A week later the doorway was far enough in and wide enough that they could all four sleep in there, though it was a little crowded. They were sure that wouldn't be for long though. Harry was only getting a few hours of sleep a night while Hermione and Snape were taking turns being up with him. Huan was always, at Harry's side no matter what.

Harry was currently fixing the last missing piece on the bridge infusing it with magic. He'd infused every inch of the bridge and the crank with his magic just like he'd been told by the Valar. Hermione and Snape's magic was imbued with the bridge as well. They were indeed making a mint. This was Harry's twentieth time fixing the bridge and it was finally at level 10.

"There you are!" Severus snapped. "That damned wolf didn't wake me knowing he was supposed to."

Harry ignored him and finished his work. Huan was chasing a rabbit on the far side of the bridge.

Severus growled to himself. Potter had hardly said a word to him since they'd gotten here. In fact, Potter hardly even spoke to Granger these days. He knew that the boy needed healing but Granger wouldn't let him she wanted Potter to do it himself and Potter was refusing to learn from him.

"Come it's time for your first lesson," Severus said, as Potter and Huan came back to his side of the bridge.

He was annoyed when Potter once again ignored him. He was doing that a lot lately.

Harry flinched as he used the crank to close the bridge. This hurt his back so much. He sighed in relief when it was up and locked it. He then led the way back to where Hermione lay sleeping.

Harry set up a fire in their home and put a cauldron on it.

Severus let out a sigh of relief and began a lesson. He had found enough ingredients for Nutrient Water something Harry would need for the boy was very malnourished. He began teaching Harry what to do in a soft voice. He was shocked when Harry listened to every word and did his best.

"The water is awfully dark." Hermione yawned she'd been watching the whole lesson the smell had woken her. "I don't want him drinking that."

"It's not done yet," Severus said, trying to not sound amused. "Now we let it cool for about an hour. Both of you get to work. It's my turn to gather food and your turn to carve the Hole."

They both nodded.

An hour later Harry was dishing the potion into a Hobbit sized clay bowl they had acquired. It was still dark.

"Now, Granger...Hermione..." Hermione blushed as her professor used her first name. "Get one of the mint leaves you found." She quickly did. "Now, Harry put it in the water." Harry did. "Now, swirl the water four times to the right." Harry did and the water got a bit clearer. "Now four to the left and repeat until the leaf is gone."

Harry did as told and was shocked at how clear the water was.

Nutrient Water-1

Harry raised the clay bowl to his mouth and drank it slowly.

"Wow." Harry breathed. "It tastes so good. I've never tasted anything so good."

"You will once you get better at brewing it," Severus informed. "This is a very good first attempt, Harry. Keep drinking. Throughout the day I want you to drink this whole cauldron full of water. Always use the mint leaves."

Harry nodded and finished off the water.

"I feel stronger," Harry informed. "The entranceway needs to be a bit bigger then we'll start the hall but turn to the left to start the sitting room."

"Sounds good," Hermione said, with a nod.

Severus nodded as well. They began working and infusing what they had already done with their magic to make sure it didn't collapse on them.

Harry did as told and drank the Nutrient Water throughout the day.

Harry lay with his head in Hermione's lap listening to her read The Hobbit to him. Huan lay next to him.

They were in the sitting room or what they had made of it. They could hear the stream and hear Severus talking to someone outside. They had been in Middle-Earth a little over a month now. The sitting room was about half the size that Harry wanted it and the ceiling was high and had taken a lot of work to get up there to carve it out.

Harry drifted off and was lost to sleep.

Hermione stopped reading, marked her page, and closed the book. She nodded her head with a sigh.

"How is he?" Severus asked coming in.

"He is getting stronger," Hermione informed. "The Potion is working but he's still not sleeping much."

"I have finally come to a decision on that." Severus sighed. "We'll start tonight. I have been working on my screen trying to get us a door. It seems that I do not have the master control of our power. Do you?"

"No, sir," Hermione informed, "I have tried to get us a fireplace. That must mean The Valar gave Harry the master control." She looked down at him. "and of course I just put him to sleep."

Severus had to repress a small chuckle.

When Harry woke up Severus and Hermione made him drink some more water then told him what they wanted.

You can buy the following items for your Hobbit Hole.

"Hmm..." Harry said. "We have enough for a door and fireplace as well. Okay."

He bought the door and placed it. Then he placed their new fireplace.

"Oh, I want these," Harry said.

"Wait, what are you buying?" Hermione asked.

Hermione laughed as two round windows suddenly appeared on the wall letting them see outside.

"We're out of money," Harry informed.

"That's fine," Severus informed him. "These were things we needed. Now drink your water and you can go do your repairs."

Harry nodded. He was glad that they had a door now because now they wouldn't have to take turns sleeping anymore. The fireplace would help with his Potion Brewing and keep them nice and warm. Well, keep him nice and warm. He was always cold. After drinking more water, one potion he didn't mind taking, he set out to the bridge and began working. He was doing all the work on the bridge himself because he wanted to and Hermione had almost broken the crank all over again undoing all of his work when she had given him a hand.

As soon as he got there he began working hard trying to fix the crank. They still had to open it themselves which hurt his back though he didn't complain.

Harry lay passed out on the floor with his shovel in his hand. They had finally finished the sitting room and the kitchen which had thrilled Harry. He'd managed to buy some Hobbit sized appliances for the kitchen.

It had been another month. Things were going slow in their home but they were making a mint on the bridge. Rumor had spread quickly all around that the bridge could be used again and that they had to pay the tolls again. No one seemed to mind paying tolls though.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled entering the Hole. "Harry, where are you? I can't lower the bridge! Harry!"

She screamed and dodged Harry's spade nearly taking her eye out. Harry stormed past and out to the bridge. He lowered it for whoever wanted across.

"Thank you, young one." An old wizard chuckled.

Hermione was back.

"It was no problem." Hermione said, "It's our job. Or well, it's my brother's job. " she spotted something on the wizard's saddlebags. "Oh, you're transporting books! SEVERUS! SEVERUS! "

"WHAT?!" Severus came over brushing dirt off of his hands. "Hello, there."

"They've got books!" Hermione cried. "Oh, can't we spend a little money on them! Oh, please!"

Severus sighed and the old wizard chuckled. They were soon looking at all the books.

"Can you read this?" Harry pointed at a title on the book he was holding.

"No, I can't." Hermione frowned. "That doesn't look like Elvish or Dwarvish to me."

"It's not." Severus said, "I cannot read it either."

"I can," Harry informed. "The Healing Arts."

"Parsalscript?" Hermione frowned. "Here? How much for this one?"

"Now can you really read that?" The wizard wondered. "The language of the snake... The line was thought to have died out..."

"Oh believe me it hasn't." Hermione snorted and rubbed her head as Severus smacked her on the back of it. "My brother can indeed read the snake language, sir. He can also talk to snakes. "

"and you cannot?"

"They aren't really siblings," Severus spoke. "Just so close they deem it necessary to say it."

The wizard finally introduced himself as Gandalf and Hermione got her head smacked again when she squealed. Severus had quickly come up with a lie about them having heard news of him. They invited him and his companion inside. Hermione was sent to the kitchen when the man was introduced as Aragorn. Harry was soon yelling at her as she'd once again almost blown up his kitchen. She was ejected from his kitchen instantly while he made up some lunch himself. They got groceries delivered from The Shire now so they had plenty.

Severus and Hermione were explaining why they didn't have much.

Aragorn stood in the doorway to the kitchen and watched the youngest of the three cooking. He could tell that the teen was sickly but he still found the teen attractive.

By the time lunch was over Hermione was drooling over the books they'd bought. They'd gotten a good deal on them.

"So you tend the bridge," Aragorn asked the teen Harry who nodded. "Severus tends the gardens and what do you do, young lady?"

"Oh, well..." Hermione blushed. "I gather ingredients for potions and do most of the work in here carving out our Home. We've just expanded the hall there a little farther and we'll be making our first bedroom. "

"You make Potions?" Gandalf asked. "You have magic?"

"We all do." Severus said, "Harry, drink your water."

Harry got his hobbit-sized clay bowl and ladled the water into it. He put a mint leaf in and began rotating the water around until the leaf was gone he then drank.

Aragorn cocked his eyebrow he'd seen that done before it was a potion he'd seen used sometimes when the elves found wanderers in the woods who were mostly dead. Why was Harry drinking it?