Just that morning the Gurg of the colony of Giants that lived in the midst of the range of the Seven Sisters and along the north west border of Northern Ireland had been holding council. A man with strong appearance had come and gifted the Gurg with a beautiful golden sword, embedded with a great big jewels the size of his own giant fingernails and etched with blessings written in the runes of his great ancestors, the Giantes of Olde. The legendary sword had been missing from his family since the Giant Wars of the late 1590s, when the wizards of Béal Feirste cut off the giants' access to the old causeway. This sword had been captured from the Gurg, along with his head, and carried away.
Now, hundreds of years later, the sword was being presented back to the current Gurg of Glenveagh, whose name was Forimir, by the delegation of Death Eaters, sent forth by the Dark Lord, Voldemort.
"I return this sword to you now, Gurg, as a sign of promises that the Dark Lord swears to the giants," Rosier said, standing before the Gurg, unarmed and alone, his companions in the delegation they represented were all at least a hundred paces back. "It rightfully belongs to the giants - and there are many more giant treasures buried beneath the ground in Gringott's bank - held by goblins, mind, great enemies of the giants - and, with your colony's support of our cause, we can return them to you..."
The Gurg rubbed his long, copper colored beard and considered the man standing before him.
"Long have witches and wizards deemed themselves of higher esteem than the giants, despite your age-old roots that date back at least equally - and perhaps even further - than our own..." the man bowed in a self deprecating manner.
"They have our treasures, you say?" Forimir grumbled.
The Death Eaters that had come as a delegation on behalf of the Dark Lord were not prepared for the Gurg lashing out. Instead of simply agreeing to support Voldemort in the war, the Gurg stood up. "Bring my armor!"
"Your armor, sir?" Evan asked, looking up.
"If the wizards hold our treasure, hold our lives in contempt, then so shall we! Respect of the boundaries shall be ended!"
Evan looked back at the others in the delegation,
It wasn't the result they wanted - riling the giants into immediate action. They'd meant to set them to simmering anger, not boiling over, and the Dark Lord would be displeased - the giants of Glenveah were important assets in his plans in the coming months, but not now - not when the Death Eaters were unprepared for the fight. It would be a waste of power this early in the game.
"Your most Gurg-ness," Evan attempted to rein things in, "With all due respect, sir, the wizards far out number the giants currently - marching into battle today would hardly result in a fair and even fight and the giants would fall and never receive back the treasure that is rightfully theirs. If you wait, just wait and swear allegiance to the plans of the Dark Lord, he'll soon be ready to make the move on the Ministry and your help in that endeavor --"
"Help?" Gurg Forimir asked, voice booming so loud it seemed to shake the very sky. He laughed mirthlessly. "Do you speak as though the giants need wizards in order to achieve their goals of taking the wizarding town, little one? Do you think your tiny Lord is up for the challenge of going against our might?" And the Gurg stood up for the first time and Evan Rosier trembled at the sheer size of the giant. It was clear instantly why Forimir was the Gurg, for he easily cleared the tops of trees. "Giants do not need the help of wizards! We needed only the reason - and the evidence - to take back what is ours by right!" He lifted the golden, jewel-encrusted sword, "Which your Dark Lord has so freely given to us."
And two other giants were helping to attach the breastplate onto the Gurg's chest, and they brought him guards for his shins and a heavy belt with a shield to protect the loin. He lifted up an impossibly large weapon that was like a boulder tightly bound to the end of a stripped tree trunk - a sort of hammer.
Evan's eyes widened as he stared up at the hammer as the giant lashed it about, the weight of the mountainous boulder as light as air to his thick muscles. Evan backed away, slowly, and then quickly, running to the other Death Eater delegates, who turned and high-tailed it as quickly as they could up the crest of the mountain, toward the hidden caves that riddled the side of it. Hurrying, Evan nearly tripped several times as he moved, scrambling to get away.
The Death Eaters were disapparating away.
The giants began to collect themselves together, to form the group that would go along with the Gurg, and within moments they'd sent off their page - a young giant, much shorter than the seven warriors - the Gurg and the six that would flank him. The Gurg armed himself with the hammer and the golden sword, taking his hammer and sweeping it across the country side, plowing down several trees.
He turned and there, on the side of the mountain, stood an old watch tower from the days when the wizards of Dunlewey had come to dragged themselves up the sides of the mountain to see to it that the giants were staying in their set limits. The Gurg shouted a mighty roar that boomed and shook the hills... and they began their march over the Eastern slope of the mountain.
The powerful steps of the marching Gurg and six additional warriors was what shook the picture portal in Sean Buckner's office so hard as to knock it clear from the wall.
Annie Buckner watched the looming head of the Gurg as he climbed over the mountains - his footprint nearly the size of the house she stood in front of. She turned and hurried into the house as quickly as she could - the giant headed toward the village. She slammed the back door of the cottage, sliding the wood bar that locked the door, and drew her wand from her skirt's deep pocket, waving it, and the shutters clattered closed. She glanced at the small frame on the mantel that Sean had made for her - a picture portal to his office, where she could check on him throughout the day and see what he was up to... But his desk seat was empty, and she touched the frame, wishing he was there. If she was killed, she'd wanted to see his sweet face once more before the moment came.
The whole earth seemed to shake with each step the giant took.
Chase Volsung took the giant irons and headed for the disapparation hall, followed by James Potter and Sean Buckner. Sean was worrying, his voice pinched with nervousness as they walked quickly along. They were nearly to the hall when the sound of clattering heels on the tile behind them echoed along.
"Sean!"
He paused walking and turned around.
Annalee McKinnon was running toward him, her purple kitten heels clicking loudly, grey wool skirt fluttering about her thighs, and her hair flying out behind her as she ran. Sean couldn't help but be surprised at the speed with which she moved in those shoes. He was equally surprised when she threw herself into his chest so that he only just managed to catch her in his arms and held her as she put her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
"What are you doing?!" she cried, "Where are you going?! You're not an auror!"
Sean answered, "But my granmum's at home, I've got to go'n fetch her."
Annalee looked at James, expecting him to tell Sean to stay where he was safe, but he looked down at his toes instead of saying the words Annalee wanted him to.
Chase Volsung had left them behind without second thought.
"Please, let the aurors do their job, Sean, you can't go into the fight, you're not experienced, you're --"
"I have my honor, Annalee, and I'm all me gran's got who'll try 'n save her, you see? The woman's put herself in many a bad way for my sake - raisin' me and all as she's done - I have to go." He paused as she took a step back, her face pale with worry and concern as she stared up at him. "Oh mo mhuirńin," he whispered, seeing her eyes, "You lookin' at me like that will be the life of me."
She searched his face. "I want to come with you." She looked at James, then back to Sean, "I'm coming with you."
"What?" Sean looked surprised. He thought he's just had a hero moment, with that brilliant line of his, and here she was - lighting up with determination before him. James looked over at her, too, though in addition to surprise, he also held a bit of pride in his eyes, too, as though somehow he'd been waiting for this moment and it had finally come. "What do you mean you're coming?" Sean demanded.
"I mean somebody's got to be there to protect you and Potter's going to be busy playing the hero to all the rest of the world - but I - I need to know somebody's watching over you. Just you. So I'm coming."
Sean said, "But who's goin' to be watchin' over you?"
"Well that's what you're there for, too, isn't it?" Annalee said. "We'll watch over one another."
James's grin was wide and his lip hung up on his tooth, and he waved an arm behind Annalee, ushering both her and Sean toward the disapparation hall. "Come on you lot, let's go."
Sean nodded numbly and Annalee wrapped her fingers into his, and though her heart as fluttering in her chest, she felt stronger and braver than she ever had in her life.
In the disapparation hall, along one wall, there were three floo hearths, and it was here that James, Sean, and Annalee went. Others in the force had disapparated to the valleys of the mountains, but the floos would get them quickly to the Buckner Cottage in Dunlewey much more effectively. So James got the floo powder from his vest pocket where all aurors kept the store for quick access, and he tossed the first fistful into the hearth and motioned for Sean.
"Home!" he shouted as he stepped in rapidly, disappearing in a flash of light.
Annalee looked at James as he threw the next fistful. "He makes me brave," she said quietly. "I don't know what's gotten into me."
"You were always brave," James answered, and the powder hit the hearth.
"Sean's Granny's!" Annalee shouted, stepping through.
James followed after them.
The moment he was through the floo, he was struck by the shaking of the ground and the crashing of things falling and crashing. He stumbled, catching himself against a heavy wood dining room table, and narrowly being hit in the head by a falling clock falling from the mantel, which slammed to an uneven wood floor. Beneath his feet, shards of decorative plates that had fallen from the walls broke and dust rained from the roof.
"Bloody hell!" he said in surprise, looking around.
Annalee stood a few steps away, eyes wide, looking out a small window, having pulled one side of the shutters open to peer out, and there was Sean, arms around a short woman who looked so much like him it was clear that was the grandmum he'd been worried about.
Well that was easy, James had expected a lot more drama to the fetching of Sean's grandmum.
"James." Annalee's voice was tense.
He walked over and bent to peer out the window beside her and his eyes widened, realizing why the cottage was shaking so terribly, and he spun about, grabbing hold of Sean's arm, pulling both him and his gran in a single quick motion, and as they stumbled closer to him, just as the sunlight was blocked from the window and Annalee made a sound of shock and jumped backwards from the window as a huge foot landed in the garden, crushing the stone wall and the plants and flowers that had filled the back yard, the great bare toes catching the window that Annalee had stood before.
Sean covered his grandmum's head with his palms, looking up at the ceiling with panic as the giant stepped onto the house and the ceiling trembled.
"OH!" Annie Buckner shouted as rafters cracked under the strain of the weight.
"Protego maxima!" James shouted, and the shield charm went up over their heads like a great bubble of protection as the roof began to cave in around them.
Dorcas Meadows face was red and pinched in pain, tears tracking down her cheeks. "Where's my husband?" she panted, "Where is Gideon?"
Lily shook her head, unsure what to tell her. "He's coming," she promised, hoping she wasn't lying. Where the hell was he? They'd been there ages, it seemed, and Dorcas's contractions were getting closer and closer and the mediwitches were buzzing about, preparing all around them...
Sirius better have sent the patronus, Lily thought desperately.
She looked to the door of the room, willing it to be flung open, willing Gideon Prewett to rush through.
"It's time," a mediwizard said.
"No! Please! No, no, I need Gideon - he needs to be here!" Dorcas pleaded, "He has to be here for this!" Lily squeezed Dorcas's hand. "PLEASE!"
"We have messages out to the Ministry," replied the wizard calmly.
"No, no, he should've come with the first message! Where is he? Something's happening!" Dorcas's voice rose with fear. "I can't do this alone, Lily!" she begged as the medical team was surrounding and Dorcas's face tightened up in pain, clutching onto Lily's hand so tight as she cried out.
"I'm right here," Lily said firmly, and she held on all the tighter, and she closed her eyes a moment, taking a deep breath, and drawing the anxiety from Dorcas right into herself. "It's going to be alright," she whispered, hoping Dorcas could feel the reassurance she was trying to project back in place of the emotions she was taking on for her.
Outside, the forms of the giants began to appear over the horizon line before them, the Gurg's wild copper colored beard gleaming in the sunlight.
"Remember," Underhill shouted for the benefit of the younger aurors who hadn't faced giants before, "Giants are top-heavy. Spells should be directed at disabling them from the bottom up - that's why they wear the shin guards. Aim low and strike strong. Your standard spells will be too weak. Maxima on every shot!"
Frank Longbottom looked at McKenna to his right, and McKenna's eyes met Frank's. Frank nodded - a silent assurance that things would be alright - and McKenna nodded back.
There were cracks and pops as more aurors appeared along the front line - the group from Letterkenny, having realized the East was the direction the giants were coming. Underhill looked to his sides and found himself flanked by the Prewetts, having just arrived... Gideon skid to a stop beside him, eyes wide as he took in the sight of the seven giants coming up over the seven mountains...
"Holy shit," whispered Fabian in awe.
"Have faith in your mission, in your due diligence to your fellow auror, to your fellow man..." Underhill was continuing on, voice booming as loud as he could to be heard over the sound of the giants approaching, the ground quaking so hard that it was very tough to tell if it was nerves within them or the ground that shook beneath them that trembled so.
The Gurg had spotted the line of wizards and he bellowed a roar in anger, deep from within his chest, a sound like a hundred bombs bursting at once. He held aloft his hammer and brought it down, a crater was banged into the landscape as the ground beneath him gave way to the force he'd brought that boulder down with.
"Know that the power of duty and the power of love is stronger than the might of muscle and aggression!"
Frank drew a deep breath, Underhill's voice cutting through the anxiety bubbling in him, building something that coursed through his veins, magic throbbing in his wand arm, ready to be released, that duty and that love growing with each word, each moment...
"Nothing that we face is too big to be taken down - that is a lesson for life as much as for this battle. Take it to heart, take it to soul!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of white light - bright against the rainy valley where they stood - a wolf, sprinting and weaving it's way around Gideon Prewett, whose eyes widened and his fingers tightened 'round his wand.
Fabian looked over. "Holy shit," he whispered, this time in fear. His eyes met Gideon's. "Go, Giddy!"
"But the giants!"
"GO!" Fabian yelled. "We've got this, brother! Go!"
Gideon's eyes flickered from the patronus, to his brother, to the giants, and back again - torn a thousand directions at once - his heart clenched with the weight of choosing....
Underhill's wand was raised high, "YOU CAN DEFEAT THESE GIANTS JUST AS YOU DO THE GIANTS OF YOUR OWN LIFE. Yes - they are giants - but they can - AND WILL - be taken down! WITH DETERMINATION WE MOVE INTO THE FRAY!"