Disclaimer: Guess what? I own absolutely nothing from Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings! Shocking, isn't it? Now that we have that cleared up…
Chapter 4: Meetings at Bree
By the time Harry and the hobbits got to Bree, it was raining. After managing to convince the gate-keeper to let them in, they all headed towards the Prancing Pony. There, they got some bad news.
Gandalf wasn't there yet. The innkeeper, Barliman Butterbur, hadn't seen him for six months. This got Frodo very anxious, though he tried not to show it. "Has Gandalf ever been late before?" asked Harry, once they'd gotten a table.
"Not that I know of," answered Frodo. He looked very uncomfortable. Harry couldn't be too surprised. None of the four hobbits had ever been outside the Shire before. Add the fact that there were dementor-creatures after them, and Gandalf hadn't showed up, and their situation looked pretty bleak.
Merry and Pippin didn't look at it that way though. They were having a great time, drinking and listening to the other men around them. One table was particularly crowded, so the two decided to see what was going on.
It seemed like the attention was centered on two boys who were telling what looked like a very entertaining story. Merry was a little surprised to see that the boys looked only a little older than Harry, yet everyone treated them like the kings of the court. He was also surprised to notice that they were twins; both had identical red hair and freckles. But he was also very interested in the story they were telling.
"It was bloody brilliant! He just swooped down like that, and before that dragon even knew what was happening, he had its golden egg and he flew off and landed safely on the ground!"
The crowd was cheering. "What are they talking about?" asked Pippin.
One man turned to look at him. "Weren't you listening?" he asked incredulously. Pippin shook his head. "Well, we just asked these two if they knew any good stories about monsters like dragons, and they just told us how some kid flew around on his magic broomstick and stole a golden egg from a dragon."
"That's incredible!" said Pippin.
"I don't believe it," said another man, "No kid could face a dragon and live. And broomsticks don't fly!"
"Where we come from they do," said one of the boys.
"Where do you come from?" asked the man, "You never say!"
"That's for us to know, and you to never find out!" said the other boy with a mischievous grin.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked the man.
"Now, now Bill Ferny, don't you want to hear the rest of the story?" said one of the boys. He said the magic words. Everyone immediately turned in their direction to listen.
"What happened next?" asked Pippin, breathless with excitement.
"Well, like I said, this was a tournament, and as Harry just won, we did the only thing that seemed sensible at the time."
"What was that?" asked Merry.
"PARTY!"
Everyone cheered and laughed.
"It was great. We had all the food you could imagine." Pippin started to drool. "Including the Canary Creams."
"What are Canary Creams?" asked Pippin.
The boys burst into wide grins. "Would you like to try one?" asked one of them, "We've got one right here." He pulled it out of his pocket. Pippin nodded eagerly. "Ok, here you go."
Pippin eagerly ate the Canary Cream. "That was deli…" he started to say, but was interrupted as he suddenly turned into a giant canary! The crowd exploded with laughter. Merry was laughing so hard; he was rolling all over the floor with tears in his eyes. After a minute or so, Pippin molted, and turned back into a hobbit. Even he couldn't help but laugh. "What happened? How did you do that?" he asked.
"That's what I'd like to know," said Bill Ferny suspiciously.
"Calm down Ferny," said one of the boys, "It was just a little secret ingredient we added." He grinned at Pippin. "Sorry, mate. Couldn't resist." He stared at Merry and Pippin curiously. "Who are you guys? I don't think we've ever seen you before."
"And believe me," said his twin, "We know everyone around here."
"You're right," said Merry, "We're from the Shire. I'm Merry, and that's Pippin."
"I'm Fred Weasley. This is George."
"Nice to meet you," said George, and they shook hands.
Merry stared at them. "What's the matter?" asked Fred.
"I just realized," said Merry, "You two sound exactly like some of the friends our friend Harry talks about!"
"Harry? Harry Potter?" asked George in shock.
"Yeah!" said Pippin, "He's over there!" He pointed at the table where Harry, Frodo, and Sam were so deeply in conversation they hadn't noticed what was going on around them.
Fred and George leapt up and ran over to Harry. Merry and Pippin watched happily as Harry looked up and his eyes widened. The next thing they knew, all three of them were jumping up and down, hugging, laughing, and acting very out of character in their wild excitement.
"Where have you been," gasped Fred finally as they sat down next to the others, "We landed in Bree, and we waited and waited but the rest of you never showed up!"
"I think we all landed in different places," muttered Harry, "But we can't talk about this now, in front of everyone else. We need to talk somewhere in private, so my new friends and I can tell you what's been happening."
"No problem," said Fred, "We live in a room right here in this inn. Follow us."
They all quickly got up and went upstairs to the twins' room. It was a very cozy place, with a big fireplace, a few beds, and some comfy looking armchairs surrounding a little wooden table. On the table was some tea and crumpets.
"Excellent," sighed Fred as he sank into an armchair, "The Prancing Pony has great service. Mr. Butterbur's a friend of ours now, seeing as how we attract so many customers. They like hearing about our little misadventures, then we showed them how to make butterbeer. This place has been packed ever since."
"You know how to make butterbeer!" said Harry in shock.
"Of course," said George, "Come on Harry, we've snuck into Hogsmeade so many times, we pretty much figured out everything that goes on in there! Never mind that though, what's new with you?"
Harry quickly filled them in on everything that had happened, from his arrival to the Shire to the story of the Ring, and finally their trip to Bree. The twins were stunned.
"Wow," said George, "And here I thought we were taking a little vacation from all that business with You-Know-Who and the Order and everything back at Hogwarts. Now you're telling us there's someone like that here?"
"Who's You-Know-Who?" asked Pippin.
"You know, Voldemort. That's what other people call him because they're afraid to say his name. Remember when I told you that Pippin?" asked Harry.
"Oh yeah," said Pippin.
"So anyway, it'd be better that no one else knows where we're from. You haven't told anyone in Bree, have you?" added Harry anxiously.
"Nope. As far as their concerned, we're travelers from a distant land. Anyway, you saw that Bill Ferny. He doesn't believe any of our stories. I'm sure no one else does either," said Fred.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," said Harry, "Sam saw someone staring at us a little while ago. Mr. Butterbur said his name was Strider, and that he was something called a Ranger."
"And they said he was dangerous," Sam piped up.
"Who, Strider?" scoffed Fred, "Oh he's harmless. Keeps to himself mostly from what we've seen. He never gets friendly with anyone in Bree, and no one seems to encourage him. They all seem to shun the Rangers, but I can't figure out why. They never bother anyone."
"They could be servants of the Enemy," said Merry, "What do you think Frodo?"
"I don't know," said Frodo quietly, "Bilbo never mentioned them to me before. They may be harmless like Fred suggests, but they could be dangerous. I think I'll just stay clear of them to be safe."
"All right, but I'm telling you, you don't have to worry about Strider, he's totally harmless," said Fred. He yawned suddenly. "It's getting pretty late. Unless there's anything else important you need to tell me, I'm going to bed."
"Me too," said George, "Do you guys need rooms here?"
"No, Mr. Butterbur told us there are some hobbit-size rooms available," said Frodo.
"Well, you won't fit in one of those Harry," said George, "But that's not a problem. We have an extra bed right here."
"Thanks guys," said Harry.
"Goodnight," said the hobbits, and they left.
Harry was so tired, he climbed right into bed. It was very comfortable, but he still missed the Gryffindor dormitory at Hogwarts. Finding Fred and George had made him realize just how homesick he was. He hoped the others were nearby.
But you can't go home, he thought, You have to help Frodo. Harry suddenly felt torn. When he first arrived in Middle Earth, he loved the Shire, but all he thought of was going home. Now he wasn't sure if he should leave. He'd sworn to Gandalf that he'd protect Frodo. What should he do?
Just as he was starting to drift off into an uneasy sleep, the door banged open, and Sam, Merry, and Pippin stumbled in, looking terrified.
"You have to come help!" cried Sam, "We had just gotten downstairs when Frodo bumped into that Bill Ferny and lost his balance. He must've had the Ring in his hand, because when he fell, it flew into the air and landed on his finger, and he disappeared. I didn't like the look on that old Bill Ferny's face at all. He took one look at the floor and dashed off. We started to go back up the stairs for you three, when Frodo reappeared, and that Strider fellow came up, muttered something about attracting too much attention, and dragged Frodo away! We have to help him!"
"Ok, Sam, calm down," said Harry, sitting up.
"Yeah, we'll help him, don't worry," said George, and all six of them dashed downstairs; Harry, Fred, and George with their wands out.
Strider was busy trying to get Frodo to trust him when he heard footsteps. He drew his sword just as the door burst open and Harry, Fred, and George ran in with their wands pointed at him.
To Harry's surprise, the ranger had an almost panicked look on his face. He hadn't expected Strider to know that the wands were actually dangerous. "Put those away," Strider said through clenched teeth, "If anyone sees those…"
"How do you know what they are, and why would you care?" asked Harry fiercely.
"I know because my friend Gandalf told me," replied Strider, "He told me to be on the lookout for four hobbits and a boy who happened to be a wizard. You certainly fit his description. And as for you two," he added, eyeing the twins, "You need to be more careful. I've been suspicious of you for a long time. Though I never understood how your stories could be true, about flying broomsticks and candy that makes your tongue grow four feet long, something told me you didn't make them up. And I can assure you, there will be others who are just as interested in you as me, but far more dangerous."
"And how do we know you're not dangerous?" asked Sam threateningly.
"I think we can trust him," said Frodo suddenly. It was the first time he'd said anything in front of them. "He hasn't exactly harmed us in anyway, and I think if he really wanted anything of ours, he would've attacked us already. Besides," he said, turning to look at Strider, "You don't feel evil, if you know what I mean."
Harry looked at Strider and immediately understood what Frodo was saying. When he first met Draco Malfoy, his archenemy was somewhat polite to him. He'd at least treated him like he was worth talking to. But Harry never liked the look of him, no matter how civil Malfoy pretended to act; he always seemed to have the shadow of a sneer on his face. Strider, on the other hand, looked much more sincere.
"Who are you Strider?" he asked slowly, "What's your real name? And why do you want to help us so much?"
Before Strider could answer, they heard a noise in the hallway; someone had sneezed. Merry and Pippin, who were closest to the doorway, immediately leapt out just in time to see someone run out the door into the night. But they knew who it was.
"It was that Bill Ferny," said Merry, "I think he was listening to us!"
"I never trusted that git," muttered Fred.
"Well, we need to decide on a plan now," said Strider, "I'm afraid he may have gone to inform someone of our whereabouts."
"You mean the Black Riders?" asked Harry.
"They are not just black riders," said Strider, "I'll explain them to you later. Right now we need to move. You can't stay in your rooms tonight."
Fred and George suddenly grinned. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking George?" asked Fred.
"I think so," said George.
"What have you guys got up your sleeves this time?" asked Harry.
"This," said Fred dramatically, and the twins proceeded to explain their plan.
That night, just as Strider predicted, four Black Riders crashed through the gate and rode through Bree. They headed straight for the inn and drew their swords out. Without so much as a warning, they charged right in, past the bar, and into the hobbits' room.
The first thing they noticed was that the boy their leader had encountered was not there. No matter. Once they had the Ring, Sauron could come and deal with him. They raised their swords and each stood beside a bed. Then they struck!
But they had not hit hobbits. They had instead hit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' newest merchandise: Exploding Pillows! The next thing the riders knew, there were fireworks in the shapes of "ZZZZZZ" exploding in their faces. If there was one thing these black menaces hated, it was fire, or anything related to it. They shrieked loudly and fled from the room, furious that they had been tricked so easily and that the Ring was gone.
Strider was looking out the window of a barn across from the inn. He watched as the Riders mounted their horses and left. "It's safe now," he said to the others.
They had all agreed that the loft above the barn was the safest place to hide. But it had still been a very close call. Upon hearing the explosions in the room, Harry had to place a Silencing Charm on Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin, who were roaring with laughter. The younger hobbits were absolutely delighted with the twins' prank. Already they had ordered about a dozen pillows for when they returned to the Shire.
"That was brilliant!" said Harry, as he lifted the charm,"How did you make those?"
"We had some firecrackers in our pockets when we went through the portal," explained Fred, "Actually, we were on our way to Snape's private storerooms to find some ingredients for our latest merchandise before we saw you guys."
But Frodo was more interested in the Riders. "What are they?" he asked.
"They were once Men," said Strider. He proceeded to explain how Sauron had tricked them into taking Nine Rings of Power which had slowly corrupted them until they had no will of their own, except the will of the Ring. They weren't alive, but they weren't dead either. They just existed as shapeless menaces. "They are the Nazgul," said Strider, "Ringwraiths. They will never stop hunting you."
Harry felt a chill run down his spine. Would this nightmare ever end? In spite of all the dangers he'd faced at Hogwarts, and the promise he'd made to Frodo, he wanted nothing more than to go home. Yet, somehow, when he was around Strider, he felt safer. He was now confident that this man, though suspicious-looking at first, was really all right and would look after them. Then he remembered something.
"You still haven't answered my questions," he said.
Strider turned and looked at him. "About who I am? And why I care? Because that is what I do. That's what all the Rangers do. It's because of us that these lands are safe from evil."
"But you never get any credit for it!" said Harry, sounding shocked.
"No. You saw old Butterbur. Most people here think we're dangerous rough men who are not to be trusted. But we don't care. We Rangers keep to ourselves mostly. We hardly ever make real friends."
Harry suddenly felt nothing but sympathy for the man sitting by the window. He fully understood, considering half the wizarding world thought he was a raving lunatic. It was obvious though, that unlike Harry, Strider didn't really care what others thought of him. He did what he had to do to stop evil. If no one else appreciated him, too bad.
"It's not really that bad," he said to Harry, as if reading his thoughts, "As for who I am, I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and you should know that if by my life or death I can protect you, I will."
He then sat up, suddenly all business. "We should spend the rest of the night here; then move on. That is, if you will have me as a companion."
"Of course!" said Harry. The others readily agreed.
"Good," said Aragorn, now smiling, "I know some paths in the wilderness outside Bree that no one else knows of. With any luck, I can get you to Rivendell in a few weeks. You'll be safe there from the wraiths."
"What's Rivendell?" asked George.
"Are you guys coming?" asked Harry.
"Of course we are!" cried Fred, "It's not like we can back down now, can we?"
"Yeah, don't worry Harry, we'll stick with you," said George, "But what is Rivendell?"
"It's an elven kingdom by the Misty Mountains," replied Aragorn, "I used to live there; so I know where to find it."
"You lived in Rivendell?" asked Frodo in surprise. He'd heard so much about it from Bilbo; it was hard to believe that this ranger had even set foot there.
"A long time ago," said Aragorn shortly. He was not in the mood to go into his personal history. It would lead to all sorts of questions he didn't want to answer. "It's time you all got some sleep. We'll have a long day tomorrow."
The others realized just then how tired they were, so they did as they were told. But although he was tired, Harry was having trouble sleeping. His mind was buzzing with all the events that had happened tonight. He'd found two of his friends, he found out he was being hunted by evil shapeless beings, and he had met someone new who was quite a puzzle in himself. In spite it all, though, Harry couldn't help but notice he felt strangely connected to the man. It was strange, since they hardly knew each other, but he felt that after living what must be a dangerous life, Aragorn must know how it felt to be misunderstood, and always have everything happen to you, the way Harry felt when he dealt with Voldemort. He was dying to know more about Aragorn, but decided not to push it. He would tell Harry more when and if he felt like it. With this in mind, Harry finally fell asleep.
A/N: Sorry if this wasn't as good, but you must understand that by the time I got to Aragorn, I was having a severe case of writer's block, so if any of the lines are either movie-related, book-related, or just plain clichéd, they were either unavoidable, or it was all I could think of at the moment. I'm sorry.
Keep up the reviews; I love them! Like I said before, it makes me want to keep writing!
UK All the Way: Thank you for the advice. I'm trying to stear clear of movie lines, but sometimes when it's unavoidable, they'll come up. I'm doing my very best. I have to say I grinned when I read your review because I knew Fred and George were coming up in the very next chapter. Rest assured they and Merry and Pippin will become inseparable!
Kaladelia Undomiel: I know, and like I said to UK All the Way, I'll try and avoid the movie lines. I'm glad you liked the story. I liked yours:)
