.
They were alive, for the most part. They had only lost one member….but they had gained Harry. The CDC was not what anyone had hoped….and the situation seemed even grimmer than before.
But….as the camper followed the small convoy of vehicles away from the burning wreckage of the CDC…Hermione couldn't have been happier.
Posted: 12-15-2014
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A/N
Well here it is guys! The end of season one! I hope you liked it. I am super sorry that it took so long to get out. I had so many things happen and pop up that I had to get done that writing was just not a possibility. I actually finished this chapter in the doctor's office waiting for my mother to finish up. And it was good news too, no cancer! So happy with that.
Anyway, the end of the first season! WOW! I can't believe it's here already. I hope you all liked the buildup thus far! I am going to be following closely, but not TOO closely, season two of the Walking Dead. I have plenty of twists and turns for you all, don't worry!
I am not sure about something though. Should I have this story be just the first season and ended it here, then make another story for the next seasons? So like, Death, Decay and Diffindo Season 1, 2 , 3 etc? Give me a heads up on what you decide!
I want to now thanks all my readers that have been with me and read the story. I am so glad it has been a good source of entertainment for you! And to all my reviewers, favoriteers, and followers, I thank you too. It pleases me that people are reading and liking the story enough to suffer through email updates and such. I hope you all enjoyed reading this season as much as I did writing it.
Also, A special shout out to several people.
rocknrollprincess131
AnarchicMuse
chocolatecheesecakes
GaleSynch
uoduck
girl-at-home13
Everyone of these people have helped me along the way with this story, in one way or another. Please, take a minute to search for them and take a look at their stories. They are all great writers and I am very appreciative of the help they have given me.
Please take a second to review if you feel like it. And remember, if you have any concerns, questions, or comments you want me to respond to directly, send me a pm or message me on kik!
Toodles for now! I plan on getting the next season started really quickly.