Two Wise Wizards
A/N: Some people asked how old Hermione is in the story. I think her and Harry and Ron are all about 15. This is kind of an AU book 5.
Hagrid set down the enormous teapot with a shaking hand. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the curious collection of guests currently seated around his cabin, but he was sure he wouldn't often see the like of it.
Besides Harry, Ron, Hermione and Fang, there was the dwarf he had befriended recently when he had been hungry and looking for food – Gimli son of Gloin. Then there was the strange Elf Hermione had brought with her, Legolas, standing by the window, and, sat beside the latter, was Aragorn, son of Arathorn, to whom Gimli referred to as King Elessar. Hagrid shook his head as he poured the tea out. No, he'd never had such a strange group in his house before.
Hagrid went to sit by Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were all perched on Hagrid's enormous bed, what with the cabin lacking enough chairs for each of the visitors.
"What do yer make of this lot then, 'Arry?" he asked, offering a plate of biscuits.
"I don't know Hagrid," Harry said honestly. "They all seem quite surprised to see each other."
"I think they're all mental," Ron muttered, glaring at Aragorn and Legolas who were speaking elvish in low tones by the window. "Talking about riddles and "Middle-Earth", and saying thee and thou all the time. I say we take them to Madam Pomfrey – they're probably confunded."
"You would think that, Ron," Hermione answered impatiently. "Don't you think there's a chance they might be telling the truth?"
"The truth?" Ron raised his eyebrows. "Oh yes, of course, I was forgetting. They've been brought forward in time – though not from the same time – to the Forbidden Forest for no apparent reason other than a friendly reunion. Oh, and they all have absolutely no idea why, or how to get back. With a story like that, why wouldn't I believe them?" he asked sarcastically. Hermione just glared at him. "Why don't we ask your immortal friend, Hermione? You'd think if he's really been around all these thousand of years, he'd know a few things."
"He does know things," Hermione said hurriedly. "He knows what those horrible creatures in the forest are. And he knows how to kill them."
"There's been some terrible thing's in the forest the past few weeks," Hagrid agreed, nodding his shaggy head. "Bin' causin' a lot of trouble too."
"Well if he's so good at killing things, what's to say he won't try it out on us, Hermione?" Ron hissed, keeping his voice down. "That dwarf tried to steal from Hagrid, and Aragorn nearly attacked Harry and I when we bumped into him this morning. These people could be criminals just escaped from Azkaban for all we know!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Ron." Hermione was cross now. "Padfoot's the only person who's ever escaped from Azkaban. These three aren't criminals – I believe they're who they say they are. At any rate, I know Legolas is good. He helped save Fang and me when we got lost in the forest, and he took care of me last night."
"Last night?" Ron was amazed. "That's where you were last night?"
"Oh Ron! I went looking for Legolas. I was worried about him, after I heard Hagrid talking about Gimli. For Merlin's sake, don't you understand? Some dark magic has brought them here, and none of them know why, but we've got to help them find out. Don't you agree, Harry?"
Harry was silent at first, thinking deeply. At last he got up, and walked over to where Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas sat talking.
"Er, excuse me, Aragorn, but um, we've been talking and I think that you should tell us everything you know. About the creatures in the forest I mean, and why you were brought here. Then maybe we should go and see Dumbledore – he's our headmaster and a very power wizard. I'm sure he can help us."
Aragorn opened his mouth to reply but as he spoke, the door swept open and two tall, white-haired and bearded persons walked into the room. Both were dressed in wizard robes.
"There's no need, Harry," Dumbledore smiled down at him. "We have come to see you instead, and – ah yes! – we're just in time for tea, I see. If you would be so kind, Hagrid?"
Hagrid got up immediately and began to bustle about, warming the teapot once more.
"Of course, Headmaster, and will your companion be wanting some?" he asked blankly, glancing at the tall wizard behind Dumbledore.
"Oh, do forgive me," Dumbledore turned slightly towards his guest. "For those of you who don't know him, this is Gandalf the White."
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"Ah! The three hunters – and three dear old friends, reunited at last! How it gladdens me to see you all once more." Gandalf smiled, turning to the three that had bowed upon his entering.
"We might have wished for a less puzzling reunion, Gandalf," Gimli replied gruffly, straightening up.
"Indeed, Master Dwarf, we may have, but we get what we are given, do we not?"
"We wish that we knew what we were given, Sir," Legolas said gravely. "We are all puzzled as to the reason of our being here."
"Is it possible you know something, Gandalf," Aragorn spoke at last, rising from his chair. "Something we do not?"
Gandalf went forward to meet Aragorn.
"It is good to see you, Your Majesty, and dressed so regally. The last time we met you were looking not so well kept, I must say." Aragorn looked at Gandalf quizzically. Gandalf continued. "I too have arrived here from a different point of history than the three of you – one in which you were not yet King of Gondor, Aragorn."
"And yet you yourself are Gandalf the White – not the Grayhame of old," Legolas noted. Gandalf smiled at him.
"Gandalf, I ask you for the last time – do you know the answer to this riddle!" Gimli almost shouted.
"Patience, Master Dwarf," Gandalf raised a hand. "I believe I do know something, but first, first I would like some tea."
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Dumbledore used magic to produce some more chairs and to extend Hagrids table so that it nearly filled the whole cabin. They all took a seat; Dumbledore and Gandalf sat at opposite ends, Hagrid next to Dumbledore. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat opposite the three hunters – Dumbledore had made sure Gimli's chair was a little higher than the others. Hermione chose the seat opposite Legolas and gave him a friendly smile. Fang too, chose to be near the Elf and settled himself comfortably over Legolas' feet.
"Well now, Gentleman - and Lady," Gandalf nodded to Hermione, "here we all are. A little unexpectedly perhaps, but I'm sure that although Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and myself are strangers to these parts, we couldn't have wished for a warmer welcome than we have received here at Hogwarts."
The others murmured in agreement and Legolas glanced at Hermione with a look that thrilled her to the bone.
"I for one must say how refreshing it is to be amongst my own kind here," Gandalf smiled congenially. "It is comforting to know that in the future there will be schools such as this to teach our ways to the younger generation. I don't remember such a collection of witches and wizards together in Middle-Earth at all. Of course, there never were a great many witches in those times, I'm sad to say, though there was one once…"
"Ahem," Aragorn cleared his throat.
"Oh, yes, but where was I?" Gandalf stirred himself out of his reverie. Harry caught Ron's eye and had to smother a smile. "Ah yes, of course! The reason we are here – I suspect that is was concerns us most?"
"Yes, why we are here – and how do we get back?" Gimli said gruffly.
Gandalf knitted his bushy eyebrows together for a minute. "One of those questions is easier to answer than the other, I'm afraid," he said with a frown. "I believe the reason we are here is quite simple – someone wants us to be."
Here, Gandalf paused dramatically, looking around the sea of expectant faces. Only Dumbledore sat complacently at the end of the table, twiddling with his beard.
"Well?" Ron asked, after the pause continued even longer.
Gandalf looked at him shrewdly. "Well, Master Weasley, it means that someone has been bringing my friends and I here for a reason. Legolas was the first to appear, was he not? You, Miss Granger, found him in the forest."
"Yes," Hermione answered, but she was puzzled. She glanced between Gandalf and Dumbledore. "How did you know?"
"Suffice it to say that I do know, Miss Granger. Yes, Legolas was the first to appear, and in his time he had left Middle-Earth many centuries previously for the Grey Havens, is that not correct, Legolas?"
"Yes indeed," the elf nodded. "To my mind it is many years since I have seen any of you."
"Gimli arrived next, from the Glittering Caves," Gandalf continued.
"And as I thought, after the death of King Elessar, but here you are, Aragorn – in the flesh! How pleased I am to see you!"
"Please, Gimli," Gandalf spoke sternly. "We must try not to speak of what is to come. Confusing as it is we must try to keep our minds in the present. And Aragorn's present is quite different I believe, than to yours."
"Indeed it is, Gandalf," Aragorn nodded. "But even so, Gimli needn't mind his words so. I am quite used to the idea of a mortal life, and the knowledge that death is ahead brings me no fear. But that is many years in the future, I would hope. Before coming here I had just taken up my throne – and brought my wife to join me. I am anxious to get back to them both, Gandalf."
"And somehow – I believe with Dumbledore's' help – we will find a way to do so, Aragorn. But what concerns me most is why we are here – and the fact that whoever is bringing us here is reaching further into our past each time. They are trying to get at something. What connects us all to one another, Aragorn? How is it that we all came to meet?"
"Why, the Council of Elrond, you must mean – and the forming of the Fellowship of Nine."
"Exactly," Gandalf raised an eyebrow. "Someone is reaching into our history and pulling us out one-by-one. But they haven't found what they are looking for – not yet."
"Are you suggesting the rest of the Fellowship will turn up in the woods too?" Gimli asked, surprised. "The little ones? Master Frodo?"
Legolas turned his head sharply towards Gandalf. "If they continue to bring the Fellowship here, and go further and further back each time, they could bring Frodo here when he has the ring!"
Gandalf nodded his head slowly. "Yes, Legolas, you understand it as I do. I believe that whoever has brought us here – and the Orcs and Uruk-Hai that have been pulled along with the dark magic - has been aiming for something smaller. For a hobbit, in fact; Frodo Baggins, when he was in possession of the ring of power."
There was a long silence. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were staring at Gandalf in a grim amazement. The others around the table, however, were still in the dark.
"What exactly is the 'ring of power'?" Harry asked curiously, sensing it was something bad from the look on the others' faces.
"It is the one ring, Harry Potter," Gandalf said, his eyes glinting strangely as they looked down at Harry. "The one ring that can rule them all. Whoever wears the ring becomes all powerful and immortal. It corrupts those that cannot resist its power – they become enslaved to it. In the hands of powerful men, it has the potential to do untold damage."
"The question that faces us," Dumbledore spoke for the first time, looking towards Hagrid, Hermione, Ron and Harry, "is who in our world would want such an artefact – such a token of evil as the one ring appears to be?"
"Voldemort," Harry said determinedly, the word making Ron and Hagrid shiver. "Who else?"
"That is my thinking also, Harry," Dumbledore answered sadly.
"Now it is time for us to ask a question of you," Aragorn looked at Harry. "Who is Voldemort?"
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"So you see he'll do anything to get more power. He dreams of being immortal and ruling the wizard world for ever. He hates Muggles too – that's non-wizards – and wants to hurt them."
There was another long silence after Harry had finished. The Hogwarts crowd were looking very grim. Aragorn was the first to speak.
"If what you say is correct, Gandalf, and he is after the ring – and this Voldemort is all the things you say he is, Harry - then this is a very serious situation indeed. The ring would give Voldemort the power to rule not just your wizarding world but the world of men also. Its power is absolute. There is no way to destroy the ring in your world. Voldemort must be stopped – by whatever force necessary."
As he spoke, Aragorn's hand moved instinctively to his sword and gripped the handle.
"But how are we to stop what we don't understand, Gandalf?" Legolas looked up. "What magic is being used to bring us here? When will the hobbits appear – if indeed they do? Where is this Voldemort hiding? We cannot fight an invisible force! Then there is the matter of the Orcs and other creatures brought here with us. They will side with dark magic, not with us. I have already slain a great number, but there are already hundreds in the forest." Hermione glanced at his worried face anxiously; she had not seen Legolas with a look like that before.
Gandalf nodded. "I cannot answer all your questions, Legolas, I do not yet know enough. With Dumbledore's help, I hope to be able to locate Voldemort. As to the forest, I look to the three of you to protect the school from the dangers inside. As for the hobbits – if they are to appear, I must hope it will be here, where the three of you all appeared. You must look out for them – can an old Ranger remember his ways?" Gandalf looked at Aragorn with half a smile.
"Naturally!" Aragorn said determinedly. "It is not so long for me since I last had the use of them."
"Then you know what you must do," Gandalf finished, looking from Aragorn to Gimli to Legolas.
"You have found friends here, Gentlemen," Dumbledore said to them. "I give you free reign in the forest, and hope that you will accept the hospitality of Hogwarts when you rest. Harry, Ron and Hermione are also to be trusted, and all of them have proven their courage at different times. And Hagrid too of course – I would trust him with my life. I think that all of us here understand the threat that we are now facing, but it is always better to prepare for a known threat than be surprised by an unknown one. I wish very good luck to all of you!"
After these words the meeting broke up into smaller groups. Aragorn took Gandalf to one side to receive more of his counsel. Gimli made his way over to a worried-looking Hagrid. Hermione found herself at Legolas' side.
"Are you scared, Legolas?" she asked him quietly, looking up at his fair face.
"Scared? I do not believe so," he replied, with a wry turn of his mouth. "But anxious indeed. The ring of Sauron is not something I would wish upon your world for all the ages. It brought untold damage in our time and many lives were lost defending ourselves against it. But you mustn't be fearful yourself, Hermione," he said, his eyes looking down at her earnestly. "My friends and I have fought this threat before. I have trust in the wisdom of Gandalf – and I believe in your own Dumbledore as well. I will not let any harm come to you or your friends, Hermione, I promise you."
Hermione didn't reply, but her heart seemed to skip a little beat and she smiled up at Legolas warmly.
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Darkness had fallen before the council broke up. The forest on the verge of Hagrid's cabin muttered with foreign noises and the three hunters entered into it fearlessly; ready to begin their defence of Hogwarts.
To be continued…. Please read & review woodland folk!