Part 3 of More to The Story. It's about a family that are the key-holders and Gatekeepers between our world/Wizarding World and Middle Earth. Adventure, friendships, and love. Part 3 picks up at the beginning of The Battle of the Five Armies, with equal parts of books and movies with the crossovers. OC's and real characters.
The Company and Gatekeepers are divided. Some of the company remain in Laketown with the younger members of the Gatekeeper family. The parents and grandparents are still missing. The danger of the dragon, orcs, and greed were on everyone's minds. What would become of them? Erébor? The Wizard and Muggle world? Nothing was certain.
I do not own anything from the Hobbit or Harry Potter; only the OC's and their story. All Harry Potter/Hobbit references and characters belong to J.K. Rowling, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Peter Jackson.
Chapter 2
(Nicole's POV)
Nicole managed to get inside her grandparent's house and gather everything that she brought with her to Laketown. Luckily, it did not take much time because they had not fully unpacked since they were in the process of deciding where they would permanently live. Her children had the most to be picked up. With the extra space from her sister's bottomless bag, she was able wave her wand and pack up the entire house just in case.
Keeping her mind focused proved to be more challenging. The fear for her children's safety and the dragon outside really tested her strength. The sound of fire blasts close to the house pushed her to hurry. Once she was outside, she was horrified by the sight. With so many people needing assistance, she quickly chose to forgo saving the house with protective charms.
People were fleeing their burning homes, some even jumped into the water to put out the flames eating their clothes. The screams were traumatic enough but seeing the terror first hand would shatter anyone's heart. She summoned water from the lake to put out the fire on the house across the way. The family was trying to get into their boat and escape, only the father was having a difficult time untying the line. Nicole rushed to him, got him into the boat, and used magic to untie the complex knot. The mother tried to bring Nicole along, only she insisted the leave without her. Her broom was in her bag and she was prepared to fly to shore at any moment. She refused to leave while people around her needed help.
Once no one alive was left, it was time for her to follow the crowd and look for her family. She was pulling out her broom when she heard her cousin's voice yelling.
"Is anyone out there!? Open the door!?" Bard called, wiggling and banging loudly.
Nicole called out and searched, "Bard? Where are you?"
"Oh Nicole! I'm here!"
"Where? Keep talking to me!"
She happened to look to her right and saw a long loop of fabric hanging down from a window that was right above the channel. "Bard? Is that you?"
Sure enough, Bard's face came to the window that was blocked by metal bars. A large boat was passing under the window. At the stern, the rudder was attached to a large beam for steering when the boat was in more open water. The boat was completely full, nearly sinking, from treasure; and the town's Master was standing at the beam shouting to his guards to paddle faster. He even told them to push people out of his way.
Anger boiled over in Nicole. She waved her wand to make the looped fabric longer. It caught the master around his middle. The boat sailed too fast for the terrible man to save himself when the fabric pulled tight around him, trapping him to beam, and choked him. If she was lucky, hopefully it broke some of his ribs and punctured a lung. The force was strong enough to pull the window out of the wall; leaving behind a large hole.
Bard wasted no time coming out of his jail cell. He witnessed the agony the master after his near-death experience. There was satisfaction in the small amount of justice. After everything the corrupt and greedy man had done, he deserved so much more.
Nicole brought him back to reality. "Bard! Thank goodness I found you!"
Bard belayed down the long fabric and swung to the dock. "Where are my children?" He asked desperately.
"With mine, and Jordan, Karah, the dwarves, and the elf, Tauriel. They were to headed to shore." Nicole explained. "Come with me. You can fly with me to meet them."
"No! It will do us no good to flee to shore where that beast will follow us. I have to kill it."
"How do you plan to do that?" She could not keep the shock from her voice.
"Shoot it down," he answered with as much certainty he could muster. He was prepared to take on the dragon single handedly for the sake of his children. Before he could leave, he had to speak his mind. "I'm going to the armory. Nicole, please look after my children. If I don't come back…"
"I promise I will." She hugged him tightly.
Bard moved on without a backwards glance. She pulled her broom from her bag and kicked off from the dock. Flying at night was always dangerous because it was difficult to see. Sturdy flyers could control the broom with one hand and use the other to hold their wand to make light. She was not so confident in her skill to do both, only she had no choice. Just as she was about to clear the town, out of the corner of her eye she saw another figure on a broom zoom past her.
(Jordan's POV)
Above the rooftops, Jordan was still trying to find Bain. It was difficult to see through the smoke and fog. Bard was quickly emptying his supply of arrows. Seeing the look on his face when he grabbed the last one was enough to make her feel like all hope was lost. Then, she happened to glimpse her young cousin at the base of the bell tower. He held something long and black.
A Black Arrow! This was their chance! Jordan's hope had been restored.
Bain still had a long way to run while the 'Mighty' Smaug continued to rain down devastation. It was a stupid idea, but she had to help somehow. Pulling out her wand, she silently cast the Aguamenti spell; gushing water out of her wand, right over the hot dragon. It helped and hindered the situation. She temporarily doused the flame and simultaneously created a burning steam. He flew right past her, not noticing her until he was on the other side of the town. She put out as many fires around her until she heard him speak to her.
"Are you trying to put out my flame?" the dragon called out. "I'll burn you to ash!"
Jordan did not put her wand away as she kicked her broom forward. She zig'd and zag'd in all directions, trying to confuse him. It would make her a much more difficult target to hit with his fire breath. She did her best to keep away from where she thought her friends and family were, and where other people could still be hiding. Even daring to blast him with more water when the opportunity presented itself.
(Bard's POV)
Bard climbed to the top of the bell tower, cutting the line so it would cease ringing. He kept his eye on the dragon as he readied himself to shoot. He saw the beast flying around, no longer attacking the burning town. It appeared to be chasing something. Bard had to strain his eyes in order to focus on a small creature flying ahead of the large dragon. As it came closer, he saw that it was Jordan, flying on a broom! Notching an arrow, he fired it when Jordan flew close enough to bring Smaug into range.
The dragon only had eyes for Jordan and did not notice the arrow bounce off his iron hide. A second arrow was sent, aiming for an eye, only it missed and hit his neck instead. Bard continued to shoot arrows, but none of them were strong enough to pierce the dragon hide. When he was down to his last arrow, he remembered the survivors were relying on him to end the destruction. His children needed him to succeed.
"Da!" Bain's head popped up from the door of the bell tower next to him.
Bard could not believe his eyes. "Bain! What are you doing here? You were supposed to leave with your sisters and cousins!"
"I'm here to help. I brought..."
Bard cut him off. "Get to safety! Get far away from here!"
"No, Da! I brought you the Black Arrow." Bain pulled the long arrow from his side and handed it to his father.
Bard felt tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Bain. Now go! You've done enough."
Bain was just about to do as ordered when he saw Jordan flying toward them again with Smaug right behind her. She must not have realized the bowman was not prepared until it was too late. She flew by, and the dragons tail caught the tower, practically cutting the structure in half. Bain lost his balance, and the ladder crumbled beneath his feet. He was able to grab the edge with one hand and held the arrow in a tight grip with his other. Bard saw his son dangling over the edge and grabbed the back of his coat, pulling him up onto the platform next to him.
Hearing voices from the partially destroyed tower, Smaug saw Bard glaring at him. He landed on some burning houses near the middle of the town. "Who are you to stand against me? You, Bowman, with your pitiful arrows?" the dragon mocked.
Bard spoke not a word as he picked up his bow. It had been snapped in half from the damage down by the tail. Dread made his stomach fall because the bow was completely useless.
Smaug's evil smile grew to his eyes. "What a pity… What will you do now? No one is coming to help you. You and your child will cook in my flame and I will eat you!" He chose to crawl closer to the tower, like stalking prey. The buildings crumbled into the water under the heavy weight of the dragon and being weakened by the fire.
Bard had to be creative if he was going to save them. He shoved the two broken ends of the bow into what remained of the frame of the tower. He was able to coax Bain out of his paralyzed fear, using his shoulder to make a crossbow. Bard saw his opportunity when the dragon stretched his wings. Under the left one, a scale was missing, leaving the soft skin exposed over vital organs. He spoke softly to his son, "stay still Bain. I'm right here; stay still."
Smaug continued to taunt them. "You have nothing but your deaths waiting for you!"
Bain's fear caused him to look back over his shoulder. Bard called to him, "look at me, son. Don't listen to that beast." Bain locked eyes with him, putting his trust with his father. "Move to your left. Perfect." Bard waited one more second for Smaug to take flight when his wings would leave him exposed.
One breath, one shot.
As soon as he released the arrow, Bard grabbed Bain and pulled him close. Together they watched it sink into the dragon's soft flesh.
Smaug knew he was hit. He stumbled in flight, ungracefully knocking into the tower and anything still standing. He screamed and moaned as he tried to fly into the sky, like he was trying to escape his own demise. The higher he climbed, the fire burning inside of him flickered and eventually faded as he died. His body fell back to the earth, crashing and sinking the village with him.
(Witches' POV)
Jordan hovered her broom high over the water, watching everything burn up around her. When she saw that the dragon was no longer perusing her, she tried to get its attention again; only to stop, seeing that Bard was ready. She stayed in the air, wand ready to keep fighting when Nicole joined her in the air.
"Do you have a plan?" Nicole asked. She wobbled a little on her broom, holding tight to the handle.
No. Jordan signed sadly.
Nicole nodded and decided for them. "When he shoots, we fly to get them. Whether Bard kills it or not, we have to get them."
Got it! Jordan agreed.
The short time they waited was sickening to witness. Listening to the beast talk so openly about killing them and watching the would-be attack, made it hard to stay put. All the witches wanted to do was save their cousins.
"Ready, set, NOW!" Nicole shouted. As soon as Bard let go, they were flying for them. Stopping at the remaining platform, she shouted to their muggle relatives, "get on! Hold on tight!"
Neither Bard or Bain had ever flown before. It was such a rush that for a single moment, they forgot the terror, pain, misery, and uncertainty of their circumstances. Bard nearly fell off behind Nicole, and Bain smiled and lightly laughed.
The sun was rising behind the trees in the east. A new day had come. The dragon was dead! If only the cost had not been so high. Families were separated. Loved ones lost. Those still living were homeless and trying to recover on shore. What would they do now? Where would they go? What about the rest of the Gatekeepers? They would come back and discover that their home had been destroyed and would not have any idea where to look if their children survived. At that moment, no one was certain of anything.
