Author's Note

Just so nobody gets confused, how and why they arrived in Middle Earth will be explained later on in the story as flashbacks. This story is slash. I thought I'd give it a try. For those of you who are squeamish at the idea, relax. There won't be anything explicit happening between them. Their relationship and the consequences of it, will also be explained later. I won't lie, the idea of writing a story in this fandom is daunting. I'm a huge fan of the story Shadow of Angmar. This is my humble attempt at J.R.R Tolkien's masterpiece. I won't be keeping to canon so be warned. I don't see the point of writing fanfiction if you're just going to rehash the same old things. That being said, enjoy.


The air was suffocating. It had a heavy, almost tangible weight. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the fine tremors wracking his body.

His blood was flowing so fast, it was almost like he could hear it. There was a faint buzzing sound in the air. The magic in this place was unbelievable. He'd never felt anything like it.

It was somehow fitting then, that they should have appeared in this forest. He could feel the great age of it just by sense alone.

The trees pressed inward. There was a watchful presence in the air. It didn't feel malicious though. He turned and looked towards his companion.

Just as he turned, the clouds above moved and a beam of sunlight hit Draco. His platinum locks lit up and it looked as if he was wreathed in golden light. My pulse quickened.

Draco had a look of wonder on his face. It seemed to me like all his weariness had washed away. There was light in his eyes. An openness in his face.

I couldn't stop my smile. It's been years since I've seen him look so unguarded. Our relationship wasn't easy on either of us, but he had it harder.

FLASHBACK

Whenever we went out in public, judging stares met us. Nobody was happy about their so called Chosen One, being in a relationship with a former Death Eater. Nevermind the fact that he was coerced.

Even my own friends looked at him with suspicion. I suppose every friendship has its breaking point. Where a line is drawn in the sand and if you cross it, the friendship is over.

My relationship with Ron has pretty much been strained from the beginning. The signs were always there. I just chose to ignore it. When you've never had a friend in your life and suddenly someone shows an interest in you, it's only natural that you'd latch on.

I was like that. Ron has always been jealous. Since the moment I bought all the sweets on the Hogwarts Express. It seems ridiculous in retrospect. He's never been able to understand. I would've given up all the money I had in exchange for my parents being alive. Even if that meant living in poverty.

It's ironic then. For all his disdain of Percy when he was younger, he was just as ambitious and materialistic. The only real difference is that Ron wasn't willing to put in the effort to reach his dreams.

Hermione was always caught in the middle. The sad thing is, she realised something during the Horcrux hunt. There is no middle ground. She chose to stay with me when Ron abandoned us, but she realised that was the last time she'd be able to do so.

I had no romantic interest in her. She realised that. Ron however, did. Don't get me wrong. Theirs was never going to be an epic romance for the ages. Ron liked the predictability of their relationship. The ease of familiarity. The fact that he didn't have to put in so much effort.

Hermione, ever the practical one, realised that in order for any attempts at changing the Wizarding World, she needed to legitimize herself in the eyes of the pure bloods.

Naturally, Ron was the pure blood she was closest to. She thought that her marriage to him, her status as war hero and her not inconsiderate skills as a witch, would see her rapid rise through the ranks at the Ministry.

Ron naturally thought, that after school he'd join the Auror Academy, breeze through and one day end up running it perhaps. They were both wrong.

Ron didn't even make it through the Academy. The vigorous training was beyond him. He likely thought that his friendship with me would have ensured that he only needs to do the minimum and then he'd be advanced.

Maybe that would have been true. If I'd joined the Academy with him that is. I'd long been thinking though. Basically since the moment I've entered the Wizarding World, it's been one conflict after another.

I'd grown so tired of it. I know I'm good at fighting. I've come to terms with that. That doesn't mean I liked it though. None of it was by choice. I was forced, by chance, by prophecy, by expectation and yes, by meddling old men.

I'd had a good long look at my life and came to a realisation. My entire life, after my parents died, was under the controlling thumb of someone else. First the Dursleys and then Dumbledore.

I've never had freedom. I think that's the reason I like flying so much. Why I've never felt so alive as when I was on a broom. Or rather that was the case. Until I kissed him.

The first thing that I've ever done, that was for me alone. At first, it was an impulsive decision. He and I were alone in a corridor, it was our fifth year and of course Umbridge was there.

I thought he'd be glad someone like her was at Hogwarts. He was part of her Inquisitorial Squad. I thought he'd take every opportunity to lord his power over the rest of us. He surprised me though.

He was like a shadow. Always in the background but never any sound. One night I saw him alone in a corridor at night and I snuck out of the common room at night. I thought he was upto something.

When I got there though, I saw him sitting in an alcove crying. He looked so sad. I remember how fast my heart was beating. Despite the tears marring his face, for a moment, a traitorous thought crossed my mind...he's beautiful.

I was shocked at myself. Did I really feel that way? After a moment's introspection I realised that I did. Before I could second guess myself, I removed my cloak. " Why are you crying? " I asked him softly.

I remember how he stiffened. Just for a moment. Then he spoke, voice hoarse. " Because my mother's life is in my hands. You know that the Dark Lord is back. He's ordered me to join the Death Eaters when school ends this year. That or he'll kill my mother. "

As he spoke, he slowly stood up and his voice got softer and softer, till at the end when he ended up whispering. I've never seen someone so wretched. So heartbroken. I surprised even myself by what I did.

I gently touched his face and kissed him. After a tense moment, he kissed me back. It only lasted for a few seconds but it was frantic. He pulled back sharply. I don't know which of us was more surprised.

He looked me in the eyes and said " this was a mistake Potter " and then he rushed away. I remember walking back to the common room in a daze.

I never told Ron and Hermione. I knew how they'd react. Over the next few weeks I tried to forget, with all the unpleasantness going on because of Umbridge, I almost did.

That was until one night as I left the Room of Requirement, I saw on the Marauder's Map that Draco was alone on the floor below me. It was like I was in a daze. I couldn't help myself.

I put on the Cloak and rushed down the corridor and the stairs, after which I quietly moved down the sixth floor corridor. There he was, sitting in another alcove. When I reached him, I tore off the cloak.

He flinched and quickly stood up. " We really should stop meeting like this Malfoy " and then I leaned into him and kissed him.

He fought it for a moment, but then he kissed me back. It went on for a few minutes. Progressively getting more heated. Eventually he pulled away.

" We can't keep doing this Potter! It's too dangerous. If anyone catches us then it's all over for me. Please. I can't do this. " He runs away then.

My heart is thudding. I know he's right, but I can't help it. I want him. I want him so badly. For once, I want to do something solely for me. He's right though. It's far too dangerous.

That's when another realisation hits me. Snape! He'll see all this in my mind. Now I'm panicking as I pace the corridor. Neither Voldemort nor Dumbledore can find out about this.

Voldemort will kill Draco, any chance to try and hurt me. Dumbledore will try and use Draco. I can't allow that either. Then I still. What am I doing. Am I really going to go through all this for him? Is he really worth it.

That's when I remember his response to the kiss. Yes. I want him. More than I've ever wanted something since I came to Hogwarts. Snape is a problem though.

My sleep is uneasy that night. The next day, I seek Draco out. Every chance I get, when he's alone, I snog him senseless. He doesn't even fight it. I can see it in his eyes. He wants me just as badly.

The whole week, I'm both on cloud nine and living in fear about us being found out. I've been wracking my brain for a solution the whole time, but it wasn't until Hermione mentioned Sirius that it hit me!

It was a crazy idea. Pure madness. But it was my only option. There's no way I'd be able to hide my relationship with Draco from Snape and Voldemort would be able to see it in Draco's mind too now that I think about it.

I make an excuse and rush out of the common room. Using the map I quickly search for my quarry and upon finding him, make a mad dash to the other side of the castle.

As I reach his office I knock. I hear him giving permission so I enter. I quickly close the door after me. He looks astonished. I'm not surprised. I've never spoken to him outside of class before.

I take a deep breath and gather my courage. " Professor, can you prevent our conversation from being eavesdropped? " His eyebrows shoot up his head.

After a moment he gives his wand a sort of half flick and then a faint buzzing sound momentarily sounds in my ears.

" Mr Potter I must say I'm very surprised. You've never spoken to me outside of class before. What exactly is this about? "

I look directly into his eyes. He stiffens. " Firstly professor I need to ask you two questions. Do you know occlumency and are you willing to take a vow of silence? " He looks flabbergasted. I can't blame him. This must seem completely out of the blue.

After a minute he answers. " I do indeed know occlumency Mr Potter. As to the vow, that would depend on what you asking of me. "

" Professor I need you to make a vow that you won't reveal anything of what I'm about to tell you. In exchange, I'll first swear a vow that what I'm going to tell you won't hurt anyone and isn't illegal. "

This time the silence is longer. It's nearly ten minutes of him being lost in thought before he speaks. " Very well Mr Potter, I will make the vow after you.

After we've both done our vows I exhale in relief. Then I speak. " Draco Malfoy and I are in a relationship. " Whatever he expected me to say it wasn't that. The expression on his face is comical. Eyes bulging and jaw hanging.

I smirk at his expression. " Mr Potter, was all this dramatics really necessary, also why are you telling me this? "

" It is very necessary Professor because this puts Draco in a great amount of danger. Voldemort will kill him if he finds out. Surely you know that. "

I can see him pale. Clearly he didn't make the connection. He gathers himself quicker this time though. " Yes, I do see it now. What I don't see is why you're telling me all this and not the Headmaster? "

My face tightens. " The Headmaster would try and use Draco as some sort of spy. I can't allow that. I'm telling you because you are a Charms Master and I need you to do me a favour Professor. I need you to cast the Fidelius Charm and hide the secret of our relationship. "

I held back my laughter at his reaction. He was sputtering. I didn't give him a chance to try and reason with him though. " Professor, if you don't do this then Draco will have to live his life on the run and his mother will probably be killed. "

The silence is deafening. He has a hard expression on his face. If it means losing his respect then I can accept it, as long as Draco is safe.

" Very well Mr Potter. I'll do it over the weekend. Inform Mr Malfoy. Now please leave. " His voice is sharp. I wince. I thank him and then leave. My heart is thudding the whole way back to the common room.

That night when I meet up with Draco, I tell him about my plan. He looks amazed. Our snogging lasts for a long time that night.

Saturday night I sneak out of the common room and head into the dungeons. There I find Draco. With the both of us under the cloak, we head to Professor Flitwick's office. Both of us can barely contain our excitement. After this, we won't have to worry about anyone finding out about us again.

FLASHBACK END


" Draco, let's explore the rest of the forest. Here's something vague pressing against my awareness. " He looks contemplative. He tells me he feels it as well.

For the next few days we wonder around, the forest is strangely warm. For that reason, as well as instinct, we don't make any fires. On the fifth day though, something incredible happens.

We'd been sitting in a clearing, simply meditating. This world is so magic rich it's staggering. Our world and this one, it's like comparing a squib to a wizard, or rather Filch and Dumbledore.

We've been meditating each day. Our magic has become harder to control. One thing we realised though, on the very first day, is that apparition is impossible. The magic in the air is simply too dense.

It's quiet. Too quiet. There's a faint vibration in the air. Then the leaves start rustling and tree branches start groaning. We both come out of our trances, to be met with the strangest sight.

There's a tree in front us. Vaguely in the shape of a man, but taller than a troll. It has a face and eyes, arms and legs. It's bizarre. My senses tell me though, that's it's incredibly old.

For a moment we look at each other. Then it speaks. Draco looks just as incredulous as I do. The tree stops. I think it realised that we don't understand. He hums. Then he speaks again and immediately I'm caught off guard.

The language sounds vaguely musical. We still don't understand though. After a moment he stops, then to our surprise he actually laughs. He seems amused we can't understand him.

After awhile he stops, then walks past us. He stops at the edge of the clearing though. Then he turns around and beckons us. Draco and I look at each other. I shrug. We follow him.

I don't measure the time but it's been hours since we started walking. It's evident though that we're climbing upwards.

After about five hours, we reach a large cave. There's a large stump outside so Draco and I sit down and rest while our guide enters the cave. After a bit he comes outside holding two bowls.

One giant sized and one small. Though " small " is subjective. It's the size of a salad bowl. It's filled with a strange liquid that has a vaguely earthy scent. He motions to me.

Slightly hesitantly I take the small bowl from him and drink. I gasp! Incredible. I feel my weariness falling away. The tree man makes a deep rumbling sound. I realise he's laughing.

For the first time, I smile at him. Then I bow my head. He understands the gesture because he smiles as well. Atleast that's what I think he did.

I hand the bowl over to Draco and watch his face. After drinking from it, his eyebrows shoot up and he looks at me. I wink. He snorts, but there's a smile on his face.

The three of us sit in companiable silence for the rest of the day. When night fell, he invited us to sleep inside the cave which we accepted.

Time in the forest passed very slowly. Fangorn as we later learnt he was named, taught us to speak the languages of the world. First he taught us Westron the common tongue as it were. Next he taught us Sindarin. Spoken mainly by the elves and the aristocracy in Gondor. Finally he taught us Quenya, though he told us that very few still spoke that language.

He didn't just teach us language though. He also taught us history. From the time he first awoke, when stars were the only source of light outside of Valinor, he taught us about the Valar and the Maiar.

He taught us about Morgoth and balrogs and dragons. He taught us about everything that happened in the First Age. Needless to say we were horrified.

We learnt about the different elf kindreds and about the kinstrife. The Sacking of Doriath. The War of Wrath. The end result being the destruction of Beleriand.

He told us about the Second Age and the rise of Sauron. His humbling by NĂºmenor.

The arrogance of the final king of the greatest kingdom that ever was. It's destruction.

The Rings of Power and the conflicts that followed. It was mind boggling. The idea of semi divine beings. That and the fact the Valar don't directly deal with Sauron.

From what Fangorn told us, without the ring Sauron is weakened. All it would take is a single Maia at full power to deal with him. But no. From what I understand, five wizards were sent instead.

None of which are directly engaging the forces of darkness at the moment. It annoys me. I've never been one to sit idly by while people are suffering.

In any case, we've not just been learning from Fangorn. We've been testing our magic as well. Ever since we realised we can't apparate. What we discovered is startling.

We can no longer do conjuration. Or rather, we can't conjure anything that isn't elemental. We can summon wind, lighting, fire, water and ice but that's it.

We can also no longer transfigure living things into inanimate objects. Many charms are also no longer working. Things that were commonplace like the Tempus charm that tells the time. Animating things permanently is also now beyond our power.

Space expansion charms also became impossible. The single trunk they brought with them already had such a charm, but to their horror, it was slowly unravelling. By channeling their magic into the runes inside the trunk, they were able to stave off the complete failure of the magic, but they knew it was only temporary.

It's frustrating, but it's necessary to know what is and what isn't possible. The most frustrating thing though, is that all magic channeled through our wands is incredibly weak.

It stumped us for months, till we told Fangorn about it. His answer stunned us. The wizards here all use staffs to channel their power. Fortunately after we realised that, the answer become surprising simply.

We created staffs using the same type of wood as our wands. Holly for me and hawthorn for Draco. With Fangorn's help we were able to procure living branches from trees. We then used our magic to accelerate the growth of the trees who supplied the branches. They grew back in a single day.

We used our magic to straighten out our staffs as well as carved runes into them to make them more durable. Harder than steel infact and impervious to fire. I placed a garnet the size of a plum on top of my staff. Draco used a green beryl.

With our magic, we hollow the tops out and placed our wands inside, then we coaxed the branch tendrils to hold the gems in place, then form a slightly oval hollow patterned dome on top. ( they each have a staff that's the exact match of Gandalf the White, except the colour. one is holly and the other is hawthorn. )

Once they had completed their staffs, magic once again became easy to cast, bar the obvious exceptions.

With the knowledge that the charms on their trunk were going to fail one day soon, they realised they didn't have much of a choice but to remove the contents. To that end, they spoke to Fangorn about storing their things in his forest.

After telling him about potions and what they could do, he agreed to let them store their plants and seedlings in his forest under stasis charms. Fortunately those still worked. The animals though were a conundrum. Eventually though, he agreed that he would look after them for us when we travelled the world.

Fortunately, they weren't insane like Newt Scamander and didn't carry huge amounts of dangerous creatures. Infact, they only brought a few with them. A small herd of unicorn, two hippogriffs , four nifflers, a few bicorn, a cerebrus about six bowtruckles and a few species of snake.

On the issue of bowtruckles, an idea has been brewing in my head. Ironically because of a dream I had of those skrewts of Hagrid. After our decades of living in this forest, Draco and I had come to realise something.

There are very few ents. When I asked Fangorn about it, he explained about the disappearance of the entwives and how the ents were doomed to a slow death.

It greatly saddened us, because he'd become our friend. It was that thought that convinced me though. After we'd been in the forest for about twenty years, I sought out Quickbeam. He was the youngest of the ents and the most rash. Therefore the perfect ent willing to agree to my crazy idea.

You see, I wanted to try breeding an ent with a bowtruckle. Insane I know, but the worst thing that can happen is that it doesn't work. Quickbeam actually took some convincing, but eventually he agreed.

The fortunate thing about what I was trying to do is that luckily no physical mating was required, otherwise, due to the huge size disparity, it would be impossible. After all, a bowtruckle could fit in my hand, while an ent is atleast 12ft tall.

It takes two years for any results to show. The results are surprising. To Draco and I as well as Quickbeam and the female bowtruckle I've named Dori. I should probably point out how the process works.

Basically in simple terms, the female bowtruckle provides ungerminated seeds and the ent then germinates them, then I cast a series of spells, among them the Engorgement charm and Draco adds a wit sharpening potion as well as a potion that lets you learn a language. Bowtruckles can't speak a human language after all.

You're probably wondering why Draco and I didn't take the potion to learn the languages here. They can only be brewed at a specific phase of the moon and the ingredients need to be mature, which wasn't the case when we arrived here.

In any event, as I said. The results were surprising. The pseudo entings grew quickly. Within a week, they were the size of their mother, within five years, they reached maturity, much earlier than an actual ent.

They were also very small. Only the size of house elves. But we were still stunned it worked. They were Quickbeam in miniature. They could also move much faster than an ent. Infact they had the full range of motion as a human child.

For these five years, we've germinated a batch of seedlings each year and in five years there were fifty new pseudo ents. Of which five were mature.

Quickbeam was so excited...and proud of his brood it must be said, that he convened an Entmoot. The other ents were stunned. Especially Fangorn. When asked why I'd do that I said " You are our friend Fangorn. You and all the other ents. This is our thanks to you. "

The next few decades were very busy for us. You see, those small pseudo ents weren't the end goal. The next phase of the breeding involved the females of their kind mixing with a dozen male ents.

The next generation of entings took twenty years to mature. They grew to be the size of men. They had the speed and motion range of adult humans, but with strength superior to that of elves.

After ninety years of living in the forest, we finally did it. A genuine enting came into being. It was a female. The celebration the ents threw lasted a year.

Draco and I knew our time in the forest was coming to an end soon though. We wanted to see more of the world. Fangorn and all the other ents were saddened but not surprised.

" My young Istari friends, my people will never forget your friendship. You have saved us all. The Red and Green wizards will always be welcome in our forest even if Sauron himself hunts you. "

Draco and I smiled up at Fangorn. He gave our parting words. " There can be no debts between friends. This is also not goodbye forever, for you shall see us again. "

So after our final farewells, after a century of living in the forest, we left at last to explore the wider world.


Authors Note So many of you are probably wondering about their ages and the timeline. So I'll start with this, as anyone who has ever read Harry Potter will know, wizards live considerably longer than muggles. Armando Dippet, the Headmaster before Dumbledore is a fine example. So in my story, whether this actually is canon or not, a wizard can slow their aging down with magic by simply willing it. The more powerful you are the longer you can live. It's obviously finite though. If you channel your magic to slow your aging, that means your don't really have lots of spare magic to fling around in duels and such, so it suits people who live sedentary lives more. Middle Earth is obviously more magic rich than the Earth they came from, after all it's literally been sung into being. The ambient magic is so pervasive that they don't age at all. Yes. You know what that means. A form of immortality. Though obviously they can still die of physical wounds or disease. They arrived in the Year 1500 of the Third Age. They leave the forest in the year 1600. The five Istari arrived in five centuries before them in the year 1000