AN: Please assume that all converstions that occur with elves to be held in Sindarian, their common tongue. I thought about doing translations, but could not find a good translator. I will see about what I can do, and will happily accept help and suggestions.

For this chapter, the names spoken between Sirius and Harry are in English, then the rest of the spoken words are in Sindarin. Future conversations between beings of different races will have the differences of langauge noted by symbols if needed.


Sirius froze in fear for a moment when he saw the unknown eyes staring intently at him before frantically gathering up a sleeping Harry in his arms and leaping out of their bracken bower. Grateful that the fire was between the unknown owner of the eyes and them, Sirius sprinted out into the forest, hoping that the firelight would blind the other being enough to by him a few minutes headstart. Using his vastly improved night vision and his recently gained superior body, Sirius dodged and leapt over anything that would betray their flight by making a noise as he desperately looked around for a place to hide that also wouldn't allow the two of them to be cornered.

"Siri~" Harry began, only to be hushed by Sirius.

"Shh...later, Bambi."

Harry smiled sleepily into Sirius' chest at hearing the affectionate name Sirius had bestowed on him during one of the many stories about the Marauders' adventures and dozed back off to sleep, eased on his way by the gentle swaying of Sirius' body and the comforting noise of a strong heart beating away under his ear.

Sirius knew that he shouldn't look over his shoulder. Just because he couldn't hear anything behind him didn't mean a thing: he had been a well-trained Auror in a war ravaged world at one point and knew damn well that taking his eyes off of the course he was running could lead to all kinds of problems, including missing his footing, thus allowing the other being to catch up. Still, when he thought that he saw something flicker briefly out of the corner of his eye, he wasn't able to stop himself from turning his head slightly off to the one side in an attempt to see more.

It was only taking his eyes partially away from his course, and it was only for a micro-second, but it was enough to have him hit his shoulder on something that was fairly immovable, spinning him about and sending him and his precious burden crashing to the forest floor. Acting on instinct, Sirius managed to turn his body enough that Harry was cradled tightly against his chest as they crashed to the forest floor. Sirius immediately tried to spring back to his feet to continue fleeing from the unknown persuer, but was halted by pressure on his shoulders. Shaking his head slightly in an attempt to clear away the confusion and dizziness caused by the adrenaline and recent tumble, Sirius became even more confused when the pressure on his shoulders holding him down changed into a pulling sensation; one that lifted him and Harry up off of the forest floor and placed him against the chest of the other being.

Sirius would deny for the rest of his life the squeak that escaped him when the other's arms tightened and both he and Harry were lifted to up, with their weight being carried solely by the unknown person. He was even more shocked when he finally realized that the other was talking softly to the two of them, in a beautifully, lyrical language that was most definitely not English, and Sirius could clearly understand the words. It was as though the language was the one that he had grown up speaking and had merely forgotten it until now, when he was able to once again hear its beauty.

"Shh...Everything is alright my little ones. I am so very sorry to have scared you so much that you felt that you had to flee in such terror. That was certainly not my intention when I found your clearing. I was only investigating the fire and hoping that it belong to someone that would not mind sharing a bit of warmth and company for the evening. But come, allow me to carry you and your burden back to your site. We may speak further once we arrive and you have had a chance to calm down from the fright I inadvertently gave you."

The massive jolt of adrenaline that had flooded Sirius' body at the first sight of intelligent eyes staring at Harry and him finally began to release its grip on him, causing a wave of exhaustion to crest over him and making him snuggle up against the other being. He knew that he shouldn't risk his and Harry's safety on gut feelings, but it was like he recognized the other being on an instinctual level once he heard the other's voice speaking in that lyrical language and knew that the other would never, could never, do anything that might cause any harm to either himself or his Godson. He was convinced that he heard a very faint chuckle overhead as the last dregs of panic left his system and he fell into an exhausted slumber, safe in someone else's care for the first time since he had first met James, Peter, and Remus all those many years ago.

The stranger kept chuckling quietly under his breath even as he noted that his precious burdens were both asleep as he easily made his way back through the nighttime forest, the faint streamers of moonlight more than enough light for his lightly tilted eyes to see the disturbed undergrowth by. He was still feeling an almost over-whelming sense of joy and amazement when he arrived back at the younglings' clearing, but by that time he had managed to contain it enough that he wasn't chortling out loud any more.

"Ho, Gildor Inglorion. I would ask if you were successful in your hunt, but I am able to clearly see by your burden that you were, indeed, most lucky in your pursuit. Will you permit me to come near?"

Gildor looked across the clearing, beaming in joy at the dark-haired, human male that crouched near the firepit and tended the small flames.

"Not to be boastful, Arador, but it was foregone that I would emerge victorious over any and all which I hunt. I just never expected such a joyous outcome for my work. Afterall, when we were notified that something seemed to have moved into the woods nearest Fornost causing said wooded area to seem both oddly welcoming, as it has not been for ages since its abandonment and ruination, and secretly protective, I would never have thought to have been gifted with such as I am laden with currently. And if you will give me but a moment to lower my most precious and desirable burdens to their laboriously gathered bedding, you will be able to see for your very own self the reason for the joy upwelling in my very soul."

Arador looked deeply intrigued as he watched the elf who was his companion and shield brother on this quest kneel beside the rude bracken bed, gently placing his burden there-on. From what he could see with his inferior vision from the time that Gildor arrived back in the settled clearing, it appeared that the tall elf was carrying a young lad that must have gotten lost. And since the nearest settlement was Bree, almost 100 Númenórean miles to the south, Arador was simply assuming that the lad had come up this way because of a dangerous dare from his friends and gotten lost. However, as the Dunedain Chieftain moved closer to the pile of branches and reeds in order to have a better view, he stopped briefly in shock as the flickering firelight illuminated not one, but two bodies. The second that of an older infant or tiny toddler tightly clasped in the elder's arms.

Striding up and kneeling beside his companion, Arador reached out a hesitant hand, gently placing it on the dark locks of the sleeping infant.

"Yes, I can see that finding two children alive in this area would be cause for joy-" Arador was shocked when the unfailingly polite elf interrupted him.

"That is not it. Or, at least that is not the sole reason," Gildor clarified with a look of wonder lighting up his immortal countenance. "Look at the ears on the little ones."

Arador gave his friend a look of confusion but did as asked, easily and carefully sliding the long, hiding locks of hair away from the body part under discussion. It was all he could do to contain his gasp of shock at the sight of a tiny, gracefully pointed ear. One the same shape as the tall, blond elf kneeling beside him, but so very, very much smaller.

Reeling back as the shock rang throughout his body, Arador split his gaze between the elven warrior beside him and the completely shocking sight of the elven children laying sleeping before them.

"How can this be?" he whispered. His voice stolen from him in his shock and disbelief.

"I know not," Gildor replied, his voice equally faint. "Children are so rare to my people in this age that one birth is celebrated for centuries, the fact that here are two such miracles...I am beyond words for such an occurance and can only give praise to the Valar for such a blessing and wonderance. The only hope I feel we shall have for answers is that the little ones know somewhat of their history and will be able to enlighten us upon the dawning.

"For now," Gildor said, rising from his kneeling position. "Let us guard the clearing and ensure no harm befalls the children. How none has happened before our finding of them, I shall also lay at the feet of the Valar and give them my praise as we guard."

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully and it wasn't until the sun was almost fully risen that anything of interest finally occured. Gildor and Arador, although seasoned warriors, had both spent much of their patrols lost in wondering thought, allowing their instincts to act as alerts as they periodically cast their gazes over onto the sleeping children. Gildor taking the lion's share of the evening's watches as he was able to find rest in his memories as he watched, thus allowing the ranger a few chances to grab for a bit of sleep. As the sun finally rose and cast its light upon the world, letting it trickle into the clearing, it allowed the two warriors to have a better view of their foundlings.

Deciding that it was safe enough to once again pay more attention to the sleeping miracles, Gildor gave up on his patrol and watch to move back and kneel beside the crude bed. Reaching out a hand to clear away the restless tangles of hair that blocked his view, the elf beheld the little ones in bright light for the first time.

The older one was still nothing more than a child, a young one at that. He had dark hair, high cheekbones, and fine boned features. The tiny bundle that the older child had guarded so well, and that he thought to be an infant or toddler proved, in the bright early morning light, to also be a child, although it was readily appearent that he was only out of toddler hood by the slimmest of margins. The petite child had hair the color of raven wings, the same delicate fineboned features, and the greenest eyes that Gildor had ever been graced to see.

Blinking slightly, Gildor looked again. The littlest one had opened his eyes and was staring wide-eyed as he sucked on his thumb and cuddled deeply against the older boy. Gildor gave the child a small, welcoming smile. Both boys were going to be much sought after: as children, because they were so few and so very precious, and as adults, because they were sure to grow into stunning elves.

'Although,' Gildor thought as he leaned in just a bit farther. 'They look slightly familar, as though I should know them. Or have seen similar features very recently.'

He was so caught up in his examination of the maddeningly familar features that he failed to note that the other child had also awoken. It wasn't until the other child had cleared his throat that Gildor relented in his quest to find out what triggered the sense of familiarity. Turning to the older child, Gildor was met with shining silvery-grey orbs alit with curiousity and a sense of relief.

"Good morning," said the piping voice of the youngest child, who had had to pull out his thumb to say the greeting and then promptly placed it back, the whole time looking at Gildor with eyes open wide in wonderment.

"And good morning to you little one," Gildor returned the greeting with a smile which only grew broader when the tiny child cautiously reached out one hand in an attempt to touch Gildor, before quickly pulling it back and snuggling in again with someone that he obviously knew and trusted.

"His ears look just like ours, Siri," was said in a tone of wonder by the youngest who once again removed, then reinserted, his thumb when speaking.

"Yes, they do indeed. Pretty little pointed things that they are," Arador chimed in. "However, now that everyone is awake, I feel that I should point out that the soonest started, the faster arrived. In other words, let us be on our way, as the journey to Bree, then onwards to Imladris, is one of several weeks in length."

"An excellent idea my friend," Gildor exclaimed as he rose to his feet. "It is already far later than we would normally be started; however, it will still only take us three days to reach Bree from here if we leave now."

Harry couldn't stop the tears that welled up in his eyes as he heard the first adults, heck, the first people, he met in this new place discuss the fact that they would be leaving. He had so hoped that the beautiful man with ears similar to his and Sirius' would at least answer a few questions, if not outright take responsibility for them, but it seemed like he and Siri would once again be on their own. So therefor, it came as a bit of a shock when he felt fingers gently brushing over his cheek, wiping away the tears that fell over it. Looking up, Harry discovered that it wasn't Sirius drying his tears, but someone that looked like a human in a manner that he was familar with.

"Hush now, child. We have a long enough journey ahead of us without you giving us a flood to deal with at the start of our travels. Dry your eyes, calm yourself, and rise. We have far to go today to meet our goals of reaching the village of Bree in three days time."

Harry looked up in astonishment. Did this mean that the tall, rugged looking man was going to take him and Siri with them as the two men went to wherever this 'Bree' place was? Seeing the gentle smiles both of the adults were wearing on their faces, Harry became excited as he thought that he was correct. Squriming in Sirius' tight grip, he managed to get a bit of slack in the arms clasping him. Enough so that he was able to bounce off of his Godfather, then off of the bed, and right up over to the tall male that looked just like he and Sirius, but with blond hair instead of the dark black hue that Siri had said was a dominant trait of the House of Black. Feeling instinctively that he could trust the other no matter what, Harry held up his arms in a wordless plea to be held. The tall, blond male chuckled happily and picked up Harry with no further prompting, cuddling the small boy tightly against a chest that was covered in flexible leather armor before sliding the tiny boy off to one side and resting him on a hip.

Gildor gently squeezed his precious armful as he turned his full attention to the remaining boy child. He had risen from the bracken bed right after the youngest had so rudely bounced on him and was standing beside the bed, looking hopefully at the two adults. Seeing that the other child was also willing to trust, albeit in a bit more of a catious manner, lifted a large load of worry and stress from Gildor's shoulders. It could have been very bad with the inadvertent fright given the younglings the previous night, but it seemed that all would be well.

"Now, I wish that I had something more to offer for the two of you in the way of clothing; however, this was a simple scouting mission and so we took along only the absolute bare minimum, counting on our ability to be supplied from the land itself and the fact that it is not yet time for harsh cold. Once we arrive at the village of Bree, we shall procure the most basic of needed items for you before we reclaim our horses and supplies from the Inn. We need do no more than that as there is no doubt in my mind that the artisans at Imladris will fall all over themselves to see to the supplying of any and all items that younglings such as yourselves would need and want."

Gildor was rewarded by a breathlesss giggling noise coming from the child he held and a blinding smile from the older, as well as the child moving close enough to grab ahold of the bottom of his tunic.

"I think that there is one last thing that needs to be seen to before we leave, Gildor," Arador spoke up, watching the elf lose himself in happiness at being surrounded by elven children. "Before we go anywhere, we should introduce ourselves. I am Arador, Chieftain of the Dunedain, and my companion's name is Gildor Inglorion. Would you give us the gift of knowledge of your names in return, little ones?

The elder child, the one with the silvery-grey eyes, looked thoughtful for a moment before seemingly making up his mind. With a decisive nod of his head, the lad stepped forward slightly and gave a small bow, speaking for the first time that morning.

"Greetings. My name is Sirius Orion Black and the one Gildor Inglorion is holding is my Godson, Harry James Potter. It is a pleasure to meet you both."


My very disjointed notes that I made to figure out the timeline. Sites hit were the encylopedia of arda and the LoTR wiki.

Harry meets Bilbo Ages: H65 B50

Lonely mountain ta2941

if harry=15 years old then it's ta2891

that makes Dunedain chieftain Arador(ta2820-ta2930)

father of Arathorn II (ta2873-ta2933)

father of Aragorn Elessar (March 1,2931. Ascended to the throne on May1, 3019. Died at 120)

Bilbo birthday: Sept 22, ta 3001

Frodo arrives in Rivendell Oct 3018