WOW. I'm an Idiot. I have written 23 pages and have not yet posted another chapter or two. Bad Medusa, Bad. But I do hope that you enjoy the next instalment.

Please RnR.
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Chapter 2

"Excuse Me?" Frodo called out.

Butterbur looked at Harry waiting for him to speak as he cleaned one of the mugs. Harry pointed down alerting to Butterbur that there were other people wanting to gain his attention. "Hobbits." He explained.

Butterbur leaned over the counter more so that he could see the Hobbits, "Good evening, little masters! If you're seeking accommodations, we've got some nice, cozy, hobbit-sized rooms available. Mr. Uh…."

"Underhill, my name's Underhill." Frodo filled in for him.

"Underhill. Yes."

"We're friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we've arrived?"

Butterbur looked baffled for a moment, "Gandalf? Gandalf? Ohh yes! I remember, elderly chap, big gray beard, pointy hat." Frodo nods, "Not seen him for 6 months."

"What do we do now?" Sam questioned.

Harry stepped forward to speak with Butterbur, "Could we please have that Hobbit size room that you mentioned then?" he asked.

"Course one Hobbit size room and one for yourself?" Butterbur questioned.

Harry shook his head, "No thank you, I'll be quite alright." He responded and led the Hobbits to a table near the fire where they could warm themselves up.

"I'm going to get something to drink." Merry spoke up, "Would you like something to drink Harry?" he asked.

"A mug of water if you would. A pint if they have it please. If you get your self a beer ask for a pint as well." He explained to the Hobbit as he rubbed his hands together to warm them up.

"Are you alright Mr. Harry?" Sam asked, concern lacing his voice.

"I'm fine Sam. Just a bit cold and wet is all." Harry explained turning to smile at the Hobbit, "I'll be fine."

"We are in room 8 if you would like to go and get changed." Frodo explained.

Harry smiled sadly at Frodo, "These are the only clothes that I have with me and yours would just be too small. But thank you for the thought, I'll be fine."

"If your sure." Frodo relented.

"But I will go up to your room and light a fire there and hog all the heat for myself." He laughed and stood just as Merry brought him his water, "Thanks Merry." He said taking the pint from the Hobbit and headed up to their room.

"Harry?" Pippin asked with a questioning voice, "Why don't you just use your magic?"

"I don't want anyone else to know. So please don't say anything to anyone about what I can do." He explained and left the meal room.

Harry let out a sigh as he entered the Hobbits room and pulled out his wand, lit the fireplace and then spelled himself dry. Being dry was one thing, but now his stomach alerted him to the fact that he was quite hungry. And he had no money.

'I wish that it was possible to call a House Elf.' He thought, shrugging his shoulders he did just that, what harm could possibly come to him?

"Dobby!" He called out into the room, you never know unless you try.

"Mister Harry Potter Sir is calling Dobby?" Dobby's high squeaky voice, Harry's eyelids snapped open so fast that he was sure that they had whip lash.

"How?" he questioned.

Dobby shrugged, "Dobby is being house elf. I is being where master be." He explained.

"I'm not your master Dobby, you know that."

"Dobby is not caring." He stated.

"So can you go back to Hogwarts?" Harry questioned.

Dobby nodded, "I is coming and going as I is needing to be." Dobby explained.

Harry let out a sigh of relief, "Thank Merlin, could you please go and get my trunk, Hedwig and please measure me for some clothes, I can't very well go around in my cousins cast off's. Can you also let the Headmaster know where I am and that I am alright."

"Dobby can be doing that." He said and clicked his fingers and a plate of Harry's favorite sandwiches and was quickly measuring up Harry from where he was sitting. Even though it wasn't as practical or as precise, but Dobby would fix that.

"Dobby is being back soon." He responded and disappeared from the room.

Harry hurriedly stuffed his sandwiches down his throat; no need to savor when one was starving. He was only interrupted when he heard Sam, Merry and Pippin thump down the hall. He hurriedly got up and chased them down the hallway.
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The hobbits are sitting in the pub, each with their ale.

"Sam. He'll be here. He'll come." Frodo told Sam trying to comfort the other.

"What's that?" Pippin asked Merry as he sat down and stared at the pint he had just brought over.

"This is a pint. It's what Harry told me to get." He explained, "And I'm glad that he did." He said and shoved his nose down in to the froth as he drank from it deeply.

"It comes in pints." Merry murmured in agreement, Pippin stood up and hurried over to the bar, "I'm getting one."

"You've had a whole half one already." Sam yelled after him. He shook his head and nudged Frodo and pointed over to the corner discretely. "That fellow's done nothin' but stare at you since we arrived." He explained.

Frodo stopped Butterbur as he walked by, "Excuse me, that man in the corner, who is he?" he questioned.

"He's one of them Rangers. Dangerous folk they are, wondering in the wild. What his right name is I've never heard, but 'round here he is known as Strider." Butterbur explained and went off to finish his duties.

"Strider…" Frodo murmured watching as the man smoked out of the corner of his eye. Frodo's hand went to the ring that was in his pocket, pulling him into a trance. Frodo quickly snapped out of his reverie when he hears his name.

"Baggins… Sure I know a Baggins. He's over there, Frodo Baggins. He's my second cousin once removed on his mother's side and my third cousin twice removed on his father's side, if you follow me."

Frodo leaps to his feet and pushes through the men, "Pippin!" he called out and pulled on Pippins arm to gain his attention and did nothing more then cause him to spill his ale.

"Steady on!" Pippin called out lifting his arm from the grip causing Frodo to slip on the wet floor, the Ring flies trough the air, but when he grabs it, it accidentally slips onto his finger, and Frodo disappears stunning those crowded around him. He appeared in a whirling world of fire and darkness, and suddenly the Eye of Sauron appeared before him.

"You cannot hide! I see you! There is no life in the void…only death…" a rancid voice spoke from the void scaring the Hobbit.

Frodo tries to back away and take off the Ring at the same time. He appears back in the Prancing Pony near the stair well.

"Ah!" Frodo let out a sigh of relief.

Strider grabs him by the collar and heaves him up to his feet and proceeded to drag him up the stairs. "You draw far too much attention to yourself Mr. 'Underhill'!"

Strider opens the door to his bedroom and thrusts Frodo onto the floor. Frodo backed himself up into a corner watching Strider as he moved about the room.

"What do you want?" Frodo questioned him.

"A little more caution from you. That is no mere trinket you carry." He responded to Frodo, his voice harsh.

"I carry nothing." Frodo responded.

Strider raised a brow, "Indeed." He responded, "I can avoid being seen if I wish." he explains as he walks around the room, putting out the candle flames with his fingers, "But to disappear entirely, that is a rare gift." He explains as he throws off his hood, giving Frodo full view of his face.

"Who are you?" Frodo questions him.

"Are you frightened?" Strider asks.

"Yes."

"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you."

The door opens suddenly, Strider draws his sword, and in comes Merry, Pippin and Sam, armed with a candelabra and a three-legged stool, Harry is standing behind them looking at the scene confused.

"Let him go, or I'll have you, Longshanks!" Sam tells Strider with his fists raised and ready to strike out.

"You have a stout heart little hobbit," He tells Sam as he puts his sword away.

"Just what the hell is going on?" Harry questioned gaining every ones attention.

"Pippin told the whole bar who Frodo was and when Frodo went to stop him he slipped and fell and disappeared from the sight of the whole room, only to be grabbed 'ere by Strider." Merry explained.

Harry could only shake his head in response to what he was told, he should have guessed that something like that had happened. "Alright then, get inside, I'm sure that… Strider…" Strider nodded, "Will explain to us just what is indeed going on." He said and pushed the three Hobbit's into the room and closed the door behind him.

"And who are you?" Strider questioned.

"That at this moment in time is none of your business. All you need to know is that I am a friend of the Hobbits before you and will protect them from you and others if I have to." Harry explained.

"You can no longer wait for the wizard Frodo. They're coming."
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The sentry gets up at the sound of a horse grunt, walks to the door, and widens his eyes in horror as he is trampled by Ringwraiths. They ride through the muddy streets until they reach the Prancing Pony. Barliman Butterbur stays still behind the counter, nervously waiting as they pass by, swords drawn.

Harry looked over to where Merry and Pippin were sleeping contently in the large bed with Sam sitting up against the Headboard watching Frodo and Strider. Strider watched out the window as the Wraiths entered the Hobbits rooms, standing over a bed each and raised their swords above their head before bringing it down several times through the stuffed beds.

"What are they?" Frodo questioned.

"They were once Men- Great Kings of Men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question, one by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will." Strider explained.

"So in an essence they are soulless then?" Harry questioned.

Strider looked over to where Harry was seated, "They are the Nazgûl, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you." He replied.

Harry nodded going back to his thoughts and looking out of the window and watched as the Ringwraiths left the town of Bree in search of the ring.

"What are you thinking Harry?" Frodo asked curious.

Harry looked up at the Hobbit, "Nothing Frodo, it's alright."

"Maybe we should tell Strider, I believe him of no ill will." Frodo explained coming over to the young wizard.

"Is that what you truly believe Frodo?" he asked ignoring Striders curious look, he look to the other Hobbits, "What do the three of you think?" he asked.

"It would probably help for him to know that you know how to defend your self and us if you need to." Sam spoke up, the better voice of reason then the other two.

Harry nodded his head, "Alright we'll tell him."

Frodo smiled at Harry and moved over to Strider, "We ran into Harry on the ferry, he helped us get away from those Ringwraiths, you see Harry is not from our world but from another one. He knows nothing about Middle Earth, I myself know little out side of the Shire but Harry knows nothing at all. He explained to us that he is an Istari." Frodo explained to Strider.

"An Istari, is this true?" he asked of Harry.

Harry nodded, "It is, but in my world I am still training to become a wizard, learning what spells can do when they are cast properly and what can happen when they are not. We are all but hidden from the world, those without Magic know nothing about us unless they have a magical child." He explained.

"How old are you?"

"I'm 16."

Strider was stunned, "You are far to young to know anything about the perils of our world. Much less use Magic, only those of advanced age can be able to wield magic."

"Yea well this isn't my world, it's yours. I don't have to follow your rules." Harry snapped back and pulled out his wand, "it also seems as though I am going to have to show you that I can do magic." Harry took a deep breath and thought about what spell would be best to cast to show Strider that he could indeed do magic and that age didn't matter when it came to magic. "Wingardium Leviosa." He muttered pointing the wand at Strider with a swish and a flick and soon had the man floating up in the air, still seated on his chair.

Strider grabbed the seat of the chair and held on tight so that he would stay on the chair and dared not move an inch less he fall. Harry slowly released the spell and set Strider back on the ground.

"I am sorry that I doubted you Harry Potter." Strider apologized as he released his hold on the chair he was sitting on.

"No problem, I understand where you're coming from." Harry smiled crookedly at the Ranger.

Strider looked back out of the window to see that the coast was clear and the Wraiths had moved on to look for the Ring elsewhere. "Come we must leave." He said and gathered his belongings and moved out of the room.

Harry and the Hobbits quickly grabbed their things and hurried after him, only for Harry to be stopped at the doorway when a pop sounded in the room. Harry turned to see Dobby standing in the middle of the room with his belongings.

"Just in time Dobby, we were about to leave." Harry told the House Elf and shrunk his trunk and put it in his pocket.

"Headmaster Dumbledore sir says to tell you that there is a mirror in your trunk so that you can talk to him if you be needing any help." Dobby explained.

Harry let out a great sigh of relief, "Thanks Dobby, you head on home and I call you if I need you." Harry said and hurried out of the room and after the Hobbits and Strider.

Strider rushed out the door leaving some money for Butterbur as compensation for the destroyed Hobbit room.

"Where are we heading now?" Merry asked.

"We are going to get a horse and some supplies. We have a ways to travel." Strider replied as they came upon a stable. He moved in side hurriedly and soon came out with a scrawny ill kept horse and quickly put their belongings and food that he had on the horses' back.

"Where are you going to take us?" Frodo asked as they left the town of Bree and off the road.

"Into the wild." Strider responded gruffly.

Merry trotted up quickly beside Frodo, "How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?" he questioned, whispering.

"I think that a servant of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler." Frodo responded, his voice just as low.

"He's foul enough." Merry muttered angrily.

"We have no choice but to trust him now. You were willing to trust him back at the Inn, especially with what I asked to be kept secret." Harry responded, not bothering to keep his voice low.

"But where is he leading us?" Sam questioned as he tripped over a rock, only to be saved by wrapping his arms around Bill's neck.

"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee." Strider responded, shocking all of the Hobbits, telling them that everything that they had said was heard by the man, "To the House of Elrond."

Sam's face beamed, "Did ya hear that? Rivendell!" he exclaimed breathlessly, "We're going to see the Elves."

Harry stopped walking; a confused look on his face, the others didn't notice that he had stopped. What was the big deal about going to see some Elves, they were just short leathery skinny little creatures. Shrugging his shoulders Harry started walking again.

The days started to turn cold and move slowly, Harry had paused a long time ago to pull out his cloak so that he could keep a little warmer and also pulled out his Grade 1 Charms Book so that he could read up on any of the spells that may be of use during their journey. Especially the cushioning spell for his feet and the warming spell for when it got too cold.

Through all of the walking that he had done he had realized that it was completely and utterly official that he loathed walking. To Harry walking took too long in getting anywhere and was murder on the feet, so therefore it should be illegal to walk anywhere at anytime. Harry let out a sigh as the Hobbits pulled to a stop near a snow-covered bush, all except Strider.

Strider turned back to look at them confused at why they had stopped, "Gentlemen, we do not stop again until nightfall." Strider explained.

"But what about breakfast?" Pippin questioned.

"You've already had it." Strider responded.

"We've had ONE, yes. What about second breakfast?" Pippin said matter-of-factly.

Strider turns and walks away from them and behind foliage of treelings.

"I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip." Merry explained to the forlorn looking Hobbit.

Pippin's eyes went wide and his complexion paled, "What about Elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them doesn't he?" he questioned his breathing erratic.

Merry pats Pippin on the shoulder, "I wouldn't count on it." He responds and looks forward just in time to catch the apple that came flying over the tops of the treeling. Merry passes it over to Pippin who looks around confused as Merry walked off only to be hit in the head with another flying apple. Pippin looked up in to the sky, wondering where the apples had came from.

"Pippin." Merry called sounding annoyed.

"Do all Hobbits eat like that?" Harry questioned Frodo as they started to move off again, Sam behind them with Bill the pony.

"Of course. It's what we Hobbits like to do most of all." Frodo smiled largely up at Harry and hurried off to catch up with Strider, Merry and Pippin. Harry let out a groan and hurried after them.