Guys, guys, guys! So personally, and this is just me, but it really irks me when authors... I dunno... hold their readers hostage for more reviews, you know what I mean? I don't wanna do that, so I'm gonna be blunt and get to the point: *clears throat* I CRACKED 100 REVIEWS!!!!!! I never set a goal or limit for each chapter, so each review I have gotten is far beyond what I expected when I started this journey!This chapter was a bit difficult for me, it's my first real attempt at action/battle. My M Rating is a precaution for scenes like this one, I don't plan to be extremely graphic but this is battle and there's gonna be blood.

Here's the obligatory bit about owning no proprietary rights, trademarks or copyrights to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinemas... that'd be real nice, though... I could go for some new boots for fall...*sighs*

I'm also gonna go ahead an apologize now for any errors or typos, it's currently 1 in the morning and I have a toddler... so... yea... spellcheck can only do so much.

~~~~~•~~~~~•~~~~~•~~~~~

The faint dripping of water off the stalagmites suspended from the cavern's ceiling echoed around the Ten Companions, their forms still and unmoving as Gandalf sat in silent concentration. They had been there for hours, stagnant as the wizard delved his memory seeking the correct route. The Hobbits had faded in and out of sleep, napping beneath their cloaks. Boromir sat near them with Frodo, his own cloak draped over the halflings. The Ring bearer seemed more curious of what he could see in the cavern below, staying near the wizard. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas had been rotating watch, alternating between the three of them over several hours.

Hermione kept her wand unsheathed, sitting on a lower step from where Gandalf was perched. She twirled the small horse charm at her wrist, her mind wandering to the Horse Lord who had gifted it to her. She wondered what adventure he might be on, hopeful Saruman had not discovered his suspicions of Wormtongue. She would be lying if she had said she wasn't disappointed their travels hadn't taken them down to the West road, she'd hoped to see him again. She was beginning to tire of the dark, damp mine, wondering what it might be to feel the warm breeze of the Rohan Plains.

"Hermione?" Aragorn sat beside her, shaking her from her thoughts. "Are you alright, do you need to rest?"

"No, I am fine." She looked up to where Gandalf still sat. "Is he even awake? I'm surprised he hasn't said anything for quite a while."

The ranger shook his head. "He seems to be awake, but he has yet to say a word. Though it smells like he's lit his pipe."

Hermione nodded. She has smelled the green leaf and hoped, perhaps, that his habit would induce a memory. While normally she abhorred the act she had noticed the smell wasn't altogether as unpleasant as tobacco had been to her back home.

"You seem displeased." He noted.

The witch had to contain a snort, rolling her eyes. "I'm more worried about the fact we have lingered here for so long. We should keep moving, Aragorn. The longer we stay here the more we risk being discovered. I doubt that Goblins merely slaughtered the dwarves then went on their merry way."

He eyed her curiously. "That's not all, is it?"

She looked up at him, his gaze telling her that she needn't lie to him.

"He knows something. Something dangerous, and he's not telling us which is equally as harmful." She sighed, fiddling with her bracelet again. "I'm no stranger to risk and peril, he knows this. But I can't stand to be ignorant by no fault of my own."

Aragorn nodded, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever risks may come we must face together. You are not alone, Hermione."

She knew he was right. This wasn't her own desolate task to take on. "I just don't like secrets." She whispered.

He squeezed her shoulder, urging her to meet his gaze. "You'll find no secrets with me. I promise."

Hermione nodded, she believed him. He had been nothing but honest with her so far, and she had no reason to believe that would change. A movement below them drew her attention. She stood quickly, her wand ready. A small figure lurked below, moving carefully from ladder to ladder, clearly watching them from the other side of the cavern below. She could make out the gleaming reflection of large, unsettling eyes even from a distance.

"I see it, too." Aragorn whispered beside her. "It's Gollum."

She turned to look at him, the name he'd uttered unfamiliar to her.

"He was the Ring's former carrier, from what Gandalf has told me. Used to be of the River folk, not unlike the Hobbits. He was twisted by the Ring until he became unrecognizable." The Ranger hung his head. "Gandalf had tasked me with finding Gollum after he learned Sauron was looking for the Ring. But his orcs found him first. I had failed."

"You tried, didn't you?" She asked. "It is of little consequence now, right?"

He nodded slowly. "I am surprised to see him here, though. He must have settled in the mines, in the dark away from the world."

Hermione noticed Frodo had moved over to Gandalf, looking down where they'd just seen the creature. He'd clearly noticed their observer, too. She could hear the faint murmur of the wizard as he spoke to the Hobbit.

"He won't come near us, we are too strong and too large a party for him to risk confronting." Aragorn looked down into the cavern. "He is more afraid of us then we are of him, I'm sure."

She looked back down in time to see Gollum retreat to the shadows, his scurrying footsteps echoing slightly. What a poor life that creature must lead, yearning for darkness and solidarity.

"Ah!" The pair turned sharply as the Wizard rose to his feet. "It's this way!"

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as her companions rose to their feet.

"He's remembered!" Merry smiled as he adjusted his cloak. The small hobbit helped his cousin to his feet looking excited as they approached the archways.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. When in doubt Master Meriadoc, always follow your nose!" Gandalf smiled down at the halfling.

Hermione felt her anger rise. Follow your nose? This man was said to be the most powerful conjurer known to Middle Earth, and he's choosing the corridor that smells good? She looked to Aragorn who, by his own confused expression, seemed to share a similar sentiment.

She sped up, to walk alongside Gandalf as they descended a narrow stairwell.

"Doesn't smell so foul, huh?" She asked.

"My dear I have lived many lives and must admit my memory is not as sharp as it once was." The wizard sighed, and she could tell in his tone that he was annoyed.

"This is not the same as being lost in a shop, Gandalf!" She whispered harshly. "We cannot afford to wander off, especially if we do not know if this leads us out!"

He looked sharply over at her, the same gaze he might give a disobedient first year at Hogwarts. But she did not back down.

"Do not look at me like that, you know I am right." She scoffed. "Lumos."

Her wand lit the corridor ahead, the witch being careful to not misstep on one of the broken tiles. The stairwell was not as wide as she would have liked, but what it lacked in width it made up for in its lack of distance. Soon she noticed an archway at the bottom, carefully moving ahead she stepped through, realizing she was in an expansive space.

"Let us risk a little more light, my dear." Gandalf came to stand beside her. He lifted his staff, as she did her wand.

"Lumos Maxima."

Hermione's jaw dropped at the sight before her. Stone pillars, hundreds of feet high, towered above their heads, stretching across the hall before them as far as the eye could see. These were no natural formations, each pillar carved smooth and intricately patterned.

"Behold! The great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf looked over at her, a small smirk on his face.

It took all she had to not slap the man beside her. There was no need to gloat, they were still far from their goal of leaving the mines.

"There's an eye-opener, and no mistake!" Sam gasped.

Looking back Hermione noticed the look of awe on her companions' faces. Their eyes were as wide as their smiles, taking in a sight none of them had ever had the honor to behold. As they began to move forward, the Hobbits eyes craning upwards to see the remnants of gilded carvings, the witch took more notice of the corpses surrounding them. Not only were there dwarves, but more goblins than had been in prior halls.

They were walking through a battlefield.

"No!" Suddenly, before any of them could stop him, Gimli ran off to a small room off to the right of the hall. He ran through the opened door, ignoring Gandalf's call behind him. A small slanted window in the ceiling lets in the first natural light the fellowship had seen in days, casting the room in an ethereal glow. Carcasses scattered the ground, piled high against the walls, stairs and the lone well in the corner of the room. A single stone catafalque stood in the center, it's white surface beaming in the light.

Gimli dropped to his knees before the marble slab, his shoulders shaking. Hermione knelt beside him, laying a hand on his arm. Reading the inscription on the surface she gasped, looking up and Gandalf who nodded solemnly.

"Here lies Balin... Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." He sighed, bowing his head as he reached forth to lay his hand atop the stone. "He is dead, then. It is as I feared."

Gimli sobbed, reaching for Hermione's hand as he chanted softly before the grave. "Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram ... Balin tazlifi."

Beside the stone laid a large tome in the arms of a skeleton. Hermione winced as Gandalf moved the boney arm from the spine. Setting his staff against his shoulder and handing his hat off to Pippin he opened the books, the spine cracking as dust fell from its pages.

"We must move on, Aragorn. We cannot linger." Legolas whispered urgently to the northman. Hermione shot a look over at the elf, hoping Gimli had not heard the warning. He bowed his head slightly, knowing she felt the dwarf had earned the right to grieve his kin.

"They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. We have barred the gates... But cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums... Drums sound in the deep." Gandalf ran his hand along the words, his eyes wide with concern. "We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. They are coming."

Suddenly a loud crash exploded through the room. Legolas had an arrow knocked, turned towards the well in the corner where Pippin jumped back from a headless skeleton, half of a rusted arrow in his hand. A chain was rapidly being pulled into the well, a bucket being drug from the floor over the edge, bringing the body with it. He avoided the gaze of his companions, wincing as the body loudly clattered down the dried well.

When the final reverberation died out Gandalf rushed over to the Hobbit.

"Fool of a Took!" He grunted, wrenching his hat back from the halfling. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

Pippin hung his head, looking like a scorned puppy as a low boom was heard from the well. He turned, his eyes wide with fear as another beat followed, then another.

"Mr. Frodo!" Hermione looked over as Sam spoke, noticing a blue glow coming from the ringbearer's scabbard. Soon the cries and howls echoed from the hall outside, moving closer. She ushered the Hobbits back against the wall, standing before them with her wand and dagger drawn. Her heart ached as she saw them draw their swords, arms shaking in fear.

"Orcs!" Legolas turned, quickly moving to close the doors.

"Get back!" Aragorn warned the hobbits, himself moving to the door with his sword drawn. "Stay close to Hermione and Gandalf!"

Boromir looked out into the hall, narrowly avoiding an arrow fired past his face. He jerked back, quickly slamming the door behind him.

"They have a cave troll." He shouted exasperatedly as he began moving some loose stones against the door with Aragorn, thrusting spears through the handles to bar them shut. Just as they place the final lance the doors lurch forward; the fight was here.

Gimli wrenched an axe from the grasp of one of the corpses, jumping up onto the Tomb. "Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" He shouted, fuming with anger that the enemy who had slain his people still lived within the mountain.

The doors begin to shake, the sound of metal on wood echoing in the room. Soon splinters of the door fall away, revealing the terrifying faces of goblins scrambling against the door. Legolas fires an arrow through the hole, striking one of them dead.

Suddenly the faces retreat just as the door gives way with a final boom and the squadron of goblins bursts in, their troll lumbering in behind them.

Hermione begins shouting hexes and curses as fast as she can, rushing forward as the Hobbits follow behind her. She fires spells at the goblins she can't reach, slashing at those she can.

One notices her, momentarily surprised at the sight of a woman. She uses this to her advantage, aiming her wand directly at the creature.

"Expulso!" She shouts, sending the goblin flying, straight into Gimli's axe. He turns to her, an adrenaline induced gleam in his eyes.

"Aye, lass! *That's* how you fight!" He yells, turning in time to behead another goblin. The cave troll turns his attention to the dwarf, lifting a giant club over his head.

"Gimli!" She cried, quickly tackling him out of the way as the troll crushes the tomb he had been standing on. They slam to the floor, the stone scraping against Hermione's face. Clamoring to their feet the pair were thrust back into the fray.

Boromir and Aragorn flank the troll, each bringing a sword slashing down on whichever limb they can reach. The beast sweeps the ranger aside, moving to bring its truncheon down hard on the man but is thwarted as the Captain of Gondor slices its arm. Sickly green blood spews from the wound as the creature howls in pain, swinging haphazardly around itself.

Hermione attempts to spot the Hobbits, as though trying to find a child in a crowd. She sees Sam first, swinging his saucepan hard against a goblin's head. He nods sharply as the foe falls to the ground, pitching the utensil at another. Merry and Pippin are back-to-back on the stairs, stabbing any goblin they can reach while Gandalf attempts to keep as many of the vermin away from the halflings.

She panics as she realizes she doesn't see Frodo. Carefully dodging blows from all sides Hermione attempts to circle the room, more enemies feeding in through the splintered doorway. She notices the Troll peaking around a pillar on the top mezzanine of the room, and she recognizes the slight glow against the wall.

Sting.

Thinking as quick as she can she aims her wand at the troll, but before she can utter a spell she is tackled yo the ground, a screeching goblin scratching away at her face and neck. She howls in pain, bringing the dagger up and stabbing her attacker in the neck. Pushing the limp body off herself she looks up just in time to see Frodo jumping from the mezzanine to escape the troll. But she realizes, before he does, that he's cornered himself.

"Frodo, NO!" She yelled just as the troll lifts a Dwarven lance and stabs him through the stomach lifting him against the wall. His eyes went wide, his mouth open in a silent scream as he falls to the ground. She runs across the room, stumbling across the bodies that have littered the floor as Merry and Pippin jump from the balcony onto the monster. Sam, too, joins the fray; rushing forward to stab and slash at the troll's legs. While the beast struggles to remove the halflings from its back it doesn't notice the witch point her wand at it, taking a clear shot at it's soft belly. Nor does it see the elf with an arrow aimed straight at it's head.

"Petrificus totalus!" Hermione cried as Legolas let loose his arrow. The troll went stiff as a board just as the arrow pierced through below its chin. By the time the creature had fell to the floor it was dead. There was a moment of stillness as the battle had ceased. They had won, the floor covered with the blood and bodies of dozens of goblins.

She ran over, pulling Merry and Pippin off the giant body. The halflings sobbed, clutching her with their backs turned to where Frodo had fallen. She collapsed to the ground, holding her boys tightly as she began to cry with them.

Sam clamored over the bodies but collapsed at the sight of Aragorn kneeling beside the ringbearers body. "Oh, Frodo." The ranger whispered sadly, moving to pull the halfling to him. As he rolls him over the group is stunned as Frodo takes a gasping breath.

"He's alive!" Sam whooped, rushing over as his friend leaned heavily against the wall. Hermione beamed as Merry and Pippin looked up, seeing their friend sit up and hugged the witch again; this time out of exhausted relief.

"I'm all right... I'm not hurt." Frodo assured him as he rubbed at his chest.

"You should be dead!" Aragorn sputters out, surprised. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar!"

Gandalf staggered over to them, supporting himself on the pillar. "I think there is more to this Hobbit than meets the eye.

Frodo pulled away the buttons of his shirt to reveal a glittering chain mail shirt, white as marble. Gimli gasped from behind the wizard.

"Mithril!" He barks out a laugh. "You are full of surprises Master Baggins!"

Boom. They all tense as another drum sounds in the distance. Hermione looks up as Boromir rushed to the door. He barely has a moment to look out before he turns to his companions. "Now!"

"To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" Gandalf shouted, beckoning them to follow the Captain.

Moving quickly, the fellowship scrambled out into the hall, just as the chamber was filled with hoards of goblins. The creatures scurried along the walls and pillars like insects, closing in on the group.

"This way!" The wizard shouted, turning them at what seemed an indistinguishable pillar. They hadn't made it a hundred meters before the companions had found themselves encircled.

The cackling faces staring back at them were as grotesque as they were terrifying. Hermione held her wand steady, blood running down her cheek. Gandalf stood beside her, sword and staff raised, the stone at its end glowing brightly.

That was it. Light. These were creatures of darkness. She shut her eyes, knowing full well that she could be making a deadly mistake. She thought hard, remembering the happiest moment of her life. When was the last time she was truly happy, truly at peace? Hermione had found herself torn from her own world, thrust into another war of dark magic and surrounded by monsters of the deep, she couldn't possibly think of anything happy...except... she opened her eyes and saw the small horse charm had remained on her wrist, bloodied and dirty.

Taking a deep breath she aimed her wand just ahead of her. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" She screamed as loud as her lungs would allow and soon the Great Dwarf Hall was filled with a blinding light as a large otter burst forth from her wand, circling around her and the others.

The goblins shrieked in pain, shielding their eyes as they scurried away. Their yells and screams echoed in the hall as the light slowly faded. Hermione felt herself wobble, only to be caught by Aragorn before she fell to the ground from exhaustion.

"Well done, Miss Granger." Gandalf gasped. "That was bril-"

A loud, low growl filled the room. They all turned to see an angry orange glow coming from the opposite end, swaying like a flame. A deep thudding echoed as the glow became brighter.

"What is this devilry?" Boromir asked, moving to help Aragorn support the witch.

Gandalf looked sadly at Hermione and she realized, then, that this was what he had feared in the mines. Not the Goblins. It was this. The orange glow had grown, encompassing the chamber entirely as a dark shadow emerged, growing ever closer.

"A Balrog ... a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you!" Looking quickly ahead of them he pointed with his staff. "Run! Quickly!"

Hermione felt herself lifted into Boromir's arms, her head throbbing as he ran quickly behind the others. Looking over his shoulder she saw a giant hellion, standing forty feet tall. Horns thrust from a face of molten shadow and a long whip of hellfire in its grasp. Turning down a narrow doorway they found themselves in a maze of stairs and pathways, the stone a reddish hue from a fire burning deep below them.

"Lead them on, Aragorn! The bridge is near!" She looked back to see Gandalf leaning against a wall, struggling down the last few steps. The ranger moved to help him but was shoved away. "Do as I say! Swords are of no use here!"

Moving hastily down the steep, unrailed stairs the group found themselves trapped as a large chunk of staira fell away before their feet. Legolas jumped first, easily clearing the gap.

"I'm going to have to throw you, Hermione." Boromir stated bluntly, tossing her down to the elf before she had a chance to rebute. She screamed before she was caught gently by the Elven archer. He set her down, making sure she was stable before turning back to catch the Hobbits.

Hermione steadied herself, wiping the blood from her face and neck when she felt and arrow fly past her arm. Pointing her wand in the general direction it had come she merely thought 'Bombarda' and a small balcony exploded outwards sending a half dozen goblin archers flying into the chasm below.

Soon all but Aragorn and Frodo had crossed when more of the stairs ahead of them fell away. As they steadied themselves a large stone came crashing down from the ceiling, breaking the stairs behind them. The column that remained swayed heavily, teetering like a child's toy.

"Hold on, Frodo!" Aragorn shouted but Hermione could see fear in his eyes. She would not lose them.

Pushing past Boromir she pointed her wand at the pair, fixating on their forms. "*Wingardium Leviosa!*" With a swish and a flick of her wand she gracefully lifted the ranger and the hobbit across the gap, setting them down gently before her.

"Run!" Aragorn shouted as they had landed.

As they descended the final stairwell they had come upon the landing before the Bridge. Fissures spewed flame and steam all around them, the mountain burning from the inside.

"Hurry! Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf shouted, beckoning across the narrow sliver of stone over the abyss.

One by one they ran, not daring to look down or back. A thunderous roar echoed as they reached the other side.

Turning Hermione saw that Gandalf had paused in the middle of the Bridge, facing the Balrog who had appeared before him bathed in flame. Aragorn stood beside her, his sword still drawn ready to fight this demon.

"You cannot pass!" The Istari shouted, his staff beaming brightly in a contrasting white light. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn."

The Balrog seemed to smirk at this challenge, moving carefully on the landing approaching the gray wizard. Gandalf drew his sword, Glamdring, the sound of ringing metal reverberating through the drone of the roaring fires. The Balrog lifts a sword of shadow and flame, bringing it down on the wizard's own sword. Gandalf pushes back, blocking its strike.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" He boomed, his voice echoing across the chasm. As the Balrog places one foot on the bridge, unfurling the whip of molten metal and hellfire, Gandalf brings his sword and staff down hard against the stone, cracking the surface before him. The bridge crumbles under the demons weight and the Balrog falls away with the stone.

Gandalf turns, a brief look of relief on his face as he meets Hermione's gaze, before the end of the whip reaches forth from the darkness and pulls the wizard's legs out from beneath him. He grasps for a bit of stone as his sword and staff are knocked out from beneath him.

"NO!" Frodo screamed as he tried to rush by but is caught by Boromir who holds him back. Hermione attempts the same but is stopped as Aragorn holds out an arm to block her.

"Fly you fools!" Gandalf gasped before falling away into the nothing below. Hermione screamed in anger and despair, trying to push past Aragorn with all her might.

"Albus!!" She wails, tears and blood streaming down her face as she claws at the ranger holding her back. "No!"

"Aragorn!" Boromir shouts, holding an equally distraught Frodo.

Aragorn pulled Hermione away as the stone ceiling gives way, crushing the remnants of the Bridge. Arrows begin to patter on the surrounding floor, scraping against the stone. The witch kicked and screamed, begging to be taken back, that she could save him, that she couldn't watch him die again, not again.

He carried her until he saw the archway bathed in the sunlight, the beams pouring in through the smoke and dust. As he crossed the threshold of the Dimrill Dale doorway he collapsed to the ground, the sobbing woman no longer struggling but clinging to him.

"I could have saved him! He didn't need to die again, not again." She whispered, her shoulders shaking.

"Hermione. Look at me." He lifted her head to meet his gaze, as bloodshot as her own. "We have to keep moving, you know that."

"We have to sa-" She sobbed, not able to finish her sentence. He gently stood, pulling her with him. She wrapped her arms around herself, her core shaking.

"Legolas!" He shouted to the elf consoling Merry. "Get them up!"

Boromir fumed at the words. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" He yelled.

Aragorn turned back to the Captain. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come now Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up!" He moved over to where Sam sat weeping on a large stone.

"On your feet, Sam." He helped pull the hobbit to his feet, squeezing his shoulder gently.

Looking around the ranger noticed that the ring-bearer wasn't in sight. Just as he went to call his name he saw Hermione walking towards a small figure who had walked away from the company.

The witch stopped the halfling with a gentle tug at his arm. Frodo turned, his expression numb aside from the tears steadily falling from his eyes. She kneeled down, pulling him in for a tight hug, both of them grieving for the friend they'd just lost. For one of them goodbye was harder the second time around.

~~~~~•~~~~~•~~~~~•~~~~~