((This chapter's slightly shorter, but it's an important one. And if you look on my profile, there is a link to a bit of artwork I did for this story. If you want to see it, email me and I will send it.))

((I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings))

Aragorn could not ever remember having so little energy in his entire life. He kept passing in and out of consciousness as Brego carried him. He was too weak even to look up at the Sun to gauge his position. Suddenly, Brego whinnied loudly. Aragorn looked up, and instantly, all weariness left him an adrenaline flooded his system.

An army of Uruk Hai stretched back to the horizon below him.

"To Helm's Deep, Brego!" he said.

He refused to allow himself to feel weariness as he rode. Gandalf had been right. The meager number of troops who rode out of Edoras wouldn't last an hour against that many Uruks, especially after the battle with the Wargs.

At last, he saw it. Nestled within a ravine was the great fortress of Rohan.

"Mae carnen, Brego, mellon nîn." (Well done, Brego, my friend)

Harry and Gimli were in the courtyard, resting after helping with the preparations, when they heard hoof falls and an excited cry of, "He's alive!"

They looked at each other. No way in hell could they mean him.

"Excuse me." Harry asked a villager. "Who is it?"

"It is the Lord Aragorn!" she said.

Gimli's eyes bulged. "Where is he? Get out of the way! I'm gonna kill him!"

He shouldered his way through the crowd. Aragorn stood beside Brego looking extremely beat up.

"You are...the luckiest...uncanniest...and the most reckless man I ever knew!" Gimli grabbed him in a tight hug. "Bless you laddie!"

Aragorn pried him off and clapped both he and Harry on the shoulder.

"Where is the King?" he asked.

Gimli nodded towards the Keep, unable to speak for his glee.

They followed him up the steps, where he nearly ran into Legolas. "Le abdollen." (You're late.) he snapped irritably. Aragorn looked at him curiously, but he caught a mischievous glint in his friend's eye.

Draco stood to one side with his arms crossed. "You look bloody terrible." he called.

Aragorn laughed out loud.

Eowyn's head snapped around when she heard this. She gasped and was about to run to him, but she saw Legolas place something in his hand. He held it up and she saw that it was the Evenstar pendant. She felt a pang in her heart at the grateful look on his face. He still loved the woman he had left behind. She went back to work, hoping that nobody noticed the tears in her eyes.

Theoden was conferring with Gamling, Erkenbrand and Boromir when the doors burst open and Aragorn walked in.

"You know," said Boromir grinning, "For some reason, I am not surprised."

"How..." asked Theoden.

"There is no time." said Aragorn. "A great host of Saruman's Uruk Hai marches here. I saw them."

"A great host, you say?" asked Theoden.

"All Isengard must be emptied." said Aragorn.

"How many?" asked Boromir.

Aragorn sighed. "Ten-thousand strong, at least."

Everyone in the room gasped. "Ten-thousand?"

"It is an army bred for a single purpose; to destroy the World of Men. They will be here by nightfall."

"Let them come!" declared the King.

They followed Theoden out of the Keep.

"I want every man and strong lad able to bear arms to be ready for battle by nightfall!" he said to Gamling.

"He can't be serious." said Draco incredulously. Aragorn hushed him.

Theoden then lead them outside the gate.

"We will cover the causeway and the gate from above. No army has ever breached the Deepening Wall, or set foot inside the Hornburg."

"This is no army of mindless Orcs!" said Gimli. "These are Uruk Hai. Their armor is thick and their shields broad!"

Theoden glared at him. "I have fought many wars, master Dwarf. I know how to defend my own Keep!"

Gimli growled under his breath.

"I told you he's a git." whispered Draco.

"They will break upon this fortress like water on Rock." said Theoden. "Saruman's hoards will pillage and burn. We've seen it before. But crops can be re-sown, homes rebuilt. Within these walls, we will outlast them."

Harry shook his head. This guy just did not seem to get it. "They're not coming to destroy your crops and villages." he said. "They're coming to destroy your people, down to the last child!"

Theoden whirled and grabbed his shoulder. "What would you have me do? Look at my men! Their courage hangs by a thread! If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance!"

"Who will be left to remember it, though?" asked Harry. Theoden did not answer.

"Send out Riders, my Lord!" said Aragorn. "You must call for aid!"

"And who will come?" asked Theoden. "Elves? Dwarves? Wizards? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are dead."

"Gondor will answer!" said Boromir.

"Gondor!" growled Theoden. "Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us? Where was Gond-"

"Do you think that we do not have our own problems?" yelled Boromir. "Do you think that we sit in Minas Tirith doing nothing? We were sending our own sons to their deaths to fight Mordor when your people were but a band of nomads wandering the wilds! Were it not for Gondor, you would not even be here!"

Theoden glared at him but ignored his outburst. "No, my Lord Aragorn. We are alone."

This time, they did not follow Theoden. "He is just begging for me to curse him." said Draco. Noone found that they disagreed.

People had, by now, begun moving into the caves. The Fellowship were walking against the tide, trying to make a few last minute preparations for the debacle that this siege was sure to be.

"We will place the reserves along the wall. They can support the archers from above the gate."

"Aragorn, you must rest!" said Legolas. "You're no use to us half alive."

"My Lord! Aragorn!" They saw Eowyn rushing towards them.

"I'm to be sent with the women into the caves!" she said, obviously displeased.

Aragorn sighed. He did NOT have time for this. "That is an honorable charge."

"To mind the children, to find food and bedding when the men return." she said. "What renown is there in that?"

"My lady!" said Aragorn firmly. "A time may come for valor without renown. Who then will your people look to in the last defense?"

"Let me stand at your side." she begged.

"It is not in my power to command it."

He turned to walk away, but Eowyn shouted, "You do not command the others to stay! They fight beside you because they would not be parted from you! Because they love you!"

Draco gave Harry a wry look. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Eowyn muttered, brushing past Legolas and Gimli as she ran for the caves.

The Fellowship made their way to the armory. Gathered there was a few hundred boys and old men.

Aragorn picked up a battered sword and sighed. He threw it down. "Farmers, farriers, stable boys. These are no soldiers."

"Most have seen to many winters." said Gimli.

"Or too few." said Boromir, looking at a group of boys who could not have been older then eleven.

"Look at them." said Legolas. "They're frightened. I can see it in their eyes." Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. "Boe a hyn: neled herain dan caer menig!" He continued in Elvish, not wanting to spark a mutiny. (And they should be... Three hundred against ten thousand!)

"Si beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras." (They have more hope of defending themselves here than at Edoras.) answered Aragorn.

"Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir... ortheri. Natha daged dhaer!" (Aragorn, they cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!)

"Then I shall die as one of them!" yelled Aragorn. He stormed away. Legolas made to follow him, but Harry grabbed his arm. "Just let him go. He needs time to cool down."

Theoden stood, staring out at the soldiers milling about the fortress. Despite his posturing, he had never been less certain of any course of action in his entire life. Everyone was telling him that he was not doing the right thing. Gandalf, Boromir, Aragorn, even the two children, Draco and Harry.

Gamling walked up carrying his armor. "Every villager able to wield a sword has been sent to the armory." Theoden did not answer. "My Lord?"

"Who am I, Gamling?" he asked.

Gamling was slightly taken aback, but he answered, "You are our King, sire."

"And do you trust your King?"

"Your men, My Lord," he said firmly, "will follow you to whatever end."

Theoden nodded. "To whatever end. He began to speak an old rhyme of Rohan, about Brego, one of Rohan's first Kings.

"Where is the horse and the rider?
Where is the horn that was blowing?
They have passed like rain on the mountains.
Like wind in the meadow.
The days have gone down in the west.
Behind the hills, into shadow."

He finished and sighed. "How did it come to this?"

Aragorn's spirits were also low. He knew Legolas was right, but this was his destiny. He had to lead these people. A short ways away, he saw a young man glancing about nervously. He held a battered sword, which Aragorn realized that he recognized. It was the same blade he had scoffed at in the armory.

"Give me your sword." he said.

The boy jumped slightly, but nervously handed it over.

"What is your name?" he asked the boy.

"Haleth, son of Hama, my Lord." Aragorn felt a pang in his heart. Hama had been the first to die when the Wargs attacked. Even if by some miracle this boy survived the battle, he would still be deprived of his father. "The men are saying that we will not live out the night." the boy continued. "They say that it is hopeless."

Aragorn stood and held the blade out. He whirled it around, testing its balance. "This is a good sword, Haleth, son of Hama." He handed it back to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "There is always hope!"

Aragorn left and went to the armory. He didn't care how hopeless the battle was. There was always hope, and too much was at stake to run now. These were his people, and if he was to die, he would die as one of them.

He pulled on a long chainmail shirt over his tunic. Over that, he wore his regular Ranger's garb. He strapped on the dagger of Lothlorien and reached for his sword. He then realized that it was being held out for him. He took it with some trepidation, wondering if the Elf would try to again convince him to run, but Legolas smiled. "We have trusted you this far. You have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair."

The two friends embraced. "Ú-moe edaved, Legolas." (There is nothing to forgive, Legolas.)

"Gimli, hold still! It's not going to fit!"

"Grrrr...We had time, I'd get this adjusted!"

They saw Harry and Draco trying to wrestle a chainmail shirt over Gimli's head. When they finally did, it fell with its length bunched up on the floor.

"It's a little tight across the chest." said the Dwarf.

"I would never have guessed." muttered Boromir sarcastically.

Suddenly, a shrill horn sounded from outside the fortress. "They can't be here yet!" said Draco.

Legolas grinned. "That is no Orc horn!"

They ran up to the courtyard where an army of cloaked figures was marching in, each holding an elegantly carved bow. The Elves of Lothlorien had come.

The Fellowship saw Haldir, wearing gold armor and a red cloak speaking with Theoden.

"How is this possible?" the King asked.

"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell." Haldir said. "An alliance once existed between Elves and men. Long ago we fought and died together." He looked up and saw the Fellowship and smiled. "We come to honor that allegiance."

"Mae govannen, Haldir!" (Welcome, Haldir!) said Aragorn, dashing down the steps. Haldir bowed respectfully, but Aragorn wasn't having any of that. He embraced the Elf tightly. Haldir was stunned at first, but gingerly returned the hug. Aragorn grinned. "You are most welcome!"

Haldir managed to pry him off and turned to face Theoden. "We are proud to fight alongside Men once more."

"Estel!" called a voice. Aragorn looked up. It couldn't be! Eledan ran out of the formation to embrace his foster brother.

"'Dan, what are you doing here?" asked Aragorn. "Ada actually let you come?"

Eledan snorted. "As if he could stop us." He looked past Aragorn, spotting Harry and Draco. "Hello again, my friends!" he said.

"Good to see you, Eledan." said Harry. But where is-"

Suddenly, something impacted on his head, showering him with freezing water, and seconds later, Draco was hit too.

The two Wizards stood spluttering and shivering. The Rohirrim and Elves roared with laughter. Even Theoden could not help himself. Harry and Draco looked up to the wall above them. Ah. That's where Elrohir was.

"We call them water balloons. Extremely thin skins filled with freezing water. We saved them just for you two." said Eledan grinning.

"You have exactly three seconds to start running." said Draco, taking out his wand.