Once again, Mr. Whitergray was monitoring the detention room after school. He finished reading the newspaper update about the mysterious death of Bridget. It had been almost two weeks since she died and half the school was still in a somber mood. The criminal investigators, professional analysts, and every person who was professionally involved couldn't find a single piece of evidence that revealed information about the girl's killer. The past article stated that the boys who found the body didn't see anything or anyone suspicious during their time in the forest. Mr. Whitergray saw them the day after they found her and something in their eyes told him otherwise.

Mr. Whitergray put aside the local section and continued to read the newspaper. The entertainment section caught his eye. Apparently, there was a touring archaeological exhibit that was starting in their city. It was being curated by Mr. Ralph Caledon and the artifacts were found and monitored by Dr. Gabriel Lewis.

The mid-thirties face of Dr. Gabriel looked at Mr. Whitergray with tranquility and great pride as she presented some artifacts for the newspaper. Even in the blurry picture of the newspaper, he could see the deep wisdom and power that showed through his eyes. The pools of knowledge and understanding called him to meet her.

The woman from the vision of the woods came up from his memory. Watch for my arrival and I will answer any questions you may have.

Feverishly, he scanned through the article for the exhibit dates. At the end, the article stated that the exhibit was in town from that day to two weeks afterward. He looked at the clock and found that there was still fifteen minutes left until detention was over. He sat there momentarily in a state of indecision.

"You can go now, if you want," he addressed his prisoners. They looked at him in disbelief and didn't move. "Something has come up in my agenda. Or would you like to stay?"

At this, the students shrugged and got all their things. They left the classroom in silent confusion.

"Just don't tell anybody," he said as they filed out. He packed up all his things and left the school. The halls were empty and quiet, which was not unusual on a Friday afternoon. He got in his car and drove to the museum. On the way, it started to rain.

Thunder clapped as Mr. Whitergray splashed through puddles to cross the museum's threshold. He bought an exhibition ticket and wandered through the various glass cases that illuminated their precious contents. Elegant pieces of furniture sat behind velvet ropes; delicate pieces of jewelry glimmered in the spotlight of their individual cases; fragments of rocks that were assumed to used to be walls had exquisite paintings on them and were kept safe behind panels of plexiglass. The intricate patterns that covered the artifacts were fluid, graceful and timeless. The detail of the leaves and vines that blessed the bows and swords that were on display spoke of ancient cultures that were far more sophisticated that any of the cultures Mr. Whitergray had known before.

As Mr. Whitergray admired the exquisite artifacts, two men approached him.

"Excuse me," one of them said. "I apologize for interrupting your stay here, but Dr. Lewis would like to meet you."

Mr. Whitergray couldn't think of anything to say and merely nodded as his response. He followed the two imposing men to an upstairs private lounge. A young woman in her mid-thirties sat in one of the puffy chairs, waiting for him. She got up to greet him when he came in.

"Good evening." She held out her hand and he shook it. She stretched her hand to the armchairs. "Please, sit down. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you," he declined as he sat down. She poured herself a small glass of white wine before she sat down beside him.

"As you probably know by now, I'm Dr. Gabriel Lewis."

"Pleased to meet you, doctor. I am Gerald Thomas Whitergray. You found all those beautiful artifacts down there?"

She smiled mysteriously. "Yes. All those and many more which are not available to be seen by the public. They can only be seen by the select few whom I personally choose."

She smiled again at Mr. Whitergray's anxious expression. She finished her glass of wine and put it back on the bar. "Please, Mr. Whitergray, follow me."

She led him down to the basement and through dark, shadowy corridors that seemed to be endless. While they walked, she told him about how she found the artifacts.

"When I was touring around the world," she was telling him, "I felt the inexplicable urge to travel to a forest that grew in the middle of a mountain range in middle Europe. I had to go into the dark forest on foot and by myself. Airplanes couldn't land close enough to the forest and cars could only take you so far into the rugged terrain of the mountains. Nobody would go with me at the time because I only had a feeling and that wasn't enough for most of my colleagues. But, my instincts guided me like the stars do on a dark night.

"I came to the middle of the forest, where a giant, graceful oak tree lived. As I approached it, I could almost feel the tree's essence. Its very soul seemed to be calling me and beckoning me to touch it. When I did, a great peacefulness washed over me; a peace and contentedness that I have never felt before in my life.

"When I opened my eyes, a single golden leaf fell from its branches. I thought I was hallucinating because the leaf shimmered and glowed like true gold in the dying sun. For an instant, I saw my reflection in the glimmer of the leaf.

"A beautiful, wise woman looked back at me. She was a queen among her people and ruled the forest I was standing in. The stars were her eyes and rays of sun were her hair. But, before I could get a better look at her, the leaf drifted away from me and taunted me as it danced around the ancient tree. I followed it to the side of one of the mountains and it rested in front of a boulder. It was quite obvious now that there was something behind the huge rock. I blasted the rock into pieces and uncovered a cave mouth. Inside--"

"Pardon me," interrupted Mr. Whitergray. They walked down the final corridor that ended in an elaborately decorated door. "But, if you don't mind me asking, why did you have a stick of dynamite with you?"

"In case of an emergency of some sort," she explained simply. She opened the door and darkness met them. "As I was saying, inside, I found these."

She flicked a switch and light flooded the entire room. A solitary metal basin sat in a concrete plinth which was the center of the private exhibit. Surrounding the stone sink were nine large cases with very different things in each case. They were all filled with marvelous items, but the case that was directly left of the center case interested him the most.

Inside the case, like most other cases, was a gray cloak lined with green cloth and a sword. But, what attracted his attention was the ring that was looking at him on a raised platform in the glass case. The rubies and crystals that were encrusted in the ring mesmerized Mr. Whitergray and he felt a powerful being come through his mind. Frightened, he suppressed the being within him.

"You feel it, don't you?" Dr. Lewis asked. "You feel that familiarity, that power, when you look at the ring. Don't reject it, Gandalf. That ring might very well be the key to unlocking yours and the Fellowship's souls from the past."

"Gandalf..." he said, almost to himself. "Yes... That was my name. Gandalf the Gray."

"Do you remember who you are?"

He said nothing and the alluring ring drew his gaze again. Dr. Lewis drew out her keys and opened the case. The glass panel swung open and gave Mr. Whitergray access to the contents within. He picked up the ring and admired it at every angle before he slipped it onto his finger.

For Mr. Whitergray, it was a sensation that he had never thought was possible. It was like he was living his whole life with amnesia all his life and he had finally got his memories back when the ring was on his finger. The realm of Middle-Earth and its forgotten cultures surfaced back into his mind. But a single event stood out the most. The War of the Ring dominated the urgent parts of his brain. The memories of the things that happened and the people who were most involved touched his heart. He was no longer just Gerald Thomas Whitergray. With the Ring of Fire, he transformed into Gandalf the White, a wise and powerful wizard of Middle-Earth.

Mr. Whitergray, now Gandalf, looked around the room with new eyes. He saw Dr. Lewis and recognized her for what she truly was.

"Galadriel. Thank you for bringing me back," he said and he shook his head in disbelief. "This world has changed so much..."

"Welcome back, Gandalf," she said warmly. "But, you do realize that your return has meaning?"

"I hoped that it didn't," he sighed. "I'm not familiar with the customs of this world. The Darkness comes again?"

"Yes. All over the world, strange events are happening. People are going missing without a trace. Mysterious deaths where the missing people are horribly killed and eaten are occurring. At first, the deaths were rare, but now, these deaths are all too common.

"But, there is hope. Do you, by any chance, remember the Fellowship?"

"Of course. I have to say that there are a few students in my class that strongly resemble them." He paused in memory of his old friends of the past.

"They don't only resemble them, Gandalf. They ARE the Fellowship. Their souls lived on through the ages, looking for each other and the evil they must defeat together if they want to finally rest in peace."

"They're the Fellowship?" Gandalf whispered in disbelief. "The students that I teach everyday and sit in desks in front of me are powerful defenders of Light?"

"Yes."

Galadriel took a metal jug and filled it with water from the small pool that was on the other side of the room. Slowly, she used it to fill the basin and told Gandalf to look into the bowl.

"You remember the Mirror of Galadriel, don't you? Through it, you can see the creatures who are terrorizing the world."

He peered into the Mirror and saw his reflection. After a minute, the water rippled and showed him dozens and dozens of ravaged bodies. Loud crying could have been heard over the snarls of hate and the swishing of cruel swords. Two creatures sauntered into the reflection.

"Orcs." He recognized one of the figures. "Someone has brought back the creatures from the dank pits of evil. But, the beast that the Orcs are leading is one I have never seen before in my life."

"No one has. They are a new breed of demons. Their claws are like swift daggers and their small, numerous teeth are like razors. These demons play with the victim before the orc leading it kills the victim. They pounce on their prey with their spring-loaded legs."

"They look somewhat like raptors," he compared. The Mirror's visions faded away. "But raptors were never that bony and malicious."

"Gandalf." Her tone turned ominous as he prepared himself. "A Darkness is threatening to take over once more. It will be more ruthless and destructive as Sauron." She looked deep into his eyes.

"It's coming for you."