Harry blinked as he awoke to a hand on his shoulder. "Wake up, Harry," the man called Strider leaned over him.
"I'm awake," Harry sat up, reaching automatically for his glasses. When he didn't find them, he began looking around for them.
"What're you looking for?"
"My glasses ... I had them when ..." He continued looking around, squinting in the dim, early morning light.
"Harry," Strider tugged on his arm. "Come. I don't know what you're looking for, but we must start out."
Harry stood, still looking about. Suddenly one of the small men approached him, holding something that looked vaguely familiar. "Is this what you need?" He held Harry's glasses in front of his face.
"Yes, thank you!" Taking them, Harry pulled them on, then groaned as he noticed a large crack down the middle of the right lens, and a smaller one in the middle of the left. They must have been broken during ... whatever had happened.
"I'm Merry," the small man said. "This is Pippin," he gestured to one of his companions. "And that's Sam." Merry indicated the one who had tried to deck Harry last night. He was more bulky than the others. Merry and Pippin had a more slender build, and the only difference immediately apparent to Harry was that Merry had lighter hair than either Pippin or Sam.
"Nice to meet you," he shook hands warmly with Merry and Pippin. Sam's hand wasn't as firm, and he eyed Harry warily.
"Come, little ones," Strider interrupted. "We have much ground to cover before nightfall."
Merry groaned. "Nightfall! Night hasn't even risen yet!"
"Get moving!" Strider batted the small man lightly, mostly in an effort to get them moving more than to hurt him in any way.
"All right, all right!"
As they travelled, Strider told Harry a little bit about what was going on. The three shorter men were called Hobbits. They were going to see the Elves, but strider didn't mention why. Until the night he appeared, they had been traveling with a fourth hobbit called Frodo, in whose clothes he had appeared. Harry asked if the ring around his neck was anything special, and Strider gave him a very strange look. "It's very special. Keep it close, young Harry, but never wear it." Harry wondered at this strange set of instructions, but the intensity of Strider's eyes convinced him it was a good idea to obey. Harry wondered about the Elves Strider talked about. He was used to "elves" as small, big-eared servants. Clearly these elves were different, but Strider had gone to scout ahead before Harry could ask. He tried asking one of the Hobbits, but got caught up in a story Merry was telling them about Gandolf and some fireworks.
When they made camp that night, Harry tried to work out his clothing situation. He had been wearing his Hogwarts robes under the clothes Frodo had been wearing, plus his regular clothes under the robes. He hadn't said anything during the day as Strider seemed to be in a great hurry. Taking the Hobbit clothes and Hogwarts robes off, Harry felt much better. Before packing the clothes up, he checked the pockets of the robe. The Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans he put in the bottom of the sack, not in the mood to risk finding a boiled cabbage flavored one like he had the day before. While he was packing, he realized something. His wand was missing. He unpacked his entire bag, shaking everything out to no avail. Merry asked what he was looking for and Harry told him.
"Wand? I didn't see anything like that. All that was there besides you was those," he gesture to Harry's broken glasses. "And a pretty feather."
"A feather?" Harry's wand was made with a phoenix feather inside. "Did you keep it?"
Merry looked bashful. "Pippin did, he said it was very pretty. Do you want it?"
Harry looked down. "No ... thanks. He can keep it." He went back to packing his bag, his arms feeling a bit heavier as he thought of the loss of his wand. Shaking the robe out again for re-rolling, something fluttered out. Looking down, he realized it was one of his Famous Wizard Cards from the chocolate frog's he'd had at lunch the day before. Checking a forgotten inner pocket of the robe, he found three more. Setting them aside, he repacked the bag and set it at the end of his sleeping roll. He didn't like the idea of sleeping on the ground, but he reasoned it was probably better than most of his accommodations at the Durlsey's.
Settling down for sleep, he tried looking at the cards, but the reminder of Dumbledor was too much at the moment and he tucked them into his bag. Lying back on his bedroll, he wondered about what had happened to him. During the day he had been largely in shock, and otherwise occupied with rather stealthy travel. He tried to think of what had happened to cause the Apperation. A small part of him worried what the Ministry of Magic would say when they found him - He wasn't supposed to be Apperating as he hadn't tested for it yet. A larger part was occupied with whether the Ministry of Magic would find him at all. Still musing over what happened, he rolled to his side and felt something warm and hard brush his chest. Gasping, he saw a flash of Gryffindor common room. In it were Ron, Hermoine, Hagrid, Dumbledor, all the people he missed from "his" world. Suddenly, he was struck with a sense of dread. He knew that if he did something, he'd be able to go home. What was it, he wondered, fingering the chain at his neck. The ring brushed his hand and he looked down. It glinted in the moonlight and he was overcome by the urge to slip it onto his finger, somehow convinced that would get him home. Holding in his left hand, he moved the right towards it, index finger extended.
"HARRY!!" Strider grabbed his wrist, yanking his hand and making him drop the ring. The weight settled on his shirt, but he was no longer touching it.
"Wha?" He looked dazed, his hand drifting from Strider's face to the large hand on his wrist. "What happened?"
"You almost put it on, Harry." Strider released his hand. "You almost put the ring on. Why? I told you not to." He knelt at the boy's side, sharp eyes studying him.
Harry could feel Strider's gaze even though he couldn't see him. "I was? I didn't realize ..." Thoughts began to surface. "I thought maybe if I put it on, I'd get home." His voice was suddenly very young, not that of a fifteen year old.
Strider's face softened and he rested his hand on Harry's unruly hair. "Did you think, or were you told?" he asked gently.
"I ... Now that you mention it ... Told. Something ... I saw Gryffindor commons and I just wanted to get home." He blinked back tears, the first he could remember in a long time. "Strider, what's this ring all about, and why do I have it?"
Sighing, Strider stood. "Come. I must keep watch. If you're not sleeping you may as well come with me." They moved to a boulder near the edge of their camp. It gave an adequate view of the road while a tree disguised them. In a hushed voice, Strider outlined a brief history of the ring, explaining it's ancient origins and power. That's why they were going to the elves, Gandalf had said to consult Elrond and await him there if he didn't find the group before then.
Harry listened intently, absorbing the information and assimilating it. "Elves! I meant to ask before ... What do elves look like? The ones at home ... Well, they're not exactly what you'd consult about anything but dish soap and herbs."
Strider laughed softly. "Well, elves here are ancient. Elrond himself must be several thousand years old."
Harry choked at the number. The oldest wizard he'd ever heard of was Nicolas Flamel who had only just topped six hundred before his death. Most didn't live a third that long - Dumbledor himself wasn't much over 150. Strider waited for Harry to recover before he continued. "They're tall. Bit taller than a Man. They're called the Fair Folk by many people, some Hobbits included. They're very close to nature, trees, grass, mountains. Imladris is one of the most beautiful places in Middle Earth,"
"Where's that?"
"It's Rivendell, where we're going. Imlardis is the Elven name for it."
"Oh." Suddenly Harry let out a mighty yawn. "I think it's all catching up to me." he slid from the rock. "Will you get some sleep?"
Strider nodded. "I'll find rest before dawn."
"Okay, Good night."
Harry curled up under his covers and fell into a sound sleep.
When the boy left, Strider found himself wondering about the scar on his forehead. He seemed young, and not very battleworthy and he found himself wondering how Harry had gotten it. Clearing his mind, he settled back on the rock, entering a meditative state that allowed him to rest while still being alert to any changes in his surroundings.
"I'm awake," Harry sat up, reaching automatically for his glasses. When he didn't find them, he began looking around for them.
"What're you looking for?"
"My glasses ... I had them when ..." He continued looking around, squinting in the dim, early morning light.
"Harry," Strider tugged on his arm. "Come. I don't know what you're looking for, but we must start out."
Harry stood, still looking about. Suddenly one of the small men approached him, holding something that looked vaguely familiar. "Is this what you need?" He held Harry's glasses in front of his face.
"Yes, thank you!" Taking them, Harry pulled them on, then groaned as he noticed a large crack down the middle of the right lens, and a smaller one in the middle of the left. They must have been broken during ... whatever had happened.
"I'm Merry," the small man said. "This is Pippin," he gestured to one of his companions. "And that's Sam." Merry indicated the one who had tried to deck Harry last night. He was more bulky than the others. Merry and Pippin had a more slender build, and the only difference immediately apparent to Harry was that Merry had lighter hair than either Pippin or Sam.
"Nice to meet you," he shook hands warmly with Merry and Pippin. Sam's hand wasn't as firm, and he eyed Harry warily.
"Come, little ones," Strider interrupted. "We have much ground to cover before nightfall."
Merry groaned. "Nightfall! Night hasn't even risen yet!"
"Get moving!" Strider batted the small man lightly, mostly in an effort to get them moving more than to hurt him in any way.
"All right, all right!"
As they travelled, Strider told Harry a little bit about what was going on. The three shorter men were called Hobbits. They were going to see the Elves, but strider didn't mention why. Until the night he appeared, they had been traveling with a fourth hobbit called Frodo, in whose clothes he had appeared. Harry asked if the ring around his neck was anything special, and Strider gave him a very strange look. "It's very special. Keep it close, young Harry, but never wear it." Harry wondered at this strange set of instructions, but the intensity of Strider's eyes convinced him it was a good idea to obey. Harry wondered about the Elves Strider talked about. He was used to "elves" as small, big-eared servants. Clearly these elves were different, but Strider had gone to scout ahead before Harry could ask. He tried asking one of the Hobbits, but got caught up in a story Merry was telling them about Gandolf and some fireworks.
When they made camp that night, Harry tried to work out his clothing situation. He had been wearing his Hogwarts robes under the clothes Frodo had been wearing, plus his regular clothes under the robes. He hadn't said anything during the day as Strider seemed to be in a great hurry. Taking the Hobbit clothes and Hogwarts robes off, Harry felt much better. Before packing the clothes up, he checked the pockets of the robe. The Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans he put in the bottom of the sack, not in the mood to risk finding a boiled cabbage flavored one like he had the day before. While he was packing, he realized something. His wand was missing. He unpacked his entire bag, shaking everything out to no avail. Merry asked what he was looking for and Harry told him.
"Wand? I didn't see anything like that. All that was there besides you was those," he gesture to Harry's broken glasses. "And a pretty feather."
"A feather?" Harry's wand was made with a phoenix feather inside. "Did you keep it?"
Merry looked bashful. "Pippin did, he said it was very pretty. Do you want it?"
Harry looked down. "No ... thanks. He can keep it." He went back to packing his bag, his arms feeling a bit heavier as he thought of the loss of his wand. Shaking the robe out again for re-rolling, something fluttered out. Looking down, he realized it was one of his Famous Wizard Cards from the chocolate frog's he'd had at lunch the day before. Checking a forgotten inner pocket of the robe, he found three more. Setting them aside, he repacked the bag and set it at the end of his sleeping roll. He didn't like the idea of sleeping on the ground, but he reasoned it was probably better than most of his accommodations at the Durlsey's.
Settling down for sleep, he tried looking at the cards, but the reminder of Dumbledor was too much at the moment and he tucked them into his bag. Lying back on his bedroll, he wondered about what had happened to him. During the day he had been largely in shock, and otherwise occupied with rather stealthy travel. He tried to think of what had happened to cause the Apperation. A small part of him worried what the Ministry of Magic would say when they found him - He wasn't supposed to be Apperating as he hadn't tested for it yet. A larger part was occupied with whether the Ministry of Magic would find him at all. Still musing over what happened, he rolled to his side and felt something warm and hard brush his chest. Gasping, he saw a flash of Gryffindor common room. In it were Ron, Hermoine, Hagrid, Dumbledor, all the people he missed from "his" world. Suddenly, he was struck with a sense of dread. He knew that if he did something, he'd be able to go home. What was it, he wondered, fingering the chain at his neck. The ring brushed his hand and he looked down. It glinted in the moonlight and he was overcome by the urge to slip it onto his finger, somehow convinced that would get him home. Holding in his left hand, he moved the right towards it, index finger extended.
"HARRY!!" Strider grabbed his wrist, yanking his hand and making him drop the ring. The weight settled on his shirt, but he was no longer touching it.
"Wha?" He looked dazed, his hand drifting from Strider's face to the large hand on his wrist. "What happened?"
"You almost put it on, Harry." Strider released his hand. "You almost put the ring on. Why? I told you not to." He knelt at the boy's side, sharp eyes studying him.
Harry could feel Strider's gaze even though he couldn't see him. "I was? I didn't realize ..." Thoughts began to surface. "I thought maybe if I put it on, I'd get home." His voice was suddenly very young, not that of a fifteen year old.
Strider's face softened and he rested his hand on Harry's unruly hair. "Did you think, or were you told?" he asked gently.
"I ... Now that you mention it ... Told. Something ... I saw Gryffindor commons and I just wanted to get home." He blinked back tears, the first he could remember in a long time. "Strider, what's this ring all about, and why do I have it?"
Sighing, Strider stood. "Come. I must keep watch. If you're not sleeping you may as well come with me." They moved to a boulder near the edge of their camp. It gave an adequate view of the road while a tree disguised them. In a hushed voice, Strider outlined a brief history of the ring, explaining it's ancient origins and power. That's why they were going to the elves, Gandalf had said to consult Elrond and await him there if he didn't find the group before then.
Harry listened intently, absorbing the information and assimilating it. "Elves! I meant to ask before ... What do elves look like? The ones at home ... Well, they're not exactly what you'd consult about anything but dish soap and herbs."
Strider laughed softly. "Well, elves here are ancient. Elrond himself must be several thousand years old."
Harry choked at the number. The oldest wizard he'd ever heard of was Nicolas Flamel who had only just topped six hundred before his death. Most didn't live a third that long - Dumbledor himself wasn't much over 150. Strider waited for Harry to recover before he continued. "They're tall. Bit taller than a Man. They're called the Fair Folk by many people, some Hobbits included. They're very close to nature, trees, grass, mountains. Imladris is one of the most beautiful places in Middle Earth,"
"Where's that?"
"It's Rivendell, where we're going. Imlardis is the Elven name for it."
"Oh." Suddenly Harry let out a mighty yawn. "I think it's all catching up to me." he slid from the rock. "Will you get some sleep?"
Strider nodded. "I'll find rest before dawn."
"Okay, Good night."
Harry curled up under his covers and fell into a sound sleep.
When the boy left, Strider found himself wondering about the scar on his forehead. He seemed young, and not very battleworthy and he found himself wondering how Harry had gotten it. Clearing his mind, he settled back on the rock, entering a meditative state that allowed him to rest while still being alert to any changes in his surroundings.