Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 692: The Giant's Crisis - Novel Cool

Chapter 692: The Giant's Crisis

Chapter 692: The Giant's Crisis

Early the next morning, Fred and George stormed back to St. Kajibor Village, so furious that they hadn't even stopped for breakfast.

However, they did not get to see Kyle as they had hoped.

"What, he's gone out?"

"Yes, just about ten minutes ago," Chris said. "Mr. Scamander thought it was time for Kyle to broaden his horizons, so he took him out during this holiday."

He opened the door for the two of them. "You probably haven't had breakfast yet."

"No, we..."

Before Fred could finish his sentence, a peculiar aroma tickled his nostrils. It smelled like grilled steak, but there was also an indescribable fragrance to it—like dew in the morning or freshly picked fruit.

Unconsciously, the two were drawn into the house as if their noses were being tugged.

Chris waved his wand with a smile, and two steaming, fragrant steaks floated out from the kitchen, landing on the empty plates on the dining table.

"It's the hind legs of a Giant-horned Beast, also the favorite food of the black dragons of the Hershidili Islands."

Chris explained with a smile, "You won't find this creature in Britain. Mr. Scamander brought it especially, so give it a try and see how you like it."

"Then we won't stand on ceremony." Fred and George sat down at the table and couldn't resist cutting off a piece of steak and popping it into their mouths.

It was indeed delicious. Forget about the black dragons of Hershidili liking it; they loved it too.

In almost the blink of an eye, half of the steak had vanished.

"What are we doing here..." Fred felt that he should be asking something, but the words escaped him as soon as they reached his mouth, along with the steak.

Never mind, forget it. Let's just eat...

...

Meanwhile, Kyle had also followed Newt to a remote place where peaks stretched as far as the eye could see. They were currently standing at the summit of one such mountain.

"South of Romania..." Newt pointed in the direction they were facing. "If we keep going straight from here, we'll enter Bulgaria. I've traveled this path several times and remember it clearly."

Kyle glanced at him and said slowly, "So this isn't an officially marked route, is it?"

"At least the door key we're using was obtained through legitimate means."

Newt casually tucked a brooch into his pocket and sighed, "It's really great. Back then, I had a hard time getting my hands on certain specific door keys. I even received counterfeits and spent a lot of galleons, only to end up in a completely different place."

Kyle knew he was referring to his experiences from decades ago when he traveled the world sending magical creatures. He asked curiously, "What happened to the person who sold you the fake keys? Didn't you go after him?"

"Of course, I did, but I couldn't find him." Newt said, "That's normal, though. After all, reselling door keys is illegal, and they never stay in one place for too long.

"But I heard that the person seemed to have done something and suddenly became a hero in their country one day."

Kyle struggled to keep a straight face... It was rare even in the wizarding world to hear about someone who sold counterfeits becoming a national hero... But if it involved door keys and it happened to Newt, it didn't seem so puzzling anymore.

After all, by doing so, he had inadvertently spared his country a potential disaster... The title of hero didn't seem too far-fetched.

"How did you find out?" Kyle continued to ask, "Did he write to you?"

"No, I heard about it from other people who also dealt in door keys, and he seemed to have returned the galleons to me... I dare say the owl carrying the galleons flew for at least a month. By the time it found me, it was just skin and bones, poor thing."

Newt didn't seem inclined to dwell on the stories of his youth. He looked around as if searching for someone...

"That's odd. Dumbledore said the person responsible for meeting us should be nearby, and we'd recognize her at first sight... Where is she?"

"It seems you are the people I've been waiting for." Suddenly, a deep voice sounded from behind the two of them.

Newt turned around and then looked up to see the speaker in her entirety.

It was Madame Maxime of Beauxbatons, and her nearly ten-foot height made her unmistakable.

"Oh, what an impressive Disillusionment Charm."

"Although I'd like to accept your compliment, I actually used a Glamour Charm. My real self is in another location."

Madame Maxime smiled and said, "I'm afraid there's no one in the wizarding world more skilled in Disillusionment Charms than you, Mr. Scamander. If I had used that spell, I would surely have been discovered."

Newt smiled but didn't say anything.

At this moment, Kyle also noticed that there was something like a mirror hidden under Madame Maxime's feet. However, it had gone unnoticed by them earlier as it was concealed by a pile of leaves.

Shortly after, with a faint explosion, the real Madame Maxime arrived. She extended her hand and said,

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Scamander. Your works have always been the most important textbooks at Beauxbatons."

"The pleasure is mine." Newt shook her hand.

"And you, Kyle, it's nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Madame Maxime."

"You're too humble..." Madame Maxime shook her head. "Normally, the French Ministry of Magic wouldn't hire a sixth-year student, and I assume it's the same in Britain."

"I really regret not knocking you out and taking you with me back then," she said half-jokingly. "But now your identity is different, and if I did that now, it would cause an international incident."

Kyle tugged at the corner of his mouth and quickly changed the subject. "So, what are we doing here?"

"Oh, don't you know?" Madame Maxime looked at Newt with interest. "Haven't you told him yet?"

"I forgot," Newt admitted, tapping his head. "Well, it's not too late to tell you now. We're here mainly because of the giants."

"Giants?" Kyle exclaimed, now understanding why Madame Maxime was the one assigned to meet them instead of Hagrid.

"Tell us about the current situation," Newt said.

"It's quite tricky," Madame Maxime's voice turned grave. "I've been keeping an eye on their movements, and their leader, Gagog, has fully sided with the Death Eaters. Recently, he's been leading the tribe to migrate, and from their direction, it seems their destination is Britain."

"They've already started?" Newt frowned. "Why so soon?"

"Because of the Death Eaters," Madame Maxime explained. "Yesterday, a Death Eater in a black robe visited Gagog in his mountain cave, and that night, they began their migration."

"We must stop them," Newt said solemnly. "Otherwise, the Muggle villages along their path will be in danger."

"One has already been destroyed," Madame Maxime sighed. "Hagrid and I just finished relocating the Muggles, and the giants trampled the village to the ground."

Hearing this, Newt wasted no more time and prepared to rush off.

But Madame Maxime signaled for him to hold off.

"We've already checked, and there aren't any other villages in their immediate path. And Hagrid is keeping an eye on them. If there's any trouble, he'll contact me right away."

"No, you're wrong," Newt said seriously. "Giants are naturally violent. They will actively seek out and move towards places with signs of life, instead of taking the shortest route."

Madame Maxime did not doubt the truth of Newt's words. If anyone knew more about giants than her, it was the man standing before her. So, without further ado, she quickened her pace.

"Follow me, they're not far from here..."

Along the way, Newt noticed Kyle's persistent confusion and asked, "Are you wondering why you're here?"

"Yes," Kyle nodded.

Logically, if Newt were to look for helpers, his father, Chris, would be the first choice. That's what they had done in the past.

"That's because Chris is too conspicuous," Newt explained. "If he suddenly disappeared from the Ministry of Magic, the Death Eaters might guess that we're planning something with the giants, and they could send more people over, including other members of the Order of the Phoenix.

"But you're different. Your profile isn't as high, so even if you disappear for a while, it won't attract the Death Eaters' attention."

...So, I'm just not important enough? Kyle pursed his lips. While what Newt said made sense, he couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.

Who's he to look down on me...

However, Kyle soon thought of something else and asked, "But what about yesterday at the station? Didn't a lot of people see you there? Won't that be a problem?"

"Of course not," Newt smiled. "In fact, by now, the 'me' in Britain is already on his way to the Black Forest."

"The Black Forest?"

"Yes, the place where the werewolves made their last appearance," Newt said. "Although they pose a problem too, the giants are a bigger concern."

"And the reason I asked you to come along isn't primarily for help. With Madame Maxime and Hagrid here, we already have enough manpower."

"Then why am I here?" Kyle asked, perplexed.

"Mainly, I wanted you to get a head start on adapting to war," Newt said. "We discussed it, and we all agreed that it would be necessary for you to get used to this kind of situation before the real war begins. And Chris agreed as well."

"Did my mom agree too?" Kyle asked subconsciously.

For some reason, Newt didn't answer this question. Instead, he awkwardly changed the subject. "In fact, what you're doing now is what Chris and Diana did back then...

"They faced giants, trolls, werewolves... They kept most of the dark creatures away from the battlefield. Otherwise, the outcome of the last war would have been much more devastating."

"That's right," Madame Maxime, who was walking ahead, said seriously. "In war, dark creatures can play a much bigger role than they do in peacetime... Oh, we're here."

As she spoke, another massive figure suddenly leaped out from the side, holding a huge stone bow with its string pulled taut.

"Sorry, Olympe," Hagrid said, then asked, "Has the person Professor Dumbledore mentioned arrived?"

"They're here." Madame Maxime sidestepped, revealing Newt and Kyle standing behind her.

"Mr. Scamander, I knew it was you, and Kyle as well...

"Huh? Wait..."

Hagrid was taken aback for a moment before suddenly realizing something. "Kyle, why are you here? Did you sneak along? Go back right now!"

"No, Hagrid," Newt interjected. "I brought Kyle, and Professor Dumbledore agreed to it."

"What?" Hagrid exclaimed in disbelief. "He's still a student... Are all the members of the Order of the Phoenix dead? How can you bring a student who hasn't graduated yet to such a dangerous place? Giants aren't like beasts; they're far more dangerous than most Death Eaters."

"I'm well aware of that," Newt replied calmly and confidently. "But our goal this time isn't to kill all the giants. With us here, Kyle won't encounter any danger."

"Hmm..." Hagrid hesitated for a moment, then relented without saying anything further. He turned to Kyle and cautioned, "Make sure to stay close to me later and don't wander off."

Kyle readily agreed.

"Where are they, Hagrid?" Madame Maxime asked.

"Over there." Hagrid pointed to a valley not far away. "Because of the Death Eaters following them, I didn't dare get too close, but we can observe them just fine from here."

The three of them followed his finger and looked in the indicated direction.

Just as Hagrid had said, they didn't need to be close to observe the giants' movements... because they were simply too conspicuous.

Several dozen giants were traveling together, and even from several miles away, their actions were clearly visible.

In the distant valley, a group of giants was advancing at an incredible speed. They seemed to be moving slowly, but their strides were long, so they were actually covering ground much faster.

"What should we do now?" Hagrid asked. "The last time Olympe and I came, the negotiations fell apart. Gagog, the giant, doesn't trust us. If we meet him again, there will definitely be a fight, and we won't stand a chance against so many giants."

"We don't need to deal with all the giants," Newt said, observing the mountain with a serious expression. "It seems that some of them are reluctant to be there."

"That's right," Hagrid nodded. "About half of the giants are unhappy with Gagog's rule and don't want to oppose the wizards, but they are physically weaker and can't rebel."

"That makes things simpler." Newt pondered for a moment. "As long as we find a way to deal with Gagog, they will have to return to the tribe and choose a new leader.

"As long as the new leader refuses to cooperate with the Death Eaters, this giant crisis will be resolved."

"That won't be easy," Madame Maxime worriedly remarked. "He's at least twenty feet tall. And the giants stick together, so we can't separate them. If we want to kill him, we'll have to take on all the giants."

"We have to try," Newt insisted, then turned to Kyle. "Do you have your case with you?"

"Of course," Kyle replied.

Of course, he had brought his case with him on this long journey.

"Good." Newt also took out a case and said meaningfully, "Giants and fire dragons are natural enemies. The flames spat by fire dragons are the thing they hate the most. To create chaos among the giants, this is our best bet."

"I understand." Kyle nodded and also took out a case.

Then, to Madame Maxime's disbelief, two massive adult fire dragons appeared out of thin air before her.

"Oh, Merlin..." She stared at the two behemoths, her eyes wide, and took two involuntary steps back.

Hagrid, on the other hand, was entranced, and he even wanted to step forward and touch the shimmering scales that glistened in the sunlight.

"Hungarian Tree Bees, and Norwegian Ridgebacks... Nor... Norber?"

Hagrid suddenly paused, feeling that the Norwegian Ridgeback before him looked very familiar.

In response, a joyful snort greeted his ears.

Evidently, Norber had recognized Hagrid and greeted him out of habit.

However, it seemed to have forgotten that it had grown larger since their last encounter.

Previously, when it greeted Hagrid, it could only exhale a small flame, but now...

Two scorching columns of fire descended from the sky. Fortunately, Madame Maxime was quick-witted and kicked Hagrid to the side.

"Are you crazy, Hagrid?" she scolded. "That's a fire dragon!"

"It's alright, Olympe," Hagrid said, dusting himself off as he stood up. "This is a fire dragon I hatched myself. I think it doesn't mean any harm; it's just too excited to see me and forgot to be careful."

"Oh... it remembers me, little Norber," Hagrid said happily.

(End of Chapter)

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