A/N: This is it, the next chapter in the first of four stories, and it is a little longer, and will keep getting longer as I go on. I want to remind my readers that this story although it will follow the lotr story, it will also have many added items, and will follow both the book and the movie for lotr. I hope you enjoy, please read and review.

Disclaimer: We wants it. We needs it. But, we don't owns it. Gollum owns neither Harry Potter, nor Lord of the Rings, but we is in lotr and this story. Smeagol wants to say that Radszilla owns part of the plot, but nots all of its, so don't sues..

Harry Potter and the Battle for Middle Earth.

Ch.2 The Gray

The darkness soon faded and Harry seemed to awake from his enchanted slumber in a forest. Or at least it looked like the edges of a forest, he couldn't really tell, it was hard for him to make out the shapes. The trees swayed and loomed over him menacingly. A blanket of fog surrounded him, he could barely see a foot in front of him, much less the trees. It was strange creepy strange, he saw hills off in the distance away from the fog, or mist, he contemplated on heading over to it, but something in his mind warned him against it. The ground under his feet was gravely and dirty, and the area seemed to loop around an ever full maze of turns and dangers. He heard some thrilling shriek from somewhere nearby, instinct told him to run, but he stayed. He needed to think. He looked in all directions and could make out three possible routes, there was a fourth, but he had automatically decided against that route. The first way was into the mists, and the large maze of tunnels bends, leading to who only knew where. The third was into the forest, the forest that made the Forbidden Forest look friendly, the trees seemed to whisper and grumble at him. It was the second option that looked the safest it was opposite to the fourth option which were the hills and mounds, and to the left of the forest, away from the misty traverse. He rummaged in his pockets a bit before finding what he needed, his wand, it had come with him after all. With a quick lumos he headed in that direction.

Not too long later he found a path, thank goodness, he was beginning to think he was as lost as could be, two nights had passed, and it was only a few hours ago since he had found the path. He had no idea where he was going, as Dumbledore didn't say where he would end up. He had met no hide nor tail of any living creature, except for a puzzling fox who seemed to follow him for quite someway, before becoming disinterested and leaving. It was night on his third day, before he came across anything edible to eat. Sure he could have eaten some of the food he had on him, but that was for a dire emergency only, who knew how long it would be before he found civilization, or food. He stopped and made rest at a small waterfall and happily caught a fish in the small stream of water. He made camp that night and rested in the tops of an old tree, what type of tree it was, he wasn't sure, Neville had been the one good at Herbology, not him. He was lucky that he had learned to survive in the wild, if he hadn't he probably would be dead, most likely caused by eating something poisonous. He could just imagine how helpless someone like Neville or Susan would be living out in the wild, they'd either starve or go crazy, although Neville wouldn't starve, he knew too much about plants for that to happen. Ever since the death of Dumbledore, Harry along with a few others were either always moving or hiding, Voldemort had gained even more followers than ever before and they started what had come to be known as Harry Hunting. It wasn't just Harry however, for Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had to stay with him for some time, they were being hunted as well, more for bait to lure him out in the open than anything else. The Dursleys had become a top hit list, just because he had used to live with them, Vernon, Marge, and Petunia Dursley had died with out a doubt, souls had been sucked right out of their bodies, the Dementor's Kiss. It was Dudley however who officials and even Voldemort and his death eaters couldn't really discover if he had died or not, most assumed he had died, been vaporized by a powerful spell or whatnot, others thought he went in hiding. Dudley however had never been seen again, although when ministry officials had come across the bodies of the Dursleys two dead death eaters were there as well, with expressions of shock not unlike what the killing curse victims looked like. Whatever had happened was a mystery and Dudley had either died or escaped, but all knew he took two death eaters with him. Harry had discovered not too long after the deaths, that Dudley had once had the chance to become a wizard, but Petunia's agreement with Dumbledore had caused him not to, or that is what they had come up with at least. Either way, to Harry his cousin was gone and not coming back, just like all the other people he had lost. Sirius, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid were the deepest losses. After Dumbledore's death, McGonagall became headmistress, and with the rise of death eaters and dark creatures Hagrid's class had become quite popular, mainly because most of the creatures he showed were the type they would inevitably be facing along the road. The two of them had died in the surprise attack on the King's Cross, only two death eaters were there, but over twelve giants were there as well. Harry had just happened to be on the Hogwarts grounds at that time, he was making sure his friends were okay, it was a little while after that that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had joined him in the wilderness. McGonagall had died by the death eaters, one of which just so happened to be Bellatrix Lestrangue. It was Neville who got her in the end, later in the school year when their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had been killed in the Hogsmeade attack. The defense teacher had just so happened to be Neville's Gran. Hagrid had been killed by the Giants, and surprisingly it had been Grawp who had defeated all the other giants, along with the aurors. He had gone wild after the death of Hagrid. Harry continued to reminisce about the past, the good and the bad. He thought some more before quickly falling asleep, making sure his shields were up, it wouldn't do good for Voldemort to discover his presence in this world.

Harry awoke early the next morning and made good distance, soon the sun was shining and the lands around him were amazingly green, so peaceful and quiet. Thus it was, that while he was lost in his thoughts he ran smack dab into a parked wagon.

"Oh." Harry said holding his head and blinking a few times, it took a few moments to realize What it was he had actually run into. It was small standard size pulled by horses, it looked like it could fit at the maximum eight, that wasn't counting the couple dozen fireworks in the back. Harry looked up to see the owner of the wagon, a tall thin man with a pointed blue hat and gray beard and cloak , and a staff at his side, yet this man looked remarkably like Dumbledore and he noticed the man was looking at him in a slight amused expression.

"Oh." Harry jumped back with a start. "I'm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No problem at all dear boy. But, I do say. Why were you out in the wilderness like that, these times are still dangerous. Not as dangerous fore say in the distant past, but dangerous none the less. You shouldn't wander around alone, so tell me what were you doing out there." The man said in a gruff, but amused voice.

"I didn't come from the wilderness." Harry said bluntly, but not honestly.

"If as you say you did not come from the wild, then why is it that your clothes are torn and in rags, you have a dozen scars and marks on your arms and legs, you look like you haven't eaten a fit meal in days, and you smell worse than a ranger?" He questioned. Harry had no idea what a 'ranger' was, but he took offense to it. His first thought was to say nothing or just leave, but then something inside him felt he could trust this man, whether because of his actions and resemblance to Dumbledore he could not say.

"Very well. I'm lost. I came from-" Harry trailed off before saying quickly. "some place very far away. Do you happen to know where I am?"

"A place 'very far away?' I know you're hiding something, but if you want to keep it secret, it's no business of mine. My only question, for you is do you serve the Dark Lord?" The man asked him swiftly.

"Do I serve Voldemort? Hah, I'm the last one he wants to see at this moment. Do you know what's going on with him and where am I?"

"Vold Mort? I know none of this Vold Mort you speak of. I'm talking of someone totally different. Do you serve the one known as the Necromancer? Speak quickly and honestly, for I will know if you lie." The man suddenly spun his staff at Harry, Harry just stared at him.

"Necromancer? If you don't speak of Voldemort, I'm afraid I have no idea who or what you're talking about." Harry said honestly.

"Hm. Very well, I believe you. Not many even know of the Necromancer anyway, not since the wizard's council kicked him out of Mirkwood." the man looked at Harry who had a blank expression of his face and seemed to perk up at the mention of wizard. "My name is many and few, I'm known as Mithrandir, Olorin, and many others, you may call me any you wish, the place I'm heading however the people call me Gandalf. You are right on the borders to the land of the Shire, the place where the Halflings or Hobbits live." Gandalf watched closely to see if the boy in front of him recognized his name, for most throughout Middle Earth knew it.

"I have no idea of any of which you speak, but you mentioned something of wizards?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Ah yes. I'm a wizard. One of the five Istari sent here to aid the lands of Middle Earth, most know of us. Who are you and why are you so interested in wizards?"

"Why? Because I am one as well. The name's Harry err-Harrod the Black." Harry said hoping Gandalf wouldn't call his slip.

"Black?" Gandalf frowned.

"Err. Yes. Is that a problem?" Harry asked confused at the wizards behavior.

"Black? Why Black?" Gandalf pressed.

"Err. Because of the strange black clothing I wear. It also has to do with the fact, I can talk to snakes." Harry said hoping that being a Parselmouth wasn't a bad thing, this was the reason he felt he should give, it just came to him in his head, maybe Dumbledore was helping after all.

"Snake Speech?" Gandalf said seeming surprised.

"Err. Yeah, that isn't bad is it?"

"Depends on the way you look at things. Both Malhir and Melkor spoke to snakes, none have been able to do so since, you've been greatly blessed, though for which side, I don't know."

"No meaning to sound rude or anything, but who are Mal and Mel?" Harry asked abbreviating the names to a from easier to say.

"Malhir and Melkor the light and the dark. Malhir is the leader of the Valarians, which you probably know some about, being a wizard of the Valar, how you don't know about them does make me suspicious however. Besides that, Melkor was the first Dark Lord he created all evils, Orcs, Trolls, things even fouler, the Necromancer is one of his servants. Malhir and Melkor fought, both in human form, Malhir won and Melkor was banished to the void for all of eternity. But come let's talk about pleasanter things. Tell me where is your staff?"

"Staff? I don't have a staff." Harry said.

"But, how do you do powerful magic without one?"

"I don't have a staff, I have a wand, and some I can do even wandlessly, when the need for it is great enough." Harry said proudly.

"Wand?" Gandalf said seemingly to roll the word around his tongue.

"Yeah, wait a minute, I'll show you I'm a wizard." Harry said taking out his wand. He showed it to Gandalf, before snatching it back and performing a quick lumos followed by another quick nox. Both were said softly and Gandalf almost didn't here it. Harry then did a floating spell, a scourgify on himself, and a disarming spell causing Gandalf's staff to fly at him, causing him to have to duck. Gandalf looked at him in amazement and bewilderment.

"How did you do that?"

"What?" Harry asked confused.

"Those spells, I haven't heard of them before. Does it not take a lot out of you?"

"No. So you've never heard of these spells? None of them, but you're a wizard aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm a wizard, but none of my kind have ever heard of simple spells like that. I have one similar to the light one, and I can shut it off, but it takes quite a bit of strength. From what I can tell, those spells didn't take anything out of you. Where did you learn of such things?" Gandalf asked.

"School." Harry said without speaking. Gandalf looked surprise.

"School? I never went to school, when we need to know certain spells they just come to us. Tell me where is this 'school' of yours located?"

"Uh.." Harry said trying to think up an excuse quickly. "It is very rare for wizards from the school to ever arrive here. I'm new. Most of us stay in a different world and protect them, however for some reason we've been sent here, the Valar chose us to help." Harry said quickly telling the truth.

"I see. Tell me, my boy, why do you keep saying 'we' and 'us'? Does that mean more wizards have come here? If so do you know why?"

"Yes, there are seven others, but where they've landed I do not know. All I know is we were sent where we could help most, and apparently this 'Shire' is the place I'm supposed to be."

"Seven? That's besides you? Never before have that many wizards been here in Middle Earth, the highest amount had been five at one time, but two of them vanished into the east and haven't been seen since. The others are Radaghast the Brown, Saruman the White(he is also the head of our council and a very wise wizard) and myself. But now you tell me that seven wizards besides you have also arrived? Whatever festers in the heart and darkness of Middle Earth must be very terrible to have caused the need of eight additional wizards. It worries me, for reasons I can't comprehend. You say you're a wizard and I believe that, but why are you so young? Or at the very most why do you look it?"

"This is my true age and that's probably why I look it. Yes, I'm young, but I have sworn fealty to this land and its people, only in the best interest." Harry said sharply.

"Yes, I see that. Well since you seem to be needed here, why don't you come with me? Whenever it feels that the place you need to stay is nearby, you can just hop off, I'm heading to Hobbiton to see a friend of mine. He's turning one-hundred-eleventy years old, the fireworks are for him. You can stay with me as long as you like, there holding a big feast and almost all occupants of the Shire shall be there, invited and otherwise. I'm sure you'll find who or what you need to protect or help there, you can try to teach me some of these spells of yours on the way. It is a three day journey from here to where I want to be, so come explain to me a few of your spells, we'll be there before you know it." Gandalf said cheerfully.

"Ok." Harry said and climbed up to the seat next to the tall old wizard, who kept reminding him of Dumbledore, and older Dumbledore, but Dumbledore none the less. He sat down to teach the older wizard and thus a bond was formed, Harry was no longer the apprentice he was the master, and likewise for Gandalf, the younger mentored the old, a strange twist of fate. But even though the two formed a friendship, Harry couldn't help but feel uneasy, a dark presence grew stronger, the closer to Hobbiton he got, the easier it was to feel the evil around it, the Shire held a secret a dark and terrible secret, that could cause the death of many, and if Harry would have reached out far enough he would have realized there were two, not one auras of evil, but he didn't and soon he forgot it. Three days later, after teaching Gandalf quite a few simple(hard for Gandalf) spells, Harry saw his first glimpse of Hobbiton and knew that his journey in Middle Earth was just beginning.

A/N: See told you. There's already added stuff, you won't find out about some of it until the third or fourth book however. Harry's met Gandalf and starts his journey in Shire. I need your opinion if I should do the Old forest and Barrow Down chapters in here or not. Your choice, unless I get a lot of people wanting those chapters, I'm not going to do them. I've yet to decide if I should separate the four stories or just all do it in one extremely long one. Let me know what you think. Also I shall give one hint of when another character will come into the story, and who it is, just not yet. ;) I hope you enjoyed and please read and review.

Reviewer Response

Inwe Nolatari: Yeah, that was what I was heading for. I surprisingly liked the sixth book a lot, and this has many spoilers from it. Glad you like the story so far. Don't worry, this is not the last you've seen of Albus Dumbledore. Oops. Wasn't supposed to share that. J