CHAPTER 10
"This, son, is Rivendell," Gloin told his son Gimli, "Though, personally, I hate the elves, however these people are good to us, and we are good to anybody who is good to us."
They were both walking carefully into the guarded city of Imladris, with their axes in their hands and presenting themselves in their proudest form possible. The pair was here to represent the dwarves on a certain, important council that Lord Elrond would be leading. Despite the fact that dwarves dislike elves, they were neutral towards Rivendell.
Harry ran forward to see the new arriving guests. He had heard many tales about dwarves and the battles, one particular story that sprung to mind was their adventure with Bilbo that the hobbit and Elladan had told him about. However, seeing them is a completely different experience altogether.
They were short, stout and had long beards that reached to their stomachs, with equally grizzly hair on their heads. They wore colourful clothing and thick chain mail over them, with a variety of axes strung on their back. This look sent out only one sign to everyone who lay eyes upon them, 'you don't mess with a dwarf'.
When one of the dwarves looked at him, Harry bowed and welcomed them.
"Welcome, master dwarves, to the hidden valley of Imladris. I hope your journey was comfortable."
Gimli looked into Harry as though he was going to behead him, but regained his composure when his father glared at him. They moved past Harry completely ignoring him. He was hurt by this behaviour because he had never received any guests in his twelve years that treat him as such and the first ones he ever tried to receive behaved ill with him.
Uncle Vernon only had Aunt Marge or some of his company clients as guests so he had never actually really received any. At Hogwarts, he never had to and even at Sirius' house people always received him, never the other way round.
Despite this, Harry regained his cool, he had faced the Malfoy's, and these dwarves couldn't possibly overdo them. He returned to doing his lessons and chores.
"What was the lad doing here talking in Elvish?" Gimli grunted to his father, "He is a child of man so he should be speaking Westron, and he insulted us at our very entry by speaking to us in a language we don't use! If he was not a child, he would have faced my axe."
"I too don't see why a child of man is here. Strange are these elven folk." Gloin commented and they both proceeded to meet Elrond.
Shortly after them, Legolas Greenleaf entered the hidden valley with his companion messenger.
'I hope Lord Elrond would see through this.' Legolas thought as he dismounted.
Harry saw the elves dismount their horses and approached them.
'Let's see if they are any better,' He thought just before he greeted them.
"Greetings from Imladris, cousins. I hope your journey was comfortable."
"Cousins! Yes, we are! Cousins by creation," Legolas smiled kindly, before asking, "Young son, who are you and why are you greeting us here?"
"My name is Elros and I am the son of Lord Elrond," Harry replied, "Pray allow me to lead you inside."
"Ah, my father and I heard the news about your adoption," Legolas said cheerfully, "I am Legolas, son of Thranduil, and here with me is our chief messenger, Talimus."
The two elves nodded in greeting, and Harry replied in the same way, it was custom after all.
"I know I should not bother you much, let me guide you inside," Harry said, beginning to lead them inside, "Aragorn told me about you, Prince Legolas. He told me you are a great archer and an excellent swordsman."
"He is a good friend. I am here to meet him," Legolas said, then he thought with much disappointment, 'It will be rather disappointing to tell him the news, he had so much hardship catching that creature and we just let it get away.'
Harry was having a great time in his guests presence. He had taken a liking to the Hobbits, more than the other races, and liked to play with them. Though not very young, the Halflings always wanted to play. Frodo Baggins was a little quiet in the group, but he thought it was due to the wound.
Legolas was a talented singer and sang songs in the evening, every one of them were calm and serene, like most elven songs. The effect was always countered by the rumble caused by Pippin and Merry whose songs were upbeat and joyful.
The dwarves, he found, were very secretive and didn't say much to him. They liked to sit and smoke their pipes while talking about weapons or some other fighting related topic. Most of their responses to others were grunts, so Harry decided to stay away from them.
Harry was very curious about how the council was going to-be held because he'd never really attended a meeting like this. It was now he wished he had those extendable ears or his invisibility cloak with him so he could see probably one of the most important gatherings of the Third Age. However, that thought only hurt him more than he ever predicted it would.
Even after all these years, he could still remember the smiling faces of George, Fred, Ginny, Hermione and Ron. That severely dampened his curiosity to spy over the meeting and he returned calmly to his classes but he could not push away the sadness even as he did continue with his day.
In the evening, Harry heard from an enthusiastic Sam, who was talking to Bilbo about what had happened at the council, a fellowship of nine was created to travel to Mordor to destroy the ring and all the four hobbits were part of it. The sudden thought of the danger these rattling Hobbits were to walk into made bile rise in his stomach. How could this happen again. Young, happy and innocent these little people are and now they are going to face the worst of dangers.
Harry knew the Hobbits never did any travelling, the journey to Imladris was by far the greatest journey in their lives.
'How could such simple souls be tormented with such a dreadful task? How could Ada, Gandalf all allow these people to embark on this journey?' With such thoughts exploding his brain, he ran towards his father's chambers only to find the Maia there instead.
"Mithrandir, is it true that the young Hobbits part of the fellowship that are setting out to destroy the ring?" Harry asked Gandalf in a serious tone.
"Ah, yes, that's true," Gandalf said, looking into young green eyes, "The fellowship is made up of nine people that includes myself, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the four hobbits whom you have met, and Boromir, son of the steward Denethor, who you have not met. You need not worry much about the fate of the ring, or horcrux as you call it, we shall see to it that it's destroyed."
"Destroyed!" Harry said, angst ringing in his voice, "How can I not worry when Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin have taken up the humongous task of destroying the Horcrux? They cannot have such burden."
"Frodo volunteered to the task of carrying the ring to the Mount Doom and as inseparable as these Hobbits are, they volunteered to join him," Gandalf told the boy, trying to calm him, "They know how perilous this journey could be, as well as what it may cost, which includes their lives. We will be there to see that the Hobbits remain unharmed."
"The ring is treacherous and it will break their minds and hearts," Harry said before turning to go search for Frodo, "You don't know completely what the ring could do, Mithrandir. No more words, if you believe such tender souls should have to carry the burden of the ring, I take up the task of destroying it, whether you will accept it or not."
"DON'T MAKE HASTY DECISIONS, ELROS!" Gandalf shouted and grabbed the boy before he could rush away.
"Hasty! Am I hasty?" Harry said, escaping from the grip of Gandalf, "No Mithrandir. But you people are delirious."
Gandalf immediately pointed his staff towards Harry and lifted him off the ground before saying.
"You never underestimate a Hobbit, Elros. Remarkable creatures they are, and I have full faith in them." The old wizard lightened his grip on the boy, "Sometimes, the toughest of challenges are achieved by the oddest of people and you have to accept that."
Those words rang the bell in Harry's mind.
'Mithrandir is behaving like Dumbledore. What is it with these wise old men? Both this Maiar and his headmaster are true, but it never concerns the person.'
Gandalf, seeing that the boy has calmed down, slowly placed him back on the ground, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you but I did that so you would listen to me."
"I think I get your point, Mithrandir, but I have one question for you," Harry paused for a moment, before continuing, "Why do you make such hard decisions, ignoring the experienced? Don't you think knowing a lot about these wretched things, I should be given at least a chance to destroy the damned ring. I am a falcon, and travel light and swiftly, I know how to deal with the ring and before anybody could notice, I can bury it in the fires of the mountain. I have more virtues here than anybody else. Even in the worst case, if Sauron notices me, I have the tactics to avoid him and will still get the task done."
"Yes, you have a point, you have beaten the nine wraiths and you are the fastest traveler here," Gandalf told him, after musing over the by's words, "Being trained by the greatest warriors and having a very specific set of skills, you should be given a chance to deal with the ring. I have more than one intention on my mind when I let Frodo embark on this quest. But, yes, before we let you fly off with the ring, I have to see what you can do. Let us go to Frodo."
The pair set off to find the hobbit, and it wasn't hard to either but that was probably because the wizard already knew where he was. Frodo was sitting silently by a water fountain looking at the distant landscape.
"This place is beautiful and very dreamlike." He mumbled calmly to himself.
Suddenly, he heard Gandalf calling him and turned in the direction of the sound. He saw the wizard and Elros coming towards him, and he smiled as he waved at them. The hobbit had begun to enjoy Elros' company, though the boy doesn't speak much.
"Frodo, I have come here to ask you to give the ring to Elros." Gandalf asked boldly.
"Gandalf, you said I should not give the ring to anybody." He said, looking confused.
"Yes, but I believe Elros can handle it well," Gandalf replied, "Don't worry, just hand him it. I don't believe it will harm him."
Frodo looked at Elros before undoing the chain around his neck and offering it to the boy. Harry moved forward to get it.
"I need you to trust me in this, Master Frodo." Harry said, earning a nod from the hobbit. Frodo tried to place the ring in Harry's open palm, however, the ring moved away from him.
"There is no wind here to move it." Frodo frowned, confused.
"Keep it on the table and I will take it then, if you please."
Frodo did as he was told and when Harry tried to take it again, the ring rolled on its own and reached for a corner. The boy stopped at that and taking a deep breath, he moved around the table to try for the third time but it only ended with the same result. The hobbit and wizard watched in wonder and curiosity, neither knew what was happening.
Harry tried for the fourth time, except, he used his seeker reflexes and managed to catch the ring in a swipe. The ring began to turn red-hot, burning the boy's hand who withstood the pain with all his might, clenching his jaw tightly to redirect the pain.
The ring only burned his hand more, also gaining much more weight that it caused Harry to fall to his knees, but still he tried to keep his fingers closed around it.
"Let go of it, Elros!" Frodo cried, horrified by the scene.
"The ring has many ways of protecting itself," Harry said slowly, ignoring the hobbit, "It seduces many with its power, terrifies a few, but this is not expected."
Gandalf grabbed Harry's wounded hand and pressed a cold cloth against it that had been dipped in the fountain beside them.
"That, I think, is because the ring responds to the inner desire of a person," The wizard explained, "To those who have a desire for power or know the value of it, it's overpowering or irresistible. Those who know the evil it holds, it is terrifying. It can trick out the sick and angered ones to their deaths, but, you have nothing but sheer determination, and the rings knows you can destroy it. So it tried to escape from you...I think the ring won't allow you to have it."
Harry sat motion less on his knees listening to that, letting out a deep sigh, the pain of the burning taking over him as tears rolled out of his eyes. Seeing that, Frodo walked to Harry and patted his shoulder, even though he did not fully understand what Gandalf was saying, or why the boy wanted to destroy the ring.
"Why is this happening to me, Mithrandir? My life is good here, and I have everything that I've ever dreamed of, a caring family and a healthy upbringing," Harry cried unintentionally, despite trying his best not to, "It's peaceful here, if you leave out my past, but then this evil shows up here, threatening to destroy everything I hold dear. Why can't I be left in peace? What should I do now?"
Frodo looked at Gandalf not knowing what to do. Gandalf sat on his knees too and patted the boy. "The reason I allowed you to touch the ring is because I saw so much love in you, Elros. Love for all Arda, love for every being even though you don't know them. Every time we met, I saw your irrational love and respect to everything around you. You have so much in you that the ring cannot destroy. The ring fears you because of this and be happy, I promise you on behalf of the fellowship, the ring will be destroyed."
"But at what cost? Frodo and others carry it all the way and the ring poisons them. It destroys them from the inside and before you know what is happening, you would be in its grip. Yes. I have faith that you people can destroy the ring. But what about you? Do you believe you can laugh ever again? It shatters every bright memory of yours. It destroys the bonds of friendship. It makes you forget your kin. It does not allow you to eat or rest. Why should such profane evil thing exist at all?" Harry asked with anger.
"So, is it that terrible?" Frodo asked real frightened.
Harry put away his anguish and looked at Frodo. "I don't lie, but the ring is terrible. But as long as you remember who you are and stay true to your friends, it cannot harm you. No matter how difficult, you should still try to laugh, believe and hold on to your true reason, it cannot harm you." Harry said trying to build up confidence in the young Hobbit.
"True." Gandalf said lighting his pipe. Frodo looked a bit reassured and Harry tried to calm himself. He then chuckled remembering it was always Hermione to ask him to calm down. He's doing it himself now, so would she be proud of him?
"Let's go to the healers," Frodo said.
"And when have you learned Sindarin, Frodo Baggins?" Gandalf asked.
Frodo smiled timidly and said, "Bilbo always had a liking to elves and taught me Sindarin. I am neither fluent nor read or write, but can understand a little when I carefully listen to and speak a few words if I try."
"You can understand what a Hobbit is in three days and even after living a hundred years with them, you people still surprise." Gandalf said with a chuckle.
"So you will follow us no matter what." Gandalf said smoking his pipe. Harry nodded his head and adjusted the bandages around his hand. They were left alone in the healing room and the healers all went to tell Lord Elrond about his son.
"But it is not allowed. Lord Elrond would not allow it. The fellowship is already formed and you cannot be joined now. And again, you cannot leave a horrified Elrond as you run away. That makes entire Rivendell to com pursuing us." Gandalf said.
"But Ada will be happy if he knows I am in safe hands. If I cannot join the fellowship, let me come with you as your apprentice. I should be learning to handle my magic." Harry said with a smirk. He thought these old people have ways to make you suggest bad ideas.
"Oh, that's a good idea." Gandalf said and chuckled.
Lord Elrond and Arwen charged into the healing room and Arwen caught his more than necessarily bandaged hand. "How did it happen?" She asked.
"It's nothing. A small burn and the healers have overdone it." Harry said.
"Why did you play with fire?" She asked.
"It's not a normal fire." Gandalf began to speak and Harry cut him short. "It is magical. To avoid any such accidents, let me be trained in magic." Harry asked. Gandalf eyed Harry carefully.
"In that case, you should go to Lothlorien. Your grandmother Galadriel and grandfather Celeborn will be very happy to have you. I plan to send your brothers and sister there in a few years and you join them" Elrond said.
"But I want to learn from Mithrandir. He is a Maia and he can teach me well." Harry said pleading his father.
"Well. At that time, I hope Mithrandir would be present there then and you can learn from him." Elrond said.
"Your ion wishes to follow the fellowship and I accept that idea too." Gandalf said.
Elrond looked seriously at Harry and said, "You should stay away from this, Elros. It is beyond you."
"But it is a good idea. I believe he will follow us anyway and the best thing is I have him under my care." Gandalf said.
"But it is too dangerous, Mithrandir. I would have happily agreed at other times, if you wished to stay here and teach him. But sending him out into the wild at such young age is not possible." Elrond said.
"No harm shall be to him. He is the fastest and can apparate here in case of any such danger. Among us all, he is the safest." Gandalf said.
"Us? So you have already included my ion into the group. Estel is already with you, why you want to endanger Elros?" Elrond asked.
"Aragorn is with us because he promised to safeguard Frodo." Gandalf said.
"Yes Ada, I know you worry about Aragorn when he is in wild. But I will be with him and will guard him." Harry said.
"You don't speak anything now. Arwen, take him inside. I have to deal with one old Maia." Elrond ordered.
"Or it is better for us to leave him with the healers and go out instead." Gandalf suggested. Elrond nodded to the suggestion and both went out.
"How did you get your hand burned?" Arwen asked Harry when they are alone in the healing room.
"The ring burned my hand." Harry said nonchalantly."Why did the ring burn your hand? What did you do with it?" Arwen asked, the command of a princess clearly sounding in her voice, "And most importantly, why did you do anything with the ring?"
"I could not bear the fact that Hobbits are being sent to destroy the ring," Harry replied, "So I offered to destroy it instead. Frodo gave me the ring and when I held it, it burned my hand."
"So can you bear Hobbits carrying the ring now?"
"As long as I am with them, yes."
"The ring is not concerned with you Harry," Arwen suggested in a soothing tone, "Let them deal with it."
"If the ring goes back to Sauron, then everything we know will be destroyed," Harry answered determinedly, "I will lose everything I have gained here, and I'm not selfless like the fellowship. I'm a very selfish person who cannot bear the loss of his loved ones. Not again. Even if it takes everything from me, I will do all I can and fight back."
Arwen kissed him on his forehead, "Even if the fellowship fails, there is no immediate threat here. Ada has battled the evil lord of Mordor once and he will do it again."
"Is it that easy Arwen? If the fellowship fails, we lose, you will lose Aragorn, can you bear with that?" Harry asked, striking a deep cord in Arwen's heart and she burst into tears.
"We have to do everything we can to avert the evil. It is a condition where we have only two choices, doing what is good or stick to what is easy," Harry told her, wrapping her in his arms in a comforting hug, "You are brave to do the good Arwen. Staying here with you is very convenient and easy but I want to-be brave like you, like Elrohir and Elladan. Brave enough to do the good."
Arwen didn't stop crying and it made Harry wish he was good at comforting people, but he didn't leave her. After a little time the healers entered and he lead her to her room. While walking, he supported by holding her, all the while he was mortally horrified to see his strong sister so weak and frail. She is the one who dashed into dark forests to save Frodo and was chased by the Ringwraiths. He has always pictured her kind, brave and strong but seeing her so frail on the mention of losing Aragorn frightened him so much.
As they walked through the hallways, they came across a big man covered in armor, holding a bottle of wine in one hand. Harry didn't recognize him, neither was he in a mood to know about him but obviously the man had other plans.
"So delicate these elves are, and much more are their woman."
Harry ignored him completely and moved around him to get past.
"Hey, elf woman, if you want real comfort, you should try a real man," The man told her,"Want to see a few ways?"
Before Harry could react to the man's words, Arwen slapped him across the face and the heavy man fell to the ground.
"I should kill you for such disgusting words, Boromir of Gondor, but we don't kill our guests," Arwen threatened, "This is the least expected behaviour from the son of a steward."
"That is more like my sister." Harry laughed, and lead her happily to her room. He stayed there for a while Arwen explained who Boromir is.
"So, Boromir is a rival for Aragorn to the throne of Gondor," Harry summed up, "Sensing by his demeanour, he is not a very good man and is ill-suited to be a ruler."
"Don't judge a man when he is drunk." Arwen advised.
"The true nature of a person is known when they are drunk." Harry argued.
"Boromir is a good soldier of Gondor," She defended, "However, like most men, he does not have respect for women."
"If it was Hermione, she would have punched his teeth out for such words." Harry smiled, remembering when his friend had hit Malfoy.
"Hermione? Oh, your lady from the past."
"No. Ginny is my girl and Hermione is my friend. If it was Ginny, he would have suffered from severe hexes," Harry chuckled, but it changed to a frown, "How could you forget what I told you?"
"Because what you said was so little." Arwen replied.
"What do you want to know?" Harry asked.
"You're not really happy remembering all that," Arwen said, shaking her head, "Tell me when you are ready to share and not on my request, or anyone else's for that matter."
Suddenly, the door opened and Elrond entered the room.
"Ada," Harry and Arwen greeted in unison, both of them standing. Elrond advanced towards them, motioning for them to sit.
"I accept the proposal of you learning from Mithrandir."
"Thank you Ada," Harry beamed, his eyes sparkling with joy.
"However, only for a short while," Elrond continued. "You will be allowed to travel with Mithrandir and learn from him until you reach Lothlorien. There you will stay with your grandparents and wait for us to come get you. You are not a part of the fellowship and are under the command of Mithrandir during the period of travel, that is, if you still wish to go?."
"Of course, but why can't I go any further?"
"It is too dangerous, Elros," The elf explained, "I don't really like sending you out now, but since you are so interested, and not wanted to destroy your desires, I am sending you with them."
"I will, Ada," Harry said, "Thank you for allowing me to go."
"Do not disappoint me."
"I won't." Harry promised.