Chapter 13
"Harry!"
He opened his eyes. Eowyn was bent over him, her own beautiful eyes widened in shock and concern as she looked at him.
"What has come over him?" he heard another voice say. He tried to raise his head, and saw that Legolas and Gimli had joined them. Aragorn was nowhere in sight.
"I - I..." Harry tried to get used to using his voice.
"Harry?" whispered Eowyn. "What happened?"
Suddenly, she looked up at the others.
"We must get him to the room. He needs to lie down, and..." her voice tailed off as Legolas and Gimli nodded.
Harry felt himself being hoisted aloft, and found he could keep consciousness no longer. His head rolled back, his eyes closed, and the darkness rushed in to claim him.

Harry opened his eyes as he heard quiet voices around him. His vision was blurred; he did not have his glasses on.
He blinked twice, before he heard someone say his name.
"Harry!"
It was Eowyn, instantly at his side.
"How are you feeling?"
Harry nodded, trying to smile, but felt his forehead throb and fell back on the bed he was lying on.
"Where...my glasses?" he asked, clumsily stringing the words together.
"Here," Eowyn reached over and Harry saw they lay with his wand on a little table next to his bed. "They came off when you fell," she said, handing them to him. "Your wand fell out of your robes, too."
Harry nodded. He put his glasses on and saw Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn a little way off, watching him. He felt a little uncomfortable lying there, and was glad of Eowyn's presence.
"I - I heard shouting," he mumbled, remembering. "Someone was hurt...or in trouble..."
"Rest, Harry," smiled Eowyn. "You heard only yourself."
Harry lay back, troubled. He had sounded so small, he remembered. So afraid...

He looked away from Eowyn to the table on which his wand lay. He remembered the magic that he had attempted, and how it had not worked. His sudden anger with Eowyn as she questioned him as to why not...the sudden, terrible pain in his scar...
"Do you want something to eat?" asked Eowyn.
Harry nodded, sitting up once more. Eowyn looked over to the others and beckoned them forward, which they did so, carrying trays of food and dragging stools. Harry could not help but noticed that Gimli had rather more food than anyone else.
"Here," said Harry, clambering out of bed. "I'm not ill; I feel fine. Don't crowd around the bed just for me...we've got a table."
"Harry-" Eowyn began, but Harry shook his head.
"I feel OK, Eowyn. Please, I don't need to stay in bed."
Eowyn fell silent and nodded. The group of five gathered around the small table, with Gimli elbowing for more space.

Harry helped himself to some of the food, taking a large portion of the bread and meat before him. The food was strangely old fashioned in his eyes, but tasted far better than anything the Dursleys had ever prepared. It was not the overdone style of Hogwarts feasts, either...it was simple, necessary food. Harry smiled as he ate, finding himself happier with every bite. He looked around the table at everyone with increasing fondness, and found that he no longer felt awkward, but happy...and somehow, more willing to talk with the others as a normal person.

It was Aragorn who at last broke the silence.
"Harry," he began, "Forgive me for questioning you, but I must ask you what happened."
"It - it's OK," Harry said, managing a smile. "Eowyn asked to see me do magic-"
"See you do magic?" Legolas asked curiously. "You can just perform a simple act immediately?"
"Pretty much," Harry nodded.
When Legolas still looked confused, Eowyn spoke up.
"From our discussions, I have gathered that their branch of magic is rather different to ours," she said. "They have certain, definite words to perform small, specific tasks."
"They do not have to concentrate on what they will? How can this be?"
"I would imagine it has been very much simplified," Eowyn replied. "So few are magical in their world. The non-magical do not even know of the magical, they remain separate and hidden."
"Do they not fully understand the importance of their magic, Eowyn?" Legolas asked.
"I do not honestly think so," said Eowyn.
Harry did not understand what they were talking about. Magic was specific and organized; it always had been.
"Anyway," he started again. "I decided to show her a spell to make things float. But...Eowyn took off her necklace, and I tried, but it didn't work."
"The spell failed?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes. And then-"
He half-glanced at Eowyn, remembering the way he had shouted at her. Guilt tumbled over him as he looked at her, beautiful, perfect...so trusting. He had done her wrong.

"Then?" Aragorn prompted.
Eowyn saw Harry's glance.
"Please, Harry, do not feel ashamed," she said with a smile. "You did me no wrong. Tell Aragorn what passed."
Harry could not tell the overwhelming sense of gratitude that rushed over him. He realised with shock that he could feel a lump in his throat at Eowyn's wonderful attitude. He swallowed.
"Eowyn asked me why...why the magic had not worked," he began, trying to keep his voice steady. "And I-"
Eowyn took his hand. It helped to clear things.
"I felt so angry," Harry said in a strangely hushed voice. "I don't know what came over me. I shouted at you," he said suddenly, looking at her. "I'm really sorry."
"Harry, I have already said...you did me no wrong."
She put her other hand on his shoulder.
"This moment you described," Aragorn said suddenly. "The anger that came over you. What did it feel like?"
"Overpowering," Harry replied honestly. "It was uncontrollable, horrible; I needed to shout, to release it."
Aragorn nodded slowly. He did not speak for a moment, resting his hands on the table. Eowyn squeezed Harry's hand as they waited for him to speak. Legolas looked intently from Harry to Aragorn, and Harry had the impression that Legolas understood with perfect clarity the situation. Gimli, however, continued to eat the food in front of him...he seemed particularly keen on the salted pork, which Harry detested. At last, Aragorn looked up, and straight into Harry's eyes. He spoke without hesitation.
"Tell me what you saw."

Harry looked down at his lap. He closed his eyes, recalling that terrifying scene that had blazed before him.
"There was..." he began, remembering. "A volcano. A - a huge one. It was active, bubbling..."
Harry saw, out of the corner of his eye, Aragorn exchange a glance with Legolas. He carried on, sure an explanation would come.
"There were...creatures," he continued. "Huge, dark, flying monsters...and an eye..."
He shuddered as he thought of it. He saw Aragorn and Legolas exchange another look.
"An eye?"

Harry looked down at his lap and nodded.
"Yes. An eye."
He shuddered as he remembered it.
"Can you...describe it?"
It was Legolas this time that spoke. Harry remained looking down, but saw out of the corner of his eye Legolas and Aragorn exchange the most fleeting of looks. It angered him.
"I don't think I should," he said suddenly. "I think you should start telling me what you know, as you both clearly do."
Aragorn took a steady breath in, and Eowyn tightened her grip on Harry's shoulder. He smiled at her, but noticed she looked concerned.
"What is it?" he asked her.
"What you saw..." she said uncertainly. "I could not know for certain, but..."
"What? What did I see?"

Eowyn opened her mouth to answer, but as she did so, Aragorn spoke.
"Harry. I - I do have my suspicions-"
"Suspicions?" said Harry, angrily cutting Aragorn off. "Tell me what they are."
Aragorn looked at Harry across the table, and Harry felt a mixture of shame and anger. Yes, he wanted to be told what was going on, but suddenly he understood he was being unreasonable.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled.
"Please, Harry, don't be," said Legolas, his deep, caring eyes staring into Harry's. Harry found that he couldn't help but like Legolas, and listened to what he said.
Aragorn spoke again.
"The eye that you saw, Harry..."
"It was aflame," he replied, remembering it with a shiver. "I was huge, orange, burning..."
He looked down once more, remembering the terror he had felt, how he had shouted, tried to get away...

Eowyn lowered her head, and Aragorn took a deep breath. Legolas' stare became more pronounced, and even Gimli stopped eating to look at Harry. Their expressions mirrored each other.
Harry was horrified.
"I saw...him?"
Aragorn would not look at him. He nodded.
"You saw him and his fortress, situated at Mount Doom."
"But...how? Why?"
Harry was trembling all over. He knew this meant something huge, and he dreaded to know what.
Aragorn spoke quietly.
"Gandalf the White warned me of this...the part of him that is Albus Dumbledore knew. In your world, you could look into Voldemort's mind through that scar on your forehead...the tables have been turned, Harry. Voldemort can look into your mind through the scar, and now that he and Sauron are one..."

Harry understood. They could both look into his mind.
He took a deep shuddering breath, shaking all over. Eowyn put her arm around him and he fell against her, trembling. The horror of it was too much to feel. He closed his eyes...he did not want to look at them, their sympathy, their worry. He wanted to lie there forever, against Eowyn, blocking them out, blocking out the entire world, all the worlds that could ever exist. The heat of it built up inside him more than he could bear...he was burning inside...
Suddenly, a finger ran across his forehead, tracing the scar, cooling the sudden, painful heat. He opened his eyes. Eowyn looked into his, as she placed the back of her hand over his forehead.
"There is a third eye there," she murmured softly to him. "And it will be used, Harry, in every way."
Harry did not understand, but her compassion held him together, as he forced himself to look at her.
And she smiled. It was the smile that broke Harry's heart, that last ray of hope in a world of dark. Harry felt his eyes fill with tears.
"We will get through this, Harry," Eowyn whispered. "You and I will get through this together. I swear it."
The tears ran freely as Eowyn held Harry against her, letting him weep all the fear and pain that had burnt inside him, letting it seep away with his tears. Eowyn placed a hand on the back of Harry's head as she held him, supporting him, and knowing him. Harry wept that day for all the people that he had ever known, for all those that had suffered at the hands of such evil, for those he had never met, those he would never know. They had seen each other's deepest grief and fear, and between Harry and Eowyn a deeper understanding was woven, a love, a friendship, a unity...that was born to last forever.