Author: Undefined
Rating: PG
Feedback: please. Reviews would be very appreciated, especially if they're constructive criticism.
Disclaimer: harry potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, WB, or whoever else wants to sue me
Comments: The accents are probably really off, but they were very hard to write. And yes, everyone in this fic has an accent, my grammar isn't *that* bad. Also, I assumed that it was Madame Maxime's mother that was a giant, just for the purpose of the story; I realize it was never mentioned.
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Rubeus Hagrid and Olympe Maxime slowly walked up a wide path. They were in a quiet, thought to be deserted part of England. There were huge caves surrounded by various greens. There were trees, grasses, flowers: nature galore. The path was covered in rocks and large footsteps. Footsteps about five times as large as Hagrid's.
The two friends held hands as they nervously approached the opening to one of the caves.
"'Agrid," began Madame Maxine in a whisper, "I am so afraid."
"Yeh're not the only one," Hagrid agreed. Trying to lighten the mood he smile weakly, "and how many times have I told yeh, don' call me Hagrid."
She returned the grin, "Ah, Rubeus. At least my English is better."
"Yeah, it's really improvin'" He became silent as they entered the cave. Holding onto each other even tighter, two half-giants returned to the world of their mothers.
They stopped and looked around expectantly. "I thought something would 'appen," Madame Maxime admitted. Hagrid nodded in agreement.
Tears welled up in Hagrid's eyes, "We're too late. You-Know-Who's already got 'em."
"Zat cannot be!" Madame exclaimed. "Ve traveled all this way for nuzzing?" She looked ready to cry, then her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "No. No, something is wrong."
"Yeh think?" Hagrid asked. He tugged nervously at the bag he was carrying. "Yeah, of course you're right. Let's get ready, get out your--"
Before he could finish the ground quake beneath him. It was a sudden and short quake. The two companions shared a nervous glance and Madame fumbled around her robes for her wand. Then again they felt the same short but huge shudder. And again all was still. This repeated many times and each time it was louder and bigger.
"Footsteps," Madame Maxine whispered.
Hagrid got a determined look on his face and stood up straight. He hesitated, then took a few steps forward. The now determined to be footsteps continued. "Hello?" Hagrid yelled out to the shadows and rocks. No response came back. "I'm here in peace." Again, no response except the continued shudders and the echo's of his own voice.
Looking back at Madame he whispered, "what am I supposed to say?" She shrugged and trembled.
Hagrid tried again, "I-I'm one of you!"
Then they heard a voice. At least that's what they assumed it was. The sound was low, loud, and very resonant. "You are not us! Not two of us, or even one!"
Hagrid did a double take. "Bu- but- my mum was Fridwulfa. She isn' dead is she?" He pleaded with the voice coming out of nowhere. "Please-"
"Here I am!" A loud voice resonated around the cave. Hagrid took a step forward; tripping on some rocks, he fell. The voice spoke again, quieter this time, "I am Fridwulfa. This is what you know, my name. Nothing more."
"Please, mum?" He tried out the word, "Mum?"
"No longer am I your mother. That part is over. I am only Fridwulfa." She pointed an accusing finger at him, "You, must stop. I will never go back. Leave this place."
"I'm sorry!" Hagrid cried. "Yeh feel sad, I understand-"
The volume of the giants voice increased with volume and intensity. "You understand nothing! Why are you here? What do you want?"
---
Before Hagrid could respond to this accusation, his mother spoke again. "And who is this other one with you? Is she your wench?"
"I most certainly am not!" Madame Maxine yelled out. "Who are you to zink you can order my 'Agrid around? You are not his muzzer any longer, you left him; you yourself said so! What gives you the right to ask questions and accuse us..." she didn't go on.
There was an excruciatingly long pause. The tension surrounding Hagrid and Madame could be cut with a cheese knife. Finally, there was some movement among the shadows. One of them, one of the shadows that was about 15 feet tall became material. Instead of a shadow there was a woman. She was huge, muscular, and dirty. Her hair was caked with dirt; she was pale and hunched over. Her facial features were those of a regular person but very much exaggurated. The nose and eyebrows were far too large in comparison to the mouth and eyes. The giant was completely out of proportion. Madame's heart felt a wave of pity.
"Olympe," said the woman. This was not the voice of the woman who called herself Fridwulfa. This voice was gruff like the others, but unlike the others, it attempted gentleness. "Look at you," she whispered.
Madame Maxime's eyes filled with tears, that she rejected. She stood up straight as Hagrid has but with arrogance. With her chin in the air and her most formal look she replied, "'Ello muzzer."
---
The difference in Madame would not have been noticeable to most, but it was to Hagrid. He knew Olympe Maxime, very well. Her English got worse when she was deeply upset. She stopped trying to hide her accent too. Now she was doing this, and trying to hide her trembling.
Hagrid reached out to her, and against her will she clung to him. He felt her hand tremble in his.
Out of the shadows came another figure, and another and another. They all looked more or less the same. All pale and out of proportion. After a few minutes it looked like all who were going to had emerged. Hagrid and Madame Maxine were faced with seven giants. Two were women, one Madame Maxime's mother, and the other Hagrid's. The five remaining giants were men. The rule that males are bigger than females seemed to not apply to giants, because the women towered over the rest.
The two species stared at each other in silence. They examined each other and made judgements. It was one the males that spoke first. "Why are you here?"
Hagrid cleared his throat and said the well rehearsed line; "We want you to fight with us."
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I'm going through writers block right now, so I'll keep the first chapter short. Again, feedback would be greatly appreciated, and suggestions are welcome.