"Zat giant eez serious," Apolline said.
"Seems so," Harry muttered. Despite sounding nonchalant, his head was spinning. There was so much going on.
He was glad Maxime was alive, but he never expected that to be because she caught the Gurg's fancy. From what he knew, Giants prided size above everything else, and looked down on those smaller than them. Apparently, Golgomath had unusual tastes.
Then, there was the Death Eater presence. Harry expected Walden Macnair to be Voldemort's representative, a Death Eater who pleaded innocent after the first war and worked as a Ministry executioner for the next decade and a half. A cruel man, Macnair bonded with Golgomath over their shared interest: killing. Instead, Harry found Novik here, an insidious threat who preferred plots to using his wand. How 'Novy' ingratiated himself to the Gurg remained a mystery, but the difference in his methods was already obvious.
Instead of fighting Harry, Novik set up Golgomath to do his dirty work. Stuck in the middle of the colony, the giants were demanding Harry take on the towering Gurg in single combat, convinced that it was a dispute over Golgomath's mate.
It was crafty, clever, and sleazy.
"You cannot!" Apolline said. "Zat eez suicide!"
She was so close to Harry that he could feel the imprint of her body against his back. Harry looked Golgomath over. The giant let him do it, mistaking Harry's silence for fear.
"I think I've got to if we want to escape with Maxime," Harry said. "There's just one thing I need to know. Golgomath!"
"Speak, puny huuuman," Golgomath said.
"This is between us, not the tribe. We'll fight— but only us two. No help."
Golgomath smacked his tree-club into the ground three times. "Golgomath need no help! Golgomath strong! Golgomath strongest!"
Harry reached one hand back, easing Apolline away from himself.
"Prove it!" he said.
Apolline grabbed his wrist.
"You mustn't, 'arry. Wizards can escape giants, but to kill one eez a job for many Aurors! Do not die for zis!"
Harry smiled at her, tapping her fingers with his other hand.
"I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't think I had a chance." He was lying, considering he fought a basilisk as a second year, but right now calming Apolline down took priority, even if it meant fudging the truth. "I'll find a way through this. Have a little faith in a Muggle Studies professor."
Apolline's lips were taut. She looked unsure torn between chuckling and shedding a tear.
"I felt much better before you reminded me of zat part," she said.
All the same, she took a few large steps back. The surrounding giants made no moves toward her, threatening or otherwise. They were still stomping. If Harry had to listen to that sound for too much longer, it was likely to drive him mad. All the more reason to get things.
Harry took out his wand, aiming it at Golgomath the way the giant was pointing his tree at Harry.
Golgomath snickered. "Puny club."
Harry said, "Bombarda."
The blasting curse hit Golgomath right in the jaw. The resultant blast stirred the surface of the lake behind the giant. Golgomath's head was turned to the side by the impact. He slowly reached up, putting a hand to his face, and blew snot out of his nose mixed with a little blood. There was no other damage, despite Harry's spell having been strong enough to turn a human into chunks.
"Bad wizard," Golgomath said. "Weak tricks."
He charged. This time, it was the giant's heavy footsteps that made the lake ripple.
Harry turned his body to the side, holding his wand arm out in front of him. It was a dueling practice more about avoiding spells than anything useful against a giant, but it helped Harry find his flow. Spells spewed from his wand one after another.
Giants were pretty much the tanks of the magical world. Their huge bodies were covered with supernaturally thick skin. There were rumors even dragon fangs had trouble piercing their hides. For an average wizard, cursing one felt like trying to demolish a mountain; no matter what you threw out, the giant kept coming.
It wasn't all that different for Harry. But there was a reason giants had been pushed to the brink of extinction by wizards. For a trained team of Aurors, a giant was easy prey.
Executing the hunting technique on your own, though?
Most would call it impossible. Apolline clearly thought so. Harry just knew this was going to be a lot of work.
He conjured cables around Golgomath's ankles. The giant's muscular legs ripped through them. A variety of piercing curses and bludgeoning charms hit Golgomath's stomach and shoulders, causing nothing but a cut or two. The giant bore a sneering grin as he lifted his club. By reaching Harry, he thought that he had won.
Harry's wand spat out a cloud of sand— straight into Golgomath's eyes.
"Gah! Me no see!" Golgomath roared.
He staggered back, rubbing his eyes with the back of his arm. Golgomath swung his tree blindly, hitting nothing as Harry calmly repositioned a good distance away.
"BWAAAAAAA!" Golgomath roared. "When I see you, you dead!"
Brain's weren't the Gurg's strong point, but he remembered the direction of the lake. He staggered back to it, shoveling water onto his face until his eyes were cleared. He shouted and growled the whole time, because more bludgeoning charms were hitting him in the side. Slowly, his pale skin was getting splotchy with shades of pink and purple.
Golgomath finally blocked the incoming spells with his club. As the bark splintered, he glared fiercely at Harry over the top of it, his eyes bloodshot. Harry kept casting.
Again, Golgomath ran through everything Harry could throw at him, accruing only minor wounds. This time, he learned from his mistakes. As soon as he saw Harry in front of him he covered his face, peeking through two fingers to aim his downward swing. His club shattered the ground, creating an indent in the earth.
Giants guffawed and bellowed in the background. But when Golgomath lifted his tree, there was no mangled wizard stuck to the bottom. Harry was just… gone.
Until he canceled his disillusionment charm fifty paces away and hit Golgomath's back with another chain of spells. The scream Golgomath released was nothing but unmitigated hate.
He ran recklessly at Harry. What was the point in going slow? Harry was slippery, but other than temporary blindness, he hadn't hurt Golgomath. That's what Golgomath thought. So did the rest of the tribe, and Apolline, and the Death Eaters watching from the sidelines. So when Golgomath lifted his club, only to collapse bellowing in pain, confusion spread like a wildfire.
While Golgomath grimaced and panted, holding a hand to his ribs, Harry calmly put another fifty steps between them before turning back. He took a moment to look Golgomath over.
The most that could be seen on the giant's skin were bruises and a few very small cuts. Nothing serious. But slowly, one at a time, these injuries accrued to cover over half Golgomath's body. And just because they didn't look bad on the outside didn't make them harmless. The giant's muscles must've been in agony underneath his skin. Soon, with a little more pressure, internal bleeding would start. Giant skin was next to impossible to pierce— but hit it hard enough, enough times, and what was under it wouldn't be so lucky. Giant's didn't favor blunt weapons just because they were a primitive species. In a fight between two of their kind, the trauma inflicted by a club would be twice as effective as a blade that bounced off.
This was how giants were pushed to extinction. Five trained Aurors would isolate a giant, spread out around it, and inflict wounds that gradually added up. The giant could charge any of them, but they'd just run. The rest would keep sending curses. And as soon as the giant turned to a new target, the Auror it chased off would return, retaking their position.
It was a trickier job to make space and cast five wizards' worth of curses by yourself. Still, Harry was managing quite well. It would be easier to dodge now that Golgomath's injuries were slowing him down. Harry estimated another five minutes was all it would take to win.
Murmurs caught his attention. He risked a look over his shoulder.
The giants were scowling.
Some of them were holding their hands in fists. They looked angry. That… was no good.
Knowing the technique to take down one giant and trying to fight nearly seventy of them were two entirely different propositions. Even Harry would be crazy to try the latter. Apolline wasn't far away if he had to escape— the problem was Maxime, trapped in a cage without her wand. There were still the Novik and the Death Eaters to worry about too. Harry didn't just need to win. Through this duel, he had to pacify the giants.
So what was upsetting them this much?
Golgomath managed to regain his feet while Harry took in the surroundings. The giant swung again. Harry finally used a shield, shattering the top third of the three the giant was using. Branches flew in various directions. Amidst the confusion of splinters, Harry slipped to the other side of Golgomath with another disillusionment charm.
When Harry looked at the other giants, their scowls were even worse. He watched one snarl, violently stomping the ground out of frustration.
It hit Harry like a tree over the head. Duels were an everyday part of giant life. They fought about everything— food, mates, hierarchy. Giants brawled back and forth until the strongest one got his way. And when that one got soft from living the good life, someone new would beat him and take his spot.
To the giants, this was a fight over a mate. They wanted to watch a slugfest. But Harry was here fighting like a wizard. Not only did they hate what they saw as cowardly, for some of them, it surely brought up memories of old tribe members who met this face.
As soon as he recognized the problem, it was like a weight had been stripped off Harry's shoulders. An idea came to him that was the perfect amount of outrageous.
He summoned one of the branches that had broken off of Golgomath's club. The Gurg was trying to chase him down, but Harry's last assessment underestimated the injuries he'd dealt. Golgomath was staggering. It was time to finish him off— the right way.
Harry caught the branch he'd summoned. He made sure he was lined up with Golgomath. It would be a problem if his aim was off.
"Golgomath!" he said. "You're weak!"
He heard the giants behind him grumbling. Golgomath was livid.
"Golgomath not weak! Wizard using tricks!" he screamed. "You not worthy of petite giant! Petite giant too good for you!"
Briefly, Harry pondered the absurdity of giants knowing the word 'petite'. Maybe Novik used it.
"I am strong!" Harry boasted. "Don't believe me?" He was talking directly to the crowd now as much as Golgomath. "Watch!"
He held the branch up like a hammer he was preparing to swing down. Spells came from his wand. The branch grew until it was taller than the tree it came off of, swelling to the thickness of a sequoia. Golgomath craned his neck back, eyes bulging at the idea Harry could lift something so huge.
Of course he couldn't. The branch — which was now basically a tree of its own — was being held aloft by his magic, levitated with the very first spell he was ever taught. Harry stripped it of its weight with another spell. Every last giant was staring at the massive weapon, many of them gaping.
"Behold!" Harry yelled.
He gave it a push with another charm, though he made it look like it was his hand causing the downward trajectory. It half-swung, half-fell toward Golgomath. At the last second, as Golgomath roared and prepared to knock it aside, Harry canceled the lightening charm. Tens of thousands of pounds hit Golgomath from above.
In typical giant fashion, his skin didn't break! He was, however, crushed, his toesand hands sticking out from under the crafted weapon, all organs pulverized despite his outer toughness. Things got very quiet very fast in the wake of the impact.
"Get the woman!" Novik suddenly shouted.
The Death Eaters behind him ran for Maxime's cage. In cowardly fashion, they were looking for a hostage when the situation looked bleak.
Harry was ready to stop them, but before he could move, others did. The whole giant tribe streamed forward. They got to the Death Eaters before the Death Eaters could get to the cage. One of the dark wizards tried the killing curse, but failed to generate the right mindset or the necessary power under pressure. He was crushed, and his friend met a similar fate seconds later.
"I am your ally! Your Gurg promised our safety ven ve arrived! Back, stay back!" shouted Novik.
"Gurg not say nothing about you," rumbled one of the giants. They were closing in on Novik, who continued backing up, getting closer to the water.
"Ve had a deal!" Novik said. "For bringing his bride, Golgomath told you to respect us! To obey us!"
The giants stopped. Not because they were listening to his orders, but because they were confused.
"Golgomath old Gurg," said the one who spoke before. "New Gurg not say anything yet."
"New… Gurg?" Novik said slowly.
Harry felt much like the slimy diplomat looked. New Gurg? They couldn't possibly mean—
The area experienced a serious earthquake as every single giant fell to their knees. Chants of "Strongest wizard!" mixed with "New Gurg!" and "Leader!"
Harry laughed. Because what else can you do, sometimes? "Listen, guys, I'm not—"
He was cut off as Apolline hurled herself on him from behind. He stumbled forward two steps, feeling her cling to him. She was completely off of the ground, her legs wrapped around his waist and her cheek pressed to his neck.
"Zank you," she said. "You saved 'er. You saved Maxime. Zank you, zank you, zank you!"
Harry patted the top of her head. He quit trying to contradict the giants, Apolline's outburst reminding him what the situation was like. He did things this way because he needed the giants' cooperation. So why was he trying to turn down their fealty? He'd be their leader for a night, and in the morning the three of them would be on their way back to civilization. He could even leave instructions to stay out of the war that would probably be followed.
"That's right!" Harry pumped his fist in the air. "I'm your Gurg! Me! And my first order is, capture that man and free that woman!"
His words caused a stampede. A fight nearly broke out over who got to open Maxime's cage. Meanwhile, Novik tried jumping into the freezing lake to escape. His body instantly froze up, and the nearest giant scooped him out before he could sink. Harry wasn't sure what to do with the diplomat yet, but depending on how the night went it was likely the man wouldn't leave this forest.
"Celebrate!" he heard many of the giants say. That was probably one of the longest words they knew, yet it spread like a wildfire. "Ce-le-brate! Ce-le-brate!"
Things happened very fast from there. Giants loved their celebrations, but they didn't look exactly like human festivities. Huge bonfires were started around the village that burned so hot they staved off the chill in the air. Giants had very rudimentary technology, like huts, but went without things like tables. They roasted whole deers and bears over the bonfires, shouting and laughing and on occasion brawling.
Animal pelts were laid across the ground to add some extra warmth. Harry sat on a soft bear pelt, watching the deer that was being cooked for him and wondering how palatable he could make it without offending the giants. He'd rather not much on a hind leg that was still covered in fur.
Madame Maxime was greatly recovered from when they first saw her. Now that Golgomath was gone she'd recovered her wand. The only lingering sign of her captivity were her clothes, which were smaller versions of the animal-pelt-amalgamations that the full-blooded giants wore. Somehow, as she sat cross legged with her dignity restored, she managed to make the outfit look like proper Parisian fashion. Harry reckoned it had to do with her unflappable confidence.
"I must admeet, I thought I was done for zis time," Maxime said. "I never expected Apolline to ride to my rescue. I thought zat you would die eef you 'ad to leave the comfort of your manor."
"Even after saving your life, I am not spared such jokes?" Apolline whined.
She was sharing Harry's bear pelt in the seating arrangement. Frankly, they were so close together that they looked like one person. Apolline consistently looked over her shoulder each time a giant let out too loud of a noise. A handful of bugs were being drawn by the roasting meat, and Apolline swatted at them occasionally, frowning.
"I am sorry," Maxime said. "But you must be 'onest zat zis eez not your element."
Apolline spat something in French that got a reply in the same language. They went back and forth a few more times until Maxime said something that made Apolline go bright red. She looked at the bonfire, avoiding Harry's eyes and scooting a smidgen further away from him.
"What'd you say to her?" Harry asked.
"Not much," Maxime said. "I just explained how ze giants see our situation. At first, zay thought zat you were fighting for moi. 'Owever, after seeing ze two of you when you won, 'Arry, zey have reassessed. Rather zan fighting for my 'and, zey believe you were fighting for ze 'onor of your mate."
"My mate?"
Apolline blushed more heavily. "Do you zink ze deer eez almost ready?"
Maxime said something fast in French. "Apolline, you 'ave never cared for venison een your life, but now you are desperate for eet?"
"Eets a ridiculous story, zat eez all!" Apolline said. "I am grateful to 'Arry. Of course I am, he eez our héro." Her pronunciation was in line with the French version, like ee-row. "But I am a married woman. Why must I be 'is mate? Why can zey not see we are just friends?"
"Just friends? Ze two of you are really nothing more?"
"Maxime! We met just a day ago!"
"Zat eez more time zan it took—"
"Maxime." Apolline's voice lost its volume and heat, turning frighteningly flat. "You said you would not speak of zat."
"...Very well," Maxime said. "I am sorry."
"Look at that!" Harry stood up. "Seems like our deer is ready!"
In the end, the giants around them were watching too carefully. Harry had no choice but to take one bit full of fur off of a leg, ripping it away with his teeth. Apolline was visibly grossed out, but Maxime took it in stride, either because of her heritage or what she'd seen over the course of this mission. It satisfied Harry's new tribe so much that they didn't complain when he used charms to strip the best of the meat, conjuring plates and silverware for him and the women. Apparently, since he was the Gurg, even overly-sensitive giants were willing to overlook magic under their nose.
"Eet eez quite good," Apolline admitted.
"Too stringy, but I 'ave 'ad worse," Maxime declared.
Harry was content. Apolline ate even quicker than he did. It had been a day full of hard physical work and extreme mental stress between their trekking there and watching Harry's duel. It wasn't surprising that her body was craving something like this. When she'd eaten her fill, her head started drooping. At the last second before she nodded off, she picked Harry's shoulder as a pillow.
"Just friends." Maxime snorted.
"I haven't tried anything," Harry promised. "Our goal was only to rescue you. I never got distracted or made her feel uncomfortable. I wouldn't have brought her, frankly, if Novik wasn't skulking around."
"You were not tempted at any point?"
"Of course I was tempted," Harry said. "Have you seen Apolline? But being tempted is one thing. I didn't act on anything."
Maxime sighed something that sounded an awful lot like, "Pity."
Surely Harry heard that wrong. She was just concerned about her married friend being alone with a man.
"For ze record, I agree," Maxime said. "A man who cannot control 'is urges eez no man at all! 'E eez a pathetic toad— no, worse zan a toad. 'E eez a maggot."
Harry wasn't quite sure where she was going with this. She was… agreeing with him, right?
"Still," Maxime said, and a strange look entered her eyes. "Occasionally, perhaps eet eez not bad to listen to an urge or two, non? When you know zat both people are feeling zem."
Harry's expression was guarded. "Maxime—"
"You mentioned Novik?" The abrupt topic change wasn't unnoticed, but frankly, Harry was glad Maxime was moving on, so he didn't mention it. "Was 'e trying something with Apolline? I warned her zat 'e was no good. She knew zat as well, but she underestimated him. She thought 'im a nuisance. I always suspected 'e was much more."
Maxime looked at her hold cage, which had been repurposed to hold Novik and the other three Death Eaters that had been stationed as guards outside the ceremony. Harry knocked out one when he arrived, and the other two had been captured by the giants after he took command.
"From ze fact zat Novik eez een zis place, I believe I was correct."
"He was planning to take Apolline by force," Harry admitted quietly.
"Zat—" The French that came from Maxime's mouth were words Harry suspected even Minister Granger wouldn't willingly translate.
When she finally ran out of steam, Harry offered Maxime a small smile.
"I'll take the Death Eaters back with me for interrogation," Harry said. "The Order already has a pair of Inner Circle members in captivity. We technically don't have grounds to hold Novik, though. I was thinking about leaving him here. Of course, since I don't know much about him, I'm happy to leave the decision in the hands of someone more familiar with his crimes."
"And who would zat be?" Maxime asked innocently.
"Obviously the first person to spot his true nature."
"'Ow kind," Maxime said. "I accept. I can feel ze ideas coming to me already!"
She laughed. Harry didn't want to call it a villain's cackle because she was on his side, but even he couldn't ignore how ominous it sounded. Perhaps because she spent most of her life hiding it, when Maxime's ruthless giant side bubbled up, it was particularly noticeable.
"I believe eets about time zat Apolline retired properly for ze night," Maxime said. "Ze Gurg 'as a special bed all to 'imself. Shall I show you too eet?"
"You want both of us to sleep there?" Harry asked.
"You did eet on ze way 'ere."
"And if there are any urges?"
Maxime stared at Apolline's head propped gently on Harry's shoulder. She shrugged.
Harry acquiesced. It wasn't a bad idea to keep Apolline close in an unfamiliar setting. He lifted Apolline like a princess to carry her. Just like the night before, she proved herself a deep sleeper, her eyes staying shut throughout the jostling.
Giants cheered quietly when they saw Harry bringing Apolline along.
"Ignore zem," Maxime said. "Ze Gurg slept by ze shore. Giant eyes will not see zat far."
Yet again, Harry couldn't miss the extra suggestion in her words.
The Gurg's bed turned out to be a natural divet in the ground filled with animal pelts. There were big ones, like bears and deer, but also smaller softer kinds, including Mink furs. It was remarkable that giants ever managed to skin something so small, to the point that Harry wondered if they traded for some of the pelts.
He climbed onto the petals to lay Apolline down. As soon as he did, he used a bit more magic, warming the air and fending off the cold. He added a ward against bugs, remembering how they bothered Apolline while eating. By the time he finished, Maxime was standing a good distance away.
"Good night," she said. "I will see you in ze morning."
She walked back toward the giant camp, her huge stride carrying her with remarkable speed.
Harry took a deep breath, finally allowing himself to relax as the mission winded down. No sooner had he done so than he felt someone pinch his shirt, pulling the bottom corner.
He'd been wrong. Apolline hadn't slept through him picking her up, she just closed her eyes and pretended. Now, her eyes were open, looking up at him.
"Can ze two of us 'ave a talk?" she asked.
Harry leaned back, sprawling on the animal pelts beside her and looking up at the stars. He'd have to bring Aurora here some day. Without light pollution, the night sky was as full as you'll ever see it without a telescope. Under that view, with soft furs caressing their backs, Apolline started to tell a story.
And Harry listened.