Chapter 14: "The Lord of the Ring"
Frodo remained on the ground, with his hands still covering his eyes. He had heard the blast, and had expected to die. He heard screaming. He began to tremble uncontrollably. Then he felt the touch of a gentle hand, stroking his hair. He looked up, slowly. The first thing he saw was Harry, crumpled on the ground, his green eyes half-open. Hermione was shrieking and wailing. Ron was in utter shock, staring at Harry. Sam was rocking back and forth on the floor, his eyes wild.
Frodo turned around to see who was touching him. It was Lord Voldemort, once more fair, his eyes the color of ice. He gazed kindly at Frodo, and spoke to him in soothing tones. "I am sorry about Harry," said Voldemort. "But I was settling an old score. He has tried to kill me on a number of occasions. Even tonight, as you saw, he attacked me first and injured me." Voldemort's voice softened further. "Frodo, if you'll give the Ring to Sam, I promise not to torture or kill him, or either of your remaining young friends."
Frodo could not think clearly anymore. He was willing to do almost anything to stop more torture and death. He hesitated just a moment, then held the locket up to Sam. Sam took it from his hand. Just as the locket left his fingers Frodo realized what would happen. "No, Sam!" he cried. He tried to take back the locket, but Voldemort pushed him away.
"Immobilis!" Snape's curse hit his feet. Frodo was stuck to the floor.
Voldemort laid his wand on Frodo's face. "Crucio!" he cried. Now Frodo began to writhe and scream in agony.
"No!" sobbed Sam. "Stop it! Stop it now!"
Voldemort lifted his wand. "You want me to stop? Open the locket. Give me the Ring."
"No, Sam, don't," gasped Frodo.
But watching his master be tortured was too much for Sam to bear. He could not resist. He opened the locket. The Ring shone within.
With trembling, ecstatic hands, Lord Volemort took the Ring. He held it in his hands and marveled at it. "The Ring, the One Ring, the Ring of power," he gasped.
He touched his wand to his hand. "Incendio," he whispered. Immediately a magical flame kindled in his palm. In the midst of the flames, the Ring at once began to glow. Elvish letters shone red about it. The Ring itself then glowed entirely red and began to change shape.
And then, before Lord Voldemort's shocked and incredulous eyes, the Ring melted. "Ah!" he cried, his hand burned not by the magical flames, but by the molten gold. He turned his hand, and what was left of the Ring dripped onto the ground. All stared at it, thunderstruck.
"What! What is this!" cried Voldemort, gripping his maimed hand.
"My Lord," said Snape quietly. "The Rings of power all faded at the end of the Third Age. It may be that this Ring faded also. Sauron does not exist today. Also, no Ruling Ring has ever been transported thousands of years through time. There was no way to predict what would happen."
Voldemort was silent for a long moment. Then his face twitched into a kind of wry smile. He even chuckled a few times, shaking his head. Then abruptly, Voldemort seemed to notice Ron and Hermione staring at him. Voldemort's expression darkened and kindled to fury again. He turned back towards Frodo and said, "Well, you seem to have outlived your usefulness."
"Lord, perhaps we…" started Snape.
"Silence!" snapped Lord Voldemort. He pointed his wand at Frodo's heart .
"Avada Kavadra," he intoned in a low voice.
The curse streamed out from Voldemort's wand and hit Frodo in the chest. It scattered and rays of the curse ricocheted out diffusely in many directions. One ray hit Lord Voldemort, and brought him down. For Frodo still had on his Mithril mail shirt. Mithril, that ancient metal, delved by Dwarves, wrought and enchanted by Elves, stops not only Orc arrows and evil Wizards' knives, it also repels killing curses.
Severus Snape was still standing, however. With a look of grim resolution, he slowly raised his wand and pointed it at the fallen figure of Lord Voldemort.
Then the doorbell rang.
Snape hesitated, looking over at the students and the Hobbits. "There is no time!" he exclaimed in frustration. He turned from Voldemort and waved his wand at the feet of Ron, Hermione, and Frodo. "Mobilis!" cried Snape. They could walk again. Snape then sprang over to Ron and Hermione and, to their complete astonishment, gave them back their wands. "Do you still have my Port-Key?" he asked. They nodded.
He turned to Frodo, "Do you know where it is? Did he show it to you? The Mirror!"
"Yes," said Frodo. "But…"
"I have no time to explain." Speaking very quickly, Snape went on, "You two, take the Hobbits out the back way. Frodo will guide you to the Mirror. Take it, the ewer and yourselves back to Hogwarts using the Port- Key. Use the Invisibility Cloak. I'll need to use Harry's wand for a moment, but you must take it before you go." Snape was panting now, out of breath.
"But what about Harry's body!" cried Hermione.
"No! It will slow you down. I'll take it back to Hogwarts myself," snapped Snape.
They could hear voices in the entryway.
"I'm going to do something now, and then everyone needs to leave immediately. Don't forget Harry's wand," said Snape, looking anxiously towards the door. "Oh! I almost forgot. Frodo, take this!" He produced a small package and held it outstretched in one hand. In his other hand, Snape took up Harry's wand and turned it on himself. "Stupefy!" he cried. The curse shot out from the tip of the wand and hit Snape, hard, in the chest. He fell.
Hermione, Ron, Frodo and Sam stared at the unconscious figure of Severus Snape in total amazement. The sound of footsteps on the stairs jolted them out of their shock. Frodo grabbed the package. Hermione pulled Harry's wand from Snape's limp hands, then grabbed the Invisibility Cloak. She had just gotten everyone underneath when the door opened.
Lucius Malfoy entered. "What on earth!" he cried. "Master!" Malfoy ran to Lord Voldemort's side. Hobbits and students crept out, and down the stairs. Frodo and Sam, still suffering the effects of the Cruciatus curse, couldn't make it any farther than the back door, and had to be carried.
Frodo led them down the stone steps into the grassy dell where the Mirror of Galadriel lay. "This is it," he said.
Ron, cradling his injured hand, said, "Should we do this? Should we trust him? Should we bring this thing? It could be a trap, some other kind of Port-Key, maybe send us straight to You-Know-Who's dungeons."
"We should bring it," said Frodo, hoarsely. "This mirror is Elven-work. It is not evil." All clasped hands, and held between them the ewer and the basin. Hermione grasped the fountain pen. They came to rest at the front gate of Hogwarts.
