A/N: god I love this fic. I'm so obsessed with Legolas he's all I can think about. I wonder if I have a problem...
It was seven thirty in the morning when Lavender Brown rolled out of bed and lazily walked into the bathroom. She scratched her blonde head with one hand while grabbing her purple toothbrush with the other. She smeared some blue paste onto it, ran water over it and lazily began to brush her already white teeth. With her eyes half open she walked to the door of the bathroom to see if anyone else was up yet. Parvati was still sleeping, being a normal late sleeper, and Hermione seemed to be up and out of the dorm, ready to begin the day. Upon waking up more, Lavender discovered something rather odd. On Hermione's neatly made bed there lied a silver badge, her Head Girl badge to be more specific, and upon making this discovery, Lavender dropped the tooth brush to the floor. She knew Hermione better than the brunette thought she did, and so Lavender knew that Hermione would not leave this room without her Head Girl badge; even if she had been acting rather queer lately. Lavender looked around the room, through Hermione's things until she came to the conclusion that she was gone. The Head Girl was gone from Hogwarts.
"Parvati! Parvati wake up!" cried Lavender, shaking her friend worryingly.
"Sod off Lav, I'm trying to sleep," mumbled Parvati, as it seemed that she had had a rather long night with Robert her boyfriend.
"Hermione's gone! She's gone!" cried Lavender, rushing to the empty bed and grabbing the gleaming badge.
Parvati shot out of bed and ran to her friend, straightening her t-shirt as she walked. "What do you mean gone?" she asked, looking from her friend to the badge.
"I mean that Hermione Granger is not in Hogwarts. She's left her badge and taken some of her clothes. She's runaway," said Lavender, putting on a pair of slippers.
"What are you doing?" asked Parvati.
"I'm going to tell Harry and Ron. Go get Ginny, she'll want to know as well," said Lavender racing out of the room.
She ran through the deserted common room, manoeuvring around chairs and sofas with surprising grace for someone who was in such a hurry. She ran up the next flight of stairs and to the seventh year boy's dormitory where she through open the door to find that all the boys were still in the land of Nod. With the situation as severe as it was, Lavender didn't think there was time to let the boys sleep peacefully, so she straightened herself up, fixed her hair and broke the news in the loudest voice possible.
"Hermione Granger has runaway from Hogwarts!" she screamed, her voice reverberating off the walls.
Harry was the first to shoot up and rub his eyes, being the light sleeper that he was. The other boys followed suit. "What smatter?" he asked, his voice slurred from the abruptness of sleep and awake.
"Hermione's gone, Harry. She's left Hogwarts," said Lavender in a slightly shaky voice.
"What!" he cried, waking the boy's more toughly than Lavender's screaming had done.
"Harry, what's going on?" asked Ron, yawning and shaking his red head.
"Hermione's gone. She left her badge and took some of her clothes with her. There's no telling where she's gone." said Lavender, throwing the badge to Harry who caught it with ease.
"We're going to the headmaster. We have to find her," said Harry, getting up and throwing a robe over his plaid pyjama bottoms.
The other four boys followed them out of the dormitory and into the common room where they met up with Parvati and Ginny. The group ran the distance to Dumbledore's office, and were surprised to see the man standing outside the stone gargoyle, his hands clasped and his face set. The group stopped and looked at their professor with bewilderment, wondering how he knew that they were coming to see him.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, please come up to my office so we can discuss the sudden disappearance of Miss. Granger," said Dumbledore, mumbling the password and walking up the steps to his office.
The two boys followed without question, leaving the others behind, knowing perfectly well that they would wait out there until they returned. Dumbledore's office was just how Harry remembered it, the many paintings of former headmasters, the shelves of strange devices and Fawkes sitting on his perch primly. The two boys took their seats in the large armchairs in front of Dumbledore's desk and waited for him to sit. The headmaster smiled at the pair before sitting down and speaking to them. Before telling them what Hermione wanted.
"Miss. Granger asked me to tell you everything once you found out about her disappearance, and I intend to do just that," said Dumbledore, looking from one to the other. "Now the best place to start is at the beginning, and this is where I shall start. Miss. Granger is an elf-witch..."
*
Hermione came through the portal in perfect shape, her horse landing on the ground with a thump. Once the scenery behind her had gone back to its original state, Hermione looked around. Behind her was the Great River, and in front of her, far off in the distance, was Fangorn Forest. She could see the thick mass of trees from this distance, and began to ride forward. She rode swiftly, having been taught by her mother who was an excellent rider herself, and urged her horse Anya along with sweet elvish words.
It took around and hour or two for Hermione to reach the edge of the forest, and she trotted around the edge until she found her companions. She found them, man, dwarf and elf, but there was another person with them. He was clad in dark robes and she saw white underneath them. His hair was white, as was his beard, and he held a tall white staff in his hand. Three horses were with them, a chestnut, speckled and a pure white horse by the name of Shadowfax. This man with them was Gandalf the Grey, back from the depths of Moria.
*
Harry and Ron sat in their chairs, looking at their headmaster as if he had grown a third eye. It was impossible that Hermione was an elf; she would have told them if she was and she wouldn't have hidden it from the school. They were her best friends and she didn't trust them enough to tell them her secret. They had told her everything, but she had hidden something important from them, something that they had a right to know.
"Professor, it's impossible. She can't be, she can't," said Ron, looking at the wall behind the professor.
"She is and it is possible Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore, his face blank and expressionless.
"She would have told us. She should have told us," said Harry, his hands gripping the chair arms.
"She could not have told you anything Mr. Potter. She did want to tell you, she would have told you the first day you met if I had told her not to," He said. "Being an elf gives you extraordinary power, and she is still too young to fully wield this power. She also carries with her many secrets of Middle-Earth, ones that only those of that world may know. Sharing it with either one of you would not have been the best decision."
"Who are these people she is traveling with? Who are they?" asked Harry, not looking the headmaster in the eye.
"This book may help you, Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore, handing Harry thick leather bound book. Parchment stuck out the top, side and bottom, and each carried what the people on the pages meant to Hermione. "Now, this is all I am privileged to tell you, but to lighten your spirits, she will come back."
Harry and Ron got up, moving towards the door to leave. Ron mumbled something to Harry, he wanted to go to this 'Middle-Earth' and find Hermione. He wanted to bring her back.
"That would not be wise Mr. Weasley. In these times, Middle-Earth is only suitable for those who know the land. You would not last long there," said Dumbledore, not turning around from the bookcase that lied behind his desk.
Harry and Ron looked in wonderment at the men before them, asking themselves how he could have heard them. The two boys walked down the stairs and into the hallway, finding Lavender, Parvati, Ginny, Dean, Seamus and Neville waiting for them. Without a word they led the group back to Gryffindor tower, not wishing to speak just yet. Everyone dressed quickly once back in their rooms, not one of them talking to each other on anyone else for that matter. They didn't say anything about Hermione's disappearance, saying that she was in the library or outside for a stroll. It wasn't until they were all seated in the common room that the picture finally became clear.
"Dumbledore gave us this book, he said it would help," said Harry, turning the page where one of the pieces of parchments lay.
The first person in the book, which coincidently seemed to have a lot of pictures of the people, was a wizard by the name of Gandalf the Grey. He looked as if he could be related to Dumbledore somehow, a brother perhaps, yet it was highly unlikely. The parchment stuffed between the pages read 'friend and guide'.
The next was a dwarf of the name of Gimli son of Gloin. His red hair and long red beard made him look a lot less frightening, even with the axe in hand. The parchment read 'friend'.
The next person was a man named Aragorn son of Arathron. Parvati giggled at the picture, even if he seemed to be middle aged. What was written on the parchment this time surprised them greatly, as it read 'father'.
The last person who she was traveling with was a young elf by the name of Legolas Greenleaf. He had long blonde hair, parts of which were braided, and bright blue eyes. He was very handsome, and Parvati, Lavender and Ginny swooned at the picture. What was written on the parchment also surprised them, as they had never expected, 'lover'.
"It's amazing. She's never had a boyfriend since Krum and yet she manages to snag the cutest guy ever," said Lavender, a frown on her face.
"Well, now there's a reason why she's never had a boyfriend that we've known of. She's had one in a different world all along," said Dean, looking up from the book.
"This is strange," said Harry, more to himself than to anyone else.
"What is?" asked Ron, looking over his shoulder.
"On each one of the parchments it say's 'part of the Fellowship'. I wonder what that means," he said, pointing it out underneath the word 'lover'.
"I guess we'll have to read on then," said Seamus.
*
Hermione lead Anya over to her companions, dismounting as soon as she was near enough. She walked over to them and smiled, being extremely pleased at being with them once more. She was a little shocked at the re-appearance of Gandalf as he had fallen in Moria, but figured she would understand at a later time. Another thing that would have confused her was the absence of Boromir from Gondor. When she had last heard he had been fine, but according to the most resent and hastily written letter she had received, he had fallen in a battle against Orc's near the Great River.
"Mistress Hermione, it is good to see you again. We have greatly missed your company," said Gimli, smiling up at her and nodding his head.
"And I yours. It has been far to long," she said, looking upon the faces of her father Aragorn and her lover Legolas.
"It has lifted our spirits greatly to see you again, my daughter, as we had no luck in locating Merry and Pippin," said Aragorn, walking over and planting a kiss on her forehead.
"This journey may not seem as troubling with you now with us," added Legolas, hugging her tightly.
"Now, let us ride to the hall of Théoden, whose mind has been overthrown," said Gandalf, mounting Shadowfax along with Gimli.
Hermione, Legolas and Aragorn mounted their horses and they took off, following Shadowfax towards the river where the horse waded in, not once faltering. They rode on for the rest of the day, stopping only to rest at gathering night. Gandalf only allowed them a few hours rest, and Hermione found her self-falling asleep instantly, wrapped up in Legolas' arms.
They rode on for hours, Anya, Hasufel and Arod following Shadowfax wearingly, and they all had to struggle to stay on their horses. As the night wore on, Hermione thought that she would fall off Anya and be left behind, as she did not have much strength left in her. Legolas rode beside her, both managing to prop each other in such a way that they would not fall off from exhaustion. As they rode on, the moon faded into the west, and a bitter chill rose with the sun. Suddenly Shadowfax stopped and neighed and Gandalf pointed a long finger ahead
"Look!" he cried, making them lift their tired eyes and follow his hand.
They looked towards the mountains and to a glen with a long sliver stream issuing from the dale, and each saw the distant glimmer of gold.
"Speak Legolas!" said Gandalf. "Tell us what you see there before us!"
Legolas gazed ahead, his eyes adjusting and peering. "I see a white stream that comes down from the snows." He said. "Where it issues from the shadow of the vale a green hill rises upon the east. A dike and mighty wall and thorny fence encircle it. Within there rises the roofs of houses; and in the midst, set upon the green terrace, there stands aloft a great hall of Men. And it seems to my eyes that it is thatched with gold. The light of it shines far over the land. Golden, too, are the posts of its doors. There are men in bright mail stand; but all else within the courts are yet asleep."
Hermione followed his gaze, but being only a half-elf, saw only half of what he saw, but saw the hall none the less.
"Edoras these courts are called," said Gandalf, "And Meduseld is the golden hall. There dwells Théoden son of Thengel, King of the Mark of Rohan. Draw no weapon, speak no haughty word, I counsel you all, until we are come before Théoden's seat."
They rode for all of the morning, their cheeks and fingertips becoming rosy from the approaching feel of springtime. They rode over green hills and low banks trampled by the passage of horses. At the foot of the walled hill, the way ran up the shadow of many green mounds. Upon the western side, there were many white star-shaped flowers, as if the hills had been sprinkled with snow. Gandalf told them that these flowers were called simbelmyne, for they blossomed all seasons of the year and covered the graves of dead men. Aragorn chanted softly to himself in a tongue unknown to even Hermione.
They passed the silent mounds without a word, and soon came upon the wide-swept walls and the gates of Edoras. There sat many men in bright mail, which sprung to their feet upon their approach and barred the way with spears.
"Stay, strangers here unknown!" they cried in the tongue of the Riddermark, demanding the names and errands of the group.
"We are friends of Théoden, your king, and my errand is with him." said Gandalf, looking down at them men.
"Yes. I will go and announce your arrival," the man answered slowly. "But what names shall I report? And what shall I say of you?"
"I am Gandalf. I have returned. And I bring back a horse. Shadowfax, which no other hand can tame. And here beside me is Aragorn son of Arathorn, and the heir of Kings, and it is to Mundburg that he goes. Here also is his daughter Hermione, an Elf-witch, Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf, our comrades. Go now and inform your master that we are at his gates and wish to have speech with him, if he will permit us to come into his hall."
The man went swiftly, leaving the group in watchful keeping of his comrades. He soon returned, slightly flushed, and beckoned them to follow. "Follow me! Théoden gives you leave to enter; but any weapon that you bear, be it only a staff, you must leave at the threshold. The door wardens will keep them."
The dark gates were swung open and the group entered, following their guide in single file. They passed many houses with dark doorways and thatched roofs. The walked, having left their horses at the gate, up towards the great building where more guards lay, the sun blazoned on their green shields. The guide left them there, going back to his post. They climbed the steps under the dark eye of watchman, and did not speak until Gandalf stepped forward and greeted them in their own tongue. One of the guards stepped forward and spoke in Common Speech.
"I am the Door ward of Théoden," he said. "Hama is my name. Here I must bid you lay aside your weapons before you enter."
Each one of them began to hand over their weapons, asking that they be looked after accordingly. Hama seemed quite amazed at how many weapons a woman could hold, as Hermione handed over five including her quiver of arrows. When it came time for Gandalf to give up his staff, however, there was some trouble.
"Your staff," said Hama to Gandalf, "Forgive me but that too must be left at the doors."
"Would you part an old man from his walking stick?" asked Gandalf, leaning on the stick.
"The staff in the hand of a wizard is more than a prop for old age," said Hama, looking upon Gandalf. "Yet, I believe you and your friends and folk worthy of honour, who have no evil purpose, you may go in."
The guards lifted the heavy bars off the doors and the five travellers walked in, looking around the warm, darkened room. They saw a thrown, and upon it sat a man who was so bent in age that he looked almost dwarfish. His hair was long and white, as was his beard that lay on his lap. His face was tired, but his eyes burned bright, glinting as he gazed upon the quartet. A woman stood behind him clad in white, and a man sat at his feet, pale and sickly. There was a silence, and the man looked at them, not moving in his chair.
"Hail, Théoden son of Thengel! I have returned," said Gandalf.
The old man rose to his feet, gripping a black staff with a white, boney hand. "Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow? Tell me that," he said, sitting back down in his chair slowly.
"You speak justly, lord," said the pale man. "Why indeed should we welcome you, Master Stormcrow? Lathspell I name you, Ill-news; and ill-news is an ill-guest they say." He laughed grimly, looking on at the group.
"You are held wise, my friend Wormtongue, and are doubtless a great support to your master," answered Gandalf in a soft voice. "Yet in two ways may a man come with evil tidings: He may be a worker of evil; or he may be such as leaves well alone, and comes only to bring aid in time of need."
"Is that so," said Wormtongue; "but there is a third kind: pickers of bones, meddlers in other men's sorrows, carrion-fowl that grow fat on war. But who are these that follow at your tail? Four ragged wanderers in grey, and you yourself the most beggar-like of the five!"
"The courtesy of your hall has somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King," said Gandalf.
Gandalf began to chant softly, and tossed his tattered cloak aside. He stood up, no longer leaning on his staff and spoke in a clear, cold voice. "The wise speak only of what they know Grima son of Galmod. A witless worm you have become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not past through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man till the lightning falls."
Gandalf raised his staff, casting a bright light around the room making it so that there was only him. In the gloom he heard the voice of Wormtongue. "I told Hama to take the wizards staff!" There was a flash, and then all was silent. Wormtongue was sprawled on his face.
Gandalf lifted his staff and pointed it to a high window. There the darkness seemed to clear, and there was a bright, blue patch of sky. Slowly, Théoden left his chair and a faint light grew in the hall again. The woman in white hastened to the kings side and help him down the steps and the walk slowly down the hall. Wormtongue lay still on the ground. Gandalf knocked on the door once Théoden had reached it, the sound echoing throughout the hall.
"Open!" he cried. "The Lord of the Mark comes forth!"
The doors opened, letting in a cool air. A wind was blowing over the hills, cool and clean like water and filtered into the hall.
"Go, Eowyn sister-daughter!" said the old king. "The time for fear has past."
The woman turned and went slowly back into the house. She looked back with a grave and thoughtful glance, and she looked upon Théoden with cool pity. She loved her uncle greatly, for he was more of a father to her than anyone else had been. She did not feel right leaving him with these strangers.
"Breathe the free air again my friend." said Gandalf, smiling at Théoden as he looked upon his land.
"It is not so dark here," said Théoden, his voice still raspy and horse.
"No," said Gandalf. "Nor does age lie so heavy on your shoulders. Cast aside your prop!"
Théoden dropped the staff from his hand and stood straight and tall. His eyes were blue and clear, and he looked out into the opening sky.
"Dark have been my dreams of late," he said, "What is to be done?"
"Much, but now is a time for talk," said Gandalf, turning to lead Théoden back into the hall.
They walked in, Théoden sitting on his chair slowly as if weariness still struggled to master him. He closed his eyes, as if collecting his thoughts from what had just occurred, and re-opened them with a question in his mind. "My son; where is Theodrid?"
Eowyn, who had been standing not far off stepped forward and spoke to her uncle. "My lord, he is dead," she said gravely.
"No," whispered Théoden, putting a hand up to his face to hide the tears forming in his eyes. "Alas these evil days shall be mine. The young perish while the old linger."
"As painful as your loss has been my lord, we have many pressing matters to attend to," said Aragorn, stepping toward the king.
"Yes, yes. Many matters," said Théoden, his mind else wares. "Where is Wormtongue?"
"Gone. He has fled to his master Saruman," said Gandalf.
"Saruman," mumbled Théoden in disgust, as he had heard of the wizard's defection to the side of evil.
"We must talk, my lord, as the fate of your people lies in what we decide in this room," said Aragorn.
Théoden lifted his head from his hand and looked at the weary travellers before him. A wizard, man, dwarf, elf and some girl stood before him with looks of question on their faces. The name of the man he had heard of, yet the others were foreign to his ears. The girls especially, as he wondered what a girl could do in times like these, times when only the strongest would survive. He wondered what a girl such as the one before him could do to help him and his people.
A/N: well, this is the second chapter and they will just keep on coming. Trust me, I love writing these things.
It was seven thirty in the morning when Lavender Brown rolled out of bed and lazily walked into the bathroom. She scratched her blonde head with one hand while grabbing her purple toothbrush with the other. She smeared some blue paste onto it, ran water over it and lazily began to brush her already white teeth. With her eyes half open she walked to the door of the bathroom to see if anyone else was up yet. Parvati was still sleeping, being a normal late sleeper, and Hermione seemed to be up and out of the dorm, ready to begin the day. Upon waking up more, Lavender discovered something rather odd. On Hermione's neatly made bed there lied a silver badge, her Head Girl badge to be more specific, and upon making this discovery, Lavender dropped the tooth brush to the floor. She knew Hermione better than the brunette thought she did, and so Lavender knew that Hermione would not leave this room without her Head Girl badge; even if she had been acting rather queer lately. Lavender looked around the room, through Hermione's things until she came to the conclusion that she was gone. The Head Girl was gone from Hogwarts.
"Parvati! Parvati wake up!" cried Lavender, shaking her friend worryingly.
"Sod off Lav, I'm trying to sleep," mumbled Parvati, as it seemed that she had had a rather long night with Robert her boyfriend.
"Hermione's gone! She's gone!" cried Lavender, rushing to the empty bed and grabbing the gleaming badge.
Parvati shot out of bed and ran to her friend, straightening her t-shirt as she walked. "What do you mean gone?" she asked, looking from her friend to the badge.
"I mean that Hermione Granger is not in Hogwarts. She's left her badge and taken some of her clothes. She's runaway," said Lavender, putting on a pair of slippers.
"What are you doing?" asked Parvati.
"I'm going to tell Harry and Ron. Go get Ginny, she'll want to know as well," said Lavender racing out of the room.
She ran through the deserted common room, manoeuvring around chairs and sofas with surprising grace for someone who was in such a hurry. She ran up the next flight of stairs and to the seventh year boy's dormitory where she through open the door to find that all the boys were still in the land of Nod. With the situation as severe as it was, Lavender didn't think there was time to let the boys sleep peacefully, so she straightened herself up, fixed her hair and broke the news in the loudest voice possible.
"Hermione Granger has runaway from Hogwarts!" she screamed, her voice reverberating off the walls.
Harry was the first to shoot up and rub his eyes, being the light sleeper that he was. The other boys followed suit. "What smatter?" he asked, his voice slurred from the abruptness of sleep and awake.
"Hermione's gone, Harry. She's left Hogwarts," said Lavender in a slightly shaky voice.
"What!" he cried, waking the boy's more toughly than Lavender's screaming had done.
"Harry, what's going on?" asked Ron, yawning and shaking his red head.
"Hermione's gone. She left her badge and took some of her clothes with her. There's no telling where she's gone." said Lavender, throwing the badge to Harry who caught it with ease.
"We're going to the headmaster. We have to find her," said Harry, getting up and throwing a robe over his plaid pyjama bottoms.
The other four boys followed them out of the dormitory and into the common room where they met up with Parvati and Ginny. The group ran the distance to Dumbledore's office, and were surprised to see the man standing outside the stone gargoyle, his hands clasped and his face set. The group stopped and looked at their professor with bewilderment, wondering how he knew that they were coming to see him.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, please come up to my office so we can discuss the sudden disappearance of Miss. Granger," said Dumbledore, mumbling the password and walking up the steps to his office.
The two boys followed without question, leaving the others behind, knowing perfectly well that they would wait out there until they returned. Dumbledore's office was just how Harry remembered it, the many paintings of former headmasters, the shelves of strange devices and Fawkes sitting on his perch primly. The two boys took their seats in the large armchairs in front of Dumbledore's desk and waited for him to sit. The headmaster smiled at the pair before sitting down and speaking to them. Before telling them what Hermione wanted.
"Miss. Granger asked me to tell you everything once you found out about her disappearance, and I intend to do just that," said Dumbledore, looking from one to the other. "Now the best place to start is at the beginning, and this is where I shall start. Miss. Granger is an elf-witch..."
*
Hermione came through the portal in perfect shape, her horse landing on the ground with a thump. Once the scenery behind her had gone back to its original state, Hermione looked around. Behind her was the Great River, and in front of her, far off in the distance, was Fangorn Forest. She could see the thick mass of trees from this distance, and began to ride forward. She rode swiftly, having been taught by her mother who was an excellent rider herself, and urged her horse Anya along with sweet elvish words.
It took around and hour or two for Hermione to reach the edge of the forest, and she trotted around the edge until she found her companions. She found them, man, dwarf and elf, but there was another person with them. He was clad in dark robes and she saw white underneath them. His hair was white, as was his beard, and he held a tall white staff in his hand. Three horses were with them, a chestnut, speckled and a pure white horse by the name of Shadowfax. This man with them was Gandalf the Grey, back from the depths of Moria.
*
Harry and Ron sat in their chairs, looking at their headmaster as if he had grown a third eye. It was impossible that Hermione was an elf; she would have told them if she was and she wouldn't have hidden it from the school. They were her best friends and she didn't trust them enough to tell them her secret. They had told her everything, but she had hidden something important from them, something that they had a right to know.
"Professor, it's impossible. She can't be, she can't," said Ron, looking at the wall behind the professor.
"She is and it is possible Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore, his face blank and expressionless.
"She would have told us. She should have told us," said Harry, his hands gripping the chair arms.
"She could not have told you anything Mr. Potter. She did want to tell you, she would have told you the first day you met if I had told her not to," He said. "Being an elf gives you extraordinary power, and she is still too young to fully wield this power. She also carries with her many secrets of Middle-Earth, ones that only those of that world may know. Sharing it with either one of you would not have been the best decision."
"Who are these people she is traveling with? Who are they?" asked Harry, not looking the headmaster in the eye.
"This book may help you, Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore, handing Harry thick leather bound book. Parchment stuck out the top, side and bottom, and each carried what the people on the pages meant to Hermione. "Now, this is all I am privileged to tell you, but to lighten your spirits, she will come back."
Harry and Ron got up, moving towards the door to leave. Ron mumbled something to Harry, he wanted to go to this 'Middle-Earth' and find Hermione. He wanted to bring her back.
"That would not be wise Mr. Weasley. In these times, Middle-Earth is only suitable for those who know the land. You would not last long there," said Dumbledore, not turning around from the bookcase that lied behind his desk.
Harry and Ron looked in wonderment at the men before them, asking themselves how he could have heard them. The two boys walked down the stairs and into the hallway, finding Lavender, Parvati, Ginny, Dean, Seamus and Neville waiting for them. Without a word they led the group back to Gryffindor tower, not wishing to speak just yet. Everyone dressed quickly once back in their rooms, not one of them talking to each other on anyone else for that matter. They didn't say anything about Hermione's disappearance, saying that she was in the library or outside for a stroll. It wasn't until they were all seated in the common room that the picture finally became clear.
"Dumbledore gave us this book, he said it would help," said Harry, turning the page where one of the pieces of parchments lay.
The first person in the book, which coincidently seemed to have a lot of pictures of the people, was a wizard by the name of Gandalf the Grey. He looked as if he could be related to Dumbledore somehow, a brother perhaps, yet it was highly unlikely. The parchment stuffed between the pages read 'friend and guide'.
The next was a dwarf of the name of Gimli son of Gloin. His red hair and long red beard made him look a lot less frightening, even with the axe in hand. The parchment read 'friend'.
The next person was a man named Aragorn son of Arathron. Parvati giggled at the picture, even if he seemed to be middle aged. What was written on the parchment this time surprised them greatly, as it read 'father'.
The last person who she was traveling with was a young elf by the name of Legolas Greenleaf. He had long blonde hair, parts of which were braided, and bright blue eyes. He was very handsome, and Parvati, Lavender and Ginny swooned at the picture. What was written on the parchment also surprised them, as they had never expected, 'lover'.
"It's amazing. She's never had a boyfriend since Krum and yet she manages to snag the cutest guy ever," said Lavender, a frown on her face.
"Well, now there's a reason why she's never had a boyfriend that we've known of. She's had one in a different world all along," said Dean, looking up from the book.
"This is strange," said Harry, more to himself than to anyone else.
"What is?" asked Ron, looking over his shoulder.
"On each one of the parchments it say's 'part of the Fellowship'. I wonder what that means," he said, pointing it out underneath the word 'lover'.
"I guess we'll have to read on then," said Seamus.
*
Hermione lead Anya over to her companions, dismounting as soon as she was near enough. She walked over to them and smiled, being extremely pleased at being with them once more. She was a little shocked at the re-appearance of Gandalf as he had fallen in Moria, but figured she would understand at a later time. Another thing that would have confused her was the absence of Boromir from Gondor. When she had last heard he had been fine, but according to the most resent and hastily written letter she had received, he had fallen in a battle against Orc's near the Great River.
"Mistress Hermione, it is good to see you again. We have greatly missed your company," said Gimli, smiling up at her and nodding his head.
"And I yours. It has been far to long," she said, looking upon the faces of her father Aragorn and her lover Legolas.
"It has lifted our spirits greatly to see you again, my daughter, as we had no luck in locating Merry and Pippin," said Aragorn, walking over and planting a kiss on her forehead.
"This journey may not seem as troubling with you now with us," added Legolas, hugging her tightly.
"Now, let us ride to the hall of Théoden, whose mind has been overthrown," said Gandalf, mounting Shadowfax along with Gimli.
Hermione, Legolas and Aragorn mounted their horses and they took off, following Shadowfax towards the river where the horse waded in, not once faltering. They rode on for the rest of the day, stopping only to rest at gathering night. Gandalf only allowed them a few hours rest, and Hermione found her self-falling asleep instantly, wrapped up in Legolas' arms.
They rode on for hours, Anya, Hasufel and Arod following Shadowfax wearingly, and they all had to struggle to stay on their horses. As the night wore on, Hermione thought that she would fall off Anya and be left behind, as she did not have much strength left in her. Legolas rode beside her, both managing to prop each other in such a way that they would not fall off from exhaustion. As they rode on, the moon faded into the west, and a bitter chill rose with the sun. Suddenly Shadowfax stopped and neighed and Gandalf pointed a long finger ahead
"Look!" he cried, making them lift their tired eyes and follow his hand.
They looked towards the mountains and to a glen with a long sliver stream issuing from the dale, and each saw the distant glimmer of gold.
"Speak Legolas!" said Gandalf. "Tell us what you see there before us!"
Legolas gazed ahead, his eyes adjusting and peering. "I see a white stream that comes down from the snows." He said. "Where it issues from the shadow of the vale a green hill rises upon the east. A dike and mighty wall and thorny fence encircle it. Within there rises the roofs of houses; and in the midst, set upon the green terrace, there stands aloft a great hall of Men. And it seems to my eyes that it is thatched with gold. The light of it shines far over the land. Golden, too, are the posts of its doors. There are men in bright mail stand; but all else within the courts are yet asleep."
Hermione followed his gaze, but being only a half-elf, saw only half of what he saw, but saw the hall none the less.
"Edoras these courts are called," said Gandalf, "And Meduseld is the golden hall. There dwells Théoden son of Thengel, King of the Mark of Rohan. Draw no weapon, speak no haughty word, I counsel you all, until we are come before Théoden's seat."
They rode for all of the morning, their cheeks and fingertips becoming rosy from the approaching feel of springtime. They rode over green hills and low banks trampled by the passage of horses. At the foot of the walled hill, the way ran up the shadow of many green mounds. Upon the western side, there were many white star-shaped flowers, as if the hills had been sprinkled with snow. Gandalf told them that these flowers were called simbelmyne, for they blossomed all seasons of the year and covered the graves of dead men. Aragorn chanted softly to himself in a tongue unknown to even Hermione.
They passed the silent mounds without a word, and soon came upon the wide-swept walls and the gates of Edoras. There sat many men in bright mail, which sprung to their feet upon their approach and barred the way with spears.
"Stay, strangers here unknown!" they cried in the tongue of the Riddermark, demanding the names and errands of the group.
"We are friends of Théoden, your king, and my errand is with him." said Gandalf, looking down at them men.
"Yes. I will go and announce your arrival," the man answered slowly. "But what names shall I report? And what shall I say of you?"
"I am Gandalf. I have returned. And I bring back a horse. Shadowfax, which no other hand can tame. And here beside me is Aragorn son of Arathorn, and the heir of Kings, and it is to Mundburg that he goes. Here also is his daughter Hermione, an Elf-witch, Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf, our comrades. Go now and inform your master that we are at his gates and wish to have speech with him, if he will permit us to come into his hall."
The man went swiftly, leaving the group in watchful keeping of his comrades. He soon returned, slightly flushed, and beckoned them to follow. "Follow me! Théoden gives you leave to enter; but any weapon that you bear, be it only a staff, you must leave at the threshold. The door wardens will keep them."
The dark gates were swung open and the group entered, following their guide in single file. They passed many houses with dark doorways and thatched roofs. The walked, having left their horses at the gate, up towards the great building where more guards lay, the sun blazoned on their green shields. The guide left them there, going back to his post. They climbed the steps under the dark eye of watchman, and did not speak until Gandalf stepped forward and greeted them in their own tongue. One of the guards stepped forward and spoke in Common Speech.
"I am the Door ward of Théoden," he said. "Hama is my name. Here I must bid you lay aside your weapons before you enter."
Each one of them began to hand over their weapons, asking that they be looked after accordingly. Hama seemed quite amazed at how many weapons a woman could hold, as Hermione handed over five including her quiver of arrows. When it came time for Gandalf to give up his staff, however, there was some trouble.
"Your staff," said Hama to Gandalf, "Forgive me but that too must be left at the doors."
"Would you part an old man from his walking stick?" asked Gandalf, leaning on the stick.
"The staff in the hand of a wizard is more than a prop for old age," said Hama, looking upon Gandalf. "Yet, I believe you and your friends and folk worthy of honour, who have no evil purpose, you may go in."
The guards lifted the heavy bars off the doors and the five travellers walked in, looking around the warm, darkened room. They saw a thrown, and upon it sat a man who was so bent in age that he looked almost dwarfish. His hair was long and white, as was his beard that lay on his lap. His face was tired, but his eyes burned bright, glinting as he gazed upon the quartet. A woman stood behind him clad in white, and a man sat at his feet, pale and sickly. There was a silence, and the man looked at them, not moving in his chair.
"Hail, Théoden son of Thengel! I have returned," said Gandalf.
The old man rose to his feet, gripping a black staff with a white, boney hand. "Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow? Tell me that," he said, sitting back down in his chair slowly.
"You speak justly, lord," said the pale man. "Why indeed should we welcome you, Master Stormcrow? Lathspell I name you, Ill-news; and ill-news is an ill-guest they say." He laughed grimly, looking on at the group.
"You are held wise, my friend Wormtongue, and are doubtless a great support to your master," answered Gandalf in a soft voice. "Yet in two ways may a man come with evil tidings: He may be a worker of evil; or he may be such as leaves well alone, and comes only to bring aid in time of need."
"Is that so," said Wormtongue; "but there is a third kind: pickers of bones, meddlers in other men's sorrows, carrion-fowl that grow fat on war. But who are these that follow at your tail? Four ragged wanderers in grey, and you yourself the most beggar-like of the five!"
"The courtesy of your hall has somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King," said Gandalf.
Gandalf began to chant softly, and tossed his tattered cloak aside. He stood up, no longer leaning on his staff and spoke in a clear, cold voice. "The wise speak only of what they know Grima son of Galmod. A witless worm you have become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not past through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man till the lightning falls."
Gandalf raised his staff, casting a bright light around the room making it so that there was only him. In the gloom he heard the voice of Wormtongue. "I told Hama to take the wizards staff!" There was a flash, and then all was silent. Wormtongue was sprawled on his face.
Gandalf lifted his staff and pointed it to a high window. There the darkness seemed to clear, and there was a bright, blue patch of sky. Slowly, Théoden left his chair and a faint light grew in the hall again. The woman in white hastened to the kings side and help him down the steps and the walk slowly down the hall. Wormtongue lay still on the ground. Gandalf knocked on the door once Théoden had reached it, the sound echoing throughout the hall.
"Open!" he cried. "The Lord of the Mark comes forth!"
The doors opened, letting in a cool air. A wind was blowing over the hills, cool and clean like water and filtered into the hall.
"Go, Eowyn sister-daughter!" said the old king. "The time for fear has past."
The woman turned and went slowly back into the house. She looked back with a grave and thoughtful glance, and she looked upon Théoden with cool pity. She loved her uncle greatly, for he was more of a father to her than anyone else had been. She did not feel right leaving him with these strangers.
"Breathe the free air again my friend." said Gandalf, smiling at Théoden as he looked upon his land.
"It is not so dark here," said Théoden, his voice still raspy and horse.
"No," said Gandalf. "Nor does age lie so heavy on your shoulders. Cast aside your prop!"
Théoden dropped the staff from his hand and stood straight and tall. His eyes were blue and clear, and he looked out into the opening sky.
"Dark have been my dreams of late," he said, "What is to be done?"
"Much, but now is a time for talk," said Gandalf, turning to lead Théoden back into the hall.
They walked in, Théoden sitting on his chair slowly as if weariness still struggled to master him. He closed his eyes, as if collecting his thoughts from what had just occurred, and re-opened them with a question in his mind. "My son; where is Theodrid?"
Eowyn, who had been standing not far off stepped forward and spoke to her uncle. "My lord, he is dead," she said gravely.
"No," whispered Théoden, putting a hand up to his face to hide the tears forming in his eyes. "Alas these evil days shall be mine. The young perish while the old linger."
"As painful as your loss has been my lord, we have many pressing matters to attend to," said Aragorn, stepping toward the king.
"Yes, yes. Many matters," said Théoden, his mind else wares. "Where is Wormtongue?"
"Gone. He has fled to his master Saruman," said Gandalf.
"Saruman," mumbled Théoden in disgust, as he had heard of the wizard's defection to the side of evil.
"We must talk, my lord, as the fate of your people lies in what we decide in this room," said Aragorn.
Théoden lifted his head from his hand and looked at the weary travellers before him. A wizard, man, dwarf, elf and some girl stood before him with looks of question on their faces. The name of the man he had heard of, yet the others were foreign to his ears. The girls especially, as he wondered what a girl could do in times like these, times when only the strongest would survive. He wondered what a girl such as the one before him could do to help him and his people.
A/N: well, this is the second chapter and they will just keep on coming. Trust me, I love writing these things.