Harry made his way to the dungeons to report to Snape for detention with a heavy heart. The entire day thus far had been entirely uplifting. Lupin returned as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and forgave him for the events of Christmas break…Ron and Hermione had been called away to a prefect meeting during lunch which enabled him to sneak in some private time with Ginny…and Hagrid had brought in a real life Griffin that had taken an instant disliking to Malfoy. They were going to study that Griffin for the entire week, making Malfoy very nervous and Harry giddy with anticipation of what mishaps would befall his archrival. As he reached the dungeon door he paused taking a moment to look around for any means of escape. When no prospect presented itself, he sighed and entered the dungeon room where Snape and Dean were waiting.
“You’re late Potter,” Snape said in a condescending air.
A quick look at his wristwatch verified that he was actually several minutes early, but he decided against arguing with Snape. He would have an entire month of opportunities to get more detention time with Snivellus.
“The dirty cauldrons are lined along the tables to my left,” Snape told them with a sinister grin threatening to take over his face.
Dean was closer to the pots and had a rather good view of their condition. If the look of revulsion that crossed his face was anything to go by, Harry assumed it was going to be a long detention.
“Get to work,” Snape ordered, “and no magic.”
“What are we supposed to clean them with?” Harry asked in a tone that he hoped did not give away the loathing he felt for Snape.
This time the sinister grin really did cross Snape’s face as he flicked his wand in response. Two rather old wooden brushes with metal bristles appeared out of thin air next to the cauldrons. Harry fixed the features of his face to look as indifferent as possible. He could not bear to see Snape gloat, and he was sure to do that if Harry seemed the least bit upset. Harry roughly grabbed one of the brushes and got to work and Dean quickly followed suit. After they completed their work, ten cauldrons a piece, Snape came by to inspect them. Though he could find no fault with Harry’s cauldrons, it was clear that Dean had never cleaned before. They were forced to clean all of the cauldrons three more times until they finally had Snape’s approval and were allowed to go.
Harry was more agitated than anything. He had anticipated Snape’s unfairness, but not Dean’s total incompetence. By the end of the week Dean had proven to be as inept as he had been on the first day of detention. While they cleaned, Harry secretly went over the area’s Dean was assigned so that he could ensure that he would be let out with enough time to complete his homework. His resentment for Dean grew when he found out that Ginny was now on speaking terms with him. Worst of all, Harry was now experiencing nightly dreams in which he and Dean were in some bizarre lightless funhouse. It featured hidden trapped-doors, hallways that lead nowhere and walls that moved seemingly with the express intent of trapping the inhabitants. The sinister house was made all the more creepy with the sounds of a groaning man and the ethereal voice of a woman guiding them to some undisclosed room.
Harry awoke abruptly early one morning, just as a trap door had opened suddenly, sending him and Dean falling into a black oblivion. He rubbed his eyes, cursing the dream which seemed to be getting more realistic and wiped the sweat from his brow using his pajama cuff. The snores in the room indicated that everyone was still asleep, so he slowly drew back his bed curtain and made his way to the window to open it. The crisp morning air assailed the room taking away the stifling heat that had resided just minutes earlier. As he turned to make his way back to bed Harry was startled to find Dean looking at him in a curious manner from his own bedcovers. Ignoring him, Harry climbed back into bed and firmly closed his bed curtain shut. After a few minutes in which he fought futilely to regain sleep, he heard Dean gather his things and head off to the showers.
Just then, Hedwig soared into the room through the window and over his bed curtain to deliver a hastily scribbled letter. Though seemingly incomprehensible, Harry made out the words “come quick,” “under-attack” and “hut.” Without a second thought, he threw on his winter coat and grabbed his wand. Within seconds, he was flying down the dorm stairs. He was shocked when he crashed into Ginny, who was standing in front of the boy’s stairwell with a couple of muffins in hand. He barely managed to wheeze out the name “Hagrid” at her as he continued to hurtle top speed towards the portrait hole. With a swiftness he did not know he was capable of, he made his way through the castle and out the main doors. As he neared the hut, he realized that the front door was thrown casually open.
Slowing down, he gripped his wand firmly and prepared to attack the intruder. However, he was not given the opportunity to do so as a curse from behind immobilized him and rendered him virtually useless at the entryway of Hagrid’s hut. His wand slipped from his rigid fingers and struck the floor with such force that green sparks flew into the air announcing his presence to the intruder who quickly turned around. If he could have rubbed his eyes to ensure that he was seeing straight, he would have done so, but as he was now quite statuesque that proved to be an impossibility.
“Harry?” The surprised voice of none other than Charlie Weasley came from Hagrid’s hut.
Harry widened his eyes, the only part of his body that he could move, in a vain attempt to warn Charlie that there was someone unknown assailant behind him, but it didn’t work. The surprised look that Charlie had was now compounded as he looked to a spot over Harry’s shoulder.
“Ginny, slow down,” Charlie commanded. “Take a moment to catch your breath,” he told her as she stepped into Harry’s line of vision and pointed her wand at him. Once her breathing was coming in regular intervals instead of short spurts, she muttered a counter-curse and released Harry from the body bind that he was under. Harry turned wildly around, attempted to surmise the location of the culprit that had cursed him.
“Ginny please tell me that I do not have to take points from Gryffindor on account of you cursing your fellow students,” Charlie said pointedly to his sister.
Harry attention was diverted from the task he had undertaken when he heard Ginny whisper the words “had to” between breathes.
Had Ginny been the one that cursed him?
He shook his head roughly to get the traitorous thought out of his mind.
“Where’s Hagrid?” Harry asked, in an attempt to sort through the muddled mess.
“Hagrid’s gone,” Charlie said in surprise, “he left with Dumbledore not too long ago.”
“Where did he go?” Harry persisted, his agitation compounding with a dull throbbing in the back of his head.
Charlie looked hesitantly around before stepping forward to close the front door.
“I don’t suppose there’s anyway you’ll leave until you get some answers,” he said hopefully.
Harry set a very stubborn look on his face and stared directly into Charlie’s eyes.
“Alright than, I’ll tell you what I know. Why don’t you take a seat?”
Harry was determined to remain in his position, but felt a small pressure on his arm and let himself be lead by it. Once he and Ginny were seated at a bench at Hagrid’s dinning table Harry looked expectantly at Charlie. It took Charlie an exceptionally long time to clear a frog in his throat as he hemmed and hawed, but Harry realized that this was a silly ruse to buy some time. Before he could say anything, Ginny gave a very clear warning cough to let Charlie know that they were waiting. With an audible sigh, Charlie took the seat at the head of the table, while scratching his head and casting a bewildered glance their way.
“It all started around two in the morning,” he began.
Harry cast Ginny a quick look, as if to make sure she was listening…really listening…to everything that was and wasn’t being said. She gave him a curt nod in response.
“It was only an hour before that, that the Order finished their meeting. If only we had been delayed instead of heading off to bed…” Charlie shook his head dejectedly.
“What happened at two?” Harry prompted him.
“That’s when we learned of the first attack,” Charlie responded.
“The first?” Ginny asked, startled.
Charlie nodded. “There have been four so far, that we know of.”
Harry and Ginny exchanged anxious glances.
“You-know-who’s giants were responsible for all four attacks. They were incredibly well organized and through. It’s unheard of, for giants to get along so well.”
“Who came under attack?” Harry inquired.
“There were three villages that lay on the outskirts of a portside township. The giants split into three groups. The first group hit the village on the outer most rim of the township. What they did not burn, they crushed with their overwhelming size. The Order did not receive word of the attack until it was over. By the time we arrived, the village lay in ruins. Even though, most everyone thought that this was an isolated incident. Ministry officials arrived on the scene within minutes of the Order members. We left them with the task of cleaning things up and went looking for the culprits.”
“Did you find them?” Ginny asked.
“In a manner of speaking, I suppose we did. About ten minutes after our arrival, bellowing smoke from the east caught our attention. We quickly apparated there, but found that the giants had destroyed half the village already.”
“But you managed to stop them, didn’t you?” Harry spoke hopefully.
“Actually, we had made a grave error in judgment. We apparated to the location of the smoke and began to fight off the giants there.”
“What’s so bad about that?” Ginny wondered aloud.
“As I already told you, they had broken up into three groups Ginny. As we were fighting in the second village with what we now realize were the second group of giants…”
“…the first group of giants began closing in on you from the behind,” Harry completed Charlie’s statement in dread.
“That’s right, they did.” Charlie confirmed.
“Still, between the Ministry officials and the Order members you should have been able to fight them off,” Harry insisted.
“I wish that were so, and it might have happened just that way if there had not been a third group of giants. Once the Order members found themselves surrounded by the first and second group, a blazing fire erupted from somewhere south of our location. Our numbers were once again dilapidated as half of our forces apparated to the new location. They were under the false hope that if they got there at the onset of the attack, they would be able to save more lives.”
“Weren’t they able to?” Ginny inquired in morbid fascination.
“We didn’t even have a fighting chance,” Charlie spit out bitterly. “The attack was too well-timed, the location precisely chosen, and the giants seamlessly mobilized, those poor villagers were little less than sitting ducks.”
Ginny gasped in dismay.
“Were there many casualties?” Harry asked, holding back the trepidation he felt.
“Those still on the scene have been directed to count the survivors,” Charlie replied, “because it will take less time.”
Molten coals seemed to settle along Harry’s insides at the pronouncement.
“What about the township?” Harry managed to ask after a long silence.
“Those giants who were not engaged in battle with us came at it from all three sides. Poor people, they never had a chance. They have yet to find a survivor from amongst the rubble.”
“But you got the giants didn’t you?” Ginny shouted.
“Not a single one,” Charlie said in utter loathing, “somehow they were trained to leave none of their own behind. Even those that were stunned were carried away. There were so few of us, and so many people to help, we couldn’t go after them…”
“So they got away,” Harry said ominously.
Charlie nodded, “They got away.”
In Adversity We Know Our Friends by Wise Owl
Chapter Notes: I know, I know...you didn't think it was possible! You had all but given up hope! Yet here is the next chapter in the story!!! If you would like to know where I've been and what I've been up to, visit my bio page...and if you'd rather (as I suspect) read the next chapter...here you go! Enjoy!