May shifted nervously as she looked down at the small bowl of soup in her hands. She felt a little… awkward to say the least, in her present situation. Currently, she was sitting on a downed tree trunk next to Maverick, courtesy of Hagrid, who had pulled a tree down for them to sit on. After Maverick's little announcement about Harry Potter, the trio had brought May and Maverick back to their campsite, which apparently consisted of two-small sized tents and a large bonfire, which they were all currently sitting around. As it turned out, they had landed in the Black Forest in Germany, hundreds of miles away from Egypt. It was a welcome relief from the frigid cold, which May was having a hard time adjusting to in her scavenger garb. Hugo helped a bit more by draping his robe around her, at his insistence.
Across from them, Hugo sat next to Ron, both of them giving the others curious looks. Hagrid sat on the side on his own log, tending to Eighty's bad wing. The motorcycle sat next to a nearby tree, which had been carried there by Hagrid, who had picked it up like it was nothing and carried it like a loaf of bread.
"Tha's it, little fella." Hagrid soothed the indignant owl as he wrapped its hurt wing in gauze.
"Is Eighty gonna be okay? He's been through a lot." May asked, her voice filled with concern. Hugo chuckled, earning an exasperated look from her.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Hagrid used to be Professor of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts. He's taken care of hundreds of owls." Hagrid let out a chuckle.
"Yeh owl's okay, just a ruffled wing. Thankfully, it's not broken. He's a pretty determin'd fellow, just needs some rest fer a few days, and he'll be good as new." A smile broke on May's face.
"That's great to hear. I've grown to like this owl." She paused as she swallowed another spoonful of soup. Frankly, the soup was not exactly… delicious. Still, she wasn't going to complain, given how hungry she was. Still, Hugo noticed her expression and chuckled, stirring the soup in his own bowl.
"I know that this stuff isn't exactly a five-star meal, but we make do with what we can. It keeps our stomachs full. Days like this make miss my mum's cooking." He joked. Ron rolled his eyes at his son.
"I can cook, you know." Hugo rolled his eyes.
"Sure, Dad, sure. And you didn't turn my birthday cake into a charred hulk." He winked at May. Ron cleared his throat.
"Anyway… I want to hear the rest of this story. All of it. And if you're lying, I'll know. I used to be an auror." May nodded as she looked at Maverick, who silently swallowed. May spoke first, briefly detailing her life as a scavenger, finding Eighty, running into Maverick, getting chased by the Enforcers, stealing the motorcycle, and finally their chase away from the Enforcers.
"And that's pretty much everything. But Maverick can tell you more. He's a member of the Resistance." Ron raised a greying eyebrow.
"The Resistance, huh?" Maverick gulped. He was screwwwwwed. There was no way he was gonna fool the legendary Ron Weasley. Still, no backing away now. He survived the Pure Order, nothing could be worse than that.
"Yep. The Resistance. I'm in the Resistance, On special orders from General Granger herself." A smile broke on Ron's face.
"Oh really? How is the general these days? I can't believe she set up the home base in Hawaii. She must have quite the tan though, huh?" Maverick couldn't help but hide his release of relief, though tinged with suspicion. Was this a trick? It would make sense that he would ne suspicious
"Oh yeah, perfect location. She's certainly darkened a shade or two." Ron nodded.
"Okay. I thought so." Then, with speed that one wouldn't expect from a man of his age, he sprang from his seat and tackled Maverick, pinning him to the ground. Maverick let out a grunt as his gaze was met with dirt. May let out a shocked gasp as she leapt to her feet.
"What are you doing?" Ron gestured at Hugo, who grabbed May's wrist to hold her back. He gave her a subtle shake of the head.
"Give him a second."
"Exposing the truth. Your friend's not in the Resistance." May's expression turned from shocked to one of confusion.
"Wait, what? But I ahhhh!" Maverick let out a cry of pain as Ron yanked his right arm up and pulled the sleeve down.
"Hey!" Ron ignored him as he looked closer. Then, he nodded.On Maverick's arm were a series of black numbers and symbols, branded onto the skin. Maverick let out another yelp of pain as Ron twisted his arm, showing it to May, Hugo and Hagrid.
"See this? This is an Enforcer marking. It's how the Pure Order marks their Enforcers for identification. And your friend's real name, according to this, is… SN-2187." Maverick's stomach sank. Hagrid and Hugo both let out grumbles of anger.
"A spy, huh?" But what made it even worse was the look of absolute hurt and betrayal on May's face. He might as well have hit her or stabbed her in the chest.
"Bu-but he helped me. He saved my life! He killed the Enforcers that were chasing us!" May protested.
"So? Wouldn't surprise me if the Pure Order was playing the long game. Send in a spy, have him kill his own men to sell the story, and have you lead him right to Harry and the Resistance Base. It wouldn't be the first time they've pulled that trick. " Hugo pointed out.
"No! Mo no nonononononono! I'm not! I'm not an Enforcer! I quit! I defected!" he screamed.
"Bullshit! No one defects from the Pure Order!" Hugo snarled. Ron simply cocked his head in curiosity.
"How do I know you're telling the truth? You could be acting for all I know, SN-2187."
I swear, I'm telling the truth!" Maverick pleased. Ron frowned.
"I see…" Then, Ron turned to Hagrid.
"Hagrid, do we have any Veritaserum left?" the half-giant nodded.
"I got yeh, Ron." The giant rummaged through a large knapsack, before pulling out a small vial of dark liquid. Ron sighed before releasing Maverick, letting him scramble away, letting out several loud rasps as he rubbed his throat.
"Here yeh go." Ron took the vial from Hagrid, giving Maverick an amused expression.
"You know what this is? What it does?" he nodded.
"I'm gonna give you three drops. If you're telling the truth, you have nothing to fear. You have a problem with that?" Maverick had a terrified expression on his face, but nodded slowly. His heart beat like a drum band in his chest as Ron uncorked the vial.
"Last chance, Enforcer." He pressed his lips together as he looked at May, who still had a hurt expression on her face.
"Do it. I want to be honest with all of you." Then, he opened his mouth. Surprised, Ron leaned the bottle over his mouth and poured three drops down his throat. Maverick gagged.
"This sucks ass!" Ron chuckled, clearly amused at the boy's discomfort.
"Okay, then. You were an Enforcer for the Pure Order." It wasn't a question, but more of a statement. Still, the answer left Maverick's lips before he even realized he'd said it.
"Yes." May let out a shocked gasp, finally hearing the truth from Maverick himself.
"What's your real name? Did you go to Hogwarts?" Maverick swallowed, clenching his fists in rage as tears formed in his eyes.
"I-I can't remember my real name. SN-2187 is the only name they ever gave me." it just poured out of him. He couldn't stop the words from leaving his mouth.
"Like the rest of them, I was taken from a family, a home I can't remember, one that they erased from my memory."
"I can't remember my childhood. Or my parents. Sometimes, I would wake up and remember someone singing to me. Or flying on a little broom. But, I can't remember where, or when, or who. They took all that from me. I was bred and forced to do one thing. Trained to do one thing. To kill the Order's enemies." He felt something that should not have been there, that was not part of his training, well up in him. "But my first battle, I made a choice. I wasn't going to kill for them. So I ran. I quit. I freed Katharine Wood, a real Resistance hero, and together, we escaped from the Pure Order on one of their Nimbus 4000s. But we got shot down, and she didn't make it." Then, Maverick turned to look right towards May.
"As it happens, I ran right into you. And you asked me if I was in the Resistance, and looked at me like no one ever had. So I said the first thing that came to mind that I thought would please you. I'm ashamed of what I was. But I'm done with the Pure Order. I'm never going back. That's why I picked Maverick as my new name. She, Katharine, gave me that name, because I broke away from those monsters, and so became a maverick." Silence fell over the campsite, with the only sound coming from the crackling campfire.
"So. You've never killed anyone besides the Enforcers that were chasing you earlier?"
"Yes. That I remember." Ron nodded
"You're not a Pure Order spy. You in no way are working for the Pure Order, or working towards the destruction of the Resistance."
"YES! I'm not a spy! I just want out! I don't want to fight anymore" Ron nodded, stroking the light fuzz on his face.
"Alright then… Maverick. " Then, before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by a distant but distinct metallic clang. Snapping back to the present, Ron was all business again as he scowled.
"Oh bloody hell. Don't tell me a snorack's gotten loose." Without another word he vacated the campsite, sprinting towards a swatch of trees. Everyone else followed, with Eighty perched on Hagrid's large shoulder.
"Hold up now. I need to be sure what you said. A what's gotten loose?"
"Snorack," Ron replied curtly.
"No." Maverick was shaking his head. "You are not hauling snoracks."
Ron spoke without breaking stride. "We're hauling snoracks. Three, to be precise."
"Three!" Maverick could hardly believe what he was hearing. "How'd you get them in cages?"
Han looked over at him. "Let's just say we used to have a bigger crew."
"What's a snorack?" May asked.
"A veeeerry nasty animal. Extremely illegal. Extremely nasty. All fangs and razors and claws." Hugo chimed in. Ron reached the trees and gestured his wand. Suddenly, the image faded, and instead was replaced with the sight of three large cages, covered in cloth. Now, some very unpleasant noises could be heard from inside them.
"Discovered by oer old friend Luna Lovegood. The one she met nearly took er ead off." Hagrid chimed in.
"O-kaaay," she responded. "Why would anyone want something big, dangerous, and ugly? Who would want something big, dangerous, and ugly? And be willing to pay for it?"
"Ever hear of the Yellowstone Massacre?" Maverick added.
She shook her head. "No."
"Good," he replied. And that was the extent of his explanation, briefly referencing an incident sovile and depraved that he wished only to assure himself she knew nothing about it.
"So," she continued, turning her attention back to Ron, who at least seemed willing to explicate a little, "you're carrying these snoracks to a collector?"
He nodded. "Kinda. I got three going to King Gonok of the East Giant tribe." Maverick gaped.
"You're kidding. A giant? Seriously? A bloody giant?" Ron nodded.
"Yep. Giants love to compete with each other. Prove who's the best. Plus for fun. Snoracks are some of the deadliest magical creatures on Earth. So… he wants to fight them for sport. I think." Maverick was white.
"He wants… to fight the snoracks?" Ron shrugged.
"They're giants. They think with their fists and feet."
"The snoracks." Maverick couldn't keep from asking. "Where are you keeping them?" A thunderous wham sounded behind him and he jumped, stumbling back towards May. He looked around in confusion.
"Where?" Ron smiled as he reached out and tapped one of the tree trunks, causing a metal clang to echo through the air. He flicked the wand, causing the trees to fade away to reveal several large metal cubes. Then, Maverick let out a shocked scream and stumbled further back when an red orb appeared in the middle cage, staring right at him. He assumed it was just an eye of some kind, but it was still big, dangerous, and ugly. Maverick's heart slammed against his chest.
"Well, there's one," Ron said nonchalantly. "Or part of one, anyway." For a second time something massive rammed against the cage, and the ground shuddered under their feet. "Not real bright, snoracks. You'd think by this time they'd have figured out they can't break out of their holding compartments, but they've been banging away at the walls ever since we caught them. These cages are custom, coated in a special potion that makes the walls resistant. Had to call in a few favors. Though, these buggers don't seem to get tired." Ron frowned as he shook his head.
"Huh. They're all still here, then what…"
"WEASLEY!" A livid voice erupted nearby, causing the small group turn to see a group of six figures, five members of a masked, red-cloaked security team and one man in a black suit.
"Behin me." Hagrid ordered, sweeping May and Maverick behind him with one of his large hands, keeping them obstructed from the view of the death gang.
"Crap…" Ron cursed.
"Friends of yours?" May whispered from behind Hagrid.
"You could say that," Ron replied. "It's the Davron Death Gang. They must've tracked us from Belgium." The man in the suit stepped forward, a confident smirk on his face. Ron let a smile flash across his face.
""Ronald… Weasley," came the clipped voice of the gang leader, "you are a dead man." Ron snarled. He really hated it when people used his full name. That, he felt, was something only his mother, sister, and ex-wife had the right to call him. Not a very promising beginning, Ron had to admit. Not that he had expected anything else. The gang leader wasn't one to waste time on false pleasantries. Smiling broadly, he nodded back.
"Leave it to me. I can talk my way out of this." Ron whispered confidently. Hugo raised an eyebrow as he looked at his father.
"Eally, Ron?" Hagrid asked as he hefted his crossbow.
"Yes I do, every time!" Then, he turned back towards the gang.
"Darron Blake! Always good to see an old business associate. What's the problem?" His visitor was not amused. "The problem is we loaned you five thousand galleons for this job."
Ron smiled. "Sure, right. Fifty thousand. A modest investment on which you're going to make a big, fat profit. Triple that! Don't all my business enterprises pay off?"
"No," the gang leader replied curtly.
Ron spread his hands wide. "Sure they do! I've never lost money on a single venture."
"Yes, you have." Darron was relentless.
"Hey, everybody who does business with me gets their money back even if I lose."
"No, they don't." Relentless and cold. Cold as only the head of a Death Gang can be.
Ron responded with an exaggerated shake of his head and looked back at his companions. "Can you believe this, Hagrid? Out of the goodness of my heart and respect for everything this person represents, I bring to him the investment of the year, and all he can do is mock me!" He returned his attention to the silent gangster. "I expect thanks and all I get are insults. I didn't have to come to you, you know. I could have done all this myself and kept the mountain of gold! I could have gone to anyone with this deal and they would have jumped at the chance to get in on it. But no: I offered it to you. And this is my thanks?" His tone turned challenging. "What is it, Darron? Don't you want your cut of the proceeds?"
"I want my fifty thousand back," the gang leader snapped. Hugo scoffed.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine! If that's the way you want it."
"Gringotts also wants their fifty thousand back."
Ron gaped at him. "What?"
"The goblins," Darron repeated calmly. "You also borrowed fifty thousand from them."
Ron strove to remain calm, though he could not prevent a bit of the color draining from his face. "That's a lie! The goblins and I have a bad history, they'd never lend me a Knut! Everybody knows that! Who told you that bullshit?""
"The goblins did," Darron replied without twitching so much as an eyelash.
Ron turned a disbelieving circle, his voice filled with outrage. "Oh, come on! You can't trust those little freaks! I remember what happened with Bagman! I'd never be that stupid!"
"Yes, you would." Hugo muttered. Ron gave his son a scathing glance. May and Maverick traded looks.
"I am very scared right now. I'm sorry I lied to you, I was a coward." Maverick cursed as soon as the words left his mouth. The veritiserum was still affecting him. May's eyebrows rose in amusement.
"Very emotional, Mr. Maverick. But look, I know goblins. If he was stupid enough to borrow fifty thousand from them, this is gonna get really ugly, really fast." She whispered.
"We can probably fight our way out. It's five against all them." May pondered that.
"Maybe we don't have to." Ignoring Maverick's questioning look.
The gang leader was not about to be inveigled by smooth chatter. Especially not when large loaned sums were involved. "The question is how much longer will we know each other? Not long, I think. Unless we get our money back. And we want it back now."
"The snoracks are here, right behind me," Ron shot back. "I know it's taken a little longer than I promised—"
"Way longer," Blake cut in. "Too much longer."
"—but I've got 'em, and King Gonok is just waiting—no, he's eager—to pay. Just be a little patient. You'll get your money back, plus the promised profit. A mountain of gold and jewels!"
Blake rolled his eyes "Says you. That's what you said when you borrowed the money. Never trust a Weasley!"
"We were busy," an exasperated Ron informed him, "collecting snoracks." Blake snorted
"So you say. In the absence of any communication, we didn't know what you were doing. With our money. We suspected the worst. Though you and your boy might have gone spending it on women. Quite the notorious womanizer, your boy." Hugo snarled.
"Fuck you!" Darren and his men let out a roar of laughter.
"That's exactly what you've done to half the women in bloody England! Your mommy must be so proud." Hugo let out a snarl as he reached for his wand, mirrored by Darron and his men, but was stopped by Hagrid, who shook his head.
"Don be a fool, boy." Hagrid shook his head.
Ron smiled afresh. "And now you know the truth. You're here, I'm here, and the snoracks for King Gonok are here. You think it's cheap hunting snoracks? I spent that money. I used that money. Just let me make delivery and you'll have your investment back. Come with me if you want. That is, if you want to hike into the mountains and meet with the giants. You guys speak Giant?"
The gang leader's gaze narrowed. "Do you think we're idiots? Come with you into a giant village? So that you can have your half-giant freak tell his brother giants to kill us and dump our remains in some cave, then collect all the money from Gonok, and disappear again? I think not. I don't trust you anymore, Weasley." He indicated his men. "We don't trust you. So give us our money back. Gringotts wants their investment back, too."
Ron's reply was replete with frustration. "I told you: I never made a deal with Gringotts or those bloody goblins!"
Darron gave an indifferent shrug. "Tell that to the goblins." He nodded. Just then, several loud cracks echoed, and a second group emerged, standing next to the first gang. All goblins. May let out a snarl.
"Fucking goblins. I hate goblins so damn much. I want to punch their stupid wrinkled faces." May grumbled.
Their leader, a long-haired, grim-faced, and thoroughly notorious individual, came forward. For the second time in all too short a while, Han greeted an unwelcome visitor with a smile as wide as it was bogus.
"Nagrok! Good to see you! How's my favorite banker?" The goblin gave him a wide, nasty smile, making Ron shudder.
"Wrong again, Weasley. It's over for you. You've insulted the dignity of the goblins for the last time." Ron snorted.
"Guys! You're all gonna get what I promised. The merchandise is here, the buyer is waiting. I just need to make the delivery. Have I ever not delivered for you before?"
"Yes." Darron answered.
"Twice." Nagrok added. Ron frowned as he glanced at Hugo and Hagrid, who both nodded.
"What was the first time?" Ron protested.
"When you broke into our bank." Ron let out a loud sarcastic laugh.
"Seriously? You guys are still pissed off about that? It's been thirty years, can't you guys ever forgive and forget?"
"No." Nagrok answered flatly.
"Your game is old," Darron called out. "You've played it too many times. Your excuses wore thin many years ago. So many times, so many excuses. Everyone knows them now. I can recite in my head the excuses you are going to make before you yourself can speak them. You are tired, Ron Weasley. Tired and old, just like your game. There is no one in England, no, the entire planet left for you to swindle." Darron paused, chuckling as he shook his head.
"The great war hero, Ron Weasley! What a joke. What a sad, pathetic excuse of a wizard. No wonder your wife and daughter want nothing to do with you!" he roared with laughter, causing Ron to snarl.
"Nowhere left for you to hide," added Nagrok, not to be outdone. "Usually a senile old fool knows when to retire. But sometimes he simply needs to be… forcibly retired."
"Wait!" Something had caught Darron's attention. Taking a couple of steps forward, he peered up at Hagrid. Or, more specifically, Eighty. The owl sitting on Hagrid's shoulder let out a nervous hoot and moved slightly to its right, trying to blend into the half-giant's large coat.
"That owl you've got there—word is that the Pure Order is looking for one just like it… and two fugitives." An air of silence fell over the campsite. Hugo swallowed nervously as May and Maverick traded nervous looks.
Ron was remarkably indifferent. "First I've heard of it."
"This is going to get ugly fast. Get ready to run." May whispered as she pulled her wand out. Maverick boggled at her.
"What are you doing?" she winked at him.
"Saving our skins." She pointed it at the cages, causing his eyes to widen. He grabbed her wrist.
"Are you insane?" she smirked.
"A little."
"Kill them! And take the owl!" Darron roared as he drew his wand. Weapons came up on all sides. Ron gritted his teeth as he looked between the goblins and the death gang. They were outnumbered pretty badly.
"RELASIO!" May's voice erupted from behind Hagrid, startling everyone into stunned silence. That silence was quickly cut by a new sound: the groan of the cages doors turning open.
"Blimy. That's not good." Ron cursed. Then, an ear-splitting roar erupted from the cages as something monstrous appeared behind Ron and Hagrid.
"MOVE!" Hagrid roared as he scooped up May, Maverick, and Hugo and dove into the brush, keeping his back to the snoracks. Tentacles whipped out to snatch up two of the gang, who screamed as their torsos were crushed and dragged into the gaping maw of teeth. Whirling, howling, those who were still able to do so unleashed wild bursts of magic in the direction of their attackers. Those that struck the snoracks barely caused them to flinch, mainly bouncing off their flesh. Wisely, Darron, Nagrok and the survivors scattered.
"Now you know what snoracks look like!" Maverick yelled at May, who watched in horror at the sight the of surviving gang members doing battle with the monsters. They were enormous and round, covered in bright red orbs, and composed mostly of tentacles and teeth. Raising one hand to her mouth, she caught her breath, simultaneously mesmerized and horrified by the sight.
"RUN!" Hugo roared as he took off into the trees. Without waiting for a response, Maverick reached over and took May's arm, not caring this time if she objected.
May and Maverick took off after him, racing as the trees blurred around them. Rogue spells shot over their heads, blasting the nearby trees into splinters.
"That was a mistake!" Maverick howled as she ducked beneath a branch.
"Huge!" May agreed.
Nearby, Ron nearly ran into one of the gangsters. Fleeing from the snorack behind him while shooting spells at the monster, he never saw Ron—though he did make the acquaintance of Ron's fist. Ron then gripped the front of his shirt and hurled him right at the snorack. One tentacle caught the unlucky gang member before he could hit the ground. Ron turned and sprinted, leaving the snorack behind, ignoring the sound of sickening crunches and sloshing noises.
"Blasted girl! I'm gonna wring her neck!" he cursed.
"WEASLEY!" Ron whirled to see Darron and another gang member pointing their wands at him, their faces white with fury.
"Darron, can't we let grudges die?" Darron spat on the ground in response.
"Okay then." Ron shrugged. Darron sneered, a devilish expression across his handsome features.
"Forget the owl! I wonder how much the Pure Order will pay us for your heads. The legendary Ron Weasley; his whelp, son of General Granger, and the great Hagrid. A king's ransom, I'd wager!" Then, he let out a scream as a massive shape barreled into them.
"C'MERE!" Hagrid roared as he grabbed Darron and his associate and lifted them into the air. Darron roared with rage as he flailed, desperately trying to free himself.
"SLIMY MURDERIN TRASH!" Then, Hagrid smashed the two wizards together in a massive crunch of bone, before dropping them to the ground like rag dolls, where they laid unconscious.
"Thanks for the save, Hagrid." He nodded.
"Now, let's find those kids and get the hell out of here, before we become snorack chow."
Elsewhere, May, Hugo and Maverick continued to run. Another spell shot over their heads, showing them in splinters.
"I'm so sick of people trying to murder us!" Maverick screamed as he jumped over a log.
"You tend to get used to it, comes with the territory! STUPIFY!" A red spell shot from Hugo's wand, rocketing into the trees, getting an angry yell in response.
"See, it's all about the ai-ARRRRGGHHHHH!" Hugo screamed as a yellow light smashed into his shoulder, knocking him to the ground. May and Maverick screeched to a stop as Nagrok and two of his goons emerged from the brush in front of them.
"Why aren't you snorack stew?" Hugo moaned as he clutched his shoulder. The goblin sneered as he raised a sinister looking knife.
"I'm gonna enjoy this, boy." May pressed her lips together, but smiled as an idea came to her.
"Hey goblins! Ragnuk the First was a crappy crafter! His work was shit!" she yelled, and was pleased to see the looks of absolute rage flash across their faces.
"I'll cut your tongue out for those insults, girl!" Nagrok snarled as he and his men raised their weapons, Then, his expression turned to horror when red lights smashed into his bodyguards, causing them to crumple. May whirled to see Maverick and Hugo, their wands raised. Well, in Hugo's case, limply raised with his left hand. Then, as Nagrok backed up, his eyes wide in fear, she kicked him across the face. He grunted as he fell to the ground yet again, but she wasn't done yet. She started whaling on his face.
"That's for cursing Hugo! This is for trying to kill us! This is for being a greedy dick! And this is for being a stupid goblin!" Nagrok let out a gurgle as he slumped in May's hands. She rolled her eyes in disgust before dropping him like a rag doll.
"Asshole." She then raced over to Hugo, who was currently being tended to by Maverick. He let out a loud moan as Maverick
"You okay?" Hugo groaned in response.
"I'll take that as a no." Maverick shook his head.
"Is this nightmare of a day ever gonna end?" As if the universe itself was answering him, an inhuman roar erupted as a snorack burst through the trees. In less than a second, Maverick let out a gut-wrenching scream as he was pulled off his feet, a snorack tentacle wrapped around his waist. The snorack rushed off with the screaming man in its grasp.
"MAVERICK!"
Though it was too big for her and too fast, May gave chase anyway, leaving behind a stunned Hugo.
"Fuck everything." he groaned as he clutched his shoulder.
Fighting in a desperate attempt to break free, Maverick realized he might as well have been wrestling with a steel cable. Neither pounding on it with his fists nor kicking at it with his drawn-up legs produced the slightest reaction on the creature's part. Even if he had his wand, it wouldn't have been any help. He was so desperate that he even resorted to trying to take a bite out of it. The hard, rubbery flesh proved impenetrable. Without meaning to, he let out a loud wail. He didn't want to die like this!
"Maverick!" May screamed as she ran through the brush, ignoring the scraping across her hair and face.
Not only had May lost sight of him, but now the snorack had moved so far ahead she could no longer hear his shouts for help. It was a futile exercise anyway. Suppose she did catch up? The snorack had more than enough appendages with which to sweep her into its grasp without letting go of Maverick. Still, she kept running, keeping an eye out for anything that could be of use. Starting to get desperate, she made a gamble. She apparated, appearing over the trees and landing on a top branch. She perched on the top branch, waiting and hoping. Then, almost bycue, Maverick's screams reached her ears. Slowly, she pulled out a knife, one of the goblin weapons she had stolen from Nagrok.
Slowing, the snorack emerged, passing beneath her, dragging the increasingly weakened Maverick behind it. Then, just as the monster passed beneath her, she dropped down from the trees, slicing through the tentacle holding Maverick. The monster reacted almost immediately— the shriek of pain and fury from the snorack was horrible to hear. She paid it hardly any attention as she leaped onto Maverick and apparated away, reappearing next to Hugo, who stared at them with a look of surprise and awe.
"You survived? I thought he was dead for sure." May rolled her eyes as she watched a dazed Maverick struggle to his feet and commence fighting to extricate himself from the still-clinging piece of amputated tentacle. Stunned by his unexpected escape, he was stunned as he looked at her. "It didn't get you," he said unnecessarily. "It had me!" He turned around. "But you came down at just the right moment…" May nodded as she held up the green blood-stained knife.
"Goblin metal. Very sharp, durable, and resistant." A loud crack erupted nearby, followed by shouting.
"That sounds like dad and Hagrid."
"Grab his shoulder. We're gonna have to support him." Hugo let out another howl of pain as May and Maverick grabbed him and pulled them to his feet, carrying him between them.
Nearby, Darron had finally regained consciousness and was being tended to one of his gang's surviving members. "Those blasted things have taken two of my men." As he said it, a bloodcurdling scream erupted nearby, followed by silence. "Three of my men," the gangster corrected himself. He cursed in frustration. He was well aware of the stories of Ron Weasley, the things he had done with Harry Potter. Frankly, he had always thought that Ron's part was small. That it had been Harry Potter and Hermione Granger that had done all the work. Yet... it seems there was more to Ron Weasley than his luck and mouth. Capturing even one snorack was considered a near-impossibility, even with a full squad of aurors. Impounding three and living to tell the tale stretched all bounds of believability. Still, that didn't forgive the insult Ron had dealt to both his pride and reputation. The men that he had lost. One way or another, Ron Weasley would pay.
In another part of the forest, Ron scrambled through a ticket, trailing Hagrid. Eighty hooted at him, perched on the recovered motorcycle, which Hagrid carried on his back like a backpack.
"Why do these things keep happening to me, Hagrid? This close to a fortune, gone like water down the drain!" Hagrid looked back at Ron with an annoyed expression.
"What did yeh think was gonna happen when yeh made deals with gangsters and goblins, Ron?" He sputtered, clearly flustered.
"Well, not like I was gonna get the money from Hermione or Ginny." His expression soured, realizing that he probably went too far with that statement. But, he then froze at the sound of a loud crash in front of him, quickly drawing his wand at the same instant as Hagrid pulled out his crossbow.
"Wait! It's us!" To his surprise, May and Maverick emerged. More alarming, however, was the sight of his son, moaning between them.
"What the bloody hell happened?" Ron demanded as he raced to his wounded son.
"A goblin got the drop on me, dad. It's embarrassing and stupid. I was stupid…" Ron whirled on May, incredulous.
"What the hell were you thinking, girl? You know how much I had to go through to get those snoracks? You just cost me a bloody fortune and nearly got us all killed!" May looked shocked for a moment, but quickly turned red, incredulous with rage.
"Excuse me? EXCUSE ME?! ME? ME?! YOU'RE THE MORON WHO MADE A BLOODY DEAL WITH GOBLINS, GOBLINS, HAULING A PACK OF DEADLY MONSTERS NONE THE LESS! PLUS, I JUST SAVED YOUR SON'S BLOODY LIFE! SO DO ME A FAVOR, AND SHUT! THE! FUCK! UP!" a stunned silence followed as everyone stared at May, clearly shocked by her outburst and just how terrifying she sounded while giving it.
"Damn. Ever met my grandmum? Or my mom?" Hugo finally asked. Before May could answer, another roar cascaded over the trees, making them freeze.
"We need to get the hell out of here." Maverick demanded. Slowly, Ron nodded in resignation.
"Come on." He held out his arm. Understanding, the others grabbed his arm, and in Hagrid's case, toughing his shoulder. Then, the group vanished with a loud crack.
Nagrok let out a groan as he sat up, his entire face throbbing in pain. But, he wasn't quite focused on that. He was too filled with rage to notice it. This only intensified as he checked for his knife, only to realize that the girl had stolen it. He hissed with rage. That knife was sacred. It had been in his family for centuries, forged by one of his most legendary ancestors. And now it was in the hands of a witch? Another note he took into account were her words, which also enraged him. Mocking such revered names like they were jokes? NO! This would not stand! To make things even worse, he had failed with Ron Weasley. Failed to avenge a long-standing insult to Gringotts. That was the only reason that they had even agreed to lend him the money to begin with. They had never cared if he had returned the money in full, though that definitely would have been a bonus. They had just wanted an excuse. The theft in Gringotts during the War had been a scar that had never faded, a humiliation they had been forced to endure from their peers ever since. Yet, the goblins had never been allowed to extract their vengeance. The Ministry had pardoned Weasley and his companions for the act, and any attempt at revenge would have been politically disastrous. Furthermore, between Potter having vanished and Granger the head of the Resistance, they both remained out of their reach. But Weasley? The fool had created the perfect opportunity when he had requested the loan. They had been so determined to exact their vengeance, they had even stooped to working with low-life gangsters. Yet, all that effort seemingly for naught. But, this goblin was both a determined and wry one, and his mind already raced to salvage this mess.
Still, if he couldn't collect both the goblins' vengeance and what Weasley owed him, there remained the possibility of a reward for information. He hobbled to his companions, who were also regaining consciousness, and pulled them to their feet, his teeth gnashed together.
"Get up, you fools, and get me back to Gringotts! Inform the Pure Order that Ronald Weasley has the owl and the fugitives that they want. And place a bounty on that girl! I want all their heads!"