Unprepared
It was raining and dark when Harry had been dragged into the warehouse, Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband whose name he often forgot had been with him. The rest he assumed were doing other things but he knew sooner or later the aurors would come to save him
"Ahh is itty bitty Potter lonely?" Bella had mocked and taunted unaware that her own life could be measured in minutes for her and her husband had fled into the wild. Not much into the wild but it was in the middle of the preserve and while the heavily boxed warehouse was good shelter Harry assumed it was not there for savoury reasons. His eye did fall upon three open sleeping bags and next to them two guns, poachers? He didn't know but it seemed strange. He knew he was in South Africa, having been chased for most of his capture to a point where torture had been scarce.
"Can you hear something?" Bella's husband asked and sure enough in the pouring rain which clanged on the metal roof there was a low sound, a strange one Harry could not place.
"Some kind of animal?" Bella wondered watching Harry like prey, she had wanted to do something to him but whatever it was vanished from her mind as a lone groan echoed. It was unlike anything and accompanied by the stamping of feet.
"I'll check," was Bella's husbands response and he pushed open one of the smaller doors leading out and for a second Harry saw his silhouette in the pouring rain. Bella turned to him now and drew her wand
"You know in all this time we haven't had a chance to get to know each other much," she grinned and she had been right. There had been the odd torture curse here and there but not much, Harry had been scared, then he heard the scream. A single bloodcurdling noise rang through the open air. Then came a loud thunk and a large gulping
"What the hell?" Bella asked and Harry used her confusion to slip out of his loosely bound rope hand bindings, hoping to hide and overpower her or even escape. His mind was not on the noise because as Bella turned to see him scuttling behind one of the stacks of boxes the window smashed open. A pair of glowing green eyes exploded into view and Bella had no time to react. Harry watched as a long necked beast leaned down and opened a mouth lined with razor sharp fangs. They sunk into Bella's side an she let out a scream but as she did so another window above smashed open, another beast grabbed her head and the two giants fought over the meal. Then came a tearing and Harry looked away, breathing deeply with terror as the beasts ate their meal. Then when silence came he looked again.
And he was met but the snarling face of Giraffe which lunged at him.
Harry woke up then, his vision of the past ended and he studied his surroundings. His eyes briefly fell on the window but for now he was safe. He had escaped that night and the fanged seemingly harmless beasts had left, he was found the next day and it was assumed his captors had vanished. They were escapees and using the past they just assumed Bellatrix had worked her magic twice. Ten years later when everything he predicated had begun to happen did they realise. Oh he tired to warn them but they ignored him, he knew if there could be two then there would more and they would gather. He heard stories of Giraffes being moved and he hoped Fudge had sent the ones in Britain away.
Though before he had been found he had dared to explore the surrounding area, that was where he found the body. A man lay dead in the grass while blood pooled around him, a shotgun lay next to his form, a crushed bullet was in front of him. A bullet that had not touched blood but been crushed.
"They can't be stopped," Harry whispered in a panic remembering the glowing green eyes, the long face with a jaw full of fangs and how two had torn Bellatrix apart.
The Next Morning
Molly Weasley was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast as normal while not knowing what to make of events, for the last ten years the boy she thought of as a son had been in a hospital. She had seen him four times and each of those he had told her the same thing, the Giraffe's were taking over but she knew what one was. They were tall harmless creatures and yet the pictures, Ginny had gone there and seen them but how had she escaped? The answer was still murky at best.
"Good morning Molly," Harry greeted cordially and she wondered why he didn't scream and shout.
"Morning," she greeted awkwardly before turning away, she wanted to say a hundred things but he had walked away long before. Sirius was at the table and he looked up, Harry addressed him in the same way but he retreated behind his paper, after everything even he had nothing to say. His godson had been locked away for years and it was partly his fault
Minister Of Magic Insane? Was the front cover and Harry wondered how they would react when it all came out. He knew Voldemort knew about the coming attack but was the man prepared and did he know the extent? Harry had a suspicion and Ginny had helped him uncover various stories about them moving their numbers but distinguishing which ones were carnivorous and which ones were not was hard.
"Morning," Tonks greeted also one of the many people to stay the night, after Harry had explained what he knew and what had happened there was little time for anything else. Harry curtly nodded as more and more people entered the room, no one knew what to say to Harry who was sat calmly eating a plate of toast.
"Ok we can't do this," Arthur Weasley announced eventually once almost everyone had arrived, all eyes were on him.
"Look Harry I'm sorry, we all are. We thought you were insane and we we're wrong, we should have tried to help you and if we had then we might know about... this," he began solemnly.
"In all honesty it is hard to believe," Lupin interjected being very untactful and he received a selection of glares.
"Yes it is but we were guilty of the same thing Fudge was, if he bothered to check the facts then we could have stopped the death eaters and if we had then maybe this wouldn't have happened. I want to make it up to you and I don't think for a moment that it will be easy, I'm sorry Harry," Arthur regained control and Harry nodded.
"Well it's better than nothing," he admitted not ready to forgive yet, or in the near future.
"Morning all," Ginny greeted with a yawn, she had been up for hours straight over the last few days and Harry was surprised to find she was up at all. She smiled at Harry as she slid into the seat next to him and while they had not had the chance to talk it would come soon enough
"So Ginny how was your trip?" Ron asked awkwardly, she was a journalist and had no told anyone where she was going. If he had known then he would have tried to stop her leaving
"Horrible," was her sharp answer.
"Did you see them?" Hermione asked
"I took pictures," Ginny answered not wanting to talk about it. She had seen a lot of terrible things over the last few weeks and had no wish to revisits them just yet.
"How did you get out of there?" was the next question.
"Luck, now could we please stop this?" she asked slightly annoyed and her harsh tone sent the entire table back into silence.
Meanwhile
The muggle Prime Minister sat with his jaw open opposite Fudge who was sitting looking very sincere.
"It's fake!" was the first thing the man said but Fudge shook his head.
"It's real," was his answer to the file and the man in front of him just looked like he had been hit with a hammer.
"I thought it was bad when you brought dragons into the country, but now this?" he muttered with wide eyes.
"In fairness I am trying to stop these monsters not help them," was Fudge's curt response and his attitude made the muggle Prime Minister just look dumbfounded.
"This is some kind of joke are you seriously trying to tell me that the world is slowly being taken over by carnivorous Giraffes?" the man demanded looking amazed that he was actually having this conversation.
"Yes I am," Fudge responded sincerely and the man just gaped.
"Ok I give up! What is this? I mean it makes no sense, what are you trying to make me do?" the mad wondered looking lost.
"Close of Britain, get the royal navy to surround us and stop them coming and also alert every world leader you can and prepare for the coming event," Fudge answered in all seriousness.
"I'm sorry are you suggesting I go to Parliament and ask for emergency in order to stop an invasion by carnivorous Giraffes?" he demanded angrily wondering if Fudge was drunk.
"I know it sounds ludicrous," Fudge began
"I've had people including MP's saying that it is the work of aliens, zombies, terrorists and a thousand other theories but this is just. No!" the man couldn't even finish.
"I am sorry but it is true and I have even shown you the memories of Harry Potter and pictures of them," Fudge argued.
"Can I talk to this witness because I think they need to be sectioned like you," he accused and Fudge smiled ironically.
"We did section him and even you must agree we have strong, secure evidence," Fudge pointed out.
"Fine you have evidence but just no!" was his response.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth, now I have used my resources to book you a press conference in ten minutes," Fudge sighed and the Muggle Prime Minister just gaped.
"You did what?" he squeaked.
"Yes I am sorry but now is the time, you, must appear on live television warn the British People and the world about the coming Giraffe Apocalypse.
Malfoy Manor
"Our greatest defence is complete," Lord Voldemort announced as he sat at the head of the table once more, he seemed proud and had gathered all of his supporters here, a safe place.
"You mean a twenty five foot wall?" Lucius asked looking out of his window to see nothing but a huge white wall. He had once liked the view but now all he saw was a pond and a few birds.
"Indeed, the one defence those crafty Giraffes won't see coming," Voldemort answered
"My lord are you sure that there are such things as carnivorous Giraffes, I mean while Bellatrix did go missing we never found a body and she does have a history of turning people insane," Dolohov suggested and Voldemort laughed. A high cold sound
"Oh you fool, that is exactly what the Giraffes want us to think, like that time we captured one and interrogated it," Voldemort pointed out.
"It died, and didn't tell us anything," came a response.
"Of course, it shows how devoted they are to our complete destruction, but do not fear while they are cunning and clever we are better, we will wait here behind the greatest security innovation of all time. A tall wall will keep them out and when the ministry is weak we will take over and in exchange for peace we shall offer the beasts the mudbloods, There is no better plan," Voldemort announced remembering how quiet and confused the long necked monster had been. It had definitely been one of the bad ones.
"Can they get down the wall?" Greyback asked, he had always been jealous because he once thought he was a dangerous predator but now there was one taller and more dangerous.
"Of course not! how does a giraffe climb over a wall you fool! Don't talk nonsense!" Voldemort snarled.
As an idea imagine the leader of whatever country you live in is on TV now and telling you that soon your country will be taken over by carnivorous Giraffe's. What's your reaction?