Tom descended from the Thestral Carriage, his gaze sweeping over the cluster of giants sprawled on the ground. Averaging seven or eight meters in height, their expressions were etched with terror, as if they had stumbled upon a monstrous beast. Despite their warlike nature, they were still an intelligent race, and even wild creatures understood fear.
Tom surveyed them in silence. As those emerald serpent eyes met theirs, a chill ran down the giants' spines. The atmosphere crackled with such potent menace that they braced themselves for death.
Then, the silence broke with a question: "Do any of you speak English?"
"…"
Though still muted, a flicker of relief crossed some of their faces. Evidently, they understood. This improved Tom's mood. After all, wasn't his reluctance to "crush" these giants motivated by a desire to "negotiate"?
We are all intelligent beings, why resort to violence?
Of course, should they fail to provide what he needed, violence would swiftly follow. For now, "polite discourse" would suffice.
"Those who can 'speak,' step forward."
Though Tom's tone lacked any explicit threat, the giants dared not disobey. Those few who claimed fluency exchanged hushed words with their kin before scurrying towards the crude, oversized dwelling at the rear. Now that they "probably wouldn't die," the giants' fear subsided. Some of the braver ones even approached Tom and his entourage to offer a greeting.
Watching these giants, who "despite their fear, forced smiles and even procured chairs as large as cars," Tom felt a flicker of amusement.
Hagrid, meanwhile, had spotted a figure among the giants that stirred a complex mix of emotions within him: his mother. Less than five meters tall, she stood out starkly among the giants, who averaged seven or eight meters, with some nearing ten. Perhaps colored by an idealized image of his "never-loving" mother, Hagrid had once described Friedwulfa as beautiful.
In reality, while Friedwulfa's features resembled those of a human, her thick limbs, jutting jaw, broad nose, and coarse body hair unambiguously marked her as a pure-blooded giantess, a far cry from the beauty he had imagined.
Hagrid, however, disregarded these details, his gaze fixed on Friedwulfa with an intensity that betrayed his longing.
She, too, seemed to recognize him. Seeing this figure, "thin" yet towering compared to the other "little people," Friedwulfa quickly surmised his identity. After all, half-giants were rare, especially in this region. Facing the son she had abandoned, her eyes reflected a complex emotion, though regret appeared conspicuously absent.
Disheartened, Hagrid shifted his gaze to the giant trailing behind Friedwulfa, roughly the same height—perhaps sixteen feet. For some reason, Hagrid felt a strange sense of kinship with him.
The giant, in turn, eyed Hagrid with curiosity. Having been frequently bullied within the tribe for his stunted stature, he couldn't help but stare at a "giant" even "shorter" than himself. Had he not grown accustomed to being the target of derision, he might have considered bullying Hagrid himself.
"..."
The two half-brothers stood there, locked in mutual observation. Those few seconds, however, were enough to temper much of the "regret" Hagrid had felt upon arriving. Though his biological mother might not cherish him, he still had family!
Hagrid approached Tom, who reclined on the massive chair, whispered something in his ear, then turned and lumbered toward his "brother."
At that moment, an elderly but still formidable giant emerged from the crude dwelling. His name was Grolgar, chieftain of the Scottish Highland giants. Having lived nearly two centuries, he ranked among the elders of his kind, considering most giants only lived one hundred and fifty to two hundred years.
As the most respected giant, he felt compelled to greet such a distinguished guest personally, one who could obliterate them all without effort. And, having lived so long, he had actually learned to speak English.
"Sir, please accept my apologies for my people's earlier rudeness. We were unaware of your purpose in visiting our tribe." Grolgar gestured for Tom to enter his home to talk and apologized for the offense his people had caused.
Anyone witnessing the notoriously volatile giant, chieftain of his tribe, displaying such deference would have been utterly astounded. But such was Grolgar's predicament. Years of combat had honed his temper, yet long life had also taught him the value of prudence and the art of concealing his rage.
"It is of no consequence. I merely require your assistance with a matter."
Tom, surrounded by a shroud of dark mist, floated alongside Grolgar at the same height. Harry and the others were forced to waddle along on their short legs to keep up. Except for Cassandra and Nagini, who also knew the Levitation Charm. This ignited envy in both Harry and Grolgar, both vowing to master the charm from Tom once they possessed sufficient magic.
As Grolgar led the way, he heard Tom's words and subconsciously released a sigh of relief. "If it is assistance you require, rest assured! The giants will do everything in their power to aid you as compensation for our prior offense... Come, let us speak inside. I do not even know your name."
"Tom Riddle."
"Ah?"
"That is my name."
Tom calmly regarded Grolgar's coarse features, which were contorted in disbelief. "Is there a problem?"
"No... of course not."
Yeah, right!
The Dark Lord!
Where did this wizard with such awe-inspiring magic come from!
This is troublesome. The Dark Lord... might possess an even worse temper than I do.
Should he resort to violence at the slightest provocation... who could reason with him?
Although giants are not exactly known for their reasoning.
"..."
Grolgar felt both helpless and relieved. Fortunately, I now know who he is; I need only tread carefully from now on.
It was only because the giants dwelled so far from wizarding territories that word had not reached him. Publications such as the Daily Prophet were unheard of here, and Tom's name was merely something he'd overheard from other wizards passing through. Back then, he had dismissed as hyperbole the notion of a mere human wizard being elevated to the title of Dark Lord.
He had even boasted that the Dark Lord's arrival would be of no concern! Giants were natural warriors, fearless in the face of any challenge! Moreover, the Dark Lord was supposedly just a solitary wizard; how powerful could he truly be?
Now, seeing Tom Riddle in person, Grolgar understood. He was indeed very powerful.
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