Chapter 4

The Two Old Guys That Neither of Us Like

Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sat at his desk. It was the middle of July and he was at his home, Hogwarts, as always, with nothing to do.

He was contemplating the current situation with Lord Voldemort, who had not made any moves at all as of yet. Because Voldemort had made no move, the Wizarding world was seriously starting to doubt the olds headmaster's mental health. Cornelius Fudge was trying to suspend him from the role of Headmaster, too. It was all very tiring, the parliament, yes, but still...he couldn't lie about the fact that he was feeling particularly bored today.

He got out of his chair and walked to the door of his old office. As he was going down the staircase though, he felt as if he was being magnetically pulled off to the right. Towards the lake.

He walked down the old halls, following the sudden odd feeling in his gut, and soon found himself on the grassy slopes of the Hogwarts lawn. A fair distance away, Hagrid's hut was seen, and a little to the right of the path to the hut about halfway to the small home, stood the Whomping Willow, momentarily silent in the summer sun.

He was in the middle of Memory Lane, when there was a whooshing noise and something...or someone fell out of the air in front of him, and fell backwards, ramming into him.

"Oh, why excuse me," he said, as if this event was a common occurrence around him (but it wasn't).

He got hit in the nose by a long wooden staff in reply.

"Oh dear. So sorry, good fellow," said a kindly voice from the figure in front of him, trying to straiten itself out, and get his cloak out of his face. "So sorry."

"Not at all," he replied, rubbing his already crooked nose.

He looked at the man, when his cloak was sorted out and was amazed to find an old man, a wizard also by the look of it, in front of him. Long beard, pointy hat, cloak, robe and all, stood an old man who could have passed as a cousin of his if needed.

The man looked at him thoughtfully, as if appearing out of nowhere and falling in front of people who look like relatives of yours, was no big deal to him either.

"So sorry," he said hastily. "May I ask where I am, and your name?"

Dumbledore held out his hand. "Albus Dumbledore. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at your service. You are on Hogwarts lawn. May I ask of you YOUR name?"

The man just stood there, for once, looking properly shocked. "School for Wizardry? I have never heard of such thing in my life. Hogwarts, you say? What a funny name. Where is this...castle. What country? Is this someplace across the sea maybe?"

Dumbledore looked at him thoughtfully. "Which sea? You are in Britain...actually, Scotland (I think that's where Hogwarts is). Where are you from?"

The man looked utterly confused now. "I am Gandalf the Grey," he said with an air of superiority. "And I must say that I have never in my life heard of Britain or a Scotland. I was just going to visit a friend, Frodo Baggins, in the Shire. Then I mysteriously found myself here."

Dumbledore took the hand he offered when he introduced himself and shook it. "Well, I must say. I myself have never heard of a Shire. Well...I have, but never a place CALLED the Shire."

Gandalf looked thoroughly confused, though it was nothing compared to how he felt at the moment.

Dumbledore was confused as well, yet very interested. "Well then. We shall figure this all out then shall we?" he smiled and led Gandalf into a large, old castle.

He then began interrogating Dumbledore about this so called 'school for wizardry.' They talked about spells and how they differ from their two worlds (Hey. They're the wise, old guys. They have figured out that Gandalf was from another dimension.) and on the topic, they also discussed their lands themselves.

"Ah," Dumbledore said, as they reached an old door. He opened the door and Gandalf saw what had to be the most magnificent library he'd ever seen. "Here we are. This would certainly be in the Restricted Section, I'm sure."

He walked over to another door and took out of his pocket a key ring with numerous different keys on it. He chose a large brass one and unlocked the door.

The two stepped inside and began searching. Gandalf, with some difficulty due to lack of seeing so many books in one place and not knowing where to find certain books.

It was Gandalf, however, who happened to turn to a page he found fitting of the description. Dumbledore was sitting in a chair at the table they had piled books on, scanning a page on time spells.

He looked at the page he was on and read aloud, without so much as bothering to look up.

"The Cross-Realm Point: This magic, although never known to have actually ever happened, is a natural magic that happens every one thousand years. It is supposed that on the first blue moon (a month with two full moons that comes around every fifty years) of every thousandth year (on the dot, whatever year they are in), when natural magic can supposedly summon the most important people of another dimension or world, to ours and appear where their Alter-World Twins are. In other words, the person they have most in common with in our world. This magic is classified as non-existent and will most-likely never be realistic."

He looked up. Dumbledore was looking thoughtful. He was 'hmm'ing to himself and had an odd look of confusion on his face. As if he was trying to pinpoint something.

"So," he said at last. "You appeared here, from this...Middle-Earth...and appeared at Hogwarts...because you are my...Alter-World Twin...?....Thus, if I were in your world, I would have most in common with you...."

"That's what it says," Gandalf said. He repeated the relatively short passage from the book and looked back at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore had the same look of trying to pinpoint something unknown and when he finally looked up, after about five minutes, he looked at Gandalf thoughtfully.

"So...." he started questioningly. "Who would you say were some of the most important people in your world?"

Gandalf blinked. "Well that's easy," he said. "That would be-" then he stopped. What if...what if poor little Frodo was experiencing this same spell? Would the young hobbit be alone? What about the Fellowship? What about...Sauron? Or Saruman? Or even Gollum? Hell, even Elrond could be stuck in this...world.

Gandalf looked at Dumbledore, and for some reason, thought of asking who would be compatible to Frodo, without mentioning the hobbit's name. He really didn't know why. He just didn't quite think it could be possible, maybe, that Frodo would be stuck here too, and henceforth, thought he wouldn't need to mention his name. (I don't know why, he just didn't!)

"Do you know any young, hero-type people maybe? Hobbits?"

"Whats?"

"Nevermind. Do you know anyone who maybe was your only hope in a war or played an important part anyway? Maybe no parents? Young? Smart?"

Dumbledore blinked. "Yes...." he said slowly. "Why? Who do you think would be their Alter-World Twin?"

At that very moment, an owl flew in through the window of the Library (pretend there was one). A young, female, snowy owl to be exact.

She held out her foot towards Dumbledore shot a strange look at Gandalf, as if she somehow knew it was important that he also see the letter.

"Post by owls?" Gandalf asked amusedly. "What a marvelous idea."

Dumbleodre was reading the letter though.

Dear Headmaster Dumbledore,

I have a problem. a BIG problem. I was walking upstairs to my bedroom, and was heading to bed, only to find, again, someone else on it.

I don't really know how to explain this, so could you possibly...I don't know...help me? He says he's a 'hobbit' and from...some other world.

Harry Potter

He handed the letter to Gandalf. He read it and visibly paled. "It could be that foolish Pippin," he muttered to himself. "Or even Merry or Sam...."

(*turning angry red* SEE THAT! DID YOU SEE THAT! Gandalf disses Pippin! PIPPIN IS COOL, so THERE, you...wizard, you! HOW DARE HE INSULT PIPPIN!? That's EXACTLY why I hate him! Always picking on poor, little Pippin! EVIL, I tell you! EVIL! )

"I think we better head off to Privet Drive now, Gandalf."

"Yes," he said. "We must fly! (No, People! That's the term they use for run fast or away) To...Privet Dr!"

To be continued soon.