Chapter Nine
The Warehouse Snare
In periods of uncertainty one can always find erroneous havens, a place where the damned can clam sanctuary. A place that calls to vagrants, rouges, blasphemers, heroes, and saints alike. Voldemort and his minions were growing dangerously powerful at this time. Dozens of our greatest witches and wizards had been destroyed by now, and Muggles were being killed off for sport by the dozen. Voldemort feared only one person… Dumbledore. For this reason the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, which sat in the shadow of the glorious Hogwarts castle, beckoned the weary public into its waiting arms.
But these were dispirit times and the Death Eaters (the creatures under Voldemort's wings) were getting bolder. The streets of Hogsmeade teamed with Death Eaters that were clawing their way through our defenses, and we were none the wiser. I had kept the threat of Voldemort from my sister because I didn't want to frighten her. I didn't want her involved. I, unfortunately, was unsuccessful.
Dumbledore had been summoned to the Three Broomsticks, a pub in Hogsmeade, to discuses the growing giant issue. He sat nursing his drink on a stool in front of the bar as he watched his fellow witches, wizard, and goblins talk lightheartedly. His mind was bogged down with the gray thoughts swimming around up there. He knew that at any moment Voldemort could be knocking at our door, mine and James'. But there was no proof and his hands were tide until there was.
He gazed into the mirror behind the bar and noticed that someone was watching him at the door to the Three Broomsticks. The moment their eyes met the man made a small movement with his hand. Dumbledore got to his feet and joined him.
"We have a problem," he whispered before motioning Dumbledore to a secluded table.
"What do you have for me, Ardief?" Dumbledore asked as soon as he had sat down.
"The giants are getting restless. They're threatening to join the Death Eaters if we don't promise them Mr. Potter within the week."
"And the Blackguard?"
"They're tired of hiding. We need them more then we need the giants. We can trust them. But they want a home and I don't think there's a way to convince the Ministry that they're not dangerous. The Aurors are going to hunt them down until they're extinct. It's as sick as the Death Eaters hunting Muggles. Why can't the see that?"
"Calm yourself, where there's a will there's a way. What about the States?"
"Well they do have a lot of forests for them to hide in. They'd be comfortable there. I have a cousin in Georgia that would be more then willing to help… But that would make them useless to us here and alert the giants to them at the same time."
"I know. I know," Dumbledore said, pulling his hand through his hair. "I want you to send him a message at any rate. Tell him to alert the wizarding government in America that we might need their help. This is fast becoming an international problem. We'll keep it as a last option."
"I will. And it's a she by the way. What should I tell the giants? We need a solution to them now."
"Tell them that if they really want peace they'll have to wait. James is stubborn he flat out won't go without Lily. I need more time with her; I know I can convince her to corporate. Arrange a meeting with the leader of the Blackguard. Perhaps meeting her will convince Lily that she can put a little faith into what we're trying to do."
"How is she? Lily I mean."
"She's at the breaking point. She can hide it very well but there's been a lot of family pressure on top of all this mess. And I have a funning feeling about her sister-"
A hooded man came bursting into the pub. He seemed to have been running. He was going so fast that he ran a witch into the ground, and he seemed to be having a great deal of trouble in catching his breath. After helping the witch to her feet he ran across the bar to Dumbledore and Ardief's table.
"They're going to kidnap her!" he panted out at once, slouching against the table. "They- They want her…"
"Who's going to kidnap whom?" Dumbledore asked in alarm.
"Lily. The giants want Lily. They say if James doesn't come after they find her they'll kill her."
Dumbledore jumped to his feet. The whole pub was watching now and there was no point in him keeping his voice down. "Are you sure? How do you know?"
"Dead sure, I heard them talking about it in the forest."
"They don't have her yet, do they?"
"No. No they don't know where she is yet. You have to hurry. Take her to The Warehouse; it's the only place safe enough."
"The Warehouse. Yes, The Warehouse," he mumbled before shooting like a ballistic missile from the pub.
The Warehouse is a system of tunnels and caves ten feet under an old abandoned automobile factory. It was built so my people could have a place to hide if the Muggles ever fond out about us. It is widely considered to be the safest magical place in twelve-hundred miles. But the curses set down to protect the entrance have degraded over time, and the giants had already learned to penetrate it. No one knew this… no one but the Death Eaters that is.
And The Blackguards - oh how I wish I had trusted them. They were willing to help, they were capable of helping. But I didn't listen, my foolish pride got in the way. They are a community of giants that have broken away from the rest of their internal government. They are renegades, and if I had listened to them, none of this would have happened.
The Warehouse Snare
In periods of uncertainty one can always find erroneous havens, a place where the damned can clam sanctuary. A place that calls to vagrants, rouges, blasphemers, heroes, and saints alike. Voldemort and his minions were growing dangerously powerful at this time. Dozens of our greatest witches and wizards had been destroyed by now, and Muggles were being killed off for sport by the dozen. Voldemort feared only one person… Dumbledore. For this reason the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, which sat in the shadow of the glorious Hogwarts castle, beckoned the weary public into its waiting arms.
But these were dispirit times and the Death Eaters (the creatures under Voldemort's wings) were getting bolder. The streets of Hogsmeade teamed with Death Eaters that were clawing their way through our defenses, and we were none the wiser. I had kept the threat of Voldemort from my sister because I didn't want to frighten her. I didn't want her involved. I, unfortunately, was unsuccessful.
Dumbledore had been summoned to the Three Broomsticks, a pub in Hogsmeade, to discuses the growing giant issue. He sat nursing his drink on a stool in front of the bar as he watched his fellow witches, wizard, and goblins talk lightheartedly. His mind was bogged down with the gray thoughts swimming around up there. He knew that at any moment Voldemort could be knocking at our door, mine and James'. But there was no proof and his hands were tide until there was.
He gazed into the mirror behind the bar and noticed that someone was watching him at the door to the Three Broomsticks. The moment their eyes met the man made a small movement with his hand. Dumbledore got to his feet and joined him.
"We have a problem," he whispered before motioning Dumbledore to a secluded table.
"What do you have for me, Ardief?" Dumbledore asked as soon as he had sat down.
"The giants are getting restless. They're threatening to join the Death Eaters if we don't promise them Mr. Potter within the week."
"And the Blackguard?"
"They're tired of hiding. We need them more then we need the giants. We can trust them. But they want a home and I don't think there's a way to convince the Ministry that they're not dangerous. The Aurors are going to hunt them down until they're extinct. It's as sick as the Death Eaters hunting Muggles. Why can't the see that?"
"Calm yourself, where there's a will there's a way. What about the States?"
"Well they do have a lot of forests for them to hide in. They'd be comfortable there. I have a cousin in Georgia that would be more then willing to help… But that would make them useless to us here and alert the giants to them at the same time."
"I know. I know," Dumbledore said, pulling his hand through his hair. "I want you to send him a message at any rate. Tell him to alert the wizarding government in America that we might need their help. This is fast becoming an international problem. We'll keep it as a last option."
"I will. And it's a she by the way. What should I tell the giants? We need a solution to them now."
"Tell them that if they really want peace they'll have to wait. James is stubborn he flat out won't go without Lily. I need more time with her; I know I can convince her to corporate. Arrange a meeting with the leader of the Blackguard. Perhaps meeting her will convince Lily that she can put a little faith into what we're trying to do."
"How is she? Lily I mean."
"She's at the breaking point. She can hide it very well but there's been a lot of family pressure on top of all this mess. And I have a funning feeling about her sister-"
A hooded man came bursting into the pub. He seemed to have been running. He was going so fast that he ran a witch into the ground, and he seemed to be having a great deal of trouble in catching his breath. After helping the witch to her feet he ran across the bar to Dumbledore and Ardief's table.
"They're going to kidnap her!" he panted out at once, slouching against the table. "They- They want her…"
"Who's going to kidnap whom?" Dumbledore asked in alarm.
"Lily. The giants want Lily. They say if James doesn't come after they find her they'll kill her."
Dumbledore jumped to his feet. The whole pub was watching now and there was no point in him keeping his voice down. "Are you sure? How do you know?"
"Dead sure, I heard them talking about it in the forest."
"They don't have her yet, do they?"
"No. No they don't know where she is yet. You have to hurry. Take her to The Warehouse; it's the only place safe enough."
"The Warehouse. Yes, The Warehouse," he mumbled before shooting like a ballistic missile from the pub.
The Warehouse is a system of tunnels and caves ten feet under an old abandoned automobile factory. It was built so my people could have a place to hide if the Muggles ever fond out about us. It is widely considered to be the safest magical place in twelve-hundred miles. But the curses set down to protect the entrance have degraded over time, and the giants had already learned to penetrate it. No one knew this… no one but the Death Eaters that is.
And The Blackguards - oh how I wish I had trusted them. They were willing to help, they were capable of helping. But I didn't listen, my foolish pride got in the way. They are a community of giants that have broken away from the rest of their internal government. They are renegades, and if I had listened to them, none of this would have happened.
