CHAPTER FOUR

A Prophecy

They scream, they shout,

There's only one way

To drown them out.

I hear your voice,

I hit the ground

You look for me,

But I'm not around.

Voltaire

Hermione still had no idea why Dumbledor wanted her at Hogwarts. It was still in the first three weeks of summer and he wanted her here already? Her parents had also been invited; they were probably in another meeting right now with the Headmaster. At least Ron and his family were here, so she wasn't completely without people her own age.

But everyone else save the Weasly kids was over 30 at least! So even with Ron and company here it was kind of boring. Except when they had brought Harry and Draco in.

Hermione really couldn't think of a reason why Professor Snape would be concerned for Harry and Draco. He had been in the Hospital Wing almost everyday to the point where he only left to sleep. He seemed even more concerned about Harry then Draco, once he knew that Draco would live and have use of his hands.

When he was around Harry, Snape always seemed to be confused about something, as if he wanted to ask for something he thought was impossible. Could he want forgiveness? Hermione didn't know what to think about that concept. Snape was a basterd who was mean to Harry and Ron. To her that was all he was. But recently he hadn't been acting the basterd, as if he was avoiding people and being nasty just out of habit, and his heart wasn't in it.

Hermione shook herself. This was no time to be worrying about Snape! There had been quite a bit of activity about Draco's scars, about as much as there had been anger at Vernon Dursly.

"Miss Granger, come to the library immediately." Albus Dumbledor's head appeared and disappeared from the fireplace in a flash.

Grumbling mightily about the abruptness of the message, Hermione still jogged to the Library, only to be knocked breathless by the sight of Draco and Harry helping each other through another door. HELPING EACH OTHER! Hermione didn't hate Draco now, but she wouldn't be supporting him like Harry was, and he sure as hell wouldn't support her like he was supporting Harry.

The Weasly's also looked shocked, to say the least. All of them were there, even George, who had been injured recently. Only Ginny looked as if she had expected this and ran to help them.

With everyone else staring in shock, Ginny and Draco, with Harry in between them, hobbled toward the group. After Draco and Ginny got Harry seated in a comfy armchair, Ginny took Draco's arm and gently braced him as he took a chair near Harry's. Then Ginny serenely took her chair again and faced her shocked family.

"Ginny?"

"Yes Ron?"

"Why are you helping that filth?" Ron seemed unusually calm about this. Almost as if he were in shock.

"Because he is free now. Free from his father, free from choices made for him by that father. I understand him, probably better than any of you do."

To this little speech there seemed nothing to say. Albus Dumbledor walked into the room at that moment. He seemed tired, and his eyes had lost their normal twinkle.

"I gathered you all here for - what are you two doing here? You should be in the Hospital Wing!" He gave a half-hearted glare at Draco and Harry. Draco wasn't really paying any attention, he was to busy staring at Ginny like he had never seen her before. Harry noticed. Smiling slightly, he nudged Draco with his elbow and nodded at Dumbledor. Draco guiltily fixed his attention back on the Headmaster.

"Oh, never mind, you might as well be here to. I have a feeling it will concern all that are present here. Anyway, I have a few guests I would like you to meet. Frodo, Strider, Sam, Merry and Pippen, would you come here please?"

Four child-sized people who were definitely not children came forth from the History section. Hermione immediately recognized them

"Never thought I'd see a Hobbit."

The one in the lead of the small band focused his gray eyes on her and gave a small smile.

"Some of the Big Folk still listen to their tales, I see."

His voice was cultured and smooth, with a hint of an accent. His black hair was curly , and his garments looked like they had been on a dusty road. A green cloak overlaid a brown vest, tunic and breeches. The others were similarly garbed. The Hobbit to the right of the one Hermione assumed was Frodo had a sandy mop of hair and calm brown eyes. The two Hobbits behind them could have been brothers. They had the same light brown hair, same brown eyes, but their build was as different as Fred (or George's) was to Ron. One was lanky and thin, and the other was solid and filled out. But it was still obvious that they were very close friends. The last person came in the shape of a tall black-haired human man who looked to have been so long on the road his mother wouldn't recognize him. Grey-blue eyes rapidly appraised the gathering, and the hand that had been clenched around the hilt of a sword relaxed at the lake of hostility. He had a proud face, but it appeared careworn. A muddy black cloak slid over his shoulders, preventing her from seeing the rest of the weapons she was sure were there.

Dumbledor introduced them.

"This is Frodo Baggins in the front," the gray-eyed hobbit bowed to those assembled, "Samwise Gamgee next to him, to the right and behind is Merridoc Brandybuck, also known as Merry, and next to him is Perigren Took, also known as Pippin. And in the back of the pack is Strider, whose real name and surname unknown." Each bowed as their name was called. And everyone not sitting bowed in return. Harry nodded his head and Draco did the same.

"Now," Albus took control of the situation again. "We have a slight problem. These four are not from our world. I, for one, was wondering how they got here, and into my office at 6 in the morning."

After a few looks of wariness Frodo told what had befallen them.

"You are enough like Gandalf, sir, that I think we can trust you.

So, start the tale at the beginning, as I always say. And I suppose this one starts around 70 years ago, with my Uncle Bilbo. He was commissioned by some traveling Dwarves to be a burglar and get back their treasure, which Smaug had stolen back. Smaug was a nasty old Dragon; he lived in the ancient Dwarf home of the Lonely Mountain. He had run the Dwarves out of there long ago and now the surviving Dwarves longed for all their treasure again. Bilbo agreed to go with them, his price was one fourteenth of the profits.

On the way through the Misty Mountains Goblins ambushed the party but they escaped. Bilbo got knocked out, however, and when he woke up he was lost and did not know where he was. In trying to get out of the caves he found himself in, he stumbled into an underground cavern. There he found a golden ring on the floor, picked it up and put it in his pocket. Then one of the caves denizens came out. It was a creature named Golem who had been there a very long time. He was hungry for fresh meat.

Bilbo and Golem agreed to play the ancient game of Riddles. If Bilbo won, Golem would show him the way out of the caverns. If Golem won, he would have a tasty dinner.

After a while Bilbo couldn't think of any more riddles. He began to wonder about things, like what he had in his pocket. He, being the absentminded hobbit he was, said that out loud and Golem thought it was a riddle. He couldn't solve it. Now Golem was bound to show Bilbo the way out but he wanted to get his Ring first.

You see, the Ring grants invisibility. Golem was going to go get it and kill my uncle, because he didn't know Bilbo had the ring. When Golem found his 'precious' as he calls it, gone he began shouting and wailing. When Bilbo heard this he jumped and the Ring slipped on his finger. Golem thought that Bilbo already knew the way out and began moving toward the surface. Bilbo was able to follow him out.

After a while the Dwarves did complete their mission and Bilbo came home to the Shire. On his 111th birthday he got the urge to travel again and left to stay with the Elves at Rivendale. After a little while Gandalf showed up at Bag-end.

Gandalf is a very dear friend of Bilbo. He is one of the most powerful wizards there is. He told me that the Ring Bilbo had gotten from Golem and then passed down to me was the Ring of the Dark lord Saruan. The Enemy was thought to have been defeated long ago, but because the Ring was not destroyed, neither was he. The Dark Lord is the greatest evil to ever set eye on our world in my lifetime.

The Enemy was searching for this Ring with his Black Riders, for without it he was not complete. Gandalf told me to go to Rivendell, where a council would be called and what to do with this threat would be decided. I was to go under the name of Master Underhill, as His spies would recognize my real name.

Sam here was eavesdropping under a window and heard everything he said. So Sam had to come with me. Then we ran into Merry and Pippin, literally." A snicker rose from the sandy-haired hobbits, and Frodo had to quickly suppress a grin.

"The Black Riders chased us to a ferry, but their horses would not go in the water.

We made it to a town known as Bree. Unfortunately there was an -er- slight accident there and people wondered how I vanished from plain sight. Later that night, we were joined by Strider. He is a trustworthy Ranger, a friend of Gandalf and an exellent guide. It was necessary to leave the following morning.

We had just left Bree when the five of us heard what seemed like a great bell, ringing the woods to our right. Strider had never heard it either in his many travels, and knew not what it was. A figure came from the nearby woods glided toward us. I say glided because that is what it looked like, even though she was walking. She was a youth Dark Elf, or Drow, as they are otherwise known. She never said her name, but she did say she was seeking her Mother. Apparently she was raised in Lothlorien. She had been informed when she was 16 that she belonged to this world." Here Frodo made a gesture that obviously encompassed this strange world the Hobbits had found them in.

"Her mother's name had been Lily and her Fathers name was unknown, for he was a full-blooded Drow warrior who spoke little. He was with Lily for a week and then he went away, no one knows where. Lily married a young man named James. A little while later she bore two children, a human boy, and a Drow girl.

Some of their very close elvish friends were distressed because they could not have children. Lily and James agreed to let the couple raise the half Drow child but on her 16 birthday they were to tell her where she came from. When she found out the girl wished to find a way to contact her real Mother.

After she had explained all this we invited her to camp with us for the night. She was right glad to find someone who didn't think she would be a thief just because she was a Dark Elf. Merry had asked her something and she started to reply, but then the she stopped talking and a harsh voice issued from her."

Here Sam stepped in and produced a piece of parchment and read what was written.

Four Hobbits have done what they can

So now the Task shall fall to Man

Halflings, children they shall be

But only with them will be victory

The twin of Dusk

And Dusk herself

The Dragon Blessed

She who was deceived in the first

And the Favored of Wisdom

Guided for a time by the crownless King.

They must take the One

And throw it to the Fire in Doom.

For if another takes their place

Then Dark Lord, Dark Lord will face.

Sam stepped back and Frodo finished the tale.

"She recalled nothing of this but I remember one odd thing, her eye's, which were a bright green, turned to white when she spoke. That was what convinced me that this was a real prophecy. We informed her of what had taken place and she said that she knew at least part of what it meant, but before she could say we heard the bell again. It seemed like we were sucked through time and space and the next thing we knew, we were in a most interesting room with the Headmaster of this school staring at us.

So that is how we got here."

Everyone was rather taken aback by the tale told by the serious Hobbits. Lily? James? They couldn't mean Lily and James Potter, could they? Hermione turned, as everyone else was, toward Harry. The hopeful look on his face nearly crushed her heart. He thought he might have a half-sister, but that couldn't be true.

In a very strangled voice Snape asked the question that would give either confirm or refute the fact Harry might have a sister.

"What was Lily and James last name, Frodo?"

Frodo was obviously curious as to why this was causing such a stir.

"Why, before she married it was Evans, when she married James it was Potter."

Everyone in the room slowly turned to Harry, holding their breath seeing how he would react. Absolute glee and excitement were very clear. His injures were completely forgotten as he piled questions on Frodo about his half-sister.

"Where is she? When can I meet her? Where has she been all these years? -" Frodo was clearly bewildered as to why Harry was so happy to meet this person. He looked at Dumbledor for an explanation.

" Harry's parents were the two mentioned. Lily Evans and James Potter. They have been dead for a very long time; it is an occasion of joy if he has any living relatives. The Dursly's do not count."

Frodo nodded in understanding and answered Harry questions.

"First of all she is here with us, but the crossing was slightly worse for her. She is sleeping right now and will be very happy to see you when she awakes."

A voice issued from behind them.

"I am awake now Frodo."