Skirmish

In an immense underground cave system over forty feet tall water droplets drip from the hanging stalactites to the floor below, while pointed stalagmites grow in pointed pillars upward from the moss-covered ground. A good portion of the stalactites and stalagmites had been ruthlessly crushed to clear living space and paths for the giants to use.

The elderly giants share large fur blankets with the children and infant giants, while their mothers tend to the cave and prepare morsels of food to be equally shared between the many giants. There was a food shortage and with the daily combined patrols of the hags, goblins, trolls, and Auror's hunting had become a luxury. The young children had already begun to grow gaunt and thinner. Many of the giantesses feared for the lives of their offspring for they knew that their Gurg would sacrifice the weak members of the tribe and only elect to feed the strongest giants to maintain the strength of their best warriors.

The caves are largely quiet without the sound of conversation except that of a whisper. Ever since, the loss of their Gurg's mate, their tribe shaman, Iwara, their Gurg had grown even more bloodthirsty. The forced retreat by the combined allied forces and that of Albus Dumbledore had forced their Gurg to treat. Many of the powerful giants seeing their Gurg bloody and wounded from the Mountain Troll attacks had dared to challenge their Gurg in his greatest moment of weakness.

Yet more the fools were they. Far from being weaker, their Gurg's wounds and loss of his mate only fueled his wrath. In the cruelest of fashions, he killed those who dared uprise against him. However, his wrath was far from quelled, and he even slaughtered their mates and spawn. None of the giants dared to challenge the Gurg afterward nor prevent the Gurg from feasting upon the bodies of whose he had slain. Giants were many things, but very few ever consumed the flesh of their own kind, it was a forbidden thing even among the giants.

In the largest corner of the cave system with the amplest of space sits a larger than normal giant, thirty feet tall, Wurbog, the Gurg of the Giants. The gray-skinned giant had a large nose with a five o'clock shadow on his face. His dragon hide clothes were dark, covered in dried blood from his enemies and his own. His necklace of dragon fangs and the teeth of his conquered foes was much larger than before. The newly added teeth still had dried blood with bits of rotting flesh still stuck to them. The giant's hair was dark and thick lopped off at the earlobe kept short. His left hand had been chopped off at the wrist, but now in place, a steely, blood-stained hook stood there in place.

Abruptly Wurfbog sneered revealing a bloody smile filled with teeth that had been filed to razor-sharp points like those of a shark. He had caught the scent of something foul that approached. Still, he did not rise eyes glaring hatefully at the hook on his left hand.

None of the giants stopped the much smaller wizard from approaching. The wizard passed unhindered through them with many of the giants quickly moving out of the wizard's path. The dark wizard was not to be trifled with for he had even dared to harm their Gurg and had still emerged unscathed.

Tall, dark-haired, burly with broad-shoulders, Antonin Dolohov confidently marched through the filthy giant caves. His long, pale face scrunched up at the foul scents emitted by the giants. They were nothing but beasts! His twisted sneer only grew as his dark eyes filled with a hungry predatory gleam. He briskly strides through the cavern his footsteps echoing throughout the cave announcing his presence.

Dolohov's lips curled into a pleased smirk at witnessing the state of the filthy beast. "Half-breed," he jeered, "have you no manners? All I see is a beast squatting in squalor. How pathetic."

Wurfbog's eyes darkened ominously, and the giants nearby began to stir. Among them is a large youth not fully grown but was sure to be a large giant once fully grown. Golomath was a promising youth, but over eager which irked many of the grown giants. The giant youth bared his black teeth at the wizard all the while clutching his necklace of bones with one hand. Golomath's eyes were filled with the desire to slaughter Dolohov and avenge the pride of the giants. A foolish notion in retrospect but reality does not fit within a dream.

"What do you want, wizard?" Wurfbog coldly asked. "I am in no mood to play your measly games."

"Ah, I see the half-breed has finally grown a spine," Dolohov said brandishing his wand. "It would seem I need to remind the beast of its proper place." Wurfbog's face darkens unwilling or not, he stiffly bows his head in apology.

A smug expression appears on Dolohov's face. "Ah, and they say a beast can't learn a new trick," he arrogantly said, before reaching for a mokeskin bag at his waist. Carelessly he reaches inside and begins to remove shrunken packets and toss them by the handful on the ground. "Engorgio," he said casting the enlarging charm upon the shrunken crates. With a loud pop, the heavy crates grow and grow until dozens of large crates fill the cave.

"The Dark Lord has graciously provided food supplies," Dolohov pointedly announced. "Make the supplies last."

Wurfbog snorts, before irritably asking, "And what of the information that I requested?"

"Ah, you mean of the giantess and her family?" Dolohov said as a twisted grin spread on his face. "It is unfortunate, but alas the giantess has not been spotted." He held out his hands innocently. "Although I have yet to understand how a mere giantess and her family managed to outrun and hide from you and your beasts. Then again, half-breed, you must be stupider than you look."

Wurfbog grinds his teeth together but manages to keep his voice level. "That giantess is clever, and she would make an excellent mate for me to take."

"I suppose so," Dolohov said with disdain, before glancing down at his nails. "Although-," he pointedly paused.

"Although what?!" Wurfbog finally snapped losing all trace of patience.

"Patience, half-breed," Dolohov maliciously chided the giant. Wurfbog barely refrains from leaping forward and crushing the wizard's skull with his bare hands. The wizard for all his taunts was not a weak adversary, but a rather deadly, treacherous foe.

Grinding his teeth together, Wurfbog manages to grit the words out. "My apologies, wizard."

"Ah, such a display of humility," Dolohov said with immense satisfaction. "I suppose I can find it myself to be willing to speak."

Dolohov fiddles with his wand as he speaks. "In my youth, I encountered a large clumsy oaf while at Hogwarts by the name of Rubeus Hagrid. A foolish, trusting Gryffindor, but there was something rather interesting about that boy. He was immensely large and tall for his age nearly a grown man's height in his first year alone. By his third year, he towered well over all of the student body including myself."

A twisted grin spread across Dolohov's face. "That clumsy oaf was expelled for the death of annoying mudblood, I for one actually applauded the Gryffindor's valor." He pursed his lips in displeasure. "Though I was proved wrong as the credit rightly goes to a dear old friend."

"Dolohov," Wurfbog growled growing more impatient by the seemingly random anecdote.

"Half-breed, do not interrupt me again," Dolohov plainly warned caressing his wand and giving it a little whirl in emphasis. Ignoring the dark murderous gleam in Wurfbog's eyes, Dolohov resumes his tale. "As I was saying, now, I would normally pay no mind to the clumsy oaf, but lo and behold that oaf was recently mentioned in the Daily Prophet. Naturally, my curiosity was piqued, and spreading a few galleons here and there, I discovered a most interesting of things."

"That boy's father was a human muggle," Dolohov sneered in disgust raising his dark eyes maliciously at Wurfbog. "However, those that knew the muggle farmer whispered of the giantess he had taken for a wife," causing Wurfbog to stiffen.

"You see that clumsy oaf is a half-breed as well," Dolohov said with a twisted smile. "Now that oaf's giantess mother had departed long ago when the half-breed was still young. However, can you guess the name of giantess that birthed him?"

"Fridwulfa," Wurfbog whispered before a cold gleam entered his eyes. "So, her spawn is a wizard?"

"Barley," Dolohov dismissively murmured.

"Where is her spawn now?"

"He is the groundskeeper for Hogwarts and unfortunate assistant to Professor Kettleburn."

"Is there any possibility that Fridwulfa would seek sanctuary at Hogwarts with her son?" Wurfbog urgently asked.

"Of course not," Dolohov snorted refraining from rolling his eyes at the giant's sheer stupidity. "The Hogwarts Board would not allow it much less the local populace including the half-breeds that reside in the Forbidden Forest. The Centaurs are rather territorial if not more so."

"Then what of the village?" Wurfbog sharply inquired.

"And how is it possible that the giantess has not been spotted?" Dolohov stared down his nose at the stupid giant. "Though that is not to say it would not be worthwhile to stop by to inquire about her whereabouts. Let us go for a night stroll, half-breed. The village is not far, and I can provide ample cover from the eyes of the patrols."

"Let us go," Wurfbog growled rising to his full height.

"Repulsive," Dolohov wrinkled his nose in disgust barely refraining from covering his nose at the waft of stench.

Wurfbog abruptly moved forward to startle the wizard but he found Dolohov had not moved from his spot. "I certainly won't turn my unguarded back on you, half-breed," Dolohov mockingly said to the giant.

"A pity," Wurfbog said with murderous eyes, before stomping forward. The remaining giants move out of the way and watch the two figures depart from the cave. None of the remaining giants dare depart or escape into the night. Any deserter that fled were either hunted down by the Gurg or by the combined Auror patrols.