Harry Potter and the Year that Changed Everything

Harry Potter and the Year that Changed Everything (15)

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Chapter Fifteen: Gathering Darkness

Voldemort was impatient.

He had considered just going out alone, but he wisely decided that he could use help with his task. If nothing else they could shield him long enough to apparate away to safety. It wasn't that he mistrusted his followers; it was that he didn't trust anyone. He never had, and he never would.

Wormtail and Bellatrix would go with him. With Lucius out of the country and the rest of his Death Eaters lying low, the choice was an easy one. Bellatrix was a natural choice because she had a mastery of destructive curses and her fanatical loyalty to him, and Wormtail because he would do whatever he was told to do out of fear. They packed up heavy weather gear along with whatever other things they might need for their travels. Once they were fully equipped the trio sat down at the large round table their master used to run his campaign of darkness.

Wormtail looked nervous, which was nothing out of the usual. Bellatrix looked anxious to get going, longing for a chance to further prove her devotion to the Dark Lord. Voldemort, meanwhile, had a grim look of satisfaction on his reptilian face.

"The time has come for us to go back on the offensive. The intelligence I have received from Lucius suggests that the Order seems to believe we are most likely to strike somewhere near the school at any time. This fits into my plans perfectly. While those fools guard their precious children, we will be far away gathering our old allies for the coming war. Our forces are strong, but our numbers have dwindled since the first war. Therefore, we must recruit others who will aid us. Bella, what is the state of the dementors? I have offered them free rein over our enemies, that should be sufficient to appeal to their black souls."

Bellatrix grinned at the thought of seeing scores of people being kissed by the dementors. She envisioned the Longbottom boy joining his parents in their incapacitated state. She quickly became aroused by the idea of such carnage.

"Master, the dementors are ready whenever you give the word. However, they are concerned about the recent culling efforts by the Ministry."

Voldemort's face darkened. Fudge had never been a real threat to him in the past. It had helped that he refused to accept that the Dark Lord existed for all those years. However, not what his existence was common knowledge, Fudge was doing all he could to give the appearance that he was taking a hard line in rooting him out. Heavy influenced no doubt by Dumbledore and his "Order", he had sent out a decree that all dementors were now to be classified as being of the highest level of dangerous magical creatures. Like the hobgoblin and the troll, there was a bounty for every confirmed dispelling of one. Even more shocking was the report that some dementors were now even being destroyed somehow. Voldemort himself had refused to believe this until one of his followers reported seeing the unmistakable wrap of a dementor on display in the window of a joke shop in Diagon Alley. When asked how the owners of the store had come in possession of it, the twin owners had said they had received it as a gift from their benefactor, and that it was to be auctioned off with the proceeds going to St. Mungo's. Shortly after these reports came out the dementors that had not been destroyed or dispelled came to Voldemort seeking refuge. He had accepted them in return for their complete allegiance. They had, of course, accepted.

"Damn the Ministry! During the first war there were some two thousand of the creatures. How many remain now?"

Bellatrix cringed at her master's anger.

"There is perhaps half that number, Master. Possibly even less."

Voldemort slammed his fist down onto the table causing it to crumble into sawdust. With a slight wave of his hand another table appeared. This one was made of the blackest obsidian with ebony accents. Wormtail made a squealing vermin-like noise at the suddenness of the action while Bellatrix merely dusted the debris off her legs. Voldemort then sprang to his feet and cast a Portus spell onto one of the blocks of wood.

"Come, we have much to do. The ministry may be eliminating one of our allies, but there are others. Let us see how they react when confronted by a nemesis they hoped to have exiled forever."

Bellatrix and Wormtail dutifully shrank and gathered up their gear and joined Voldemort in holding onto their Portkey. In seconds, they were tugged away from the temperate darkness of their underground lair and deposited onto the hard and frozen ground where few humans had ever been before. Wormtail was lying in what appeared to be a large trough dug deeply into the hard snow. Picking himself up, he realized this was not the case at all. From the base of the heel to the crown of the big toe, he was standing in a waist deep and six-foot long footprint. They had arrived in the land of the giants.

The trio set up camp in one of the medium sized caves that afforded a view of the valley now below them. Voldemort had decided that they would go onto the reserve tomorrow at first light, hoping that there would be fewer giants awake at that time. He would talk with their Gurg and convince him to join again with his dark army. Lucius had gotten good results previously, so Voldemort was more than confident that he would have them under his thumb before the day was out.

**********

The light of morning did little to brighten up the icy landscape around them. The sky was a sickly gray that could almost be felt as much as seen. The three of them made their way down to the valley below with Voldemort in the lead. Bellatrix had suggested that they take along the gift they had brought for the Gurg, a suggestion Lucius had given them from his own experiences with the giants, but Voldemort had refused. He saw no need to "bribe" the Gurg. He was the most powerful wizard of all time. He had no need to use trinkets and baubles to get his way.

Had he kept his enormous ego in check, he would have realized the folly of this idea immediately. At the time, however, he was thinking only of his plan for domination and getting this part of things done with quickly. As he had in the past, Voldemort forgot about the limits that even his great power had.

Finding the Gurg wasn't difficult. The helmet Hagrid had brought for a previous Gurg was on his head, while the branch of ever-burning fire was a few yards away providing the heat needed to cook what appeared to have once been a horse. The reclining giant's feet were propped up on the head of the previous Gurg as he lay there in relaxation. However, when he noticed the three of them approaching, the giant leapt to his feet with the agility of a tiger. Wormtail gave a startled yelp and cowered behind his two companions. Even Bellatrix had taken a step back. Voldemort alone continued on as if nothing had happened.

"Am I correct in assuming you are the Gurg here?"

The giant was now the one to be surprised. He had never heard of any other creature that could speak their language. Trolls and Ogres could to an extent, but not fully. The other two creatures appeared to be humans, but the one who had spoke did not. His skin was dragon-like and his appearance was alien. Not liking to be disturbed by any creature, the Gurg was not overly receptive of his visitors.

"You are correct, stranger. I am Karrion, son of Karkus, ruler of the giants. What is your business here?"

Remembering whom the previous Gurg had been, Voldemort noted with grim satisfaction that the giant had likely killed his own father. This was something they had in common.

"I am here to enlist your services, Karrion. I am the Dark Lord Voldemort. My forces will soon attack and destroy those that oppose me. When I have come to power, I will end the exile that the giants have been forced into for so long. Your allegiance to me will provide you with more power than you could ever dream of. Opposing me would mean your death. So, what say you?"

Voldemort's speech was essentially the same one he had given the dementors. Being creatures of darkness they had reveled in the idea of having free rein to satisfy their lust for spreading fear and hopelessness. Giants, on the other hand, were not creatures of darkness, nor were they accustomed to being threatened.

"How dare you come here to threaten me? Do you think you are the first to come here and seek our aid? My father may have had an agreement with your kind, but not I. And you dare to think you can threaten me, Karrion, the Gurg of the giants? I will show you what happens to any that stand against me, human!"

The resulting skirmish was, at best, a humiliation for Voldemort. True, his powers had grown as powerful as any wizard before him, but they only managed to ensure his survival here. He hadn't anticipated that the Gurg would actually attack him. How could he? In the wizarding world there were not a handful of wizards that would ever dare oppose him. This, however, was not the wizarding world. This was the world of the giants.

Voldemort, in his distraction, had barely managed to dodge the boulder-sized fist that had been thrown at him. Wormtail and Bellatrix had sent a volley of killing curses, but they seemed to only annoy Karrion. Voldemort recovered in time to send his own stronger curse at the Gurg, but even it only managed to stagger him. Voldemort realized now that he had overlooked the fact that giants were nearly immune to magic. This made them powerful allies, but also a dreaded enemy. When other giants began to join in the fight, Voldemort grabbed onto Bellatrix and Wormtail and made his retreat. The outing had not gone at all as he had planned.

**********

The following day, Voldemort called for a new plan of action. He realized now that he had let his ego cloud his judgment once again. This time, he would take a more cunning approach in his attempt to soothe the savage beast.

Karrion noticed that only two of the humans were approaching this time. He was glad about that. The other human, if that is what he had been, had annoyed and disturbed him. His first thought was to simply attack the two strangers, but he changed his mind as they came closer. He could see that they were carrying something with them. He decided to wait and see what it was first, and then he would kill them. There was no rush, really.

Bellatrix and Wormtail entered the reserve with all eyes upon them. Wormtail was shivering due to more than the cold, while Bellatrix had hardened her resolve as she had her heart long ago. Coming before the Gurg, she spoke to him using a spell that allowed her to speak in his own language.

"Great Gurg, we come in apology for our actions yesterday. Our master wishes for our negotiations to start anew under a sense of goodwill. In an effort to make up for our transgressions, we offer you a gift. Please accept it in the spirit of our new fellowship."

Karrion hadn't really paid any attention to what she said. He didn't really care. Instead, he reached his mammoth hand down to pick up the large object that was currently covered in black velvet. Wormtail had scurried off when the giant had moved, while Bellatrix remained steadfast. The Gurg brought the object up to his face and gave it a little shake, much like a small child on Christmas morning. Of course, in this case, that light shake would have brought down a palace.

Karrion flicked his fingernail at the velvet cover like a normal human might flick a bit of lint off their clothing. The vast tarp then fell on top of the cowering Wormtail, who spent the next ten minutes or so trying to get free from it.

The ornate jewels that the Gurg now held in his hands made him forget all about smashing the two humans before him into nothingness. For a moment or two. After looking the entire piece over several times he then looked back down at Bellatrix with a content and rather smug expression on his face.

"I approve of this crown you have given me to make up for your transgressions. I confess that I have never seen black opals of this size before. Your master must be a powerful being to create something such as this. I shall wear it proudly. However, now that I have it in my possession, why should I allow you to continue living?"

The other giants were now closing in on the two humans. At Karrion's signal, they would attack en masse. Wormtail attempted to hide himself again under the tarp while Bellatrix actually allowed a smile to cross her cold pale face.

"Great Gurg, if you kill us now, you will not be able to claim the second part of your gift."

Karrion immediately signaled for his followers to halt their advancement. He would at least find out what the other part of the gift was before using the bones of these creatures for toothpicks.

"A second gift? What second gift? I do not see another. Do not try my patience, humans."

Bellatrix continued to smile. Voldemort had anticipated correctly.

"You now have your crown, oh great Gurg, but there is still one thing missing."

Bellatrix paused before speaking again. She wanted to make sure that they were all listening to what she said next.

"The one thing missing is a queen. That will be the second part of your gift. In return for your aid in the coming war, we will provide you with a female giant that is currently living in England. She is currently bonded with the giant that left the reserve two years ago with the half-breeds that visited here. With your help, we can bring an end to the oppressive laws that have brought you to near extinction at the hands of the Ministry, as well as providing you with a mate who is young enough to provide you with many heirs. What say you now, great Gurg?"

Karrion sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. The other giants all stood looking at him for direction on what they should do. After a tense couple of minutes, he stood up to his full height above them all and raised his arms towards the heavens. His voice then boomed out loud enough to cause the ground to quake and birds to flee.

"My fellow giants! It is time that we took revenge on the magic folk that have brought us to the state we are in now. While we struggle to survive on this god-forsaken reservation, the humans use their magic to make life easy. By joining forces with the Dark Lord, we take the first step to taking back what is rightfully ours. I, Karrion, Gurg of the giants, will go down in our history as the leader who brought our race back from near extinction. We will return to our old homelands in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. No longer will we fear the power of the humans. Instead, they will be our slaves and serve us. Prepare yourselves for battle, and may our children never know what we have been forced to endure."

The other giants all raised their fists and yelled in support. All around them the snow on the mountains shook and ran down to the valleys below. Karrion smiled at his people before sitting down again on the still shaking ground.

"You may now go back and tell your master that we are in agreement. When he is in need of us, he need only send word."

Bellatrix and Wormtail bowed in respect and made to leave. Bellatrix had taken perhaps a dozen steps when Karrion's enormous hand halted her. She turned around with a very real fear that the giant may have changed his mind. Giants, after all, were not known for their stability.

"Female human, I would tell you one more thing. When your master sends word of his need for us, I demand that it is you he sends. I do not like having him in my presence. I respect your bravery for coming back here. And know this, if there truly be no giantess to add to my thrall, you shall take her place."

Bellatrix bowed again at the giant's "compliment" on shaky knees. The thought of being a part of a giant's concubine was enough to frighten even the most hardened soul. When she turned to leave him she could see the tiny furrow in the snow left by Wormtail's rat form as it created a straight line some hundred yards into the distance. When they returned to their cave she and her master would have to punish him for being such a coward. This pleasant thought drove out her fear of being the plaything of a twenty-four foot giant, at least for the moment.

**********

Bane was impatient.

Since the banishment of the troublesome Firenze he had gotten accustomed to getting what he wanted. None of the other centaurs dared to challenge his leadership, as a great many of them were only concerned with what the heavens forecast. When something of import to the tribe did come up, their leader would call for a council session to address them all. The current leader would then stand before the rest of them and state what it was they wished to decree. Bane had used this very same forum previously to gather support for Firenze's banishment. To human standards, this could have been considered a coup. To centaurs, it was a matter of establishing dominance. Claim as they might that their concerns were of higher things than such petty matters, there was still a very real hierarchy in their social structure, and Bane had worked long and hard to attain his current position at the top.

Bane had set about issuing mandates immediately after taking power. Humans were now expressly forbidden to enter the centaur's domain. His argument for his had been well received. He had reminded the tribe that it was the humans who had confined them to this land, and went on to convince them that they were now intent on taking it back. At the time his ideas for taking an offensive stand on the humans were voted down by the elders. It was believed that, although they were a great annoyance, the humans were not that great a threat to them. They were content with simply co-existing with the humans, as long as they were left alone.

Bane, however, was not content with this idea. He had called for a council to discuss the thing that they all knew was coming and would have to talk about eventually. When this event had happened previously, the centaurs had declared themselves to be neutral. Both sides had approached them for their help, but they had rebuffed them all in the effort to not involve themselves in the matters of the outside world. This time, Bane would impress upon them the need to protect themselves from that outside world. He saw only one way to gain this protection, or at least only one that would be of benefit to him.

"Brothers and sisters, there are matters that need addressed. We have all seen the war that is coming, just as we foresaw the war before it. In that previous war, we declared our neutrality in an attempt to shield ourselves from the influence of the outside world. Regardless of our declaration, we lost members of out tribe and were never once issued an apology or compensation from the humans. Instead, we remain confined to a meager parcel of land that we are allowed to populate only by their whim. For all of our efforts to peacefully co-exist with the humans, we have continued to receive nothing but betrayal and hatred from them. With this coming war, we have the opportunity to change this."

There were many gasps from the assembled crowd. Many of them even yelled their disagreement and stamped the ground with their collective hooves. One of the elders, an ancient centaur named Euclid, raised his wrinkled hand to quiet the agitated voices.

"You place too much concern onto the human world, Bane. We centaurs have had our share of loses to the various wars it is true, but we must not lose focus on what our true purpose is. Our lives are interwoven with the heavens, not with the human trappings of revenge and power. You have let your own hatred and distrust of the humans cloud your judgment, Bane."

Bane's slate grey eyes hardened.

"Do you mean to challenge my leadership, old one? Do you so soon forget how the traitor Firenze turned his back on us all to become the obedient pet of the humans? I will give him credit for one thing, though. He saw what is coming and made his choice. He chose the side of our oppressors. He chose the side of those that would continue to work towards our complete extinction. I propose that the time has come to take up the fight to ensure our own survival. The Ministry would have us all rounded up and placed in a zoo for their enjoyment. And do not delude yourself that anyone at Hogwarts would feel any differently. Our only hope to maintain our very existence is to side with our fellow magical brethren and ally ourselves with the one who would allow us free rein once again. Imagine being able to live where and how we want? Imagine being able to return to Stonehenge for our studies as our ancestors did before us."

A portion of the angry cries of dissent changed into those of agreement. Still, it was a minority. Euclid wearily shook his head.

"You make empty promises, Bane. How is it that you can assure us of these things? You place your faith in one that sought only death and destruction in the past. I have seen nothing in the stars to tell me he has any different of an agenda this time. The heavens have shown us what lies ahead and our place in it. We must not let our own ambitions cause us to stray from the path we have followed since creation."

The majority of the crowd raised its voice in agreement with Euclid. Being the eldest of the tribe, his words were taken as law. Bane may have been their official leader, but it was still the elder that held true influence over his people. Knowing that he would gain no further support this night, Bane left the assembly and headed deeper into the forest to consider his next move. He had only gone a short distance when he realized he was being watched. His hand slowly inched towards his crossbow in anticipation of having to defend himself. He had just come to the sickening realization that it was gone when the cold voice from the darkness first spoke.

"You do not need your puny weapon, Bane. We are not here to harm you. If that had been our purpose, you would already be dead. I did not anticipate that you would be able to convince your fellows to pledge themselves to me on your own. Instead, I have come to present my own argument. You will find that I can be quite...convincing."

Bane now found himself standing before three humans in black robes. At least he assumed they were humans. When the figure in the middle lowered his hood, he found himself to be gravely mistaken. The abject horror in his eyes evoked cruel laughter from the grotesque reptilian face before him.

"You have done me a great service by sowing the seed of discontent, Bane. For that, I am grateful. However, a seed will die if not nourished. I have come to ensure that it is allowed to flourish. The will of Voldemort shall be done!"

**********

The next night, another council had been ordered by Bane. As there had been periods of many years between councils in the past, this caused a sense of unease among some of the tribe members. The stars were to be their true guide, not one of their own. Still, despite their reservations, all of them were assembled to hear what their leader would say. Not one of them could have foretold how their lives would be changed that night.

Bane stood before them all in exactly the same way he had the night previous. He had looked determined and angry then, and he looked only more so now. A manic glint shone in his eyes as he looked out over the members of his tribe. No, Voldemort had not used the Imperious curse on him, he had not needed to. Bane's own hunger for power had made him as willing an accomplice as any who had pledged himself to the Dark Lord before him. The crowd hushed when Bane took his place before them to speak.

"Last night, I proposed that we take an active role in the effort to liberate all of our people from the oppression of the Ministry, as well as all humans. Euclid has urged you not to comply with this idea. He would tell you that we must not intervene, and that we should instead accept whatever the humans would do with us. I agree that our lives and futures are as interwoven with the heavens as they have ever been, but what of it if we have no such future? You will all remember two years ago when a female official from the Ministry came onto our lands and treated us like animals. Do any of you honestly believe that this feeling will ever change? We will soon have a chance to rectify this. We will have a chance to set this right. Have the humans ever came to us and offered us concessions? Have they ever offered us the hand of friendship? No, they have not. All we have ever received from them is their prejudice and lies!"

A portion of the crowd made sounds of agreement to this. They were mostly those that had voiced their support the previous night. They were still in the minority, but they were gaining members. Euclid stepped forward.

"You have brought us here again merely to spew more of your anti-human venom, Bane. We have all heard your argument before. However, you are right on one point. The humans have not sought to improve our conditions. But, you cannot say that they are all against us. Hagrid has been of a great help to us in the past, as has Headmaster Dumbledore. Can you say that any of the opposition has done any better? What of the Dark Lord? Can you honestly say that he will help us out more than they have? No, Bane, you cannot."

The majority of the crowd spoke out in support of their elder. The noise was loud enough to cause small animals in the surrounding brush to scamper away. All of the noise suddenly stopped when a figure appeared from out of the shadows and stood before them all.

"You are quite correct, old one. Your leader cannot truly claim these things to you. Only I, Lord Voldemort, can. I can offer you emancipation from the humans in return for your allegiance to me. I have recruited other magical creatures to fight with me, including the giants and the dementors, as well as others. I promise you what I promised them. Freedom. No longer will you be limited to this meager forest. You shall have the freedom to pursue your studies without let or hindrance. Dumbledore and the Ministry seek to maintain the ways of the past, but I seek to bring about a new age for all magical beings. Join me, and you shall never be subject to the laws of humans ever again."

Many of the centaurs has become frightened. Having the Dark Lord in their midst was something they had not foreseen. Surely this was a powerfully bad omen. Before Voldemort could continue, another voice rang out from the shadows.

"Lies! Do not let this monster's lies deceive you! He would lead you to your deaths without a thought. Euclid is right, no good can come of joining forces with this devil."

All eyes now turned to see a lone centaur emerging from the forest. A collective gasp rose from the crowd. Bane became livid.

"You! How dare you return here? You have chosen your path, Firenze! You have turned your back on all of your brothers and sisters by siding with the humans. You are no longer welcome in the forest. Guards, seize him!"

A few of the centaurs armed with spears hesitated. None of them wished to enter into a fight with their former leader. Things became even tenser when Euclid moved to Firenze's side and stared defiantly back at Bane.

"It is you that has betrayed your people, Bane. You have brought the greatest evil this world has known in centuries here to barter with our lives. If you wish to join him, so be it. For me, I will stand with Firenze. It is not our place to side with evil Bane. It is our place to prevent it."

The crowd was now panicked and confused. To join with Voldemort would go against all of their ancient laws, but to remain neutral might mean their destruction at his hands. Suddenly, their decision was made for them.

Voldemort had heard enough. With a mere wave of his hand two green streaks of light shot out into the night to claim the lives of Firenze and Euclid both. They'd had no chance to defend themselves. Realizing that all of their lives were just as precariously in the balance, the rest of the tribe fell into a stunned silence. Voldemort merely smiled at them.

"You have now seen what happens to those that seek to oppose me. I strongly suggest that you all think upon this. For now, I ask nothing of you. When the time comes, I will return to gather my supporters. Those that join me shall prosper, while those who do not shall perish. I would urge you all to choose wisely."

After Voldemort had spoken a cloud passed before the moon and plunged them all into darkness. When light returned, he had gone.