"I guess not."
Harry and Rick left Harry's apartment and were greeted by several people who knew Harry and Rick. The streets weren't as packed as they usually were, but there everything still looked normal. Harry decided to go to the hospital to see what was going on. He and Rick walked in and went to the director's office. Harry knocked on the door and was invited to come in.
The director's face brightened when he saw Harry, "Harry, my boy, I'm glad to see you made it back safe."
"So, then you know what's going on in the No-Maj world," Harry asked.
"Yes, we do, terrible thing. MACUSA has asked the healers across the county to do research and find out if we can create a cure. We may need your help, Harry." The hospital director said.
"I can't, at least not now. My father and I have to find our family and find somewhere safe where we can live." Harry said.
"You're in luck. Those wizards and witches with No-Maj families that haven't been exposed to this virus can find shelter in the magical world. The only problem is you need to go to New York to find out where you're going to be assigned."
"Can I portkey there?"
"Not anymore. There was a set time limit as to when you could portkey in. Now the Woolworth building is surrounded by stronger wards, just in case the virus or those inferi like creatures got through, and you can't apparate or portkey into the Woolworth building. You can apparate out but not in, and MACUSA doesn't want anyone to take the risk of apparating into a group of those things and getting torn apart. So, unfortunately, you have to go the No-Maj way unless there's someone there you know that you can send a patronus to, and they have the authority to find out where you've been assigned." The Director told Harry.
Harry nodded; he thought of Hermione; she had more than enough authority to find out for him where he was assigned, and then she could tell Harry where to go instead of making the trip to New York. Harry explained to the director, and the director agreed that it was a good plan.
Harry and Rick said goodbye to the director and left the hospital, but not before Harry stocked up on more medical supplies and potions. Harry got everything he could think of that they might need. Then they went and bought some more camping supplies and food. Harry put a stasis charm on the food and put it in the trunk he purchased. Shrinking the trunk, Harry put it in his pack, and he and Rick left the Wizarding District to continue their search for their family.
Harry and Rick apparated back to the building where they first met the survivors. Harry and Rick looked over the side and noticed that the streets were clear now. There wasn't a soul in sight, so Harry and Rick apparated down to an RV dealer nearby, and they took an RV big enough for the family and a few other people. It came fully stocked, with a refrigerator stove and oven, three beds, a shower, and plenty of space to sit.
They quickly took several tanks of propane and gas and two generators. Harry loaded everything into another trunk and shrunk everything down. Rick got into the RV and sighed in relief when he noticed that the tank was full. After they stored some of the food in the refrigerator, Harry sat down in the passenger seat, and Rick drove out of the dealership. Harry cast a point me spell, and they followed it out of Atlanta.
Meanwhile, at the quarry, Carl sat just outside his tent with Sophia doing the school assignment that Carol had assigned them. As they worked, they talked about how pretty Hedwig was. Carl trusted Sophia enough to let her see Hedwig, and Sophia had fallen in love with her.
"Where did you get the owl, Carl?"
"She's my brother's owl. He sent her with me to keep me company."
"I haven't seen her before, where was she?"
"Hunting, Hedwig is a great tracker. So when we came up here, she followed us."
The children talked for a while when suddenly Hedwig turned her head and then nipped Carl's ear hard, "Ouch, Hedwig, what was that for?"
She smacked him with her wing and pointed with her foot towards the woods. Carl turned around and saw the bushes rustling. Realizing that Hedwig was trying to warn him, Carl was instantly on his feet and pulled Sophia with him, "Be quiet, there's something in those bushes," Carl whispered.
Carl told Hedwig to hide, but she refused to leave him. So Carl and Sophia started to back away slowly, then they turned and ran just in time. The walker burst out of the woods and began to stumble towards them. Hedwig took off and circled the walker, trying to distract it. She would rather die than let anything happen to her hatchling's brother. Hedwig distracted the walker just enough for Carl and Sophia to make it back to the center of the camp, where they yelled for Shane.
"Shane, there's a walker! Hedwig is distracting it." Carl yelled.
Shane was instantly on his feet and ran towards the hooting. He hoped that nothing happened to Hedwig, Harry would be crushed. When Shane and the other men got there, the walker had an arrow in its head and someone was pointing a crossbow at Hedwig. She had given herself away, trying to make sure that Carl and Sophia got away.
Shane Instantly pointed his shotgun at the archer. "Leave that owl be, Daryl."
"Why, it'd make a great meal."
Hedwig ruffled her feathers indignantly and glared at the archer, unafraid. Shane glance at Hedwig then called her to him. Hedwig glared at Daryl, then flew to Shane and landed on his shoulder.
Daryl slowly lowered his crossbow after seeing the owl land on Shane's shoulder, "What is it, your pet?"
"SHE is a friend, and she distracted the walker so that Carl and Sophia could get away from it. And don't think I won't kick your ass if you try to hurt her."
Carl came back and saw Hedwig on Shane's shoulder. "Here, Hedwig," Carl called.
Hedwig nipped Shane's ear affectionately and flew to Carl. She brought her wing out and began to stroke Carl's head and cuddled into his neck. She cooed at Carl as if trying to comfort him. Daryl watched the strange owl's behavior and lowered his crossbow ultimately.
"Well, shit. I ain't never seen anything like that. What kind of owl does that?"
"A special owl," Carl said, glaring at Daryl.
"Obviously. Don't worry, kid; I'm not going to harm her. Not after seeing how she acts."
Carl and Hedwig both stared at Daryl then looked at each other, "Okay, we believe you."
"Hell, it's like she understands," Daryl said in amazement.
"She can."
Daryl and Hedwig stared at each other for a while. Then Daryl sighed, "Okay."
With that, Daryl went back into the woods and came out with the deer he had killed and dropped when he heard the commotion. Shane gave his shotgun to Lori, who was standing next to Carl and went to help Daryl with the deer.
Between the two of them, Shane and Daryl brought the deer into camp while Lori, Carl and Hedwig followed behind. Everyone crowded around Daryl and thanked him for the deer, Daryl nodded then ignored everyone and began to butcher the deer. While he was doing that, Glenn noticed the owl sitting calmly on Carl's shoulder.
"Where did you get the owl, Carl?"
"She's my brother's owl; he sent her to me to keep me company," Carl said then explained how Hedwig tracked him down and distracted the Walker enough for him and Sophia to get away.
Meanwhile, as Harry and Rick drove out of Atlanta following Harry's spell to where Lori, Carl, and Shane were, Harry sent a message to Hermione to see if she could find out where he and his family were going to be sent. Harry told Hermione to get back to her as quickly as she could. Harry knew that Hermione would be busy helping the refugees get settled in the locations they had planned, so he wasn't expecting a response any time soon.
As Rick continued to drive, he noticed that the signs said that they were heading to a quarry. Rick wondered what his family was doing at the quarry. He guessed he'd find out soon enough.
While people were talking, Hedwig looked at the road and hooted happily. She nipped Carl's ear, then flew off, "Hedwig!" Carl yelled.
A few minutes later, Hedwig flew back with a new RV following her. Everyone watched warily as the RV got closer. It stopped a few feet away from the group, and the doors opened. Harry and Rick jumped out of the RV, "Dad, Harry!" Carl yelled and ran towards his dad and brother. Rick bent down and picked his son up and swung him around.
"I knew you'd find us, I knew it."
"Of course, we'd find you, Carl," Rick said, then put him down so that he could hug Harry.
Rick then hugged and kissed Lori, and hugged Shane, and thanked him for keeping his family safe. Shane pulled Rick into a hug, "Anything for my family, Man."
The others were standing around watching the reunion with a happy look on their faces, but Andrea looked at them suspiciously. How did they find them if they left before anyone could tell Rick and Harry where they were staying? She didn't understand, but she was going to find out how they did it. But it turned out that she was the only one that seemed to care how they found them when the group discovered that Rick and Harry had brought food. So she had no other choice but to drop it.