"Unh?" Hermione sat up with a groan and quickly lay back down because of
the sharp pain in her head. Someone dabbed her head with a cool cloth and
gave her a cup.
"Drink," they commanded.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Something good."
"It could be a death brew, but I really don't care right now," she said absentmindedly, then drank the liquid.
Then, slowly but surely, she dropped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
************The next day***************
Hermione awoke again to a gentle murmur of people talking all around her. She sat up on her pillows, blinking rapidly to adjust her eyes to the bright light.
"Hermione!" Her name stood out in the whispers she heard.
"Legolas! Where am I? I don't remember a thing since I warned you."
"An orc with a slingshot hit you in the head, so you blacked out. You woke up yesterday, but the healing process wasn't done, so we put you to sleep again," the elf answered.
"Oh. So what happened? Is everyone all right? Where's Arwen? Is she safe? Did..."
"Stop," Legolas admonished, "you'll just wear yourself out. After you blacked out, the orcs pursued us, but we had a large head start. But they weren't just orcs, they were a renegade band of Saruman's orcs. They caught up to us and were in firing distance when we were about 500 feet away from the wall. We sent the women and children ahead and our warriors and the party's warriors turned and formed ranks. We killed most of them without any harm to any of our warriors in the beginning. But when there were about five left, they became very fierce and started attacking us. One of our men was hit with a poisoned arrow- Argof."
"Argof," Hermione said," the herald who announced us at all the balls. I didn't know he was a warrior."
"Everyone here is a warrior," Legolas said gravely. "Otherwise we would not survive."
"So did he die or is he all right?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"In between. After we killed the last of them, we rushed Argof back to the city, where our healers removed the arrow and extracted most of the poison. But some of the poison got into the blood vessel that leads to the brain, so Argof fell into a coma. He has not woken since." Legolas pointed to the man lying a bed next to hers. He looked frail and hopeless.
"But today," Legolas continued, "Prince Harry, Isildur's heir comes to visit him. Maybe something will change."
Later in the day, Hermione felt herself being shaken awake gently and looked up into Legolas' eyes.
"Harry is here to try and help Argof. I thought you might like to see," he said softly, putting more pillows behind her head and back so she could sit up without much effort.
Suddenly, Harry walked in. He had changed since she last saw him, even though it was only a few days ago. He seemed taller, more dignified. He looked at her, nodding a greeting, and Hermione noticed a look of overwhelming sadness in his eyes. She looked again and saw not only the sadness, but a spark of determination and fierceness at a level she had never seen before. Hermione wondered what caused both of those feelings.
"I'll pry it out of him later," she thought.
Just then, Harry removed his cloak, and Hermione was confused all over again. Harry wore his customary dark blue breeches and white shirt, but over the shirt he wore a glimmering silver tunic emblazoned with a crest Hermione had never seen. In it, a crowned lion and green serpent fought with a blazing sword in between them. Over their heads shone a golden ring. The whole scene was circled with a strange and intricate border that Hermione had never encountered. Also, a thin gold circlet with emeralds and diamonds lay on top of Harry's unruly hair.
Harry wasted no time with greetings and explanations. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and strode over to Argof's bed. He placed his hands on Argof's temples and closed his own eyes. A few minutes passed in tense silence, everyone's eyes fixed unmovingly on Harry and Argof.
Suddenly, Hermione saw green vines of light that looked somewhat like holographs streamed down Harry's arms and through his fingers to Argof. Then, there was a flash, and a blinding green light erupted from Harry and Argof. Hermione threw her hands up to shield her eyes from the light, along with everyone else in the room. Almost everyone else. The moment she covered her eyes, Hermone felt Legolas' strong arms encircle her and pull her towards him. He shifted to block her from the light with his body.
Just as suddenly as it had started, the light stopped.
Everyone shifted uneasily, waiting for something else unusual to happen.
And it did.
Wisps of dark green light floated up from Argof's body. It all stopped at a certain point and joined together to form a ball. The ball writhed and squirmed for a few seconds as the people held their breath. Then it took a shape: a serpent.
There was a slight ring as Legolas drew his elven blade, quicker than lightning. Then Harry waved a hand, signaling him to put the blade away.
The serpent looked around, then focused on Harry. It moved in, hissing and spitting. It was half a foot away from Harry's face when he raised his hand.
"You have plagued the world for generations," Harry said in a deep and terrible voice, "and will continue to do so for generations to come... Unless you are stopped. I am from Isildur's line, and Elendil's before him. It is my fate, as Harry Potter, Isildur's heir, to destroy you." He bent his fingers, then opened them again, holding a lion made of the same light of the serpent. He unleashed the lion, and a terrible, ferocious battle followed.
Finally, the lion pounced on the serpent, and Harry sent a jet of green light at the serpent, which enveloped it. When the green light cleared, the serpent was gone.
A few seconds passed, and the people shared confused and awed looks. Then, another larger shape of wispy light appeared. It was clad in a full suit of strange armor, with a spiked helmet.
"Sauron." At the mention of the Dark Lord's name, most of the people fell to their knees, covering their heads with their hands. Legolas held Hermione tighter, unsure of what was to come next.
When the Dark Lord heard his name spoken by Harry in that terrible voice, he gazed directly at Harry.
"Yes, it is me," he replied in a more horrible voice, a voice that sounded like steel screeching against steel, like fingernails scraping against a chalkboard. Then, the Dark Lord lifted one armored hand and removed his helmet.
Hermione and Ron gasped: the face of Voldemort stared at Harry. Harry did not flinch, or reach for his wand. Instead he spoke, evenly and calmly, "Your time is over. You shall no longer plague innocent people."
Then rage filled his voice. "Begone, you spark of evil," he thundered.
Voldemort glared, then his glare turned into surprise as green light filled his body. He looked at Harry with mixed awe and question before the cracks started appearing where the light tried to get out. Then, with one last glare, Voldemort burst into a thousand pieces.
Hermione stared with disbelief from the spot where Voldemort had been to Harry. Then she noticed that Harry looked ill. She stumbled out of bed and over to him.
Just as Argof sat up, Harry fell into a dead faint. s
"Drink," they commanded.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Something good."
"It could be a death brew, but I really don't care right now," she said absentmindedly, then drank the liquid.
Then, slowly but surely, she dropped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
************The next day***************
Hermione awoke again to a gentle murmur of people talking all around her. She sat up on her pillows, blinking rapidly to adjust her eyes to the bright light.
"Hermione!" Her name stood out in the whispers she heard.
"Legolas! Where am I? I don't remember a thing since I warned you."
"An orc with a slingshot hit you in the head, so you blacked out. You woke up yesterday, but the healing process wasn't done, so we put you to sleep again," the elf answered.
"Oh. So what happened? Is everyone all right? Where's Arwen? Is she safe? Did..."
"Stop," Legolas admonished, "you'll just wear yourself out. After you blacked out, the orcs pursued us, but we had a large head start. But they weren't just orcs, they were a renegade band of Saruman's orcs. They caught up to us and were in firing distance when we were about 500 feet away from the wall. We sent the women and children ahead and our warriors and the party's warriors turned and formed ranks. We killed most of them without any harm to any of our warriors in the beginning. But when there were about five left, they became very fierce and started attacking us. One of our men was hit with a poisoned arrow- Argof."
"Argof," Hermione said," the herald who announced us at all the balls. I didn't know he was a warrior."
"Everyone here is a warrior," Legolas said gravely. "Otherwise we would not survive."
"So did he die or is he all right?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"In between. After we killed the last of them, we rushed Argof back to the city, where our healers removed the arrow and extracted most of the poison. But some of the poison got into the blood vessel that leads to the brain, so Argof fell into a coma. He has not woken since." Legolas pointed to the man lying a bed next to hers. He looked frail and hopeless.
"But today," Legolas continued, "Prince Harry, Isildur's heir comes to visit him. Maybe something will change."
Later in the day, Hermione felt herself being shaken awake gently and looked up into Legolas' eyes.
"Harry is here to try and help Argof. I thought you might like to see," he said softly, putting more pillows behind her head and back so she could sit up without much effort.
Suddenly, Harry walked in. He had changed since she last saw him, even though it was only a few days ago. He seemed taller, more dignified. He looked at her, nodding a greeting, and Hermione noticed a look of overwhelming sadness in his eyes. She looked again and saw not only the sadness, but a spark of determination and fierceness at a level she had never seen before. Hermione wondered what caused both of those feelings.
"I'll pry it out of him later," she thought.
Just then, Harry removed his cloak, and Hermione was confused all over again. Harry wore his customary dark blue breeches and white shirt, but over the shirt he wore a glimmering silver tunic emblazoned with a crest Hermione had never seen. In it, a crowned lion and green serpent fought with a blazing sword in between them. Over their heads shone a golden ring. The whole scene was circled with a strange and intricate border that Hermione had never encountered. Also, a thin gold circlet with emeralds and diamonds lay on top of Harry's unruly hair.
Harry wasted no time with greetings and explanations. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and strode over to Argof's bed. He placed his hands on Argof's temples and closed his own eyes. A few minutes passed in tense silence, everyone's eyes fixed unmovingly on Harry and Argof.
Suddenly, Hermione saw green vines of light that looked somewhat like holographs streamed down Harry's arms and through his fingers to Argof. Then, there was a flash, and a blinding green light erupted from Harry and Argof. Hermione threw her hands up to shield her eyes from the light, along with everyone else in the room. Almost everyone else. The moment she covered her eyes, Hermone felt Legolas' strong arms encircle her and pull her towards him. He shifted to block her from the light with his body.
Just as suddenly as it had started, the light stopped.
Everyone shifted uneasily, waiting for something else unusual to happen.
And it did.
Wisps of dark green light floated up from Argof's body. It all stopped at a certain point and joined together to form a ball. The ball writhed and squirmed for a few seconds as the people held their breath. Then it took a shape: a serpent.
There was a slight ring as Legolas drew his elven blade, quicker than lightning. Then Harry waved a hand, signaling him to put the blade away.
The serpent looked around, then focused on Harry. It moved in, hissing and spitting. It was half a foot away from Harry's face when he raised his hand.
"You have plagued the world for generations," Harry said in a deep and terrible voice, "and will continue to do so for generations to come... Unless you are stopped. I am from Isildur's line, and Elendil's before him. It is my fate, as Harry Potter, Isildur's heir, to destroy you." He bent his fingers, then opened them again, holding a lion made of the same light of the serpent. He unleashed the lion, and a terrible, ferocious battle followed.
Finally, the lion pounced on the serpent, and Harry sent a jet of green light at the serpent, which enveloped it. When the green light cleared, the serpent was gone.
A few seconds passed, and the people shared confused and awed looks. Then, another larger shape of wispy light appeared. It was clad in a full suit of strange armor, with a spiked helmet.
"Sauron." At the mention of the Dark Lord's name, most of the people fell to their knees, covering their heads with their hands. Legolas held Hermione tighter, unsure of what was to come next.
When the Dark Lord heard his name spoken by Harry in that terrible voice, he gazed directly at Harry.
"Yes, it is me," he replied in a more horrible voice, a voice that sounded like steel screeching against steel, like fingernails scraping against a chalkboard. Then, the Dark Lord lifted one armored hand and removed his helmet.
Hermione and Ron gasped: the face of Voldemort stared at Harry. Harry did not flinch, or reach for his wand. Instead he spoke, evenly and calmly, "Your time is over. You shall no longer plague innocent people."
Then rage filled his voice. "Begone, you spark of evil," he thundered.
Voldemort glared, then his glare turned into surprise as green light filled his body. He looked at Harry with mixed awe and question before the cracks started appearing where the light tried to get out. Then, with one last glare, Voldemort burst into a thousand pieces.
Hermione stared with disbelief from the spot where Voldemort had been to Harry. Then she noticed that Harry looked ill. She stumbled out of bed and over to him.
Just as Argof sat up, Harry fell into a dead faint. s