Disclaimer: I own the plot, though I apologize if it's been done before. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.
There and Back Again
Chapter 4: Ne Laure
By Jess S
Earth - 'Dursley's' London Townhouse - August 15th, 1995
"Valina arin, melda nin..." {Good morning} Violet smiled as her prince entered the breakfast parlor. She was a picture of Elven beauty, seated at the breakfast table in a form-fitting white sundress (probably, Harry knew, one of the ones his aunt had ordered for her) with tan sandals adorning her feet.
Harry nodded, returning the greeting with practiced ease, "Valina arin, melme nin..." he looked around, raising an eyebrow. "Mammen ana inosse o Dursley?" {Where are the Dursleys?} He too, wore summer attire. Tan khaki-pants hid much of his finely polished dragon-hide boots, the belt that ran around his waste, couldn't be seen, thanks to the white silk shirt that smoothly concealed it.
The Elf nodded to the seat across from her, the gesture also encompassing the food laid out on the table. "Selli-o-amil nin na nostale termara an kare ten asps man, esse wanya an titta wanwie." {Your aunt was kind enough to prepare breakfast for us, before they left a short time past.}
"Aa... an apsa?" {Ahh... for breakfast?} He guessed.
She nodded, "Uma."
The 'Boy'-Who-Lived sighed, shaking his head slightly as he took the seat she'd offered moments earlier. "Handasse e Camthalion ar Elrohir?" {Any news from Chris and Eric?}
"Laa," Violet shook her head gracefully, before taking a sip of her orange juice. "Dan taer atta emquie wanwie... Illuume ana hirihoopa o ilsoore ana hilya." {But only two weeks have past... Hardly enough time to find a Haven with no trail to follow.}
Harry nodded, "Anwa..." {True...} he sighed, "Ananta ilna nin halya noale." {But I can't help worrying.}
"Tanya titta vaniman na le tana an kanuva." {That simply proves that you're a good leader.}
"Hannon le," the wizard smirked, shaking his head. They sat in silence for some time, before he sighed once again. "Im omentale mellon nin mi Diagon Alley an arie," {I'm meeting my friends in Diagon Alley today,} he reminded her. "Voite noa le--?" {Have you decided--?}
She cut him off. "Wanya nin... tana o imae, ilumbar nin." {I will go... it would be for the best, I don't doubt.}
The wizard nodded once again. "Uma... you can only benefit from learning another form of magic, and to really learn this one, you need a wand... As far as I know, Ollivander's is still the best place around."
"We'd best be on our way, then," Violet murmured, nodding to the clock. "Weren't you meeting them around ten?"
"Uma," Harry nodded, finishing off his late breakfast before waving his hand to clear/clean the table. "Ten wanya man." {Let's go.}
~ * ~
Back on Middle Earth - Rivendell, 2951 of the Third Age
Aragorn Elessar, known to the Elves as 'Estel' had grown up peacefully in the House of Elrond. He had had a truly privileged childhood, but he wasn't spoiled. Lord Elrond had trained him well, and his outlook on life was far more humble then most of his kindred, even as he himself bore a great deal more potential then much of his race.
He was ten years old when Bilbo Baggins had found the One Ring in the Misty Mountains, eleven when the hobbit placed it on his mantel in his little Hobbit Hole back on the Shire.
During his teenage years, he'd traveled along side Elrond's sons on many great adventures, and when he returned to Imladris, at the age of twenty, his foster-father had every right to be proud in calling him 'doore-nîn' - or 'son of my heart'. It was on that day, that the Lord of Imladris decided that it was time 'Estel' learned his true name, and heritage.
The knowledge... both shocked, and humbled him... to say the least. It made him all the more aware of his kindred's faults, and faults he therefore considered his own... Thus was why he did not object when Lord Elrond gave him all but one of the heirlooms of the House of Elendil. He was given the Ring of Barahir and the Shards of Narsil, but the Scepter of Annuminas, was withheld, until, the Elven Lord had said, it was truly earned.
All this weighted his young heart for a remarkably short time, thanks to the uncommonly kind hands of Fate. For it was the very next day that the heir of Isildur met the Evenstar...
It was a most joyous occasion indeed, as the Lady of Rivendell had been gone for over fifty years, and this was the first time she'd chosen to return. This joy was (unusually) (obvious) on the faces of her family, her father most of all.
"Mae govannen mar, yende nin." {Welcome home, my daughter.} Were the Lord's words of greeting before he took the cloaked rider into his arms, into a (loving) embrace, which she did not hesitate to return in full. "Hiisele le navoite..." {You have been missed...}
Aragorn couldn't help but notice how pleasantly harmonious the lady's voice was as she replied, "Hannon le, Atar... Mae le ve iise nin..." {Thank you, Father... I missed you as well...} she stepped back out of his embrace slowly, glancing around, and nodded to her brothers. "Ilya o le..." {All of you...}
It wasn't until that moment, when the Elven princess pulled back the hood of her cloak, that Aragorn was able to view the beauty of the Evenstar, and fully acknowledge how worthy she was of the name.
Beauty... didn't describe her. Her features, ears and skin certainly proclaimed her an Elf, but there was more to it then that...
Aragorn didn't think that it was the ethereal glow of her skin, the light of her smile, the shimmering ebony wave her hair formed, or the flawless precision of her delicate features, that made her renown as the most beautiful maiden of the Elven Kingdoms...
But he didn't think it was merely her beauty that he felt drawing himself to her... It wasn't lust... He was, after all, twenty years old. He'd already lived through his teenage years, and he'd given up virginity long before now. The royal knew what lust was like, and how to resist it... This... was not that...
It wasn't until she looked up, meeting his eyes, that he was hit by the full effect of this... emotion.
He had only a moment to register the stunningly beautiful shade of her deep blue eyes, before he found himself sinking into them... loosing himself in them... becoming lost in their wondrous depths...
"Ai, Estel!" {Ah, Hope!} Elladan brought them back to the conscious world. "Tanya ta sanda! Ilvoite le moina selli în!" {That's right! You haven't met our dear sister!}
If any of the male-elves noticed their matching stunned expressions - which they may not have, as overjoyed as they were by the lady's return - they gave no sign of it. The Lord of Imladris, however, was never 'out of it' enough to have not noticed how long the two stared at each other before greeting one another.
"Ta ana alasse, heri nin..." {It is a pleasure, my lady...} Aragorn murmured while bowing over her delicate, proffered hand and placing a soft, barely noticeable kiss on it's pale surface.
Arwen nodded, her eyes still a little wider then usual, a faint blush touching her fair features. "Maure nin quente inyaare, Estelhur..." {I must say the same, Lord Hope...} she nodded, apparently regaining the ability to speak, albeit sounding somewhat breathless. "Ten nosse nîn - laa, nosse în - quente na uutitta o le." {For my family - no, our family - has spoken very highly of you.}
"Levoite na i Galadrim?" {You have been staying in the Galadrim?} he inquired politely, once again not able to help but notice splendor of her smile.
"Uma," she nodded, "Ten faare luume... dan sii... valina nin ana na mar..." {For some time.... but now... I am glad to be home...}
~ * ~
The Leaky Cauldron, August 15th, 1995
The Leaky Cauldron was its usual-self; rather dingy in appearance, crowded and loud in occupancy. Of course, that changed as soon as the door opened, and everyone saw whom it was walking inside. Had he still been a teenager, Harry undoubtedly would've had to struggle to ignore the stares of the pub's patrons. As it was, he didn't even appear to need to shrug them off, as he offered a bright smile before closing the door, which he'd actually left open for more then enough time for someone else to follow him through.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Harry quickly made his way over to the bar with an easy grace that one would think was truly unnatural on a teenage boy. "Good morning," he greeted the Wizarding bartender.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter!" Tom (the bartender) quickly replied. "Would you like anything?"
"Yes, please," Harry nodded, "A cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot." [AN: Can anyone name where that's from? ... And I don't own it.]
"Coming right up, Mr. Potter!" the almost completely bald wizard replied, hurrying through the door behind the bar that led to the kitchen.
Had Harry not turned his eyes back to the other patrons, raising an eyebrow sardonically, they undoubtedly would've remained silent and staring for a long, long time. As it was, he did turn his eyes back to the other patrons, raising an eyebrow sardonically, causing them to quickly return to their conversations.
Harry didn't talk to anyone, but he did - occasionally - glance at an empty space beside him. A space he continued to make sure no one attempted to move through.
A Short time later 'Tom', quite literally, ran out of the kitchen with a tall glass of seaming, dark tea, only to have to force himself into a rather abrupt stop at the bar's edge, in order to set the drink down before his 'young' patron.
Not long after that amusing escapade, in fact, it wasn't even long enough to allow the faint blush in the bartender's old, plump cheeks to fade, the pub's attention was once again drawn to one of its entrances.
This time it was the fireplace: with a burst of green light announcing the arrival of a pair of identical redheads. Only moments later, their younger brother came through in the same fashion, only to collide with them, bringing all three of them to the floor. Had they bothered trying to actually move out of the way, rather then arguing, the smaller redhead that followed them wouldn't have any trouble coming through, anymore then the brunette that followed her.
"Man almievoite, mellon lyaa." {Such grace your friends have...} Violet murmured quietly, her voice coming from the 'empty' space at his side.
Harry shook his head at both the Elf-maiden's words and his friends' antics. "Uume e?" {Don't they?} he replied quietly, before setting his empty tea-glass down on the counter and making his way over the pile of teenagers. "Need a hand?" he inquired, amusement clearly coloring his tone as he offered one.
"Yes," Hermione gasped, reaching up to grab the proffered hand, and gasping again, this time out of surprise, as she was easily pulled to her feet.
Ginny blushed slightly, but also didn't hesitate to take the (much) older Gryffindor's hand as well.
By that time, Fred and George had already found their feet, and were currently holding their brother up... actually, it looked a great deal more like they were holding him down, but...
"Morning, Harry!" one twin smiled brightly.
"Hope it's a good one!" the other finished, also smiling brightly.
"Oh, it has been, so far," Harry replied easily, offering a smile in return.
"Fred, George! Come on!" Ron demanded, "Let me up!"
"Let you up?" Fred - or maybe it was George - blinked.
"Can't you get up on your own?" the other asked, a vision of innocence.
"Not with you holding me down, I can-"
He was cut off by another burst of green flame, which emitted his mother. Mrs. Weasley had, of course, waited to give the children time to get away from the exit, but seeing as three of them hadn't moved, she flew right into them. This sent them crashing down to the floor once again. Now, Mrs. Weasley herself would have also collided with the floor, face first, had it not been for a firm, but gentle grip, that suddenly appeared on her upper arm, supporting her.
Once she realized someone was holding her up, she carefully stepped over her pile of sons, rising once both her feet were set firmly on the ground. She then turned to thank her kind assistant, and was more then a little surprised to find that it was Harry himself who'd caught her, and was now stepping back to give her room.
"Are you all right, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked politely, his expression blank while he inwardly cursed himself. [That's 'cursed' as in profanity, not 'cursed' as in magic... just thought I'd make that clear, ^_^*]
"O-oh, yes, yes, Harry, thank you," the redheaded witch replied, offering him a warm smile before turning to glare at her three youngest sons. "Up, you three! Up! Now!" she ordered, and once the three of them began to move, she turned on her heel and smiled at the other three members of their newly formed group. "Shall we?"
Harry returned the smile much more easily then the other two Gryffindors, before turning and walking over to the bar to toss a galleon on it. "Thank you," he nodded to the bartender, before turning again and walking over to the small door in the back, and opening it. He bowed to his friends, "After you?"
All three witches blinked, the younger two blushing slightly, before Mrs. Weasley caught herself again. "Oh, thank you, Harry." She replied as she quickly made her way over to, and through, the door, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins following in her wake.
This time, Harry didn't leave the door open for a prolonged amount of time, but that may have been because Violet had plenty of time to pass through before the others. Whatever the reason, he closed it as soon at the twins had passed through, turning to watch as Mrs. Weasley tapped her wand on the appropriate bricks.
He remembered when he'd first entered the Wizarding shopping center, Hagrid at his side...
~ Flashback ~
"Three up... two across," Hagrid muttered as he counted the bricks above the trashcan. "Right, stand back, Harry." He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella, and the bricks he had touched began to move.
They quivered, and wriggle, and then, in the middle, a small hole appeared. That hole grew wider, and wider... A second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.
"Welcome," Hagrid had said, grinning at Harry's amazement, "to Diagon Alley."
~ End of Flashback ~
But that wasn't what Mrs. Weasley said, for indeed, why should she? All of them had been to Diagon Alley before! Therefore, it was only appropriate that she skipped directly to, "First stop: Gringotts!"
~ * ~
"So... that's it?" Tonks inquired after the Headmaster had finished his telling of supper at Harry Potter's new home. "They really just moved because they wanted to?"
"Yes, Nymphadora," Dumbledore nodded, "that seems to be the case..."
"But you don't really believe it?" Shacklebolt murmured quietly, his dark eyes inquisitive.
"Oh... I do believe that Harry's relatives wanted to move, and that they somehow happened upon a great deal of money..."
"But there's more to it then that," Professor McGonagall continued. She thought a moment before continuing with a soft sigh, "Mr. Potter seems... different."
"Different?" Hestia Jones blinked, "Different how? The growth spurt?" she shook her head, "that's not too unusual for teenage boys... and even less so for those in our world."
"No," Remus shook his head, "Minerva's right... There's more to it then that. It's not just how much he's changed physically, although that was certainly surprising enough... he has different mannerisms now..."
"What'd you mean?" Tonks asked.
The werewolf shook his head, "Well... I'm not sure... Harry was never overly emotional, but he did have a bit of a temper, and he tended to overdo things sometimes... now, I don't think he'd ever allow himself to lose control of anything... he's more reserved, more observant... Darker...and...."
"...Older," Sirius Black finished for his friend.
Everyone blinked at that... but after a moment's consideration everyone who'd visited Harry that two weeks prior nodded.
"Yes," Remus agreed, "older... or at least more mature."
"So," Tonks raised an eyebrow, "what's the big deal? The Boy-Who-Lived grew up. So what? It really shouldn't be that surprising, considering the events surrounding the Tournament. All of you were worried about how reserved he was acting then, this was probably just his way of coming to terms with it."
"That makes sense," Emmeline Vance agreed with a nod. "If he forced himself, or was forced, to mature a great deal mentally, that would explain the drastic physical change... his magic was trying to keep his body developing at the same rate as his mind."
"Perhaps..." Dumbledore nodded. After a moment's silence, he shook his head. "That very well may be... we'll have to look into it. Now, weren't you going to report on event's at the Ministry, Kingsley?"
~ * ~
"Valar..." Harry heard his invisible companion breath as they entered Gringotts. Violet was too intelligent to risk the other's hearing her, she hadn't spoken at all on the way here through the crowd streets. However, he knew all too well that she really couldn't help herself, and wasn't surprised by the word's that followed. "Ilistima enkalpa nin na iminya luu kenale nin i Yrch o Ennorath." {No wonder you were so surprised the first time you saw the Goblins of Middle Earth...}
Even though he'd been expecting it, the wizard had to suppress a chuckle at the quiet retort. Yes, he had been more then a little surprised when they'd run into the band of goblins on his way to Imladris a little more then two centuries after his arrival in Lothlórien.
~ Flashback ~
[I know Harry's a little childish/OOC in this part, but I thought it would be amusing. And when you think about it, he couldn't have become as in control/mature as he's been for most of the story without a lot of experience, an experience comes from mistakes/bad judgement...]
"Serya sinome naman." {We shall rest here.} Haldir shook his head, chuckling faintly at his young companion's undisguised curiosity, mingled with anxiety. "Imesta ana Imladris ilta yana anda, mellon nin. Aro Quendelie, ar nessa istari, noa nin na, maude (an/ana/na) seere luuoluu." {The journey to Rivendell is not that long, my friend. And even Elves, and young wizards, I would assume, need to rest occasionally.}
"Dan-"
"Laa," the blonde shook his head again, a faint smile gracing the corners of his mouth. "Man na kara kaimen sinome sina moore, are na le mat ar serya." {We will set camp here tonight, and you will eat and rest.}
"Maer..." {Fine...} Harry sighed, shaking his head as he set his pack down beside the Elf's and looked around. "Elsanga titta runda ourwa nin nan," {I'll go gather some firewood," he offered, eager to explore some more.
Haldir laughed quietly, "Mae la, dan uume mista vahaiya, nessa haryon nin. Sina noore ilvoite na varya o titta luume, are ilnoa man idelu taan foa." {Very well, but do not stray far, my young friend. These lands have not been patrolled for some time, and we do not know what dangers they may hold.}
"Tanka!" {Sure!} the younger nodded in response, but obviously didn't considering these words overly serious. [I like that word ^_... -_-* ok, back to the story...]
As is often such the case with actions such as these, he shouldn't have done it. He should have listened. Had he done so, had he kept his guard up, he wouldn't have walked right into a goblin trap...
He'd been told, more then once, by his many Elven mentors to be on his guard in/around caves. One reason was it wasn't an area he, one of Elven training, would be overly adapt at fighting in. The other was the beings who could inhabit then, and therefore would be used to the surroundings, and well prepared to fight in them. Dwarves weren't anywhere near as much of a problem as Orcs, Ogres, and Goblins were. Even the Elves, while warring with the other kindred, would admit that. The Dwarven Race wasn't an evil one... the same could not be said for the others.
Therefore, Harry should have had his guard up when he was walking by the entrance to the cave anyhow, even without Haldir's warning. As it was, he had not been paying any mind... and was therefore quite surprised when a net was thrown out of it, to ensnare him.
He was knocked out when his head hit the hard ground, and it had taken his elegant eyes some time to adjust to the dark when he awoke, so that he could see his captors, and even then, he hadn't known what they were...
He'd seen Ogres before, and Orcs, as it wasn't overly unusual for them to try attacking the borders of the Galadrim, or it's occupants. These creatures were neither. They were certainly ugly enough to be considered part of either kindred, but they weren't big enough to be Ogres, or small enough to be Orcs... They were dressed in similar attire to what he'd been told Dwarves were known to wear, heavy metal and firm hide. [-_-* That sounds wrong, doesn't it?]
Harry didn't know what would've happened to him if he'd stayed their captive for very long. He didn't know what they intended to do to him, as they never got the chance to speak a word to him, and he didn't know what they were saying when they were yelling at each other in a harsh and garbled language much like that of the Orcs. Had he been captured several centuries later, after his time in one of the Dwarven kingdoms, he would've had at least a vague idea of what they were saying, as his Dwarven friends had taught him what they could of the Goblin language... But this didn't happen then, and therefore the young prince didn't have the slightest idea of what they were saying.
Honestly though, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what they'd been saying...
So it was lucky indeed that his Elven friend had managed to track them: which wasn't surprising really. Haldir was rather well known as both a skilled warrior and hunter, which meant he was therefore a good tracker. Had it been anyone else, they probably couldn't have pulled off what the Elven arms commander did...
Convincing the Goblins that there were many Elves attacking them, and that they didn't stand a chance certainly couldn't have been easy, but the Elf managed it...
Harry breathed a sigh of relief as his Elven friend cut the robes that were binding him. "Hannon le..."
Haldir nodded, but didn't reply as he pulled Harry to his feet and quickly led him out of the cave. It was only once they were outside that he did speak, after turning Harry every which way to scan his ruffled, and rather dirty appearance. "Na ilnaike le?" {You are not hurt?}
"Uma..." the wizard nodded, glancing back towards the entrance even as he was force to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight. That had come as more then a bit of a surprise, for it hadn't been long after sundown that had found him gathering firewood. "Man na inat?" {What were those things?} he asked, frowning.
This drew a blink from the Elf. "Yrch illaa." {Goblins, of course.}
~ End of Flashback ~
He didn't have to wonder where she'd heard the tale from, as her uncle had been his companion on that journey. While the Lórien Guardian was very reserved, even by Elven standards, he knew for a fact that the (much) older warrior was much more open with his close friends and family. And that incident being the case with him, and his vague memories of his first encounter with these goblins, Harry didn't doubt that the Elven lady was having similar thoughts: albeit in reverse...
Compared to the large, violent and vindictive creatures he'd fought in his foster world, the hobbit-size, shrewd creatures with pointed beards and long fingers were rather... pathetic, but also quite bewildering to one who'd never think of goblins as such.
"Faina'Varda..." {Varda's Light...} Violet murmured quietly by his ear, obviously regaining some of her wit. "Yaare-nosse lyaa maurevoite dagle ilya oi ohtakyaro-yrch an sinale ana na noale Yrch!" {Your ancestor's must've wiped out all of the goblin warrior's for these to be considered Goblins!}
Harry's small nod wouldn't have been noticed by anyone else. According to Hogwarts' records, during the Age the Wizarding School was built in, and in its' early years, the Wizarding World had been at war with many magical species, and the goblin's were one of them. That was something Harry remembered Ron has always laughed at before, and he had himself agreed with him then, imagining these creatures - whose primary defenses were enchanted stone walls, laws, Wizarding guards, rumors of tamed dragons and nasty dispositions - fighting against the Founders. Now however, he had no difficulty imagining it, as Violet was undoubtedly right...
He didn't reply verbally, however, as he knew that while the hearing of the goblin's of Middle Earth couldn't compare to that of the Elves, he didn't doubt the shrewd creatures they were walking towards would notice something.
As it was, it really was a good idea he hadn't said anything, as he found out a moment later, when they'd finally found a goblin along the long marble counter who wasn't busy, a silvery voice halted their party in it's track. "So you can actually afford to put money into the goblin's keeping? I never would've guessed..."
Harry sensed Violet's slight bewilderment as all of them turned toward the voice, but she was the only one who didn't know who it was that had spoken.
"Mr. Malfoy," Mrs. Weasley nodded to him, pressing her lips tightly together as they watched Lucius Malfoy and his son glide over to them in two swirls of expensive silk. "How are you today?"
"Oh certainly much better then many other's I could name," the blonde drawled a faint smirk touching his otherwise emotionless, and flawless face.
Before anything else could be said, the clerk intervened in his cold, grating voice. "Now, now, they'll be none of that here. Or I'll be forced to call security."
"That won't be necessary," Mrs. Weasley greeted the goblin. "We've come to make two withdrawals, and one Muggle-Wizarding exchange."
The goblin eyed her closely for a long moment - well actually, it looked more like a glare - making the grown witch fidget slightly. "How much will the exchange be for, madam."
Mrs. Weasley waved to Hermione, "dear?"
Hermione nervously made her way up to the desk, quickly handing him several pounds.
The goblin quickly sorted through the pieces of paper, running a long nail along the counter top, which seemed to make a drawer pop out from the counter in front of him. After he'd sorted the bills out into the drawer he pressed a button and a small pouch of galleons appeared on the counter top. "Here you are, miss."
"Thank you," Hermione replied quickly, before hurrying back to the others as the goblin turned to Mrs. Weasley again.
"And which two vaults do you wish to withdraw from?"
"The Weasley vault, and the Potter vault," the witch replied hurriedly, pulling two keys out of her robes and setting them on the desk.
The goblin analyzed both keys closely, "And the owners are?"
"Myself and my husband," Mrs. Weasley replied, nodding to one of the keys, "and the other is Harry's." She finished, nodding to Harry.
At this, the goblin turned his gaze/glare to the 'young' raven-haired wizard. Harry however, did not flinch or fidget, instead he appeared the picture of calm as he met the cashier's gaze. The moment he did so the goblin drew back slightly, his eyes widening and a glimmer of fear entering them.
It wasn't Harry who looked away first, and when the goblin spoke again, the others were more then a bit confused by the note of nervousness in his voice. "V-Very well," ha managed, quickly handing Mrs. Weasley her key and offering Harry his.
After a barely noticeable pause, Harry accepted the key with a nod. "Thank you, Mr...?"
"T-Tombstone, Grabble Tombstone," the goblin replied quickly, bowing his head slightly before continuing. "I will have someone take you down to both vaults... Digger!"
"Thank you," Harry nodded, finally (to the clerk's mind) turning his stunning eyes away from the clerk and watching as another, younger goblin approached them. He didn't miss the slightly confused look in the younger Malfoy eyes or the slight twitch at the corner of the elder's mouth as he did so.
'Digger' glanced at the party as he approached them, apparently deciding that this was a 'normal' withdrawal, that look changed however, when he met Harry's gaze. His eyes, like those of the other goblin (Tombstone), widened slightly: fearfully, as he froze. After a moment, he managed to collect himself, bowing a little more deeply then was technically proper for one of the Gringotts' Goblins, before turning to the desk clerk.
Before directing the younger goblin, the clerk looked/glared at the Malfoys, "Will you be making a withdrawal as well?"
"Yes," Mr. Malfoy smirked slightly, handing his shiny silver key to the goblin.
"That appears to be in order," 'Tombstone' nodded, before turning to 'Digger', "Take them down."
~ * ~
Middle Earth - Imladris, 2979 of the Third Age
"Mere le yuuyo." {You miss them.}
The Lady of Imladris turned to watch her father's approach, "Ya, Atar?" {Who, Father?} she inquired. "Elerossë? Uma... Dan..."
"Uma, Elerossë..." the Lord of Imladris nodded, "ar Estel."
"Estel?" Arwen frowned, but nodded after a moment's thought. "Uma, intya nin." {Yes, I guess.}
Elrond smiled, "Hon yavoite na ortole mi mar, ve nosse, ar foa ilya înser, ananta enlyaa taare ilya naan." {He who has been raised in this house, as family, and holds all our affection, though more of yours then any other.}
The lady did not immediately reply, instead choosing to watch as the sun sank deeper into the horizon, setting her father's kingdom alight in a vast multitude of colors. The lord himself watched as well, choosing to remain silent as he awaited her response. Which she did eventually give: "Hon ta uuvea Atan... ila enuuvea fire manvoitre vorhanya. Hon ta noola ar melima... polda, dan ilhwesta..." {He is a great man... Perhaps the greatest mortal we've ever known. He is wise and fair... strong, but modest...} the dark-haired Elf murmured quietly, "Tana hon uume sii merne ana dîn men ned Taar o Gondor uume erda o hon maar anta. Hon er kaure nale raika heru, oquenie hon yesta na varya nosse în, ar naa, o i'leo..." {That he does not yet wish to take his place as Gondor's King does not take away from his good character. He simply fears being a poor ruler, so instead chooses to protect his people, and others, from the shadows...}
"Dan hon maure erree lembi i'leo ..." {But he must one day leave the shadows...} Elrond replied, his eyes still set on the setting sun. "Oi'noore o Atan na atalta, aro dîn, i'telwa estelo Ennorath." {Or the Race of Men will fail, and with them, the last hope for Middle Earth.}
Arwen nodded, "Hanya nin...dan ta hande umme hauta man ta oore nîn..." {I know... but that knowledge doesn't change what's in my heart...} she laughed quietly, sadly. "Sii saira nin yana Ránëwén tyarole taare gwennin in enninath, iire Elerossë mestale i-loona eda veela onat ilhanya man. Lemballe dîn na noa manar tîn, engae i'istya ilvoro hyara hon...." {I now understand how Violet acted those years long past, when Harry traveled across the lands in search of something we know not. Thus leaving her to consider their fate, even as the knowledge never left him....}
The Lord of Imladris nodded, "Ta nai kallo, si taitale tyaro... Ar Elerossë _ i'maa o Vairë umya inat, e hon tuure usin o arya, oi metya." {It was an honorable, if prolonged act... And Harry knew the Vairë's hands weren't something even he could escape or manipulate, in the end.}
"Enan taare le?" {Any more then you?} Arwen murmured, finally turning her eyes away from the horizon, to her father.
"Mere umme nin (an/ana/an) tulwe eni tie o maranwe. Il'Im titta i'ilhanda tana Thingol erinle anna, selda nin..." {I do not attempt to stand in the way of destiny. I am not quite the fool that Thingol proved to be, my child...} Lord Elrond replied, before he also turned his head slightly, meeting his daughter's gaze, a gaze identical to her mother's... "Mere nin er manta enmaar o le." {I only want what is best for you.}
His daughter nodded, "Ar Ennorath..." {And Middle Earth...}
"Illaa," {Of course,} The Elven Lord nodded. After a moment's pause, he sighed. "Ta na enmaaro le (an/ana/na) atayanwe lyaa ilindyo a Caras Galadhon... Noa nin tana Estel taina veelale mestale ta osteka..." {Perhaps it would be best for you to rejoin your grandmother in Caras Galadon... I believe Aragorn has been sited moving in its direction...}
~ * ~
Harry hadn't been surprised when Violet had first clung to his arm as the rattling cart they'd been piled into. There were two carts for their party, but Harry, (the invisible-Violet), and the Weasleys all piled into the back cart, rather then sitting with the two Malfoys and their Goblin-guide, in front. It wasn't overly surprising anyhow... he a Wizard merely raised and trained by Elves, who'd also become a friend of the Dwarves, didn't like this. He could scarcely imagine how the tiny, rattling metal cart on the old rail which led them through the narrow stone passage ways, seemed to an Elven Lady. She didn't calm down until he risked moving her hand and grasping it lightly in his own, larger hand, while murmuring so softly that surely only the Elf and himself could here it, even with the Weasleys (and Hermione) packed around them. "Ta uyana ando, melda nin..." {It won't be long...}
"Aníron lena anwa, melda nin..." {I pray you are right...} she replied, just as quietly.
The slight tremble in her beautiful voice made him frown, but he knew he couldn't risk conversing with her at such close quarters. It was hard enough making sure she had room in the cart while making sure none of the Weasleys brushed up against her.
The first stop, was the Malfoy vault. The Weasleys, of course, didn't even glance toward the open door. They already knew the legendary wealth of the Slytherin family, they didn't need to see the two blondes openly flaunting it...
Surprisingly enough, the Weasley vault wasn't quite as (empty) as it had been the last time he'd seen it. There were many piles Knuts, a few piles of Sickles, and even a pile of Galleons inside. Mrs. Weasley carefully filled her bag with several handfuls of the coppers coins, then added two handfuls of the silver, and a few Galleons before exiting, closing the vault door behind her.
Of course, Harry hadn't let his surprise show, and even had a few guesses as to where the money had come from, but he didn't say anything.
The Malfoys didn't say anything either, and Harry could tell from the tight look on the younger Malfoy's face that they'd been hoping to see an empty vault...
The blonde's were quite obviously curious about the contents of Harry's vault though. He highly doubted they'd say anything to him though. While the fortune he'd known as Prince of the Galadrim, and even the small portion of it he'd brought back with him, easily surpassed the money his parents had left for him, that didn't mean they hadn't been generous...
It was all too clear to Harry that the Malfoys weren't the least bit pleased with this journey as he watched them storm down the marble steps outside of the bank afterwards.
"Well," Mrs. Weasley smiled, and Harry suspected she'd also noticed the Malfoys discontent. "I suppose all of you'd like some time to yourselves...?" Not waiting for any responses, she continued, "So we'll meet back at Flourish and Blotts in two hours, alright?"
"Right!" The twins the first to reply right before they turned and hurried away their mother's call of: "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" following their retreating forms.
"Mummy, I wanted to look for a new pair of robes..." Ginny reminded her mother.
"Yes, dear," the older redheaded-witch nodded, "I remember. We'll be heading their now." Before she leaving, she smiled at 'the Golden Trio', "Have fun, dears. And keep out of trouble!"
"Yes, ma'am," Both Harry and Hermione replied in unison with Ron's, "Yes, Mum..."
And then they were on their way. Harry didn't talk much, just listened and added a few comments every now and then, as he tried to get used to his childhood friends. As he tried to remember what it was like to be a teenage wizard...
He could feel Violet's silent support at his back, as she followed them, an invisible smile. Her presence didn't really bother him, and it made sense. She simply wanted to 'get to know' his friends in this world, the friends he'd waited so long to see again...
But more then anything, he was just glad someone who did know him was there...
~ * ~
"Severus," The Dark Lord Voldemort summoned the Potions Master from the gathered Death Eaters, "report."
The Head of Slytherin House quickly stepped forward, and bowed deeply before replying. "My lord... the Order hasn't discussed much of anything as of late, with the exception of the Potter boy."
"Oh?" For some reason this made the Dark Lord, and a few of the gathered Death Eaters release evil cackles. "Has the brat come to harm then?"
Severus Snape was quite glad for his Death Eater mask at the moment, as he couldn't suppress his bewilderment in the slightest, physically or mentally. "No, my lord..."
"No...?" This seemed to both surprise, and anger, Voldemort. "Then why do they discuss him...?"
"From what I can gather..." Snape began, taking his time as he remained carefully under the facade he'd held for a long time: that he was a Member of Dumbledore's staff and Order, but that didn't mean he was entitled to all the Headmaster heard. "The boy's family moved to a new home, quite unexpectedly, and the Headmaster worried that the wards would not follow him."
"And?"
"I'm sorry to say, they did, my lord." Snape faked a sigh, lying smoothly.
Voldemort didn't appear surprised, he merely nodded after a moments thought. "It would be too much to hope for... but, no matter. There is still the possibility that I may be able to strike the boy myself, as some of his blood now flows in my veins..." After a moment, he nodded again. "Is there anything else, Severus?"
"No, my lord," Snape bowed, and remained in that position until the Dark Lord dismissed him a moment later.
"Very well, return to the Muggle-lover's side before you are missed."
~ * ~
Harry sighed as he dropped down into one of the chairs by the back of the store. He was inside the Muggle bookstore beside the Leaky Cauldron, waiting for the Elven lady he'd missed all afternoon - for she'd left after a little while, to explore Diagon Alley a little more, and shop.
"Ehored nin, Im abdollen," {Forgive me, I'm late,} Violet apologized, dropping gracefully down into the chair across from him, handing the silvery bundle she carried to him, as she did so.
"Ernin titta tulyale." {I only just arrived.} The wizard replied smoothly, while taking in the bags she'd set on the floor. He raised an eyebrow. "Meryavoite?" {Have fun?}
"Aa, uma!" {Oh, yes!} Violet smiled. "Im sii harya lanne o Wizarding!" {I now own a Wizarding wardrobe!} She told him proudly.
He rolled his eyes, which earned his shoulder a playful slap.
"A ilran!" {Oh, hush!} she told him, "Ninvoite wanwa titta kolindole, dan tana maureta. Ar sii ninna entitta!" {I may have gotten a little carried away, but it was worth it. And now I'll fit in a little more!}
Harry smiled slightly, shaking his head. He knew how much the last bit meant to her. She was worried about not being accepted by his friends and family, just as he'd once worried that his foster kin wouldn't accept him. But he knew she'd have to spend a bit of time with the people themselves before she realized her worries had no grounds, just as he'd once realized. "~" {That is true,} he admitted, his tone clearly saying he was humoring her, which earned his poor shoulder another whack.
"Ilran!" {Hush!} Violet repeated, smiling while she scolded him. Then she decided to try another tactic, "Ya quente sina: ninna kena i'ana le loo, ar ilyanat uume le, man na horta ata!" {How about this: I'll show them to you tonight, and anything you don't like, we can send back!}
The wizard laughed, "Dan veela maar leen ilyanat!" {But you look good in everything!} But he nodded in agreement nonetheless. "Anwa, anwa... Ne man elana Ollivander's san?" {Fine, fine... Shall we proceed to Ollivander's then?} He asked, rising to his feet and picking up four of her five bags, after he'd brought the hood of his cloak up, so that is shadowed his forehead.
Violet smiled brightly, also standing and grabbing the other two bags. "Mankoi ilna man putta eni'mar minya?" {Why don't we stop at the house - for the bags - first?}
"Ilya ranwa," {All right,} Harry shrugged.
"Arman uya na lumnale nai mestale an'o i'olweno-karne, enilya ne ilumme lumna man iire mantana..." {And then we won't be burdened by them traveling to, or from, the wand-maker's, anymore then they shall bother us while we are there...}
Harry smiled, nodding in agreement before nodding his head toward the door. "Heri minya..." {Lady's first...}
~ * ~
Middle Earth - Lothlórien, 2980 of the Third Age
In the Elven kingdom of Lothlórien there was a hill where the Elf King Amroth built his house during the Second Age of the Sun. Songs of the Elves tell how in sorrow for his lost love, the Elf maiden Nimrodel, Amroth threw himself from an Elven ship and drowned in the sea. By the end of the Third Age his house had long vanished, but it was considered an enchanted place full of beauty and sorrow of star-crossed love. [AN: I don't own that passage, it was taken from page 71 of Tolkien, the Illustrated Encyclopedia... but I thought it was pretty, so I used it! Don't sue!]
It was here that the Lady of Light herself had betrothed the son of her heart to his soul mate, Lady Ránëwén Galathil in 1900 of the Third Age. And it was here that she now, over one thousand years later, betrothed her granddaughter to the heir of Isildur.
Cerin Amroth was indeed a place to behold, covered in Elanor flowers, which made it appears as though millions of tiny golden starts had fallen from the heavens to set it alight, and Niphredil flowers, which were instead small stars of the purest white. It had seemed like the only suitable place for the Galadrim's foster-prince and his soul mate to be betrothed, and the ceremony was one of the most wonderful highlights of Arwen's life. For she had been one of the few privileged enough to attend the actual ceremony, while most others waited a short distance away, their voices filling the air with blessed, rejoicing harmony, as they did now. It had indeed been a small party present here, larger then the present one, but still small nonetheless.
~ Flashback ~
While she'd been surprised to see Thranduil, King of Mirkwood, in attendance, she knew she shouldn't have been. After all, this was technically a royal betrothal within the Elven kingdoms, which was rare indeed, and no one, at least out of the Elder race itself, would ever turn down an invitation to such an event. This therefore meant that all of the Elven-monarchs now knew the truth of Harry's existence. She had been a bit disappointed though, to see that Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, and a dear friend of hers, hadn't come with his father. It was a pity, she didn't doubt he was out adventuring, but she knew, for one thing, he'd wanted to see the Galadrim for quite some time, and for another, she thought he and Harry would have liked each other a great deal...
Everyone else in attendance was no surprise. Obviously Lady Galadriel was there to perform the ceremony, her husband at her side. Arwen herself had come with her father, her brothers and Lord Glorfindel, only a few days earlier, at the Lady's summons. They had, of course, been accompanied by many more elves, as the journey required guards, but Glorfindel was the only one out of them who was really close enough to Harry and Ránëwén to be in immediate attendance. Then of course, there were Ránëwén's family, or what was left of its once numerous members. Lord Haldir, her brother's father and her second cousins, Elrohir and Camthalion Aeternas, were all that remained of her direct family. Her father, Lord Angaráto Galathil, had been killed when escorting Arwen's own mother, Celebrían to Lothlórien in the early years of second century of the third age, so that the Lord and Lady might meet their grandchild. His sacrifice undoubtedly saved both the Lady of Imladris and her daughter, but it also meant the death of his wife. Lady _ tried, but heartbreak is one of the few illnesses that can slay an Elf, and so she quite literally faded out of existence a little over a decade later, leaving her daughter to her brother-in-law's care.
That was one of the reason's Ránëwén was so highly favored by the rulers of both the Galadrim and Imladris. Her father they remembered as both a good friend and a great hero, and her mother's death had left her an orphan. Haldir, having never wed himself, relied heavily on the Lady of the Galadrim's advice, as well as the affection his rulers, and the rulers of Imladris showered on her. It may have been for that reason that Ránëwén Galathil and Arwen Undómiel were such close friends, as close as sisters...
Whatever the case, the party that now watched the ceremony atop the glorious hill was small, but that did not mean the joy surrounding it was so...
~ End of Flashback ~
Arwen had to smile at that memory, even as she heard her grandmother finishing the binding, she knew it would be her turn to speak next, and she knew what it was she would say. She had thought on it a long time, just as she knew Ránëwén had, long ago. Finally, her time to speak came...
[If you don't recognize this dialogue... I'm not quite sure why your reading this, but anyway, I don't own it!... And obviously I've made this a bit AU, too...]
"Renich i lú i erui govannem?" {Do you remember the time when we first met?}
Aragorn smiled slightly, shaking his head, "Nauthannen i ned ôl reniannen..." {I thought I had strayed into a dream...}
"Gwennin in enninath..." {Long years have passed...} the Lady of Rivendell continued, bring a loving hand up to caress his cheek. "Ú-'arnech in naeth i si celich." {You did not have the cares you carry now.} Here, she paused, thinking back on what those words meant, and how they compared to her best-friend's relationship with her 'little-uncle' [You know, Harry is technically still younger then her, so she thinks of him as her 'little uncle'... Which probably annoys him to no end, as he's only 3 years younger then her... ok, back to the story.] Finally, she continued, her voice only loud enough for her intended to hear. She knew that those a short distance from them would not listen, as it was custom for some words to be exchanged in private during the ceremony, usually words that queried assurances of their intended's commitment. "Renich i beth i pennen?" {Do you remember the word I told you?}
He looked down slightly, his eyes halting on the Evenstar, the beautiful pendant his beloved's mother had given her, which all thought signified her enduring beauty better then any mirror. "Quente le, ilumya le anta lyaale ana nin..." {You said, you'd bind yourself to me...} he whispered, shaking his head as he brought his eyes back up to meet her own, captivating gaze. "...kalpa oiale, ilfirin kuile... o nosse lyaa..." {...Forsaking, the Immortal life... of your people...}
"Aran tana foa nin," {And to that I hold,} the Elven princess replied, her voice firm, her sapphire gaze earnest. "Mere nin yesta er kuile-luu o le... taare anta ilya randa osina noore er..." {I would rather share one lifetime with you... then face all the ages of this world alone...}
Before he could respond to that, he felt her press something into his hand, and looked down to find the star-like pendant resting there. He shook his head, his brows drawing together ever so slightly as he sought to deny what this meant. "No..."
"Merne nin, Fiirimo kuile..." {I choose, a Mortal life...} Arwen Undómiel finished, a slight smile on her fair face. She'd set that a little more loudly, knowing the smile it would bring to all the faces around them. Legolas had been able to make it to this betrothal ceremony, though he'd never heard of what he'd missed the two previous times his father had journeys to the Galadrim. Mithrandir had, oddly enough, never meant Harry either, and there'd never come a time any of those trusted felt right to speak of him... But with the exception of those two, all here had been present when Ránëwén had said words very similar to those... When she'd chosen to follow him to his world. For they knew that there, he was Mortal, and so it was a Mortal life, in an alien world, that she would be forced to lead.
He quickly looked up, shaking his head, "Umya le anta nin si!" {You cannot give me this!}
She chuckled slightly, her eyes alight with joy, "Ta ni antanna anya iire nin...." {It is mine to give to whom I will....} She replied, while bringing both of her hands up to his, "...ve oore nin..." {...like my heart...} The princess finished, gently, but firmly closing his hand around the Evenstar.
Neither were truly aware of the smiling group around them, as the confusion and denial slowly, resignedly left the Man's eyes and they drew closer to one another. For shouldn't it only be right, that a betrothal ceremony, much like a wedding, would end with a kiss?
End of Chapter 4.
Translations:
Ne - By means of...
Laure - Gold
(This is, technically, an explanation, more then a translation...) Vairë - Vairë, the Weaver - One of the (15) Valar. She is the wife of Mandos (God of Death) and the weaver of Fate, as she weaves the tapestries that hang on the walls of the Halls of Mandso and tell the tale of world to the end of Time... [I got a lot of that out of Tolkein; The Illustrated Encyclopedia, great resource for LOTR! ^_^] Basically, she's Fate.
Melda nin - My beloved
Response to Reviews:
Wow! 18 of you for the last chapter! Thanks! ^_^
Xirleb70 - LOL... sorry.
Yes, they do.
Oooh, I'm really sorry. I tried, but this chapter was a bit harder then some of the others... How was your first week of school?
Lady Cinnibar - *Flinches* I really don't want to think about that... Yes, "Yuck" is a good description for it... "Yuck"... yup.
Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it. How was this one?
Tonda - LOL, thanks, I'm glad.
Thank you, they're fun to write... most of the time, so I don't mind doing them. I just get a little ticked off when people tell me to stop doing them... I know what you mean about the translations. I hate that!
Hmm... I think I sent you an email on a few HP/LOTR crossovers... did you look at those? I know that they weren't all great, but there really aren't that many of them out there (at least as far as I know there aren't...
Thanks. I hope you liked this one. ^_^
The Elfin Child - LOL... What? ^_^ Thanks, I'm glad you liked it... That was really fun to write... although I honestly have no idea where it came from... it was really just a filler scene, which took on its own form...
Thank you, that's always good to hear.
...That's not as good to hear... Are you feeling better?
*Sigh* Thank you. *Returns hug*... I'm still mad at FF.net for that, but I guess it's not all that bad... I really just ignore it.
^_^ Glad to hear it... hmm, ok. I can't promise exact translations though, just to warn you...
Saruman the White - Good, I'm glad. ^_^
Yes, you would be correct. Thanks, she was a fun character to create, although we haven't really skimmed the surface of her character...yet... ^_~
*Sigh*... I try, I really do... but sometimes the fic's don't cooperate... sorry.
*Coughs*... Umm... I'll have to get back to you on that...
Prd2bAmerican18 - Thank you, I'm glad you like it. ^_^
Silverstar6 - LOL... thanks. ^_^
How was this one?
Fear Mage - LOL, thank you, I'm glad you like it so much...
OrionTheHunter - Good, I'm glad. I hope that's still your belief on the matter... ^_^
Callie-chan1 - LOL, your welcome.
I'm glad you like the story so far. What'd you think of this chapter?
Thank you. ^_^
A-man - LOL... Thank you, ^_^...
*Blink**Blink*... incest?... Umm... Well, as you said... They technically aren't related by blood... And Violet is Haldir's niece... She may be distantly related to Galadriel and Cereborn... but I don't think so... Of course, that's actually something I wondered on the Aragorn/Arwen pairing. Technically, Aragorn was raised as Lord Elrond's foster-son, wasn't he? So then Arwen would be his foster-sister.... But, anyway... no I would not call this incest... at all...
Thanks, I'm glad you like it...
LOL... sorry, can't answer that. You'll have to wait and see! ^_~ (Don't worry, if I don't experience a terrible case of writers block/get flamed... you won't have to wait long...)
Wytil - ...
...
...Umm... no, sorry... 1 a week seems to be my max... although sometimes I can fit 2...
Thanks for your support.
Lord Master Omega - Thanks, I'm glad.
Star Mage1 - Thank you, I'm glad to hear it. ^_^
...Sorry, you'll have to wait on that... I will say that Harry does have... some experience with Middle Earth Wizardry, which is an interesting story in itself... but you'll have to wait and see...
Lunarian - Thank you. ^_^
LOL, I know, I like him too...
Jessyka - LOL, yes, I have to agree with you on that...
I'm glad to hear your enjoying the story... How was this chapter?
Potterlover2004 - LOL... Thank you very much. I'm glad you like it so much. ^_^
Serpent of Light -
LOL, ^_^... I'm glad you like it so much.... Um-hmm, that only makes sense, doesn't it? It's one of the problems he's having... When you talk to adults, they usually tell you (or at least, they usually tell me) that they really can't remember what it was like to be a kid/teenager... And Harry has to remember a lot father back (over 2000 years!) then they do!
Yes, you do. ^_^
Thank you, thank you. :-D
LOL... Sorry, you'll have to wait on that... *smiles evilly*
...Great, me too... but first, he has to have contact with his native world for awhile...
Great, what'd you think of this chapter?
:-P Not telling...
Thanks to Hermione's gift, he's very advanced in the type of magic taught at Hogwarts... He's also rather adapt in different forms of magic from Middle Earth... but you'll have to wait for that... or, at least most of it...
LOL, I know. You told me last time. ^_^ ... Why does your Mom want to read you mail, for curiosities sake?
Thank you! ^_^
AN: Well, that's all for now! ... I tried to post this last night, but FF.net wouldn't let me!
I'll try to get an update out within the next week, but I'm going to be really busy (My dear mother scheduled a doctor's appointment & a dentist appointment in the same week!) So, I promise I'll try, but that's all I can promise.
Oh, and 5 Things;
1. I'd like to thank everyone for their support!
2. If you read my response to Tonda... I'm looking for some more LOTR/HP x-overs. Can anyone recommend a few?
3. Reviews, please!
4. I like reviews!
5. Reviews would help! ^_~
REVIEW!
REVIEW!
REVIEW!
REVIEW!
REVIEW!!!
Thank you!
Bye! ^_^
~ Jess S