***Just as Argof sat up, Harry fell into a dead faint.***
Hermione pushed away all the people except the healers who rushed over to him.
"Explanations must wait. Let the healers care for him."
Meanwhile, Argof sat up, utterly confused, not knowing what the commotion was about.
Ron hurried over to him, "I expect you are feeling very dazed and confused right now. Don't worry, everyone else feels exactly the same. We'll all have the answers in a while."
As the people filtered out slowly, the healers tended to Harry. Hermione and Ron watched anxiously. After a few minutes, a healer turned to Hermione, "He's fine, no injury. He's just exhausted."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Harry opened one bleary eye, "Need... to... explain." Alanna pushed a silver cup to his lips and poured the sleeping potion down his throat.
"Not now." A day and a half passed. Harry slept, occasionally waking for food, Ron, Hermione, and Alanna never leaving his side. He sat up in bed one afternoon and said, "I wish to be released from the House of Healing. I think I am fully recovered."
A healer checked him over and pronounced him fully cured and free to go.
"Thank you again," Harry said as he donned his cloak, which also bore the strange crest and border Hermione had noticed on his tunic. "I need to speak to Aragorn."
"Well, I think we're just in time to join him for lunch. Come on, let's go," Hermione said, then hurried off toward the seventh gate. The boys followed behind as she led them to the room with Elendil's ancient cabinet, the room where Harry had his first vision.
Aragorn looked up as they entered the room, "Harry! Good to see you're back on your feet."
They ate in silence, each thinking their own separate thoughts. Finally, when everyone was full, Harry spoke.
"Aragorn, I need to address the people, all of them. I need to explain to them what happened when I healed Argof. Can that be arranged as soon as possible?"
"Yes." Aragorn answered gravely. "I will arrange for a Royal Address tonight in the Great Hall at eight o' clock."
"Good." Harry beamed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to go take a small nap. I am cured, but I still feel a bit drowsy." He bowed and left the room.
Hermione looked at her watch, "Oh! I am supposed to meet Legolas for archery practice in five minutes. Bye!" She rushed from the room, hurriedly pulling on her cloak. Ron and Aragorn shook their heads, then left as well.
****Eight o' clock that night****
As Harry stepped onto the dais in the Great Hall, the restless crowd became silent and still.
"People of Minas Tirith, I owe you an explanation. Here it is," Harry said in a loud, booming voice.
"Two days ago, I had a vision in which much was revealed to me, and I in turn will reveal it to you. Elendil, who fought in the first war against Sauron, was the Father of Good. His line, his descendants fought evil in every generation. Elendil's line stretched all the way to my time, thousands of years ahead, and I am his latest descendant. The crest that I wear (the insignia on his shirt) is the mark of that line. Sauron, the Dark Lord of your time, was the Father of Evil, and he fought Elendil's heirs in every generation. But his line also stretched to my time, and his latest descendant plagued the people of my time too. His latest descendant was Voldemort.
But what does this have to do with me healing Argof? Everything. When I used the magic of my line to bring the poison out of Argof that Sauron's henchmen planted in him, it took the form of a serpent, the symbol of Sauron, and of Voldemort. I created a lion, the symbol of my line. Good battled evil, and the serpent was destroyed. Then, Sauron took form in front of your very eyes. But when he took of his helmet, it wasn't really Sauron, it was Voldemort. That shape was Sauron and Voldemort. It was Evil itself. I, descendant of the Father of Good, once again used the power of my line and of my ancestors to defeat Evil forever. I defeated Sauron, Voldemort, and all other Evil that would have come in future generations forever."
With that, he stepped off the dais and made his way out of the Great Hall, hundreds of wide eyes following him. Hermione and Ron followed him to the guest house, where he took of his golden circlet, and fell into a chair.
Hermione and Ron sat on a couch as Aragorn came in and took another chair.
Harry leaned forward wearily, "There's more."
Hermione pushed away all the people except the healers who rushed over to him.
"Explanations must wait. Let the healers care for him."
Meanwhile, Argof sat up, utterly confused, not knowing what the commotion was about.
Ron hurried over to him, "I expect you are feeling very dazed and confused right now. Don't worry, everyone else feels exactly the same. We'll all have the answers in a while."
As the people filtered out slowly, the healers tended to Harry. Hermione and Ron watched anxiously. After a few minutes, a healer turned to Hermione, "He's fine, no injury. He's just exhausted."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Harry opened one bleary eye, "Need... to... explain." Alanna pushed a silver cup to his lips and poured the sleeping potion down his throat.
"Not now." A day and a half passed. Harry slept, occasionally waking for food, Ron, Hermione, and Alanna never leaving his side. He sat up in bed one afternoon and said, "I wish to be released from the House of Healing. I think I am fully recovered."
A healer checked him over and pronounced him fully cured and free to go.
"Thank you again," Harry said as he donned his cloak, which also bore the strange crest and border Hermione had noticed on his tunic. "I need to speak to Aragorn."
"Well, I think we're just in time to join him for lunch. Come on, let's go," Hermione said, then hurried off toward the seventh gate. The boys followed behind as she led them to the room with Elendil's ancient cabinet, the room where Harry had his first vision.
Aragorn looked up as they entered the room, "Harry! Good to see you're back on your feet."
They ate in silence, each thinking their own separate thoughts. Finally, when everyone was full, Harry spoke.
"Aragorn, I need to address the people, all of them. I need to explain to them what happened when I healed Argof. Can that be arranged as soon as possible?"
"Yes." Aragorn answered gravely. "I will arrange for a Royal Address tonight in the Great Hall at eight o' clock."
"Good." Harry beamed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to go take a small nap. I am cured, but I still feel a bit drowsy." He bowed and left the room.
Hermione looked at her watch, "Oh! I am supposed to meet Legolas for archery practice in five minutes. Bye!" She rushed from the room, hurriedly pulling on her cloak. Ron and Aragorn shook their heads, then left as well.
****Eight o' clock that night****
As Harry stepped onto the dais in the Great Hall, the restless crowd became silent and still.
"People of Minas Tirith, I owe you an explanation. Here it is," Harry said in a loud, booming voice.
"Two days ago, I had a vision in which much was revealed to me, and I in turn will reveal it to you. Elendil, who fought in the first war against Sauron, was the Father of Good. His line, his descendants fought evil in every generation. Elendil's line stretched all the way to my time, thousands of years ahead, and I am his latest descendant. The crest that I wear (the insignia on his shirt) is the mark of that line. Sauron, the Dark Lord of your time, was the Father of Evil, and he fought Elendil's heirs in every generation. But his line also stretched to my time, and his latest descendant plagued the people of my time too. His latest descendant was Voldemort.
But what does this have to do with me healing Argof? Everything. When I used the magic of my line to bring the poison out of Argof that Sauron's henchmen planted in him, it took the form of a serpent, the symbol of Sauron, and of Voldemort. I created a lion, the symbol of my line. Good battled evil, and the serpent was destroyed. Then, Sauron took form in front of your very eyes. But when he took of his helmet, it wasn't really Sauron, it was Voldemort. That shape was Sauron and Voldemort. It was Evil itself. I, descendant of the Father of Good, once again used the power of my line and of my ancestors to defeat Evil forever. I defeated Sauron, Voldemort, and all other Evil that would have come in future generations forever."
With that, he stepped off the dais and made his way out of the Great Hall, hundreds of wide eyes following him. Hermione and Ron followed him to the guest house, where he took of his golden circlet, and fell into a chair.
Hermione and Ron sat on a couch as Aragorn came in and took another chair.
Harry leaned forward wearily, "There's more."