Chapter 857 - Giant’s Rampage

The entire house fell silent as an unbelievable chill fell over the home. The smaller children shiver with unknown fear as their instincts scream at them to run and hide! The ȧduŀts suddenly find goosebumps scurrying across their flesh, while the tips of the hair on the back of their arms and neck stand up straight in sheer fright. There was something out there in the dark…

None of the ȧduŀts nor children in the house dare to move, but tears begin to well up in little Dora's natural light-colored eyes. Dora opens her little mouth to cry out to her mother, but Ronell without any hesitation scoops up the toddler and clamps his hand over the two-year-old's tiny mouth. Greatly startled, Dora does not cry out and blinks foolishly through her wet eyelashes up at her uncle unable to comprehend if this was some sort of new game. Uncertain, the little girl remains silent staring curiously at her uncle for the moment, (even though he was technically her cousin).

Charlie glances around in confusion, but Bilius without hesitation scoops Charlie up and winks at his nephew. He gently covers Charlie's mouth with his hand and winks again making the little boy think it was some sort of game. Charlie happily falls silent and intently waits for further instructions.

Bill shivers in place but does not dare move towards his mum. He glances at his mum, whose face is faced with worry and fear. She weakly smiles at him and puts her finger over her lips in a signal for him to remain quiet.

The ȧduŀts all slowly turn their heads towards the front of the house, where further down the hall to the still figures of Juliet D'Eath and her son, Lorcan, who are huddled together. Knowing that they had to move, Juliet bȧrėly moves her neck and whispers into her son's ear. "How many Lorcan?"

"A dozen or more," Lorcan's mauve lips bȧrėly moved in a whisper. "They're really BIG, mum. Not trolls, at all."

"Not Trolls?" Juliet thought to herself before her mind connects the dots. Her eyes grow wide as she forces her body not to gulp down the air in a panicked frenzy. It could only be GIANTS! Her eyes tremble in fear and worry, because like all wizarding children in her childhood she too had heard the tales of the fearsome, murderous giants. Existences that are so powerful that an alliance of man, wizardkind, goblin, and all manner of magical creature had been forged to defeat the giants in the last great giant war.

Juliet slowly turns her head and meets with the light-colored eyes of her beau, Bilius. Carefully, she mouths the word, "GIANTS," and sees his expression stiffen, before slowly nodding at her.

Bilius turns towards his brother and the rest of the ȧduŀts and mouths the word, "GIANTS," causing the ȧduŀts to stiffen in the room.

Before a plan of action can be determined, a loud pop is heard as the house elf, Dobby returns. Pulling out her wand, Druella hoarsely shouts, "Dobby, the children!" Before frantically throwing herself towards her daughter and Molly Weasley, and pulled the two young women towards her.

"Run!" She shouted causing them to reach for their wands except for Bilius and Ronnell, who hold out the two children for Dobby to take.

Dobby vanishes with Charlie and Dora, but leaves Bill behind, who is scooped by his Uncle Ignatius. Before they can hurry towards an exit, a roaring sound is heard as the house violently shakes causing the windows to shatter. The entire roof of the cottage is torn off as if it was part of a mere dollhouse.

An enormous humanoid creature over 20 feet tall looms over the cottage casting a dark shadow over them. The giant had bestial features including protruding sharp molars the glistened hungrily in the cold night. The giant moves far too nimbly for one of its size plunging its meaty fist into the cottage. Before anyone can react, the giant eagerly withdraws with its prize clutched firmly in it' meaty hand.

The small squirming form of Lucretia can clearly be seen held tightly in the giant's hand. Her wand lay useless on the ground having been dropped when she was fȯrċɨbŀƴ grabbed by the giant. Her arms are pinned to her side and she can only scream and shout in terror.

Without thinking, Ignatius reaches for his wand, before recalling the terrified child still held in his arms. With enough of a mind still left behind, he shoves the child towards Juliet D'Eath, who is rushing past him dragging her terrified son, Lorcan behind her. Juliet without hesitation avoids the burden being pushed toward her, but Lorcan releases his mum's hand and stretches out his hands to receive the terrified smaller child.

Juliet suddenly finds herself holding to air and panics whirling about. Too late, she sees Lorcan grab the five-year-old Bill. Bill instantly clings to Lorcan like a baby koala. Without another second to spare, she grabs her son and drags him again with Lorcan and Bill still clinging on to the older boy.

Bilius and Ronell hurriedly reached for their wands and had begun to attack the giant in an attempt to aid Ignatius in his endeavor to free his wife, Lucretia from the giant's grasp. The spells harmlessly bounce off the giant's skin without any effect. Juliet does not wait to see if their attacks are successful or not and instead points her wand at the nearest wall. "Bombero!" She screamed blasting an opening in the side of the house.

"Run!" Juliet paused to shout to those remaining inside the cottage, before tugging Lorcan away with Bill clinging to the older boy.

The night is freezing as their breaths leave warm puffs of air behind with every panicked breath. Following closely behind is Druella Black, who with unknown strength is dragging her daughter, Andromeda, and cousin-in-law by marriage, Molly Weasley behind her. Druella was not about to remain behind to help Lucretia. It was not that she wished death upon her in-law, but she knew that most magic is useless against giants. Their current best chance for survival was to run, and she had her daughter Andromeda to think of and her in-law by marriage, Molly Weasley. The two younger witches were pregnant and Druella would without hesitation choose the two of them over Lucretia Prewett (nee Black).

The snow crunches loudly in their ears as giant looming figures can be seen in the distance attacking the village of Fernburgh. Screams can be heard as houses are torn apart like dollhouses. The possessing magic attempt to fight and flee, while the muggles are helplessly taken away by the giants. A faint, terrible metallic scent is carried on the wind as the sounds of feasting Giants can be heard from the village. Loud popping sounds can be heard echoing down in the valley as the roar of Giant's abruptly is heard with the arrival of the Auror's in the distance. The village center is much too far away from their home for them to safely make a break in that direction.

The screaming of Lucretia abruptly ceases as a loud crunching sound is heard behind them. Juliet nor Druella dare to pause and look back as they hurry even faster forward and hold on even tighter to their charges being dragged after them. They instantly knew from the wails of anguish from Ignatius Prewett that Lucretia was dead. The scent of fresh blood wafts towards them causing Lorcan's eyes to widen in fear and Bill to bury his face deeper into Lorcan's shoulder.

Neither Juliet nor Druella ceased to move frantically dragging their charges towards the snow-covered hills. Behind them, Ignatius enraged by grief raises his wand to foolishly attack the giant again. "Evil fiend, face me!" He roared brandishing spell after spell that merely skimmed off the giant's flesh without causing any arm.

Bilius foolishly attempts to continue to aid Ignatius, but Ronell forcefully drags his brother away. Bilius tries to fight, but Ronell pulls at his brother's hair by force to make him move. Bilius is dragged away by his hair and helplessly watches Ignatius attacking fruitlessly until at long last a spell cuts into the flesh of the giant.

The giant lets out a roar of pain and raises his meaty fists high in the air, before bringing them down with full force. A thundering smash is heard as the Weasley home is smashed to the ground with a loud groan. As if puppet strings are abruptly cut, Bilius ceases to struggle against his brother. In horror and agony, he watches the giant smash the cottage to bits until nothing, but smithereens are left. The mangled corpse of Ignatius Prewett is indescribable beyond having become a red-smushed mangled carpet rug.

Seeing his brother no longer fighting, Ronell with great relief releases the hair of Bilius having pulled out of his brother's crimson hair. Without hesitation, he drags his stunned brother away by the collar quickly following the tracks of the women into the snow-covered hills. There are still children left to protect namely his nephew, Bill, and the boy, Lorcan, and not to mention their sister-in-law, Molly, and the others. Arthur would never forgive them if they allowed for anything to happen to Molly and nor would they forgive themselves. Molly was a wonderful sister-in-law, and they dearly cared for the wife of their youngest brother.

The giant clumsily wipes its hands clean of the red mush on its tattered, giant baggy pants. The giant snorts at the smell, before ŀɨċkɨnġ a large clump of flesh from his hand and making a face at the taste. The giant spits out the clump of flesh with a disgruntled expression, before its evil, beady eyes brighten up. It much preferred the taste of softer flesh especially those of females and children. Ignoring the two remaining human males, the giant hungrily moves forward towards the women and children trying to reach the village ward boundary to safely apperate away.

"Come now, Bilius. Now is not the time to have a nervous breakdown," Ronell hissed loudly at his older brother.

"They are all dead," Bilius numbly gasped in sheer shellshock.

"Wake up!" Ronell growled trying to shake his brother awake, before resorting to slapping him with all his might across the face.

Bilius slowly seems to wake up after the third painful slap. With bright red handprints on his face, Bilius bȧrėly dodges the next slap and weakly scowls at his younger brother.

"Good, you're finally awake!" Ronell impatiently hissed, before releasing his brother and hurrying forward.. "Come on!" He hissed as an alarmed expression grows on Bilius's face as he recalls his beloved Juliet and her son, Lorcan! The two men try to hurry through the snow-covered ground that shakes with each of the giant's steps causing them to slip and slide across the frozen ground.