Chapter 2 – In Gryffindor Garden
Disclaimers etc in Chapter 1
Disclaimers – All characters are the property of JK Rowling and JRR Tolkien. This is being written totally for the amusement of myself and my friends. No money is being made
Mentally she summoned Albus and Severus to the Gryffindor gardens. She would need Albus' wisdom and Severus' knowledge of the dark arts if this visitor was a servant of Lord Voldemort. She hoped Severus would be able to overcome his seeming distaste for Gryffindor and respond to her plea for him to attend the gardens.
"Ms McGonagall, whatever can be the matter?" Dumbledore was soon by her side.
"Oh Albus, I am not sure how ever to explain this. It seems we have an intruder who is not of this world."
Dumbledore began stroking his beard. This was certainly a curious situation for the school. Gandalf could feel the gaze of the dark one they called Severus on him. It was a wave of suspicion and clouded feelings towards his sudden arrival at this strange place called Hogwarts.
Severus felt the dark mark on his arm start to burn and wondered if this stranger was the cause. He did not look like any of the Death Eaters he knew but it was always possible Voldemort had taken the form of this elderly wizard. Surely Hogwarts defences could not have been breached in such an insidious manner. Severus began to draw his wand from the folds of his robes.
"Cruc . . .," he began.
"Severus! No!" Minerva intoned, a quiet fury rarely seen in the stately witch was evident.
Gandalf's staff hit the ground, emitting a bolt of energy that threw the head of Slytherin to the ground, his wand rolling away to rest near the edge of a goldfish pond. Albus regarded the entire scene, assessing their guest's power and Minerva's reaction to Severus' attempted attack on this man. How had the breached the castle's defences? Where had he come from?
"My fellow wizard, perhaps you would fancy a humbug or peppermint while you to join Professor Snape and I for a stroll around Hogwarts?" Dumbledore extended the familiar bag of sweets towards Gandalf who sniffed at them before waving the bag away.
"Yes, I think some explanations are in order," Gandalf said walking towards Dumbledore and Snape, noting his feet were perfectly healthy in spite of suffering many injuries at the whims of the Balrog.
"Don't worry Professor McGonagall, I assure you we won't harm our visitor without good reason," Snape muttered as he walked past Minerva. Minerva started to join the men, but a gesture from Dumbledore indicated she should remain in the garden.
The three men walked away from the stone bench, two grey heads and one black, bent together in conversation. Minerva wondered why she was still worried. Albus and Snape, even though most students would think the pair had nothing to do with each other, made a formidable combination. Why had she defended the strange visitor to Hogwarts'? Witches intuition? Possible but highly unlikely she thought returning to the sanctity of her rooms.
It had been so long since she had responded to any man on more than a professional level, that Minerva wondered if a fifth year Slytherin had slipped a potion into her morning cup of tea for fun.
"Melodica," Minerva murmured with a wave of her wand. The strains of some Muggle called Bach's, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor filled the room. The intensely complex music was a soundtrack for how out of place Minerva was now feeling. From her window, she could still see the three men with their heads together. Hogwarts' newest visitor must have quite a tale.
"Who are you?" Gandalf and Dumbledore stood almost eye to eye, with the wizard from Middle Earth having to tilt his head slightly to make eye contact with the school principal.
"I am Gandalf the Grey of Middle Earth. I am not sure how I came to be here as the last thing I remember was undertaking a quest with eight companions. We were returning the One Ring to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom in the Land of Mordor. If we were successful Middle Earth would be free from evil.
"The One Ring? I don't understand." Severus queried, prompting Gandalf to glare at him. Surely, everyone knew of the Ring's destructive and seductive powers.
"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
"Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone
"Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die
"One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
"In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
"One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
"In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."
Snape's fingers curled even more tightly around his wand. This stranger should have been rendered helpless with one of the unforgivable curses instead of strolling around the grounds spouting pretty pieces of poetry. He rubbed the spot on his sleeve that covered the dark mark of a Death Eater, hoping to provide some relief from the slow burning feeling that started not long after he entered the Gryffindor gardens. Severus noted Dumbledore did not seem to be threatened by the school's unexpected guest.
"A nice piece of poetry Gandalf," Dumbledore commented. "You still haven't explained the significance of the Ring."
"It's not poetry you fool of a wizard!" Gandalf thundered. "It's the history of Middle Earth! The Ring when destroyed will rid Middle Earth of all darkness bringing peace to our world."
Albus' expression remained thoughtful. An urgent owl to the Ministry of Magic would certainly be required. His mind had more questions than Gandalf could answer at this time. Inquiring after the remainder of Gandalf's party, the Hogwarts principal noticed the emotions on their visitor's face change as quickly as a summer storm.
"We became separated after I was attacked by a Balrog." Gandalf's eyes began to tear at the thought of Frodo grieving for him,
"This Balrog must have exceedingly great powers."
"Yes, Professor Snape, the Balrog is as powerful as it is fiery. I am surprised to have survived its attack in the Mines of Moira. If I had not fallen to its powers, the quest would have been lost and that is where I became separated from my party."
Without realising he had vocalised the thought, Albus wondered if the Dark Lord of which Gandalf spoke was Voldemort.
"No, it is Sauron who hopes to gain control of Middle Earth by possessing the One Ring. I need to return to them in order for the Fellowship of the Ring to complete its quest. The very fate of Middle Earth and all its' lands could depend on it."
Snape raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore. Before they could return this visitor to his rightful place and time, Hogwarts' principal needed to know how Gandalf the Grey had ended up asleep on a stone bench in the middle of the Gryffindor Gardens with one arm around Professor Minerva McGonagall.
In the Gryffindor common room, Harry Potter put aside his arithmancy text, closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. His scar had started to hurt.