Hermione pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders and mounter the
Firebolt behind Ron. The past two days had passed like a dream.
She had just said a tearful goodbye to Legolas, but he had held her close to him, and she had felt less afraid.
Now Hermione watched as Harry turned into a raven, and Alanna and Meridelle mounted him. Then it was time to go.
Hermione turned and securely fastened her arms around Ron's waist. Then, they were up, and Hermione felt the soaring feeling within her that only came when she flew. She could see Harry beside them, his powerful wings cutting through the air.
Hermione turned, and saw the great white city of Minas Tirith, and all the people who had assembled to see them off getting smaller and smaller, tiny specks in the distance, then they were gone and the group was above the clouds.
Hermione remembered that Legolas had said someting about their connection through their minds stopping at some point,
Then, words.
"Hermione, I will always be with you," Legolas' voice resounded in her ears. Then, the connection snapped, like a cord cut in two. ********************** They were soaring above the clouds, when Harry signaled for them to dip down for a while, "To see where we are," he expained in his strange, croaky raven voice. So they turned the nose fo the Firebolt down. But before they did, Hermione cast an invisibility charm on everyone.
And she was glad she did. Sprawling on the hills below them was a large orc camp. They could see the ugly and brutal faces of the orcs, who were growing restless, waiting for their master's command.
Hermione was looking around, when she noticed a bit of Meridelle's bright red breeches flapping in midair. She had missed that spot in her invisibility charm! But as she pulled out her wand to fix it, something happened.
At the same time Hermione saw the bit of Meridelle's breeches, an orc archer did too. He grunted to his companions, and they grew suspicious. They started shooting arrows at it, and right as Hermione cast the spell, an arrow his its mark.
Luckily, it was a shallow wound, the arrow only grazing the skin. In any case, they maneuvered to the forest, and landed in a clearing.
"I'm so sorry..." Hermione started, but she never got any farther than that. As Meridelle stepped off of Harry's back and he transformed, she swayed a little, then dropped to the ground.
"Meridelle!" Alanna rushed over to her sister with a strangled cry and pulled out the arrow, "Poisoned." She slumped down, then out of habit sniffed the arrow.
"Wait, I know this type of poison, I have the materials to make the antidote with me!" Her eyes brightened with the idea. She dashed over to one of the packs and began searching through it.
"Oh no! I've left the powdered arnolia leaf in the city! We have to get her pack to the city, or else..." her voice trailed off and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Immediately, Harry was at her side, comforting her, and wiping off the tears that were now freely streaming down her face. Ron was by Meridelle, his face as pale as hers, stroking her hand. Hermione, was in shock: how could she have let this happen? She was in her last year at Hogwarts and still couldn't perform a simple invisibility charm?
Then, she found the answer. Hermione strode over to the Firebolt, pulled up her hood and said, in a strong, decisive tone, "I'm going back to where I can speak with Legolas. He will have Gandalf use some sort of magic to bring Meridelle and Alanna back to the city." With that, she cast an incredibly strong invisibility charm on herself, mounter the Firebolt, and kicked off hard from the ground.
In a minute she was above the clouds. Then she bent her body as flat as it could go against the Firebolt, pushing the Firebolt to go faster. "Come on, come on," she whispered, "Meridelle's life is in danger." The Firebolt seemed to know what she was saying, because it flew faster than Harry had ever taken it.
In a little while, Hermione felt sort of a crackling in her head and heard a very distant voice say, "Hermione, is that you? Why are you back?"
"Yes, it's me Legolas. I have no time to explain, but the only reason I came back is because Meridelle's life is in danger. Go to Gandalf, Legolas, go to Gandalf and tell him to use some sort of magic to bring Meridelle and Alanna back to the city. Goodbye." Hermione spoke quickly, then turned the Firebolt sharply, and added, "I love you." Then she was flying as fast as she could to the clearing in the woods.
Hermione arrived just in time to see bluish-white flames rise about Alanna and Meridelle, who was lying on a rough litter of pine boughs. She saw the fervent thanks in Alanna's eyes before the fire consumed them, and they were gone.
Now Harry, Hermione, and Ron were left, the three that had originally begun on this long journey together. Harry transformed, and Hermione sighed as she mounted the Firebolt behind Ron. They were on their way to help Frodo.
********************************* They flew first through lush green meadows and groves, but as they went on, the land grew increasingly more barren and ugly. Then, in the distance, towering mountains appeared.
Hermione put another invisibility spell on the three, making sure to miss nothing. Then, great black gates that led to a great black wall appeared. They were horrible to look at, and made the bravest man tremble with fear. On them unceasingly patrolled hordes of orcs, grinning evilly and brandishing many weapons.
Hermione patted Ron on the arm, "Maybe we had better stop and make plans on how to get in. Doesn't look like we will be welcomed with open arms." He nodded, and nudged Harry, who was flying very close to them, with his knee. He jerked his head to the side, meaning to pull over.
They found a small clump of trees, the only one for miles. Hermione and Ron dismounted while Harry transformed.
" They might notice the Firebolt coming in, it makes kind of a whooshing sound," Ron said.
Harry nodded his agreement and Hermione fingered the chain of the Time Turner, which lay around her neck.
After a while, Harry spoke, "Looks like we'll need a diversion, and I know exactly what to do."
Ron and Hermione looked keenly at him, "Yes?"
"Well," he began, "I will transform into a raven, and fly around in circles near the gate. It looks to me like the inhabitants of this land don't see animals very often, so they will be surprised and their attention will be on me. You two, with a very, very strong invisibility charm, will fly over the wall on the very right, by that little piece of rock that sticks out. Then, I will land on that piece of rock, stay there for a while, and, when they start going about as normal, Hermione will cast an invisibility charm on me, and I will meet you by that creek right there."
Ron and Hermione sat in thought for a while, contemplating this idea. At last, Ron nodded, and Hermione sighed, "It'll do."
She had just said a tearful goodbye to Legolas, but he had held her close to him, and she had felt less afraid.
Now Hermione watched as Harry turned into a raven, and Alanna and Meridelle mounted him. Then it was time to go.
Hermione turned and securely fastened her arms around Ron's waist. Then, they were up, and Hermione felt the soaring feeling within her that only came when she flew. She could see Harry beside them, his powerful wings cutting through the air.
Hermione turned, and saw the great white city of Minas Tirith, and all the people who had assembled to see them off getting smaller and smaller, tiny specks in the distance, then they were gone and the group was above the clouds.
Hermione remembered that Legolas had said someting about their connection through their minds stopping at some point,
Then, words.
"Hermione, I will always be with you," Legolas' voice resounded in her ears. Then, the connection snapped, like a cord cut in two. ********************** They were soaring above the clouds, when Harry signaled for them to dip down for a while, "To see where we are," he expained in his strange, croaky raven voice. So they turned the nose fo the Firebolt down. But before they did, Hermione cast an invisibility charm on everyone.
And she was glad she did. Sprawling on the hills below them was a large orc camp. They could see the ugly and brutal faces of the orcs, who were growing restless, waiting for their master's command.
Hermione was looking around, when she noticed a bit of Meridelle's bright red breeches flapping in midair. She had missed that spot in her invisibility charm! But as she pulled out her wand to fix it, something happened.
At the same time Hermione saw the bit of Meridelle's breeches, an orc archer did too. He grunted to his companions, and they grew suspicious. They started shooting arrows at it, and right as Hermione cast the spell, an arrow his its mark.
Luckily, it was a shallow wound, the arrow only grazing the skin. In any case, they maneuvered to the forest, and landed in a clearing.
"I'm so sorry..." Hermione started, but she never got any farther than that. As Meridelle stepped off of Harry's back and he transformed, she swayed a little, then dropped to the ground.
"Meridelle!" Alanna rushed over to her sister with a strangled cry and pulled out the arrow, "Poisoned." She slumped down, then out of habit sniffed the arrow.
"Wait, I know this type of poison, I have the materials to make the antidote with me!" Her eyes brightened with the idea. She dashed over to one of the packs and began searching through it.
"Oh no! I've left the powdered arnolia leaf in the city! We have to get her pack to the city, or else..." her voice trailed off and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Immediately, Harry was at her side, comforting her, and wiping off the tears that were now freely streaming down her face. Ron was by Meridelle, his face as pale as hers, stroking her hand. Hermione, was in shock: how could she have let this happen? She was in her last year at Hogwarts and still couldn't perform a simple invisibility charm?
Then, she found the answer. Hermione strode over to the Firebolt, pulled up her hood and said, in a strong, decisive tone, "I'm going back to where I can speak with Legolas. He will have Gandalf use some sort of magic to bring Meridelle and Alanna back to the city." With that, she cast an incredibly strong invisibility charm on herself, mounter the Firebolt, and kicked off hard from the ground.
In a minute she was above the clouds. Then she bent her body as flat as it could go against the Firebolt, pushing the Firebolt to go faster. "Come on, come on," she whispered, "Meridelle's life is in danger." The Firebolt seemed to know what she was saying, because it flew faster than Harry had ever taken it.
In a little while, Hermione felt sort of a crackling in her head and heard a very distant voice say, "Hermione, is that you? Why are you back?"
"Yes, it's me Legolas. I have no time to explain, but the only reason I came back is because Meridelle's life is in danger. Go to Gandalf, Legolas, go to Gandalf and tell him to use some sort of magic to bring Meridelle and Alanna back to the city. Goodbye." Hermione spoke quickly, then turned the Firebolt sharply, and added, "I love you." Then she was flying as fast as she could to the clearing in the woods.
Hermione arrived just in time to see bluish-white flames rise about Alanna and Meridelle, who was lying on a rough litter of pine boughs. She saw the fervent thanks in Alanna's eyes before the fire consumed them, and they were gone.
Now Harry, Hermione, and Ron were left, the three that had originally begun on this long journey together. Harry transformed, and Hermione sighed as she mounted the Firebolt behind Ron. They were on their way to help Frodo.
********************************* They flew first through lush green meadows and groves, but as they went on, the land grew increasingly more barren and ugly. Then, in the distance, towering mountains appeared.
Hermione put another invisibility spell on the three, making sure to miss nothing. Then, great black gates that led to a great black wall appeared. They were horrible to look at, and made the bravest man tremble with fear. On them unceasingly patrolled hordes of orcs, grinning evilly and brandishing many weapons.
Hermione patted Ron on the arm, "Maybe we had better stop and make plans on how to get in. Doesn't look like we will be welcomed with open arms." He nodded, and nudged Harry, who was flying very close to them, with his knee. He jerked his head to the side, meaning to pull over.
They found a small clump of trees, the only one for miles. Hermione and Ron dismounted while Harry transformed.
" They might notice the Firebolt coming in, it makes kind of a whooshing sound," Ron said.
Harry nodded his agreement and Hermione fingered the chain of the Time Turner, which lay around her neck.
After a while, Harry spoke, "Looks like we'll need a diversion, and I know exactly what to do."
Ron and Hermione looked keenly at him, "Yes?"
"Well," he began, "I will transform into a raven, and fly around in circles near the gate. It looks to me like the inhabitants of this land don't see animals very often, so they will be surprised and their attention will be on me. You two, with a very, very strong invisibility charm, will fly over the wall on the very right, by that little piece of rock that sticks out. Then, I will land on that piece of rock, stay there for a while, and, when they start going about as normal, Hermione will cast an invisibility charm on me, and I will meet you by that creek right there."
Ron and Hermione sat in thought for a while, contemplating this idea. At last, Ron nodded, and Hermione sighed, "It'll do."