https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-694-The-Half-Giant-and-the-Death-Eaters/12539183/
Chapter 693: War Machines, Fire Dragons Lead the Way
Chapter 693: War Machines, Fire Dragons Lead the Way
Miss Maxim couldn't understand why Hagrid was so happy, nor could she fathom how he associated the menacing fire-breathing dragon before them with a "well-behaved child."
Where on earth had she seen or even heard of a fifteen-foot-tall 'child' that breathed fire?
Meanwhile, Norberta let out a low growl upon seeing Newt's Hungarian Horntail, and the sentiment was mutual.
Among fire-breathing dragons, both the Norwegian Ridgeback and the Hungarian Horntail had reputations for their fiery tempers. A mere glance in their direction might provoke them to engage in a three-day-long battle.
It was simply in their nature.
Additionally, Norberta had bullied Norbert when he was younger, and those unpleasant memories resurfaced upon their reunion.
Norbert's growls grew louder, and it seemed he might pounce on the Horntail at any moment.
The Hungarian Horntail, perched atop a higher branch, looked down at Norbert with disdain.
In its prime, the Horntail paid no heed to Norbert, whom it considered a reckless youth.
"That's enough, Hagrid. We have more important matters to attend to." With a gentle pat on the Horntail's wing, Newt caused it to turn its head away.
Meanwhile, Kyle soothed Norbert, who was also raring to fight.
"What do we do now?"
"Leave it to them," Newt replied. "Two fire-breathing dragons are enough to throw the giants into disarray."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Hungarian Horntail took to the skies, followed closely by Norbert, eager to not be outdone.
The two fire-breathing dragons charged toward the marching giants.
Unconcerned about stealth, the giants naturally noticed this display and came to a halt. They waved their wooden clubs and battle-axes at the dragons above while shouting loudly.
However, the dragons paid them no mind. No matter how loudly the giants roared, they couldn't fly, rendering them powerless.
As the dragons approached their targets, two streams of scorching dragonfire rained down upon the giants, a clear show of force.
The already disorderly giant tribe descended into further chaos as they jostled each other to escape the fiery downpour, seeking safer ground.
A helmeted giant, standing at least twenty feet tall and wielding a long-handled battle-axe, bellowed in an attempt to calm the unruly tribe, but to no avail.
Enraged, he picked up a sharpened tree trunk and hurled it at the dragons above.
Norbert nimbly dodged the projectile with a swift turn, then spat a massive fireball directly at his attacker.
Soon, the giants scattered in all directions, and with the dragons' deliberate herding, Golgomath was completely isolated from the main group.
However, the giants gradually calmed down from their initial panic, and some of the smarter ones began throwing their weapons, mimicking Golgomath's earlier actions.
Now, the two dragons found it challenging to dodge, and to make matters worse, there were flashes of spell light among the projectiles, indicating that the Death Eaters in their midst had joined the fray.
"That should be enough."
Newt, who had been observing the battlefield from the hilltop, spoke softly. "There are too many giants. This disruption will suffice."
He whistled, and the Hungarian Horntail, sensing his signal, turned around and flew back toward them. As it passed by Norbert, it swatted him on the head with its wing, a reminder that it was time to retreat.
After ensuring their safety, Newt vanished from his perch using Disillusionment and reappeared before the giant, Golgomath.
"Stop!"
He manipulated the dirt and stones on the ground to form a fifteen-foot-tall "dirt giant," successfully capturing Golgomath's attention.
"Are you declaring war on wizards?" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the valley. "Go back to your tribes..."
In response, Golgomath let out a furious roar and swung his battle-axe, cleaving the "dirt giant" in two.
Then, a red and green spell shot from a distance, reducing the remaining half of the dirt body to smithereens.
"It seems persuasion won't work..." Kyle appeared just in time to steady Newt, who had nearly stumbled.
Miss Maxim also arrived, wand at the ready, warily scanning their surroundings.
"Are you alright, Mr. Scamander?"
"I'm fine," Newt replied with a sigh. "I really didn't want it to come to this, but Golgomath is determined to wage war..."
Newt waved his wand, and the stones and dirt on the ground began to gather once more.
"I'll lure him elsewhere... Kyle, Miss Maxim, cast the Fog Spell as widely as you can. I can't take on too many giants at once..."
"Yes!" Miss Maxim immediately waved her wand.
A layer of white fog enveloped the valley, and the giants in the distance gradually became obscured from view.
But the next second, a gust of wind blew, thinning the mist, and they heard an angry voice shouting.
"What are you all standing around for? Get over here and help!"
Several giants immediately ran in their direction.
Kyle, who was standing nearby, paused for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a round bead. He crushed it with force.
Thick, billowing white fog erupted from the shattered bead, engulfing the entire valley in seconds, draining the world of color. It was far more efficient than Miss Maxim's spell.
He had been prepared for a long battle, but he hadn't expected such a big surprise from Kyle in the blink of an eye.
The giants' sense of direction was already poor, and this dense fog was enough to disorient them.
"Ah, the Mist Pearl," Kyle said. "I bought it from Dervish and Banges in Hogsmeade. Unfortunately, this was the last one, and I don't know if there are any new ones in stock."
"If there are, we should buy more," Newt said. He took a deep breath and quickly located Golgomath by scent.
"Alright, now you'd better back off."
"Wait," Kyle interrupted him and asked softly, "Can I give it a try?"
"What do you mean?"
"I want to take on this giant," Kyle said. "Since we're preparing for war, I can't just stand by and do nothing."
"No, you don't have enough experience with giants..."
Before Newt could finish his sentence, Kyle had already waved his wand.
The stones on the ground transformed into a spear and lunged toward the giant.
The spear seemed to hit something and emitted a dull thud.
"Roar!"
A furious roar echoed from the distance.
"Muffliato!"
Kyle cast another spell to prevent the giant from locating them through sound.
The Muffliato Charm filled the ears of anyone outside a certain range with an unidentifiable buzzing sound.
Kyle had tested it during his free time, and it worked on Norberta as well, since it wasn't a direct attack spell but rather a creation of an environment, similar to the Fog Spell. It manipulated sound instead of sight.
Therefore, the Fire Dragon's scales were useless against it, and it was likely the same for the giants.
It must be said that using the Muffliato Charm in conjunction with the Mist Pearl was an excellent combination.
At this point, Newt also refrained from objecting further. He looked at Kyle and asked, "What's your plan?"
"The best option would be the Blasting Curse," Kyle said casually. "When dealing with magical creatures, this curse is often more effective than the Killing Curse."
Even Newt had to admit that Kyle was right.
For some large magical creatures, the Killing Curse wasn't particularly powerful... Even the infamous dark wizard from decades ago or Dumbledore himself couldn't have killed an adult Fire Dragon with a single curse.
Not to mention Kyle, who wasn't even seventeen yet.
But the Blasting Curse was different...
The conjured blast of magic would continue to intensify over time, with no apparent limit. Given enough time, it could easily engulf and consume this entire valley of giants.
"If possible, I'd advise against it," Newt said. "The Blasting Curse is considered Dark Magic, and frequent use isn't a good thing. It can subtly lure you into a fascination with its destructive power, and one day, you may find yourself unable to control it anymore."
"Of course, if the situation is dire, then it's a different story."
"I know," Kyle nodded. "So, I have another plan."
He looked up, and through the thick mist, he could vaguely make out the giant's silhouette.
"Stunning Spell!"
Kyle waved his wand tentatively, and as expected, the Stunning Spell was deflected off the giant's body.
Their skin was as hard as rocks... no, harder than rocks.
However, this action angered the giant, who sensed Kyle's location and swung the battle-axe in his hand. The axe whistled through the air and crashed less than a foot away from where Kyle stood.
Kyle took a step back and tried other spells.
But whether it was the Impediment Jinx, the Cutting Curse, the Blasting Curse, or the more powerful Sectumsempra, none of them worked.
The Sectumsempra, capable of easily slicing through rocks, merely made the giant roar in pain before continuing to swing its axe as if nothing had happened.
Of course, this might also be due to Kyle's inability to find the right spot... But he had no choice. The white fog restricted not only the giant but also himself.
He could barely make out the giant's vague outline and had no way to accurately target its weak spots.
"Confringo!"
After casting another Blasting Curse and seeing that the giant was still unscathed, Kyle panted heavily.
After a twenty-minute stalemate, Kyle realized that he couldn't seem to breach the giant's defenses, and he was starting to feel a bit vulnerable himself.
He had expected the giants to be tough, but not to this extent, as if no spell could affect them.
The giant also seemed to be getting frustrated. It roared and swung its axe as if swatting away an annoying insect.
This time, Kyle didn't renew the Muffliato Charm, mainly because after the prolonged battle, he wasn't sure of his current location. He knew that he had been running and chasing the giant for twenty minutes, probably far from their original position.
At that moment, a creature resembling a fluffy Bludger suddenly leaped out of the mist and landed on Kyle's shoulder, followed by the appearance of Newt.
"How's it going...?" Newt asked with a hint of amusement. "This is the first time I've seen Kyle at a disadvantage, and it's quite interesting."
"This guy is like a mountain," Kyle panted. "How were the giants defeated in the previous war?"
"No," Newt shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, it should've been a group of stone statues."
"Stone statues?"
"Yes, a group of statues that were also impervious to spells and incredibly strong," Newt explained. "Just as the giants were about to reach Hogsmeade, these statues suddenly appeared and surrounded them, killing the giants outside the village."
"The ones from the school?" Kyle recalled a spell that could animate the statues in Hogwarts, but only a handful of professors knew how to use it.
"Probably. Everyone who saw those statues said they looked familiar," Newt added.
"Alright." Newt turned and said, "The fog is thinning, so I'll take care of the rest. We must finish this quickly before the fog fully dissipates, or it'll be more troublesome."
"Give me three more minutes, just three," Kyle said. "I just wanted to test the giant's strength earlier; I didn't mean to make it seem like I had no other options."
"Are you thinking of using Fiendfyre?" Newt raised an eyebrow.
"No, I have another idea."
"Alright, then." Newt glanced at the thinning white fog surrounding them and said, "You have three minutes. After that, I'll take over."
"No problem."
Kyle immediately took out the box and reminded him, "Remember to close your eyes or move further away."
"You wouldn't..." Newt's lips twitched.
But before he could finish his sentence, a scaly head poked out of the box, causing Newt to quickly avert his gaze.
Meanwhile, Giant Golgomath seemed to sense some kind of threat and started swinging his axe with even greater force.
"Go! It's time for you to stretch your limbs!"
Upon receiving Kyle's command, the Serpentine Beast charged out.
At the same time, Kyle extended his wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Golgomath's axe froze in mid-air, and he instinctively tried to grab it, but Kyle had already controlled the axe to fly further away.
Taking advantage of the giant's distraction, the Serpentine Beast reached his legs and bit down hard.
The skin that had stumped Kyle was like tofu to the Serpentine Beast's venomous fangs, easily penetrated.
Golgomath roared in pain and started pounding the Serpentine Beast with his fists. The deadly poison that would have been devastating to wizards seemed to only slow the giant's movements slightly.
The heavy blows rained down on the Serpentine Beast, causing it to let out painful hisses. It opened its mouth and quickly coiled around the giant's body, climbing upward with all its might.
The fifty-foot-long Serpentine Beast was not something even the giant chief Golgomath could easily shake off. Instinctively, he lowered his head to try and pull the beast off his body.
However, as he lowered his head, he found himself staring into a pair of golden eyes.
For a moment, Golgomath's movements froze.
As the white fog continued to thin out, even Kyle, standing at a distance, could clearly see that Golgomath's feet had turned a grayish-white color, and this petrification was slowly creeping up his legs.
"Is that it?"
Kyle was incredulous. The Serpentine Beast's gaze had only managed to petrify the giant's feet... and it wasn't even true petrification, as the giant could still move, albeit much slower than before. The grayish-white color stopped spreading at his ankles.
"This is so unfair," Kyle muttered, feeling a bit helpless. While he had anticipated this outcome, he was still shocked by the giants' thick skin and sturdy physique.
These giants were born to be living shields. If they stood in a line, they would form an impenetrable defensive wall.
No wonder both Dumbledore and Voldemort wanted to recruit giants; they were indeed natural-born war machines.
There was one last resort, and if that didn't work, he would have to resort to Fiendfyre.
Kyle exhaled and raised his wand.
One by one, magical words floated out from the tip of his wand.
The surrounding air seemed to heat up suddenly, and tiny flames appeared out of thin air, dancing around Kyle.
These flames merged and transformed into an ocean of fire that raged and swirled around him.
The scorching fire seemed to dispel even the thick fog, and the surroundings became clearer.
Golgomath struggled even more violently.
"Come back!" Kyle said softly.
The Serpentine Beast quickly slithered down from Golgomath's body and swiftly returned to the box a short distance away.
Golgomath wanted to run, but his petrified legs were no longer as agile as before, and the Serpentine Beast's venom was also taking effect. He could only stagger clumsily, looking like he was drunk.
Kyle waved his arms, manipulating the sea of fire around him, and finally pointed his wand at Golgomath...
"Bombarda Maxima!"
The raging fire, on the verge of exploding, found a release, surging toward Golgomath and engulfing him.
The resulting scream was even more piercing than before, interspersed with strange roars. Before Kyle could make out what those roars meant, they abruptly stopped.
When the flames died down, Golgomath lay on the ground, completely unconscious.
Kyle stumbled forward and pointed his wand at the giant's neck.
"Wait..."
"Sectumsempra!"
...
(End of Chapter)
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