Karkus

Karkus was the Gurg of the last remaining 80 giants on Earth. Karkus presided over the effective extinction of their species when his people began fighting and wiping each other out, and his people were forced to live (by wizards) in a dip beside a mountain lake between four extremely high mountains in Russia, leaving them no choice but to stick together for their own protection. Karkus was described as being 23 feet tall, the weight equivalent of a couple of bull elephants and having skin like rhino hide. He was a lazy giant who spent his days lying in the centre of a valley with his wife and waiting to be fed by the other giants.

In 1995, Rubeus Hagrid and Olympe Maxime, at Albus Dumbledore's request, journeyed to the colony to serve as envoys to the giants, in the hopes of making peace with them and securing their allegiance against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, before Voldemort could do the same. After a month's trek, the envoys found them, and carefully approached Karkus the next day, identifying him as the Gurg because he was the biggest, ugliest and laziest, sitting there waiting to be brought food by the others (like dead goats etc.)

Karkus, at the time, was lying by the lake roaring at the others to feed him and his wife, when the envoys approached. Karkus received gifts of magic (which is favoured amongst his people), the first being a branch of Gubraithian Fire (or Everlasting Fire), bewitched by Dumbledore to burn forever more (a rare trait amongst wizards). Hagrid proceeded to lie the branch down in the snow by Karkus's feet and said "A gift to the Gurg of the giants from Albus Dumbledore, who sends his respectful greetings". Karkus, not speaking a word of English, didn't reply, but knew enough to yell for a couple of giants who knew their lingo and translated for them. Once he understood what it was, Karkus liked the present, and the ever present threat of death or injury went down considerably. Hagrid then told the very pleased Karkus that "Albus Dumbledore asks the Gurg to speak with his messenger when he returns tomorrow with another gift", and departed (wanting to take things very slow).

The following morning, the envoys returned, and Karkus was found waiting for them, sitting up and looking eager. Karkus was then presented with a nice battle helmet, goblin-made and indestructible, and then sat down and talked. Karkus and the others didn't talk about much, but Karkus had heard of Dumbledore, and how he'd argued against the killing of the last Giants in Britain, and seemed to be quite interested in what Dumbledore had to say. They then departed, planning to return the next day with another gift (a roll of dragon skin).

That night, however, a fight broke out (not un-common amongst the enclosed community, who are not meant to live together), which, witnessed by Hagrid and Maxine from the mouth of their cave, went on for hours and the noise was "unbelievable". During this fight, Karkus was killed by another giant, Golgomath, over his new helmet and his head was ripped off and was found lying at the bottom of the lake the next morning.

Etymology
Karkus' name may reference his eventual status as a carcass, a dead body or corpse, at the hands of Golgomath.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Каркус