To the very kind person who flamed me your flame made some really good toasted marshmallows

To everyone else who reviewed me thank you very much

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Chapter 2

Pippin and Merry were talking together

"so what do you think a school is?"

"I've no idea Pip but I hope that it is a place with lots of good food…"

"me too I'm starving…"

"they where did that castle appear from?"

"out of the fog where else…"

Harry was trying to engage Gandalf in further conversation…

"so…where are you from?"

"we have just come from middle earth…"

 "so how did you get here?"

"some one had left a world key for us…" he held up the blackened kettle, "the head of my order who has turned evil was trying to kill us so as the key was there I thought we should take it…"

"what are those people?"

"they are hobbits…"

"oh…" harry would have questioned Gandalf further but they had reached the entrance hall, the hobbits were looking around amazed, harry led them over to the staircase

"the head master of much a great palace must be a most powerful and wealthy man"

"for once, dwarf I think you speak the truth"

"this place is even bigger than the halls of my father in the white city"

"I wonder if the food is any good…"

"do you hobbits ever think of anything apart from your stomachs," asked Boromir

"not very often," said Pippin

harry was relieved to reach the griffin that marked the entrance to the headmasters study.

"ok here goes….chocolate frogs…cockroach cluster…fizzing wizzbes…liquorice caldrons…nosebleed nougat…" the gargoyle moved aside to reveal the rotating staircase, "dumbledore is definitely crazy" said ron with admiration

when they reached the top of the staircase they knocked on the door and entered

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk writing a letter, he looked up when harry entered

"what can I do for you mr potter"

"nothing much…except these nine people turned up in Hagrids backyard and asked for protection and hospitality…as we didn't know if they were friends or foes hermione put a charm on their weapons so that they couldn't be drawn…they say they come from middle earth.  The old man he seems to be the only one who speaks English"

"my name is Gandalf Greyhelm, I do not know what is known of the ancient race these , days, I haven't been here for so long…"

"I am albus Dumbledore I am the headmaster of this school…"

"may I enquire as to the meaning of the title headmaster and the word school"

"a school is a place where people are taught…a headmaster is the person who makes sure that the school runs smoothly. As for the ancient race they have all but passed into myth, none of your race has been seen for at least 3000 years"

"they are probably hiding…I will return to this world after my part of the fellowship is over and find them…"

"what is this fellowship you speak of…"

"we are on a quest to destroy something evil I can not talk of it at length in this tongue, but my friends are weary and need food and rest"

"they do not speak English?"

"no only the common tongue and elvish"

"I can lend them some lanague-rings, they enable the speaker to be understood…they will only translate when the person wishes to be understood."

"very useful"

Dumbledore went over to a cabinet behind his desk and after much shuffling around he returned to his desk with eight rings all identical silver bands.

Gandalf turned to his fellow fellowship members,

"this good man albus Dumbledore is the head master he has some rings…"

"more rings…this one is bad enough"

"don't worry Frodo these rings will help you to understand English"

"oh…"

Dumbledore came up to them with the silver rings, each member of the fellowship took them…

"I hope you can now understand me…good…now we can have introductions…"

the hobbits were the first to take the hint

"my name is Frodo baggins,"

"I'm merriadoc brandybuck, merry for short and this is perrigin took…"

"pippin for short"

"I'm samwise gamgees"

aragon spoke next speaking for the rest of the fellowship

"I'm aragon son of arathon, this is Boromir son of the steward of gondor, this is glimli son of gloin and Legolas of the woodland realm…"

"now long will you need to stay here?"

"we cannot stay here long…our quest is urgent…but I fear from your surprise at our arrival that world keys have not been in use for a long time…I was never very skilled at making them…it will take me at least three months…"

"what do you think you and your fellowship will wish to do for the next three months…the castle is at your disposal…"

"the power of the dark lord was rising, but it has been set back …"Legolas stated, his voice was far off and his eyes unfocused, "the lords life force is bound to the ring and he cannot feel its presence, he is weakened…"

"what the elf eyes do see…it would seem that the longer we stay here the better prepared middle earth is for the last war which shall cover all the lands of middle earth in darkness"

Dumbledore, harry, ron and for once Hermione were all looking very confused

"sorry to interrupt you little discussion but what the hell was he," here ron pointed to Legolas, "talking about, and what did Gandalf mean when he was talking about what the elf eyes do see?"

"Legolas is an elf…"

"no he's not…"

"I most certainly am"

"elves are those little creatures that…"

"elves are not little…"

"yes they are they are short and ugly…they go around kissing peoples feet and they are a complete disgrace…"

it seemed that ron had gone one step too far because Legolas pulled out his bow and had nocked an arrow to the bow before you could have said "prince of mirkwood"

"hey Hermione, I thought you had spelled their weapons so they couldn't be drawn…"

"my weapons are spelled against magic…I am an elf boy so I would be very grateful if you wouldn't shame me by naming me as the same as your elves." So saying he put his bow away.

"now please calm down my young man…"

"yes…"

"now little elf don't get upset its not the wee pups fault is it?"

"not I suppose it is not,"

ron looked around the room, Legolas and gimli were talking in there native tongues again, they seemed to be joking together

"what do you reckon they are talking about" said ron, pointing at Legolas and gimli

"well Legolas did seem a little offended when dumbledore called him young man…I wonder why I mean he can only be about 20."

"my friend, I am much older than twenty"

"too right he is…"

"so how old is he?"

gimli looked up at Legolas "you're about 3500 years old give or take a little, right?

ron felt his jaw drop this guy could not be 3500

"no way"

"elves are immortal"

"oh!"

"now old is Gandalf then?"

"the mirthandir is about 7800 years old"

"at least he looks it"

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