*Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling and J.R.R Tolkien own Harry Potter, LOTR and all the characters in this fanfic. No money is being made and I don't want to get sued.
NOTE: This will be a long fanfic and will not be abandoned. Even though the world of Harry Potter will be entwined with the LOTR world, the main pairing in the end will be Harry/Hermione. The world of LOTR will be explained as much as possible so you will not have to be a Tolkien fan to understand it. This is not a crossover story.
Enjoy and please review, I am open to suggestions and critics.
Harry Potter: The Crownless King
-The world is changing-
The final seconds of the ninth age have passed, marking the New Year of 1927 for the human kind, but in Loth Lorien there was nothing to celebrate. The queen Galadriel laid on her death bed and she knew she had only moments before leaving this world for good.
''Immortality...such a cruel thing... finally I'll have my liberation''. Galadriel sighed deeply and contemplated at the countless millennia of her life. For a moment it looked as the queen of elves would pass away serene, but a shaddow washed her face which was now contorted in pain and terror. Next to her bed, her husband and king Celeborn almost backed away in surprise for never did he ever witnesed such fear on his wife's face.
Galadriel turned her face towards him forcing to keep a blank expression, than looked toward's the skies. „Celeborn, my love.. prepare the silvan elves and warn Elrond...'' As the queen spoke Celeborn kneeled next to her bed and watched her piercing blue eyes slowly fade.
''Tell me my love, what is it that you see? What are the stars whispering to you for the final time?''
Never in the last five eves, an elf was so scared ... terrified, as the queen was when she gave her last breath and spat '' A Dark Lord has been born.''
Her white dress, thin as a spider web fluttered in the cold breeze and a white globe of energy rose from her chest and bolted towards the sky. Galadriel's soul left for "The Final Journey" .
In his sleep, Elrond felt a sharp stab of pain. His chest was on fire ... He awoke and searched the night sky, spoting a falling star. A deep frown tainted the perfect face of the elf, his mind allready at work... he was searching his memories for something he hoped he will never have to.
'' Another elf has died tonight'' he whispered sadly saluting the star, but a feeling long forgotten startled him. Something has been born also...the one who has claimed the soul... it could not be...
As the elf watched the star falling from the sky, a pale icy cold wind from the east made him shudder in terror. Fear was not common for an elf and Elrond did not took much time to remember when was the last time he had such a dark premonition...
As realization struck him, the elf's eyes grew bigger and his lips parted murmuring some black and cold words... "In peneneth gorgor" (The nameless fear) .
Two weeks later
Since "The Black Night", as it was remembered the night when Galadriel died the elves became restless. Goblins, dwarfs and ents came to Rivendell and with them, Celeborn and Legolas Greenleaf. Unlike other councils, this time there were neither magnificent greetings sang for milles away nor great vanguards to ride in front of the guest. In complete silence the greiving lords came in Rivendell and straight towards the highest terrace where the council was to be held.
The elf lord stood in the middle of his guests with his usual soul searching gaze. They were gathered on the same balcony where ages ago The Fellowship of The Ring was formed and the same feeling of dread was looming over the place. The marble under their feet was white but a greenish web of small age cracks made it look even more beautiful. Near the edge of the balcony high onyx thrones were placed, each of them occupied by either a goblin, a dwarf or an elf.
Beyond the ledge, Treebeard, the most old and wise ent watched the gathering with his everlasting calm. He was so tall, he stood firmly planted on the first floor but his head easily reached the third floor were the meeting took place. The living tree felt at home in Rivendell... there were so many trees he could talk to and so much life he felt he was gaining youth and power with every second spent there.
From under his long green beard of moss and lichens glittered a translucid round stone on a heavy chain of vines. That was a Palantir, and most important a mark of trust and friendship from his best friend- Gandalf, The White Wizard.
Sensing Elrond was about to speak, the ent turned towards a nearby pine and shook his branches letting a squirrel jump on the other tree. He loved the small creature's company but he didn't want to be distracted... it would have ruined a hard earned reputation of being more serious than a sfinx.
The elf lord was dressed in a green fighting robe. His arms, legs and torso were tied in silver plates made of mithril. On his head he wore a delicate crown forged eves before his birth, one of the few remaining items brought by the elves when they came on the Middle Earth. The crown was a braiding of mithril and pure silver ropes. It was so simple but fascinating in the same time, the sun light seemed to accumulate into the thin bars and then burst ten times more powerful in a dazzling rain of silvery light.
''A new dark lord was brought to this world!'' Elrond's voice had a power never felt since the last Wars of the Ring.
'' It is said by our legends that the birth of such a dark creature always claims elvish life. And so it is true for our Lady of the Forrest has died in the same night... It is a wizard! And so it seems that the prophecy Gandalf left in our care will soon need to be fulfilled.''
The prophecy ... as the ages have passed, even between the elves were few who remembered what Gandalf left in a night on Amon Sul as a warning and a hope. Between all the lost races, only elves and ents were almost immortal, but the kings of goblins and dwarfs had only short tales that were passed from leader to leader about a terror that one day will come and a champion who will have to pass through ice and fire before he would close the gates of Hell behind his enemyes.
As Elrond brought the news, king Ragnok of goblins asked giving the elf a piercing look,
''Have the wizards been warned?''
Betwen all the lost races, the goblins were the most controversial. They once fought against Light and many human, elf and dwarf lives were taken by their archers. After King Aragorn and Queen Arwen reunited the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, the goblins were forced to take an oath, to turn towards the Light and give their people a chance to live in peace. And so they did, because goblins, in spite of their mischievious nature were known for their respect for honor.
Ragnok was no taller than a hobbit and his face had no human resemblance. Crooked nose, big pointy ears, small beady eyes and a most odd grin caused by a full set of sharp fang-like teeth. Even in his little black business suit he still retained wild features that could frighten a man.
''Not yet, our connection with the last great wizard, Nicholas Flamel was severed thirty years ago and the actual master of Hogwarts is unfit to recieve "the secret".''
The dwarfs were not very keen on the thinking side and king's Durin question made the other smirk, ''Why don't you give it to the Minister of Magic, isn't he the most capable of wizards?''
Dwarfs were the most practical of all, and as it happens, they often took actions before thinking... Elrond sometimes felt their wisdom was buried as deep as the mithril they were mining for.
The short round man that represented the dwarfish kind was dressed in a long mithril shirt and on his head he wore a round helmet bound in a golden ring. He seemed to be just another dwarf and Elrond always hated that about them: they looked too much alike... short, round, small curious eyes, long manes of hair and deep voices. The only thing that stood different with Durin was not in his looks but at his feet where a majestic battle axe laid. The blade was made of mithril but the actual cutting edge was made from a secret golden metal. The handle was made from granite encrusted with old runes. This was the battle axe of the king, inherited from father to son in the king's family. It was so heavy that only a healthy and powerful dwarf could wield it. When the king became too weak to lift his axe, it was time to leave his throne for another ruler, more young and more strong.
As the king asked, Elrond turned towards him and spat impulsive,
'' The Minister of Magic has not been a trusty or capable leader since he was instated and as a matter of fact neither his precedents were, so we can rule him out!''
Being one of the few elves who had a lot of contact with the wizards over the centuries, Legolas, the much younger elf replied,
'' Since the foundry of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1000 AD the headmasters and other teachers of the school have been one of the most trusted contacts with the lost races... and I believe I have a candidate for the next trusted wizard...''
As he spoke, the other listen with care,
''At Hogwarts, there is a wizard as powerful as Merlin himself they say... he has knowledge of many things the other wizards do not know and seems to be fair enough to guard the knowledge we could give him.''
''Who is it Legolas? Who do you have in mind?'' asked Elrond ready to rid himself of a task he had to complete many times over the years...
''His name is Albus Dumbledore, a teacher of Transfiguration and most likely the next headmaster at Hogwarts.''
Elrond thought for a second, ''The name...Dumbledore...he defeated the one we thought was the new dark lord, Gellert Grindewald...''
''Indeed, he is the one. Because our contacts with Flamel were sized at that time, we were unable to gather other information about the wizard who stopped him or what ideals did he hold... It seems he is the perfect choice for the dark times to come.''
Elrond watched his guests with another piercing gaze and then spoke with force:
'' Be prepared, lords of the lost races! I have a task for each of you:
„Dwarfs, there will be great need for mithryl when the champion will arise, he will need a full armor made of your metal." Durin watched Legolas and Elrond bearing a determined face, nodded and left without other questions.
''Goblins, you are deep within their society and so you must remain. The bank you created controls the wizarding world better than anything. In the future we will need Gringotts to transfer gold from us to specific vaults .''
King Ragnok spoke,
''The goblin nation has made an oath to support mankind and we will do whatever it takes to keep the word we gave in front of Sir Aragorn and Lady Arwen.''
Pleased with Ragnok's answer, Elrond turned towards Treebeard who seemed to haven't changed a bit since he came to The Final Council.
''Eldest One, watch over the Forbidden Forrest. That is the weak spot of Hogwarts. ''
The ent pulled his long beard for a moment and then his deep reverberating voice hummed over the entire valley,
''Hmmmmmm, indeed master Elrond... do not hurry, it shall be done when the time will come...''
The school of witchcraft was built over the ruins of Isengard and the once known Fangorn Forrest lost its name in the mist of time. It was now named The Forbidden Forrest because of the dangerous magical creatures that lurked under the protection of the shadows. Treebeard was still the ruler of the forest and his efforts to keep the centaur community at peace with other magical creatures were the only reason a war for territory wasn't declared.
As everyone left, Legolas approached Elrond with a worried look ,
''My lord, what about the hobbits? Why didn't they came to your call? I haven't heard news from The Shire for a long time... rumors from the forest whisper about black riders who crossed the border into The Shire six days ago...since then no hobbit has been seen or heard of...''.
The lord of Imladris was a far to experienced warrior to wince but the rumors Legolas brought made him nervous.
''Legolas, I must leave at once to The Shire. The black riders you speak of are no good news... they must be the Nazgul... and there's only one thing that they could want from the hobbits. The book of The Ring.''
The book of The Ring was the most complete history of the Ring Wars. It contained not only a thoroughly description of all the rings of power but also of Sauron...of his magic and secrets... that book in the wrong hands represented a complete manual for bringing hell on earth... literally.
Many of the Rings were lost, but the three rings given to the elves were still safe. "The book of The Ring" was the most intimate diary of Frodo... it explained how he used "The Master Ring" and how he resisted to its powers for over a year until it almost possessed him.
''But why would they need the book? The only rings of power known to exist are safe...and the history itself is known to them also...unless...'' As Legolas solved the riddle his eyes became dark and a jolt of panic rose in his stomach...
''The prophecy... the prophecy was written on paper only once... in a single-unique book...''
''Yes Legolas, "The book of The Ring" contains the prophecy and the Nazgul moving means they have felt the born of their new master also...'' Elrond grabbed the shoulder of his godson,
''Hurry Legolas, go and find this wizard who you think it can be trusted. I'll leave for The Shire at sunset. Wait for me on the highest tower on the east side, tree days from now at breaking down''.
''Albus, please revise the plans for these year OWLs, I don't want another reschedule of the astronomy exam because of clouds..''
''Very well headmaster, I'll see what I can do.''
As Albus Dumbledore, deputy headmaster and Transfiguration teacher climbed the stairs towards the astronomy tower, he once again sighed and hopped that headmaster Dippet will resign soon.
Albus Dumbeldore, one of the greatest wizards of the last century was just a teacher. He defeated Grindewald, he became a member of every Defence Against the Dark Arts society that counted and was even asked to become Minister of Magic a few times, but he loved to teach and watching over the safety of his pupils was much more stisfying than fighting mad wizards. He loved kids and loved to see how eleven year old ones evolved in seven years at Hogwarts and became powerful wizards ready to face the world. The world no muggle knew. A world were wonder and greatness were often entwined with danger and grotesque.
Dumbledore was a tall and thin wizard but surprisingly strong. His taste for funky robes was well known and you could often spot a tall man dressed in blue robes with sparkling stars going trough shops in the Diagon Alley. He had a long white beard which he tied with a silver ring. On his slightly crooked nose rested a pair of half moon spectacles even though it was not certain if the wizard had eye problems or he wore them for stile. His "cool"nature was completed by his long white hair braided in a simple flat pony tail tied with a silver band. He loved pointy hats but his favourite was a small flat hat with a tassel on top, a gift from his first real girlfriend.
Needless to say, his eyes held the true power of his spirit. One look was enough to see that beyond the kindness off a grandfather stood a powerful wizard with years and years of battle against dark forces. A keen eye could have spotted some other traces of an unknown sadness and maybe a bit of a childish nature, but this was not for everyone to see. Albus Dumbledore's name meant something to any wizard or magical creature, from a ministry worker to a dark wizard, from a house elf to a giant, he was either loved, hated, respected or feared, but mostly loved and respected.
Reaching the top of the stairs the wizard pushed open the hatch and climbed to the platform were in a few weeks fifth year students will create star charts for an "Outstanding OWL".
Since all the other teachers were busy preparing their students for exams... his skillful and multi tasking nature got him loads of extra work like charming the classes with anti-cheating charms or preparing general exam topics.
Raising his wand towards the sky, the wizard made circular moves above the platform and lazy white circles rose to create a dome over the tower... "Serenus nubis absque nubes et fero in sidera".
As he spoke the incantation, the dome glowed white and then became clear, reflecting like a glass surface over the astronomy tower. Even tough the sky was black and full of clouds from under the dome it looked like the clearest sky in a hot summer night.
Pleased with his bit of magic (it was a charm that few knew and even fewer could cast ), Albus Dumbledore turned to leave but a movement caught his eye in the left side of the platform, right beyond the shadows. There were many things Albus Dumbledore used in his battles, little tricks of mind and body which could throw off ballance almost any wizard, but there was something he never liked and that was an atack from behind.
'' I'm afraid I do not know you sir...and I don't particularly like to be watched from the shadows either... '' the wizard spoke softly watching a particularly bright star.
Being an experienced wizard Dumbledore knew that when he was at disadvantage he had to keep calm and try to find out who he was dealing with. The wizard kept his wits , his hand discreetly sliding to his left sleeve for his wand. He almost reached it when a voice from the shadow spoke and this time, two unearthly blue eyes glow in the dark,
''It would be very sad to force me to disarm you professor, please let your wand in your sleeve. You may be the best wizard of mankind but tonight you are too outmatched to win this duel.''
A smirking wizard or an impulsive one were easy to understand and predict their moves but a calm one...that voice...there was an accent who made Dumbledore think of ages long forgotten, that voice was far too old to deceive. Realizing he had no other options the wizard turned to face his opponent. As his eyes met those of the stranger, for the first time in his life Albus Dumbledore felt hypnotized... there stood a creature of lost ages. The depths of those eyes were endless...as if they have been watching over world for centuries without rest...as if they could see in the very soul of a man.
''What..are..you?'', the wizard took a great effort not to look as surprised as he felt.
As the figure shifted a bit in the dark it finally spoke again,
''Well, I'm a creature of Light! So you will believe what I'm about to tell you. I do not intent to kill you, for murder to those of my kind can't be washed, not even with the blood of the murderer.''
His voice was so sincere the wizard never hesitated and let a sigh of relief to escape his lips. The stranger spoke again,
''My name is Legolas, son of Thranduil. I am an elf...and I ask you to not miss-relate me with the creatures you call "house elves" for my kind has no connection with them, even though their magic resembles a bit with ours''.
Even though surprised, his curious and avid learning nature bested him and Dumbledore started to think over the many tomes he had studied in his lifetime. He encountered this concept many times, but everything suggested the silvan elvish kind never lived in the same age of mankind.
''An elf..I thought you were a myth...or at least, creatures that disappeared long before man ever walked this earth..'' the wizard felt suddenly excited, like he was challenged with a difficult riddle.
As the elf walked into the light his tall and slender figure was revealed. This creature was looking quite like any other wizard but he was a bit taller and his eyes, were nothing you could see in a human. He had slightly pointy ears and his blond-greyish hair was falling on his back. His clothes were somehow natural...as alive... with floral and earthly motives. Made from dragon hide and vines his cloak had a brown neutral colour which made it blend in any environment. On his back, the wizard spotted a golden long bow made of yew and engraved with a long curvy tipe of writing and on his waist two long golden knives with curved blades.
He's whole figure suggested power, both physical and mental, but also grace... his pace was silent and Albus Dumbledore could bet that if the elf would walk in the Great Hall at lunch hours and no one would even notice him.
His grey eyes had the same structure as humans but something in the way his irises moved hinted a powerful eyesight, able to see through great distances, but also magic and spirit.
In spite of his warrior look, the elf seemed no older than twenty years at best and his face although sharp had very kind features.
As the wizard's confusion grew back the elf replied,
''You have many questions Albus Dumbledore... but this is not the time nor the place to answer them. My mission was to come here and talk to you, for you have been chosen as a trusted wizard and the lost races are ready to let you find the truth beyond your magic. Dark times approaches fast and the wizardkind has a big part to play for many sufferance will soon be brought by one of your kind.''
If Legolas seemed respectful and diplomat a few moments ago, now his tone had a finality which made the wizard question if he really had a choice or not...
For being one of the most experienced wizards in the country, Dumbledore was quite surprised but also excited. Before him, there was one creature about which he only heard rumours. That beeing broke all the pillars of his knowledge about what he was and were his magic came from. Being curious in his nature the wizard looked once again in the elf's eyes and decided,
''Very well master Legolas, what do I have to do?''
Sitting cross legged and watching the sunrise Legolas spotted a flying silhouette in the east...it was a great eagle no doubt one related with the king of the eagles – Gwahir. As he got closer the eagle's real dimensions were revealed... the white prey bird was 3 meters tall and his length from a wing to the other was around 15 meters. As he got closer enough to Imladris, the giant eagle went into a dive and in the last second reopened his wings making him hover gracefully over the tower's balcony.
On his back stood mounted Elrond, it seemed as natural as horse riding even though flying beyond the clouds was not so easy.
As soon as Elrond got down of the eagle's back Legolas saw in his eyes a sadness of death but also a glimpse of relief and hope.
''We need to talk Legolas... meet me in ten minutes in The Hall of the Everlasting Fire .''
Entering The Hall, Legolas saw Elrond near the great marble fireplace resting his eyes on the eternal fire. The elf joined and set his eyes in the same flames calming himself, letting his fears burn..
''Any survivors?''
''None. The wraiths came and slashed all the hobbits then set the village on fire...'' Elrond's voice was grim and beyond the obvious sadness lurked a long building rage.
''What about the book? Is everything lost now?''
''No dear godson... the book was taken but it seems the whole village died to protect at least a part of the prophecy... this is what I found in the hand of a hobbit child near the forest..'' Elrond opened his fist and showed Legolas a piece of parchment written in a very complicate and stylish writing,
...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...
The Champion of Light will bring back the old ways...
and elves will rise, wraiths will die and The Fellowship will be revived.
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...
and he is The White Wizard's heir! "
''The child carrying this had an elvish travelling cloak and a few crumbs of lembas bread in his pocket... most likely he tore the piece of paper and run to hide but a black arrow struck him...''
Being as old as the Earth itself, Elrond had seen a lot of cruel things in his long life but the dead cold child... he had to unclench his little fist to remove the piece of paper and then close his still open eyes... images from the long Ring Wars invaded his mind ...''
''But the dark lord has just been born...will the wraiths know how to find him?''
Being pulled to the surface of calm again, Elrond frowned,
''No, they can't ...they will seek him only when he calls them...let's hope he will find the secret behind his heritage in a time when we will be better prepared. Unfortunately, the first part of the prophecy, the one he will get is important also... that part will help him find the champion... ''
As Elrond watched Legolas's eyes the younger elf sensed in his godfather a deep feeling of helplessness,
''Until he attacks we will not know who the champion is...we must hope the heir of The White Wizard will be powerful and prepared enough to hold until he will hear the elvish call...things are out of our reach for now Legolas... '' .
A month later
In Rivendell once again there were made preparations for a wizard. Since The Final Council, five ages ago, when all the lost races decided to vanish from the human history , from time to time, trusted wizards were chosen. Their mission was to keep the guild of wizards in contact with the elves and the history of Middle Earth for when the time comes and the dark lord will rise to be ready for battle.
Nicolas Flamel was the last one to come to Rivendell and he proved to be a great wizard beyond any doubt. With the help of the elves he found the secret of "The Philosopher's Stone" which gave him the chance to grasp immortality. But his secret was found in the wizarding world and the dark wizard- Grindewald tracked him. In order to preserve the lost races secret, Flamel chose to leave his world and turned to the dwarfs into the Mines of Moria to study mithril and to find an easier way to extract it.
After his encounter with Legolas, Albus Dumbledore was more excited than he could remember in a long time... when he came to teach at Hogwarts he thought his days of adventures and mortal peril were gone but now he felt excited... he was ready for a new challenge.
To leave the school before OWLs was not an easy thing especially when an incompetent headmaster like Dippet was dropping all the real work on his shoulders but he made it. Somehow even Dumbledore got sick once in a life time and he had to get treatment away from school.
In the morning light, right after sun rise near Stonhenge a small pop broke the silence. Albus Dumbledore apparated wearing his favourite purple robes, his eyes sporting a particularly strong twinkle. Taking a second to check for unwanted company, he turned towards the monument finally sensing the magical vibrations coming from the ancient site. It was obvious this was some sort of a teleporting spot, built over a great magical node. Approaching the site, Dumbledore felt the atmospheric pressure rise and then the puffy white clouds became dark. This magical spot was going in some kind of reaction with Dumbledore's powers and the wizard felt it like a probe in his magical core. The place was testing his nature and heart and he was sure this was a way to prevent any dark soul to walk on elvish lands.
Dumbledore, had no choice, he had to walk further or to step back and that was not an option. Going in the middle of the rocks he stood and recited a password Legolas gave to him:
"Im no hur. Dunedhil od Imladris. Im no mellon!"
He sensed the magic turning from neutral to benign and then a beam of light surrounded the huge rocks connecting every one of them in a huge network. Right above the circle, the clouded sky was marked with firey letters:
"Stranger! This is a road made by Light for Light. Walk with pure heart or beware!''
The wizard read and almost chuckled at the warm and kind feeling that surrounded him. His intentions were pure and the place accepted him so he spoke happy:
"I am the Light!"
As soon as the wizard spoke he felt as light as feather. The pressure dropped and the gravity seemed to lower also. He felt lighter and lighter until the sky seemed to become earth and the earth seemed to become the sky. He walked into the Valley of Rivendell.
Rivendell was the last kingdom of elves. As they came from across the sea in immemorial time in an attempt to save some comrades taken prisoners by The Witch-King of Angmar they had to retreat and so they found protection and home in a valley carved in the mountain by a waterfall. The river carved over the centuries a little canyon. On the highest plateau of the valley, where the great waterfall crashed thousands of gallons of clear water in the river bellow the elvish house of Elrond stood.
Many thought that Hogwarts was the masterpiece of four wizards from the old ages but as Dumbledore watched in awe Elrond's palace he understood that Hogwarts was hardly a stone replica of what Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Grifindor, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin have seen here.
On the western side of the valley a white castle with a rock base and wood towers dominated the entire sight. The towers were built from twisted alive trees, the roots engulfed the lower walls made from rock parting only to let openings for windows or balconies. At a closer look the palace was clearly a composition of a few little castles linked together with marble bridges and moss paths.
The roofs were a pale shade of red covered with vivid green ivy. In the private gardens between the towers on the upper level, small fountains with clear water murmured and attracted all kinds of small birds, chipmunks and butterflies. The whole palace was nestled in a thick forest with only one stone path which connected the castle to the river side hundreds of feet below. In the mountain wall under the palace huge caves opened towards the waterfall and the other wall. Caves from the opposite walls were connected with mobile wood bridges and there were the stables, the training areas and the nests of the eagles the elves rode.
Finally, at the base of the valley on a high ledge near the stream there were the cottages of a few elf families who preferred to be near alone from the others.
As if this was not enough to wonder Dumbledore as he stood on the shore of Bruinen River he looked up to the castle gates once again and saw them open. A green elf on a superb white horse darted in full speed on the sinuous stone path...
The horse was a mearas... a direct descendant of Shadowfax, Gandalf's horse. His mane was long enough to touch the ground and his eyes had something almost human in the way they focused.
As the elf reached Dumbledore he dismounted the great horse and spoke something to him. The horse turned slowly and walked towards a patch of grass not letting his master out of sight.
''Im Elrond brannon od dunedhil! I am Elrond, lord of the elves! Greetings to you Albus son of Percival, welcome to Imladris the last kingdom of the elves!''
Elrond had all the common features that Legolas showed, but his hair was black and his eyes were green... a vivid piercing green that he was going to remember. He seemed a bit older than the other elf and his posture was somehow more royal and commanding. It was clear that this elf was an army leader...
''I greet you lord Elrond and please forgive me if by mistake I bring you any offence! The ways of the elves, their customs and traditions are unknown to me.. ''. Dumbledore was quite proud of his diplomatic skills and as a fact he was one of the few wizards to speak gobbledegook and know their customs, he could talk with merpeople and even understand parsletongue , but this time he felt like one of his pupils in the headmaster's office.
Elves opinion about humans was quite different from person to person and even Elrond had to admit he often thought that this world would be better without them... but they gave birth to the wizards... they were the past, the present and the future of this world and they had the greatest losses in battles against dark lords and dark magic.
This wizard's attitude reminded Elrond of Gandalf... the same blue eyes, long beard and same dignified but often childish figure. He instantly liked him.
''Do not worry my friend I know you will respect our kind at the best of your abilities. I understand you already spoke to my godson Legolas... I hope he was informative enough...''.
Dumbledore stood silent and for the first time in many years he felt at peace with the world, but most important with himself. This Valley gave a feeling of protection he only felt at Hogwarts.
Walking alongside Elrond, he let the elf lord show him his palace and meet the last elves alive. It was obvious that once upon a time, the elves have been a numerous and powerful people but now in Rivendell were a little over two hundred souls.
Reaching the Hall of the Everlasting Fire the elf motioned Dumbledore to take a seat and spoke to him
''There are three main lost races my friend, elves, dwarfs and ents. You're world knows the goblins, but not entirely so you may consider them a part of this too... soon you will meet the others but until then I must explain your purpose. From time to time the lost races chose a trusted wizard to share their secrets and bring him in our world. The wizarding world believes that magic and magical people were born from Merlin's lineage. Indeed a great wizard he was but I must tell you that Merlin was just an apprentice... of a much powerful one.''
Telling a wizard that Merlin was not the first wizard to walk the face of the earth was almost like telling a Christian that God did not exist but Dumbledore kept his wits and watched the elf waiting for some explanation.
''When the elves came to Middle Earth they found this land empty, but soon a new race was born... a branch from our genealogical tree gave birth to humans. They needed protection and guidance so the gods sent the wizard to complete this task. The greatest of all was Gandalf. There were others too but in the end they proved to be either weak or corrupt. At the end of life Gandalf gave the lost races two tasks. One was to vanish from humans life and history for it was time to let them evolve freely and the other was to prepare... to prepare for a day when a Dark Lord will rise and we will need to help the one who will stand against him. Near his death Gandalf chose his first and final apprentice Merlin... from him, the wizardkind was reborn and you grew in numbers.''
„And what is my part in all of this Elrond?"
''We have chosen you, Albus, son of Percival, to become the new trusted wizard. ''
Dumbledore felt privileged to be part of what he always wanted... a fight for "The greater good" and so he accepted.
''Elrond, I will do everything that it is in my power to guard your secrets and I will learn as much as you will share with me.''
The elf smiled kindly, ''Indeed Albus and so I shall send you to your teacher... you will be close enough to Hogwarts to model the young minds of your students and become the headmaster Hogwarts needs.''
Elrond looked once again in the wizard's eyes,
''When you feel ready, go into the Forbidden Forest at the boundaries of Hogwarts land and call,
"Enyd, Im dunedhil mellon!" a friend of mine the oldest being of this earth, an ent, will take you to the Valley of the Ents were time has no meaning and the water gives life. He knows about the lost races more than anyone and as a matter of fact I believe you have quite similar characters... you should get along...'' said Elrond with a chuckle.
''Very well lord of the elves I will give my best for this cause.''
Dumbledore stood proud and happy feeling like he was just starting the biggest adventure of his life. The elf contemplated for a bit and then he turned towards a high ledge and smiled,
''Albus I'l offer you a gift to seal our friendship'' Elrond whistled long and sharp and a red majestic bird flew from a high ledge...
''...Phoenix...'' Dumbledore watched amazed as the bird came and landed on his shoulder...
''This is Fawkes and he will be your link to us... his role is to protect the trusted wizard and transport him anywhere in the world in a blink of an eye.''
Elrond set his right arm over the wizard's shoulder and bid him farewell,
''Go my friend, learn what is to be learned and prepare for what battles may come.'' as he spoke, Dumbledore was engulfed in the phoenix flames and found himself again in his Hogwarts Quarters.