Chapter thirty two
Once they were out of the house Legolas felt he could almost jump for joy, he was if only for a short time, free. He looked around at the other people he could see infinite relieve on their faces too.
Hermione was leading them to somewhere she had said was called Hyde Park, Legolas had never been in a city before that was quite like this one there was such strange houses and metal machines beside the routes they walked along.
"Hermione," he asked "what are these metal creatures?"
"They are cars they are like a horse and cart"
Legolas was slightly surprised but did not question any more, he could here strange roarings coming from around them but none on this row of buildings.
A few minutes later they came to the end of the road where it merged into another far larger road, there were some of these metal monsters were rushing along the road, Legolas turned to Aragorn and raised an eyebrow, his friend shrugged, they supposed that this must be a common place thing in this world as other members of their party did not even look at them.
After a while of waking down this path they entered through some black gates into a large park, they walked around for a little while and then settled in a small grove of trees. Legolas quietly swung himself into the leafy branches; from here he was able to observe Harry and Sirius playing together. He could also see Boromir and Aragorn deep in conversation, Hermione was tapping at a peculiarly shinny piece of metal,
"Hermione, may I enquire as to what that is?"
"It's a phone, I'm trying to call my grandmother... a phone allows me to talk to someone I cant see"
Legolas was slightly puzzled but did not say any more. He allowed himself to relax into the rhythm of the swaying trees
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Harry was playing with Sirius, he would throw a ball for him and the dog would bring it back. This continued for a fairly long time eventually Hermione joined him, they were just starting to get slightly bored of the game when the ball landed on a main path which was fairly busy with business men walking to work, Sirius was not looking where he was going and so crashed into a pompous looking man in a three piece suit knocking him to the ground
"Mangy Mongrel, Who owns this...mutt..." He glared around at his eyes landed on Hermione and Harry, "you two is this your dog?"
Harry nodded numbly
"it needs to be put down it almost bit me" the haughty man said oozing with offended dignity
"Snuffles would never bite anyone, Sir" said Hermione in her best, try to please the teacher voice; evidently this method was not effective in this circumstance.
"I do not care I am taking you with a complaint to the park manager" the man stalked off
Hermione and Harry returned to the rest of the group, Sirius trailing behind them his tail no longer waving. Once they had come to a stop he whined softly, Harry leant down and scratched him behind the ears.
About ten minutes later the angry businessman returned with the park manager
"it was these people, their dog attacked me" he roared
"he did not, Snuffles wouldn't hurt a fly" shouted Hermione
"Look at it, the brute is vicious" declared the businessman stalking towards them"
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Legolas looked down from his tree and saw that Harry and Hermione were being threatened by a man who was wearing similar clothes to the Minister for Magic; they both looked scared Hermione was clinging on to Sirius for dear life, Legolas dropped from the tree and landed in front of the man
"can I help you at all?" he asked the man in a sickly sweet voice
"it that your dog? I demand that it is destroyed...argh...hippies"
"I am no hippie, the dog is not mine he is owned by the children and they are under my eye"
"these trees are not to be climbed" said the park manager in a strict voice
"I did not realise that"
"you are being cocky now...I want all of you out of my park this instant"
A voice came from behind another of the trees
"We are uncertain why my great niece is being asked to leave"
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Harry's jaw almost touched the ground as he saw no one other than the queen and prince Phillip!
The business man suddenly took a step back
"I am sorry your majesty"
"Now be a jolly good sport and toodlepip off to you meeting" said Prince Philip in a cheerful voice. The business man looked as though he wanted to protest but thought that it was probably better he did not, Harry remembered uncle Vernon once telling the family over dinner that the queen never travelled without at least three body guards.
"Your Majesties, may I help you at all" asked the upright park manager
"Yes" said Hermione, "they would be very grateful if the press did not hear about their visit today"
The park manger nodded and wandered off
Hermione turned around to face the Queen and prince Philip
"Aunt Liz? Uncle Philly? What are you doing in Hyde park with out your body guards?" she asked
"Hermione," said Legolas, "that's Boromir and Aragorn"
Hermione turned pale, and glanced at Harry who was gaping at her opened mouthed
"Flies Harry, Flies"
Harry shut his mouth promptly.
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Hermione looked back at Aragorn and Boromir,
"How did you do that?"
Aragorn replied slowly
"it was one of the pranks in Harry's father's book; the Hobbits were explaining it to us the other night"
Hermione groaned, she was never going to be able to live it down, it wasn't even as if she was really that closely related to the queen anyway, admittedly the old jelly bean did like her somewhat and sent her birthday presents and Christmas presents, but her parents were still dentists in London, even although she was frequently invited to Buckingham palace, there was a family banquet she had been invited to that was sometime soon...
"What's the date today?"
Harry stared at her even more but replied
"the twenty second of December"
"oh, Merlin, I have to go to a family banquet at the palace tonight, with all that about Ron's dad I had completely forgotten, we need to tell Dumbledore...she said I could bring my school friend if I wanted to...do you think?"
Before she could finish Boromir interrupted her
"could you please be so kind as to explain your selves...?"
Hermione turned around to see that Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir were all looking extremely confused.
"sorry, I had forgotten about you...I am related to the ruler of this country..."
At this they all dropped down on one knee
"Get up, I'm not very closely related, Aragorn is probably more likely to get the throne of a country than me" said Hermione flustered
"Then since I am heir to the throne of Gondor I think your chances of the throne are fairly high"
Hermione and Ron stared at Aragorn and then bowed wizard style
"I prithee thee do not bow to me"
Hermione stood up and then said
"then my chances are as likely as Legolas'"
"My father is king of Mirkwood, I am likely to take the throne when he travels to Valianor"
Hermione looked even more worried now, she and Harry were just about to bow to him when he bade them not to...Hermione was desperate at this point
"Then Boromir" she said
"I am the heir of the family of the stewards of Gondor we look after the land while the king is away, if Aragorn dies without heir then I will take the steward's throne in Gondor"
Hermione was now extremely worried
"all of you have royal blood?"
"Almost, my blood is only of steward's level" said Boromir
"then you will not all three of you mind coming to the palace with me, Harry and Ron" said Hermione hopefully, they nodded.
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That evening found Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Legolas, Boromir and Aragorn being driven to Buckingham Palace.
They were greeted by a footman who took them to the body guards to be checked for any weapons, Luckily the notice me not charms on the weapons had worked. Unfortunately for the middle earth people Hermione had insisted that they wear the smart clothes from their native lands, Aragorn had been so kind as to transfigure Legolas' clothes into the faintly shimmering knee length tunic and had then proceeded to make a crown for the poor prince of Mirkwood. Aragorn was wearing his favourite blood red tunic; Boromir wore the Black and Silver of his country.
Once they had been checked over by the body guard they were led by a butler that Hermione referred to as Jenkins through a maze of wide corridors and grand halls furnished with gilt. They finally stopped outside a door and Jenkins knocked on the door.
"Lady Hermione Granger and her friends"
They entered into a room that was decorated with silver and blue, it made a pleasant change from the gold and red that had dominated most of the Palace they had seen so far
"Hermione, sweetheart how are you?" said the elderly woman at the end of the table
"I'm fine Aunt Liz...these are my friends Harry, Ron, Ron's little sister Ginny, Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir"
The lady shook their hands Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas kissing it as they did so this caused her to look extremely flattered, Hermione then gave her a box shaped gift, the old lady smiled again and opened it, it was a box of chocolates
"Hermione, you do always buy me my favourite chocolates, I have never been able to find these anywhere, but you are always able to bring me a box of them when ever you visit" she kissed Hermione on each cheek
Harry then stepped forward, his gift was a small statuette of a fairy, it wasn't really his gift, Dumbledore had insisted that he take it, it was an alarm fairy, if Buckingham palace was attacked then Dumbledore would know about it, the queen was happy with it, now that she had touched it as soon as she felt threatened a group of order members would aparate to help her.
Ron and Ginny both had typically Weasly shaped packages, they were a Weasly jumper which was blue with a sliver thresteral on the front and a box of homemade fudge, again the queen smiled as she opened the fudge and took a small square
"My, this must be the best fudge I have ever tasted, where is it from? The jersey is most beautifully made...where did you buy them?"
Both of their ears went red, Ginny replied
"Our Mother made the both of them"
"your mother is very talented, I shall wear this tonight" she said as she put it on
Boromir approached her next, his gift was a small brooch in the shape of the white tree of Gondor and the country's banner, it was apparently fairly common for ambassadors to give gifts such as this, but the queen still smiled.
Aragorn then approached the queen, he gave her a small dagger, it was made more for beauty than as a weapon, the metal was so light as to be almost white and was set with diamonds.
"for your own protection milady, I would advise you to wear it close, it is customary where we come from for all royalty to carry a dagger such as this" the queen seemed slightly surprised but none the less flattered.
Finally there was Legolas, his gift was partly his own country's banner and an elven crown set with diamond and pearls, he had only just been thanked when there was another knock on the door and three men walked in two were obviously the other person's sons.
"Hello mother dear, how are you? And father?"
"we are both well Charles, and how are Willy and Harry?" asked the Queen
"We are well enough" said 'Willy' speaking for both himself and his brother who was looking around at the semi established crowd in the room, his eye caught on Ginny and stayed there, Ginny noticed his attention and blushed slightly
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By the end of the evening Ginny and Harry Windsor were talking as though they had known each other for all of their lives and for once Ron was not trying to threaten the man Ginny was trying to get with
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Legolas had been trapped by William who had assumed that they were the same age and talking with him, luckily Aragorn and Boromir had decided to stick by him, unfortunately for the middle earther's the prince appeared to be a very scientific person, this was something that they could not for the life of them understand.
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Harry, Ron and Hermione were talking with the queen who was telling them stories about her childhood during the second world war, Harry found himself wondering who his grandparents were and what they would be like if they were still alive
A servant of some sort knocked on the door and announced that dinner was to be served as they walked to the dinning room Harry could hear the Queen say
"Sorry we will have to use the red room, the national trust is insisting on redecorating the purple one" the queen sighed.
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After dinner they retired once more to the silver and blue room, to drink coffee, all of the 'younger' generation of people were talking together.
"So you all go to Hermione's school?" asked William in a friendly tone
"yes," said Harry, "Legolas, Boromir and Aragorn are exchange students, they are going home on Christmas day we think"
"at the midwinter festivals" said Aragorn, "our homeland does not have the same gods or festivals as your peoples"
"what do you worship?" asked Harry W. curiously
"I would not say that we exactly worship but we know of Divine people called the Valar, they accidentally made the world" said Boromir
William looked slightly startled but did not say anything rude
"so do you have computers and guns where you come from?" he asked
"I do not know what these things that you talk about are..." said Aragorn, "so we may safely guess that we do not"
"Hermione dear what school did you say you went to?"
"Pennyworth's school for the raising of fine ladies and gentlemen" replied Hermione immediately, Ron raised his eyebrows and almost burst out laughing, Harry was smiling slightly too.
"did we miss a joke" William asked as he looked around at them
"We normally call school Prewns, its funny to hear the full proper name" said Harry thinking quickly, Hermione gave him a quick look of thanks as they continued their desperate charades.
"so, what languages do you speak in you country?"
"most people speak the common tongue" said Boromir
"what does it sound like?"
like this said Legolas
or like this if you don't have the elven accent said Aragorn
"I have never heard anything like that before" said Harry, "but you said most people speak like that what else to they speak?"
"well," said Legolas slowly, "there are two forms of high speech as well, one is called Sindarin and the other is called Quenya"
"do they sound different?" asked Harry W. curiously
"slightly though most people can't really notice it"
! this is Sindarin, it is my first tongue !
? and this is Quenya, it is my second tongue ?
"so was that Quenya or Sindarin"
"it was both," said Aragorn
Harry W.'s eyebrows almost leapt off his forehead
They talked of various things until the subject of magic came around, Boromir insisted that Aragorn show the princes his illusions that he remember from when he was a young boy and Aragorn a captain of Gondor. Aragorn obliged firstly he made a cushion from his chair disappear and then pretended to pull it out of the floor he then built up to vanishing Legolas, none of it was real magic just play of hands or in Legolas' case, the ability to move extremely quickly. All of the adults watched the last trick and applauded it at the end.
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a VERY silly STUPIDLY LONG CHAPTER...I hope you like it, if you do then pls REVIEW