Harry Potter and the Price of Power
Written by Becca
Disclaimer: All HP Characters and places belong to JK Rowling. All LOTR Characters and Places belong to JRR Tolkien. I own nothing you recognise.
Summary: -HP/LOTR Crossover- Rated for later chapters Harry's life in the Wizarding world comes to an end yet he is given a second chance to find happiness in another world. Pairings: Harry/Erestor, maybe some Harry/Erestor/Haldir
Chapter Two
After another half a day of travelling, Harry and Aldóra came over a last low rise, where the trail bent around to hug the cliff, there the path plunged down a series of switchbacks to the river, straddling it via a graceful stone bridge. Here the valley opened out, but its walls were even higher. Harry paused as soon as they came to the bridge and looked on ahead when he heard the sound of two horses.
After a minute, two elves came into view and Harry just stared at them as they drew nearer. They were both what Harry would call identical twins with long dark hair, grey eyes and they were tall and lean on their horses. Harry narrowed his eyes as they stopped in front of him and before they could speak, he did. "If you dare call me Rover or burst into one of those stupid songs, I'll have to hurt you" he said and was surprised when the two exchanged glances and smirked
"Nay, 'tis not the time. I am Elladan; son of Lord Elrond and this is my dear brother Elrohir. You have come to Rivendell, the last homely house, the house of Elrond. Our father wishes to speak with you if you will follow us" the one closest to him said and Harry studied them both carefully
"I assume that it is safe here? No more of those black creatures?" he asked and when he received a short nod, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and he smiled, bowing his head in respect "Then I am Harry Potter and I would like nothing more than to speak with the Lord" he turned and placed his bags back on Aldóra's saddle before climbing up onto her back again, stroking her face softly "Soon, you can rest girl" he whispered and then nodded to the other two.
He walked a little behind the two twins and just looked around, across the bridge was a wide flat lawn, parts of it paved, to form a sort of courtyard. Around it, many tall buildings rose level upon level like the cliffs themselves, glimmering with shapely white columns, tiled roofs and spires, joined together by open balconies and winding pathways so that it was hard to tell where outdoors ended and indoors began.
A light breeze was blowing, carrying with it the sound of the waterfall cascading down the cliff face in glittering white ribbons; closer at hand were the rustling of leaves and the ringing sounds of Elven voices coming from the grounds and open windows. Yet there was a sort of hush over the hidden valley, a feeling of peace, ancient secrets, memories, and mountain solitude.
They dismounted their horses outside what was obviously Elrond's home and the twins instructed Harry to leave Aldóra there and to follow them. As Harry walked with one of the brothers at either side he couldn't help but look around at the beauty. Groves of ancient trees hugged the halls of Lord Elrond, exquisite statues and fountains and forest paths were scattered among them, and small nooks, stone benches, grottoes and gardens gave one something new to see at every turn.
With each step he took, Harry could feel his strength return and his heart lift and then finally they came to a stop outside a huge hall. The twins pushed the doors open and motioned for Harry to enter, which he did and then he looked around carefully. He made a quick note of all exits in the room before he studied the people. A man with long dark hair was sat in a high back chair and Harry knew instantly that he was Lord Elrond, to the right of him sat another elf, though Harry could sense something about this one, age, wisdom and more...
His face, smooth and changeless as polished stone, are the eyes set deep in it. Clear blue, bright enough to appear iridescent, their depth is both soothing and puzzling. And as dark as his face is pale, locks of shining obsidian fall about his shoulders. To him, Harry instantly bowed his head before looking on. Besides him sat the twins and then next to them was a beautiful woman with dark hair, it didn't take much to work out she was the daughter of Elrond. On the left hand side of the lord sat yet another male elf with golden hair, next to him was what even Harry couldn't mistake as anything but a wizard
"It is said that you are protected by the Valar" Lord Elrond called and Harry's musings were cut short. He did know one thing, power and calm radiated from all in this room and he could not sense even a single evil thought. He couldn't help but smirk at the words though and he pointedly looked down at himself
"If that is so, I'm afraid they're not doing much better than myself" he said and then shrugged. To tell the truth he was both nervous and pissed at having to stand before yet another room full of people and answer their questions. It was getting a bit old but, as he had nothing better to do...
"Who are you and why are you here?" the old wizard asked and Harry groaned
"I'm Harry Potter and that's a long story," he said, hoping that would sway them
"We have time" the Lord Elrond spoke up a second time and Harry studied them all before narrowing his eyes slightly. These people, they intrigued him, but none so as much as the man sitting besides the lord.
"You will never believe the truth so would you rather have the long fabricated, exciting lie or the short, slightly more plausible one?" he asked innocently and arched an eyebrow at some of the amused looks he was receiving, mostly from the twins and Mr. mystery over there
"Why don't you just try us with the truth hmm? You would be amazed by what we are willing to believe," said a man Harry hadn't seen before, he was sat at the end of the table, almost in the shadows and was watching Harry with a blank expression though his eyes betrayed his amusement, he stood when Harry looked his way and bowed his head "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I must say I am rather intrigued" he said and Harry studied him carefully before looking around. He sighed and nodded, shifting his weight onto the other foot.
"Very well. I will tell you what you need to know and nothing more. Not only because it would be my life story but also because all that has passed now and I'm here for peace...apparently," he said looking down at himself again. "I am not of this world. Where I am from, there was a war raging on, Dark Vs light as always. The Dark Lord Voldemort was my enemy and I was the one who irritated him most, for you see, no one lived when he decided they were to die, no one but me" he grinned slightly at that and shifted foot again
"After years, it ended up in a final battle between us. For him to die, I was to give up my life. Therefore, we both were killed but I awoke in front of the Valar. Basically, I was given a choice; return to my world, but as a ghost. Continue on to the heavens to meet my parents or live as I am now, with the curse, and go to another world" he sighed dramatically
"Hence my being here with the gifts from the Valar, wounds from some black creatures who apparently, didn't want to talk and a headache from some of the stupidest songs I have ever heard from your kin across the bridge" he finished and shrugged
"What curse?" the wizard, Gandalf asked instantly and Harry blinked
"My love was killed trying to save me when I was kidnapped at sixteen, I had been duelling with the Dark Lord then but as I saw my Severus fall, I faltered and was then overpowered. Voldemort was a big fan of torture so he tormented me for hours until he was bored and then he had a vampire turn me. Hence, I am the first elf to have the curse of a vampire" he said and arched an eyebrow at their blank looks
"What is a vampire?" the mystery man asked and Harry stared at him for a minute before groaning
"A vampire is a human who has been cursed with immortality. I say cursed, because their heart no longer beats, their blood no longer flows and in all sense of the word, they are the living dead. To survive they have to feed on the blood of animals and other humans, never having to actually harm them but still, you can imagine very few people like having their blood sucked from their neck" he said amused and then held up his hands as some of them moved back
"As I was an elf first, the curse reacted...differently. Yes, I need blood to survive but that has been taken care of by the Valar apparently. I do not die unless I have a stake through the heart, I cannot die of lack of blood or anything, which is rather lucky considering I've been stood here with holes all over me" he added with an arched eyebrow and then shrugged again
"The curse mixed with my Elven blood, making me some sort of mutant experiment gone wrong, I have the strength and speed of both kinds, my heart does not beat, my blood does not flow but that does not mean I do not feel. I have never harmed anyone that has not tried to harm me and the only thing I have ever killed is Voldemort and...well - those black creature thingy's that actually bit me. There is no name for what I am though because I am the first, and hopefully the last that has had to undergo such a mutation" he said quietly
"Why this world? Why Rivendell? What is it you seek?" Aragorn asked and Harry shrugged
"All I was told by those up there, was to be happy and have some fun, they forgave me for killing Voldemort as it had to be done, no matter what I said and sent me here to forget about war and despair. I woke up miles away from here with some swords, a bag full of bread that also quenches my thirst for blood; therefore I have no need to feed, and my horse. I was not told where I was going but just that I was to be sent to live with those of my kin...before I was turned. I came here to try and find a safe place so that I could heal myself and then move on to wherever the hell it is I'm suppost to be going"
"As you were an elf, one would assume we are your kin therefore how do you know that Rivendell is not the place you were meant to be?" the lady spoke up for the first time and Harry smiled gently
"I don't. I know nothing of this world, nor do I know how to live like an elf. Forgive me, I mean no offence but I was brought up in a human household and then went to a Wizarding school...I guess it's what you call mixed cultures. The Valar says be happy and then send me just a days journey away from a party of black things...what are they anyway?" he asked eventually and received a smile from the Lord Elrond
"They are what we call orcs. They were servants of the last dark lord before he fell. Many still live here and there and they eat the skin off our bones but they do not trouble Rivendell. Come now, young lord potter. It is time you were healed," he said standing up but Harry just waved his hand
"I have my own magic my lord. I can heal myself..."
"You are weary from days of travel, I know not of your magic but I will not allow you to exhaust yourself even further. Allow me to heal you" Elrond said again, inclining his head and Harry sighed but nodded, stepping aside with a bow of his head for the man to move past him. He followed the elf down through the corridors of the house and noticed Mr. Mystery close behind him but didn't say anything.
Finally they came to a beautiful set of rooms and Harry couldn't help but look around in awe, the walls were of a cream and a light gold whilst the furniture was green and blue, there was a bathroom, a bedroom and a sort of living room filled with books and maps. Elrond and Erestor moved in behind him and shut the door, smiling at him. When he had finished looking around, he turned back to the two, barely concealing his nervousness.
"Why don't you go into the bedroom and remove your clothing young lord" Elrond suggested lightly and Harry sighed, he obviously hadn't hid his hesitation perhaps as much as he had wanted too. He nodded and walked through to the room and he couldn't help but roll his eyes as he peeled off his shirt. Protected by the Valar. Hmph. That reminded him actually, he pulled his trousers off, leaving his boxers on and just stood in the middle of the room waiting for them.
When the lord came in carrying a washbasin and what looked like cream, Harry didn't have the heart to tell him that his way, he could be healed completely in minutes. He lay down when directed and stared up at the ceiling as two sets of hands worked on cleaning up his wounds. "You said before, that it is said I am protected by the Valar" he spoke up suddenly and Elrond nodded for him to continue, "Where is it said exactly? I mean, surely you could only have known of my arrival when I approached your lands"
"My lord, you were seen by many of our kin on your journeys, news of your travels has passed though all the Elven lands. 'Tis said the Valar protected you because you are still walking after being so wounded" Elrond replied and Harry could practically hear the smirk in the mans voice as he groaned
"These wounds, on your shoulders. They are not from an Orc blade..." mystery man spoke up for the first time and Harry cringed and then blushed violently
"You imagine it. The last thing you remember is the sounds of battle, of fighting your worst enemy and then the next thing it is all quiet and you can hear nothing but the sounds of others breathing. I woke and I attacked. Of course, that meant I attacked the Valar and they kindly returned my blades to me, through my shoulders" he said, rolling his eyes and he heard a muffled snigger
"You attacked the Valar?" Elrond asked, mortified and Harry cringed again
"It was their own bloody fault and besides, I think they were rather amused by the whole thing. Anyway, one could hardly call that an attack, so I threw a couple of knives at them, I was the one who was hurt in the end anyway. Its not like it even came close to harming one of them" he muttered under his breath and flinched as Elrond picked up what looked like tweezers and gently poked them into one of the wounds.
"Sleep lord Harry and you shall feel much better when you awake. These will be your rooms for however long you wish to stay here"
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Erestor watched the boy carefully. It had been two days now since he arrived and they were expecting him to wake soon. There was no need for him to even be here but he had to admit, this being intrigued him greatly. He knew much about the young lord and yet knew nothing at all, Harry was an even bigger mystery than Lord Aragorn, and mysteries interest him.
He had watched the boy carefully when he had been telling his little bit of story and had seen that some memories of his past were not all fun and laugher. Hence his being sent to another world in search of happiness, when the boy had said his love had been killed though, Erestor couldn't help but pay that much more attention, his lover had been male and it was obvious the boy loved him unconditionally but he was still so very young.
From just the brief meeting, Erestor had seen immediately that Harry was not like the average elf, those emerald eyes are filled with too many sorrows and the mind is too wise for the years. When really, he was still classed as a child in the eyes of an elf. Never before had he wanted to know everything about a person as he did now. He wanted to know how he retrieved all those other scars...wanted to know everything.
There was much the boy was keeping from them but in all truths, there was no need for them to know. The information he wanted was of a past life, which Harry obviously wanted to forget much about. It couldn't be easy, dying and leaving everyone you love behind and yet Harry was smiling as though it was the last thing on his mind, there was definitely more to this boy than met the eye.
"I know I'm hideous and all but do you have to stare and make it so obvious" a voice startled him from his thoughts and Erestor blinked before his eyes fell on the boys face. He noticed he had been staring at the scars on the chest and there was a little amused smile tugging at the boy's lips and yet the eyes led one to believe the words he spoke were meant
"Forgive me, I was lost in my thoughts" he said and watched as the boy sat up stiffly and scratched the back of his neck. Harry turned to look at the elf and studied him closely for a minute, noticing that he himself was still being watched and he arched an eyebrow
"I'm sorry but who are you? I believe we did not make it to introductions the night I arrived" he asked eventually, he had a throbbing headache, he was embarrassed considering he had awoke to an intense gaze and he was sick and tired of thinking of this man as Mr. Mystery
"I am Erestor, chief councillor to lord Elrond" he replied, his face nothing but an emotionless mask as he watched the half naked boy stand and stretch
"Well, nice to meet you Erestor, chief councillor. May I ask what I am to do?" Harry asked, blatantly ignoring to the other elf's eyes on him as he walked around the bed to where he had taken his clothes off
"Do?" Erestor asked, arching an eyebrow and Harry looked at him for a minute, studying him again
"Yes, do. As in chores, to earn my keep so to speak... You know like cooking, cleaning, washing, work. That sort of thing" he said slowly and then he abandoned his torn clothes and turned to inspect the elf closer. He walked around him and then looked straight into his eyes, gripping the mans chin to tilt his head up and to the side
"You are a guest here lord Harry. You do not work, just sit and relax and stay as long as it please you" Erestor said, trying to keep his composure as the young being tilted his head to the side again and poked at his chest
"Yes I see it" Harry said with a smile on his face, once again looking deep into those cool blue eyes "I see the wisdom, I see the age, I see the beauty. I must say, not bad for the years you have lived," he said and then grinned at the indignant look he received "Come now my Lord, I like to admire beautiful things and you are just that. But you interest me too; you stand apart from others of your kin" he whispered, his lips barely inches from the elf's before he pulled back altogether and laid his torn clothes on the bed.
He waved his hand carefully, watching as they repaired and cleaned, good as new but before he could put them on again, the councillor cleared his throat and pointed to the wardrobe "Perhaps you will find something more suitable in there Lord Harry, if you are ready, I could escort you to dinner?" Erestor asked and Harry grimaced slightly at the thought of dinner but he couldn't exactly refuse to go and so he nodded shortly.
He pulled out a dark green robe as well as some brown riding trousers and a baggy white shirt before turning and looking pointedly at his visitor. When Erestor made it clear he was not going to move unless actually asked, Harry shook his head and cleaned himself with a wave of his hand and then he pulled on the clothes. He tucked the shirt into the trousers and put on his weapons belt, checking all were still there before putting the green robe on but leaving it open.
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Harry followed Erestor back through the corridors and into the Great Hall in which he had been questioned. There were more seats now at the large table and many more people than Harry had met but he allowed the chief councillor to lead him to his seat, in between Elladan and Aragorn. He smiled and nodded his greetings to those who spoke to him but other than that, avoided conversation and just watched.
"What does the young Lord think of Rivendell so far?" Aragorn asked from besides him and Harry blinked and then looked over at him before arching an eyebrow
"Do you have to keep calling me that? I was given the name Harry for a reason...or one would assume" he said smirking and Aragorn inclined his head, still waiting for his answer "I am unsure, I awoke only half an hour ago but from what I have seen so far, everything is so different from my world. It'll take some getting used too" he replied with a shrug. After the meal, Elrond lead the group through to another room and Harry sat in the shadows and listened as the elves sang.
Thankfully it was nothing like those up in the trees and this time the words actually seemed to mean something though what, he wouldn't know. Their words were on a language he had never heard before but it was so beautiful that it didn't matter, the sounds of their voices just washed over him and Harry found himself listening more closely whilst looking around. His eyes met with Erestor's and he lifted an eyebrow when he saw the man was once again watching him and he climbed to his feet.
He looked around and then listened to the music again before grinning, he approached the chief councillor with a 'butter-wouldn't-melt' expression and held out his hand "Come, dance with me. I wish to discuss something with you" he said, still smiling. Erestor scowled at him and turned his head to the side, neither accepting nor declining and so Harry made the decision for him. He tugged the man to his feet and swung him around before pulling him back in, meeting with their hands joined in the middle.
"See, that wasn't hard now was it?" Harry teased and then the singing picked up again and Harry started moving. Erestor followed him for a minute, still scowling before he actually started to dance, ignoring the stares the pair of them was receiving from the others. He kept his face impassive as he looked into those sparkling green eyes but before he could even gather even a fraction of his thoughts again, Harry dipped him and spun around when he pulled him back up, their bodies were pressed close together and Harry smirked
"Teach me" he said eventually and rolled his eyes at the blank stare he received "Teach me all about this world, the languages, everything and in return, I will tell you all you wish to know of me"
"What makes you think I would want to know of you?" Erestor asked, his voice as sharp as steel but not insultingly so. Harry arched an eyebrow and laughed as the song ended and he bowed to the elf in front of him
"I see it in your eyes when you look at me. My dear lord, this is my offer, you will teach me all of this world and at the end of each session, I will truthfully answer one of your questions" he said and then smirked "Besides, like I said, I love to admire pretty things and this way, I get to study you all the more. You obviously know where I am staying so when you decide I shall see you there" he took the councillors hand in his own and kissed the knuckles before retreating.