Hogwarts? No, Jumanji

Harry awoke on a plain of grass, rocks littering the ground as far as the eye could see. Where was he? He looked around and heard shouts; a dwarf was riding a sled, with what seemed to be rabbits pulling him along. There were some ugly trolls riding the back of what appeared to be a daylight version of werewolves as they chased after him. He looked in the other direction as the sled turned away from hi and saw a group of dwarves, what appeared to be Dumbledore, and a smaller man running as well. Deciding that Dumbledore would know where they were, he chased after them.

Harry watched as the trolls suddenly turned, rushing towards where the large group was heading, deciding he had to help, Dumbledore could be hurt if he didn't see them, he pulled his wand out of his pocket and yelled "Expelliarmus!"

The leader of the trolls was thrown backwards with a snarl, his werewolf barrelling off in Harry's direction. Dumbledore stopped and looked at Harry, Harry looked back at him and realised, this wasn't Dumbledore. Beginning a chant, the stranger threw the wolf away from Harry and started blasting the others back. Yelling about 'wargs' and 'orcs' whatever they were. Harry looked as the stranger came towards him, the dwarves quickly following, Harry saw darkness start to shroud his vision and he knew no more.

Harry dreamed that he was in a majestic city, waterfalls flowing from the cliffs and the sound of happy signing punctuating the air. He dreamed of a graceful man with long black hair, speaking to the wizard from earlier, calling himself Elrond and the wizard Gandalf. He then took Gandalf to meet another wizard, named Sarouman. This other wizard was angry with Gandalf for some reason, as a beautiful woman watched the dispute with interest. Suddenly, Harry awoke to the sight of the small man who was with Gandalf and the dwarves earlier, a man with a large belly, a slightly frightened expression and large, hairy feet.

"Pleasure to meet you, whomever you are." The small man said to Harry, he was about Harry's height, but he looked much older than Harry was. "I am called Bilbo Baggins. Who are you?"

"Pleased to meet you, Mr Baggins. My name is Harry Potter."

"Well, Harry. How did you get out there all on your own?"

"I don't know, I was in Hogwarts playing a game. Then I was sucked in and ended up here." Harry said, if this guy knew a wizard, he obviously knew Hogwarts, maybe even the way back.

"Hogwarts? Never heard of it, where is that?"

"You've never heard of it? The best wizard school there is? Surely your wizard friend would have told you?"

"I don't know much about Gandalf myself, I'm afraid. Maybe he knows this Hogwarts? Where is it anyway?"

"Scotland." Harry said, confident the man most know where Scotland was at least.

"What land? This is Middle-Earth, no Scotland near here I'm afraid." Bilbo said, looking at Harry with concern "As far as I know, there is nowhere named Scotland. Are you ok?"

"You've never heard of it? And what is Middle-Earth? I've never heard of that!" Harry said, looking at Bilbo with suspicion and shock, noticing Bilbo was fixing him with the same expressions.

"Come on Harry. Let's ask Gandalf. Maybe he can help us figure out where you're from and how to get you home." Bilbo said, looking at Harry is surprise.

They climbed the halls of Rivendell, looking out and the elves all having fun as they partied the night away. They saw what looked like Thorin and Gandalf walking up a set of stone stairs with Elrond, so they followed them, listening in on Thorin and Gandalf's conversation.

"I don't trust the boy, Gandalf. And your young hobbit doesn't seem the type. I reckon he'll cry at the sight of Smaug."

"If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is. Besides, something about the boy inspires me, perhaps we've met before? If so, I don't recollect it."

"I still don't trust him." Thorin muttered, seeing that Gandalf had wandered into his own thoughts and wouldn't be disturbed easily.

They ascended the stairs, Elrond just ahead, as they walked to the table under the waterfall, they laid the map out as Harry and Bilbo got to the top of the stairs and waited, not making a sound, just watching this. Elrond spoke and Thorin seemed stubborn, yet eventually divulged why they had the map. Gandalf moved a little and his posture changed to someone who knew a mischievous secret.

"He knows we're here." Harry mouthed to Bilbo, who nodded, as they turned to head down the stairs.

"Where are you going, boys?" Elrond said, noticing the two of them as well.

"Out for a spot of air I assume?" Gandalf said, fixing them with the same kind of twinkle that made Harry's heart ache, if only Dumbledore were here.

"We're looking for you, Gandalf." Bilbo piped up "Have you heard of a place named Scotland? Harry claims to be from there."

As Bilbo spoke, Harry and Elrond noticed he had gone deathly pale.

"What is it Gandalf?" Elrond asked, looking at his old friend in concern.

Gandalf just stared at Harry for an age, and then in a hoarse whisper he asked "Jumanji?"

"What about it?" Harry asked, alarmed that Gandalf knew the name of the game he had played.

"I played it myself once, it's how I got here. I apologise that I have lied all this time to you Elrond, but I am actually from Scotland, as Harry here says he's from. I played this game and ended up in this world, my actual name is Alan Parrish."

"Alan Parrish, where did you find the game?" Harry asked, Elrond just stared at Gandalf as if he had grown a new head, Bilbo and Thorin just looked at one another, then at the map that Thorin had brought, neither knew quite what to say.

"I got it where you did of course, Hogwarts!" Gandalf roared in anger, having to say that dreaded name once again.

"What is this Hogwarts?" Elrond said.

"A school for witchcraft and wizardry." Gandalf said. "Young Harry here is a wizard, like me."

"Do you know how I can get back?" Harry asked, excitement overtaking him. Here was someone who came from the same place as him, if he could help him get back, it didn't matter that he hadn't done it himself.

"I got back when another played the game, they summoned me, yet also summoned a Ringwraith. I helped them destroy it, and realising my time there was over, I returned here. Time moves quicker here, I am over 900 years old, yet I have only been gone in your world for about 125 years."

"So, I'm stuck here until someone else plays then? What's a ringwraith? And who played the game last time?" Harry asked, noticing Elrond and Thorin's grimaces at the mention of Ringwraiths. Bilbo just looked as confused as Harry did.

"Yes, until I find a way back for you, but that could take years, you've been here a day I take it? That's about a week in Hogwarts. A Ringwraith is the foulest creature you will ever meet, I pray you never have to meet one, however. And the one who summoned me was a young boy named Albus Dumbledore; it had only been 15 years there, so it wasn't as if I was too surprised with how the place looked."

"Wait, did you say Dumbledore?! He's the greatest wizard ever! He's headmaster of Hogwarts in my time, I first though you were him, when I saw you on the plains."

"Did you now?" Gandalf asked, chuckling slightly "Well, I suppose he's come a long way from the first year who was terrified when he first saw me, he thought I was Headmaster Black, coming to punish him."

Thorin cleared his throat at this, and as everyone turned to look at him, he gestured towards the map on the table.

"Can you read this then, Elrond?"

"I can Thorin, it speaks of a side entrance to the Mountain, you must go there on Durin's day, which is in about three months' time."

"Is that it?" Bilbo asked, hopeful the adventure would end soon.

"Is that it?!" Thorin cried "It could take us three months just to get there, depending on the route we take, I suggest going South of the woods and heading North towards the Mountain from there, longer but safer. Then we'd have to be in the right place at the right time to access the mountain door."

"Don't be a fool Oakenshield." Gandalf said "If you go through the dark woods, and stick on the path, you'll get there in half the time it would take to get across from the South. Besides, going south would cross through the Necromancer's lands, and you won't get out of there alive."

"We should take our chances, I've heard stories of people going mad in the darkness of that forest, it stretches for eternity as well, much quicker South."

"Please, Thorin, I want you to get to your treasure. Heed Gandalf's advice, he knows what to do." Elrond interjected, fixing Thorin with a pointed glance. Thorin looked disgruntled but nodded his head in understanding.

The next day saw them all heading off towards the Misty Mountains in the distance, and the promise of bad weather and rock giants. During the storm they all fled into a cave and settled down for the night. Harry dozed off, seeing Bilbo start to sneak off, Harry wondered where he was going, and Bilbo seemed like a nice Hobbit, whatever one of those is meant to be. He awoke to the sounds of dwarves rustling, Bilbo's sword was glowing blue.

"Orcs." He mouthed to Harry, who nodded and took out his wand.

He didn't know many spells, but he could keep one busy for a little while he hoped. It seemed magic was stronger here than at Hogwarts, if that was even possible, and he practised his expelliarmus technique when they all trooped into the back of the cave. Looking back, Harry had to wonder how it came to this. Bilbo and Harry had escaped from the Goblins when the rest had been captured, they weren't the mean small creatures that Harry remembered, they were slightly taller, and with a particular desire for dwarfish flesh from the looks of things. Harry had seen Bilbo sneak off and had followed him, not noticing that the Goblins hadn't noticed where they had gone. He saw Bilbo fall down a hole after been attacked by a Goblin, he saw the Goblin fall too and he jumped in afterwards, hoping to save his new friend. Nothing could have prepared him for what was down there.

"What are you?" Harry asked, seeing a pitiful creature up ahead, crawling and skulking around Bilbo, who looked absolutely terrified and didn't seem to notice Harry.

"Gollum, precious." The creature snarled.