I've thanked you a million times and over for your reviews, and I'll do it this time as well because I love you all more than a Mary Sue can love Legolas! On with the show. I just can't believe you want to read this!



The three Hogwarts students felt more awkward than they'd ever felt before when they were lead to a large balcony like structure where a table had been set with ten places. From it, even at night, they commanded a breathtaking view of the city and the lands beyond. In the distance, moonlight shimmered on the Anduin. The balcony wasn't dark at all: the place was lit with a few torches on the single wall, but almost all the light came from the glittering stars in the cloudless sky. To Harry, it seemed like the stars were even more beautiful here than back home.

Legolas was perched precariously on the thin railing, totally oblivious of the very long drop that awaited him if he happened to slip. His eyes were gazing beyond the fields of Gondor, beyond the river-

He began to sing to himself, very softly, but in a fair, clear voice. Harry did not know the meaning of the words, but somehow, he understood what he was singing about- the sea.

"The longing for the Sea is in us all, Legolas", said a woman's voice softly, "but it is not yet the time for you to answer that call "

Legolas almost fell off the railing.

Harry, Ron and Hermione, who'd been taking in the view and listening to the song, gave a start and spun around to see their so called Elven companion bow low to the most beautiful woman they had ever seen. They were surprised that they hadn't even heard her approach, and now she was only a few feet away from where they were.

"Tárinya Arwen" said Legolas as he rose from his bow.

The lady was nearly as tall as Legolas, and had pointed ears like his. Her hair was as dark as the night, and upon her forehead was a thin chain of stars no less bright than those in the sky. She walked with grace and bearing that made it very clear that this was the Queen. Like her husband, she looked young, and yet did not seem so- it was very puzzling. The young wizards were too dumbstruck to speak. Harry had seen nice looking women before, but the only word that could be used to describe this lady, other than 'beautiful', was - 'wow'.

She bowed her head in response to their friend's bow, and then turned to Ron, Harry and Hermione. Harry hoped fervently that he didn't look excessively stupid and that his eyes weren't popping out too much, and made a mighty effort not to stare.

"Our young guests" she said with a smile, her bright grey eyes looking right through them, "I am the Queen Arwen, and I welcome you to this fair land."

"Th- thank you." stammered Hermione.

Ron and Harry tried to back her up, but were really too awestruck to think clearly.

The Queen looked up at the stars. "Are the stars different where you come from?" she asked.

"Yes!" said Hermione, a little louder than she'd meant to, "I mean, yes, your highness"

The Queen smiled at her. "The first of the Elves awoke when Varda Elentari set the stars in the sky. they remind us all of Valinor, Elvenhome that lies beyond the sea."

There was a look of what appeared to be sadness on her face when she said that, and Harry, for some reason, felt a little gloomy as well. He hoped that Hermione would not bring up her elf speech again, but both his friends kept silent.

Queen Arwen turned back to Legolas. "Something troubles you, Thranduilion, I can feel the feel the shadow on your heart."

"Yes, my Queen" answered Legolas, "But now is not the time to discuss those matters"

The Queen nodded. Suddenly she laughed. Harry felt the gloom lifted from him at the sound of her laughter as though it were just the cure. "Good Heavens! Where are they? The Halflings have been speaking of dinner all day, then they decide to be late for it!"

"It is a Hobbit custom, in all probability," came the voice of Gimli the Dwarf, who was now walking towards them.

"I can assure you that it's not," laughed King Elessar, following him to the balcony. "Hobbits don't think too highly of those who are late for meals, it is almost a sin for them to do so."

"Then let the sinners beware!" declared Gimli, "For I must eat within the next ten minutes, or else."

"Or else what, Gimli?" asked a voice. Pippin crawled out from under the table that had been set for them, a half- eaten carrot clutched firmly in one hand. Merry and Sam followed him, also with vegetables in their hands.

"So?" demanded Gimli, "you feed yourselves and forget your friends! Why I-"

"Peace, Gimli," said the King, trying not to laugh. "Let us not keep our guests waiting."

They all took places at the table. Harry was about to sit down when he noticed that all the others were still standing and facing westwards.

"It is the Standing Silence," the King explained to the three. "A custom in our land. We remember Númenor the Downfallen, and Elvenhome beyond." Seeing the puzzled looks on their faces, he added, "Merely wait a few moments before you eat"

After the Standing Silence, Pippin quickly went off somewhere, and quickly returned with servants bearing food.

"Humph!" said Gimli, "at last!"

As the dinner wore on, Harry felt that he'd never been so hungry in his entire life. Set before him were varieties of food he had never seen before, much less tasted. There seemed to be a lot of mushrooms in some of it, though- and these formed nearly the entire meal of the Hobbits. Beside him, Ron was gobbling away on whatever he could find in front of him. Hermione was trying very hard to appear like she knew what everything was and what she wanted to eat, but there was simply too much to even bother.

"You'll outdo the Halflings at this rate!" laughed Gimli, watching Ron with amusement.

"That's a compliment, if you like" said Merry to the embarrassed Weasley.

"Now," said the King, "I think it is time our young strangers told us about themselves"

"Indeed" said Legolas, "I too am curious about your world"

"And how you came to be in ours" added the Queen.

Under the keen glances of the three, Harry tried to figure out a way to explain about the mirror when they didn't even know about Voldemort.

Hermione cleared her throat softly, "If I may." she looked around the table to find all eyes fixed on her. "The story begins almost fifteen years ago-"

Hermione went on to explain, as briefly as she could manage, about Voldemort, struggling to keep herself from saying 'You Know Who', and how Harry had obtained his scar.

When everyone turned to him, Harry thought it was about time he spoke about himself. He told them about the fact that Voldemort had come back into power the year before, and finally about the dream with the mirror.

"I realized that I knew the room I had dreamt of, and the three of us went looking for it. It was by accident that we stepped through it- and ended up here!"

"It seems then that ours is not the only world touched by evil, then" remarked the King. The Queen said nothing but looked very thoughtful.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Sam appeared to be ready break the uneasy quiet, when suddenly, the door crashed open.

All the diners stood up, startled.

A man in the uniform of a soldier stood there, holding on to the wall for support. He was riddled with arrows, and gasping for breath as he looked directly at King Elessar, who had hurried to his side.

"My.Lord." he panted, "Or. the.dark."

"Do not speak," said the King gently, helping him, "You are safe now." He called a guard; "Take him to the Houses of Healing. Summon me if his wounds are beyond their help."

When the man had been taken away, the King turned to those at the table once more. "He was a soldier of Ithilien," he said, "With a message from Faramir, it may be, but who attacked him?" The question was more to himself, but no one knew the answer.

Harry Ron and Hermione found, that after the incident with the soldier, they'd quite lost their appetite. Dinner had indeed come to an end, and the three were being lead back to their rooms by the Hobbits, who were whispering amongst themselves.

"Yes but Strider would know if anything bad happened" said Sam, "He is the king, you know."

"How would he?" asked Merry. He leaned forward, shooting the visitors a quick look, "What I think, is that this lot's brought trouble around here, and we're going to end up having to fix it!"

"I'm sorry to say that agree with you, Mr. Merry," said Sam, "Strangers bring trouble and no doubt about it. I was just telling Rosie before I left- I said, 'Rosie girl, take care of Elanor and don't go talking to strangers- remember what happened to dear Mr. Bilbo when he talked with that stinker Gollum!"

"But Sam!" cried Pippin, "Some strangers are good! Think of the ones we met! Like Strider, and Old Tom Bombadil, and that Elf- Gildor, and.."

"Yes, yes Pippin, we get the point!" Merry said exasperatedly.

"And what about Bill Ferny?" asked Sam, "He was so cruel to poor old Bill."

Harry had had just enough of hearing them talk about him and in his friends. He rather liked the little furry footed Hobbits, and decided to set things straight.

"Excuse me!" he interrupted. The three conversing friends stopped abruptly, and smiled innocently at him.

"Look" Harry continued, "We don't know anything about this land, and we did not bring any evil into it. Not knowingly, anyway.we're the good guys," he added.

"Harry's right!" said Hermione, "You have to trust us!"

"This is a fine mess, for sure" said Sam.

"Come on, Merry, they're only children!" added Pippin.

Ron looked like he was about to say something about being called a child by someone almost five inches shorter than him, but a look from Hermione silenced him.

"Will you tell us more about your land?" asked Harry, in hopes of getting to know both the world and its inhabitants better.

"All right!" said Merry at last, "But we want to hear tales of your land as well!"

"Deal!" grinned Harry.

"Note to self- the way to a Hobbit's heart is through a story." Muttered Ron.



That's it for now- no major cliffs to hang from! The reason I put up two chapters this time 'round is because I might be a little late with the next chapter, 'cuz school has decided to start and that means free time will be reduced to a minimum. I'll keep at this as long as you want me to, of course, just updates will be a teensy bit later than usual!

Note that I said 'as long as you want me to'! You do want me to- right? Right??