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It took them a while, but under the instruction of Hermione, Harry and Ron managed to get their robes clean enough to look decent at a royal dinner.
"This is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me!" exclaimed the Weasley, " We fall through a mirror- through, mind you- into some magic filled world, we meet an elf prince and a dwarf, who just happen to be friends of a king named Strider, and we get invited to dinner. Oh, yes! And we met his midget friends too!"
"Ron!" said Hermione sharply, "Not so loud! Someone might hear! And they're called Hobbits, not midgets!"
"So?"
"I think Hermione's right, they might take it as an insult or something" added Harry. He'd already dismissed this as not just a humongous joke being played on them- that had been his first explanation- and the last thing he wanted was to get kicked out by the only people he knew in this new world.
"But they can't hear me in here, can they?" came Ron's query.
"That Legolas character seems to be able to." said Harry.
"Probably some elf thing" agreed his red haired friend.
"He is not an elf!" snapped Hermione. "Oh Ron, you've seen elves! Legolas is not anything like Dobby, or Winky, or any other one of those poor things in the Kitchen!"
"Don't start with Spew again!" moaned Ron.
"We heard more than enough about house elves last year!" added Harry.
Hermione began to protest, then stopped as a soft knock sounded on their door.
"See! I told you they'd hear!" hissed Hermione. "Look at what you've done now!"
"I wasn't-" began Ron, when Merry and Pippin entered.
"We came to make sure everything is fine with our honoured guests," said Pippin with a smile, "although I don't think it is very fair. When we arrived, Strider was happy and all, but he never sent anyone to see if we were okay! He met us just when we arrived, but he could have had all eight meals with us, couldn't he? We're old friends, aren't we, Merry, and we-"
Merry whacked his younger cousin lightly on the head. "Quiet, Pippin!" He looked up at the curious trio, "Ignore him and he stops," he said simply. "Anyway, dinner will be in an hour."
"Much too late!" supplemented Pippin, and then stepped away from Merry, afraid of getting hit again.
"As I was saying," continued Merry professionally, "Str.that is, the King Elessar hopes that the facilities provided for you are adequate, and-"
"Of course they're adequate!" interrupted the Took, "their room is even bigger than ours!" He moved even further away when Merry shot him a warning look.
"Er.yes" said Harry, "Our room's really quite good" He didn't want to mention that it was bigger than any bedroom he had ever seen. Two huge beds stood side by side with a million pillows and cushions each. The room was definitely adequate.
"Yes" said Hermione, "Mine is just perfect too."
"Excuse me," said Ron suddenly, "But did you say eight meals?"
Pippin nodded, "We have eight meals on ordinary days- less when we travel, and more on special occasions!"
Ron nodded, and cast an amused glance at Harry.
"I hope it's not too rude of me to ask," began Merry nervously, "but we seemed to have forgotten your names!"
"Of course it's not rude, Merry!" said Pippin, then looked at the three and asked, "Right?"
"Of course!" said Harry wondering how they kept all the names of their own friends straight, "I'm Harry. This is Ron, and Hermione" he indicated each of his friends as he spoke.
"Great!" said Merry with a smile. "Now, we'd better-"
"Wait!" cried Pippin, "If you three aren't doing anything else, how about a tour of the citadel?"
Hermione nodded excitedly. "Yes, of course! That'd be lovely!" She practically shoved the others out of the room.
"If there's a library in here, we're doomed!" said Ron as he and Harry followed their best friend and the two Hobbits.
"I told you we're doomed!" said Ron as half an hour later; they found themselves in the Royal Library. Hermione was zooming about, looking for a book that was in a language she could read. "I'm starving!"
The Hobbits had told them a little about the place, and showed them the Great River Anduin, and the land of Ithilien, where Elves still dwelt. They seemed to know a great deal, and Harry had a million questions he wanted to ask them, but the moment they reached the Library, Hermione had gone positively berserk with the sight of so many books. The fact that most of them were in Elvish didn't seem to faze her.
"Big mistake?" Merry asked them when she was clearly showing no signs of relenting.
"Big mistake." Harry assured him.
"She's worse than old Bilbo!" exclaimed Pippin, "And he was really hopeless!"
"Who's Bilbo?" asked Harry, trying to make a conversation and perhaps learn some more about these strange little people.
"Bilbo Baggins!" cried Pippin, as though the whole world should know whoever he was, "He's Frodo's uncle! Surely you know who Frodo is!"
"Sorry" said Harry, "no"
"Oh my!"
"Well, you could tell us, couldn't you?" asked Ron.
"Yes we could. We'll begin with Frodo's father, Drogo Baggins. He married-" began Merry, but he was interrupted as Legolas came down the stairs leading into the library.
"Ah!" he said, "Here you are! Gimli and I have been combing the castle for you! Gimli is rather impatient when it comes to his meals, and when the new guest just arrived, possibly delaying dinner." he added, "I am glad to have found you before him!"
"What new guest, Legolas?" asked Merry. "Anyone we should meet?"
"It would depend, Meriadoc, on whether you consider Samwise Gamgee worth your time." answered Legolas with a smile.
"Sam!" cried Merry and Pippin, rushing past Legolas up the stairs.
"Who's Sam?" asked a confused Ron.
Harry shot him an equally confused look, which he turned on the tall frame of Legolas.
"You must meet him," came the reply, "I suggest we go up as well." Seeing Hermione, who looked horrified at the thought of leaving the library, he added, "In a few moments, if you wish."
"You didn't have to take so long!"
"I was looking for a book, Ron, something I'm sure you've never done!"
"I have too!"
"Yeah right!"
"I have!"
"Shut up you two!" snapped Harry.
Legolas, who said that he had to go find Gimli before he got violent, left them by the fountain with the tree, where Merry and Pippin were busy chattering away with-
"Oh no, not another one!" moaned Ron.
"Harry, Ron, Her.Her.er.you three!" cried Pippin, spotting them, "this is Sam. Samwise Gamgee I should say, a dear friend of ours!"
"Nice to meet you." Said the new Hobbit rather nervously.
Harry, Ron and Hermione all said random things to the effect of: Nice to meet you too.
"Sam is the last of the Ringbearers!" declared Pippin proudly.
"Pippin!" cried Merry and Sam.
"Well, he is, isn't he? Now the that Sau-"
"That's enough, Pippin!" said Merry sharply.
"Ringbearer?" asked Harry, not wanting to be caught in an uncomfortable moment, "As in a wedding?"
The Hobbits blinked. "Wedding?"
"What would you do with the One Ring at a wedding?" asked Pippin.
"Begging your pardon, Mr. Pippin, but would you mind!" said Sam.
"Mind what?"
Merry made a sound of exasperation, "Stop talking about IT, Pippin!"
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who both simply stared back and shrugged.
"Excuse me," said Hermione, "Would you mind telling me what you're talking about?"
The Hobbits looked at each other nervously and Harry had the impression they'd stepped on delicate topics.
"Well." began Merry.
"Uh.I don't." said Sam.
"Well, it's all right to tell them now, isn't it?" asked Pippin brightly, "It's all over and Frodo's gone off in that big ship with Gandalf and Elrond and Galadriel and the other elves!"
"Who?"
"Later" came Legolas' voice from behind them. "There is much to be explained, but-"
"After dinner?" asked Pippin hopefully.
"Indeed, Master Hobbit," smiled Legolas, "after dinner"
For once, I've decided to post more than one chapter at a time! I'll explain why at the end of the next one. keep reading and let
It took them a while, but under the instruction of Hermione, Harry and Ron managed to get their robes clean enough to look decent at a royal dinner.
"This is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me!" exclaimed the Weasley, " We fall through a mirror- through, mind you- into some magic filled world, we meet an elf prince and a dwarf, who just happen to be friends of a king named Strider, and we get invited to dinner. Oh, yes! And we met his midget friends too!"
"Ron!" said Hermione sharply, "Not so loud! Someone might hear! And they're called Hobbits, not midgets!"
"So?"
"I think Hermione's right, they might take it as an insult or something" added Harry. He'd already dismissed this as not just a humongous joke being played on them- that had been his first explanation- and the last thing he wanted was to get kicked out by the only people he knew in this new world.
"But they can't hear me in here, can they?" came Ron's query.
"That Legolas character seems to be able to." said Harry.
"Probably some elf thing" agreed his red haired friend.
"He is not an elf!" snapped Hermione. "Oh Ron, you've seen elves! Legolas is not anything like Dobby, or Winky, or any other one of those poor things in the Kitchen!"
"Don't start with Spew again!" moaned Ron.
"We heard more than enough about house elves last year!" added Harry.
Hermione began to protest, then stopped as a soft knock sounded on their door.
"See! I told you they'd hear!" hissed Hermione. "Look at what you've done now!"
"I wasn't-" began Ron, when Merry and Pippin entered.
"We came to make sure everything is fine with our honoured guests," said Pippin with a smile, "although I don't think it is very fair. When we arrived, Strider was happy and all, but he never sent anyone to see if we were okay! He met us just when we arrived, but he could have had all eight meals with us, couldn't he? We're old friends, aren't we, Merry, and we-"
Merry whacked his younger cousin lightly on the head. "Quiet, Pippin!" He looked up at the curious trio, "Ignore him and he stops," he said simply. "Anyway, dinner will be in an hour."
"Much too late!" supplemented Pippin, and then stepped away from Merry, afraid of getting hit again.
"As I was saying," continued Merry professionally, "Str.that is, the King Elessar hopes that the facilities provided for you are adequate, and-"
"Of course they're adequate!" interrupted the Took, "their room is even bigger than ours!" He moved even further away when Merry shot him a warning look.
"Er.yes" said Harry, "Our room's really quite good" He didn't want to mention that it was bigger than any bedroom he had ever seen. Two huge beds stood side by side with a million pillows and cushions each. The room was definitely adequate.
"Yes" said Hermione, "Mine is just perfect too."
"Excuse me," said Ron suddenly, "But did you say eight meals?"
Pippin nodded, "We have eight meals on ordinary days- less when we travel, and more on special occasions!"
Ron nodded, and cast an amused glance at Harry.
"I hope it's not too rude of me to ask," began Merry nervously, "but we seemed to have forgotten your names!"
"Of course it's not rude, Merry!" said Pippin, then looked at the three and asked, "Right?"
"Of course!" said Harry wondering how they kept all the names of their own friends straight, "I'm Harry. This is Ron, and Hermione" he indicated each of his friends as he spoke.
"Great!" said Merry with a smile. "Now, we'd better-"
"Wait!" cried Pippin, "If you three aren't doing anything else, how about a tour of the citadel?"
Hermione nodded excitedly. "Yes, of course! That'd be lovely!" She practically shoved the others out of the room.
"If there's a library in here, we're doomed!" said Ron as he and Harry followed their best friend and the two Hobbits.
"I told you we're doomed!" said Ron as half an hour later; they found themselves in the Royal Library. Hermione was zooming about, looking for a book that was in a language she could read. "I'm starving!"
The Hobbits had told them a little about the place, and showed them the Great River Anduin, and the land of Ithilien, where Elves still dwelt. They seemed to know a great deal, and Harry had a million questions he wanted to ask them, but the moment they reached the Library, Hermione had gone positively berserk with the sight of so many books. The fact that most of them were in Elvish didn't seem to faze her.
"Big mistake?" Merry asked them when she was clearly showing no signs of relenting.
"Big mistake." Harry assured him.
"She's worse than old Bilbo!" exclaimed Pippin, "And he was really hopeless!"
"Who's Bilbo?" asked Harry, trying to make a conversation and perhaps learn some more about these strange little people.
"Bilbo Baggins!" cried Pippin, as though the whole world should know whoever he was, "He's Frodo's uncle! Surely you know who Frodo is!"
"Sorry" said Harry, "no"
"Oh my!"
"Well, you could tell us, couldn't you?" asked Ron.
"Yes we could. We'll begin with Frodo's father, Drogo Baggins. He married-" began Merry, but he was interrupted as Legolas came down the stairs leading into the library.
"Ah!" he said, "Here you are! Gimli and I have been combing the castle for you! Gimli is rather impatient when it comes to his meals, and when the new guest just arrived, possibly delaying dinner." he added, "I am glad to have found you before him!"
"What new guest, Legolas?" asked Merry. "Anyone we should meet?"
"It would depend, Meriadoc, on whether you consider Samwise Gamgee worth your time." answered Legolas with a smile.
"Sam!" cried Merry and Pippin, rushing past Legolas up the stairs.
"Who's Sam?" asked a confused Ron.
Harry shot him an equally confused look, which he turned on the tall frame of Legolas.
"You must meet him," came the reply, "I suggest we go up as well." Seeing Hermione, who looked horrified at the thought of leaving the library, he added, "In a few moments, if you wish."
"You didn't have to take so long!"
"I was looking for a book, Ron, something I'm sure you've never done!"
"I have too!"
"Yeah right!"
"I have!"
"Shut up you two!" snapped Harry.
Legolas, who said that he had to go find Gimli before he got violent, left them by the fountain with the tree, where Merry and Pippin were busy chattering away with-
"Oh no, not another one!" moaned Ron.
"Harry, Ron, Her.Her.er.you three!" cried Pippin, spotting them, "this is Sam. Samwise Gamgee I should say, a dear friend of ours!"
"Nice to meet you." Said the new Hobbit rather nervously.
Harry, Ron and Hermione all said random things to the effect of: Nice to meet you too.
"Sam is the last of the Ringbearers!" declared Pippin proudly.
"Pippin!" cried Merry and Sam.
"Well, he is, isn't he? Now the that Sau-"
"That's enough, Pippin!" said Merry sharply.
"Ringbearer?" asked Harry, not wanting to be caught in an uncomfortable moment, "As in a wedding?"
The Hobbits blinked. "Wedding?"
"What would you do with the One Ring at a wedding?" asked Pippin.
"Begging your pardon, Mr. Pippin, but would you mind!" said Sam.
"Mind what?"
Merry made a sound of exasperation, "Stop talking about IT, Pippin!"
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who both simply stared back and shrugged.
"Excuse me," said Hermione, "Would you mind telling me what you're talking about?"
The Hobbits looked at each other nervously and Harry had the impression they'd stepped on delicate topics.
"Well." began Merry.
"Uh.I don't." said Sam.
"Well, it's all right to tell them now, isn't it?" asked Pippin brightly, "It's all over and Frodo's gone off in that big ship with Gandalf and Elrond and Galadriel and the other elves!"
"Who?"
"Later" came Legolas' voice from behind them. "There is much to be explained, but-"
"After dinner?" asked Pippin hopefully.
"Indeed, Master Hobbit," smiled Legolas, "after dinner"
For once, I've decided to post more than one chapter at a time! I'll explain why at the end of the next one. keep reading and let
