Harry and the King of Gondor
"Legolas, watch out!" Hermione called out, but her warning wasn't needed as Legolas had set the arrow upon his bow even before she had spoken. She turned around as she heard the creature that had been following them fall to the ground with a cry of pain.
"I thought you said Orcs couldn't travel by daylight," she said, a little impatiently. That was the third one they'd had on their tail since they'd set out that morning.
"These are not Orcs," Legolas said, shaking his head a little. "When I collected my arrow from that last creature, I realised that."
"Then what are they?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"I believe they are Uruk-hai warriors," Legolas said grimly. "Half-orc and half goblin. They have not seen them in the forest before now – it seems that not only has my friend Gimli been brought here recently."
"Oh well, great! Just what we needed. Even stronger fighting things that want to kill us," Hermione said loudly, letting off some steam.
"There do not appear to be many of them," Legolas said confidently, reattaching his bow and quiver across his back. "I have faced far greater numbers and not met with defeat. I believe we will be safe enough."
Hermione just nodded silently.
"Come," Legolas reached for her hand. "We must not linger."
---------------------------------
"Harry, I'm telling you, she's just gone off somewhere. She was in a right mood yesterday."
Harry looked at Ron disbelievingly. "Where is she then? We've looked everywhere. She can't be in the castle."
"She'll turn up, Harry!"
"You don't think… you don't think she'd have gone looking for that Legolas bloke, do you?" Harry asked hesitantly.
Ron raised his eyebrows. "That stupid elf she kept talking about? Why would she?"
"She kept saying he was stranded in the forest – that he needed help."
"He also thought he came from a different planet or something," Ron remembered, eyebrows raised. "I don't think Hermione'll have much luck helping him - unless she takes him to a mental institution."
"If she went to find him she must've gone into the forest. She could be in trouble."
For the first time, Ron started to look seriously worried.
"If she is in the forest, we'll need Hagrid," Harry said decisively. "We've got Care of Magical Creatures now – why don't we go and tell him about it. Let's take the long way round to Hagrid's cabin. We might see something."
"Okay," Ron agreed.
---------------------------------
"Remind me again, Harry – just what are we looking for out here?" Ron asked impatiently. They were bordering the edge of the Forbidden Forest and had wandered far from Hagrid's cabin.
"I don't know exactly," Harry admitted. "But if she has gone looking for that elf, she must have come by this way."
"We're late," Ron said, staring uneasily into the dark trees. "And we've got to speak to Hagrid on his own, remember, if we're going to find Hermione in there."
"We will find her, Ron, I – MMmmm!"
A hand had come out of the forest behind them and grabbed Harry. Ron immediately reached for his wand but soon found his wrist bound in a tight grab.
"Hey, let go!" Ron cried.
"Be silent! I will not hurt you!" A low voice murmured, stepping out of the trees. Letting go of Harry, he pushed him and Ron behind a large tree, out of sight.
Harry and Ron stared curiously at the stranger. He was covered in a large black hooded cloak that shadowed his face, but as he moved they could see the sign of fine robes underneath. He appeared to be wearing some kind of long grey tunic and hanging from his waist was an enormous and magnificent sword.
"Fear not, boy," the stranger spoke again, seeing Ron's eyes on his sword. "I will not raise Imladris against you."
"Who are you?" Harry asked in wonderment.
"My name is Aragorn," the man said softly. "And your name is?"
"Harry, Harry Potter."
Aragorn inclined his head ever so slightly in greeting. But he did not flinch at the name, nor automatically look for the scar as most strangers did upon meeting Harry.
"You… you don't know who I am?" he asked uncertainly.
Aragorn looked at him curiously. "There is a reason your name should be familiar to me?"
"Er, no," Harry mumbled, embarrassed.
"I'm Ron," Ron said loudly, "And what exactly do you want with us?" he asked.
"Sshh! There are dangerous creatures within the trees, who will be drawn by the sound of a voice such as yours." With this warning, Aragorn dropped quickly to the ground and listened intently to the earth. Ron and Harry stared at him amazed. After a minute or too he rose, dusting off his hands. "I think we are safe."
Ron, looking pointedly at Harry, turned to the stranger.
"You don't happen to know an elf called Legolas, do you?"
----------------------------
Hagrid dismissed his class and started to collect the multi-colour newts into their container again.
"I don' know what happened ter Harry, Ron and Hermione," he told Fang. "I hope they're not in trouble or nothin', just when things've been so quiet round 'ere."
As he spoke, Fang got to his feet, ran a little in the direction of the forest and started to bark loudly.
"What is it now, you ol' coward," Hagrid said affectionately, going up to give Fang a pat on the head. "There's nothin' in there that isn't always in there."
But Fang kept barking and trotting to and fro distractedly, so that Hagrid kept his eyes on the trees in the distance. Soon he was rewarded by the sight of two people heading towards them at a run. One of the pair was wearing Hogwarts robes.
"That's Hermione!" Hagrid called out in amazement. "Who's that she's with?"
Her companion was moving quickly too, but barely seemed to be running he was making so little effort. He was tall and thin and had a large quiver of arrows attached to his back. Hagrid looked on in amazement as the two approached, while Fang barked and ran about excitedly.
"Hagrid!" Hermione called, reaching him at last. "Hagrid, I've got so much to tell you!"
Fang had gone straight up to her companion, who recognised the bloodhound instantly.
"Hagrid, this is Legolas, he's an elf from Middle-Earth."
"Middle-… Hermione, where did you here that?" Hagrid said sternly.
"From Legolas!" Hermione gasped, trying to catch her breath. "I met him weeks ago in the forest – but when I overheard you and Dumbledore talking about that dwarf, I heard it again and went to find Legolas you see –"
"Gimli!" At last the elf spoke. But it was not to Hermione or Hagrid but to the dwarf that had just emerged from Hagrid's cabin.
Gimli too, had seen Legolas.
"Legolas? Legolas, my friend, is it you?"
"To be sure! Why Gimli, my dear old Gimli, it is surely something to be united with you again. At last, a pleasant twist to the riddle!"
"Why, Legolas, you speak as if we had not seen one another for many years! Why I saw you only last month when you visited my family in the Glittering Caves."
"Last month…" Legolas repeated.
"You have been in this place longer?" Gimli asked.
"Yes, mayhap, but that is not why I stopped so. Gimli son of Gloin, I have not seen you for many an age. I was brought to this land from the Grey Havens, to which both you and I departed many years ago. Indeed, you left the mortal world some time since. Many times have the leaves fallen since I last set eyes upon you."
Gimli stared blankly at his friend.
"The last time I spoke with you – this last month as I mentioned – we discussed the Grey Havens. You spoke of leaving now that King Elessar was dead."
"Legolas, is something wrong?" Hermione asked, not understanding a word of the conversation so far.
"Hermione!" Legolas turned to her. "Hermione, this is Gimli, son of Gloin, the friend I spoke of from times past. But it would seem as if his past is somewhat different to mine."
"Different?" Hermione repeated. "In what way, Legolas?"
"We have brought here from different times. I told you that elves were immortal, Hermione." She nodded at him, remembering. "Then you will believe me when I tell you that although Gimli and I have both been brought here from Middle-Earth, we have been brought hundreds of years apart."
"By how could that be, old friend?" Gimli asked, staring closely at the elf.
"It is a riddle I am not wise enough to solve," Legolas shook his head.
"Well I'm fair kerflumaxed, I'll tell you that for nothin'," Hagrid said, scratching his beard and looking at Hermione with a shrug.
"If only Gandalf were here!" Gimli sighed. "He'd know why we were stuck here."
As Gimli spoke, Legolas heard a noise in the distance and whipped his head round, scanning the landscape with his eyes. Suddenly, his head fixed upon something, something that caused him to gasp.
Hearing him, Hermione, Gimli and Hagrid turned to face him.
"No… no, it cannot be…" he whispered, his face displaying his confusion for the others to see. Gimli's eyes widened.
"Is it Gandalf? Has he come?" he shouted excitedly.
Hermione's eyes eventually caught some movement in the distance that soon appeared to be three people walking towards them.
"No, Gimli, Gandalf the White is not come to us," Legolas spoke at last, his voice clear and full of emotion. "It is the King that has returned to us out of the darkness… Aragorn son of Arathorn walks again."
Gimli stared at his friend in amazement. Until he could see it with his own eyes he uttered no sound. Only then did he speak.
"Aragorn," he breathed. "Aragorn is alive?"
To be continued…