Chapter 26

Hermione was standing in one of the many beautiful gardens of Imladris, accompanied by Erestor who thought they might take their lessons outside that day. This week she was practicing Tengwar, the written form of Sindarin. Erestor had explained that she would begin Tengwar as Sindarin was the language that Gandalf and the Wood-elves first taught her and later she would learn to speak the Quenya, Silvan, Telerin and Westron languages and script Sarati and Cirth. She felt rather honored and priveleged to be able to recieve such an in-depth learning of this world and its peoples. It was very rare that they ever shared such knowledge, she was told.

After a bit of a misunderstanding, she had shown her tutor that she did not need to waste the precious ink and parchment here to learn to write. He had actually given her some sort of chalk-like substance and a board at first and informed her later when she improved, then maybe he would give her some parchment and ink to script.

Harry had told her what had transpired in the tunnels after she had been cured of her petrified state, and she had been immensely curious if she too could learn to write the way the horcrux of Voldemort had. This had led to secretly scouring books in the Restricted Section for months before she had found the correct book. All she really had to do was hold her wand as she would a quill. Though, her letters and words did not appear as the fiery orange flames he had described; they instead showed up in a very dark red color that reminded her of her house colors. Her mother would have been ultra-specific and tell her it was actually claret. She missed her family so much.

"No, more emphasis on the..." Erestor's voice trailed off as a new one interrupted.

"Hermione?" the soft, wispy voice behind her made her freeze, tensed. No. It can't be true. It was just a figment of your imagination.

"Hermione? Can you hear me?" the soft voice grew a bit sharper and with that Hermione whirled around.

It was true! She was actually there. She was real. She was real! Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she flung herself at the younger girl, sobbing. "Luna! Luna! You're real! You're here!"

"Of course I'm real, what else would I be?"

"I really don't know." she mumbled. "Harry! Ron! How are they? Do they know I'm missing? Have they been trying to find me or rather, us now I suppose?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been here for nearly a year and a half, Luna. During Harry and Voldemort's duel I was transported here somehow."

"Are you certain? I came from there just now, they were still dueling and then I was struck by some residual magic, I believe and then dropped off here, through a portal."

"A portal? Is that what that was? How is that possible that we both came from the exact moment in our world but you don't arrive until quite some time after me? And don't tell me it was the Nargles!"

"I've concluded it has to do with world-jumping. Besides, Nargles aren't nearly powerful enough for this sort of magic."

"World. Jumping." Hermione deadpanned.

"Yes, perhaps my portal made more stops than yours so it took longer to drop me off. Or perhaps I was held in stasis until the-"

"Luna! Well... Are you okay? You seem very pale, are you ill?"

"I believe I've only just been given the okay to leave the healing room where they had me. The healer and his friend have been quite nice to me, especilly after I cursed them. I really only meant to stun them, I didn't mean to... hurt them." she said waving her hand in the direction of Elrond and Glorfindel, looking to feel only slightly guilty. After all, she couldn't understand them... and they had frightened her.

The three ellyn had gathered together and watched in great confusion and amusement as the two young ladies spoke together in that unknown language. "They must know each other somehow." Elrond murmured to the others, feeling rather upset that he had not thought to bring them together earlier. Their similarities were uncanny.

"You don't know for certain?"

"Well, it's rather hard to understand anything they say and other than a few commands, they don't speak to me very much. Though I have learned eat, drink, bathe, dress and walk." Luna spoke with such a serious face that Hermione had to bite her lip to stifle a laugh.

"Well perhaps, Lord Elrond will allow you to stay here and learn with me."

"Oh, that would be lovely!" the blonde replied in a dreamy sigh.

The two girls turned and Hermione began to address the elven lords.

"This is Luna, she is a friend from my world."