The Defence of Hogwarts
A/N: Yes, alright you clever people, Aragorn's sword is called Narsil, of course – you spotted my deliberate mistake! But guys… I posted that ages ago – why have you only just noticed?
"Gandalf?" Aragorn sat down opposite the great wizard. "You look tired, old friend."
Gandalf smiled up at Aragorn.
"Indeed I am, Your Majesty," he said, with a ghost of a smile. "Dumbledore and I have been trying for days to locate the whereabouts of Lord Voldemort but without success. It is very trying."
"If you are weary, then perhaps you will not wish to hear my news either, Gandalf," Aragorn said with a sigh. He reached for his pipe. "I am afraid it is not encouraging."
Gandalf turned, his eyes sharp. "More orcs are appearing in the forest?"
"More every day," Aragorn said with a sigh. "We have slain many but it makes little difference. I fear that soon they will be able to outrun us. I am afraid they will try to attack the castle."
"They will not get far," Gandalf said with a shake of his head. "There are many spells protecting Hogwarts – magic no Orc could ever unravel."
"These are not ordinary times, Gandalf. Those Orcs were brought here by the most powerful of dark magic – who knows what abilities that has given them?"
"You forget, Aragorn, that this is a castle of witches and wizards – not a keep of men. They would meet great resistance, even if they reach so far as the grounds."
"It is a castle of children, Gandalf! The younger ones know nothing more to defend themselves with than childish tricks! Do you expect them to defeat an army of Uruk-Hai warriors with a 'jelly legs' spell?"
"Ah, Colin Creavey got you too, did he?" Gandalf said with a smile.
Aragorn sat back in his chair and chewed meditatively on his pipe.
"I was taken unawares," he answered mildly. Then in a deeper tone he added; "I am serious, Gandalf. We can only hold them off so long. Once this Voldemort turns up, the Orcs will flock to his cause as sure as they did to Saruman's. And in that event, I fear for the castle – and for those inside of it."
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Legolas straightened the target once more and took ten paces away from it.
"Try it again, Hermione," he called.
Hermione lifted the beautiful bow and eyed the red circle in the centre of the target. She drew back the arrow with her right hand and fired, just as Legolas had instructed her…
A moment later she squinted to see if she had hit her target, but not seeing anything she called out to her companion;
"How was it?" she asked, "I can't see."
Legolas turned towards her slightly, exposing his right side to her. In his hand was her arrow. He had caught it at the last minute, before it went clear through his shoulder. He walked towards her, smiling.
"You're getting closer," he said, offering her the arrow once more.
Hermione took it miserably, throwing it down on the ground in disgust. "I'm never going to get it," she groaned, collapsing down on the ground in a heap. "It's just like flying… I can't ride a broomstick and I can't shoot arrows! What's the point?"
Legolas crouched down next to her, picking up his abandoned arrow and running a smooth slender hand down it. "Here," he said, offering it to her again. "Just hold it."
He drew another from his quiver as she took the first arrow from him. He held the second one as she did, then he raised it up, so it was right in front of his eyes.
"Look down its length, Hermione. It's as straight as a sword when motionless, but these arrows were crafted by the elves of Rivendell of the finest willow. They are so supple that they will fly almost upon their own intent. You make the mistake of your kind, Hermione. Most men believe to shoot an arrow requires great strength and good eyesight, but it is nothing so complicated. The secret of the Elves is that they use no such strength – we merely direct where the arrow should go. If it is made correctly, it will go."
He held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. Placing the arrow back on the bow, Hermione raised her arms once more and Legolas stood behind her. Reaching out he helped her pull back her right arm and put his other around her waist to steady them. Helping her line up the shot, he let her release and soon Hermione saw her first arrow of the day whistling down and piercing the central bulls eye on the target.
"Wow," she breathed. Legolas hadn't moved but still stood close behind her, and Hermione stood, her heart beating double-time as she turned slowly round, but as she did so…
"Hermione! Hermione! Are we too late?"
Lavender and Parvati were descending on her and Legolas at a run.
"We saw Ron and Harry earlier. Ron said Legolas was teaching you archery and we thought we should learn too," Lavender said, with a sideways smile at Legolas.
"Ron told you?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I'll bet he did," she added under her breath.
"Yeah, the forest's so dangerous these days, so Dumbledore says," Parvati continued, looking directly at Legolas and quite ignoring Hermione. "I feel quite vulnerable not being able to defend myself."
"We'd be so grateful if you could help us, Legolas," they said, grinning, and trying to bat their eyelashes.
Legolas was saved from replying by Gimli, who joined the group at that fortunate moment.
"Legolas, Aragorn wants to speak with us," Gimli told the Elf. With a cursory glance at Lavender and Parvati he continued; "If you are not otherwise occupied, we should go right away."
Legolas nodded and gathered up his bow and quiver.
"I must offer my apologies, Ladies," Legolas bowed slightly at Lavender and Parvati, "but perhaps Hermione could help you with some spells to help you defend yourselves? Hermione, I am pleased you are improving. I will see you soon, no doubt."
"Thank you, Legolas," Hermione smiled. The other two girls giggled and nudged each other as Legolas walked off with Gimli.
"My apologies, Ladies," Parvati imitated Legolas' earnest voice. "Gosh, he's so dreamy!"
Hermione said nothing, but smiled to herself.
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"You seem to have made plenty of friends here, Master Elf," Gimli noted gruffly as he and Legolas returned to the castle, "though I have noted most of them are of the female variety."
Legolas didn't look at Gimli, but he did note sardonically that the dwarf had been spending a great deal of time with a certain Professor Sprout.
"That's different," Gimli coughed. "I have been asking her advice on various poisonous weeds that we might use against the Orcs – to defend the castle, of course."
"Of course," Legolas smiled.
"I suppose you were discussing similar things with those young witches?"
"Archery," Legolas supplied.
"Ah, archery," Gimli repeated. "And here was I thinking you might have been discussing the thousand-year age gap!" he chuckled woozily.
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Dumbledore looked around at the grave faces in his office. He had come to respect deeply the courage and leadership of Aragorn, the skill of Legolas and the fearlessness of Gimli, but most of all he had met in Gandalf the White a wizard of such power and knowledge, that the grey face of the old man worried Dumbledore more than cared to admit.
"I believe you have something to say to me, Gentlemen," he began in his pleasant voice.
"Indeed, Dumbledore, we have," Aragorn started. "I have discussed the matter with Gandalf and also with Legolas and Gimli and we are agreed. You must make Hogwarts ready for war."
Dumbledore's face closed up and the twinkle disappeared out of his eye to be replaced with a steely glare.
"Perhaps you are forgetting, Lord Aragorn, that Hogwarts is a school of witchcraft and wizardry. It is the home of children, not of warriors. I am aware that the castle is under threat from Voldemort – as it has been for many years, I might remind you – but I do not intend to give into that threat now."
"It is not a matter of giving in, Sir," Aragorn replied, jumping to his feet. "It is a practical endeavour. You and Gandalf, despite all your efforts, have failed to locate Voldemort. Yet more Orcs and Uruk-hai appear in the forest everyday. He is still attempting to bring back Frodo and the ring, and if you cannot stop him it is only a matter of time. They will appear in the forest and then he will come – with a fierce and evil army awaiting him. What is to stop him if we are not prepared?"
"Voldemort shall not enter Hogwarts," Dumbledore promised firmly. "He will not be able to."
This comment roused Gandalf, who had been meditatively smoking on his pipe throughout the meeting so far.
"I am afraid, Dumbledore, that with the ring, Voldemort shall do what he likes," he said matter-of-factly. "Unless… unless we can think of a way to stop him getting the ring from Frodo."
"We need to be ready to fight," Gimli put in.
"I have been teaching some of the students to use a bow and arrow," Legolas said. "Some show promise, although we do not have much time to teach them… But the younger children…"
"Enough!" Dumbledore raised a hand. "I will not have us weighing-up our chances for a brawl. Lord Voldemort is a wizard, and a very powerful one. I am afraid that strong and fearless as the three of you are, you cannot create an army that can defeat the most powerful magic. Hogwarts will not be protected that way."
Gandalf nodded slowly. "You are right, my friend, and you must forgive the others if they do not realise the depth of the magic they impede upon. But we will still need their strength. We cannot find Voldemort, Dumbledore," Gandalf looked his fellow wizard square in the eye, "but perhaps we can find Frodo once he appears. Aragorn is capable of tracking anyone, even in that darkness of a forest. Once we have him we must keep the ring safe. For that, we shall use magic."
"Yes," Dumbledore sighed. "And I believe I know how."
There was a pause then Gandalf asked gently;
"Harry?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"The boy?" Aragorn asked sharply. "How can he be of any help?"
But Dumbledore stared thoughtfully into his beard, and offered Aragorn no reply.
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At that time in the forest, there was a sudden rush of whirling light and dust that appeared suddenly, making a high-pitched screeching sound. It disappeared after a minute or two and in its place two small shapes stood quivering.
One of the shapes gripped hold of the other and stared nervously around.
"Merry – where are we?" Pippin asked; frightened by the great darkness of the forbidden forest looming over them.
To be continued…. Please read/review