As dawn broke, the convoy slowly drove through the familiar wooden fence of Hershel's Farm.
After some discussion, the group split up at the nursing home.
Guillermo and Felipe's group decided to stay at the nursing home for a temporary rest, while Shawn and Glenn took a few others and turned their cars around, planning to take a look near the CDC.
Although everyone knew that place might already be in ruins, they still wanted to confirm Dr. Jenner's final fate.
As for the rest of Rick's Team, they took all the children and women and followed Maggie's car toward that peaceful land: Hershel's farm.
As the vehicles drove onto that winding gravel road and saw the white two-story house and the surrounding pastures, everyone's tense nerves relaxed significantly.
Before the cars even came to a complete stop, several figures rushed out of the house.
"Thank God..." Dale stood to the side, taking off his bucket hat and constantly wiping the corners of his eyes.
Although Amy hadn't fully recovered yet, she was helped out of the house by Andrea.
Carol knelt on the grass, tightly embracing her daughter, Sophia.
"Maggie! Shawn!"
A blonde young girl rushed toward the two who had just gotten out of the car like a happy little bird, hugging them tightly; she was their younger sister, Beth.
Hershel also strode toward them. This old man, who usually always had a stern face, looked at his children, his voice slightly choked up:
"You're back."
Maggie looked at her father's aged face, nodded firmly, and said softly: "Yes, Dad. We're not leaving this time."
"Alright, alright, stop standing there acting like fools and crying."
Merle got out of the car carrying that bag of weapons. Although he was still saying mood-killing things, no one looked at him with anger anymore.
To thank Hershel's family for providing shelter and to celebrate this nearly impossible rescue mission, everyone unanimously decided to use the farm's kitchen to cook a truly sumptuous lunch.
The farm became lively again as everyone busied themselves washing vegetables, cooking, and preparing ingredients. The sounds of children chasing each other and playing intertwined, filling the place with life.
Louis watched the scene before him, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
He quietly stepped away from the crowd and, while no one was paying attention, slipped up to the second floor of the farmhouse carrying that heavy backpack.
He needed a quiet place.
In a guest room at the end of the second-floor hallway, sunlight spilled through the half-open curtains onto the somewhat aged floorboards.
Louis locked the door, took a deep breath, and placed the vintage leather suitcase that had accompanied him all the way on the table.
After taking out the magic books inside and putting them away, he began to carefully inspect the suitcase again.
His fingers brushed over the rough leather lining, his knuckles lightly tapped the bottom of the case, and he even leaned in to observe the texture of the stitching... However, several minutes passed, and there was still no discovery.
Louis frowned, staring thoughtfully at the old patterns on the inner wall of the suitcase, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his chin.
Suddenly, he paused, his expression turning to one of annoyance.
"I really... have been in this apocalypse for too long; my brain is starting to rust."
This suitcase was a product of the wizarding world! Since it was a magical creation, even if there really were some hidden secret, how could it be discovered just by tapping and knocking?
Having realized this, Louis's gaze sharpened, and he decisively pulled out his wand.
"Revealing Spell!"
To Louis's surprise, this spell, which he had never successfully cast during practice before, worked without any hindrance this time, as natural as water flowing into a channel!
The next second, a magical scene unfolded before his eyes.
The originally rough leather of the inner wall began to ripple and fade like water, and a line of text emitting a faint silver glow slowly emerged.
[To the lost bloodline: When the curtain of fate hangs low, only echoes can cross the void. Open the gates with the embers of destruction; build the bridge with sincere prayers.]
"This is...!" Louis's pupils shrank slightly.
The handwriting was ancient and elegant, imbued with an indescribable sense of mystery.
But when Louis saw it, he only felt a headache coming on, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
What is all this nonsense? If you have something to say, can't you write it simply and directly??
Cursed riddlers!
As if possessed, Louis reached out, his fingertips gently touching that line of glowing text.
"Vroom—"
A massive suction force instantly transmitted from his fingertips. Louis felt as if his brain had been struck by a heavy hammer, and the world before his eyes began to spin and distort.
Immediately after, darkness swallowed him.
His consciousness plummeted rapidly through the chaos, then suddenly rose.
In the darkness, countless fragmented images flashed by like a revolving lantern.
He saw a towering ancient Castle standing by the shore of the Black Lake, saw owls flying all over the sky, saw... Hogwarts, eighth floor.
It was currently night, and the Castle was quiet.
Ever since his arm was broken by a Bludger during a Quidditch match, and then that incompetent Professor Lockhart had vanished the bones, Harry had been lying in the Hospital Wing for a long time before the bones grew back.
By all rights, he should be resting properly now.
But he couldn't sleep at all.
"Harry, can you stop pacing?"
In the hallway, Ron leaned against the wall, watching his friend wander back and forth like a headless fly, feeling a bit dizzy. "My head is going to spin right off because of you."
"Actually, you don't need to be so worked up; this has nothing to do with you."
Ron tried to comfort him. "That House-elf is a nutcase; the bad things it did shouldn't be blamed on you."
"How could it have nothing to do with me?"
Harry's green eyes were full of anxiety. "Dobby blocked the station for my sake! If it wasn't to stop me, that freshman named Louis could have passed through the wall in time!"
"If that were the case, he would be sitting at the Gryffindor... or some other house's table eating, instead of being missing with his fate unknown like he is now!"
Now, as soon as Harry closed his eyes, the image of a helpless freshman trapped in the gap of the wall or transported to some terrible place would surface in his mind.
"But... er..."
Ron hesitated, scratching his head. "There's nothing you can do, right? Do you even know any spells to find people?"
"I don't know, but maybe I can learn a few right now?"
Harry frustratedly ran his hands through his messy hair and began pacing in front of the giant tapestry again. "Or maybe go find Dobby again and ask? It's better than doing nothing!"
"Didn't you already tell Headmaster Dumbledore about this?"
Hermione stood to the side holding several books, analyzing rationally. "Since even Dumbledore said it was a kind of 'ancient and unknown magical interference,' I think you can wait..."
"Wait? But it's already been a long time!"
Harry said painfully, "From the opening ceremony until now, that freshman named Louis has never appeared! The Ministry of Magic can't find him, and owls can't deliver letters..."
"I must find him!"
Harry's gaze became exceptionally firm. "No matter where he is, whether he's been hidden away or is lost... I must find the place that can bring him back!"
"Harry, don't be like this."
Hermione sighed. "Right now there's also the Heir of Slytherin causing trouble in the school; everyone is very tense. You'll be caught by Filch if you run around like this."
"Yeah, mate," Ron also advised. "Instead of circling around here, why don't we go back and play a game of Wizard's Chess to calm down..."
However, before Ron could finish his sentence, a dull rumbling sound suddenly came from deep within the wall.
Intricate patterns unexpectedly emerged out of thin air on the originally smooth and hard stone wall.