Chapter Nine: At Minas Morgul:

Severus landed in the ruined vale and turned human, the time of hiding was over and he refused to listen to the pull to travel past the ruined city and higher up. He walked to the bridge and looked up at the evil place and took out his wand though he was not so sure he needed it. He cast his Patronus and it rode huge and strong, and in the shape of Fawkes. He cast six more times and each Patronus flew to the city and sat on one of the great towers. Then they sang, Severus was not surprised anymore as to what his magic could do here and he liked that the only magic he had used of such power was light based.

He felt lightness he never had before and he laughed as he headed into the city only to be met by orcs. He put his wand up and took out his sword and shield and began the battle here. He heard cries, not of pain but of an army surging into the city and soon he was joined by soldiers of Gondor who could not step near the black gates but here, here under this princeling they could battle. Severus had never lead in battle before and was not fully sure what to do. That was when a captain came up and bowed before him, Severus still found that strange any would bow to him willingly.

"We fight in the name of the king." Severus said, "for king Elessar, for middle earth and for all to be free!"

"What are your orders my prince?" The captain, captain Quinn asked.
"I am but a simple man, I have no way of knowing the best battle plans, I ask you to lead the way."

"Yes highness." Quinn said.

The battle was one Severus felt he had the most to contribute to. He fought hard and went where Quinn said he should. He saw that while there were few orcs here, there were enough to give a fine battle. He fought his way up to the top of the tower and here he brought every Patronus he had cast into one giant one. Magic in middle earth was amazing and using light magic even better. This proved Severus had changed for the better, that he could cast such a spell to wash over the evil vile city and start to cleanse it, a cleansing that would take many years still but that he had started the process showed he was very powerful. The orcs fled in terror and were cut down as they tried to escape.

The men were different that were here, they fought on, they had a task to do and they would do it. Severus found engines of war and used these against those here. It probably was not fair to bring a man of twentieth century earth, one raised in squalor of a decayed mill town and not phased by the wreck and ruin around him to middle earth. To many of the men here, even after seeing the ruins of Osgiliath had not prepared them for the very filth and stink here. Severus did not mind as much as they, he had grown up in such filth it was true and so he was very able to fight on. Quinn came up to him.

"My lord the men weary, this is hard work to them." Quinn said.
"I understand, well, tell the men to get up to higher ground, I will see if I can bring rain to wash away the filth." Severus said.
"Yes my lord." Quinn said bowing and leaving to carry out the orders.

Severus took his wand out and sent out a link to middle earth to ask permission for what he was to do. He felt to cast the spell he wanted he needed to see if she would allow it. He felt the answer and so with his wand cast a spell he had only seen in myth and found that in this hour of need he could cast the cleansing spell that washed over Minas Morgul and started to wash away much of the evil and dirt, there was much to do but this helped set the city on a path to being reclaimed. The men were able to see that filth leave and the city's stone gleamed grey not black as before.

Severus entered a chamber and was attacked at once, he was thrown to a wall his sword across the room. An Uruk-hai was here and growling at him, wonderful, he really did not like these guys. Clad in livery of black and silver, his armor gleaming the Uruk-hai advanced on him. Severus saw he carried a whip in one hand and sword in the other. His magic stores were very low so he could not call on that to fight at the moment. He found himself drug to his feet and the Uruk-hai poked him and growled at him. Severus refused to show fear though it looked as if he was going to end up as someone's dinner. That was not going to be fun at all, he acted weaker than he was.

"Oh a princeling." The Uruk-hai said, "this will be funny what I do to you, play then dinner for me and my lads."

"I don't intend to be on anyone's menu today." Severus said sticking a dagger in the orc.

"Eh that is not the way to play!"

"Well this princeling plays with orcs that way!" Severus snarled back.

He took the head of the orc and mentally counted how many he had killed, twenty, he needed to get more. He found things to make explosives and he did so quickly and came on a courtyard of at least an hundred orcs. He threw down the hastily made bombs and got at least twenty. Then he jumped and used his sword to start to fight, and found more orcs pouring into the courtyard. Quinn was there with men and he grinned, he liked this princeling, he knew how to fight and did so well. They fought through most of the rest of that day and by nightfall not an orc was alive.

"That should start cleaning this city." Severus said, "it will be mine, would you care to live here once it is cleaned?"
"I would be honored my lord." Quinn said, "I do not mind it too much now."

"You have fought well today." Severus said.

"As have you my lord." Quinn said.

They sat below the city now in a camp in the woods and ate dinner such as it was. It was agreed that a watch would be set and that Severus would be woken for a watch. Yet Quinn could not wake him when it was his time and so let him sleep on. There was hope in the air and he grinned, something good was coming and the world was getting brighter. Severus woke early and found what his captain had done but did not scold him, instead he set about fixing his breakfast and then he set out on his march and found the armies that had gone out with Aragon. He came up and Severus bowed deeply before him.

"Is Minas Morual secured?" Aragon asked.
"Yes my lord." Severus said, "my men did well, captain Quinn did save my life and lead the charge."
"Did he?" Well done, the ring is destroyed, come, there are those that wish to meet with you." Aragon said.

Severus followed him and found Gandalf seated smoking with Legolas who on seeing Severus rose and smiled. There was Merry and Pippin and a grumpy dwarf. Oh, this could get painful for Severus. Gimli walked up and fixed him with a glare and no matter how much shorter than him Severus had to resist the urge to run.

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Giving Minas Morgul to Severus makes sense. He grew up in a filthy mill town and so is very used to dirt and filth like this. The peoples of Gondor are not, and him turning it into a city of light once more would not be as daunting to him. Still, he had to stay away from Mordor, Minas Morgul was as close as he could get at this time.

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