Disclaimer: In a parallel universe where cheese is the only important food
group I might own Harry Potter. However in this dimension, not so much. So
until I find a way to return to that universe I must decline ownership and
give credit to JK.
Harry Potter and the Call to War!
Chapter 6: The Trial Ambush
The chill of the great mountains had begun to settle in as the group climbed higher into their upper reaches. The change had been fast and unexpected to all who didn't call these mountains home. Just the day before they walked amongst tree filled glades, now they were forced to trudge through foot deep snow on their journey. The half giants explained that a band of magically cold weather served to add extra protection to the giants at the top. Nothing grew on the barren rocks that surrounded them. There was no natural beauty this high up, only layers of fresh and older snow fall.
Torag had explained to Harry the importance of having scouts while traveling. They had sent some of the half giants to sweep the left and right of the path ahead. Others were left farther behind their rear to prevent anyone from sneaking up on their backs. There was a ever present danger when traveling in this area of attack. Mountain troll clans spread throughout the higher altitudes waiting for travelers like themselves. Though they weren't the most intelligent, but they were known for ambushing travelers.
Harry had grown to like Torag over the short while he had known the half giant. Torag was a natural born leader and had taken an interest in showing Harry how he marshaled those under his command. Torag had even begun to warm up to Remus as well, which was amazing in itself. It seemed that after you fought side by side you were instantly excepted into the group. This pleased Hagrid tremendously, now the half giant had a chance to talk with those of his kind. Madame Maxime was still a bit indifferent in admitting her ties to those around her and kept to herself a lot.
The travel robes Harry had brought along weren't doing a good job in keeping him to warm. Apparently they weren't designed for the extreme cold, in fact they did nothing to keep in his body heat. He was forced to keep placing heating charms on his attire, this was useless as ten minutes later they'd be back to being as cold as ever. To make matters worse, the giants had begun to find it quite amusing. Remus had a thick hooded overcoat on and Harry was trying his best not to throw the older man dirty looks. Hagrid and Madame Maxime wore overcoats similar to what the rest of the half giants wore. So it was much to Harry's pleasure that Torag gave him a beautiful black bear skinned coat. It was extremely heavy, but Harry was pleased to note that he had begun to develop a bit of muscle mass.
They were forced to turn the horses they had loose when Torag announced that the snow in the passes up ahead would make it impassable on the big pack animals. So it was much to Harry's chagrin that he was forced to resume the trek on foot.
The mountains really were beautiful though, definitely dangerous, but beautiful none the less. When they weren't walking along sheer rock walls, they were edged in by bottomless ravines that would drop you straight down to your death. Still, the view made the perils of the journey worth it.
Though the half giants were somewhat bulky to say the least, they definitely were capable of moving around at this altitude. They weren't suffering from the lack of oxygen that Harry and Remus were having to endure. There great lungs were much better equipped in drawing in more air to make up for the apparent lack of it. Remus showed Harry a spell which made him be able to breath easier, and he was grateful for it.
Despite the pace in which they traveled Harry still worked hard in learning what was set out before him. It was a common thing to see Harry sitting by the fire with his soft black bear cloak, and reading out of large books. He had begun to learn more and more spells to prepare himself for another meeting with those strange creatures they had encountered at the base of the mountain. No longer did he learn the simple curses, because they seemed to have no effect on the beasts when they had been attempted. His skill with the blade was also advancing as well. The half giants were more than willing to spare with him, and Harry began to learn what to do when your opponent was bigger than you were.
The day's passed with harsh weather and the nights were bitterly cold, yet the group pushed onward. All the while the giants began to get more serious and paranoid. When Harry asked about the growing tension, Torag told him they were entering the heart of mountain troll country. More guards were posted at night, and more scouts were sent ahead and behind to insure they were safe. This made moving slower, but when faced with the alternative of being attacked Harry was quite thankful.
During those hard days Harry had time to think about his life. He came to the conclusion that somewhere along the line he had become royally screwed. The fame could occasionally be a nice thing, but in the long run it was a major pain in the ass. He despised the fact that his life was seemingly planned out ahead of him. Somewhere inside he knew that he was slowly dying. The happy moments were becoming fewer, and the hardships were just increasing. If he didn't step out of the path he was being lead upon, and take control of his life he would break. He wanted to tell Remus about his feelings of being trapped, but the words always seemed to get lost on the way to his mouth.
Other problems pained Harry as well. He had killed half giants with his sword and spells, did that somehow damn him. He made excuses that he was only defending himself, but his heart somehow didn't believe him. It was like a spirit overwhelmed him when he was in battle. Some part of him found it so easy to take what could not be given back, that part scared him. How could he go back to Hogwarts after what he had seen, after what he had done. He would be a taint to those around him, he had lost his innocence. At least that's what he kept telling himself.
Harry wrapped himself tightly in his bear cloak, the snow had begun to fall again. After making a promise to take a three day hot bath when he got back, he threw his satchel over his shoulder and pressed onward. It was mid afternoon and they had just gone behind a frozen water fall that seemed to be trapped for all time. It was truly a marvelous sight, but he had to keep attention to the froze path they were walking on. At certain points he found it easier to walk in the footsteps of the half giants who had easily broken through the ice. Other times, when the surface was strong enough, he would walk on top of the frozen layer.
"Hey kid, you warm enough?" Remus had caught up to where Harry was walking. Harry turned to him and gave him the best grin he could muster.
"About as warm as I could be when the temperature is well below freezing. Other than that I feel like going skinny dipping, or maybe I'll lay nude and work on my tan." The giant who was walking ahead of them let out a loud chuckle.
"Hey I'm up for it, I should tell you about the time your father, Sirius, and I ran out and jumped into the lake in the middle of December." Harry looked at Remus as if he had grown a second head.
"What would ever posses you to do that?" Remus thought for a moment before he remembered what had caused that particular episode.
"If I recall, Sirius wanted to start a polar bear club. It didn't all go as well as planned though. You see James had recently changed Lily's hair color without her consent. So she summoned our clothes while we went into the lake in retaliation. Let's just say our stock ,as men, plummeted when we came back in out of the cold. It didn't help that the entrance hall was filled when we came in either. Our ego's were shrunken after that, a long with a few other things." Harry started cracking up at the thought of the three in the middle of the hall.
"What do you think will happen when we get to the camp. Do you think the giants will agree to help us?" Harry tied his hood tighter as the wind snapped at his coat.
"Well, it could really go three ways. They could agree to help us, which would be the best out come. I'm not completely convinced they'll agree to that. They could agree to remain neutral, that would still be a good thing. Or, they could have joined with Voldemort. Then they'd probably gut us and eat our entrails." Remus smirked, but Harry could tell that this was something of a concern.
"Oh, as long as they don't do any thing to bad. I mean, being eaten is much better than having to listen to one of Voldemorts' speeches. I think that man bores half his victims to death." Remus chuckled, he admired the way Harry thought of Voldemort. Then, he supposed that after being attacked so many times you develop a sick irony over the whole situation.
The two were interrupted when Torag called a halt. Harry say that the scouts had returned to the main group. He noticed that several of the half giants were readying weapons, though this was disconcerting he had seen them doing this more and more recently.
"The snow has closed off Fenir pass and we'll have to go through The Iudicium. Although the scouts did not see any of the usual troll activity, we must assume that they are their. We'll cross through at full alert." After he was done speaking, he approached Harry and Remus.
"Torag, what is the Iudicium?" Torag got a serious look on his face before answering the question.
"The Iudicium is Latin, it means a trial. Quite literally in that form of the word actually. When someone is accused of a crime, and they claimed innocence, they could be given the chance to undergo the Iudicium. Up ahead there is a path that leads between to of the dominant mountains in the range. All along this path are mountain troll clans. If you made it through alive, you were granted innocence. This didn't happen much, going through alone is almost suicide. The news that there aren't any trolls visible is unsettling. Never has there been no trolls in the pass. I suggest you prepare yourselves." Harry and Remus exchanged uneasy looks, they both set about preparing their weapons.
Harry withdrew his sword and his wand. His thoughts turned to the first time he and Ron had come across a mountain troll. The memory made him smile, but he held no doubts that this wouldn't be easy. Torag gave the order and the group moved out. At first they moved at their normal pace, but after rounding the bend Torag signaled to move slowly.
The path was not how he imagined it, it wasn't narrow at all. The path ran the length of 6 Quidditch pitches and was at least half a pitch wide. The rock faces that boxed them in weren't all that steep, but they were covered in loose rock shale. Hundreds of cave entrances riddled the mountain side, and Harry decided he didn't want to meet what lived in there.
Falling rock to his left caught Harry's attention and he shifted his gaze to watch as a larger chunk of rock slid down the face. The silence was only disturbed by their footsteps as they crunched through the fallen snow that settled in the pass.
Some bird crowed off in the gray distance and Harry could only pray that the bird was the only form of life in the pass. A stench of rotting flesh in the air told Harry that it wouldn't be true. Something had been killed and eaten recently, or the creatures were just that foul smelling.
Large bones of some beast poked through the snow, only reminding him that these trolls were quite capable of killing. Some bones looked to come from animals, others had a decidedly human look to them. Harry shuddered to think how many things met their ends down this path.
With no warning a large red blast of light struck the path in front of the group. Rocks and snow sprayed into the air by the force of the spell, and Harry had to dive to avoid being hit by the spray. All hell broke loose as figures popped out of the caves and began casting spells down at the group of half giants.
"Damn, It's an ambush. ATTACK!" Torag shouted, then he drew a large crossbow and began firing bolts at the offending party. No sooner had the group began to gather and start a defense then a new danger presented itself.
Harry drug himself off the ground and sprinted through the snow to the group of giants who where firing bolts at the figures standing in the troll caves. A bright ball of fire struck at his feet and he was forced to hurl himself forward to avoid being burnt. He hit the ground on his stomach and pointed his wand towards the caves. However before he began to hurl spells his attention was drawn to several figures who were running at the group of defending giants. As they drew closer Harry could begin to make out the beasts who they had fought at the base of the mountains. He realized that the wizards hurling spells were probably responsible for these creatures. Another blast of red fire sailed over his head and he had to return focus to the wizards.
"Contremo!" A brilliant blue light shot from his wand and struck just above the entrance where the wizard who was firing on him was placed. The rocks quaked and began to slid off the edge of the opening. They slammed into the robed wizard who was firing and knocked him forward. He began to roll down the rock face, his body twisting as he gained velocity. Yet Harry had no time to watch him fall. The beast warriors were on them.
Harry heard Remus continue to shout spells at the wizards on the rock face. Brilliant flashes of light jumped from his wand and reeked destruction to the cliff face. Yet the robed wizards were in a much more defensible position. They had stepped out of the mouth of the cave to avoid the mistake that had cost the life of one of their allies.
Harry ran to meet one of the coming beast warriors. The creatures long curved blade struck into his own, but he met it with his full strength. The metal trembled under the force of the blow, and the vibration hurt his hands, but he didn't release his grip. Harry jabbed his wand at the creatures stomach plate and shouted the banishing charm. The force shot the creature off Harry and it fell back to the ground ten feet away. Without thinking Harry ran to the fallen beast and shoved his blade into the heart of the beast.
A fire spell slammed into his back and his bear cloak caught fire. Harry dove to the ground and rolled to put the flame out. As he rolled he noticed the giants were forming two ranks, some kept a steady volley of arrows to suppress the wizards, while others fought the beast warriors.
Harry jumped to his feet after the flame was out and he joined the ranks of the giants who were fighting the warrior beasts. He thrust his sword through the stomach of one beast and watched as it tried to impale it self further on his blade so it could reach him. With all his strength he pulled to the left and watched as his blade slid through the midsection of the beast. It's upper body flopped to the side, while it's insides fell freely to the ground.
Another giant had knocked a beast into a large rock and Harry helped to finish it off by severing it's head while it watched the giant.
A great roar broke his concentration, he watched in horror as the wizards began to charge down the mountain face. His horror wasn't over the wizards, no it was because of the twenty mountain trolls who rushed with them.
"Form ranks, fall back!" Torag knocked one of the beast warriors to the ground, and shouted orders to the rest of the giants. Harry, Remus, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime joined in with the ranks preparing to meet the new attack.
Hagrid and Madame Maxime made a deadly combination. Hagrid fought with club and bow while protecting Madame Maxime. Madame Maxime used magic to fight the oncoming and protect Hagrid. Together they were a force to be reckoned with.
Harry focused on the wizards and the remaining beast warriors, he would let the giants deal with the fast approaching mountain trolls.
A beast warrior attempted to skewer him on it's sword tip, but Harry used a trick Remus had taught him and slid the blade to the side. The creatures momentum carried it forward and Harry cut into the beasts exposed back. If you weren't as strong as your enemy you had to use his strength to your advantage. While he was turned he felt a stabbing pain. A severing charm had glanced off his shoulder and bit deep into his flesh. Without thinking he spun and shouted the same charm he had been hit with. The white light coursed through the air and caught the first caster in the neck. Blood sprayed forward and drenched the now red and black snow.
Harry spun around to look for Remus only to find him being choked from behind. At first Harry wondered why Remus wasn't fighting back, and why he had just dropped his wand and sword. But as the light glanced through the clouds Harry got a look at a silver glint on the man's hand.
In a instant the pain in his shoulder was forgotten. He rushed to aid his friend who was being sneak attacked by the traitor.
"Wormtail, how bout you try your hand at me!" Harry shouted above the roar of battle that floated like a symphony around them. At first the other wizard looked confused, but a smile spread across his twisted face when he recognized Harry.
"AH, Potter! I didn't expect to have the pleasure of meeting you here!" Harry didn't wait for the other man to except his challenge. He just rushed into the attack at full speed.
Wormtail threw the limp form of Remus to the side and charged at Harry. No mercy would be given this time. Wormtail had past the point of reprieve. He had not only been a traitor, but he set Voldemort loose on the world once more.
Harry dodged as Wormtail shot a blinding curse at him and brought his sword towards the short mans face. Wormtail raised his arm and deflected Harry's blow. The metals resounded off each other and Harry stumbled back under the force of the magical hand.
"The Master rewards his servants with power Potter. Now you'll feel that power!" Peter ran towards Harry, but Harry met him with his sword once more. This time Wormtail trapped his Harrys' sword in his metal fist. Harry struggled to free the blade, but Wormtail simply squeezed the blade and shattered it in two. Before Harry could react Wormtail slammed the broken end of the blade into Harrys' already injured shoulder. Harry stumbled backwards, the pain from the limb shooting through his body once more.
"Relax Potter, the next time you open your eyes you'll see the master yourself." Wormtail raised his wand and shouted the stunning spell. Harry used his already weakened state to his advantage and fell backwards. He let gravity pull him out of the curses path.
"Don't count on it!" With all his strength Harry thrust both his feet at Wormtails' knee. A crack and a scream of pain filled the air as the bone broke. Wormtail fell to the ground and pulled himself back against a rock. Harry used his good arm to pull himself off the ground. He took his wand in his good hand and pointed it at Wormtail.
"No mercy this time!" A grin spread across Wormtails face. Harry thought the traitor had finally gone crazy.
"Looks like you'll be to busy to stop me from escaping." Harry didn't have time to look before a arm encircled his chest and lifted him off the ground. He watched as Wormtail used a Portkey to escape, and cursed that the traitor got away. But he was right, the trolls had broken the giants lines and one had grabbed a hold of him.
Harry struggled to turn, and when he did he wished he hadn't. The creature ugly face seemed intent on devouring him hole. It's strong arms gripped Harry tightly and were forcing the air from his chest. Pain scorched his body as he literally heard a rib crack under the pressure. Anger and helplessness coursed through his body as blackness began to overtake his vision. Yet he had to hold on, he used the pain in his shoulder to keep him awake.
A moment of inspiration crossed before his eyes. While the troll brought him closer to bite his head off, Harry reached for the metal stub that protruded from his limb. He grasped the blade and squeezed while ignoring the pain of the blade biting into his fingers. With all his strength he ripped the blade from his shoulder. It's crimson surface slid free and Harry had just enough time to jamb the broken blade into the trolls approaching skull. The bone cracked and the metal shank slid in between the creatures eyes. The eyes rolled back and the creature fell backwards, it's grip on Harry releasing and letting him drop to the ground.
Air filled Harry's lungs and he pushed himself off the ground once more. His wand lay to the side and he stumbled over to it. The wand released sparks when Harry's hand gripped it, his magic already preparing to smite those who stood in his way.
His anger at Wormtail, and his frustration in general surged in him and he stood once more. He watched as Torag rammed a troll with his shoulder and knocked the creature a few steps back. Then Harry shouted with anger and rushed towards the beast.
Torag was surprised when huge balls of fire swept by him. At first he thought one of the wizards was attacking him, but he turned to see the young human running with a fire of his own.
The spells whizzed by the giant and struck the mountain troll. The first impacted his shoulder, then another to his chest. A third slammed into the creatures leg. The fire engulfed the troll and it released a guttural cry of pain. Harry sent a fourth to met the trolls head and finish it off. Then he turned his rage on the next. However the smell of a burned troll seemed to have the same affect as that of burning a rat. The smell of their dead comrade seemed to push the other trolls back. That still didn't stop Harry from releasing shards of ice to impale into them as they retreated.
Seeing that they had lost control over the trolls, the remaining wizards began to Apparate away. Few beast warriors remained, and those that did were quickly cut down by the half giants.
The snow was crimson all around them. The ground was littered with dead trolls, half giants, beast warrior, and even a few wizards. The half giants released a mighty victory cry and shock their weapons in the air. Harry's attention was on Remus who had suffered from Peter's silver hand.
"You OK their Moony?" Remus pushed himself off the ground and collected his wand.
"Yeah, I think so. Werewolves heal fast, the burns should be gone in a night or two." Harry just smiled and then feel to the ground.
"Good, cause then you can help me. Lazy git, sleeping while the rest of us fight." Harry and Remus chuckled, though Remus stopped when he saw that Harry was badly hurt. His bear skin cloak was matted with blood, and a good portion of it was his own.
"You don't look to good kid. Let me take care of that." Harry gave a lopsided grin at his friend.
"Really? I don't look good? Remus I'm deeply offended, I don't point out how badly you look. I even have to see you in the morning. They say my hair is messy in the morning, they should see you. But I think I'll take a bit of a nap right now. Wake me when the world is back in focus." Harry closed his eyes and fell into blackness.
*That night*
When Harry opened his eyes again he was lying in bed. At first he didn't recognize his surroundings, but soon the familiar ceiling of his tent came into focus. He reached for his glasses that sat on a small table beside his bed. The world righted itself when he put them on and he found himself alone.
Pain in his chest and shoulder reminded him of how he came to be in his bed. Harry lifted the blanket to find that his chest and side were well bandaged. He peeled back the wrap on his shoulder to see new flesh growing were there had been a gaping hole. He checked his ribs to find them still bruised but unbroken. His sides were a royal shade of purple, but the pain was manageable.
Smells of cooking food outside the tent drew his attention and his growling stomach alerted him to his hunger. His travel robes were set to the side and he was glad to note that his bear skin cloak had been cleaned and the tear had been mended.
After making sure he was well wrapped Harry stumbled towards the tent entrance. His body protested the action, but his stomach more than urged him on. Outside it was a clear night and the stars sparkled like diamonds in the sky. Voices from the fireside drifted over to him and he took note of the conversation.
"So I kick the troll in the stomach and the thing pukes on the ground. That's when I see Oxgor raising his wand at that cowardly wizard. A troll comes up behind him and grabs him around the chest. It hoists him in the air and starts squeezing him like a grape. I'm about to help him, but I see him rip a chunk of metal out of his shoulder and slam it into the things head. It keeled over like he had kicked it in the balls." Harry recognized the voice of one of the giant's, he was also a little embarrassed that they were talking about him.
Harry rounded the corner and took a seat by the fire. Immediately a hand clapped him on the shoulder, and Harry winced at the pain.
"Oxgor, drink with us and celebrate the day!" A large mug was thrust into his hands, as well as a hunch of meat. For once Harry gave no thought of what he was eating and tore into his food. Luckily the ale seemed to make the pain drift into the back of his mind and he listened as giants recounted tails of the battle. They spoke of fallen comrades and their own victories late into the night.
"Hey Remus, how are you?" Remus had taken a seat next to Harry and had a meal of his own.
"Healing nicely, I told you Werewolves heal quickly." Remus pulled his color down to show Harry that the burn had begun to subside. The skin was now only slightly pink
"How far have we traveled?" Harry couldn't recognize any of the sights around him.
"They say we're only a days journey away from the giants camp. With any luck we should reach it by tomorrow afternoon." Harry smiled, the thought of finely arriving at some type of civilization was very relaxing.
"I feel like I could eat a Hypogriff!" Harry took another bite from his meat. He was quite amused to find he had acquired a taste for ale.
"The healing potion I gave you makes you hungry. Hopefully your shoulder will heal over by morning." The fire danced in the center of the circle, lighting up the faces of the giants. Harry was glad to see their faces, yet it also hurt to see that a few weren't their.
"How many did we lose?" The question hung in the air, it's answer waiting to fall.
"4 died in the battle, one after it was over. Hagrid and Madame Maxime are fine, they've already turned in for the night. That's something that I think you should do." Harry nodded and then took his meat with him back to his tent. It had been a long day, and he was anxious to push on to the next.
The night passed quickly and again the sun rose to greet a sky filled with fresh snow. Harry was glad to note that his shoulder mended well, and his ribs weren't nearly as painful as they had been before. After bundling up once more he set off for what they hoped would be their final day of travel.
The atmosphere had lightened now that they had crossed out of mountain troll country and it showed in the giant's attitudes. No longer did they walk with one hand on a weapon. A optimistic air seemed to lighten their loads and everyone walked with a added spring to their step.
Harry had time to contemplate the attack yesterday. It hadn't been specifically aimed at him because Wormtail hadn't even realized who he was at first. The only conclusion was that Voldemort knew about their attempt at piece with the giants and wanted to stop it.
The beast warriors were another thing that continued to bother Harry. No words could describe them, one had even tried to impale itself further on his blade to get a chance at attacking him. He prayed that the Headmaster had some information on this new enemy. Not to mention the fact that the Death Eaters were able to gain control of several clans of mountain trolls.
Harry felt oddly naked without his sword. Remus had told him that using magic to repair blades never brought them back to their original state of perfection. The metal would forever be flawed unless it was melted and reworked. Torag had told him that he would be able to get a new sword at the giant camp, so Harry wasn't to upset. Still, he had developed a attachment to his first blade.
They had just made break for lunch when the scouts returned to the group. They spoke in private with Torag and then dashed off to his tent. Torag seemed to be greatly disturbed by something, his usually jocular attitude was gone in a second.
"Oxgor, come with me." Harry looked at Remus for permission, and when the man nodded Harry followed. After making sure his wand was ready at a moments notice he rushed down the path Torag had taken.
After following the giants footsteps for a while he came upon the extremely large man lying flat on the ground. He had pulled himself up close to the ridge and seemed confused by what he saw. Harry followed the giants example and crept to the edge of ridge. About a thousand feet below hundreds of figures where streaming through the pass.
"It's the savage, but they never come up here. They aren't even this far north in the winter. Should have already gone back to their winter lodges to the west." Harry watched as the mass of figures seemed to move like a living river through the path.
"There are so many of them!" Torag nodded, he never took his eyes off the half giants below.
"I've never seen so many gathered in one place, something is very wrong." Harry reached in his backpack and pulled out the Omnioculars he had bought the prior year. He watched as they zoomed in to focus on the group below. It was all a mass of moving half giants, except one person who stood still on a rock in the middle of the living river.
He let his Omnioculars focus on this one figure. He had seen this person somewhere before, but he couldn't figure out who he was. Though he was familiar there was something about the man that was totally alien. He stood as a obelisk in the middle of the river of life. Even the savage kept their distance from him. He was some type of island in the middle of their force. But the most disturbing thing were his eyes. They were black as night, almost as if they held the endless reaches of space inside them. Just watching sent shivers up his spine. Color drained from Harry's face when the man looked up at them. He stared at them like they were standing with in reach of his arms.
Harry pulled back from the edge along with Torag. They exchanged looks and then set back off to the group. They both knew that they couldn't afford to wait till after lunch. They had to reach the safety of the giants camp now, before all hope was gone.
Torag gave no excuse for their sudden departure, or for the fact that they had doubled their already grueling pace. Harry explained to Remus, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime what he had seen. More and more it began to look like the giants would be to busy with their own problems to help out. Even though this was depressing, it still came as a great relief when they rounded a bend and the snow just dramatically stopped. The ground wasn't covered ahead of them and Harry got his first look at the giant camp. Off in the distance Harry saw a sight more amazing than the small village where the half giants lived.
Buildings stretched upwards like trees, and giant stone monuments were carved into the mountain walls surrounded them. 15 to twenty foot giants were immortalized in the stone. They depicted scenes of giants grappling and doing battle with beasts. The statues lined the road and led to huge stone gates that stood at least forty feet tall. The walls surrounded the city and Harry could make out massive figures standing as sentries on the walls. The door looked to be made of metal, entirely impregnable unless you were allowed entrance. Torag pulled out a trumpet and gave a mighty blow. A horn in the distance echoed his call, then the gates gave a mighty lurch and swung open.
"Welcome to the Giant City!"
****** (A/N Another chapter done. Thanks to all who reviewed!)
Rachel A. Prongs: Thanks for the review! Oh, and if you thought that was a terrible way to die, wait till you see what Voldemort does in the end of the next chapter. Thanks for the compliment of the summary, I was going for a artistic touch.
BloodRedSword: Thanks for the review!
Otaku freak: Thanks for reviewing!
Animagiman: Thanks for the review. And don't worry, the majority of the rest of the chapters are Harry centric. I just had to begin preparing for something that's coming up in a chapter or two.
Sabrina: Yeah, I know the last chap was depressing. I actually started feeling bad for my torture victims. I had to force myself to not save them. We will get to find out who they are, but not for a little bit. Hope you liked the Chapter!
Ariel: Yes, you'll get a little taste of what the master is like next chapter. I actually had to stop in the middle of writing a scene because I began to feel bad. The most disturbing thing is my Voldemort enjoys his work so much it's creepy. Hope you liked the chapter!
Muggle: Thanks for the review!
Naomi SilverWolf: Hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!
Julie Jewelrannah: Thank you very much, I appreciate the comment!
Maxennce: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like the fic. But If I told you the plot then what's the point in reading. I do have some surprises planned though that are coming up.
THANKS AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!
Harry Potter and the Call to War!
Chapter 6: The Trial Ambush
The chill of the great mountains had begun to settle in as the group climbed higher into their upper reaches. The change had been fast and unexpected to all who didn't call these mountains home. Just the day before they walked amongst tree filled glades, now they were forced to trudge through foot deep snow on their journey. The half giants explained that a band of magically cold weather served to add extra protection to the giants at the top. Nothing grew on the barren rocks that surrounded them. There was no natural beauty this high up, only layers of fresh and older snow fall.
Torag had explained to Harry the importance of having scouts while traveling. They had sent some of the half giants to sweep the left and right of the path ahead. Others were left farther behind their rear to prevent anyone from sneaking up on their backs. There was a ever present danger when traveling in this area of attack. Mountain troll clans spread throughout the higher altitudes waiting for travelers like themselves. Though they weren't the most intelligent, but they were known for ambushing travelers.
Harry had grown to like Torag over the short while he had known the half giant. Torag was a natural born leader and had taken an interest in showing Harry how he marshaled those under his command. Torag had even begun to warm up to Remus as well, which was amazing in itself. It seemed that after you fought side by side you were instantly excepted into the group. This pleased Hagrid tremendously, now the half giant had a chance to talk with those of his kind. Madame Maxime was still a bit indifferent in admitting her ties to those around her and kept to herself a lot.
The travel robes Harry had brought along weren't doing a good job in keeping him to warm. Apparently they weren't designed for the extreme cold, in fact they did nothing to keep in his body heat. He was forced to keep placing heating charms on his attire, this was useless as ten minutes later they'd be back to being as cold as ever. To make matters worse, the giants had begun to find it quite amusing. Remus had a thick hooded overcoat on and Harry was trying his best not to throw the older man dirty looks. Hagrid and Madame Maxime wore overcoats similar to what the rest of the half giants wore. So it was much to Harry's pleasure that Torag gave him a beautiful black bear skinned coat. It was extremely heavy, but Harry was pleased to note that he had begun to develop a bit of muscle mass.
They were forced to turn the horses they had loose when Torag announced that the snow in the passes up ahead would make it impassable on the big pack animals. So it was much to Harry's chagrin that he was forced to resume the trek on foot.
The mountains really were beautiful though, definitely dangerous, but beautiful none the less. When they weren't walking along sheer rock walls, they were edged in by bottomless ravines that would drop you straight down to your death. Still, the view made the perils of the journey worth it.
Though the half giants were somewhat bulky to say the least, they definitely were capable of moving around at this altitude. They weren't suffering from the lack of oxygen that Harry and Remus were having to endure. There great lungs were much better equipped in drawing in more air to make up for the apparent lack of it. Remus showed Harry a spell which made him be able to breath easier, and he was grateful for it.
Despite the pace in which they traveled Harry still worked hard in learning what was set out before him. It was a common thing to see Harry sitting by the fire with his soft black bear cloak, and reading out of large books. He had begun to learn more and more spells to prepare himself for another meeting with those strange creatures they had encountered at the base of the mountain. No longer did he learn the simple curses, because they seemed to have no effect on the beasts when they had been attempted. His skill with the blade was also advancing as well. The half giants were more than willing to spare with him, and Harry began to learn what to do when your opponent was bigger than you were.
The day's passed with harsh weather and the nights were bitterly cold, yet the group pushed onward. All the while the giants began to get more serious and paranoid. When Harry asked about the growing tension, Torag told him they were entering the heart of mountain troll country. More guards were posted at night, and more scouts were sent ahead and behind to insure they were safe. This made moving slower, but when faced with the alternative of being attacked Harry was quite thankful.
During those hard days Harry had time to think about his life. He came to the conclusion that somewhere along the line he had become royally screwed. The fame could occasionally be a nice thing, but in the long run it was a major pain in the ass. He despised the fact that his life was seemingly planned out ahead of him. Somewhere inside he knew that he was slowly dying. The happy moments were becoming fewer, and the hardships were just increasing. If he didn't step out of the path he was being lead upon, and take control of his life he would break. He wanted to tell Remus about his feelings of being trapped, but the words always seemed to get lost on the way to his mouth.
Other problems pained Harry as well. He had killed half giants with his sword and spells, did that somehow damn him. He made excuses that he was only defending himself, but his heart somehow didn't believe him. It was like a spirit overwhelmed him when he was in battle. Some part of him found it so easy to take what could not be given back, that part scared him. How could he go back to Hogwarts after what he had seen, after what he had done. He would be a taint to those around him, he had lost his innocence. At least that's what he kept telling himself.
Harry wrapped himself tightly in his bear cloak, the snow had begun to fall again. After making a promise to take a three day hot bath when he got back, he threw his satchel over his shoulder and pressed onward. It was mid afternoon and they had just gone behind a frozen water fall that seemed to be trapped for all time. It was truly a marvelous sight, but he had to keep attention to the froze path they were walking on. At certain points he found it easier to walk in the footsteps of the half giants who had easily broken through the ice. Other times, when the surface was strong enough, he would walk on top of the frozen layer.
"Hey kid, you warm enough?" Remus had caught up to where Harry was walking. Harry turned to him and gave him the best grin he could muster.
"About as warm as I could be when the temperature is well below freezing. Other than that I feel like going skinny dipping, or maybe I'll lay nude and work on my tan." The giant who was walking ahead of them let out a loud chuckle.
"Hey I'm up for it, I should tell you about the time your father, Sirius, and I ran out and jumped into the lake in the middle of December." Harry looked at Remus as if he had grown a second head.
"What would ever posses you to do that?" Remus thought for a moment before he remembered what had caused that particular episode.
"If I recall, Sirius wanted to start a polar bear club. It didn't all go as well as planned though. You see James had recently changed Lily's hair color without her consent. So she summoned our clothes while we went into the lake in retaliation. Let's just say our stock ,as men, plummeted when we came back in out of the cold. It didn't help that the entrance hall was filled when we came in either. Our ego's were shrunken after that, a long with a few other things." Harry started cracking up at the thought of the three in the middle of the hall.
"What do you think will happen when we get to the camp. Do you think the giants will agree to help us?" Harry tied his hood tighter as the wind snapped at his coat.
"Well, it could really go three ways. They could agree to help us, which would be the best out come. I'm not completely convinced they'll agree to that. They could agree to remain neutral, that would still be a good thing. Or, they could have joined with Voldemort. Then they'd probably gut us and eat our entrails." Remus smirked, but Harry could tell that this was something of a concern.
"Oh, as long as they don't do any thing to bad. I mean, being eaten is much better than having to listen to one of Voldemorts' speeches. I think that man bores half his victims to death." Remus chuckled, he admired the way Harry thought of Voldemort. Then, he supposed that after being attacked so many times you develop a sick irony over the whole situation.
The two were interrupted when Torag called a halt. Harry say that the scouts had returned to the main group. He noticed that several of the half giants were readying weapons, though this was disconcerting he had seen them doing this more and more recently.
"The snow has closed off Fenir pass and we'll have to go through The Iudicium. Although the scouts did not see any of the usual troll activity, we must assume that they are their. We'll cross through at full alert." After he was done speaking, he approached Harry and Remus.
"Torag, what is the Iudicium?" Torag got a serious look on his face before answering the question.
"The Iudicium is Latin, it means a trial. Quite literally in that form of the word actually. When someone is accused of a crime, and they claimed innocence, they could be given the chance to undergo the Iudicium. Up ahead there is a path that leads between to of the dominant mountains in the range. All along this path are mountain troll clans. If you made it through alive, you were granted innocence. This didn't happen much, going through alone is almost suicide. The news that there aren't any trolls visible is unsettling. Never has there been no trolls in the pass. I suggest you prepare yourselves." Harry and Remus exchanged uneasy looks, they both set about preparing their weapons.
Harry withdrew his sword and his wand. His thoughts turned to the first time he and Ron had come across a mountain troll. The memory made him smile, but he held no doubts that this wouldn't be easy. Torag gave the order and the group moved out. At first they moved at their normal pace, but after rounding the bend Torag signaled to move slowly.
The path was not how he imagined it, it wasn't narrow at all. The path ran the length of 6 Quidditch pitches and was at least half a pitch wide. The rock faces that boxed them in weren't all that steep, but they were covered in loose rock shale. Hundreds of cave entrances riddled the mountain side, and Harry decided he didn't want to meet what lived in there.
Falling rock to his left caught Harry's attention and he shifted his gaze to watch as a larger chunk of rock slid down the face. The silence was only disturbed by their footsteps as they crunched through the fallen snow that settled in the pass.
Some bird crowed off in the gray distance and Harry could only pray that the bird was the only form of life in the pass. A stench of rotting flesh in the air told Harry that it wouldn't be true. Something had been killed and eaten recently, or the creatures were just that foul smelling.
Large bones of some beast poked through the snow, only reminding him that these trolls were quite capable of killing. Some bones looked to come from animals, others had a decidedly human look to them. Harry shuddered to think how many things met their ends down this path.
With no warning a large red blast of light struck the path in front of the group. Rocks and snow sprayed into the air by the force of the spell, and Harry had to dive to avoid being hit by the spray. All hell broke loose as figures popped out of the caves and began casting spells down at the group of half giants.
"Damn, It's an ambush. ATTACK!" Torag shouted, then he drew a large crossbow and began firing bolts at the offending party. No sooner had the group began to gather and start a defense then a new danger presented itself.
Harry drug himself off the ground and sprinted through the snow to the group of giants who where firing bolts at the figures standing in the troll caves. A bright ball of fire struck at his feet and he was forced to hurl himself forward to avoid being burnt. He hit the ground on his stomach and pointed his wand towards the caves. However before he began to hurl spells his attention was drawn to several figures who were running at the group of defending giants. As they drew closer Harry could begin to make out the beasts who they had fought at the base of the mountains. He realized that the wizards hurling spells were probably responsible for these creatures. Another blast of red fire sailed over his head and he had to return focus to the wizards.
"Contremo!" A brilliant blue light shot from his wand and struck just above the entrance where the wizard who was firing on him was placed. The rocks quaked and began to slid off the edge of the opening. They slammed into the robed wizard who was firing and knocked him forward. He began to roll down the rock face, his body twisting as he gained velocity. Yet Harry had no time to watch him fall. The beast warriors were on them.
Harry heard Remus continue to shout spells at the wizards on the rock face. Brilliant flashes of light jumped from his wand and reeked destruction to the cliff face. Yet the robed wizards were in a much more defensible position. They had stepped out of the mouth of the cave to avoid the mistake that had cost the life of one of their allies.
Harry ran to meet one of the coming beast warriors. The creatures long curved blade struck into his own, but he met it with his full strength. The metal trembled under the force of the blow, and the vibration hurt his hands, but he didn't release his grip. Harry jabbed his wand at the creatures stomach plate and shouted the banishing charm. The force shot the creature off Harry and it fell back to the ground ten feet away. Without thinking Harry ran to the fallen beast and shoved his blade into the heart of the beast.
A fire spell slammed into his back and his bear cloak caught fire. Harry dove to the ground and rolled to put the flame out. As he rolled he noticed the giants were forming two ranks, some kept a steady volley of arrows to suppress the wizards, while others fought the beast warriors.
Harry jumped to his feet after the flame was out and he joined the ranks of the giants who were fighting the warrior beasts. He thrust his sword through the stomach of one beast and watched as it tried to impale it self further on his blade so it could reach him. With all his strength he pulled to the left and watched as his blade slid through the midsection of the beast. It's upper body flopped to the side, while it's insides fell freely to the ground.
Another giant had knocked a beast into a large rock and Harry helped to finish it off by severing it's head while it watched the giant.
A great roar broke his concentration, he watched in horror as the wizards began to charge down the mountain face. His horror wasn't over the wizards, no it was because of the twenty mountain trolls who rushed with them.
"Form ranks, fall back!" Torag knocked one of the beast warriors to the ground, and shouted orders to the rest of the giants. Harry, Remus, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime joined in with the ranks preparing to meet the new attack.
Hagrid and Madame Maxime made a deadly combination. Hagrid fought with club and bow while protecting Madame Maxime. Madame Maxime used magic to fight the oncoming and protect Hagrid. Together they were a force to be reckoned with.
Harry focused on the wizards and the remaining beast warriors, he would let the giants deal with the fast approaching mountain trolls.
A beast warrior attempted to skewer him on it's sword tip, but Harry used a trick Remus had taught him and slid the blade to the side. The creatures momentum carried it forward and Harry cut into the beasts exposed back. If you weren't as strong as your enemy you had to use his strength to your advantage. While he was turned he felt a stabbing pain. A severing charm had glanced off his shoulder and bit deep into his flesh. Without thinking he spun and shouted the same charm he had been hit with. The white light coursed through the air and caught the first caster in the neck. Blood sprayed forward and drenched the now red and black snow.
Harry spun around to look for Remus only to find him being choked from behind. At first Harry wondered why Remus wasn't fighting back, and why he had just dropped his wand and sword. But as the light glanced through the clouds Harry got a look at a silver glint on the man's hand.
In a instant the pain in his shoulder was forgotten. He rushed to aid his friend who was being sneak attacked by the traitor.
"Wormtail, how bout you try your hand at me!" Harry shouted above the roar of battle that floated like a symphony around them. At first the other wizard looked confused, but a smile spread across his twisted face when he recognized Harry.
"AH, Potter! I didn't expect to have the pleasure of meeting you here!" Harry didn't wait for the other man to except his challenge. He just rushed into the attack at full speed.
Wormtail threw the limp form of Remus to the side and charged at Harry. No mercy would be given this time. Wormtail had past the point of reprieve. He had not only been a traitor, but he set Voldemort loose on the world once more.
Harry dodged as Wormtail shot a blinding curse at him and brought his sword towards the short mans face. Wormtail raised his arm and deflected Harry's blow. The metals resounded off each other and Harry stumbled back under the force of the magical hand.
"The Master rewards his servants with power Potter. Now you'll feel that power!" Peter ran towards Harry, but Harry met him with his sword once more. This time Wormtail trapped his Harrys' sword in his metal fist. Harry struggled to free the blade, but Wormtail simply squeezed the blade and shattered it in two. Before Harry could react Wormtail slammed the broken end of the blade into Harrys' already injured shoulder. Harry stumbled backwards, the pain from the limb shooting through his body once more.
"Relax Potter, the next time you open your eyes you'll see the master yourself." Wormtail raised his wand and shouted the stunning spell. Harry used his already weakened state to his advantage and fell backwards. He let gravity pull him out of the curses path.
"Don't count on it!" With all his strength Harry thrust both his feet at Wormtails' knee. A crack and a scream of pain filled the air as the bone broke. Wormtail fell to the ground and pulled himself back against a rock. Harry used his good arm to pull himself off the ground. He took his wand in his good hand and pointed it at Wormtail.
"No mercy this time!" A grin spread across Wormtails face. Harry thought the traitor had finally gone crazy.
"Looks like you'll be to busy to stop me from escaping." Harry didn't have time to look before a arm encircled his chest and lifted him off the ground. He watched as Wormtail used a Portkey to escape, and cursed that the traitor got away. But he was right, the trolls had broken the giants lines and one had grabbed a hold of him.
Harry struggled to turn, and when he did he wished he hadn't. The creature ugly face seemed intent on devouring him hole. It's strong arms gripped Harry tightly and were forcing the air from his chest. Pain scorched his body as he literally heard a rib crack under the pressure. Anger and helplessness coursed through his body as blackness began to overtake his vision. Yet he had to hold on, he used the pain in his shoulder to keep him awake.
A moment of inspiration crossed before his eyes. While the troll brought him closer to bite his head off, Harry reached for the metal stub that protruded from his limb. He grasped the blade and squeezed while ignoring the pain of the blade biting into his fingers. With all his strength he ripped the blade from his shoulder. It's crimson surface slid free and Harry had just enough time to jamb the broken blade into the trolls approaching skull. The bone cracked and the metal shank slid in between the creatures eyes. The eyes rolled back and the creature fell backwards, it's grip on Harry releasing and letting him drop to the ground.
Air filled Harry's lungs and he pushed himself off the ground once more. His wand lay to the side and he stumbled over to it. The wand released sparks when Harry's hand gripped it, his magic already preparing to smite those who stood in his way.
His anger at Wormtail, and his frustration in general surged in him and he stood once more. He watched as Torag rammed a troll with his shoulder and knocked the creature a few steps back. Then Harry shouted with anger and rushed towards the beast.
Torag was surprised when huge balls of fire swept by him. At first he thought one of the wizards was attacking him, but he turned to see the young human running with a fire of his own.
The spells whizzed by the giant and struck the mountain troll. The first impacted his shoulder, then another to his chest. A third slammed into the creatures leg. The fire engulfed the troll and it released a guttural cry of pain. Harry sent a fourth to met the trolls head and finish it off. Then he turned his rage on the next. However the smell of a burned troll seemed to have the same affect as that of burning a rat. The smell of their dead comrade seemed to push the other trolls back. That still didn't stop Harry from releasing shards of ice to impale into them as they retreated.
Seeing that they had lost control over the trolls, the remaining wizards began to Apparate away. Few beast warriors remained, and those that did were quickly cut down by the half giants.
The snow was crimson all around them. The ground was littered with dead trolls, half giants, beast warrior, and even a few wizards. The half giants released a mighty victory cry and shock their weapons in the air. Harry's attention was on Remus who had suffered from Peter's silver hand.
"You OK their Moony?" Remus pushed himself off the ground and collected his wand.
"Yeah, I think so. Werewolves heal fast, the burns should be gone in a night or two." Harry just smiled and then feel to the ground.
"Good, cause then you can help me. Lazy git, sleeping while the rest of us fight." Harry and Remus chuckled, though Remus stopped when he saw that Harry was badly hurt. His bear skin cloak was matted with blood, and a good portion of it was his own.
"You don't look to good kid. Let me take care of that." Harry gave a lopsided grin at his friend.
"Really? I don't look good? Remus I'm deeply offended, I don't point out how badly you look. I even have to see you in the morning. They say my hair is messy in the morning, they should see you. But I think I'll take a bit of a nap right now. Wake me when the world is back in focus." Harry closed his eyes and fell into blackness.
*That night*
When Harry opened his eyes again he was lying in bed. At first he didn't recognize his surroundings, but soon the familiar ceiling of his tent came into focus. He reached for his glasses that sat on a small table beside his bed. The world righted itself when he put them on and he found himself alone.
Pain in his chest and shoulder reminded him of how he came to be in his bed. Harry lifted the blanket to find that his chest and side were well bandaged. He peeled back the wrap on his shoulder to see new flesh growing were there had been a gaping hole. He checked his ribs to find them still bruised but unbroken. His sides were a royal shade of purple, but the pain was manageable.
Smells of cooking food outside the tent drew his attention and his growling stomach alerted him to his hunger. His travel robes were set to the side and he was glad to note that his bear skin cloak had been cleaned and the tear had been mended.
After making sure he was well wrapped Harry stumbled towards the tent entrance. His body protested the action, but his stomach more than urged him on. Outside it was a clear night and the stars sparkled like diamonds in the sky. Voices from the fireside drifted over to him and he took note of the conversation.
"So I kick the troll in the stomach and the thing pukes on the ground. That's when I see Oxgor raising his wand at that cowardly wizard. A troll comes up behind him and grabs him around the chest. It hoists him in the air and starts squeezing him like a grape. I'm about to help him, but I see him rip a chunk of metal out of his shoulder and slam it into the things head. It keeled over like he had kicked it in the balls." Harry recognized the voice of one of the giant's, he was also a little embarrassed that they were talking about him.
Harry rounded the corner and took a seat by the fire. Immediately a hand clapped him on the shoulder, and Harry winced at the pain.
"Oxgor, drink with us and celebrate the day!" A large mug was thrust into his hands, as well as a hunch of meat. For once Harry gave no thought of what he was eating and tore into his food. Luckily the ale seemed to make the pain drift into the back of his mind and he listened as giants recounted tails of the battle. They spoke of fallen comrades and their own victories late into the night.
"Hey Remus, how are you?" Remus had taken a seat next to Harry and had a meal of his own.
"Healing nicely, I told you Werewolves heal quickly." Remus pulled his color down to show Harry that the burn had begun to subside. The skin was now only slightly pink
"How far have we traveled?" Harry couldn't recognize any of the sights around him.
"They say we're only a days journey away from the giants camp. With any luck we should reach it by tomorrow afternoon." Harry smiled, the thought of finely arriving at some type of civilization was very relaxing.
"I feel like I could eat a Hypogriff!" Harry took another bite from his meat. He was quite amused to find he had acquired a taste for ale.
"The healing potion I gave you makes you hungry. Hopefully your shoulder will heal over by morning." The fire danced in the center of the circle, lighting up the faces of the giants. Harry was glad to see their faces, yet it also hurt to see that a few weren't their.
"How many did we lose?" The question hung in the air, it's answer waiting to fall.
"4 died in the battle, one after it was over. Hagrid and Madame Maxime are fine, they've already turned in for the night. That's something that I think you should do." Harry nodded and then took his meat with him back to his tent. It had been a long day, and he was anxious to push on to the next.
The night passed quickly and again the sun rose to greet a sky filled with fresh snow. Harry was glad to note that his shoulder mended well, and his ribs weren't nearly as painful as they had been before. After bundling up once more he set off for what they hoped would be their final day of travel.
The atmosphere had lightened now that they had crossed out of mountain troll country and it showed in the giant's attitudes. No longer did they walk with one hand on a weapon. A optimistic air seemed to lighten their loads and everyone walked with a added spring to their step.
Harry had time to contemplate the attack yesterday. It hadn't been specifically aimed at him because Wormtail hadn't even realized who he was at first. The only conclusion was that Voldemort knew about their attempt at piece with the giants and wanted to stop it.
The beast warriors were another thing that continued to bother Harry. No words could describe them, one had even tried to impale itself further on his blade to get a chance at attacking him. He prayed that the Headmaster had some information on this new enemy. Not to mention the fact that the Death Eaters were able to gain control of several clans of mountain trolls.
Harry felt oddly naked without his sword. Remus had told him that using magic to repair blades never brought them back to their original state of perfection. The metal would forever be flawed unless it was melted and reworked. Torag had told him that he would be able to get a new sword at the giant camp, so Harry wasn't to upset. Still, he had developed a attachment to his first blade.
They had just made break for lunch when the scouts returned to the group. They spoke in private with Torag and then dashed off to his tent. Torag seemed to be greatly disturbed by something, his usually jocular attitude was gone in a second.
"Oxgor, come with me." Harry looked at Remus for permission, and when the man nodded Harry followed. After making sure his wand was ready at a moments notice he rushed down the path Torag had taken.
After following the giants footsteps for a while he came upon the extremely large man lying flat on the ground. He had pulled himself up close to the ridge and seemed confused by what he saw. Harry followed the giants example and crept to the edge of ridge. About a thousand feet below hundreds of figures where streaming through the pass.
"It's the savage, but they never come up here. They aren't even this far north in the winter. Should have already gone back to their winter lodges to the west." Harry watched as the mass of figures seemed to move like a living river through the path.
"There are so many of them!" Torag nodded, he never took his eyes off the half giants below.
"I've never seen so many gathered in one place, something is very wrong." Harry reached in his backpack and pulled out the Omnioculars he had bought the prior year. He watched as they zoomed in to focus on the group below. It was all a mass of moving half giants, except one person who stood still on a rock in the middle of the living river.
He let his Omnioculars focus on this one figure. He had seen this person somewhere before, but he couldn't figure out who he was. Though he was familiar there was something about the man that was totally alien. He stood as a obelisk in the middle of the river of life. Even the savage kept their distance from him. He was some type of island in the middle of their force. But the most disturbing thing were his eyes. They were black as night, almost as if they held the endless reaches of space inside them. Just watching sent shivers up his spine. Color drained from Harry's face when the man looked up at them. He stared at them like they were standing with in reach of his arms.
Harry pulled back from the edge along with Torag. They exchanged looks and then set back off to the group. They both knew that they couldn't afford to wait till after lunch. They had to reach the safety of the giants camp now, before all hope was gone.
Torag gave no excuse for their sudden departure, or for the fact that they had doubled their already grueling pace. Harry explained to Remus, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime what he had seen. More and more it began to look like the giants would be to busy with their own problems to help out. Even though this was depressing, it still came as a great relief when they rounded a bend and the snow just dramatically stopped. The ground wasn't covered ahead of them and Harry got his first look at the giant camp. Off in the distance Harry saw a sight more amazing than the small village where the half giants lived.
Buildings stretched upwards like trees, and giant stone monuments were carved into the mountain walls surrounded them. 15 to twenty foot giants were immortalized in the stone. They depicted scenes of giants grappling and doing battle with beasts. The statues lined the road and led to huge stone gates that stood at least forty feet tall. The walls surrounded the city and Harry could make out massive figures standing as sentries on the walls. The door looked to be made of metal, entirely impregnable unless you were allowed entrance. Torag pulled out a trumpet and gave a mighty blow. A horn in the distance echoed his call, then the gates gave a mighty lurch and swung open.
"Welcome to the Giant City!"
****** (A/N Another chapter done. Thanks to all who reviewed!)
Rachel A. Prongs: Thanks for the review! Oh, and if you thought that was a terrible way to die, wait till you see what Voldemort does in the end of the next chapter. Thanks for the compliment of the summary, I was going for a artistic touch.
BloodRedSword: Thanks for the review!
Otaku freak: Thanks for reviewing!
Animagiman: Thanks for the review. And don't worry, the majority of the rest of the chapters are Harry centric. I just had to begin preparing for something that's coming up in a chapter or two.
Sabrina: Yeah, I know the last chap was depressing. I actually started feeling bad for my torture victims. I had to force myself to not save them. We will get to find out who they are, but not for a little bit. Hope you liked the Chapter!
Ariel: Yes, you'll get a little taste of what the master is like next chapter. I actually had to stop in the middle of writing a scene because I began to feel bad. The most disturbing thing is my Voldemort enjoys his work so much it's creepy. Hope you liked the chapter!
Muggle: Thanks for the review!
Naomi SilverWolf: Hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!
Julie Jewelrannah: Thank you very much, I appreciate the comment!
Maxennce: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like the fic. But If I told you the plot then what's the point in reading. I do have some surprises planned though that are coming up.
THANKS AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!
