The giants' feast was not proving popular. Harry glanced around. Malfoy poked listlessly at the blood-soaked, unsalted roast, while Cassandra and Nagini hadn't touched it at all. Tom, meanwhile, was openly enjoying the sweets he'd pilfered from Dumbledore. No one, it seemed, could stomach the giants' fare.
"Tom, me too." Cassandra rarely indulged in sweets, but this felt like a special occasion. Nagini remained silent, but Tom sensed her appetite as well. He promptly produced several packets of candy, tossing them to his companions.
Harry was about to speak when Malfoy, wearing a fawning grin, sidled up. "Sir, hehe…"
Tom spared Malfoy a glance before tossing him a packet of sweets as well. Harry braced himself, and sure enough, another packet of lemon-flavored Olaf landed in his lap. He, too, had received his "initial supply" courtesy of Dumbledore.
Tom, munching on his snacks, deliberately avoided Harry's gaze. Still so naive.
The others, meanwhile, were wondering just how much candy Tom had managed to liberate from Dumbledore. Perhaps this was it. Or perhaps…
...
Far away at Hogwarts, Dumbledore…
"Hehehe…"
Taking advantage of Minerva McGonagall's distraction and the fact that he wouldn't be reprimanded for overindulging, Dumbledore quietly sought out his "treasure trove."
"I distinctly recall replenishing my stock from Honeydukes just days ago…" He opened the container, only to find it… empty!
"…"
Dumbledore was silent for a long moment. "A thief!!!"
...
Back in the Scottish Highlands, atop the mountain where the ancient evil "slept," in the heart of the giants' tribe…
"Look!" Hagrid excitedly presented a "small" giant to Tom and the others. "This is my brother! Grop!"
"Huh… oops…" Grop offered a blank greeting, waving a massive hand and struggling to form a coherent word. Clearly, Hagrid had been coaching him for some time.
"Sorry, he doesn't speak English yet," Hagrid said, his enthusiasm undeterred. "Luckily, I can converse in Giantspeak; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to talk to Grop."
Harry and the others eyed the giant, who towered even over Hagrid, and cautiously approached to attempt communication.
"Grop is like me; because he's too short, he's often disliked and bullied by the other giants," Hagrid said, his exuberance fading. "He's not doing well here; even Fridwulfa doesn't care for him."
"…"
Hearing Hagrid's words, Nagini regarded him with a measure of suspicion. She sensed that Hagrid had an ulterior motive; he hadn't brought Grop to them merely for introductions.
"I want to take him back to Hogwarts," Hagrid said, glancing at Tom, and attempting to gauge his reaction, but Tom's expression remained unreadable. "Tom, do you think I should do this?"
"How am I supposed to know? Do as you please." Tom clearly didn't want to be involved.
Hagrid remained troubled. "But the school… will they accept Grop?"
"I am not the headmaster," Tom said, casting a glance at Grop, who appeared somewhat bewildered and timid, even startled by some of Harry and the others' movements. "But this one does not seem likely to cause trouble. You can always ask Dumbledore when you return."
"But will the students' parents really feel comfortable having a giant near the school?"
"No way." This time, Nagini spoke up. "So you will have to watch him closely."
Nagini did not object to taking Grop back. Hagrid, understanding this, breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that while neither wizard had explicitly agreed, neither had outright refused. He also understood that Tom and the others were only indulging him because they didn't particularly care.
But that was enough to make Hagrid happy.
A giant… while certainly less impressive than Tom's dragon, boar, or basilisk, it was still a powerful creature. Even with a full staff of professors at the school, Hagrid doubted the students' parents would be entirely at ease. The Zouwu that frequented the Forbidden Forest was one thing; it was, after all, Tom's pet.
But he wasn't Tom.
Even if Dumbledore truly agreed, Hagrid anticipated considerable opposition. Unless Tom intervened, but he didn't want to trouble Tom. Therefore, it was best to hide Grop in the Forbidden Forest for the time being, assuming, of course, that Dumbledore agreed.
Hagrid nodded, having made up his mind. "I'll ask Professor Dumbledore."
"…"
Tom remained silent; he knew Dumbledore wouldn't refuse. Because the old fool, like himself, didn't take a giant seriously—especially a "stunted" giant. They were confident in their ability to protect the Hogwarts students under any circumstances, which was precisely why they wouldn't object.
Seeing that Tom and the others had no intention of further discussing the matter, Hagrid called out to Grop and began to depart.
"Wait!" Tom called after him.
Hagrid turned around in confusion, only to see a plate of roasted meat hurtling towards him. "Take this for your brother; he's still growing."
"Mine too." Cassandra and Nagini readily offered their own portions of roasted meat.
"You…" Hagrid was deeply moved, pulling out a tattered handkerchief to dab at his eyes. "I thank you on behalf of Grop!"
"…" The three watched in silence as Hagrid departed, laden with roasted meat.
"Does anyone actually eat that putrid thing?" Harry wondered.
"I do not know, they are all giants, they probably eat it, right?" Nagini said with a shrug.
...
The feast concluded. Under the blanket of night, devoid of candles or other light sources, the giant village was shrouded in darkness. Although a few bonfires flickered, they cast little illumination. Given the lack of common ground with the giants, most of whom didn't speak English, Tom and his companions sought refuge in a house the giants had provided.
This house resembled Grolger's, only "smaller," though still quite spacious for Tom and his compatriots. The few "small" beds were clearly of hasty construction. But it wasn't a major issue; one could sit to rest or meditate through the night.
That was the original plan, at any rate.
Then Tom snapped his fingers, and the beds automatically soared into the air, transforming into several soft, luxurious, oversized beds.
"I am going to rest. You can chat amongst yourselves." Tom lay down on one of the beds. Rather unusually, he had decided to sleep outside! However, what Harry and the others did not realize was that Tom did this because tomorrow's events had made him serious.
Even though sleeping would scarcely improve his already formidable mental state.
After all, for someone of his caliber, virtually every moment was perfect.
But deciding to rest well before the fight… this demonstrated the extent of his respect for the Bloody Baron.
---
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