Disclaimer: I don't own anything to so with Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings except some of the elven characters. I also don't own the Goa'uld or anything to do with them, except the history I created for them, they belong to Stargate.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!

Ok people, I know this was down before and then put back up. Now I've once again made some changes that I feel improve the story telling. Very little plot has changed, it's mainly character interactions and I decided to clear some things up which I felt I hadn't done a good job in explaining particularly the timeline issues. There won't be any Author Notes after this one till the end since I just replaced all the chapters at once, even if I only made little changes to them. I hope you enjoy the edited version of A warrior's life.

Chapter 1

Ron sat in his orange Chudley Cannons devoted room in a dazed, the conversation that had been less then ten minutes ago seeming so unreal.

(Flashback)

"Ron will you come down here please!" called his mother Molly Weasley

"Coming Mum!" he called back. He bounded down the stairs into the living room, stopping short when he saw who was with his mother.

"Professor Dumbledore, what are you doing here?" he asked politely. Dumbledore turned to face him and smiled with his usual 'I know more then you think' smile. Ron noticed he looked distinctly older then the last time he had seen him, which had been less then two days ago when he had left Hogwarts for the summer after a nasty fifth year.

"Good day Mr. Weasley how are you?"

"Um fine, you?"

"Quite well under the circumstances. Sherbet Lemon?" Dumbledore asked holding out a small yellow sweet.

"Um thank you." said Ron taking the sweet and popping it in his mouth.

"Well I daresay you are wondering why I am here." commented Dumbledore as if Ron had never asked him, but Ron was too used to his odd behaviour to really bother over it.

"Yes the question had crossed my mind."

"Well I'm afraid I need to speak to you alone so will you excuse us Molly?"

"Oh yes of course." said Molly as she stood up and left, a surprised look on her face. As soon as her footsteps disappeared Dumbledore stood and put silence and imperturbable charms on the room. Ron suddenly felt worried, what was going on? He asked and Dumbledore chuckled.

"Something that no one, not even Voldemort could imagine." Ron flinched at the name, feeling the fear of the darkest wizard ever rise in his heart, it was even stronger now then before because of what happened at the Ministry in the Department of Mystery.

"What could that be?" he asked curiously

"Well it involves and revolves around you however I really can't tell you anything until we are in a safe place as this could be the only thing that could stop Voldemort." was the cryptic answer. Ron's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Me?" he asked, "Why me why not Harry or Hermione or one of my brothers?" Dumbledore smiled kindly

"I have already mentioned it's too important to speak of hear but yes, you are the one to do this and no one else." Ron felt the colour rise in his cheeks.

"Well what do I have to do?"

"Pack everything you need for a long trip and stay, two months to be exact."

"Two Months?" exclaimed Ron, "That's the whole summer, I promised Harry and Hermione that they could stay here for the last month!"

"I understand but I'm afraid that you won't be here now please fetch your mother and ask her to join me. I am sure she will agree now please go and pack things that you will want with you not thing you need, for I am sure your mother will help you with that." Ron nodded wordlessly and after Dumbledore cancelled the spells he opened the door that led to the kitchen. Three forms fell in, each with flaming red hair. Fred, George, and Ginny had been trying to listen in at the door. Ron stepped over them and went and fetched his mother.

(End flashback)

Now he was trying to think of what he wanted to bring with him, his wand of course, the letters from Harry and Hermione, and a photograph of him and his entire family, it was specially charmed to be just like the clock downstairs, it would tell him what each member was feeling and what they looked like at the time. Right now his father was in his work robs, looking extremely tired but he was smiling. Bill was asleep on the bottom of the picture, Charlie was laughing seemingly talking to someone, and Percy was leaning against the side of the photograph a pondering and sad expression on his face. Ron noticed he was separated from the rest of the group; he had been since the end of fourth year, when he'd left the family. Ron would never say it but he missed his brother and really wanted him to come home, he hadn't yet even though Fudge had admitted to Voldemort being back and was about to be sacked for it.

'Damn prideful git!' thought Ron sadly. Fred and George were obviously plotting something and Ginny was daydreaming with a curious expression. But his mother surprised him; she was crying and looked terrified. What was wrong, what was Dumbledore telling her.

"Probably more then he told me." he muttered. He heard someone heading towards his room and quickly hid the picture; no one knew he had it. No one knew he had seen what his father looked like after he'd been attacked because he'd check straight after Harry had told him. His mother came in and closed the door behind her, tears in her eyes. Before he could say a word she had him in a fierce hug. He patted her back hesitantly.

"Mum…" he began but she shook her head as she let go. She wiped her eyes and smiled at him.

"Don't worry dear it's nothing it's just I suppose I came too close to losing you and Ginny only a few days ago almost and now you have to leave again for a whole summer and I won't get to see you at all until Christmas holidays and-"

"Wait you mean you guys aren't going to come with me?" asked Ron incredulously

"No dear I'm afraid not in fact you won't even be able to write to us or us to you."

"What? Why?"

"For security reasons, believe me dear I don't understand this anymore then you do but I trust Professor Dumbledore and so should you and believe him when he says it's for the best."

"But what about Harry and Hermione?" spluttered Ron, "They are going to write to me and they are coming over and everything." Mrs. Weasley smiled a smile that made Ron feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Don't worry I'll make sure Hermione understands." smiled his mother. Ron's eyes widened with revelation.

"Mum no I don't-"

"It's alright dear it's nothing to be ashamed of." she said kindly

"No mum I don't know whose been telling you this but none of its true I don't have a crush on Hermione." said Ron defiantly

"That's not what it looked like after the Yule Ball in your fourth year according to Ginny."

"Mum if you mean about Krum it was nothing like that."

"Well what was it then, because even Hermione thought you were jealous."

"Oh Merlin no!" cried Ron exasperatedly, "I wasn't jealous I was concerned for her. Krum's almost twenty now, she's sixteen like me but a year younger because I turn seventeen this summer, anyway I was afraid that Krum would make her do something she didn't want to do like you know…" Ron flushed at the suggestion, but held his mothers gaze. She stared at him then took on a look of surprise.

"You're serious." she stated

"Of course I am I love Hermione as a sister, like Ginny and nothing more just like I love Harry as a brother. Their my best friends." Ron was surprised at his own daring; he wasn't one to talk about such deep feelings. His mother obviously was surprised as well, because she didn't say anything for a while. Eventually she said

"I've asked Dumbledore that you stay till tomorrow but he says the best he can do is ten o clock tonight, so why don't you go and spend sometime with your brothers and sister. I'll pack up your clothes for you and let you know when I'm done."

"Thanks mum, you're, as always, the best." Ron hugged his mother tightly and then left his room. He found Fred and George with Ginny, Bill and Charlie all talking in hushed voices, Bill was still in his pyjamas.

"Charlie what are you doing here?"

"Mum owled me, said I should be here tonight and has done the same with dad, he should be here soon." grinned Charlie

"And I just woke up." commented Bill yawning

"Obviously."

"So." said Fred looking straight at him

"So what?"

"What happened with Dumbledore, what did he want?" asked George as if it was obvious

"Yeah spill Ron."

"Ok, ok." So Ron told them about what Dumbledore had said. At first they laughed and thought it was a joke but quickly caught on that this was serious they immediately started asking question.

"Why you?"

"How long will you be gone?"

"What are you gonna do?"

"Where will you be?"

"Will you come back to school?" Ron shrugged to all the questions.

"I don't know anything but that I'm leaving tonight and I really want to do something with you guys."

"Like what?"

"How about Quidditch? We all have brooms now so why not?"

"Sounds good."

"Would you mind an extra player?" asked a small voice. They all turned to see non other then Percy standing in the kitchen.

"You!" accused Fred angrily

"How long have you been standing there?" asked Charlie frowning.

"Long enough to hear that Ron's leaving and, for that, I'm extremely glad that I asked dad if I could come and visit and…"

"And?" hissed Ginny like a cat

"And apologise to you six and mum and Harry as I think I owe him one as well." Percy said this all very fast, his ears reddening deeply. There was silence in the Weasley sitting room as they all goggled at their brother. The silence was interrupted by

"PERCY!" Mrs. Weasley had come downstairs and seen him. She flung her arms around him and started sobbing. Percy looked extremely surprised and uncomfortable about having his mother break down like that with his very presence.

"Erm mum please, calm down." he said

"Calm down, calm down?" she exclaimed pulling away, "You expect me to calm down after everything you put us through?" she shrieked

"Now Molly, please, forgive and forget as the saying goes, and lets make today a happy day since we won't see Ron for two whole months." said Arthur Weasley coming in through the door. He clapped a hand on Percy's shoulder and smiled at him and then at Ron.

"So your mother tells me you have an extraordinarily busy summer ahead."

"That's the story." replied Ron, who was still staring at Percy. Both his mother and father noticed that Ron wasn't trying to kill Percy with angry glares like the other children, but was looking as if he was trying to see something that the rest couldn't.

"So what position do you want to play?" he asked. Percy looked up and grinned

"I don't mind, maybe a chaser."

"Chaser it is, I'll be keeper, Ginny, Bill you are the other chasers, Fred, George beaters, Charlie seeker now lets go!" Ron dashed outside with six other red heads in tow, Bill had to run back in when he realise he was still in pyjamas. They went up to the clearing and played Quidditch until their mother called them in for dinner. Dinner itself was great; Ron had missed having all his family at the dinner table just chatting and laughing and smiling. A quarter to ten came all too soon and Ron went upstairs to gather his bags. He had his Hogwarts trunk filled with clothes and a backpack with the Chudley Cannon logo on it filled with sentimental stuff and a lot of sweets. He grabbed Pig's cage and brought the lot downstairs.

"Ron you're not bringing him with you are you?" asked Fred with raised eyebrows.

"Of course not Dumbledore said he can't bring an owl with him."

"Well then how will he let us know how he is and what he's doing." asked Ginny.

"I won't."

"What?"

"I'm not allowed to send anyone letters not even you guys."

"But that's unfair."

"That sounds a bit dodgy to me."

"Don't worry we can trust Dumbledore."

"How do we know that was Dumbledore?"

"Oh c'mon George what someone took a polyjuice potion and is now running around pretending to be Dumbledore? Tell me what piece do you think they took from the real Dumbledore or where the real Dumbledore is for that matter?" scoffed Ron with a roll of his eyes, "This is why I didn't tell you this part earlier."

"Come on now we don't want to part on bad terms." said Percy sounding a bit like his old self.

"Oh yeah cause you know how awful those can be."

"Ginny!"

"Sorry mum."

"Anyway," said Ron clearing his throat, "Here Ginny I would like you to have Pig, I mean if you want."

"Really?" asked Ginny wide eyed.

"Yes you are the only one I can trust with him, god knows the guys in this family would flush him down a toilet because of all his hooting."

"I resent that." exclaimed Bill good naturedly

"Of course I will take him. Now I have a way of getting letters to Dean." Ron frowned at the mention of his sister's currant boyfriend. He knew she should go out with Harry but wasn't going to push it especially not now. Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Charlie went and answered it.

"Professor Dumbledore, on time as always. Come in."

"Thank you." said Dumbledore as he stepped in. he smiled at Ron, "All set Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes professor I've everything." he replied grabbing his trunk and backpack.

"Good now I'm afraid that because of all the spells that have been placed on your house we will have to use the portkey outside." Ron nodded knowing that none but family members could Apparate inside the house and portkeys didn't work at all. He carried his stuff out and set it down. He faced his family suddenly feeling awkward.

"Well then-"

"Now Ron you behave yourself." said his mother

"Yes and don't do anything we wouldn't do." grinned George

"So I guess that means I can do anything short of getting myself killed." chuckled Ron. He hugged his mother and Ginny and shook hands with his father and all his brothers. He stood beside Dumbledore who held out an old can. He reached out and touched it.

"Well see you in two months!" he grinned

"I'll make sure Hermione knows, why you can't write to her." called Ginny grinning.

"Oh for the love of-" was as far as Ron got before the portkey activated and he disappeared.

Ron stumbled on his feet as they landed from travelling with the portkey. He regained his balance and put his trunk down. He looked around and saw they were in a dense forest. It was still dark so he figured they hadn't gone that far, some portkeys took you across the world. Dumbledore brushed down his robes and smiled at him.

"Um professor where are we?"

"We are in a forest."

"Uh I kinda see that but where exactly is this forest?"

"I'm afraid questions will have to wait. Now allow me to make your trunk easier to carry." He flicked his wand and muttered something. Ron watched as the trunk, shrank and was quickly small enough to fit in his pocket. He was about to then decided it would be better to put it in his backpack, which he did.

"Now where are they?"

"Professor?" asked Ron who thought Dumbledore was talking to him. Dumbledore was looking around as if searching for something.

"Ah here they are." He smiled as two horses walked into the clearing, one was a white with four black socks, and the other was reddish brown. Both looked like proud animals and Ron wondered if he would have to bow like with a Hippogriff.

"Well Mr. Weasley hop on!" said Dumbledore as he did so himself. Ron's eye went wide as he realised he was going to have to ride one of them.

'Oh bloody hell!' he thought as he approached the brown one. He noticed there was no saddle and so no stirrup so how the heck was he meant to get on. He looked to Dumbledore for instructions. The older wizard chuckled good-naturedly and said something strange that he didn't understand. The horse obviously did because it went down onto its knees. Now Ron had no trouble getting on. Once he was more or less comfortable the horse rose. The movement made Ron yelp in surprise. The horse then turned and began to walk back the way it came.

"I'm afraid we may have to speed up Mr. Weasley!" said Dumbledore

"O…ok professor but please call me Ron."

"Only if you call me Albus!" Ron did a double take. Why in the world was Dumbledore asking him to call him by his first name.

"Uh if it's ok with you I'd kinda prefer to call you professor or what about just Dumbledore if you're not offended sir."

"That is fine." Ron bit his lip to keep from laughing. He had no real reason except that this was ludicrous. First he's told that he has a huge part in the war, then told he's to leave his family, and not have any contact with either them or his friends and now he was riding a horse being told by his headmaster to call him by his first name. It was nuts.

"Now Ron say to the horse noro lim, noro lim and it will begin to run, so hold on tight." Ron gulped and said quietly leaning forward

"Noro lim, noro lim!" the horse pricked up its ears and jumped into a gallop. "BLOODY HELL!" shouted Ron in fright.

"It's alright, just hold on!" Ron nodded and griped onto the bridle tightly. They rode for hours and hours. They stopped just as the sun came up. Ron almost fell of his horse in exhaustion. Once he got used to the bouncy movements he found riding really easy as long as he was wary of low branches. As it was he had a small cut across his cheek from it but he had said it was all right. Dumbledore dismounted and took out his wand. Ron tensed for a second then relaxed as the professor shot out red sparks from it. There was a couple of beats of silence then green sparks flew up about ten meters away among the trees. Dumbledore took hold of the bridle just under the mouth and began to head towards where the sparks had come from, Ron followed cautiously and uncertainly. He found it was extremely uncomfortable to walk after the ridding and was having difficulty not waddling or swaggering from it. As they neared he saw something red. He guessed it was a fire. They entered a clearing very like the one they had been at earlier except this one had had a roaring fire and several familiar faces. Cornelius Fudge, the soon to be ex-minister for magic was standing near it with a puce coloured face. Professor Mc Gonagall, Professor Snape, and Remus Lupin were also there with their wands out and pointing at them. They relaxed as they saw them.

"Dumbledore good to see you had no trouble."

"None whatsoever, in fact Ron was exceptional with the horse." Ron blushed deeply and muttered something that none could hear.

"How are you Ron?" asked Lupin kindly.

"Ok I guess, very confused although." admitted Ron sheepishly

"What's this Dumbledore?" exclaimed Fudge, "You haven't told him yet about-"

"I decided it would be in every ones best interest if I waited till now to tell him." cut in Dumbledore sharply.

"Dumbledore would you like me to explain it to him?" asked Lupin smoothly.

"Yes thank you Remus." Lupin beckoned Ron forward with his hand and placed the hand on Ron's shoulder and began steering him away from the others. He sat him down in the grass and sat beside him, staring into the fire as if contemplating what to say.

"How's Harry?" he asked

"Ok but I think he's still really upset about, you know, Sirius." Ron felt uncomfortable at the mention of the latest of the Marauders that was gone. Moony was the only one left, Padfoot and Prongs were dead and Wormtail had betrayed them all, including Ron, he had been his pet rat for three years.

"As I expected. Ron?"

"Yes."

"There's something I need to tell Harry, something Sirius told me to tell him if anything happened to him, but I'm not sure how to put it."

"What is it?"

"Sirius told me that if he didn't survive the war then I was to take his role as godfather but I don't know when or how I should tell Harry, what do you think I should do?" Now Ron was really uncomfortable.

"Um well if you ask me, and I guess you did," he stammered, "Tell him that Sirius asked you to look out for him but make it plain that you are not trying to replace him." Lupin cocked his head to the side in contemplation. A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Thank you Ron that sounds perfect."

"No problem, now could you do me a favour?"

"Of course."

"Could you please tell me what's going on?" Lupin laughed

"Of course, I suspect it's extremely frustrating to be in the dark of something that's happened to you."

"Yes it is."

"Ok, now where to start? I suppose it's best if I start from the beginning. About six years ago just before you, Harry and Hermione started school, Dumbledore received a letter, it didn't say much, just that the writer wanted Dumbledore to be at a certain place at a certain time, here in fact in this clearing around this time six years ago. Dumbledore went alone although the letter said he could bring someone if he wished. Now Dumbledore arrived here and was greeted by the writer of the letter."

"Who was it?" asked Ron eager to know. Lupin chuckled.

"An elf."

"A house elf?" asked Ron confused; he thought house elves couldn't write.

"No, not a house elf, an elf."

"You mean there are both house elves and just elves?"

"Yes but they are complete opposites, nothing alike in appearance or manner or anything. True elves are an ancient race; they were around before our kind of wizards and even humans. They are the wisest and fairest of all beings." Ron stared at him like he was mad.

"Is this a joke?"

"A joke by the Valar no!" Ron jumped as the voice behind him spoke. He turned around and felt his jaw drop. Standing behind him was a creature like none he'd ever seen before. He was tall, with dark hair that past his shoulders, there was a circlet upon his brow; his dark eyes shone wisdom from his ageless face. He wore a robe of brown and light shoes. Ron saw to his amazement that his ears were pointed and there seemed to be an inner light emanating from him. Ron was speechless.

"Lord Elrond, it is good to see you again." said Lupin standing and bowing respectfully. The being returned the gesture with an incline of the head.

"This must be Ronald Weasley." he said smiling, returning his eyes to Ron.

"Uh yes sir that's me!" stammered Ron

"Ron this is Lord Elrond, he is the ruler of this forest, the forest of Rivendell." said Lupin

"Pl-pleased to meet you to sir." said Ron holding out his hand. Elrond shook it warmly and smiled wider. He let go and sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Now where did you leave off Remus?" he asked politely

"I was just at the part of when Dumbledore met you."

"Ah then would you mind if I continued for you?"

"No not at all in fact I would love to hear you explain your people as I really only have sketchy notes."

"Well then let us begin again." he said cheerfully. "Well millennia ago when the Valar-"

"The what?"

"The Valar, the fourteen gods that created the world along with Elbereth, who was their father, and when they did so they created beings to inhabit Arda."

"You mean earth?"

"Well back then it was called Middle-Earth in the common tongue. Arda is what we called it in my people's tongue. Anyway they first created elves, the Firstborn, fated to be immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings." Had Ron not been in the presence of one he would have thought it was all exaggerated. "The Secondborn, were the Edan or humans. After them were many other races, the Dwarves, the Istar or wizards in days of old, more powerful then the average wizard now and much older, only one remains among the living, Gandalf the White, you will meet him at some point, then there were the hobbits-"

"Pardon but what the heck is a hobbit?" Elrond chuckled, not at all annoyed by all the interruptions,

"They were at best five foot high, generally curly haired, big feet with hair on the top, an insatiable appetite and charming nature. Unfortunately they no longer live and neither do dwarves, both races have died out much to the grievance of my kind. Humans have populated the entire world and any other beings have to hide."

"Well I can't deny that all magical beings like goblins and centaurs have to hide from muggles but not from wizards. By the way I'm sure I would remember hearing about your people in history even if I can barely keep my eyes open during it." Lupin chuckled here, "But I haven't so what happened to your people?" Elrond smiled sadly.

"We sailed away to our home, Valinor or the Undying Lands, where elves first lived and returned to when they heeded the call of the sea."

"The call of the sea?"

"When an elf feels the pull of the sea telling him to cross over into Valinor, every elf will feel it some worse then others, the last elf to leave this world left over 5500 years ago, and since our homes were a part of nature they were taken into nature to never be seen by mortal eyes again and with it we took all mention of ourselves in history, in a sense we erased ourselves from history."

"But why?"

"Because we just decided it was for the best, we have all our records and your welcome to look through them. Now that is enough history for one day, I assume that that explanation wasn't helpful in ridding you of your confusion.

"Nope!"

"Well let me explain, in my people a select few have the gift of foresight, the ability to see the different paths of the future, what should happen should something come to pass and the like. Now during that summer six years I had seen something. It was what to do should Voldemort rise again in six years, or rather now I suppose, destiny has already chosen the one to defeat him but there was another who was meant to lead the army of elves and wizards to victory against the dark forces. That someone is you Ron!"

Night's Darkness