It was utterly silent when Harry, Daryl, Luna and Merle made their way into the cafeteria or rather dining room they'd called it for most part of their stay here. Other than Carl and Lori staring at Rick Grimes everyone stared at Harry, and surprisingly there was a lack of hostility or suspicion on many of the gazes. Jimmy and Beth were wary, watching Harry with caution. A couple of others (T-dog, Patrick) just didn't know what to think. While Big Tiny, Axel and Oscar couldn't care less, for all they cared they might as well have found out that Harry really had blue eyes not green.
"So what's the verdict?" Harry stated calmly and casually, as if he hadn't just been sitting and fretting for over an hour worried and anxious over what people thought of him. "Can you accept us despite what your bible says?" glancing at Carol and Hershel, both of them were the most devout out of them all. Beth next to her father in terms of belief, Maggie wasn't as religious as her father and sister but still believed to an extent.
"What people often forget is the bible we read today was translated," Hershel spoke up to the surprise of everyone, "It is a common misconception, the original Latin phrase in Exodus 22:18 for 'Thou shall not suffer a witch to live' is Non dabis ut Veneficium, which means..."
"You shall not suffer a poisoner to live," Harry and Luna answered in sync, as they sat down.
"You both know you're Latin," Hershel's eyes widened in surprise, giving a nod of pride, not many were so proficient in Latin anymore, less now than ever. "That is from the Hebrew bible, which is in fact the original bible. There is also a translation that states thou shall not suffer a necromancer to live."
"Then where did the saying come from?" Luna questioned, she knew what the bible was, and she was oblivious to much alright nearly all of its content. The magical world did not share the beliefs of the non-magical population, even a huge portion of the non-magical population believed in the bible and its contents. Neither Merle or Daryl cared two hoots about it, and a good job too, who knows what they'd have done to Harry if they were believers.
"The Hebrew bible was translated to Greek or Latin, and then into German by Martin Luther. English translations came later of course, known as King James Bible. As anyone who knows a foreign language can tell you, some ideas, words and concepts simply do not cross over well from one language to another. It's why the idea of Lucifer as a fallen angel exists, even though it's nothing more than a translation error. In fact even in the most painstakingly crafted translations, errors can result in very different meanings. Exodus 22:18 is one such example. According to Reginald Scot, who wrote a book on this subject in 1580, the word we know as witch was actually chasapah in the original language." Hershel was on a roll, "The translation of this word was poorly done, according to Scot, who states that chasapah in Latin is Veneficium which can be a poisoner or one who practices witchcraft.*"
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, he really didn't want a bloody lesson in Christianity, it didn't matter what the bible said or meant, hundreds of thousands of people died at the hands of those doing 'gods' work. Nearly all of them women, it was a sad sorry state of affairs and he wasn't going to let the world go back to those times. It was why he was reluctant to let anyone come with him who feared magic because given time the same thing would happen all over again. This outbreak had set back humanity thousands upon thousands of years.
"You're either comin' or you ain't," Merle muttered, he ain't sitting listening to the god-fearing man across from him spout nonsense about a belief he couldn't care less about.
"Can magic be used to...hurt people?" Beth asked slowly, gathering the attention of everyone.
"Yes," Harry said straightforward and bluntly, "It can, Beth, but these can do the exact same thing," showing his hands, "They can be used to beat a man to death, but they can also be used to heal someone or save someone magic does not determine whether someone is going to be good or evil,"
"Is there any way for you to tell if my sisters are alive?" Glenn asked after it was obvious Beth wasn't going to ask another question.
"I'm sorry but there isn't, I can't use magic to track people, not unless I already have a spell on them," Harry said sympathetically, "Truly I wish I could give you what you seek but magic isn't a know all cure all ability. If it was Sophia wouldn't have been away from her mother for three days while we tried to get back to the group."
"Harry, Glenn's sisters are magical," Mira explained, knowing more about magic than Glenn did, at least she assumed so since he was nodding his head resignedly as if he didn't understand how the point-me spell worked.
"Oh," Harry said, sitting up removing his wand he asked, "Well that changes things, what's your sisters full names?" cocking his head to the side, Glenn seemed to care about his sisters deeply by the look on his face.
"Gaby and Grace Rhee," Glenn told him, staring intently, his heart pounding a mile a minute, after over a year of uncertainly he'd know if his family survived after all.
"Point-me Gaby Rhee," Harry murmured, his wand pointed straight in front of him, for a moment it didn't even twitch and Harry feared he'd be the bringer of bad news...when then it twitched, leading Harry's wand north, indicating that was where she was, somewhere north. "Well she's alive and somewhere north."
"Are...are you sure?" Glenn asked licking his lips, "I mean walkers are technically alive..." not wishing to get his hopes up.
"Yes, it only works on those who are still alive, I promise you," Harry said, green eyes filled with sadness leading them all to believe he'd used that spell more than they knew. "Point-me Grace Rhee," and yet again his wand ended up in the exact same location. "There's a chance Grace is in the same place as your other sister."
"Then maybe they reached the school," Glenn breathed out, his body sagging in relief.
"School? Which school?" Harry asked, turning again to stare intently at Glenn, this time for information not curiosity.
"Ilvermorny," Glenn informed him.
"The school is still standing, someone got word to Hogwarts, they sent a copy of their magical book, I haven't heard anything since but I don't stay in contact with them every day." Harry explained, "If Ilvermorny is anything like Hogwarts then the school will be locked down tightly. When it started a lot of people tried to get to Hogwarts but the school locked itself down. Of course Ilvermorny is up a mountain, which has bogs and dunes if I've heard right, it might mean that no walker found its way that far up to set off the wards."
"Wards?" Andrea asked bewildered, they may as well be speaking a different language for all the sense she got out of the conversation.
"That's why the shell didn't do much damage to the prison," Axel realized looking as though he wanted to smack his forehead in exasperation. "I was wondering." he added shrugging his shoulders at the looks he was getting.
Harry's lips twitched, "Yes, wards are invisible shields, and yes the ones I put up here can be penetrated as we saw...at least by heavy artillery. Bullets didn't pass through though, it must have something to do with the velocity," he continued on, "The wards on the new place are much more secure,"
"Why didn't you put them on the prison?" Amy asked, deeply curious.
"Because you would have noticed," Harry admitted wryly, "I always did say this place was temporarily, especially when I began to prepare the new place for those who could accept magic."
"And if we don't?" Jimmy asked fearfully.
"You can stay here, but everything inside and outside this building is coming with me, you'll do your own scavenging, I haven't worked my ass off for an entire year here to just up and leave everything. I'll leave baby products, so that Judith will be just fine, I'm not heartless, but I'm not a pushover." Harry stated firmly. "Although the vegetable patch we've planted has to stay, nothing will be ready yet, but as I explained I'll be hitting the stores and getting what we need."
Lori for once in her life actually remained quiet and listened to everyone talk and debate magic and Harry in general, she didn't want to jump to conclusions again. She'd already done it twice with the group, and so she merely listened. It wasn't herself and Carl she had to look after now, but a baby she could (probably would have without Harry) have died bringing into the world. The first thing Harry had done was give her things for her daughter to be comfortable then antibiotics to keep from getting an infection. He'd given them food he'd scavenged supplies too, and from what Andrea and Amy had told the group she wondered what had changed the Dixons. Had they always had the capacity to be that way? Or was it just certain people they had a problem with? A sneaky voice in her mind reminded her that maybe they had just gotten sick of helping those who would have left them out to dry at the earliest convenience, which Rick and the others had done. She'd believed they were better off without him, better off without Harry and both Dixons, such a fool she'd been. Look at what they'd created, she envied them a great deal, but not the same way she had when seeing the prison for the first time.
"That's why you never took us isn't it? You used magic when you were out scavenging?" Andrea realized.
"To pack things up yes, but other than that I used my dagger or bow to take care of the walkers," Harry informed her. He didn't want them to think he'd had it easy just because he was magical; he had worked hard to protect the group.
"Does that mean we can come more often now?" Andrea asked challengingly, practically buzzing with excitement.
"Yes, the new place is one hundred percent secure, so even if I leave with the best hunters nothing will happen." Harry stated, "I will be using magic openly, it is something you'll have to be used to." did that mean Andrea was on the list of people coming? He had been unsure when it came to her reaction and couldn't have said whether
"I still don't get why you didn't just tell us," Big Tiny said, "We don't care much, we've been together an entire year, surely in that time you learned you could trust us?"
"As I said it wasn't about trust," Harry said firmly, "I trust you all at my back, every single one of you," he gazed at those who had been in his group only. "If that doesn't let you know I trust you then I am not sure what else can prove it."
"The magicals had laws of their own, MSA, Magical secrecy act, you could have gone to prison for revealing magic to non-Maj's," Glenn said, figuring that had a bit to do with it.
"Not that the law can be enforced," Harry snorted derisively, "There's nobody left to enforce it,"
"Laws? You had your own laws?" Hershel questioned surprised.
"Yes, our own government, which by the way the Queen knew about...and probably the president of the USA as well, we also had our own prisons...and animals, creatures." Harry stated calmly, ignoring the look on Hershel's face. He couldn't quite believe he was actually sitting explaining the magical world to them. It boggled his mind; he'd expected them to react negatively not enquiringly.
"And...and this new place...are you sure it's secure?" Lori asked, speaking for the first time. "I...not like this place secure...but one that won't be destroyed?" she couldn't risk agreeing to go with them (not that she was at the moment she was holding back until she had every scrap of information she could get) especially if there was a risk of it all going to hell.
Rick glanced at Lori wondering what she was up to; he knew she wouldn't go, there was no way.
Nobody missed Harry's eyebrows shooting up in shock as he gaped just for a second at the woman; it was replaced by incredulity before his mask was replaced. "The place I am moving to is already under a charm known as the Fidelius Charm, as my teacher once said it's an immensely complex spell involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find — unless, of course, the Secret Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret Keeper refused to speak, it would not be found not even if they were pressing their face against it." seeing the look on her face, "Let's just say I decided to put the prison under it, trusting only the secret keeper, you'd forget where the prison was, you could look for it for hundreds of years and still not be able to see it unless the secret keeper divulged the location and thus you'd see it."
"It will be the safest place on Earth, from both humans and walkers," Luna explained, "If anything happens to anyone one of us, we will know before anyone can return as a walker."
"Will we still be helping people?" Sophia chimed in.
"Yes," Harry informed her with a smile, "Just like we did here."
"Will we be leaving right away?" Mira questioned, she already had everything packed.
"Yes," Harry nodded, "Before nightfall."
"How long will it take to get there?" Dale asked haltingly, the idea of a long journey didn't appeal to his aching old body. "The RV broke down too often in the past, I wouldn't trust it to take us there," which was a shame, the RV was special to him, he and his wife had taken so many holidays in it before she passed away.
"A few seconds," Harry stated, to the surprise and confusion of everyone, no doubt they were wondering how since there was literally nothing but trees surrounding the prison. "I'll set up a Portkey that can take us right there, a few moments for you to be told the secret you'll be in and that's that. You don't have to worry about another long journey to get to safety like we endured to get here."
Dale relaxed nodding affirmatively in agreement.
"A what?" Beth asked, it sounded like a key to a boat or something.
"Wizards who cannot Apparate (dematerialise and reappear at will), who wish to travel by daylight by that I mean broomsticks, flying cars are a no go, or whose destination has no fireplace enchanted will have to resort to the use of a Portkey. A Portkey can be any inanimate object you've enchanted. Once bewitched, the object will transport anyone who grasps it to a pre-arranged destination." Harry explained, "It's uncomfortable, can make some people dizzy but it's better than travelling there, it would take us up to at least four days depending on the pile ups. It's gas better used elsewhere."
Merle and Daryl groaned, Apparation had been bad enough but now they were being told this 'Portkey' thing was going to make them sick too?
Harry chuckled at their looks, before turning back to everyone, "You have until I've got everything packed to make a decision and be packed yourself." Harry informed them, standing up, "Luna, Merle, start with the kitchen then the storage cupboards, then the hospital wing. Daryl and I will get started on the resources outside; I will also sort the front of the building before I go as well."
"What about us? We're comin' what can we do to help?" Oscar told Harry standing up.
"Library," Luna and Harry said as one, they'd actually forgotten about it up until now.
"This trunk will continue to expand, all the books will be able to go into it, no matter how full it looks," Harry quickly explained as he opened his trunk and removed a tiny one, it was tiny, for all of a few seconds, he gestured for Big Tiny to take the handle (everyone's gasps of astonishment was ignored), he was the strongest of all three men, and would have absolutely no problem carrying it. There were already books inside, books Daryl had claimed from the old wizard's house.
"What about us?" Andrea asked standing up, speaking for her and her sister, Mira stepped forward as well, since she was already packed she had nothing to do until they left.
Harry blinked at them, so Andrea and Amy were coming at least along with Mira, Oscar, Axel, Big Tiny, and Dale the list was longer than he'd anticipated. It overwhelmed him that so many were accepting of him. He wasn't used to it. "Hmm, wood works, grab everything down in the woodwork room, including the diesel in the generator room, basically grab anything that isn't nailed down," Harry explained thoughtfully.
Andrea nodded, feeling guilty about giving Harry such a hard time; he looked so shocked that people actually wanted to come. It was a side of Harry she'd never seen before, not ever. He'd always been quick, confident, she'd seen him impassive, happy, amused, annoyed even, but not insecure and it was obvious to her that he was when it came to his magic. Nobody should have to feel that way, especially not about such a gift, and it was a gift, not even after just learning had she judged him for his abilities, but rather the fact he'd kept it hidden, kept it secret. She grasped a hold of another trunk that seemed to get bigger through thin air.
Everyone who had something to do left the cafeteria, with the exception of Merle and Luna who began to pack everything in the kitchen. Or rather Luna used a spell and everything was directed into her trunk. Food, utensils, drink, snacks it all quickly disappeared, Luna shrunk down the metal shelves just in case there wasn't any freely available in the new place to put the food back onto.
"Luna?" Sophia asked, watching the scene in front of her in wide eyed wonder, when the blonde woman looked at her she asked the dreaded question, "Hela and Anubis are coming with us aren't they?" she didn't want to leave them behind, it wasn't fair.
"They're coming," Luna nodded seriously, "Harry wouldn't leave them behind," of that she had no doubt.
"If I may?" Hershel questioned, still sitting down, "What about the other animals?" he had heard them, but hadn't yet seen them for himself.
"Everything's coming," Luna called back able to hear him perfectly fine. Harry was probably shrinking them down so they could travel with them without having to endure more than single trip. Well the horses anyway, the chickens might not need shrunk down, and considering they only had two horses, all would be well, Harry couldn't risk doing too much magic, it's why he'd asked her and Merle to do the inside where a lot more magic needed performed. Even the food trays thing came, it kept the food warmer for longer (buffet food warmer), but she didn't have a single clue to what it was actually called they had never used it either but it might come in handy one day. "What about you, Hershel? Harry wants to ask you to look over Anubis and Hela, to make sure they're healthy."
Hershel didn't answer immediately, he glanced at his daughters, not even gracing Jimmy with a glance, his daughters held the decision in their hands. He would not leave without them, and if they wished to go then he would go as well. He couldn't help but admit even only to himself that he was intrigued by the notion of real magic. He had a desire to speak to Harry in great length about the ins and outs of the craft. Maggie unsurprisingly nodded immediately, she had defended Harry when Beth questioned Harry's character (not out of maliciousness, his daughter was just stunned). Beth nodded slowly, the desire to be somewhere safe, somewhere warm, to just stop running all the time. Not be terrified for her sister or fathers life, the thought of losing them terrified her. She still wasn't sure about magic, but Harry had only ever been kind to them, he'd taught her at the farm, made her feel stronger, more capable than she'd felt these past months. Something he'd done for every single one of his people, Amy was so confident now, she carried that knife with her with ease. The only worried one in the group seemed to be a young boy; a few years younger than her Amy said his name was Patrick. "I will be coming with, along with my daughters, I'm sure we can arrange a day to see to them, although it can only be a cursory exam."
Rick showered Hershel with a betrayed glance, not only was he losing the closest thing to a doctor, he was also losing one of their scavengers and Maggie who was a good fighter who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty unlike Beth.
"Were you a Vet or a retired Vet?" Merle asked, gazing at Hershel shrewdly, he suspected the man had been active until the end of the world.
"On a farm one doesn't retire from being a Veterinarian, son," Hershel answered.
"You had a job then, worked at a veterinarian surgery?" Merle mused thoughtfully; having a place that Harry knew would make it easier to Apparate into, something he had learned over the past year.
"Well, of course, until the outbreak began changing everyone," Hershel replied, his own wife and step-son ended up bitten by the townspeople, he'd been unable to accept their deaths. Instead he chose to believe that they were sick or infected, and decided to keep them locked up until the whole thing blew over, more fool him for thinking such things. Thankfully the group (the entire group) had come along, and it prevented the inevitable death of his children. They would have been ill-equipped to deal with the hoard that passed through his farm, although it was debatable whether one would have trudged through if not for all the gunfire that erupted on his peaceful farm. Perhaps it was inevitable and he had been the fool risking his families life with the substandard defences he'd put in place.
"Think it's been looted?" Merle then questioned, small town places would be relatively untouched unless a group went by, the folks were probably turned, killed emself or ran with only the essentials they could carry.
"I'm going to get the store cupboards done," Luna said, giving his arm a squeeze, ignoring the looks she was once again getting from the others. Merle gave her a nod and watched her go listening to the Chinaman.
"I'll come with you," Carol said, knowing everyone was busy and she was just lazing about didn't sit well with her at all, although she didn't know what she could do to help, she'd seen Luna pack the entire kitchen into a trunk with a few flicks of her wand! Sophia of course, quickly joined Luna and her mother, vibrating with excitement - she loved magic.
"The pharmacy store was relatively intact, most of the supplies taken were stuff you could make into weapons, metformin, antibiotics, insulin and painkillers other than Randall's group nobody was around," Glenn spoke up. "Even the bar was untouched." his cheeks tinged red at the mention of the 'pharmacy store' remembering what had transpired.
"You aren't thinking about going back that way, are you?" Maggie asked aghast.
"Harry wants to get vegetable and grain seeds in stuff, s'where it is, he'd need to go that way anyway," Merle shrugged, what's the point in going to the damn shops when the factories would have sacks of it just waiting on them picking up. He knew Harry well enough to know what he would prefer or choose to do given most of the circumstances they faced.
Hershel perked up at that, the thought of having an actual Veterinarian clinic and supplies was enticing to say the least. Not that there would be many animals to watch over, but he hoped nonetheless that one day there would be. Perhaps along the way finding someone to train up in his place, yes, the idea was a very good one. It seemed that Merle, Daryl, Luna and Harry had their heads on straight, always looking for bigger and better things. He would need to ask them if he could go with them when they went to search the surgeries, he would know best what was useful and what could just be discarded. He would also need to discuss things with Rick, get him to see reason before he screwed up the best chance he would ever have of keeping his family safe. From what he understood about Harry's character he wasn't one for lying, if he truly believed the place (wherever it was) would be secure then he believed it, even back at the farm he had been nothing but truthful.
Perhaps he should also speak to Jimmy who looked rather pale looking.
"Rick? I'd like to have a conversation with you in private," Hershel said, standing up, gesturing for the younger man to follow him, he didn't pause to see if he would. Whether Rick liked it or not, Rick relied on him to guide him in the right direction, to keep him sane in this harsh new world they found themselves in. He needed his advice today before it all went downhill, from what he understood about what Harry said, Rick would never find them again, and after the way he had spoken, Harry wouldn't come to the rescue again. He gave a smile and nod to Luna, Carol and Sophia as they came back, evidently they'd already finished packing magic truly was a wondrous thing it seemed.
"We're just waiting on Harry and Andrea now," Luna said, the trunk and wand now gone.
"Is there a limit to how many can be Portkied?" Merle questioned Luna as soon as she sat down next to him.
Luna didn't correct him for saying it wrong, she'd be using the world more often so he'd pick up on the correct wording sooner or later. "As long as everyone's touching it they'll be transported to the location, I've seen groups of twenty using them without a problem," when everyone was going to the Quidditch World Cup.
"And if they let go?" Merle smirked wondering if it would be something even more dangerous like splinching while Apparating.
"You better not," Luna answered, "We would have no way of knowing where anyone is if they let go." short of having some sort of locating charm on them of course.
Merle just chuckled in amusement, imagining the scenario playing out. He could clearly see that nearly everyone was going to be coming, despite her quietness Michonne exuded acceptance he could clearly see she didn't have a problem with Harry's ability. She would do whatever it took to protect her son, especially after thinking he was dead for such a long time. Nothing would get in the way of that or they'd be on the wrong end of her samurai sword, and he'd seen her in action with it, and she wasn't someone he wanted to go against without a weapon that was for damn certain.
The only ones really up in the air was the Grimes family and mini Shane, Patrick was a coward and afraid of his own shadow, the boy better buck up, he ain't gonna last much longer if he keeps his shit up. Then there was Jimmy, he was only slightly better than Patrick, he was a cocky little shit the last time he'd seen him, now though he wasn't quite so cocky, without the farm and security he's sobered up, he was scared, but whether that feeling paralyzed him and made him useless like tits on a bull or not he didn't know. Probably wouldn't find out soon either, knowing Harry he wouldn't let the idiot outside the compound to watch his back (if he came) only an idiot would want someone like Jimmy helping, which in reality would be more of a hindrance.
He hadn't seen the Fort for a while, and wondered idly what changes Harry and Daryl had made to it since then.