She's A Sweetheart!
Everyone yelled at the top of their lungs as if it would help things move faster but still, it was being done. Unfortunately, Hagrid still seethed internally. He needed to get his boss's attention, but the man brushed him off every time.
Why in the blazes would screaming 5'6 folks get more attention than a half-giant with visible concern on his face. But it was what it was. Hagrid just didn't have the gumption in him to scream at people.
"George! I really need to talk to you!" Hagrid muttered, his voice barely audible over the din of the working crowd.
"Ah, Hagrid you're finally here. The skewrts need tending to" he snapped his fingers in the opposite direction, "Over there. Get to it, laddy."
"Barty, I really need to talk to you." Hagrid urged but he didn't reply.
"Not now Hagrid, Greengrass can hit us at any time, and we need to fortify the castle." He said.
"Barty this is really important-" but Barty made angry shushing noises at him and told him to beat it. Hagrid desperately turned to see if anyone could help them. On a raised dais, a figure oversaw the defenses, it was Reginald Slughorn, the new General in charge of their meager forces. Already, bets had been placed to see if the ancient man, who had seen battles during the formation of the ministry, would last longer than Greengrass or his predecessor. Besides him, stood a stern-looking lady who desperately took notes and answered Slughorn's questions.
She looked vaguely familiar, but Hagrid just couldn't put a name on her face. He put in more thinking power than he ever had before and even briefly bumped his head on a wooden post for effective measure. His brain woke up and responded that she was Harry's close friend. He still didn't remember her name but if Harry trusted her, it was good enough for him. Obviously, the poor sod hadn't been informed that Harry was back. It was a secret only known to Minister Bones, Morrigan and Co, and the Piranhas. Seeing the General move on with his entourage, leaving her behind Hagrid approached her.
"Uhm Miss?" He said and she locked eyes with her, "Yes? Can I help you, sir?"
"YesIhavesomethingIwantedtoshowyou" Hagrid and the woman stared blankly at him.
"I am not sure I understand that Mr.?" She said and squinted at his name tag, "Mr. Hagrid"
"Oh, sorry miss." He sheepishly grinned, "I develop a nervous tick when I am excited."
"Fascinating." The woman said. The poor giant didn't register the sarcasm and continued, "I kind of have an emergency type o' situation that I kinda need somebody ter' look at."
"I have neither interest nor jurisdiction over the affairs of the magical creature's department, Hagrid," Dorea said. "Please contact your supervisors or worse, the internal security."
"Please miss, I don't wanna involve all those folks." Hagrid said, "Just one look at it and we will go from here. Harry would've been interested in this."
The half-giant felt a bit of guilt involving him in this and Dorea narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't ever invoke him near me again, boy. You don't know the half of it." Dorea spat.
And Hagrid's shoulders and emotions fell, the half-giant looked like it had slashed further into half. He nervously twiddled his thumbs and shook his feet before Dorea relented, "Fine. Make it quick."
Hagrid instantly perked up and eagerly led Dorea, knocking out the multitude of people who stood in his way. He led her all the way to the forest and pulled back his wand to wipe away his crude illusion. Dorea at first didn't see any changes.
"That's it? You're afraid of the dark?" Dorea said but before Hagrid could respond, the dark …. Shuffled?
A pair of eyes met Dorea and what sounded like a hundred toddlers snickering reverberated throughout the area. Dorea paled as she realized just what was happening.
"Hagrid, what in Merlin's name….. did you do?" Dorea gasped.
Hagrid lit his wand and the creature's full expanse came to view, "Oh come on in, don't be shy. She is lovely!"
Dorea puked nearby as she struggled to maintain her composure.
"Blimey…" Hagrid said as he saw Dorea pull a broom from her pocket and race back to the castle.
"Tarnations…" Hagrid muttered while still patting the creature without any constraints.
Punishment for Treason
"My fellow Englishmen." General Greengrass said as he started his address, "As many of you know by now, last week, the army high commanded initiated a coup against Minister Bone's government."
He paused before continuing.
"Know this, we know the gravity of the decision and the sheer magnitude of responsibility we have taken on ourselves. Know this again, that your military stands by you always. We did what we did to enforce people's mandate. Minister Bone was neither elected nor wanted in office. During her tenure, she has engaged in multiple counts of money laundering, horse trading, and bribery. She has engaged us in an unprovoked war against a man who has only defended himself against British aggression."
The jeers from the assembled crowd grew too large and his cronies moved in to stun and remove the agitators.
"My people! My friends!" Greengrass shouted above the jeers, "Our actions will save the lives of English citizens. How many more massacres must we endure before common sense prevails? We intend to work tirelessly to right the disastrous foreign policy and propel Britain to new heights never seen before!"
The crowd grew more agitated a pink mist started spreading amongst them but Greengrass wasn't deterred, "And by Hekate as my witness! If I am wrong, may she strike me down!"
He slammed a fist down at the podium then spread his arms and exposed his chest as if signaling a silent yet defiant challenge. The crowd relentlessly mocked him as the guards slowly lost control and spell fire erupted between the people and
A shade of green hue suddenly gathered atop one of the rooftops and directly struck Greengrass. Without a whimper, Greengrass fell dead, and the riot truly broke out. The people stormed the stage as Greengrass's cronies summoned their bodyguards, but they didn't find respite.
A series of precise "Expelliarmus" struck them and their wands were wrenched away. Their guards turned to the shooters, but the mobs overwhelmed them. They were physically beaten and had their uniforms torn off.
Lion to Noble, baby traitors faced justice. Moving to blow up the main gates.
Great work, Lion. Keep us posted.
The main gates of the military HQ broke open and with a sonorous, Charlus roared, "Onwards lads! The gates are open, and the bastards are ripe for the plucking!"
Hogwarts HQ
The former teacher's lounge in Hogwarts had been turned into a war room. The various school shelves, books, and posters had been replaced with war maps, battlefield reports, and intelligence missives. A tired-looking Minister Bones sat at the head table as a house elf served her tea and then vanished. She took a sip and looked at her current company, who all saluted and seated themselves.
The ancient General Slughorn started in a whispery tone, "Hogwarts has been fortified twice over with various troops rebelling from Greengrass's armies and finding their way here. Should we be attacked now, we are well defended."
Viktor Epcott, the interim intelligence chief, responded, "The situation isn't looking too grim now with our rumors spreading widespread of how General Greengrass has been assassinated." He looked directly at Minister Bones. "Our influence operations have been successful. The organized mob rally is now openly challenging Greengrass's control of Britain."
General Slughorn urged, "Now is the right time to order an attack, Minister. It is not appropriate for you to rule from Hogwarts. We have sufficient troops and can take back Eldermoor easily, especially now that the people are with us."
Minister stared at Slughorn for a while before turning, "Viktor?"
Epcott shook his head. "I respectfully disagree with the General. Our spies within Greengrass's ranks have found no evidence of the rebel army claiming that Greengrass has died. If anything, they are calm." He turned to Minister Bones. "I urge you to hold the order to attack."
Minister Bones sighed in frustration and looked at the new rising star within the ministry, Major Morrigan Gaunt. "Major Gaunt, I need a status report."
Morrigan stood and replied, "I choose caution over the counterattack." She shot an apologetic look at the now annoyed General Slughorn. "Various saboteurs have set up shop in the Forbidden Forest to spy on us. Any news of the army marching even under strict cover will be immediately picked up. Also, sending the army into the forest would be problematic."
Minister Bones leaned back, her eyes narrowing. "I need solutions, not problems."
Morrigan bowed her head slightly toward the minister. "We should deploy our new asset. It's been time, and he has healed perfectly."
Minister Bones raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't he have rust from inactivity?"
Morrigan replied confidently, "That's precisely why we should send him. Nothing removes rust faster than a hunt and combat. His body would feel familiar again if his hands felt the grip of his wand once more. Magic is might, after all, Minister Bones."
In shock, Minister Bones nodded slowly. "Sanctioned."
LOCKED IN HERE WITH ME!
They played cards under the moonlight, their infernal night vision allowing them to perfectly see.
"Oi, Antonio, want some of this?" One of the vampires said, gesturing to the bloody woman who he was feasting upon. Antonio nodded and the vampire reached into the trunk and threw a sobbing young man at him.
It had been a while since he had captured someone, and the department of Mysteries had imposed strict sanctions on them. But out here, there were no minders, so they nabbed a few of the soldiers who strayed too deep into the forest. These two idiots thought going at it with each other inside the forbidden forest was a good way to relieve stress.
Antonio bared his fangs and was about to bite into the man's jugular before somebody held a hand up and called for silence. Julius narrowed his eyes in annoyance at Julius. No one interrupted his mealtime, no one.
"Did you hear that?" Julius said and everybody held still, straining their ears but heard nothing.
"Must be some dumb werewolf trying his luck with us." One of the kinsmen said and waved him off. In the blink of an eye, Julius closed the distance and punched him in the gut. The man knelt over in agony and spewed blood.
"Never question my instinct again, Neonate." Julius darkly said before turning.
"There's something out there." He announced, "A predator stalks us. Make them appreciate the error of their ways."
On the outside Julius appeared calm but, on the inside, he was panicking. His instincts roared at him to bolt from the forest immediately. Whatever was playing with them was certainly bold enough to let them hear its presence, a squad of vampires operating in a full night. The creature was either bold or monumentally stupid. Either way, they were about to find out.
A howling scream echoed from his left and they turned to see something pulling Harris up. A crunching sound later, a half torso was thrown back. They fired at the tree but whatever it was, had already passed. Julius turned to Antonio who was now nervously looking in every direction. A chittering sound filled the air and the darkness behind him, seemed to get darker?
Julius saw something sharp penetrate his chest and the vampire immediately perished before the sound of flesh being torn apart and eaten filled the air. With their cohesion broken, they both ran in opposite directions. Julius screamed and dashed in the opposite direction, not aware why he couldn't bring his training to discipline his mind. His heart right now was just pumping raw panic in him. Julius ran only to crash into something hard.
He looked and all emotions immediately extinguished within him.
A tall, almost 9 feet, stood in front of him with glowing red eyes and rows of fangs glistening in the moon's list. Julius quickly got over his feet and tried to run only to find his stomach bleeding profusely. He looked down to see the creature had rammed one of its hands through his stomach.
Julius opened his mouth and gasped pitifully.
The creature put both hands on his jaws and pushed hard. With a sickening crunch, he separated the two portions of his face. Julius dropped dead like a puppet without strings. The wendigo turned to the creature in the shadow and ordered,
HUNT
An excited chittering was his response.
Run Run Run
His once confident stride was reduced to a panicked shuffle as he stumbled through the forest. His enhanced night vision pierced the darkness, yet it offered no comfort or target. Every shadow seemed to writhe with the creature's presence, every rustle of leaves sent chills down his spine. He sent bolts of lightning at anything that moved or rustled.
The creature was out there, he knew it, watching him from the void.
In a state of panic, all the venerable charm of the midnight aristocracy had been pulled back out to reveal a mammal. An undead mammal but a mammal, nonetheless. Unknowingly or perhaps out of reflex from his mortal life, he panted. He forced fresh air into the long-dead and atrophied air in a bid to run longer and faster. His undead mind sent relentless signals to the nerves on his face to appear haggard or panicked.
Obviously, the irony was not lost on him—a ruthless predator of the night, now terrified of the very darkness he once reveled in. The forest was alive with strange noises: the creak of ancient trees, the distant mating cries of nocturnal creatures, and the ever-present sound of something large moving through the underbrush.
He stumbled over a root, cursing under his breath as he caught himself against a tree. The swish of air, a rapid movement just beyond his line of sight, made him spin around, fangs bared in a futile display of defiance. There was nothing there. The silence that followed was more terrifying than any noise.
"Where are you?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
Another sound, closer this time—a low, menacing hiss. He backed away, heart pounding in his chest, eyes scanning frantically. The forest closed in around him, the trees seeming to lean in, their branches like skeletal arms reaching out to ensnare him.
He turned, and a sudden swish of air made him look up, but too late. The creature descended upon him from above, her massive form blotting out the scant light that filtered through the canopy. The vampire's scream was cut short as she struck, her venomous stinger sinking into his spine repeatedly.
A serene calming feeling flooded his veins. He tried to fight, to claw at the monstrous spider, but his strength was rapidly fading, and every instinct roared at him to just sleep. To just let go and everything would be fine.
The last thing he saw before darkness claimed him were the creature's many eyes, glinting with cold, merciless intelligence. The vampire was immediately wrapped in a web with multiple limbs rolling him in it. The creature tucked the vampire on its back and then headed back to its master.
Turning It Over
Dorea and Charlus watched with pale faces as the massive spider the size of a barn emerged from the forest. Its appearance immediately changed to match the camouflage before settling on a bright hue of yellow to match the sky.
"Ah 'Arry you made it!" Hagrid cheered, just happy to see his two friends alive and well. "Did she work well?!"
Harry too let the charms fall over him and revealed himself. The short blonde with soft skin and surprisingly sharp teeth grinned back at Hagrid. "Nanzi, served me well, Hagrid. You have done us a great service."
He fondly patted the spider's side, "I could get used to this. From now on, she will be my new steed."
"Ah gee, thanks, boss." Hagrid mumbled as she struggled to reign in his joy.
"Amusing." Another voice joined in, and Hagrid nodded at Harry before leading Nanzi away. A hand trailed at his back before cupping his face and forcing it into an aggressive kiss. The woman-dominated his tongue before biting his lower lip gently and withdrawing.
"Morrigan…" Harry gasped.
"You know spiders and snakes don't always look eye to eye." Morrigan chided still cupping his face with both hands. "Nargulith will be mad he is being replaced."
"Nanzi is great too…Imagine the fear people will have of us now…" Harry whined and Morrigan chuckled.
"Fine. You can keep her, as long as she stays outside the house." Morrigan said and Harry nodded at that.
"I brought you a present," Harry whispered and waved his wand. A body appeared and floated near them. "One Giovanni vampire, fresh for interrogating."
"hmmmm…. Nice." Morrigan said and kissed his nose. "What about the other?"
"Julius? Sent him to hell. He doesn't deserve to live." Harry said and then kissed her again.
"Ahem Ahem." A voice fake coughed.
"Spoilsport." Morrigan said in annoyance before the couple turned to Charlus and Dorea.
"The mission was a success. All vampire activity has been cleansed from the forest." Harry said. Charlus didn't respond but marched straight to him before Dorea closed the distance and punched him in the arm. Harry flinched but didn't reply.
"Pfft…. Too light, babe, he deserves worse." Charlus said and punched him heavily in the gut and Harry doubled down.
"Oof." Harry wheezed, "What did I do now?"
"You prat! You have been missing for a year. We thought you were dead, and now when you are back….." Dorea ranted before tears overpowered her anger and she hugged him instead.
"You thought about work first before meeting us?" Charlus said and stared at him in annoyance for a while before embracing the duo. "Shit, welcome back brother."
The three hugged for a while and sobbed amongst themselves.
"Please don't smother him to death. Bringing him back a second time will be incredibly difficult." Morrigan drily said. The duo broke apart immediately before looking a Harry owlishly who stared right back at them. Dorea broke out in laughter first before Charlus joined her. Dorea got up and, in a surprise, move that shocked even Harry, embraced Morrigan.
"Thank you for saving him, Morrigan." She whispered. Morrigan too stunned herself, didn't reply but awkwardly patted her on the back.
"I always thought hell would've frozen over first before I saw such a sight," Harry said and Charlus chuckled at that and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"Welcome home, Harry."
Fin
Please read and review! Also, if anyone wants to pitch me a few ideas about the Wendigo powers, abilities, or behaviors – feel free to pitch me in the comments. I would love to see where you think I should take this in.
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