Story Challenge: Free to Good Home! The One Ring has been found once again, and the fate of the world rests in the heart and soul of a young wizard boy...
Harry Potter and the Rings of Power
A Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings Crossover
Voldemort was very mistaken when he conceitedly claimed that he had gone further than anyone before towards immortality. Long before there were even such a thing as human wizards, there were beings of far greater power, and a Dark Lord ever so much more fearsome than the lowly Tom Riddle. Long ago, Sauron, the Right Hand of Morgoth, forged the Rings of Power: Five for the Dwarf lords, Three for the eldest of the Elves, and Nine for the kings of Men. Sauron gave these 17 powerful rings, rings that could control the very elements and grant fabulous power to their bearers, as tokens of his goodwill after the defeat of Morgoth.
But it was deception. For Sauron had laid within each ring the seed of the destruction of its bearer. Each was a horcrux, containing a fraction of his great power, and a piece of his soul. And in secret, he forged an 18th ring, and into that ring he poured his power and more than a little of his soul. This Master Ring, this One Ring had the power to bend the bearer of any wearer of his rings of power to his will, and with them, their respective races.
But at the end of the 2nd Age of Middle-Earth, Sauron was defeated, the Ring struck from his hand, and his body destroyed. And at the end of the 3rd Age, Sauron's power was destroyed forever when Frodo threw the ring into the fires of Mt. Doom.
Or so we were told.
Setup Ideas
The story takes place in the Seventh Age (the Sixth Age ended with Grindelwald's defeat)All 18 of Sauron's rings exist, though their legend and their connection to Sauron is unknown to most, and long forgotten to the few who know it.The 9 Nazgul, now wizards trapped by the power of the rings, are dementors. Those 9 are immortal so long as they are not parted from their rings. Those they slay with their touch become normal dementors (which it might be possible to destroy)Modern Gringotts goblins are the result of the ancient Dwarves and the goblin races of old merging into one form (not their idea, obviously, some kind of cataclysmic change during the 5th Age). Most of the 5 rings given to the dwarf lords are in use, giving specific goblins far greater power in crafting, combat, and longevity.The Elves are not in this world, it is too corrupt for them to return for any significant length of time. They did, however, send spirits imbued with some of the power of Valinor to help humanity-which became the house elves. The 3 rings of the elves are lost (or in the hands of those who don't know what they are, only that it gives them power.Dumbledore is Eldritch, not human. Merlin was also Eldritch, but left after his task was completed.The Dwarf and Elf rings have only small, hidden amounts of Sauron's soul, and only combined altogether (all 3 elf rings, or all 5 dwarf rings) would it awaken their fraction of Sauron.The Nazgul rings contain a little bit more of Sauron's soul, but not enough on their own to bring back their master's spirit.The One Ring was not destroyed, though the attempt to destroy did end Sauron's power (in the 3rd Age). It was when it was found by a certain Tom Riddle that its powers first began to stir, and it was the ring that corrupted Tom so completely.Obviously, no character from the Hobbit or LoTR will make an appearance in the story, except through history or flashbacks.
I would suggest that the powers of the Eldritch be significantly stronger/more binding than that of HP style magic, but as such not invoked lightly. Which makes the powers of each ring quite significant, as they tap into that power with most of the cost already paid-though the danger of corruption from the taint of Sauron would be there.
The Hallows can either be ignored, worked into the legend of the rings, made as artifacts from Gandolf's time (wand is the remains of Gandolf's staff, cloak belonged to Elrond, stone was the remains of the Simiarilion or a similar item, etc.), foci for Morgoth or some other great power, etc.
