Chapter 693: War Machines, Firestorm Charm

Madam Maxime couldn't understand Hagrid's joy, nor how he could describe the ferocious fire-breathing dragon before them as a "good boy."

What kind of "good boy" grew fifteen feet tall, scorched the ground with fire, and looked ready to start a fight at any moment? She had neither seen nor heard of such a creature.

Meanwhile, Norbert let out a low growl as soon as his eyes landed on Newt's Hungarian Horntail. The hostility was mutual.

Dragons like the Norwegian Ridgeback and the Hungarian Horntail were notorious for their fiery tempers and territorial nature. A mere glance from one to the other could ignite a battle that might last for days. It wasn't personal; it was just their nature.

For Norbert, however, it was personal. As a baby, he'd been thoroughly beaten by this very Hungarian Horntail. Now, faced with his old rival, memories of the past seemed to surface in a fiery wave of resentment.

Norbert's growl grew louder and more menacing, as though he were moments away from lunging at the other dragon.

The Hungarian Horntail, on the other hand, regarded Norbert with visible disdain, as though to say, You haven't grown enough to challenge me yet.

"Okay, Hogg, we've got work to do," Newt said, gently patting the Horntail's wing. The dragon turned its head away, clearly unimpressed but willing to comply.

Meanwhile, Kyle managed to calm Norbert, gently stroking his scales to ease his fidgeting.

"What's the plan?" Kyle asked.

"Leave it to them," Newt replied confidently. "Two dragons are more than enough to throw a Giant tribe into chaos."

No sooner had he spoken than the Hungarian Horntail launched into the sky, followed closely by Norbert, who spread his wings wide and took off after it.

The dragons swooped down toward the group of Giants advancing through the valley.

The Giants spotted the incoming threat immediately. They halted in their tracks, roaring and brandishing massive weapons—clubs, axes, and sharpened tree trunks.

But the dragons were undeterred. From above, the Hungarian Horntail unleashed a searing stream of flames, followed moments later by Norbert's fiery breath.

The attack sent the Giants into complete disarray. Their tight formation collapsed as they pushed and shoved one another, scrambling for safer ground away from the blistering heat.

In the midst of the chaos, a massive Giant—easily over twenty feet tall, wearing a helmet and wielding a giant axe—roared commands at the others, trying to restore order. His voice thundered through the valley, but the panic-stricken Giants paid him little heed.

Furious, Golgomath picked up a sharpened tree trunk and hurled it with immense force at Norbert.

Norbert banked sharply, evading the projectile with surprising agility. In retaliation, he released a massive ball of flame that exploded just above Golgomath's head, forcing him to stumble back.

The battle intensified as the Giants scattered in all directions. The two dragons skillfully exploited the confusion, focusing their efforts on isolating Golgomath from the main group.

Gradually, the plan worked. With the Giants disorganized and Golgomath separated, the dragons' assault had achieved its purpose.

However, the situation grew more dangerous as the Giants began to adapt. Some, inspired by Golgomath, started hurling their weapons into the sky with surprising accuracy.

Norbert and the Hungarian Horntail found it increasingly difficult to dodge the flurry of missiles.

To make matters worse, flashes of spellfire lit up the battlefield—Death Eaters hidden among the Giants had joined the fray, casting spells at the dragons.

"It's enough," Newt murmured from his vantage point atop the hill. His gaze remained fixed on the battlefield. "Any more, and we'll risk losing them. This is enough."

He whistled sharply, the sound cutting through the noise below.

The Hungarian Horntail, as if understanding the signal, turned in midair and began flying back toward Newt. On its way, it smacked Norbert on the head with its wing—a none-too-gentle reminder that it was time to retreat.

Norbert snorted indignantly but followed, flapping his wings as the two dragons ascended away from the battlefield.

As they retreated, Newt vanished from the hilltop with a soft crack, Apparating directly to Golgomath's position.

"Stop!"

He gathered the dirt and stones from the ground, forming a "Clay Giant" over ten feet tall, successfully drawing Golgomath's attention.

"Are you going to war with the wizards?" he shouted, his voice booming through the valley.

"Go back, go back to your tribe..."

But his words were met only with a roar and a sweeping strike from a massive axe, cleaving the "Clay Giant" cleanly in half. Moments later, two bright beams—one red, the other green—shot from afar, shattering what remained of the clay figure into rubble.

"It seems persuasion hasn't worked," Kyle muttered, appearing just in time to catch Newt, who was on the verge of collapse.

Madam Maxime arrived soon after, wand in hand, her gaze sharp as she scanned their surroundings.

"Are you all right, Mr. Scamander?"

"I'm fine," Newt sighed. "I really didn't want it to come to this, but it seems the Giant Gurg has no intention of avoiding war..."

With a wave of his wand, Newt caused the scattered stones and soil to gather once more.

"I'll lure him away. Kyle, Madam Maxime, help me cast the Smokescreen Spell—make it as wide as possible. I can't handle too many Giants at once."

"Yes!" Madam Maxime responded promptly, her wand already moving.

A thick white mist blanketed the valley, rendering the distant Giants faint and shadowy.

But in the next moment, a gust of wind swept through, thinning the fog noticeably. From afar, an exasperated voice roared.

"What are you waiting for? Go and help!"

Several Giants immediately began moving toward them.

Kyle froze for a brief moment before quickly reaching into his Mokeskin pouch. Pulling out a small round bead, he crushed it with all his strength.

White mist erupted from the shattered bead, rapidly spreading across the entire valley. Within seconds, the world seemed to lose its color, the mist denser and more impenetrable than before. Unlike the earlier fog, this one was immune to the wind.

"Oh... what is this?" Newt blinked, momentarily stunned.

He had been bracing for a prolonged battle, but Kyle's quick action had caught him off guard. The Giants, already poor at navigation, were now utterly disoriented in the dense fog.

"A Mist Gem," Kyle explained. "I got it in Hogsmeade. Unfortunately, it's my last one, and I don't know if Dervish & Banges still stocks them."

"If they do, we'll buy more," Newt replied, taking a deep breath as he honed in on Golgomath's location by scent.

"All right, you'd better stay out of the way next time."

"Wait," Kyle interjected in a low voice. "Can I handle it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Let me take this Giant," Kyle said firmly. "If I'm preparing for war, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

"No, this is a Giant—you don't have enough experience—"

Before Newt could finish, Kyle had already raised his wand. The stones scattered across the ground transformed into a spear that shot forward with force.

A loud, dull thud echoed as the spear struck its target.

"Roar!"

The Giant's enraged cry reverberated through the valley.

"Muffliato!"

Kyle quickly cast the spell to mask their location. The Muffliato Charm filled the ears of anyone outside a certain radius with an indistinct buzzing noise, muffling sounds that might otherwise reveal their position.

Kyle had tested this charm before out of sheer curiosity and found it just as effective on Norbert. Because it wasn't a direct attack spell but rather an environment-altering enchantment, it bypassed the magical defenses of even a dragon's scales. He assumed it would work similarly a Giant.

The combination of the Mist Gem and the Muffliato Charm was remarkably effective, creating an impenetrable veil of sight and sound. Kyle couldn't help but marvel at how well the two spells worked together.

At this point, Newt chose not to object further. Instead, he looked at Kyle and asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"The best choice is, of course, the Fiendfyre Curse," Kyle replied casually. "When dealing with Magical Creatures, this spell is even more effective than the Killing Curse."

Even Newt had to admit that Kyle was correct. For some very large Magical Creatures, the Killing Curse wasn't particularly effective. Not even a powerful wizard, like the Dark Wizard from decades ago or Dumbledore himself, could kill an adult dragon with a single spell. Let alone Kyle, who wasn't even seventeen.

But Fiendfyre was a different matter entirely.

The monstrous entities conjured by Fiendfyre grew more powerful with time, with no apparent limit to their strength. Given enough time, Fiendfyre could easily consume all the Giants in the valley.

"I wouldn't recommend it unless absolutely necessary," Newt cautioned. "Fiendfyre is dark magic. Using it too much can lure you into an addiction to its destructive power. One day, without realizing it, you might find that you've completely lost control of it."

"Of course," he added, "if it's a life-or-death situation, that's another story."

"I understand," Kyle nodded. "That's why I have another plan."

He glanced at the looming silhouette of the Giant, barely visible in the thick fog.

"Stupefy!"

He cast a Stunning Spell tentatively. Unsurprisingly, it rebounded off the Giant's skin, as hard as stone—or perhaps even harder.

The failed spell, however, enraged the Giant, which pinpointed Kyle's position. With a thunderous roar, the Giant swung its massive axe, the blade whistling through the air as it struck the ground less than a foot in front of him.

Kyle leapt back, quickly trying other spells.

But no matter what he used—the Knockback Jinx, the Severing Charm, the Blasting Curse, or even the formidable Sectumsempra—nothing seemed to have any significant effect.

Sectumsempra, which could slice through solid stone with ease, elicited only a pained grunt from the Giant. Yet, it pressed forward, swinging its massive axe as if nothing had happened.

Of course, Kyle suspected this might partly be because he hadn't hit the right spot. Unfortunately, the thick fog hindered not only the Giant but also Kyle. He could only make out the vague outline of his foe, with no way to pinpoint its weak spots accurately.

"Confringo!"

Casting another Blasting Curse, Kyle gasped in frustration as the Giant remained unscathed.

After twenty minutes of a grueling stalemate, Kyle was forced to confront the harsh reality: he couldn't break through the Giant's defenses. Instead, it was he who seemed to be breaking down.

He had anticipated the Giant would be tough, but not to this extent. No matter what spell he cast, it was as if nothing could breach its seemingly impenetrable skin.

The Giant, too, appeared increasingly agitated, growling as it swung its axe wildly, like swatting at an irritating fly.

By this point, Kyle had stopped using the Muffliato Charm, mainly because he was no longer sure where he was. After chasing the Giant for twenty minutes, he could only guess that they had strayed far from where the fight began.

At that moment, a creature resembling a fluffy Quaffle leaped onto Kyle's shoulder from the mist, followed by Newt emerging into view.

"How do you feel?" Newt asked with a hint of amusement. This is the first time I've seen Kyle look so defeated, and it's quite funny, he thought.

"This guy is practically a mountain," Kyle panted, gasping for breath. "How were the Giants defeated during the last war?"

"It was mostly a matter of outlasting them," Newt explained. "Most of the Giants were lured into an uninhabited mountain range—far bigger than this one—at the start of the war. They didn't emerge until three years after it ended."

"What about the other Giants?" Kyle asked. "I remember reading that Professor Dumbledore defeated some of them."

"No," Newt corrected, shaking his head. "If I remember correctly, it was a group of stone golems."

"Golems?"

"Yes, a set of stone statues that were immune to Charms and incredibly strong," Newt replied. "They appeared just as the Giants were about to reach Hogsmeade. The statues surrounded them outside the village and killed them."

"Were they the ones from the school?" Kyle wondered aloud, recalling a spell that could control the stone statues at Hogwarts, though only a few professors knew how to cast it.

"I think so. Those who saw the statues said they looked familiar."

Newt glanced around and said, "Alright, the fog is almost gone. Leave the rest to me. We need to end this quickly before it becomes even more troublesome when the mist clears."

"Just give me three minutes—just three minutes," Kyle insisted. "I was only testing the Giant's strength before. I didn't actually mean to fight him seriously."

"Are you planning to use Fiendfyre?" Newt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I have another method."

"Okay," Newt said, eyeing the thinning white mist. "Three minutes, no more. After that, I'll take over."

"Got it."

Kyle pulled out his suitcase, glancing back at Newt. "Remember to close your eyes—or better yet, step back a bit."

"You're not about to…" Newt began, his mouth twitching in realization.

Before he could finish, a scaled head emerged from the suitcase. Newt quickly averted his gaze as the Basilisk slithered out.

The Giant Gurg, sensing a threat, swung his massive axe more furiously.

"Go on, you deserve some exercise!" Kyle commanded.

The Basilisk shot forward. At the same time, Kyle raised his wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Golgomath's axe froze mid-swing, hovering in the air. Instinctively, the Giant reached for it, but Kyle sent the weapon flying further away.

While Golgomath was momentarily distracted, the Basilisk reached his feet and sank its fangs into his shin. The previously impenetrable skin yielded effortlessly to the venomous bite.

Golgomath roared in pain, pounding the Basilisk with his fists. The venom, deadly to wizards, merely slowed the Giant's movements slightly.

The Basilisk hissed in pain as Golgomath's blows struck like hammers. Yet, it coiled itself tightly around the Giant, climbing higher and constricting with increasing force.

At fifty feet long, the Basilisk proved too formidable for Golgomath to shake off. He instinctively lowered his head, attempting to tear the serpent away—only to lock eyes with its golden gaze.

For a moment, Golgomath froze.

The mist thinned further, and even Kyle, standing at a distance, could see the Giant's feet turning grayish-white as the petrification spread up to his ankles.

"That's it?" Kyle muttered in disbelief. Since staring into the Basilisk's eyes, he noted the petrification had only reached the Giant's feet, barely affecting his movement. The process halted entirely at his ankles.

"This is ridiculous," Kyle remarked, exasperated. Though he had anticipated limited effectiveness, the resilience of the Giant's skin still shocked him.

These things are born to be human shields. Line them up, and they'd form an impenetrable wall. No wonder both Dumbledore and Voldemort tried to recruit them—they're practically built for war.

One last option, Kyle thought grimly. If this doesn't work, I'll have to use Fiendfyre.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his wand.

Runes floated from its tip, and the air around him grew hot. Sparks appeared, swirling around Kyle before coalescing into a fiery inferno. The flames surged, dispelling the lingering mist and revealing the battlefield.

Golgomath thrashed wildly.

"Come back!" Kyle called softly.

The Basilisk quickly uncoiled itself, slithering back to the suitcase. Golgomath, meanwhile, attempted to flee. But his petrified feet hampered his movements, and the Basilisk's venom was taking its toll. He stumbled forward clumsily, like a drunken giant.

Kyle waved his wand, directing the sea of flames, and pointed it at Golgomath.

"Incendio Totalum!"

The fire roared to life, surging toward Golgomath and engulfing him entirely.

The Giant's screams were louder and more pained than before, mixed with an unrecognizable growl. Before Kyle could decipher it, the noise abruptly stopped.

When the flames receded, Golgomath lay unconscious on the ground.

Kyle staggered forward, raising his wand toward the Giant's neck.

"Wait…"

"Sectumsempra!"