Tale of Two Wizards
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry, Sirius, I can only bring you back to life on fanfic. I don't own Lord of the Rings either, so don't ask me to send orcs to your next birthday and I can not get you a date with Aragorn. Other than that, I am the all powerful author. Ha, ha, ha!
Chapter One
Sirius was laughing, "Is that the best you can do?" He dodged a flash of light from Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, also known as His-evil-stupid-cousin-who-is-a-Death-Eater-and-works-for-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-Voldemort-and-he-disowns-her-as-a-cousin-wow-she-has-a-long-hyphenated-name-does-she-not-wow-her-name-is-longer-than-the-actual-story-so-far. Anyway. She pointed her wand straight at his chest and this time he had no escape.
"No!" Screamed Harry and Lupin in unison as Sirius slowly fell. Lupin, (the only one there besides Sirius with a functioning brain, used for thinking) rushed toward him, but when he was only a few feet away, Sirius, a mixture of horror and amusement on his face, fell behind the veil.
Thump! Frodo was falling, the ring sailing through the air. Then he landed on something, which he was pretty sure wasn't the floor. The clatter of metal on the floor indicated that the ring had fallen behind him. He reached over the thing under him and grasped the ring. Only then did he realize that it was a man under him. Like any logical person would do, Frodo screamed.
"Sam, there's an unconscious guy under me who wasn't there two minutes ago!"
"Well, what do you want me to do about it, Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked, staying as far away as possible.
"Well, maybe you should get off of him first," Pippin suggested. Frodo quickly did so, running into Pippin in the process and nearly knocking him off his stool.
"Steady on!" Pippin exclaimed. "That's the second time tonight." Meanwhile, the people of the Prancing Pony were crowding around Sirius.
"Who is he?"
"Where did he come from?"
"What's he doing here?"
"Does he want some food?"
"It looks like he's hurt bad," Pippin observed.
"Let's get him to Butterbur."
"He'll know what to do."
"And just what am I supposed to do with him?" demanded Butterbur.
"Give him to me," said a voice. All eyes turned to Strider.
"He's injured. We must get him to a room."
"What are you going to do with this poor helpless stranger?"
"I'm going to kill him. Just kidding." Butterbur gave him what passed for an evil look in Bree. "No, I'm going to treat his wounds, dummy."
"Well, there's no need to be rude."
"Yes, there is. There is need for urgency or he may die. Frodo, come with me." He grabbed the struggling Hobbit and Sirius and dragged them both up the stairs, the other two hobbits right behind. (Merry is outside, just as he is in the book, just in case anyone was wondering where he was. I haven't killed him: yet).
"What's going on?" Pippin asked.
"I'm rescuing you from danger. You can thank me later," Strider replied.
"Who is he?" Pippin wondered, pointing to Sirius.
"I don't know, but he's injured, so I'm going to help him."
"And why did you drag us up here?" Sam asked.
"To prevent any further mishaps involving Mr. Baggins."
Frodo gasped. "You know my name!"
"I am a friend of Gandalf the Grey; that should suffice for now. At the moment, I need some air. You stay up here and watch him. Don't go anywhere."
"But what about Merry?" Pippin shouted after him.
"I'll get him."
Snape could see it all. The Death Eaters were in mortal combat against the Order of the Phoenix. Over in a dark and dreary corner fought Bellatrix (see above for hyphenated name) and Sirius also known as Padfoot (dang it, he doesn't have as long a hyphenated name, in fact, there's no hyphen at all.:()
"Kill him," thought Snape. For once, his wish came true. Snape was very impressed by Sirius' back flip into the veil. Then . . .
It was raining. Snape glanced around. There was no way this was his office. He reached for his wand only to find it wasn't there. Nearby there was an awning, so, naturally, he ducked under it to avoid getting soaked. Then he did what any sane wizard would do; he tried to open the door.
"Una pue." The door di nothing. "iratnemugeteni! Ralucsavoidrac! Enircpodne! Nibolgomeh! Ralletap!"
"Excuse me, but why don't you just . . ."
"Knock on the door. All right." Snape knocked. It opened immediately and a man stormed past them. Snape entered and the short person who had just spoken to him followed. The midget went up to the man behind the desk.
"Where is Mr. Underhill?" Snape heard him ask.
"Up in his room," the innkeeper replied. The short person thanked him and headed toward the stairs. Using his skills, Snape snuck through the crowd to follow the short person. Up the stairs he went. When his leader ducked into a room, Snape hid outside the doorframe.
"What happened here?" a voice, presumably the one who had just walked in, asked.
"He just showed up under Frodo. It's like he came out of nowhere."
"Do you know who he is?"
"No." Snape ventured a look into the dark room. Four short people were grouped around a bed. Finally, one of them moved so that Snape could see. He knew the figure, the hair, the eyes, but it couldn't be. It was impossible. It was Sirius Black. Snape could feel his face drain of color as he resumed his position against the wall. He had to get out of there.
"Are you all right, sir?" asked a voice. Snape jumped, for he had been too preoccupied with Sirius's unjustified appearance to notice this man's approach. He was about a head shorter than Snape and looked like an untrustworthy sort. Snape liked him immediately.
"You look ill," the man said. "Come step outside with me." Snape didn't need to be asked twice. He followed the man downstairs and outside. They attracted a multitude of stares, but neither man was unaccustomed to this.
The rain had not ceased when they entered into the night. This did not sway Snape's host, however, who seemed keen to escape the lights of the inn.
"Now, what is the matter?"
"I just met an old acquaintance, one I'd hoped never to see again," Snape admitted. His companion nodded slowly, eerily.
"My name is Bill Ferny. What are you called?"
"Severus Snape."
"Come with me," Bill said suddenly. His eyes darted about to be certain no one was coming. Dashing toward the nearest, tallest, building, he began to climb it. Snape followed, wishing he had his broom. It was a slow, slippery, strenuous climb, but at long last, the pair found their footing on the roof.
"There," whispered Bill, extending a long finger toward the main gate of Bree. Snape followed the pointed nail with his eyes and saw a hooded figure on horseback, both disguised in black to match the night.
"A dementor!" Snape whispered, astonished. He wondered if they had followed Sirius here. Bill gave him a strange look.
"The ringwraiths, they are. What they're after, I don't know, but I think it has something to do with on of the new arrivals."
"I think I can find out," Snape said mischievously. "Get me a black cloak."
The room was pitch black, save for the light of the moon. The Hobbits were dozing off, one by one. Strider had not yet returned when in slunk a dark figure. It glided past the two youngest Hobbits and the third. Then it came to Sirius. Padfoot's eyes blinked open in intense pain. He nearly screamed at what he saw, then he tried to move, but his legs refused to cooperate. He collapsed beside the bed. He tried once more to rise, but found his injury prevented it. The cloaked menace was closing in. In a final effort, he screamed, hoping against hope that someone would hear him. Frodo was up in seconds, the blue beam of his sword illuminating the darkness. When he saw the figure, however, he froze in terror.
At that moment, Strider burst through the door. To both Frodo and Sirius's dismay, he threw back the figure's hood.
"Snake," he hissed, shoving Snape to the floor.
"Actually, that's Professor Snape to you, smelly," he growled.
"Shut up while you still can," Sirius glared back.
"Are you all right, Frodo?" Strider asked. The Hobbit nodded. "And you," he addressed Sirius, "I am glad to find you conscious, no thanks to him." Strider threw Snape a look that warned him to remain where he was.
"Where am I?" Sirius asked, bewildered.
"You are in the Inn of the Prancing Pony," said one of the Hobbits. Obviously this didn't help Sirius much, so he decided to explain.
"The last thing I remember before awakening here is being hit with a spell by Bellatrix Lestrange," he grimaced.
"Do you still have your wand?" Snape demanded, forgetting all discretion in his fear. Sirius searched his robe and found it hidden within its folds.
"No, I must have lost it in the battle." Snape breathed a sigh of relief. At least they were both wandless.
"Where was this battle?" Strider asked.
"In the department of mysteries."
"I have never heard tell of that place. Where is it?"
"In London, or course," Snape hissed, thinking these people were dull, even for muggles. Now it seemed they did not even know of London.
"Where's that?" one of the short ones asked. He had an accent that sounded Scottish.
"I would think a Scott would know where London, England is!" Snape hollered, growing impatient. This lot was even dumber than Potter, which he hadn't thought possible until now.
"What's a Scott?" asked the same midget.
"In all my travels throughout Middle Earth, I have never heard of this London or England. Perhaps you are further from home than you believe," Strider said. Something in his voice seemed menacingly powerful and threatening to Snape. The Ranger turned to Sirius. "I believe you should set off with us for Rivendell tomorrow. You are badly injured and Lord Elrond will surely be able to heal you."
"How do we know you're a friend?" one of the halflings demanded.
"You have no solid evidence either way, so you have two choices: either you trust me or you don't. Whatever your decision, you cannot wait for Gandalf here in Bree forever. The enemy is in pursuit." Snape's ears became more attentive at this. Who was this enemy who was so feared and what did he want with four puny, stupid, midgets.
"Will he be going with us?" Sirius asked, jolting Snape from his wonderings.
"Not if I can help it," the Ranger growled. "He has the look and feel of a servant of the enemy."
"The enemy of one is a friend to another," Snape said, smugly.
"Fool!" Sirius hollered. "Do you forget that I know what you are? You used to work for Voldemort, and I am not convinced that even now you are on our side as you claim to be." Sirius tried to rise, but Strider held him fast.
"He'll not be coming," the Ranger said again, staring sternly at Snape. "Let us all get some sleep."
"Mr. Frodo, we're not going with him are we?"
"Sam, I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler," Frodo replied with a side glance at Snape. Just then, Strider bent down beside him.
"We leave as soon as Professor Snape is asleep," he whispered.