The Half-Giant and the Dwarf
Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings was created by Tolkien of course, Harry Potter by JK Rowling. I don't owe them – I'm just playing with them!
Harry, Ron and Hermione were enjoying tea in Hagrid's cabin. Hagrid seemed usually excited about something, and the three were anxious to make him tell them what was up.
"Yer know I can't tell yer anythin' so stop trying ter get stuff out a' me," Hagrid wagged his finger at them accusingly.
"Why can't you tell us, Hagrid?" Harry asked curiously.
"Someone told me not ter," Hagrid winked knowingly.
"Was it Dumbledore?" Ron suggested eagerly.
"What's happened to the pumpkin patch, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, changing the subject. She was stood by the window of Hagrid's log cabin, staring out at the pumpkin patch. Only two days before there had been several large fat pumpkins growing. Now they had all disappeared. "I thought you were letting them grow until Halloween?"
Hagrid looked up at Hermione warningly. "I gave 'em away," he said carefully.
"Who to?"
"Just someone who came by. And happen you three should be making your way back to school by now. It's getting' late. I'll see yer all in lessons tomorrow."
Ron grumbled as the three trudged back up to school.
"Good one, Hermione! Why'd you ask Hagrid that? Who cares about pumpkins? We were just getting on to something there. Hagrid was about to tell us something, I could feel it."
"You weren't getting anywhere, Ron Weasley, and you know it! And think about it – Hagrid prises his pumpkins like rubies and diamonds. There's no way he'd just give them away this close to Halloween without a good reason. Maybe it has something to do with his big secret?"
Ron snorted. "Ha! The great pumpkin mystery! If that's Hagrid's secret I think I'd rather not know."
Harry yawned loudly. "Leave it, you two. You know Hagrid - he can't keep a secret for long. We'll find out what's up soon enough."
As the three made their way into the school, they failed to notice someone passing them in the opposite direction. The person was walking back towards Hagrid's cabin, and soon they were knocking on the great oak door.
"Ah, Professor, would yer like a cup a' tea?" Hagrid smiled at his visitor.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said politely. "And I must say I'm very curious to hear this story of yours. What exactly did you say this creature was?"
"A dwarf," Hagrid said proudly, getting ready to tell his tale. "But he wasn't like any dwarf I ever heard of, that's for certain. Yer see, it all started just the other day – out there in the pumpkin patch…"
----------------------------
Two days earlier
Hagrid left his cabin early, swinging a large spade by his side.
"Let's see if those pumpkins are ready yet, Fang," he said happily to his dog. "Dumbledore's expectin' some really good ones this year."
Fang barked in reply and Hagrid scratched him on the head.
"Alrigh' – maybe I'll save some fer you too," Hagrid chuckled.
But as he reached the plot, Hagrid realised at once that something was wrong. Just one night before there had been twelve beautiful pumpkins growing. Now, there were only six.
"What the..?" Hagrid pulled at his beard and looked about him, as if expecting the culprit to be standing somewhere nearby. But there was nobody there - just the school playing fields, and, in the distance, the dark overhanging trees of the Forbidden Forest.
--------------
"Now, if any one of yer knows somethin' about me pumpkins, I want yer to come out with it. If it's a practical joke or somethin' then I don't care. I just want to know. Them pumpkins were for the Halloween feast, and I need to know what happened to them."
Hagrid sighed at the blank faces staring back at him. It was unlikely that any of his first year Care of Magical Creatures class would know anything about his pumpkins, but it was worth a try. He'd rather be asking Draco Malfoy or one of his Slytherin gang, but he didn't take them until Monday.
"Alrigh' – get back ter work," he gestured at them.
Still later, when Hagrid was chopping wood, he was still puzzling over the missing pumpkins.
"I jus' don' understand how six could go missing from righ'… under… me nose!" he puffed, as he swung his heavy axe up and down. "Some guard-dog you turned out ter be, Fang… Fang?"
The sleepy bloodhound was not in his usual spot by Hagrid's front door, and soon Hagrid could hear a familiar growl and barking coming from the back of the cabin.
Flinging his axe over his shoulder, Hagrid hurried round the side of his house to see what all the commotion was. What he saw when he got there was a small, round person in heavy chain mail carrying something very round and very heavy.
"Me pumpkins!" Hagrid shouted out. "Ere you! Stop!"
The small person drop the pumpkin and started to run, with Fang close on his heels. Hagrid started after them too.
"Get off me, you hound!" the person shouted as Fang reached him and started to chew on his ankle. "Aaagghh!"
"Fang, down!" Hagrid called the dog off, then grasped hold of the little creature in front of him.
"Who are you?" he asked, puzzled.
"I'm Gimli, son of Gloin, and may I warn you that if you don't remove your hand, you may lose it," the creature spat, grasping his own axe fiercely.
Hagrid let him go and pointed at the pumpkin. "That's my food you're takin' and I'm betting you know what happened to the other six too. I've been growing them fer Dumbledore and the Halloween feast. Now half a' them are gone!"
Gimli had the decency to look a little ashamed. "I am sorry to have taken was wasn't mine, but I have felt hunger like nothing else this past week. The Orcs in the forest have taken everything. It is the most I can do to fight them and stay alive. But I believe they cannot leave the forest. I have been safe out here."
Hagrid took another look at the creature. He barely reached past Hagrid's knees but he was a stout fellow though, as Hagrid saw, he looked worn and tired. He found himself feeling a little sorry for Gimli son of Gloin.
"Orcs?"
"Enemies of the Dwarves and of all true-hearted creatures. See what they have driven me to? Theft! Theft and starvation! They would take the heart out of a man as soon as they would take his life. You don't know of them?"
"Nah," Hagrid said. "And I know 'most everythin' that lives in the forest. I'm Hagrid," he nodded, "Gamekeeper of Hogwarts."
Gimli nodded back and his glance took in Hagrids heavy axe, still balanced across his shoulder.
"I offer my apologies for stealing your wares, but their sustenance has kept me alive," the dwarf said sadly. "I am in your debt, master Hagrid."
"It's jus' Hagrid," Hagrid smiled. "Why don't yer come in fer a cuppa?"
----------------------------
"Cheery little chap, he was," Hagrid mused, tugging at his beard. "Specially with a few jars in 'im. Real good with an axe too – he chopped that whole pile 'a wood out in the yard. I give 'im the pumpkins as payment."
"What was he doing in the forest?" Dumbledore asked. "He doesn't sound like the dwarves we are used to seeing."
"Nah, he weren't nothing common," Dumbledore answered. "He said he came from a place called Middle-Earth. Never 'eard 'a Hogwarts. Didn't know why he was here. Said his home was some place called the Glittering Caves. He sounded real sad ter be 'ere. I felt right sorry for him, I did."
Dumbledore looked at Hagrid curiously. "I wonder…" he said slowly.
---------------------
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked, as Harry set up the chess board between them.
"Went back to Hagrid's," Harry explained. "She realised she left her Herbology book there when we were having tea."
"Ah of course," Ron clicked his fingers. "How awful if her homework had to wait until tomorrow."
Harry just smiled, and started the game.
---------------------
But Hermione wasn't in Hagrid's cabin. In fact, she was just outside of it, listening. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but, hearing the voice of the headmaster inside, she had decided not to knock but wait outside until he and Hagrid were finished. But the kitchen window was open, and Hagrid's booming voice travelled easily on the night air. And soon, Hermione was listening despite herself.
Now, two words rang in her ears. Middle-Earth.
She had heard them before, of course.
She had not seen or heard of the elf Legolas since the afternoon they had met in the forest, but she had not forgotten. In fact, she had played events over and over in her mind ever since. Legolas had said he had been brought here, presumably against his will, and whatever had brought him to Hogwarts had brought evil creatures as well. The disgusting orcs that had attacked her and Fang and…. Could it be? This creature that Hagrid was describing to Dumbledore. Could the appearance of the dwarf Gimli be another riddle for Legolas to solve? For he too described himself as a citizen of Middle-Earth, as Legolas had done.
Was Legolas in danger?
Not for the first time, Hermione contemplated telling Dumbledore of her meeting with the elf. But how could she just burst in and explain how she had overheard the Headmaster's and Hagrid's private conversation and had something to add? Besides, how could she prove any of her story was true? It had happened weeks ago. No, if anything was to be done, she would have to be the one to do it. She had to find Legolas and warn him that more creatures were appearing and that he might be in danger. She had to find him.
Gritting her teeth and checking her wand, Hermione set off at a run for the forest.