The Nine in Trouble!

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Chapter 2

-Mordor-

Sauron places the piece of cloth carefully over his palantir and heads down to his ultra-secret planning room. The label on the door says "Sauron's Ultra-Secret Planning Room." He opens the door and steps inside, where he is greeted by about fifty orcs in immaculate white lab coats bowing in his general direction. He waves the five nearest ones aside and says, "Show me the plans."

They do.

An object that resembles nothing so much as a foozball table is brought up and placed in front of Sauron. He studies the foozball-table-looking-thing for a moment and then roars, "What?! What kind of plan is this?!"

A random orc timidly says, "It would be easier to plan, milord, if we knew where the Nazgul were."

Sauron looks like he's about to explode, but he realizes that there is some merit in this argument. "All right," he says rather lamely, "your plan it is. We send out scouts to find them."

* * *

-Somewhere in northern U.K.-

Professor Sprout provided the ingredients, Professor Snape provided the skill, and Madam Pomfrey provided the hand to administer the draught. Ten provided nothing but trouble.

"Sauron sent me to help you, you ungrateful scum, and I…. Where am I? Who are you? What have you done with the Ring?" he cried as soon as he woke up in the Hospital Wing.

The two witches and one wizard standing around his bed shook their heads sadly. They had hoped that this one would not awaken uttering gibberish. This was always a possibility, of course, but still…

A man with a long silver beard swept into the Wing. "Professor Dumbledore," said Madam Pomfrey, "he has recovered."

"I know," said Dumbledore rather heavily. "That is why I came here."

Professor Dumbledore conjures up six chintz armchairs and orders Madam Pomfrey to go summon Professor McGonagall of Transfiguration and Professor Granger, the new Arithmancy teacher. The three arrive back in the Hospital Wing within ten minutes and take their seats in the armchairs.

"So," says Dumbledore, "to business. Who are you, my friend?"

"I am Nazgul Number Ten, servant of Lord Sauron, Fairy Godmother to the Nine, and scout for the Ring of Power! Mwahahahaha!" cries Ten.

"Where are you from?" asks Dumbledore.

"Mordor!"

"Why are you here?"

"To find the Ring of Power!"

The other four Professors and Madam Pomfrey are looking white, shocked, and rather confused.

"It is as I feared," says Dumbledore. "Severus, please fetch the Veritaserum."

Professor Snape leaves the room and returns five minutes later with a vial of clear liquid, which he hands to Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Severus." He puts three droplets of the potion into a glass of water and hands the solution to Ten. "Drink this."

Ten laughs aloud. "Are you trying to poison me, human?" he chuckles. "I am a Nazgul – I cannot die! Here, watch –" He takes the solution and pours the lot down his throat. "Ha ha ha ha h-" He falls silent and stares into the distance in a sort of trance.

"Who are you?" asks Dumbledore.

"I am Nazgul Number Ten, servant of Lord Sauron, Fairy Godmother to the Nine, and scout for the Ring of Power! Mwahahahaha!" cries Ten.

"Where are you from?"

"Mordor!"

"Why are you here?"

"To find the Ring of Power!"

Dumbledore blinks. There is a few moments' silence, and then: "Madam Pomfrey, take care of the patient. Professors, you may leave. I am going to my office; I have some work to do."

* * *

There is Chapter 2. Chapter 3 to focus on the orc scouts sent by Sauron as well as the dealings of Saruman Reincarnate with the Uruk-Hai, so look for that chapter in the near future. Please review.

~ Anoriel