Chapter 8: Edoras

Gandalf looked different then the grandfather-like figure he was before he fell at Moria. He had on a long white robe and now held a white staff. His hair was as long as before, with an equally long white beard, but this time the hair was neatly combed. He looked more like an angel then a wizard. He instantly spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione. There was an unusual sparkle in his eyes.

"I'm glad to see that you arrived here safely," he said to them after he had quickly spoken to Aragorn. Gandalf then lowered his voice so only the trio (and Legolas) could hear. "I trust that Albus has explained what you are to do?"

"He was very vague. All he really said was that we are to help a group of people whose friend had died," Ron explained.

"That was me. I am back now, as a new person, as I explained before. You're job, however isn't completed. Albus told me that the rest of your job, you're to figure out on your own," explained Gandalf.

"Wait, the rest of our job?" Harry asked. "I thought our job was to help out Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship. Wasn't it?"

"Part of your job was to help what's left of the Fellowship; the part you're with, and it still is. You see, we're in a war too. Our war is just as important as yours, has the same consequences if we loose, and the fate is in someone who some don't think can beat the odds." Harry nodded slightly at Gandalf's last statement.

"So, Gandalf, why are we here then?" Hermione said at last. She had been so quiet, that Ron had almost forgotten that she was with them.

"Albus wants you to figure that out on your own. As far as he's concerned, you should be here to the end, Ms. Granger, you do know when that is, correct?"
"Yes," she said as she nodded her head slightly.

"Good then. Aragorn! We must get to Edoras and help the King!" said Gandalf loudly. He then summoned horses with the sweetest whistle Harry had ever heard. In no time at all, the 7 of them were all on horses like before, with Gandalf riding bare-back on a white stallion. The galloped across the barren plains towards a city on a large hill.

Edoras was a small city on the top of a large hill surrounded by a stone fence. When they got to the gate at the base of the hill, a green banner flew to the feet of Aragorn's horse. It was dark green with a white stallion on it. Inside the stone walls, the city was dark and sullen.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli said from the back of Legolas' horse. Harry looked up to what seemed to be a large hall, and saw a lady in white standing there. Her dress swirled in the heavy winds surrounding them and her blonde hair flew around her. Before Harry could get a second glance at her, she was gone. They rode up to the bottom of a set of stone steps leading up to the hall, and dismounted their horses. They were greeted at the doors to the hall by 3 soldiers.

"We will need your weapons," said one with a red beard and long read hair. Reluctantly, everyone gave up their weapons. Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept their wands; to the untrained eye, they looked like twigs picked up in the forest. Gandalf smiled when he saw Ron's wand sticking out of the folds of his robe. When the man tried to take Gandalf's staff, Gandalf explained that it was a walking stick. The man seemed satisfied with the answer, and allowed them to enter the hall.

The hall was large, and dark. On the far end sat an old man on a throne. He looked like he had withered away, and just his shell was left. To his right sat a pale man with long dark hair, each Hogwarts student was instantly reminded of Professor Snape. The man to the right of the throne turned to the other on the throne, and began to whisper in his ear. He looked like a snake.

"You are not welcome," the man on the throne said. His voice seemed distant, and foreign. The other man got up, and walked towards Gandalf, explaining to him that he is calling at such a late hour, or that's how Harry and Ron heard it.

"Silence! Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth," spat Gandalf. He then revealed his staff. The man wielded away in terror.

"I told you to take his staff!" he said to the guards in the hall. When the guards came forward to confiscate the staff, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli kept them away. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were so entranced in the fighting going on, they didn't even notice Gandalf trying to help the other man.

"Who is that?" Ron asked Hermione in a low voice.

"That's Theoden. He's the King of Rohan, the country we're in right now. He's been possessed by Sarumon, so he can control the race of man."

"Ok, so that's some pretty creepy looking King...so who's that?" Harry asked nodding at the other man who was being held down by Gimli's foot.

"That's Wormtongue. He got close to Theoden, so Sarumon could possess him. And that blonde, that's Eowyn. Her brother's the one who gave us the horses."

The trio looked in awe as Theoden changed right before their eyes. He went from the distant old man to a bright looking man in his 50's or 60's. He had blonde hair that fell to his shoulders, and knowledgeable eyes. Eowyn immediately rushed forward to help her Uncle. Theoden didn't recognize her at first, but quickly did when he saw Gandalf. The happiness was short-lived. Theoden had to learn the horrible news that his son, the prince, was dead. The funeral was short, and the members of the Fellowship were gathered with Theoden and Eowyn in the Great Hall once again. Two young children had arrived, their village attacked by men from the North. Harry and Ron began to understand that Middle Earth was much like their world. There was a Dark Lord, who would kill anyone in his path to power. They were deep in thought, when Aragorn's startling words brought them back to reality.

"War is upon you, whether you would risk it or not," he said gravely.

"War?" Ron asked Hermione uncertainly. She nodded without taking her eyes of the ground.

"Why would Professor Dumbledore send us to a world in the middle of war? Our world is at war too, but we don't get any extra help," said Ron.

"I don't know Ron. I keep replaying what Dumbledore said over and over again in my head, but nothing makes sense. Like you just said, our own world is in the middle of a war, so why come here. Especially if Harry's needed back home."

Harry suggested, "Maybe time's stopped back home; it's like a timeturner or something."

"No, we destroyed all the time turners, remember? There aren't any left anywhere in the wizarding world."

"Maybe someone had one illegally," said Ron. "I mean, Rita Skeeter was an illegal animagus, and you were the only one to catch on."

"Don't think so. Ron! That newspaper I gave you as an early Christmas present, do you have it in your bag?"

"The one that updates itself daily? Yeah, I stuffed it in my bag. Why?"

"It's made to update itself no matter what. If the date's the same as when we left, then time in our world's stopped. If not, then we have a problem." Ron dropped his bag on the ground, and began fishing through it for the newspaper. He pulled it out, and looked at the date on the top.

"February 4, 1996. Guys, we left back in December," he said slowly. Hermione sank slowly to the ground, leaning up against a pillar for support.

"Why would he do this? He knows that we're needed back home, so why didn't he try to stop time or something? Ron, what does the headline say?" Ron looked at the large letters on the top of the paper.

"Five more deaths, things aren't looking very good for us." Hermione shook her head, and kept looking at the ground.

The silence was interrupted by a sweet voice.

"Is everything alright? I saw that you came with Lord Aragorn, but I don't recognize where you are from," the voice said. Hermione looked up, and was face-to-face with her favorite Lord of the Rings character, Eowyn.

"Everything's fine, thank you. My name's Hermione, and these are my best friends, Ron and Harry," said Hermione, standing up.

"My name is Eowyn. Welcome to Rohan," Eowyn looked around the Hall. "We will be leaving soon for Helms Deep."

"Is there anyway we can help?" asked Harry.

"The women need help gathering supplies, but you and your other friend should go talk to Aragorn."

"Then that's where we'll go. 'Mione, we'll see you later," Ron said, and he gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry, Dumbledore knows what he's doing," he said quietly.

"Ok," she replied. She and Eowyn then went to get together supplies for the trip, while Harry and Ron went to help Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.