Kingsley and the Giant
A FanFiction by Rain Darkwood
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.
Two figures quietly moved along the pathway, gliding like solid ghosts over the gnarled tree roots and rotted leaves that covered the forest floor. They did not speak to each other as they walked; they simply trudged on, their long black cloaks hiding their forms so that they appeared as no more than a short man and a tall man, the taller one leading the way. As they emerged from the thickly shadowed pathway onto a sunlit clearing, the tall man stopped suddenly, so that the shorter one nearly collided with him. They stood for a moment, and merely listened intently to the soft ambient sound of the forest.
The taller man, revealed in the sunlight, was black and wore a stony expression as he stared unblinkingly ahead and listened. He was entirely bald and wore a single golden earring. The short man stood directly behind him and his looks were in stark contrast to those of his companion. He was very pale indeed, with short black hair and piercing hazel eyes. He had a unique nose, which was slightly bumpy and narrow. He stood looking at the trees above him, though his eyes were unfocused and he was clearly concentrating all of his power on hearing. His eyebrows narrowedly slightly, and the deep voice of the tall man broke through the forest's silence like a knife through fabric.
"Do you hear the echoes, Falx? There is a cave up ahead."
The short man strained visibly to listen. Resignedly, he shook his head. "How far?"
The tall man mulled it over for a few seconds before answering. "Not far. A few hundred yards perhaps."
"Are you sure he's there then, Shacklebolt?"
Shacklebolt answered this as though he had answered the same question ten times already, the smallest trace of impatience showing through his normally calming tone. "I can't be sure. I think it is. Listen to me now, Falx - stay here, in this clearing."
"What!"
"You heard me, Callidus. I won't explain it now, but just stay here, and I will be back soon."
It couldn't be plainer that the short man was not used to hearing his first name from Shacklebolt. However, he pressed the issue. "How long should I wait? How will I know you're on your way back?"
"You'll know." And with that, Shacklebolt moved forward alone.
The forest seemed alive once more as Kingsley Shacklebolt crunched over the moist branches and leaves strewn over the path. He moved carefully among the trees, and within minutes Callidus Falx had disappeared from view behind him, hidden by the thick forest. Before long, a small rock formation came into view ahead, and the jagged opening of a cave was easily visible. Kingsley approached the mouth of the cave, slowly extracting his wand as he did so. He stood, hunched carefully near the mouth of the cave, examining it. All was dark within, and no sound - but no! As Kingsley listened, faint echoes floated out, deep rumbling noises that caused the stone walls of the cave to tremble slightly as they reverberated. Without hesitation, Kinsley walked into the cave.
He found himself shrouded in darkness, the only lights coming from directly behind him and, distantly, ahead. He concentrated on the tiny patch of light ahead as he walked, and more than once he felt himself beginning to lose his balance as the darkness closed in. Soon, however, he approached the glowing light and discovered that it was a large ceilinged room lit only by firelight. He carefully remained in shadow, and studied the room quickly for any signs of movement. It did not take him long to find what he was looking for. Half hidden in shadow, resembling a huge pile of animal skins, a giant lay sleeping. Slowly, the giant's back heaved and fell and it breathed out a low pitched, yet nearly deafening snore.
Kingsley remained rooted to the spot for a full minute before making his move. With his wand at the ready and his legs bent, prepared to move, He shouted suddenly.
"Kroz!"
The giant suddenly rolled with amazing agility onto its back and began to rise, Kingsley nearly toppled to the floor despite his careful stance. As it rose to nearly its full height, the giant's head turned in every direction, searching for the noise so wildly that it took seevral seconds for it to realize where Kingsley stood. It stared at his for a few seconds, and then reached for him with unlikely dexterity. With skill, Kingsley jumped away, landing far enough so that the giant could not reach him without giving chase.
"I am here as an envoy from the Ministry of Magic," Kingsley said, speaking slowly and carefully. "We require you to return to your home. This is not your fight."
Before he had even completed his sentence, the giant's booming laughter rang out against the stone walls. "Gom Garig," He boomed, a deformed but unmistakably devious grin etched across his enormous face. "Bong Garig Dumbledore."
Kingsley had no knowledge of giant language, but there was a definite mocking tone in the way the giant had spoken Dumbledore's name. It was plain that the giant was well informed of recent Death Eater news, and had perhaps threatened Kingsley using Dumbedore as an example. Or maybe he was suggesting that without Dumbledore, the Ministry was powerless. Either way, the giant was showing no intention of following orders. Kingsley brandished his wand at Kroz immediately, as he would against a fellow wizard, and spoke this time with as much force as he could muster. "You will surrender your loyalty to the Dark Lord now," Kingsley growled. "Or you will face apprehension."
The giant's beady eyes focused on Kingsley, and the huge, wrinkly face tensed. With a sudden lurch, it leapt toward him and attempted another grab. Kinglsey was ready, however, and turned, running straight into teh inky blackness of the cave. He spun around to make sure that the giant was pursuing him. Kroz, being far too tall to run through the dark passageway, had been forced to get onto his gigantic hands and knees to chase Kingsley, but he was indeed coming. Dust fell from the stone ceiling of the cave as it shook with the giant's movement. Kingsley turned once more and ran as fast as he could for the light at the end which would guide him into the fresh air of the forest. Within seconds, he burst out of the cave and stopped, heaving, to look back at the giant chasing him. Kroz was nearly out of the cave as well, but Kingsley did not dare run yet, for fear that the giant would give up the chase.
Kroz struggled slowly out of the cave entrance, and immediately rose to his feet to resume his pursuit. Kingsley turned and continued running, straight for the clearing where he knew Callidus would be waiting.
As he burst into the sunlit clearing, Callidus got up from where he had been sitting on a large log. "Shacklebolt? What in the -"
"Its behind me, hurry up and egt ready."
"Its... YOU BROUGHT IT HERE?"
Kroz suddenly appeared, snapping trees out of his way on the outskirts of the clearing as though they were twigs. He roared in triumph at having cornered his prey, and gobs of drool hung from his hideous mouth. Kingsley turned his head toward Callidus. "Hurry and give me a hand here!"
Callidus jumped behind the log, drawing his wand. With a flick, he conjured three shiny metallic balls about the size of marbles. With another flick, the metallic marbles flew at the giant and began to repeatedly pelt him around the eyes.
The giant flew into a blind rage, and flailed around as the balls distracted him and kept him from using his vision.
Kingsley had already jumped to action. He ran toward the clump of trees behind the giant, who was now beginning to win his fight with the marbles, catching them one by one in his hand. Callidus came out from behind the log, confused. "What are you doing?" he shouted.
"I need a big weapon!"
Callidus suddenly understood what he meant. He ran forward, directly across the giant's path, and began firing off random spells at its face. The giant roared angrily and began moving toward Callidus with a murderous expression stretched across its wide face. The spells bounced off with no effect, but Callidus had no intention of harming this giant with a spell. He carefully watched Kingsley, who was now directly behind the giant and flicking his wand at an overturned tree. The tree lifted into the air like a humongous club, and Callidus stopped backing up so that the giant would stop walking as well. Kroz stood leering down at Callidus now, who was entirely darkened by his shadow. But before Kroz could swoop down and clutch his prey, the fallen tree collided with his head with a sickening thud. The giant was knocked so that he swayed forward, his mouth now open in dumbfounded surprise. For a second it looked as though he would regain his balance, but then he began to fall to the ground ahead of him.
Callidus now realized what danger he was still in. Gasping, he ran toward the giant's still - splayed feet, and gave a great leap, only narrowly avoiding being crushed by the weight of the beastly Kroz. Dusting himself off, he stood up and marveled at the fallen giant, as Kingsley approached from behind him. "That was, as they say, a very close shave."
Callidus laughed. "Yeah."
Kingsley patted his shoulder. "Ministry representatives can come and bind him up, ship him off. You did well."
Callidus was still feeling a bit shocked. "But I still don't understand. Why did you have me stay here? Why did you bring him out?"
Kingsley shook his head wearily. "The giant had to underestimate us, so only one of us could approach him. And I never would have dared to fight it in that cave."
THE END
Fun Fact:
Callidus Falx is a latin name, meaning "clever scythe".