I'm back! I knew I had to post another chapter before the next book comes out and this becomes totally AU -Only a few more hours to go! Unfortunately I'm actually gonna be away this weekend, so I won't be able to read it until Sunday night :-( But to everyone who's queueing at midnight - Happy Reading!

Dadaiiro: Patience, patience! All will soon be revealed sneaky eyes

MarauderKid: Yep they are

Elf771: Thanks a lot! Yes I am going to rewrite that just to make it clearer – I'm just waiting for the time :-S

Celebwen Telcontar: One word - WOW! That was the best review I have ever read! OK, starting with what happened to everyone, I'll be explaining some of it later on in the fic. A lot of the races got 'watered down' over many generations, ie the eagles. For the hobbits you only need to look in the recent news to see so many references to'real life hobbits', and for all we mere muggles know there could still be some hidden around somewhere. Many of the wizards crossed the seaalong with theelves, with one ortwo staying,so that in time and breeding theirabilities changed into the witches and wizardsof Harry's era. That's a brilliant comment about the Bardings and Beornings, I'd never thought of it like that before! The dwarves are still around - we might even meet some of them in this story. Numenorians: yet again a watering down of the blood, but I can assure you their descendants are still around. As for the geographical side of things, I spent forever thinking about that, and in the endI decided that the only way to move the story exactly where I wanted it to go would be to use a lot of artistic license for that bit. Sorry! Butin a way it could still be possible, if you placed Middle Earth on Pangea, the one continent that existed beforeit split into the several landmasses we know today. But I don't know enough aboutthe geography of Pangea to say if that is plausible or not.And don't worry, I'm not offended. I'm just amazed that anyone spent so much effort over something I wrote :-D. If you have any more comments please tell me - I love a challenge!

And many thanks toRandom, black as the Shadows, kirallie, Sati James, Shadowcat, Kimpatsu no Hoseki, jade, tina7610813, Ridicully L, Zammy, aknightofni, Black-Raven3, CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur for your brilliant reviews!

Legolas ­­walked merrily through the dark forest that was his home, a spring in his step. He had not been able to come through this particular part of the forest for many months, and even in that relatively minute space of time he found that he had missed it greatly. When he was a young elfling it had been his favourite part of the forest, with a small house hidden in the trees where he went to escape the torture of lessons. He had no idea to whom the house had belonged; only that they had no longer lived there, probably to move to the safety offered by the main elven halls, and that it was left for him to make his own. He did not believe even Thalion knew where it was. Only one other seemed to know the importance this area held to him.

"Halt." He said, his hand raised for emphasis.

The others gradually slowed to a stop, sensing a lack of urgency in his voice.

"But it is only a short way to the edge of the forest!" exclaimed Melmir, the youngest of the group, eagerly.

"Be glad we stop here. For beyond here lies the evil of man." said Fornelen ominously.

Melmir almost scoffed at that remark. "The only evil of man lies in your overly active imagination."

"But it is true. Have you not heard the legends of old? The stories of corruption and malice that only men can make?"

"Nothing but myths and fairy-tales. Is that not right, Legolas?"

Much to the surprise of everyone else, however, Legolas pointedly ignored this remark, merely saying "The letter I was sent told us to remain here until others could come to escort us to the castle." He then turned round to them with a smile, "I suggest you make yourselves comfortable. The letter implied we could be waiting many days."

Three days later Harry Potter stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, already eager to leave. He felt slightly better than he had but a few days previously, but that did not altogether repress the tight feeling in his stomach that he felt would never go away. He followed his friends in silence, only partially listening to their chatter and the greetings of their peers. He found himself being led into a rarely empty compartment, only coming to his senses when he heard the words "what do you think, Harry?"

He stared, momentarily startled out of his thoughts. "Um…what?"

Ron rolled his eyes, quite oblivious to Hermione's sympathetic eyes. "Come on, mate" he said exasperatedly, "It was a simple enough questi- ouch!" he stopped, rubbing his leg in pain. "Whatcha do that for, Herm?"

Hermione, however, decided to ignore him, and said in an irritatingly concerned voice, "Are you alright, Harry?"

"Of course." Said Harry, as reassuringly as he could. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've really gotta stop daydreaming so much, Harry. The teachers'll fry you, especially now we're starting our NEWTS. Fred 'n George have been telling me all the horror stories ever since the beginning of summer. Apparently if you don't pay attention all the time, and they notice, they can fail you on the spot!"

"I'm amazed you've not been expelled by now then." Harry replied "Since when have you ever listened." At this Ron grinned widely "That's the Harry we used to know and love. Well, know, anyway."

"What're you talking about, Ron?"

"Well-"

"We were just wondering who the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher would be." Interupeted Hermione, with a meaningful glare at Ron. "You got any ideas?"

As night fell for the forth time since they had arrived in the glade, Legolas was setting watch for the night and following day. They had spent their time in restless calm, being forced to wait until collection; and their time in limbo, of not knowing the happenings of anything further than half an hour's walk away, was starting to irritate even the more tolerant of them.

At last, Melmir decided to show his impatience. "How many more days must we sit in silence, forbidden from moving for fear of missing your 'friends'? If they were going to come, why are they not here already?"

"Peace, Melmir. You must have patience." Tinwen said, all too soothingly. "They will come."

"How can you talk of patience? We have been nothing but patient ever since we left the Halls." Melmir stood, unable to contain his agitation.

"I say that we should stay here."

"You would say that, would you not Fornelen." Melmir said scornfully. "Anything to keep you from the terrifying humans."

"I am scared of no man!" Fornelen stood, ready to take the challenge.

"Then why are you so anxious to avoid the mortals?" the younger elf sneered "Could it be that your hate for them would see the end of the world?"

"That is enough!" cried Thalion. "I will not see you squabble like elflings. Can you not control yourselves? The king has given his orders, will you not see that you keep to them."

But Legolas was not listening to this argument. Instead he was concentrating on a quiet rumbling, so soft he could barely hear it, but rising in volume every moment. He focused even more, trying to pick out anything he could; its direction, what it was, where it was coming from.

"My lord?"

Legolas jumped, only to see Randin standing above him, a piece of lembas in his hand.

"Ever able to sneak up on me" grinned Legolas, breaking off a piece of the elven bread.

"I try my best, my lord." He replied, before coming down to sit by the king in front of the fire. "What troubles you? You have been silent throughout their entire quarrel."

"What can you hear, Randin?" said Legolas suddenly.

The quiet elf looked straight into Legolas' eyes, trying to divine the purpose for the query, before replying, "Nothing that I would not normally hear, my lord."

"Thank you, Randin." The quiet elf looked strangely at his king for a moment, before leaving him to his thoughts.

A few hours later, and Randin was himself sitting by the fire which had long died out, leaving only the embers for him to see clearer on his watch. It was as he stood to take a final walk around the camp before he woke Tinwen for her watch, that he heard a faint whispering; "Come…come…come." He looked around, startled, but he could see no movement. All was quiet apart from the faint murmurings, "Come…come…come."

"Who is there?" he cried aloud.

The whispering grew in volume and speed, "Ash nazg durbatuluk. Ash nazg durbatuluk. Ash nazg durbatuluk!" Louder and louder it grew, until Randin thought he must go mad, until with an ear-piercing shout it stopped. All was quiet again.

"What was that?"

A dark room

A scaly hand reached out.

Click.

At the snap of his fingers, a cowering man came and stood, his back bent in a half bow, his hands placed together as if in prayer to some evil god.

"Have you got it?" The first man said, his voice sliding over every syllable. "Have you brought it to me?"

"Yes, my lord."

There was a sharp yelp, and then two more men, their clothes torn and bloody from a fight, walked slowly, almost crawling with the weight of a heavy object carried between them. They finally made it to the space in front of the chair, placed the object they were carrying down on the table with a great slam, and ran before they could be asked to do more.

"Hmmm." Said the voice, reaching out his hand again to unwrap the big parcel from its moth-eaten wrap to reveal a large, dusty tome which seemed to pulse a dark power that even He almost did not dare to touch it.

"You have done well, my servant." The dark lord said, stroking the spine, caressing the thick leather binding, soaking in the energy which was getting stronger and stronger, almost overpowering him. Finally he grasped the clasp, unlocked it with a mere flick, and opened the first deadly pages. "Very well."

For now he had the power that would assure his victory.

And no man in this world had the knowledge to stop him.