Deep within the mountainous central Europe lived a Stone Giant with skin the colour of deep granite and as tough as diamond. Long ago, he had been much the same as any common giant of the south, but he was friendly, a trait that was not valued amongst the other giants; a Muggle had wandered too close to the giants’ territory and our friendly giant allowed them to escape.

It is a widely known fact that giants are not the friendliest of creatures, and so to hear that the kindly giant had allowed a Muggle to escape, the other giants were furious. As a result, he was branded as a traitor and turned from his homeland.

For centuries did our giant wander the continent of Europe alone before settling on the outskirts of a forest, a small farming town in its shadow. The townsfolk feared the giant, meeting him with wands and steel. The giant, not able to communicate with the townsfolk was drove deep into the mountains, to where he remained for most of his days in a self-imposed hibernation at the foot of the largest of the mountains.

It was here that the giants’ body transformed, his flesh was replaced with a hard, rock-like exterior; a suit of amour. It was impenetrable. But still, the giant slept, unaware of his transformation. 

Unbeknownst to the slumbering giant, a single figure ventured deep into his realm; the rumours of a great stone giant at the foot of the tallest mountain was too good to be true. The story had been passed on amongst wizarding families and Muggles alike; the Muggles, however, were keen to prove the rumours were merely a tale, made up to scare children.

Something warm touched the giant’s rough skin and slowly, he opened his eyes. There, in front of him stood the smallest creature he had ever seen – a human child. Angry at being brought from his self-imposed slumber, the giant let out a ferocious snarl. He was all too used to the pain that a human could inflict. Especially those with magical powers.

But the small child was not frightened. Instead, he gazed intently up at the stone giant in front of him, his eyes filled with wonder and curiosity.

“So you do exist,” the child said, his voice soft; it held no sign of threat.

“Exist?” the stone giant snorted. “Of course I exist!”

Raising a hand to push himself away from his –many century long- resting spot from the mountain, the giant let out a startled cry. His hand was no longer fleshy as he had remembered it. Instead, it was as hard as diamond and a deep grey.

An almighty roar escaped the shocked giant, followed by another. And another. But the small boy at the bellowing giant’s feet did not quiver. Instead, he continued to stare in wonder up at the great beast.

“Do you have a name?” he asked and the giant stopped bellowing long enough to snort a reply.

“I might,” said the giant. “But it will not do you any good in knowing it.”

“Why?” asked the boy.

The giant was growing more and more agitated with each question. Why was this boy here? Were there others of his kind lurking about in the shadow of the mountain somewhere?

“Because you won’t!” snapped the giant, getting to his feet. “Now leave me alone!”

But the little boy did not leave. Instead, he continued to follow the giant despite his best attempts to stomp away. (His body was rather stiff from remaining dormant for many centuries.)

“Why are you here by yourself?” the boy asked. “Are the more of you?”

“Were,” said the giant gravelly. “There were lots. I know not where they are now.”

“Oh,” replied the boy. “Do you have any friends then?”

“No,” growled the giant. “I don’t.”

The boy fell silent. Satisfied, the stone giant manoeuvred his way around the small boy – a seemingly difficult task when the passageways in between the mountains were very thin indeed – before he heard the scurry of footsteps behind him.

“Wait!” the boy called as he struggled across the rocky terrain after the giant. “You don’t have any friends?”

“No!” snapped the giant.

Again, the boy fell silent, and again, the stone giant made to move around him.

“I’ll be your friend,” said the boy quietly and the giant froze. There was something about the kindness in the boys voice, the friendliness in his eyes. There couldn’t possibly be anyone else lurking in the shadow of the mountain. He had to be here alone.

“No you won’t,” the giant replied, his tone overcast. In truth, he had never had a friend before. Giants were not the most social of creatures, however, they did rely on one another as a means of survival. So, when he was branded an outcast, the giant lost everything; his colony, family and chance at – very minimal – social interaction.

This, thought the giant with a snort, was probably the most he had ever spoken to someone, let alone a human. Heck, let alone someone who wanted to be his friend.

“But I do!” insisted the boy and he continued to follow the giant throughout the mountain passages.

With every passing minute, the giant grew steadily more annoyed by the presence of the boy. It went on like this for some time before finally, he snapped.

“Go home!” the giant snarled. “Go annoy your family!”

The boy halted, his ears slowly turning pink. Dropping his gaze, the boy allowed his shoulders to slump. “I don’t have a home,” he said quietly. “Not anymore, anyway.”

For the second time that day, the giant fell silent, shocked by the few words that the boy had uttered. A thousand questions buzzed inside the giant’s head. Why did he not have a home? Where were his parents? What did he mean by ‘not anymore’? But asking questions were far from a giants favourite thing, so instead, the giant kept them to himself.

‘I will be your friend,” the boy repeated. “Everyone needs at least one friend, and we are both alone.”

Upon hearing these words, the giant softened. Humans had caused him great pain in the past, but this was a child – one who was missing the same things he was. A home. Family. The least he could offer was his friendship.

“Alright,” the giant said gruffly. “Alright, alright.”

A broad grin spread across the boy’s face as he scrambled back to the giants side, placing a tiny hand on the giant’s rocky foot to stable himself. “Thank you.”

A white-hot sensation washed across the giant, he felt calm, warm – just as he had done before he had been branded an outcast from his colony. The rocky exterior that covered the giant began to crumble away, his old, fleshy self replaced the cold, lifeless stone that once encased him.

The giant was back to his old self. And all it took was trust, friendship and a brave, insistent little boy who wandered into the mountains.