NOTE: I don't believe it! You really like this? Mega cool!!! You people are angelic! I love all of you wonderful reviewers and would like to tell you that Celebrimbor is forging your Elven Rings even as I type. I'll get Gwaihir the Windlord to deliver them as soon as they're ready!

I just realized something.Tolkien - pure genius - sure, I knew that before, but I declare for all the world that effectively recreating his characters is the hardest thing I can think of. How poetic do you make the elves, and how un-poetic the Hobbits? Hard. This is my first attempt, and I hope it doesn't end up like a soggy piece of toast!

Anyway, here's the much awaited, and dreaded, CHAPTER TWO!! This might spoil things if you haven't read all the way to The Return Of The King.



"They are caves, Gimli!" cried Legolas Greenleaf, waving his arms about. "They are dark, gloomy, lifeless caves!"

His Dwarven companion did not like that statement. He was, after all the Lord of the Glittering Caves, and he found them more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen in any old forest. Especially Fangorn.

"And I suppose talking trees are more interesting, eh?" he demanded. "Well, there are enough trees for you in your beloved Ithilien! And your spider infested Mirkwood! Trees everywhere! Cursed trees no respectable Dwarf would be caught in!"

Legolas was about to retort when the screaming of three young wizards- in- training filled the air. Before the pair knew it, Harry, Ron and Hermione had knocked them to the ground.



Harry was the first to react. Stunned by the fall, he looked around him, then wondered what had broken his fall, having glimpsed Ron lying face first in some mud nearby.

"Revio! Would you be kind enough to get off?" came a muffled voice from under him.

Harry yelled and sprang to his feet, pulling out his wand.

"Thank you" said the voice. Now not muffled, it was clear, unlike anyone Harry had ever heard. The owner of the voice got up and made an attempt to brush the dirt off himself. He was rather tall, had a fair young face and deep blue eyes that twinkled with amusement as he watched Hermione frantically apologize to a short man with a large beard who Harry recognized as a dwarf.

"Harry" came Ron's voice from the mud, "Help. I'm.er.stuck!"

"Oh Ron!" tutted Hermione, as she and Harry pulled him up. Beneath him, half immersed in the mud, was the silver- grey invisibility cloak. Harry hastily grabbed it and stuffed it into his robes before they had to give any explanations.

Ron looked around. "Two questions" he said. "Where are we, and, more importantly, who are they?" He indicated the two strangers who were watching them curiously and talking to each other.

"Hobbits?" asked one.

"No! They are too tall! And look at their.feet?" the tall man glanced at their sneakers and trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

"I- um- I'm Harry Potter" said Harry, deciding that it'd be best if they got off to a friendly start. "And these are Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger"

The tall man cocked his head to one side, taking in their odd, meaningless names.

"I am Gimli, son of Gloin," said the Dwarf. "Lord of the Glittering Caves of Argalond" he added smugly, stressing on the word 'caves', still continuing the argument he had been having with the Elf.

"You're a Dwarf, aren't you?" asked Hermione suddenly.

"Of course I am, lass! What do I look like?" asked Gimli, appearing shocked.

The tall man introduced himself. "I am Legolas, son of Thranduil. Prince of Eryn Lasgalen- the forest of Greenleaves." he added with a small bow, glancing at Gimli just as he stressed the word 'forest', who just folded his arms, and mumbled "It was better while it was called Mirkwood instead of some Elvish gibberish!"

It was then that Harry noticed that Legolas had ears that were, sort of, pointed. He stood for a moment, trying to find the most polite way to ask what he was when Ron did it for him.

"Um.I'm sure I sound rude, Mister Legolas, er, your Highness," (this got a small laugh from the one he was addressing and his companion) " but, what are you?"

Legolas looked astounded. "An Elf, of course!" he exclaimed.

"Do not tell me you cannot tell an Elf when you see one!" said Gimli.

"An elf?" asked Hermione incredulously, "You have got to be kidding!!!"

"I hardly think it a matter to be doubted," said Legolas.

"But you look nothing like an elf!" said Harry, just as shocked as Hermione.

"Yeah," said Ron, "You're. you're."

"Tall!" finished Hermione. "And you look, well, you look good!" (she ignored Ron's deliberate snort and continued) "You can't be an elf!"

"Why not?" asked Legolas, rather taken aback at having his Elven-ness questioned.

"You can't!!!" cried Hermione.

"Look here, child" said Gimli, interrupting, "I have seen enough Elves to last me a lifetime! They are all over Ithilien! And Legolas is a perfectly good example of one!"

"No he is not!" snapped Hermione. She suddenly started rummaging around her cloak, looking for something. She pulled out a long sheet of parchment with some drawings and writing on it.

She pointed to a picture of a short ugly creature with huge, bat like ears and a large nose. "This is an elf!" she said matter-of-factly.

Harry and Ron nodded in agreement, wondering why Hermione carried pictures of House Elves around.

Legolas and Gimli burst into laughter.

"I do believe we have a misunderstanding here" said Legolas, suppressing a chuckle, seeing the puzzled expressions on the faces of the three children.

"Definitely" said Hermione. "You have misunderstood! You are not an elf!"

Legolas sighed again. " As we know your names already, I suggest we move on- What land do you come from?" he asked.

"More importantly" said Gimli gruffly, eyeing Ron, who was much taller than he was, "What are you?"

"We're humans!" cried Ron.

"Humans?"

"I believe he means they are Men," said Legolas.

"They do not look like any race of Men I have seen," declared the Dwarf.

"We're British," said Harry, "From England"

"I beg your pardon?" asked the supposed Elf. "Is that far to the South?"

"South of what?" asked Hermione. "It's actually more in the north. The east, if you're American."

"THE EAST?" Gimli unsheathed a very dangerous looking axe.

"Be calm, Gimli." Said Legolas, perfectly calm himself, "I do not think they mean the Dark Land"

"Dark." began Harry incredulously, "We're not from any dark land! We're students! At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

"Yeah, we're the good guys," added Ron.

"That remains to be seen," said the Dwarf, "A school for wizardry.that is not necessarily good."

"Well, what is this place anyway?" asked Harry, not liking where Gimli was headed.

"You are in the fair land of Anorien in the Realm of Gondor," replied Legolas.

"Eh?" asked Ron, voicing exactly how Harry felt. For once in her life, Hermione looked as dumbstruck as her friends.

"In the South of Endor.Middle Earth?" tried Legolas again.

"Middle Earth?" they asked in unison.

"Ai!" cried Legolas, throwing up his arms, "Gimli, I think our friends here are stranger to this land than we expected!"

"Friends?" asked Gimli quietly, causing his companion to shoot him a sharp look.

"Wait!" said Hermione suddenly, with an excited gleam in her eye, "We must have traveled through time! To the past! I'd bet that's what the mirror does; takes people back in time! What year is it?"

"It is the year 3022 in the reckoning of the Western lands, in the Fourth Age."

Hermione, who had been bobbing up and down on her toes in excitement, stopped abruptly, looking crestfallen.

"The future?" cried Ron, "No way!"

"Do you mind explaining why you are clutching sticks?" asked Legolas suddenly. Harry realized he was still holding his wand, and stuffed it back into his robes.

"Nothing" he replied, trying to sound innocent. He noticed Ron and Hermione hurriedly trying to do the same as inconspicuously as possible. Legolas and Gimli looked at him strangely, eyes mirroring disbelief, but said nothing.

"I think this is not any time for explanations," said Gimli, looking at the sky. "Lovely as the evenings are, one must not think on an empty stomach, as a few Hobbits I know would say!"

"Indeed," laughed Legolas. He turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. " I know nothing about you, yet I feel I can trust you. And as I know that you have no friends in this land, I would be honoured if you would accompany us to the great city of Minas Tirith, the seat of the King."

Harry looked at Ron, who shrugged, and Hermione, who nodded eagerly.

"Gladly" he said.



"How much longer?" moaned Ron softly. They had been traveling across the most spectacular lands Harry had ever seen, but they didn't seem to be nearing a halt.

"Not too long, if you are patient" answered Legolas.

Ron stared at him, then mouthed, "How did he hear?" at Harry.

"Patience!" said Gimli, "Ha! An Elvish trait, for sure. No one ever gained anything by waiting!"

"When you have lived for nigh on two thousand years, Gimli, you will learn that sometimes you must wait for things."

"Yes, but not for dinner!" snapped Gimli. "The grand tables of the King await us, and we wander through the lands of Anorien with strangers who seem to have fallen from the sky itself!"

"We would have been there a long time ago if you had agreed to take the horses King Eomer offered. Dwarves are too stubborn!"

"Well, I would rather walk than ride a cursed horse! Tall uncomfortable animals!" muttered the stubborn Dwarf.

Legolas laughed. "I will make a rider out of you yet, Gimli son of Gloin!"

"I dread the day, Prince of Mirkwood," said Gimli. "I dread the day!"

By the time they came to a pause at the top of a small hill, Harry had tried to explain as plainly as possible that they'd been shoved into a mirror, and ended up in Middle Earth or wherever. Hermione wouldn't give in to the fact that Legolas was an elf no matter what he said. All she did was mutter continually to herself about Dobby, while Ron stayed as far away from Gimli the Dwarf and his axe as he could manage without looking too silly.

All of them were, however, silenced when they caught their first glimpse of Minas Tirith. Seven walls surrounded it, each at a higher level than the last. At the topmost point was a great white tower. Fluttering in the gentle breeze was a great banner that hung from the tower. It was all black, with a white tree that was surrounded by seven stars, and above that was a crown. The stars blazed in the sunlight, glittering like those in the night sky.

In Harry's opinion, it looked very cool.

"I don't believe it!" gasped Hermione. "This is a whole other world!"

"I knew that," said Ron.

Legolas looked up at the tree he was next to, and with a sudden leap, grabbed the nearest branch, which was almost three feet above him. With grace Harry and his friends had never seen before, the supposed Elf swung himself up on to the branch and stood there, gazing out.

"Behold the great city of Minas Tirith, the mighty Tower of Guard." He said, pointing.

"Behold the walls made my people, the dwarves of Erebor, and the Great Gate, forged with mithril!" added Gimli, giving no notice to his friend's position.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had no clue what mithril was or Erebor, or the Great Gate, but beheld the city anyway. They looked at each other, meaning to ask at least one of the hundreds of questions they wanted answers to.

Suddenly, Legolas gave a cry.

"What is it, friend?" asked Gimli, looking up at him, concerned. "I wath bronia." Legolas spoke chiefly to himself, lost in thought as he gazed even beyond the Citadel of the King. Noticing Gimli's impatient glare, he dropped lightly from the tree, and said, with a troubled look upon his fair face, "I hope what I see is not what it seems, but my heart tells me otherwise. I shall be glad when we get to the city."

As they crossed the fields of Pelennor, where not too long ago a great battle had taken place, Harry heard Gimli speak softly to his friend. "It was in the East that you saw something that troubles you. What lies upon Mordor?"

"Later" replied the Elf.

"What's Mordor?" whispered Ron.

"Something bad, I'm sure " Harry whispered back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Minas Tirith was an amazing place- London seemed like a garbage dump in comparison. The streets were paved with marble, and trees flowered everywhere. The sound of birds singing mingled in the air with the buzz of people- Harry had never seen anything like it.

The sun was only making its way westward: back home it would have been around 4 o clock, but the streets were full of life and crowded with cheerful people. There were even some Dwarves like Gimli, and a lot of so called Elves. Most of them paused to examine the group. Harry was used to getting stared at, but Ron and Hermione appeared highly uncomfortable. They three of them walked very close together, following Legolas and Gimli, who seemed known to everyone, and even rather famous. Many of the people yelled things in a strange language, much like what Legolas had spoken to himself.

"What are they saying?" asked Ron.

"How should I know?" snapped Hermione.

They were led through each of the levels of the city, higher and higher. The three wizards grew very tired after a while, since the gate to the higher level was almost halfway around the wall. A guard would stop them each time, give the strangers a queer look, and ask Legolas for a password with 'all due respect'.

"Will this ever end?" grumbled Ron.

"At this rate? No." replied Harry.

When they finally reached the citadel, they found guards clad in black and silver all over the place. They too seemed to know Legolas and Gimli.

All of a sudden, they stopped short when a voice behind them called

"Legolas? Gimli?"

Okay, not really much suspense this time 'round.I couldn't have them attacked or anything now, could I? Keep reviewing, won't you?