5. The Battle of Amon Hen

Hermione, meanwhile, was watching in horror as Boromir tried to take the Ring from Frodo. She wanted to intervene, but was afraid of the Gondor warrior. So, Hermione stayed in her hiding space behind a tree. Frodo slipped on the Ring, and disappeared. Boromir cried out in anguish, pleading the Frodo for forgiveness. Aragorn found Frodo, who backed away in fear. Hermione rushed up behind the hobbit.

"Frodo," Aragorn started.

"It has taken Boromir" said Frodo flatly.

"Where is the ring?" Frodo backed away from Aragorn, and into Hermione.

"Stay away!" he cried out.

"I swore I would protect you."

"Can you protect me from yourself?" Frodo demanded. Aragorn knew he could not. He was subject to a weakness to the Ring. Whether he wanted to or not, Aragorn was destined to fall for the Ring, if it was in his power. Aragorn then set Frodo free, knowing it would be the only way his would be safe.

Just after Frodo asked Aragorn to look after Sam, Aragorn froze. Frodo pulled out Sting, it was glowing blue.

"Uruks," Hermione said quietly.

"Run!" Aragorn yelled. "Run! Both of you!"

"I'm not going! My job is to help!" Hermione replied.

"I'm telling you to run!" Aragorn said. Frodo was gone. Hermione pulled out her sword. The sheath was hidden under her navy blue robes.

"I'm fighting with you, Aragorn."

"It's too dangerous. Please go!" But Hermione persisted. Time was running out. The Uruks were now at the top of the hill. Pulling out his sword, Aragorn prepared to face the wrath of Saruman. Hermione stood about a hundred yards away, ready to fight.

Ron had noticed that Hermione had been gone for a while, but when he went to leave, Legolas stopped him.

"We are under attack, I can hear them. Come! We must save Frodo!" he explained. The remainder of the Fellowship grabbed their weapons, and ran towards Amon Hen. On their way to Aragorn and Frodo, the group encountered another group of Uruks. Merry and Pippin were somehow separated from everyone else. Harry and Ron pulled out their wands, ready to fight.

"Maybe dueling will come in handy. The only thing that that air-head Lockheart taught us that will come in handy," Ron said quietly to Harry. Harry smiled, and began to take out the Uruks. He had never seen anything like the creatures. They were large and muscular, with white hands imprinted on their armor. They were black, with long, dark, greasy hair, and menacing fangs.

"Um, mate," Ron said. "I don't think our wands will be much use here."

"I think you're right," replied Harry. The friends then pulled out their swords. Harry noticed some writing on the blade of his. "Godric Gryffindor," it read.

"Um, Ron," he said. Ron looked at the blade.

"How did Galadriel get that?" he asked. Harry couldn't reply, the Uruks were a here. Ron was afraid, for he had never even held a sword. Harry had used one in the Chamber of Secrets, but that had been almost 4 years ago. This was the same sword, but it felt different. If something went wrong whilst Harry had the sword, then there would be problems in not only Middle-Earth, but maybe his world too. Harry swung the sword at the first Uruk that came at him. When Ron did the same thing, he actually killed the beast. Something was wrong; they actually had some skill with the sword. This couldn't be right.

Hermione was equally surprised when she began to help Aragorn fight. She knew how to fight, but had never even been near a sword before. She and Aragorn were forced to flee up the steps of the structure near them. The steps led up to a platform, where she and Aragorn pushed the Uruks off, after they were injured. After the majority of Uruks had been taken care of, Hermione heard a horn.

"What's that?" she asked.

"The Horn of Gondor. Come!" yelled Aragorn. He led Hermione in the direction of the horn. This was it, the moment Hermione had been dreading. The death of Boromir. She had been avoiding him, trying not to get close, but that didn't mean that the Fellowship wasn't close to him. Boromir was as important as anyone else with them, and his death would take a lasting effect on Aragorn.

Hermione rushed towards the sound of the horn with Aragorn. They arrived just in time to see Merry and Pippin being carried off by Uruks, and the Uruk Lurtz about to shoot Boromir with a fourth arrow. Aragorn charges him, and they begin to fight. Harry and Ron come stumbling out from behind Hermione. Hermione whirls around, sword drawn. She then notices a deep gash on Harry's arm, and Ron limping. Aragorn, meanwhile, makes a final blow, cutting off Lurtz's head.

"What's wrong with Boromir?" Ron whispered to Hermione.

"He's dying. The Uruks have taken Merry and Pippin," she explained. Ron noticed a tear slip down her cheek.

"Why?" asked Harry.

"Sarumon knows that a hobbit has the Ring, but he doesn't know which one, so they took both."

"But where's Sam and Frodo?" Ron asked.

"Aragorn let them go. They're going to Mordor, to the Mountain of Fire to destroy the Ring." Hermione turned to face Aragorn. Legolas and Gimli had since joined them. Gimli's expression was hard to read, but Legolas looked like he was confused and sad. Boromir, the Son of Gondor was dead.

Harry and Hermione each slung one of Ron's arms around their shoulders, and helped him back to the boats. Aragorn had carried Boromir, and Legolas collected tributes from his last battle. Together, with the help of Harry, they put everything in a boat. At his head was his shield, and with him, was Orc arrows, his sword, and the Horn of Gondor. The horn had been broken in two, but was included none-the-less. After that, they sent Boromir's body off the nearby waterfall. Afterwards, Hermione asked Ron what had happened to him.

"We were running because we heard the horn. I tripped over a log, which is pretty stupid, but we were afraid that something was wrong with you," he explained.

"I was fine. I was with Aragorn. I was worried about you," replied Hermione.

Aragorn came up to Ron, and said, "Let me see your leg." Ron rolled up his pants leg under his robe. Aragorn gently ran his hand over it.

"It appears broken. I can put it in a splint, but not much else," he explained.

"I can heal it," Hermione spoke up as she pulled out her wand.

"How?" asked Aragorn.

"I know a spell. Don't worry, I won't get rid of all your bones," Hermione added when she saw Ron's face.

"What does that mean?" Legolas asked. Harry explained what had happened to him in his second year as Hermione healed Ron's broken leg.

"This man got rid of all the bones in your arm?" Gimli asked.

"Yeah, he was a nut case," Ron said as Hermione helped him up. When he said this though, Hermione pushed him back to the ground.

"He wasn't a nut case!" she spat. "He was just misunderstood." Sensing the tension, Aragorn said that had to leave.

"But Frodo and Sam are gone! What more is there to do?" Harry asked.

"We may not be able to help Frodo and Sam, but we can save two hobbits from a terrible fate," he replied.

"Merry and Pippin? What's happened to them?" Harry asked.

"They were taken by the Uruks. We must hurry if we hope to catch them before they reach Sarumon," said Aragorn.