When Myths Meet Magic || 6

1|| Hazel

Hazel sprinted across the field as the tree she was hiding behind was uprooted with a roar. She flicked her wand and a barrage of knives materialized out of thin air and launched at the giant. They peppered his forearm, slashing it open and he howled in pain, swiping another few trees to the ground.

Dust showered to the ground and was swept around her like a storm by the breeze.

As the giant reared back again, preparing to strike, Hazel fired a flock of birds at him, obscuring his vision.

"NOW!" she shouted.

From behind trees, Tonks and Lupin stepped out, letting ropes fly from their wands. They wrapped around the thrashing giant and began pulling him to the ground. Hazel lifted her hand and the ground swallowed up the giant until only his neck was showing.

Lupin wiped his forehead, which shone with sweat. "Nice work," he said.

"Thanks." Hazel approached the struggling giant warily and nudged his ear with her foot. "Well, we finally got one alive."

"Let me go!" the giant roared. "You puny wizards!"

The three wizards looked at the giant strangely.

"If we're so puny, why are we the ones looking down at you?" said Tonks.

The giant's head moved violently, as if his body was thrashing around beneath the earth as well, but the ground hardened to rock beneath their feet.

Tonks clasped her hands and beamed at the newly arrived duo. "Now, shall we get this thing back to the K-House?" she said.

Easier said than done. The mansion-like residence of Kingsley Shacklebolt was quite some distance away and they had gone to a remote land of nature that no one bothered to look up on a map. After a short debate, they settled for apparating to the nearest park with the giant bound, floating, and unconscious above their heads. With help from Hazel, the giant appeared to be a large cluster of balloons that read: "Happy 15th Birthday!" and "Celebrate!" and "Birthday girl!" and some with withering decals of more balloons and cake.

"Oh, for me?" Leo squealed as the door swung open. He spread his arms as if he wanted a group hug. "You shouldn't have!"

"Oh, be quiet," Hazel laughed. "Where's that thing you said you made?"

Leo put his hand up in a gesture for them to wait and vanished inside. He returned wheeling a large washing-machine.

"In here," he said proudly."

The Mist curtain fell and the four of them began to shove the giant headfirst into the opening. He shrank as he was pushed in until he was nearly the size of Leo, and then smaller than Leo to a size that could only be described as a large Crookshanks.

"Perfect!" said Leo as they looked at their handiwork. "Let's bring this bad boy up!"

The washing machine rattled noisily as they dragged it to the kitchen. Leo gave it a few hearty kicks to grab everyone's attention as they entered.

"Look what we've got here!" he cried.

"Is it food?" said Thalia.

"Nope."

"Then I'm not interested."

Annabeth leaned across the table curiously. "You caught one alive?"

"We did," said Lupin before Leo could say anything.

The members of the Order that were present at the table gathered around the rather large machine and looked down into the circular opening.

"Delightful," Piper remarked dryly and averted her eyes from the giant's loinclothed bottom.

Mad-Eye Moody flicked his sleeves back and pointed his wand at the giant. "Tell me," he growled. "What do you know of Voldemort's plans?"

The giant kicked his shrunken legs. "Lemme ouut!" He howled. "I dunno nut'tn!"

"How many other giants are out there?" Moody barked. "Where are they?"

"Lemme alone!"

"Is there a way to speak to the top side of him?" Hazel asked. "I'd rather not hear anything coming from here."

"Yeah, let me just spin it around —"

Leo reached for a knob and twisted it. There was a low grinding noise; the washing machine began to tremble as if it was starting another load and it began to spin violently, faster and faster and faster until suddenly, it stopped. The giant, which had been a blur, was now a pile of golden dust with a torn loincloth in the middle.

Everyone groaned.

"That was an emergency mechanism!" Leo yelped to their stares.

"This one was stupid anyway," said Will optimistically. "Next giant we find'll have answers."

"But we won't be able to find one before we leave," Jason reminded them. "Hogwarts term starts in nearly a week."

"Well maybe for you, mate," said Fred from his perch on the glossy marble counter. "But George 'n Leo 'n I'll be free."

"It's been a party, staying in Diagon Alley," said George with a grin. "You should drop out of school too. Not much to learn in sixth and seventh year except the exceedingly specific spells that you'll probably never use."

Lupin looked at them disapprovingly but the twins just smiled back.

"Mum's still at home so she isn't here to tell us off."

"We are not dropping out of school," said Annabeth sternly.

"Why not?" Thalia argued. "We'd be much more help to the Order around than at Hogwarts!"

"I'm going to have to disagree with you there, again," said Lupin. "Sixth and seventh years are very important. And you still need to watch over Harry."

"We've been watching over him for five years," Nico muttered. "And so far he's gotten into some real crap so I'd say we're not doing anything."

"Besides, Dumbledore needs you at Hogwarts," Lupin continued, raising his voice over Nico's grumble.

"Needs us to do what?" asked Percy. "It better not be those private lessons with Snape Harry had last year."

"Well, I think first he wants you all to improve your studies," said Kingsley sternly. The undercover auror had entered the kitchen without anyone noticing. "Your O.W.L.s came today."

"Our owls?" said Piper. "Barely any of us have pets. Annabeth's got Mia and Nico's got Bianca, but that's it."

"Your O.W.L.s. You tested for them at the end of last year."

Annabeth jumped up and shrieked, "Our O.W.L.s?"

"Yes, that's what I said."

"Oh, why didn't you tell us?"

As Kingsley left to retrieve them, Frank whispered to Hazel: "What I want to know is how the owls knew we were here. We've been moving around the entire summer."

"I think Dumbledore's the one who sends them," Hazel whispered back.

"Where is Dumbledore, anyway?" asked Will. "Isn't he a part of the Order?"

Moody had been silently sipping from his flask but now he coughed. "Dumbledore's got more important matters than just hunting down rouge magical creatures," he growled. "Like hunting down rogue and stubborn wizards."

"Did Harry run away again?" said Thalia tiredly.

"No, he was looking for your new professor."

"I hope this person isn't as bad as our past Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers," Percy muttered.

Lupin cleared his throat.