A/N Since no one every review my stories I just have to say thank you to the one person that does. LATMC you are sooo nice for taking your time and reviewing. Can't wait to read more from you. P.S I don't own HP or LOTR. They belong to their respective writers. That is all.

Chapter 3

Strider

A Knife in the Dark

The rain was now coming down in a thick sheet over the village of Bree. The streets were flowing with little streams of water and mud. The whole place had a rather depressing feeling that mirrored the hobbits own mood as they arrived at the front gate.

The group was wet and cold as Ron knocked on the large wooden door. They all tried to huddle together to get warm but it didn't seem to work. All of them couldn't wait to be inside a nice warm inn and Ron wouldn't wait to get some answers out of the twins. How did they get here anyway he thought to himself.

A weary old face suddenly appeared though a hole on the gate. Realizing that he was dealing with hobbits the gatekeeper was forced to bend his already arthritic knees and open a hole at their level.

"What business do you have in Bree?" asked the old man suspiciously.

Ron quickly answered with "we are meeting a friend at the Inn of the Prancing Pony. Our business is our own."

The gatekeeper was shocked at the tone of the hobbit. He sounded almost desperate. The gatekeeper nodded "Sorry. It's my job to ask questions after nightfall. Strange folk about and all" and opened the gate to let the small band through.

When they reached the inn they were not happy to find it full of people. The whole building was loud with the talk of men. Mostly about the strange goings on in the east. Some were even singing,

Ho! Ho! Ho! to the bottle I go

To heal my heart and drown my woe.

Rain may fall and wind my blow,

But under a tall tree I will lie,

And let the clouds go sailing by.

Fred and George found this song very amusing and quickly learned it while Ron talked to the innkeeper.

"Gandalf?" asked Barliman Butterbur the innkeeper. "Old man with a pointed hat yes?" he said to Ron's great relief. Gandalf was here and he would know what to do, but Butterbur wasn't finished speaking yet. "Haven't seen him for six months".

Ron visibly sagged. What am I supposed to do without Gandalf he thought desperately.

"Now, if your looking for rooms mister….." Butterbur said.

"Underhill" Ron added quickly remembering that Gandalf didn't want him to go by his own name. "My name is Underhill".

"Right! Well we have some nice hobbit sized rooms if you're interested".

"Thank you" Ron said before fallowing him to their rooms.

Gandalf why aren't you here Ron thought sadly as well as a little worried. In the short time he had known Gandalf he knew him to be one to stick to his word and he couldn't think the wizard would purposefully be late to something as important as this.

After they had gotten settled into their rooms Ron, Sam, Fred, and George headed down to the bar below. After the past couple of days they felt like they had deserved a hard drink.

Fred and George had no problem drowning their sorrows. The twins were soon in high spirits with the rest of the crowd singing along with their drinking songs and telling amazing stories about the wizarding world that no one could seem to believe. Ron didn't like them talking about were they had come from. Not to complete strangers like this. It was too easy to be heard by people who would be willing to give that information to others.

When Sam left to get a refill on his drink Ron took the opportunity to talk to Fred and George. The first thing that left his mouth was "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing!" The twins just looked at him as if to say "what?" "We can't go off parading the fact that we're not from here! For crying out loud, Sam doesn't even know. He thinks you're making it all up! Gandalf told us to lay low and that is what I think we should do" he managed in one breath. He didn't know how he would deal with them if their secret got thrown out into the open.

"You worry too much little bro," said George slapping him hard on the back. "Chill, you know. Anyway I'm going to get me self a pint if you know what I mean" and with that he was on the way to the bar.

"I think I'll go with him. Just encase" said Fred and fallowed his brother. Both laughing and talking. The whole situation made Ron nervous.

Sam returned shortly with his full mug though he didn't seem too happy. Ron now believed Sam to be the only sane one here so if he was worried there would be something to worry about.

"What's wrong Sam?" Ron asked as the hobbit took his seat.

"That man has been staring at us all night," he said slowly nodding towards the corner of the tavern. "I don't like the looks of him. Asked old Butterbur who he was. He didn't even know much. Just that he is some sort of ranger from the north. Around here they call him Strider".

Ron looked over to the person in question. He saw a man dressed in black with his hood pulled down over his face as to conceal his appearance. From the way the man was looking Ron could tell he was watching them.

Ron's fingers worked in his pocket fumbling with the thin gold band. The ranger's eyes digging into him just made him want to disappear. I felt like ring was pulling Ron to its self and soon the need to put the ring on almost consumed him if it hadn't been for a voice that caught his attention.

At the bar George was telling Butterbur and anyone who would listen about them being wizards and being able to do magic.

Ron quickly got up off his seat and Ran to his brother. "What are you doing!" he cried before something unspeakable happened.

George turned around quickly causing Ron to take a step back. At the same moment a man behind Ron had gotten up out of his chair and Ron tripped over his foot.

With his hand still in his pocket fingering the ring he fell hard on the floor. His hand grabbed hold over the ring but somehow instead of grabbing it slid onto his finger.

Suddenly everything around him changed. He hadn't gone anywhere. He could still tell that he was in the bar but it was as if everything had turned inside out. Instead of seeing everyone, it was as if he was seeing the shadows of them. He wasn't alone though.

Ron could hear a strange deep voice in his head whispering to him, threatening him. It was a harsh voice and Ron had the distinct feeling it wanted to hurt him. Something appeared then in front of him. Far away at first, then closer and closer. It was an eye of fire!

It was as if the eye could see right into Ron's very soul. It strained him physically as well as mentally. He tried to back away from it and hit the leg of a table but the eye was still there. He reached to take the ring off but it was difficult for him to part with it.

"I see you!" the voice said in a much clearer tone than it had spoken before.

With all the strength Ron possessed he pulled the ring off of his finger and to his much great relief he found himself visible again. He sat breathing hard under a table that he had crawled under.

A strong hand suddenly grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him out from under the table with much force. "Nice going Mr. Underhill" the man said as he dragged him threw the shadows of the bar then upstairs to a disserted room.

"Who are you!" Ron demanded trying to sound brave though he didn't think this ranger was buying the act. The man didn't answer him at first as he extinguished all the lights from the room save for the few that were needed.

The door then burst open with the three hobbits rushing into the room ready to fight.

"Let him go!" cried Sam as he stood with his fists raised.

The man just laughed at the small hobbit. "There will be no need for fighting Mr. Gamgee" he said as he removed his hood away from his face. Sam was surprised to find that the man only looked to be seventeen at most. He had somewhat long messy jet-black hair and the brightest green eyes that Sam had every seen. The other distinguishing thing about him that drew Sam's attention was a small lightning shaped scare on his forehead.

"Harry!" Ron, Fred, and George cried at the same time. Sam just gave the dark man a strange look.

Ron couldn't have been more happy to see his best friend. Although he looked a bit different, one could say more ruff with his hair being longer and his build being something more than his usual somewhat scrawny self as he looked very hard, it was the same Harry J. Potter that he had always known.

"Harry what are you doing here?" asked Ron with the biggest grin on his face. "Not that I'm complaining or anything mate, but all of this is a little weird. Even for our standards".

"You know him Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked suspiciously.

"Yes Sam. Harry and I go to the same school see" Ron started but Harry cut him off.

"I believe it is time that we all had a little talk" he said interrupting the conversation. "Lets all have a seat".

"Couldn't agree with you more mate" Fred said as he sat down in a comfortable chair by the fire.

Everyone slowly took their seats and when they were all situated they started.

"First thing's first" Harry said. "Ron, you should explain to Sam and get him up to speed. There is no reason anymore for him not to know the truth. After that we shall see where it goes."

"Right" Ron sighed. He hoped that Sam wouldn't be hurt that he had kept this from him. Even though he had only known him for so long he really didn't want to lose this knew friendship. Slowly he explained everything he knew which when Ron thought about it wasn't much but he told him what he could. Everything about Hogwarts and Harry, Fred, and George. It all came out. At the very end Sam just looked at them dumbfounded.

"So you're meaning to say that you're not the real Frodo?" he asked confused. Ron just shook his head. "Well then. Where is the real Frodo and why are you here instead of him?"

"I really don't know" Ron said.

"I've met Gandalf" Harry said suddenly as the conversation died down. "He told me some explanations but not everything."

"You've seen Gandalf?" George asked. "What did he tell you? Did he tell you why he wasn't here? What did he say?"

Harry looked at his friends. He wasn't sure what to tell them and what to wait and have Gandalf tell them. It was hard. "He was the one who told me to look for you here" he started. "He wanted me to be here just encase he couldn't be, but I will get to more of that later." Taking a slight breath he continued. "He had found things that could explain some of what we are wanting to know. Though he doesn't know why or how we came to be here he figures we are here for some reason and we can't leave until we figure it out and do what we were sent here to do."

"You mean he wont send us back until we do something?" Fred asked irritated.

"I mean he can't" Harry said. They all looked at him with grave looks in their faces. He knew that what he had just said was something they didn't want to here at all. "Something is keeping us here. Some sort of spell or something I'd think, but there is more. As far as why we've come here and are now these people, Frodo, Marry, Pippin, Strider, it is a little hard to explain."

Ron looked him straight in the eyes. "What is it?" he asked.

"We actually are them" he looked for their reactions. Fred and George just looked dumb. He couldn't tell Ron though. He seemed to want to keep his feelings to himself. "In some way we are connected to them. Part of us is them and part of them is us. It has always been that way. We just never knew there were other parts of us out there." He stopped there knowing Gandalf should be the one to explain the rest. He remembered how hard it was to here what the wizard had told him and figured it would be better for the others to hear it from him. "There is more but this isn't the time nor the place to discuss it."

The room went very quit until Ron spoke up. "Where have you been?" he asked. "Why didn't you find us after you met Gandalf. You knew we were here."

Harry knew this question was going to be asked. "Gandalf had told me that I wasn't to meet you till now. Plus I have had to do some things for the wizard." Harry didn't know if Ron believed him but he had no choice.

"Is there anyone else here?" Fred asked after the long silance. "Are we the only ones here or are their other?

"I am not sure who all is here though I know of at least one other." Harry said.

Ron was about to ask who it was when there was a sound outside that made them all jump.

Harry now stood up. "We can't stay here. With that little stunt tonight it wouldn't be safe. They will be here to get you and the ring before sun up."

"Who will be here Harry? The black riders?" Ron asked, scared.

"Them, and maybe worse. You're being hunted Ron" he squatted down to face his best friend. "While you have that ring they will never stop hunting you. Do you understand?" Ron nodded his head. "Good. Let's get out of here before they get here shall we?" and with that they left.

Later that night as they all lay wake they could here the angry cries of the black riders as they realized they had been given the slip.

Ron looked to Harry who was sitting on a chair by the window watching as they road off into the night. "Who are they?" he asked.

"They were great kings once. Until they were given nine gold rings that corrupted them to serve the dark lord. Now they are neither living nor dead and only live to find the one ring. They are Nazguil (A/N sp?) Ring wraiths. They are the ones that hunt you."

Ron couldn't believe any of this was happening. What were they supposed to do now? In his heart something was beginning to weigh on him but he wasn't sure what.