Blackgrave Manor

Blackgrave Manor

Chapter 6.

The giant had bent his head so close to Narcissa that she was almost afraid one of his red braids would strike her. He had been very friendly to the mysterious stranger, but to Narcissa he seemed menacing. Indeed, the giant was glowering so fiercely that for a moment she feared he would strike her himself, merely for daring to enter his valley; but instead he growled, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Narcissa Malfoy," said Narcissa. She heard a brief gasp from the mysterious stranger.

"A Malfoy? Saints preserve us! How on earth did you manage to follow Hagrid?"

Narcissa was annoyed. The stranger, whatever his name really was, had been quite gentlemanly, almost like a knight saving damsels in distress, yet his friend was accusing her of evil intent. "I didn't follow him. He found me wandering the moors and brought me here."

"And why were you wandering the moors?"

"My . . . husband . . ." Narcissa shivered. The breeze was growing chill, and the thought of Lucius made her colder yet.

"Your husband? What about your husband? He sent you to spy on us, didn't he?" The giant's huge green eyes flashed with anger.

"No! I would never do that."

"Then why are you in our valley?"

Narcissa looked about wildly. Surely somehow she could make the giant believe her? All she saw was the evening star, glinting cold and far away . . . And then she heard the tramp of many feet. The rest of the giants were approaching the stone table.

"Hagrid, look after your human," said the red-haired giant. "We'll deal with her after council is over." His voice rolled deep and ominous.

"Well, ma'am, I'm goin' to need ter borrow yer seat," said Hagrid. "Do you mind if I set yeh on the table?"

Narcissa did mind-- she was nearly petrified with fear-- but she couldn't find the voice to object as Hagrid climbed onto the great stone block and lifted her even higher. Meanwhile the giants were settling down; each one took a seat, leaving the place of honour to the red-haired giant. A female giant with white beads braided into her silvery hair set a huge lantern beside Narcissa. Its flame flickered, casting dark shadows on Narcissa's white dress.

"I now call this meeting to order," the red-haired giant said solemnly. "Is there any business before we begin our main discussion? No? Good. As you all know, for many years the resting place of Saint Murchad was desecrated by a human dwelling, and his sacred ravens had nowhere to nest. Recently this person Rubeus Hagrid came to us with promises of new consideration from the human government and the human Church. As a token of good faith, we asked him to free Saint Murchad's grave. He has done so."

The giants murmured. Together they sounded like thunder.

"However, Hagrid did not return from his mission alone," the giants' leader continued. "He brought with him a young storm raven-- clearly Murchad's blessing-- but he also brought something much more difficult to assess: the human woman you see before you."

Narcissa wished that she could shrink into shadow, somewhere, anywhere, but the lantern cast its light full upon her and her dress seemed to shine in the gathering night.

The giant was finishing his speech. "This council, then, has three decisions to make. First, we must find a way to care for the young raven. Second, we must respond to Hagrid's proposals. And third, we must decide what to do with the human woman Narcissa Malfoy."

Iris chose this moment to squawk loudly. Her noise was almost drowned, however, by the noise of seven giants trying to talk at once.

"Silence!" cried the red-haired giant. "One person at a time."

"I can look after the raven if you like, Ranald," a youngish female giant said. Her face was rather angular, but Narcissa did not think she looked unkind.

"Any objections?" asked the leader, Ranald. The mysterious stranger stroked Iris' feathers and looked unhappy. Narcissa sensed that he wanted to object very badly, but feared it would endanger his mission. How noble!

"Good, that's settled, then," said Ranald. "Next?"

"Why are we listening to this Hagrid's proposals at all?" the silver-haired giant demanded. She spoke forcefully, and the beads in her hair clattered as she talked. "The human government has never given us anything but trouble. Our only hope was with Lord Voldemort, before he lost all his influence."

"But he's evil!" Hagrid protested.

"How do we know that isn't propaganda, like all the things humans say about us?" answered the silver-haired giant. "If you ask me, the last trustworthy human was Saint Murchad, and he died more than a thousand years ago, may his bones rest easy. All we can do now is pick the man with the most to give us."

"Margreit's right," said yet another giant. He had straight dark hair and a grim expression. "Lord Voldemort promised us a bishop. All Hagrid has to offer is a bunch of toleration laws and the chance to be on the losing side."

A bishop? Narcissa thought. Voldemort promised them a bishop? But he had despised pixies, giants, elves, and every other supernatural being. She remembered him standing in the midst of a party, brushing his hair back from his face and laughing at . . . at the gullibility of giants. And then she heard his voice saying, "This will be perfectly safe," with just a glint of a laugh, as she handed him . . .

"No!" cried Narcissa.

Suddenly all of the giants were staring at her. Narcissa shook under the weight of so many angry eyes. "No, what?" asked their leader.

"No, you can't trust him," Narcissa said. "Voldemort lied to you."

"How do you know?"

"He told me."

The entire valley, the entire moor seemed to wait in silence for her next words.