Hello, I am here with the next chapter! Hopefully it meets your expectations :D Harry is officially in Rivendell now, and will be there for a few more chapters.
'thoughts'
"Eru Ilúvatar speaking"
*Parseltongue*
Beated by Verity Grahams and closetnightmares :)
Enjoy!
'A man will arrive with a choice to make. A man by the name of Harry Potter, he is from a world separate from our own and he will be bathed in shadow and death. He will hold the key to the light, but he has yet to choose to fight. If he fights, all against him shall fall by his blade. He will become a child of Rivendell. There he shall accomplish many great deeds. No matter which path he chooses; Elf and Man will find each other in the pits of despair.'
Lord Elrond groaned at Gandalf's stubbornness. Gandalf was infuriated that Lord Elrond was refusing to keep the Ring in Rivendell, however, he couldn't help but understand his reasoning.
"The Ring is powerful and dangerous, seeking to control and have dominion over all, man and elf alike. We cannot keep it here or we will risk bringing danger upon all of my kin. The only option is to destroy it." Elrond's words are sharp and Gandalf frowns, worry colouring his features.
"I understand, but who do you propose would be able to take the Ring to Mount Doom and cast it into the flames?" Elrond shook his head. There was one person that Elrond could think of and it was not certain they would do it. Their conversation is interrupted a moment later when one of Elrond's kin came, the elf bowing before him, then quickly straightening up to look Lord Elrond in the eye.
"I'm sorry to interrupt my Lord Elrond, Gandalf." He turned, bowing to the grey wizard. "There's a strange man at the entrance to Imladris, he says that his name is Harry, and he is insisting on speaking with you, my Lord."
Elrond nodded to the sable haired elf. "Very well Lindir. Take him to the west terrace, I think he shall need refreshment, I will meet him there momentarily."
Lindir bowed once more before leaving. "My Lord, I will have it so."
Elrond inclines his head slightly in acceptance, then turned back to Gandalf. He gave the wizard one last lingering look;
"I mean it Gandalf, the Ring cannot stay in Rivendell." His tone was firm and final leaving him in no doubt that his mind was made up.
Elrond turned on his heel and headed towards the west terrace. It had always been his favourite place to sit, the view of the valley was breathtaking; with the Bruinen just visible as it disappeared through the gorge where the last homely house sat, with a backdrop of the looming Misty Mountains. It seemed like a good place for him to meet this Harry Potter.
Harry POV
*Stop here, Harry. I cannot go any further. May we meet again, until then I will spread word of your kindness and your skill.*
I stopped walking, looking at the ford before me, on the opposite side was a narrow path that looked towards the awe-inspiring view ahead, I can only assume that this paradise is Rivendell, and it was a sight to behold.
*Thank you for leading me this far. You really don't need to tell others about me. Where do I go from here?*
*I shall do so regardless. They should know of the man who speaks in the tongue of snakes. May my kin be of service to you, whatever quest you choose and wherever you might be. Go across the Ford and follow the narrow path, it will take you to the gates of Rivendell. Ask to speak to the Lord Elrond for he is the master of that house.*
I nodded, watching as the snake begins to slither away and I feel lonely again, but as I turned, the view of Rivendell brought hope. It was definitely not what I expected to find, even if it is the home of elves. My only experience with elves has so far been the house elves from my own world. This was all together different. There was no knowing which came first, their home, or the nature that it sat in. Everything was so intuned with the earth, the natural magic made all the more sense now.
Looking down the valley, the sight was beautiful and part of me already wants to simply stay here and stay out of the war. 'Maybe I made the right choice after all.' Drowned in the midday sun, Rivendell glows with the hues of nature, golds, reds and browns created a canopy and the light shone through illuminating the buildings, if you could even call them that being so open to nature around them, which were nestled perfectly within the forest of lush trees. Underneath ran the river I had crossed earlier and when I followed it with my eye, in the distance roared a giant waterfall. That in itself was just as breathtaking as the elven home. They fit together harmoniously.
Maybe if the sounds of war weren't still ringing in my ears, I would smile at the sound of the rushing water in my ears, I would smile at the sight of the nature-surrounded home. It doesn't even occur to me that I should have questioned the snake on who Elrond was. It took almost two hours before I finally reached the entrance, where I stopped by two elves. They were a far cry from the house elves that I am used too. They both stood almost a whole foot taller than me, they seem thin but their lithe bodies have a poise and tension that spoke of compact muscles and subtle strength. One of the elves had chocolate brown hair and emerald eyes only a few shades lighter than my own. His face gently angular and had a calm expression. The other elf had sharper cheekbones with brown eyes. His hair is also a brown sable colour. This elf was slightly shorter than the other but held himself just as tall and proud. The sight of them made me a little nervous.
"Halt," the guarding elf called, his hand raised to bar my entry. 'Elves are much more graceful and imposing in person.' I watched as the second elf walks forward, one hand resting on his bow, the other hovered near his quiver of arrows.
"State your name and business," the elf demanded, his green eyes narrowed in suspicion, long brown hair gently swaying as the wind blows.
"My name is Harry, and I would like to talk to Lord Elrond please." I wasn't entirely sure if that was the right thing to say, or even the right way of saying it, but I knew that going to Lord Elrond was the best course of action. The first elf, a male with golden brown eyes, nodded at the other, who turns and marches into the depths of Rivendell. The first then turns to me, clearly eyeing my bloodied and torn clothes. Awkwardly I shift on my feet, taking note of the state of my injuries.
"Do you require medical assistance?" The elf asked, his eyes continue to take in my disheveled appearance, his distaste is evident through his gaze.
"No, thank you. My injuries have healed on their own."
"Very well." Though there was a note of surprise in the elfs' features. We stood in silence until the second elf returned sometime later.
"Lord Elrond will meet with you on the west terrace, we will bring refreshments. Follow me." I nodded, following as the elf moved at a speedy yet graceful pace.
They took me to an open terrace with a breathtaking view. There is an ornate railing and the trees have grown so close I could easily climb up into the crown. There are only three chairs and a table in the midst of them. In one chair a regal looking elf sits. The elf that led me here bowed, then left presumably to watch the other side of the door. I watched as the taller elf, presumably Lord Elrond, raised a hand towards the other chairs, gesturing for me to take a seat. I did so, taking in his shadow-like hair and piercing blue eyes. He is sitting tall in his chair, hands gently folded on his thighs. His hair is long, falling past his shoulders with a thin elegant silver crown resting on his forehead, it was like lustrous ivy had been wrought into an intricate circlet.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Harry Potter." The male's smile was kind and I felt myself relaxing if only a little. Though I was sure I never mentioned my second name.
"Thank you, Lord Elrond. I hope I am not troubling you with this sudden meeting."
"This meeting is not sudden, I have been expecting you for some weeks."
"Sorry, what?" My body tensed again, watching for any hint of an ambush. 'I don't think it was a threat, but I have learned it's best to expect the unexpected. He could have meant many things by saying that and I get the sense that he doesn't like to beat around the bush. If someone attacks I will be ready! Which wand should I use? I don't want to risk losing or breaking his...Draco's wand. The Elder wand then. It would be nice if I had The Sword of Gryffindor with me.' I was about to speak, when my vision goes out of focus and I am back in the bright white space where I talked to the Valar before.
"Hello?" I looked around expectantly, waiting for an answer.
"Hello, Harry. Please do not be alarmed. Elrond has the gift of foresight, he has been awaiting your arrival." It's Eru Ilúvatar again.
"He's a seer? How much does he know about me, about my past?" I clung to the hope he that he didn't know anything. My nerves kick in, after all I didn't have the best track record with seers.
"He is what your kind would call a seer. He knows only that you are Harry Potter, a wizard from another realm. He knows that you have a choice to make. Trust Elrond, he can give you wise counsel."
"That's good!" I sighed in relief, "I don't think I really want people to know about my past."
"That is your choice Harry. I counsel you to show him a little more of yourself, more about who you are, not as the saviour of the wizarding world, but as a man, however, it is up to you."
I don't get the chance to answer before I'm blinking in the sunlight and looking over at Lord Elrond once more. At least a few minutes had passed, as there are now two cups of steaming tea sitting on the table between us.
Picking the cup up that's in front of me I take a small sip. "Thank you for the tea, it's really good."
Elrond simply nods in return before speaking.
"It seemed you were lost in thought for a while." I could hear the unspoken question in the words. I couldn't think of a reason to not tell him the truth.
"I was speaking to The Lord of the Valar, Eru Ilúvatar. He told me that you are gifted in foresight and that I should tell you more about who I am." I took a small steadying breath before continuing, "I am the son of James and Lily Potter, I helped defeat the greatest Dark Wizard that had ever been, and now," I took another breath, preparing himself for the statement to come, "I am the Master of Death."
"What does that mean? Being Master of Death?" Was the only thing Elrond said in reply.
"I only recently became the Master of Death, so I'm still figuring that out, but the main attribute seems to be that I can no longer die. That is one of the reasons I came here; elves are blessed with long life, I am told, much longer than humans. I only hope to be accepted as I am, only human, not elven." I was staring down at the now cooled cup of tea as I talked, not noticing the look of understanding Elrond gives me.
"I see. I am half elven and half human, my people have accepted me as I am, as I know they will accept you."
I jerked my gaze up, seeing the honesty in Elrond's expression. "Thank you. Please don't take it the wrong way, but I find it hard to believe that they will accept me. Where I come from, difference has not been accepted. That is the war I faced, the destruction of all those deemed impure, the half-breeds as they would call us. People have hated me for my differences, it has been too long to expect anything else."
Elrond tilted his head down slightly. "It was no trouble. In preparation for your arrival I have a room prepared, would you like new robes? I will have someone escort your room. Rest and eat, do what you need to prepare yourself, I know you have a choice to make." He stood up and gestured towards the door and I just now realize the elf that was guarding it had left.
"Yes please, that sounds perfect." I opened the door, seeing the second elf from earlier standing across the hall. Elrond gestured to him, and he walks a few steps forward.
"Lindir, please take Harry to his chambers, I had them prepared specially and bring him food, Harry Potter is to be afforded every luxury."
The elf bowed slightly before straightening. "Yes my Lord, please follow me, Harry."
"Thank you again, Lord Elrond." I bowed my head and turned to follow my guide. It took only a few minutes to reach my new room and the elf left me alone for the first time.
I walked over to the large bed in the middle of the room and just barely kept myself from lying down and succumbing to the greatest exhaustion I had ever known. But I'm still in my ruined robes and it would be a crime to ruin the most luxurious silk sheets I had ever seen. Walking over to the small wardrobe on the far right wall, I open it and find a small array of a different type of clothes. They were robes, somewhat similar to those worn by the elves here. I took out a green and black outfit, and head to the door right next to the wardrobe. Opening it I was greeted with a medium sized bathroom with different shades of brown, black and hints of white. I don't waste any time peeling off my robes and putting them neatly on the floor, stepping into the pre-prepared bath. It was hard to not groan when the steaming hot water rushed over my sore muscles, and even harder to not start crying now that I am officially alone.
'I really hope I made the right decision in coming here instead of staying there. Hermione...Ron... Merlin I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I couldn't save you. Please forgive me. I miss you all. I miss everyone. Always.' I choked back a sob, sliding down to curl into a ball at the bottom of the shower. I ignored the water that was getting into my eyes, more focused on regaining control of myself.
It wasn't until almost two hours later that I finally left the bathroom and found plates of food on the bedside table and no one in sight. Picking up a piece of fruit I've never seen before, I walked over to the window on the back wall. It looked over a small garden and I'm reminded of the magic mingling with my core. Deciding to meditate later to investigate, I finished eating and finally gave into the beautiful bed, falling into a deep sleep. Absently, I hoped I won't have any dreams, though I mean nightmares. I know they will come, they always come. If not today, then soon.