Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Warning !!!Grammar and spelling errors!!!Ahead.
Sirius was pacing in the front parlour of number 12 Grimald Place with an anxious air about him. At his grandfather's insistence, he had remained for far longer than he had intended to.
In the beginning, it was fine; he managed to sleep longer, rest, and eat well, all while exploring the Black property for anything potentially useful to him.
The first thing he searched for was a wand that would work for him. A cedar wand of 15 inches with a Dragon heartstring core, the thrill of being able to use magic again made him feel whole and grounded in a way he couldn’t remember being before, to be connected to magic once again, to feel it flow through his very being was a keen to feeling alive for the first time in so many years.
Sirius spent a few days just casting spell after spell, from minor household spells to more advanced defence spells. He couldn’t get enough of the feel of magic flowing through his body and connecting to the wand.
Sirius knew he was bordering on addiction, so he scolded himself for the wasted time he had spent indulging in this pure feeling. Sure, he deserved to feel happiness, but he had far more important things to do.
After his not-so-little distraction, Sirius began his search for a way to find his missing Pup, anything that could help in any way, he was looking into.
The Black library itself was full of magic that could potentially help him in locating his godson, and even though most of it was considered outlawed, Sirius figured he was owed a few free passes after so long in prison for something he didn’t do. Besides, he wasn’t even sure if the ministry was even around anymore.
Research was never his thing, sure he had always managed great grades at school and even came up with new pranks, he was a self-proclaimed genius, but he was still suffering from Azkaban, and shifting through books to find anything remotely helpful was tedious and frustrating for the Animagus.
It was times like this he wished Remus were around, his once-beloved friend was a real bookworm and would know where to begin. Sirius got caught up thinking about the other man, wondering if he was alive and safe.
Reminiscing of Remus had Sirius wallowing in pity and self-loathing, he blamed himself for ever thinking the werewolf would betray his pack to the dark lord. They should have been more open, more honest, instead of going around and trusting the wrong people. It was all Sirius fault, he blames himself for not seeing what was right in his face the whole time, Petter was a fucking Rat for Merlin’s sake.
After no luck searching through the many tomes and scrolls in the Black library, Sirius gave in, and after his fourth day looking, he went to his grandfather to beg for assistance, the older wizard knew the books in the library far better than anyone else, he is a well of knowledge on many subjects that Sirius knows nothing or very little about.
Of course, his grandfather, being the Slytherin that he is, wanted something in return for his assistance.
Sirius bucked at the older wizard stipulations, His grandfather was obsessed with the continuation of the Black family that he would withhold helping a child who was family in all but blood -although Sirius had argued he was related through blood, even if it was a few generations back. -
But the old wizard wanted Sirius to marry, return to the Black townhouse, and start the process of courting a pureblood and continue the line of the great house of Black.
Sirius, though reluctant, was at the point where he didn’t care so much as long as he was able to find and protect his godson.
The dog Animagus unwillingly agreed to his grandfather’s demands, once he found Harry, he would return to England and court a pureblood.
The very thought sent shivers down his spine. He was never interested in settling down, especially not with anyone his family picked out for him. Sirius was already trying to come up with ways to delay his return, he was just lucky the old wizard didn’t insist on an oath or magical contract. It left many ways for Sirius to dodge his grandfather’s demands.
Sirius had been told to wait while Arcturus found what they needed, the older Wizard was being a bit cryptic about what they were going to need to find Harry. So, he was pacing in the front parlour while he waited for the older man.
“Are you done yet?” Sirius yelled impatiently.
He had waited for far too long already, the anticipation of finally getting somewhere was making him jittery and worried. What if they couldn’t find his precious Pup? What if it were too late?
“You are far too wound up. Have you considered a nice relaxing bath?” Arcturus replied sarcastically from the hall entrance, he held a single book in hand that had Sirius's interest.
“Did you find something?” Sirius asked, instead of replying with a snide comment, he was half tempted to curse the old man.
“As a matter of fact, I did. it’s not going to be easy.” The older wizard proceeded into the sitting room at a leisurely pace, the book was placed on the coffee table ominously.
“What dark, evil sacrifice are we going to have to make?” Sirius grimaced; he was rethinking his earlier thought on not caring if it were outlawed. If it involved hurting innocent people, he would just have to find another way.
“Nothing as dramatic, I assure you.” Arcturus was flipping through the pages before he came across what he was looking for.
Sirius dived on the book in a frenzy of nervousness.
Arcturus wrinkled his nose at his grandson’s actions.
“By all means.” Arcturus waved mockingly, relaxing back into the couch.
Sirius skimmed the page, reading as fast as he could.
“This doesn’t look too bad,” Sirius grinned,
“This is doable. I can’t believe it’s this easy,” he blurted.
“I believe you are overlooking one key element,” Arcturus responded, reaching over, he pointed to a section of the page Sirius had overlooked.
Pausing to read, Sirius paled.
“Well Fuck!” He exclaimed, falling to the couch heavily.
Arcturus' brow knitted at the younger man’s choice of words, but he refrained from commenting.
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As Merle made his way to the line of cars on the road, holding Harry gently, he was followed by the Greens, who were bombarding him with questions.
“Shut ya mouths!” Merle hissed angrily.
“Now ain’t the time to be making a ruckus. We are out in the open and sitting ducks,” Daryl added, glaring at the others as he stood by the older hunter with Carol and Sophia huddled close by.
Everyone collectively silenced at the reminder of the dangers they were surrounded by.
“He’s a wizard, isn’t he? He’s magical!” Glenn asked, sounding surprised. He had followed along with the Greens, moving forward to stand by Maggie, taking her hand in his.
Everyone was giving him bewildered looks.
“There ain’t such thing as magic, not real magic,” Beth argued quietly. “I mean it ain’t real, just tricks, right?”
“Wanna explain, China-man?” Merle gestured for the man to elaborate more.
“I’m Korean!” Glenn hissed back, glaring at the older man, Maggie squeezed his hand and murmured something in his ear, with a sigh, he continued, “when I was about Harry’s age my parents took me and my sisters to meet our relatives still in Korea, our grandparents, and great Aunts, some cousins. They used magic openly in the house, we had to promise to not talk about it with none family members, ever.” Glenn explained.
“I thought my memory of that time was just a dream. The magic part, at least, I vaguely remember that they call themselves wizards and witches.”
For Glenn and his sisters, it was like a shared secret that they had all made up as kids, being too young to remember it fully, now witnessing something unexplainable it triggered his memories of that time once more; they were memories and not a figment of his imagination.
“So, there are just these people out there who practice witchcraft and it’s just what?… accepted?” Lori asked in disbelief after joining in with the others, her son clutched in her arms protectively.
The brunette was trembling slightly, afraid of what had just happened, for many varied reasons.
Even though her and Rick’s relationship was rocky, she still loved the man, but witnessing him hurt a child without realising what he was doing was eye opening, the man she believed to be such a good man, a good father, had been brutal to a small child without a care, as much as she wanted to run to the man and make sure he was alright she wanted answers a lot more.
Rick could be seen behind her pacing by the low burning fire, he had only been down for a moment, dazed by the blow, the man looked like he couldn’t even comprehend what had happened to him.
“Accepted among those who know I guess, we would play pretend when we got back, pretended that we had a wand and would cast spells at each other with sticks, we were told not to continue to play like that especially here in the states, as it’s illegal for us to know here, I thought it was just our parent being annoyed with our game back then, I mean, we thought it was a fun little world we made up during play time, it was pretty soon forgotten with the excitement of a visit to the fun park” Glenn stated with a shrug.
Maggie smiled at the man, it was cute to imagine a young Glenn and his sisters running around and playing, being so innocent and carefree.
“Not like it matters much what he is, he just a kid,” Merle stated, glaring at everyone, daring them to rebuff his statement.
“Yes, he is, and from what I remember, they have schools where they learn. I had a cousin who went to one in Korea. Harry is young and untrained,” Glenn explained.
“So, he is dangerous?” Beth stated the blond was clinging to her father, who had remained silent and thoughtful.
“He is merely a child Beth, he might not have control, but he could learn.” Glenn continued.
“It’s a waste of time here yapping, we leaving, it’s colder than a bitches’ tits in a brass bra, and I’m freezing my balls off” Merle snapped, the older hunter made his way to Daryl’s truck.
He was sure there had to be something round, a station or an abandoned car, something they could scavenge supplies.
Once at the truck, he put Harry down reluctantly. The tiny boy was still trembling in fear and crying silently, groaning as he bent to his knees. Merle tried his best to comfort the small boy.
“What’s the tears for?” Merle asked gruffly “You showed that no good cop what for.”
“You’re going to get rid of me 'cause I’m a freak, just like my aunt and Uncle always said I am.”
Harry sniffled. Taking his glasses off, he tried to wipe his eyes to clear the tears.
“Now I reckon that’s bullshit, you are not a freak, now you might be able to do some voodoo stuff but that don’t go making you a freak, just makes you able to take out the bad guys differently” Merle claimed.
“How come it didn’t work against my uncle?” Harry asked.
Merle paused, he wasn’t sure what to say, he was thinking back to his own father and what it might have been like to have magic to use against the bastard, knowing his luck it would have been just as bad as any other reaction he gave his old man, threats, swearing and storming off in a rage, just meant more of a beating later.
With a sigh Merle tried his best to reassure the young boy “I ain’t know how it all works kid, but maybe sometimes life just throws a spanner in and tried to make us tough as nails yeah, now dry them tears, Old Merle ain’t gonna let none of them uppity sons of bitches hurt ya” the older hunter promised, he stood with a huff and made his way around to the front of the truck.
“We can hear you, you know?” Glenn remarked feeling exasperated with the older man, it was clear that the two Dixon’s were not all what they seemed on the exterior, sure they were gruff, rude and dirty rednecks, but Glenn had seen more care for the kids from the two hunters then he had seen from anyone else in the group, including Lori with her son.
“Now Daryl is gonna take the bike and see what he find up ahead, might be something that got gas up there, we are all gonna chill in the cars till he’s back” Merle explained ignoring Glenn’s comment, the bike had the most gas so was the only option for scouting ahead, Daryl mounted the bike without a word and took off up the road disappearing into the night, as his brother looked on worriedly.
Merle would have gone himself if he weren’t so worried that the sheriff would try something while he was out searching for gas.
Everyone ambled to the different cars and waited, not knowing how long it would take for the young hunter to return.
Lori managed to get her husband to follow her to the car, whatever she said to the sheriff made the man join her, probably didn’t want to be left all alone while it looked like his wife and son were going to be sticking with the larger group, it offered more safety, even if she seemed reluctant to do so. Merl wouldn’t bet his bike on them all sticking together.
Lori, for her part, could see the potential the Dixon’s had in surviving this horrible situation. For her son, at least she would stick with the devils she knows, as long as she could.
The sheriff was suspiciously silent now. Merle was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and the man to have another breakdown or to have a go at the group and try to order people about.
Merle was fairly sure the others wouldn’t listen to the deranged man, not after his earlier outburst, but he reminded himself they all jumped at the opportunity to follow the sheriff instead of his deputy when he arrived at the quarry.
Shane was no leader anyway. Once Rick had successfully gotten them out of Atlanta with Glenn’s help, they followed the man like he was the second coming, sheep the lot of them.
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T-dog joined the Grimes in one car, and the Greens family plus Glenn grouped in another. Merle, Carol, Sophia, and Harry, all situated themselves in Daryl’s truck to wait for the younger hunters to return.
No one knew what to think of the events that just took place; most were in disbelief that they even witnessed such an act of power from someone so tiny.
T-dog, a Christian man, was fearful of the display of power the young child had shown, raised to believe that witchcraft was against God's teachings.
The man was raised with the King James Bible “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” kept ringing in his ear, if the group split like he thought they might he sure a shit wasn’t going to be following the racist devil worshiping Dixon’s, and the satin spawn they had with them.
“It ain’t natural,” the man finally said after sitting in silence in the back of the Cherokee.
“It's supernatural or something, I don’t know, I just felt this force strike me, and I was thrown back,” Rick explained. The ex-sherif seemed far calmer after taking some time to cool off, a parody of the turmoil raging inside the men.
“What are we going to do, Dad?” Carl asked. Carl was in the back next to T-dog. He was scared for his dad and what Harry had done to him, flinging him across the small camp like he had. Carl had thought it was like a superpower, and despite being fearful, he thought it was pretty cool.
“I’m not too sure we can do anything. he has the Dixon brothers bewitched or something, Carol too, I don't know how, but he has them protecting him,” Rick stated, still dazed by the events.
“Oh, come off it, he is nothing but a child. Glenn said some of his family are magical as well.” Lori surprised them by snapping at them.
Rick raised his eyebrows in surprise. he thought that if anyone in the group would be against the idea of wizards, it would be Lori. Rick knew she wasn’t a believer in the supernatural, and she had often scoffed at such things like mediums and psychics on TV.
“So that makes Glenn an expert now?” Rick asked in wonder.
“No, I don’t think so. look, you were hurting him, Rick. He didn’t want to stay, and he has grown close with the Dixon’s, he was just protecting himself from a threat.” Lori explained with a sigh, she didn’t want to argue for the Dixon’s of all people, but anyone with eyes could see what she said was true.
“I’m a threat now?” Rick raised his voice in agitation.
“You are not thinking right. If you had tried that with Carl, I sure would not have stood by while you hurt my child,” the brunette raged in return.
“Well, they can have him. One less mouth to feed,” T-dog said sullenly while Rick glared at his wife in disbelief.
“I don’t think we should split up from the group,” Lori stated, her eyes pleading with her husband, wanting him to agree with her desperately.
They were safe at the quarry due to how many of them there were, plus it’s seclusion and distance from the city, only until their best fighters took off to Atlanta to get the guns.
Then the Dead came, the fight would have been lost if the others hadn’t returned just in time, many of them would not have survived.
“The Dixon’s never cared for no one but each other. I say we cut loose while we can, head back to the bypass Glenn found, and move on to Fort Benning,” T-dog explained. He was all for splitting up, fearful of where the Dixon’s would lead them.
“As soon as Daryl is back, we’ll talk to the Greens. they will want to come with us, we can keep them safe,” Rick reasoned, making Lori roll her eyes at her deluded husband.
Despite her earlier thoughts on not wanting to split from the group, no matter what she would follow the man she loved, she thought she had lost him once, she wasn’t going to go through it again, Carl needed his father and mother, it was the whole reason they stayed together for so long.
“So that’s it? End of discussion?” Carl asked his parent. “What about Sophia? She’s my friend, and Carol will go with Daryl and Merle,” the twelve-year-old whinged. He felt like he was losing his friendship with the girl because of Harry after their time in the woods. She had barely spoken to him since she got back.
“And what if the Greens don’t come with us?” Lori asked, ignoring her son’s question. She saw him huff and fold his arms at being ignored.
“You think the four of us will last long out there?” Lori was trying to make Rick see sense.
“Yes!” Rick growled, getting impatient with his wife questioning everything.
“Rick, just be real for a second. Until things go back the way they were, we should stick to the others if this drags out. I’m going to need Hershel close, you know that, and if I’m being honest, you don’t know how to track or hunt, and you cannot make a decent trap to save your life.” Lori was at the point of being desperate, she knew she would need Hershel for the pregnancy. if they didn’t stick together, she fears what might become of her and her unborn baby.
Rick was silent as he contemplated the situation. Now that they were not in a high-stress situation, the adrenaline from earlier was wearing off, and he was able to hear himself think over the ringing in his ear that had been a constant since he woke in the hospital.
“We’ll talk to the Greens, if they choose them over us, we will just have to stay and live with it, eventually Merle Dixon will go back to his Racist self-centred self and then they will see they made a mistake with who they chose to follow, then they will be begging me to lead them again,” Rick said as he started ahead out the car windshield, missing the wide-eyed worried look Lori shared with T-dog and Carl.
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“What do you think of all this, Daddy?” Beth asked her father the moment they were sitting in Maggie’s blue car.
“In all my years, I have never witnessed such a display,” Hershel stated calmly. He was still contemplating what it all meant.
The old man didn’t show fear but was more awed by the show of magic.
“Should we leave? Is it dangerous to be around him?” Beth asked the old man.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I told you he can learn,” Glenn said from the front passenger seat. “He is no more dangerous than anyone of us with a gun.”
“Guns kill!” Beth growled.
“People kill Bethany, not the guns themselves,” Hershel responded, placing his hand on her shoulder to calm her.
“So, he could kill if he wanted to?” Maggie asked curiously.
“I don’t know, I don’t remember a great deal, no one killed anyone while I was visiting my family, I don't remember any malicious magic being done,” Glenn explained. “And honestly, can you imagine that tiny boy killing anyone of us?” The Asian man was becoming exasperated with the topic, he knew Harry was a sweet boy from the little they had interacted.
“I don’t think that child has a mean bone in his body, son,” Hershel remarked, thinking along the same lines as Glenn, even though the old Vet hadn’t spent any time with the child, he could already tell from what the others had said about him that he was a sweet boy, a boy who was all alone in the world and still managed to help Rick at the hospital, he was polite and kind to everyone he met.
“So, are we going to stay with them?” Beth asked the others.
“Of course we are Beth. No sense in going off on our own, it's best to stick together,” Hershel reassured his daughter.
“What about Rick, Lori, and Carl?” She blond coaxed gently.
“They need to make that decision on their own.” The old Vet knew what his youngest was getting at but didn’t think it was what he wanted for his family.
“We could go with them instead?” Beth suggested, she was fearful of the power the young boy displayed; she had never seen anything like it, and her father’s reluctance to fear this unknown was baffling. Her father raised her with God's teachings, and this show of magic was against the words of God she grew up with.
“Have you lost your mind!” Maggie hissed, fuming at the suggestion they follow the crazy ex-sheriff anywhere.
“Did you not hear his insane rant? He admitted to killing Shane, his best friend, a man he had known almost his whole life. do you honestly think he would hesitate to kill anyone of us for not agreeing with him?” Maggie was furious with her sister, she was blatantly disregarding what had just happened with Rick before Harry’s display.
The man was unhinged, she would not allow her family to fall victim to the man.
“He didn’t kill Shane for not agreeing with him; there was way more to it,” Beth argued back.
“Whatever it was that caused that situation, it is over now. it’s not for us to get involved, we need to look at this logically and do what is best for all of us,” Hershel said, remaining calm for his girls. He suspected whatever was going on with Rick had started long before the dead rose. He might not have been trained to treat people, but he knew a psychotic break when he saw one.
Beth hesitated “So we are going to go with the Dixon brothers and the magic child?” no matter what she would stick with her family, she saw the logic of staying with the two people who could hunt and trap, but it’s not like they didn’t have to kill animals on the farm for food, even if it was mostly Otis who did, her father could prepare a kill to eat and anyone of them could learn to hunt.
She expressed her thoughts on the matter only for Hershel to point out that even if they learned they might not be too successful, and by the time they got good, it could be too late for them.
“I believe it’s for the best, for all of us, to follow Merle Dixon,” Hershel stated, hoping to reassure them all, even himself.