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Chapter 761: The Gurg
🕑 Added 2023-05-09 08:15:27 +0000 UTCEvan had to resist the urge to pull out his wand. The giants were in awe of magic and wanted to sense its mysterious power, but they hated wizards pointing their wands at them and using magic against them; it would only agitate them.
By now, he had finally understood why Dumbledore had to send someone to woo the giants. He could imagine the shock and sense of domination brought about by the battlefield presence of formidable fighters as large as mountains…
If these giants all turned to Voldemort, his dark power would multiply several times. Few wizards were rivals to giants. In the face of such colossuses, most people wouldn’t even have the courage to fight.
The group had to go around the lake. Evan looked about and saw more and more giants gathering. He didn't know how the other three felt, but his heart was thumping so hard.
Although Evan had seen many Dark creatures, none of them were as visually intimidating as giants.
They were invincible in ancient times. and were the reason why many ancient civilizations had to build such tall walls around their cities.
Fortunately, their numbers had become very small, and those dark days were gone forever. Otherwise, humans would still be living in fear, with their establishments being more like cages that imprisoned them.
"We've come to pay homage to the Gurg with a gift!" cried Hagrid, in English.
Most of the giants couldn't understand what he was saying and made meaningless, rude shouts, but the few of them who were wearing more clothes clearly understood him. They turned around and ran to the top of the mountain opposite, making loud roars…
"They’re going to inform the chief. We'll just wait here." Sirius whispered.
Evan took the opportunity to look around, and while the group waited for an answer, the giants separated in groups around the lake.
The group of giants closest to Evan seemed to be cooking food. He didn't know where they got a huge stone cauldron, as large as the one Voldemort used for his resurrection. They were cooking meat and some grass-root-like things in it.
This should be a family, consisting of a slightly emaciated female and three strong male giants. They also had two children, young looking, but of course, they were already three times as tall as Evan!
Hiding behind their parents, they looked curiously at the four people entering the camp, and their eyes finally landed on Evan, who smiled at them; and they responded with a rude growl.
Just then, the giants who had left earlier ran back again, rushing into the crowd in a hurry.
"Humans, the Gurg wants to see you. Follow me with your present!" said an old giant, dressed in brown robes, relatively neat, almost like a normal wizard. But he had clearly been wearing them for a long time. They were a style from decades ago.
These robes seemed to have had their size changed with the Enlargement Charm, for certainly no one would tailor them to a giant's figure.
They followed the old giant to the top of the mountain, and the giants around the lake seemed to be afraid of it and did not follow.
The path built by the cliff went straight up, and they walked carefully on it. This road had been built to the size of the giants, so it was very wide for them.
"My name's Herbert," said the old giant, and his rumbling voice came down from above. "I've been to Poland in the past, married and had children there, and lived there for a long time. I liked that country. Of course, that was more than 80 years ago, and then after a terrible war, I fled back! "
The old giant was talking as he walked. He had a heavy accent, and Evan could barely understand what he said.
Then the giant turned his head and looked at Hagrid and Madame Maxime with dim eyes.
"You two seem to have giant blood?"
"My mother's Fridwulfa," said Hagrid, looking at him with concern. "She… is she still alive?"
"You're the son of Fridwulfa?!" The old giant seemed a little surprised, looking closely at Hagrid. "She's still alive, but she’s not doing very well. Giants like us who have lived in human society are different and have a low status in the tribe. Other giants are unwilling to trust us."
"My mother's still alive… Where's she now?" Hagrid raised his voice, looking a little agitated.
"You'll see her, Fridwulfa’s son! She gave birth to two more children after she returned. One died and the other's deformed like you. He’s too short," said Herbert, looking at Madame Maxime. "What about you?"
"My father died… on the battlefield!" She said simply.
"Yeah, most of us giants end up like that, dying in battle!" Herbert turned his head again. "We have lost too many people in the past, but the ones who remain alive are unwilling to learn lessons and they continue to fight. Why are you here, humans? "
"We’ve brought gifts and a message from Albus Dumbledore, and hope to be allies with you!" Sirius said.
He patted Hagrid on the back, signaling him to calm down.
They never expected that they would meet such an old giant who was easy to communicate with. His thinking was clear, as though he was no giant at all; just a taller human.
"Albus Dumbledore?!" said the old giant. "I've heard the name of this wizard. He once opposed killing the last giants in Britain and helped them leave. He's our friend. I think Karkus would be interested in what he has to say."
Evan, Sirius, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime looked at one another. Would things really go so smoothly?!!
"But don't get your hopes too high. Giants need war, not peace..." Herbert continued. "Dumbledore's ideals have few supporters here. Giants like me are different, and few giants are willing to communicate with humans. Of course, they’ll be happy to receive presents from you."
After saying that, Herbert stopped talking and led the four of them to the top of the mountain.
They reached a large platform, at the end of which there was a cave that could not be seen clearly.
By the time they climbed up, the platform was already full of giants. Compared with the giants below, they were taller and larger, wearing simple clothes made of animal hide, and many giants had weapons in their hands.
In the middle was a huge stone bed, very simple but spacious, on which lay two giants.
One of them was a male giant, very large, thirty-five feet tall, and very ugly. He looked as heavy as three male elephants, and his exposed skin was like that of a rhino. He was roaring at the others to feed him. His hands were busy with other things.
Needless to say, he must be Karkus the Gurg.
In his arms, lay a giantess, with no clothes on...
