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 16: Mae Govannen
By Jess S
Woodlands in the foothills of Caradhas
"Shall we continue then?" Boromir inquired softly, looking around at his companions. All of whom were equally startled when a reply came from above them.
"Yes, please do, this is rather dull." He was undoubtedly an Elf, for he spoke the common tongue with no less eloquence then the Woodland Prince that accompanied them, and his voice had the same musical qualities all of the Eldar seemed to possess.
He was however, apparently well hidden, as even Legolas couldn't find him when he aimed one of his arrows skyward, carefully notched, the string pulled back just enough for him to be able to complete the gesture and release the arrow easily without straining himself as he looked for a target. After looking around the treetops for a moment, Legolas shook his head to the others, before sending an inquiry to the stranger, who's voice sounded oddly familiar to him, but in a way that he could not at present place anymore then he place its owner. "Man na le, mellon?" {Who are you, friend?}
"Er mellon," {A friend,} the stranger replied smoothly, his voice vaguely sarcastic.
"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves," Gimli snorted, almost growling the words as he glared skyward, ignoring his Elven companion's glare, which was echoed by most of the Fellowship as he made his demand. "Speak words we can all understand!"
"Very well, Master-Dwarf, if the common tongue is more to your taste then we shall use it." Their visitor continued with apparently no difficulty, "As I told Prince Legolas a moment ago, I am a friend, and to repeat my request of a few moments earlier, your present location is really rather boring, you should go forward. At least that might be interesting."
"Why are you here...friend?" Gandalf the Grey inquired as he looked around, a faint frown settling around his eyes.
"Questions of that nature are not mine to answer; they really belong to my lord, who awaits you in the clearing, along with your fellowship's most important member."
"Frodo?" Sam demanded, looking towards the clearing with a clear desire to hurry to it, before restraining himself and looking towards the trees once more.
"The Ring bearer would be the Fellowship of the Ring's most important member, I would think."
All of said Fellowship's members froze at the realization that the conversationalist was completely aware of their purpose, and the burden that Frodo bore.
Apparently taking note of their discomfort, the Elf laughed, "Oh come now, if we meant any ill will towards the Ring bearer, do you really think you'd still be standing? You've yet to locate me."
"If you attacked us, we would know where you were," Gimli told him, though the discomfort he noticed on the Prince of Mirkwood's face clearly contradicted his statement.
The sharp twang of a bow being fired echoed around them even as its…projectiles were suddenly buried far too close to him for the Dwarf's comfort. One had landed in the tree he was standing next to, a scant inch in front of his face. The other skimmed right by his shoulder as it came down from the heavens, to wound the ground right next to his right foot, after clearly following a path that said he was well within the archer's range.
After a few moments of tense silence, the stranger continued. "Where am I then, Master Dwarf? For surely you must know?"
"There's more then once of you," the Dwarf growled, even as and the others tried to find their would-be attackers based on the paths the arrows may have followed.
"Perhaps, but that was always a possibility, wasn't it? After all, even the greatest of warriors is rarely foolish enough to spend all his time in the wild, unaccompanied by friends or allies." Before any of the Fellowship could comment on that, he continued. "Really though, you must have many questions, which won't be answered here. The only place you might find answers is in that clearing up ahead...within which the treetops can offer us little advantage any how, so the prospect should be that much more appealing. Along with the fact that your companion awaits you their, with our leader."
Another few moments silence ensued, then the Grey Wizard made the decision for them with a nod, "It seems we have little choice," he offered, before moving forward, his staff taking the appearance of a weapon now as he held it in a manner that clearly meant it could be used as such, rather then as the walking stick it had been for much of their journey.
Reluctantly, the rest of the Fellowship followed, holding their own weapons in a similar manner, so that whatever awaited them in the clearing they were headed towards would not take them with the advantage of surprise.
As they neared the clearing, they could see that the blue flame really was set up as a campfire, though it didn't off any form of smoke or aroma, as Legolas had noted a short time before. One on the pair sitting across from the other was familiar to them, for he had been their companion for many weeks of travel. The other, who was seat on the other side of the fire, facing the Halfling, wasn't at all familiar to him.
But as they drew nearer, they could see that his attire was very similar to Legolas's, certainly of Elven making; elegant, yet practical and secure. They couldn't really tell from a difference, but he didn't seem to be at all phased by his surroundings, nor did he seem to be a threat to Frodo, who was conversing openly with him.
A few steps later though it became clear that this was a warrior, one who had noted their presence. For he rose to his feet and turned slightly, so as to be facing both them and Frodo at the same time, even as the Ring bearer himself turned in their direction, obviously looking for them.
To his credit, Gandalf did not halt again, instead choosing to move forward at a steady, careful pace, one that gave him and the others time to watch their surroundings, but still let Frodo watch their approach. That was all they could offer their recently found member for consolation, though, as they approached the encampment, for their eyes needed to remain focused on the possible threat - the being that stood across from them.
The nearer they came though, the less certain they were of that menace; for the stranger that watched them was no elf, and yet he appeared quite young. His hair was the same midnight shade that ravens were so famed for; his skin was pale for a Man, and bore an illuminating quality similar to that of the Elves, but not quite.
As they slowly entered the clearing, their guard only slightly lowered, they became fully aware of another unusual quality the 'youth' before them possessed. His eyes were unlike any they'd ever seen before, two pools of shimmering, radiant, emerald-green light that had attained a certain depth that only the wisdom gained by long life and experience could learn.
Had they noticed this earlier, their guard might have been harder as those eyes scanned them, measured them. They were tense though, and that was noted, as the gentleness of his still youthful tone did show. "Come," he gestured to the makeshift seats that stumps, large rocks and logs offered around the blue fire, "join us."
"Why should we, stranger?" Gimli demanded, before any of the others could move, surprising his companions only slightly by the mistrust in his voice.
It didn't seem to offend their peculiar host though, as those strange eyes focused on him. "Why should you not?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in a manner that seemed distinctly Elvish, and only served to irritate the Dwarf further. "You have traveled hard the last few days, even harder over the course of this day. And the days ahead of you shall not be any shorter. Why should you not partake of rest when it is offered?"
"And what sorcery is that?" Boromir inquired, raising his sword slightly to point at the blue flames that continued to flicker merrily in the center of the camp, offering light and warmth as any flame would, regardless of their strange appearance and the fact that they hovered a few inches off the ground by themselves naturally, with no fuel to burn in order to provide said products. "I find myself ill at ease around most magicks..."
"And yet you come from the White City, do you not, Boromir, son of Steward Denethor?" the stranger offered pleasantly, "It is true that much of the magic there is hidden, but you would find it if you looked closely enough."
"Aren't you at all bothered by the fact that you're severely outnumbered here?" Sam demanded, aggravation clear in his voice as he looked at his friend and master's apparent captor.
His reply was a slight headshake, accompanied by a shrug. "Not really, no." Then he sighed, looking them over again. "We aren't going to make any progress like this," he murmured, almost to himself, before raising his right hand.
The members of the Fellowship tensed, stepping back slightly, but relaxed when they saw that his hand was empty. Their relief was rather short lived though, as they heard an alien word leave his tongue.
"Expelliarmus," he said clearly, his tone very near commanding as he waved his hand in their direction before opening in time to catch Gandalf's staff as it was ripped from its owners grasp only to rush to his hand. He then quickly raised his left hand, and gestured again as all the other weapons the Fellowship possessed came to him. He waived his hand again, murmuring another word, "abeo-aliquantulum," and their weapons became smaller, before floating into a bag that he'd taken from somewhere on his person, only to return it there once the weapons were tied inside. The only thing that hadn't gone into the bad was Gandalf's staff, which had shrunk to a much smaller form, small enough for him to pluck it out of the air and conceal it somehow up his sleeve. "Now, perhaps you will consider talking civilly?"
The Fortress-Tower of Barad-dûr, Mordor
"Are you certain that this is... wise, my lord?"
"No, Lucius, I am not," the Dark Lord growled, shaking his head, "but as we still know very little of this land, we cannot ignore what aid our allies offer us, no matter how uncouth offer may be, and we would be fools if we ignored the chance to meet another ally."
"Of course, my lord," the fair-haired wizard agreed immediately bowing slightly as he continued to follow his lord. He did not walk beside him, for that would be disrespectful to Salazar Slytherin's Heir, which was why he kept a distance of two steps between them at all times, much as many other wizards did for him, though very few did so out of respect rather then fear. "So we are leaving for another fortress, then? With the...Uruk-hai to accompany us?"
"One of the creatures, as a guide, yes," Voldemort nodded, disgust clear in his voice as they continued on their way down the dark hallway, towards the main courtyard, where their guide awaited them. "The others will be heading to the northwest, in search of...something. We will be heading north-west, to Isengard, home to Saruman, a powerful wizard of this world."
"A useful ally," the Death Eater commented.
"Indeed..."
"My Lord..." the wizards turn to see one of the disgusting creatures that dwelt in this dark land bowing deeply."The Eye bids you leave now...the paths are clear."
"Very well," the Dark Lord nodded once again, in the direction of the more powerful figure behind the orc, their Uruk-hai guide. "Lead the way."
Lothlórien
"Where's he going?" Ron asked as the Lady of Lothlórien finished her accounts of a recent Sight. This wasn't like the Divination that Sibyl Trelawney and others of their world practiced. Even Hermione and Professor McGonagall took the Lady's words seriously; probably because it didn't feel the same...it was just...different. And something made them sure that she spoke true...
"I do not know for certain, there are still many possible futures, many shadows," Galadriel shook her head, offering the wizards a tired smile, "but I can think of only two destinations for such a force, Nan Curunír, the valley in which Saruman resides, or Dol Guldur, Sauron's stronghold in the southwestern reaches of Mirkwood." She cocked her head to the side slightly, as if in though, and the slightly distant look in her eyes, matched by the distance of her voice and tone, echoed the expression, "Isengard is more likely... The Ring Lord has had centuries to strengthen Dol Guldur...the Ring of Isengard is still vulnerable, no matter how firmly he has Saruman within his grasp..." her eyes cleared, before drifting over them with veteran study.
"So what are we going to do about?" Sirius asked, crushing the small amount to nervousness he, like most of the others, had felt as they watched the Lady's powers work.
The Elves of Lothlórien had told them the stories behind the Rings of Power, and Galadriel had explained how her own Ring gave her the power to protect the Golden Wood magically, to see far beyond it, through time and space, and into minds. The Lady didn't have complete control of it though, and she didn't dare attempt to master it completely. She could only afford to use it sparingly, and be thankful for what that offered her. Otherwise, she could come to harm at the will of the One Ring's Master... The Ring Lord, Sauron
"Nothing."
"What?!" Several of the witches and wizards shouted, while most of the others simply looked on in palpable confusion.
"There is nothing any of you can do about him for the time being... It will take weeks to reach either destination, and many months will pass before they really become a threat. There is no reason to risk you now, when you could be preparing for what's to come." Celeborn told them, his tone firm and his visage stern.
"I am sure the Lord and Lady only have our best interests at heart," Dumbledore stepped in before any of the others could object. "And they do have a point..." he looked around. "We are not yet ready for this... war, as much as we would like to be. We must continue to train, prepare, and help where we can, learn what we can, while we can."
Galadriel nodded, offering a gentle smile. "Quite right... The time for open battle will come, but it has not arrived yet." She looked out towards the darkening sky. "You should take some rest. You've been working hard these past few days. A few extra hours of sleep could only do you all good."
"What about you? And the others?" Hermione inquired, hurriedly stifling a yawn.
"Elves do not need sleep," the Lady told them, her gentle smile still in place, and still genuine. "At least, not as much as you do."
"Is--" Ron yawned, "--excuse me, is that why Harry doesn't sleep much anymore?"
"He adjusted to our sleeping pattern over time, yes," Celeborn nodded, "over the many centuries he walked through and lived in our world."
Dumbledore looked around, smiling slightly as he watched the others valiantly fight the weariness that was spreading through all of them. "I do believe you are right," he said, offering the Lord and Lady a pleasant smile, his tired eyes twinkling merrily as he rose to his feet, stretching. "I myself could certainly use a good nights rest." He bowed slightly towards the Elves, as had become his mostly 'unnecessary' custom.
He didn't look back when he went through the door. Didn't need to, to know that the others were following his example, obeying the Lord and Lady's request.
'Remus,' Galadriel called to the werewolf telepathically as he rose to follow the others. 'Please remain here, for a few moments...'
The wizard looked slightly startled as met her gaze, but nodded nonetheless. He waited until the others were some distance away, before inquiring. "My Lady? My Lord?"
"The full moon is only a few days away." Galadriel told him, the critical eyes of a sorceress and healer scanning his weakening form, plagued by the symptoms of the coming event.
"I know..." he replied with a sigh, not needing to look outside to know that moon was very nearly full, its stage of waxing almost complete. "Snape's already started to make the wolfsbane potion..."
"That won't be necessary. Very thoughtful, to be sure. But unnecessary."
"How...?"
"You will see," Galadriel told him, making her way over to him after accepting the tray her husband had taken from one of the shelves in the corner, where it had been sitting all day. She set it on the dining table, taking the seat next to him before turning the goblet right side up, and began the process.
First she half-filled the goblet with some of the cool, sparkling water that Celeborn had brought over in a pitcher, from the place one of the maids who'd filled it at the fountain in her grove, had placed it.
"Neen..." she chanted, her melodious voice just barely a whisper. "Anna o Ulmos, Osse ar Uinen, vene o kuile, kolindo o estel..."
After setting the water pitcher down, she picked up the small, golden bottle on the tray, and removed the cork, pouring a drop of the thick, black potion in. A few moments later, the liquid with the goblet was entirely black, like the midnight sky.
"Mori... luume o titta kala, men ilya loo mi fuine..."
Then, after re-topping the golden bottle, she took the top off of a small, crystal case, and took some of the tiny, silver crystals within out, sprinkling them into the goblet. Now the potion really looked like the midnight sky... on a moonless night.
"Silme... Anna o Varda an I'Palurin, ya man anta Estanesse mere ana laise, ar veela palurin Vali anta..."
Here the Lady paused once more, waiting for several moments before selecting a crystal jar off of the tray, removing the top, and taking a handful of it contents to sprinkle into the potion. They were seeds, silvery-white seeds about the size of her smallest fingernail, the seeds to the fragrant Lissuin that they made use of in so many of their most sacred ceremonies.
The seeds hit the surface of the potion and passed through without causing any splashes at all, beneath the surface they seemed to explode, sending little bubbles of air up. When the bubbles stopped, and the ripples they'd created dissipated, a glimmering circle of light appeared in the center, a diminutive facsimile of the full moon.
Remus gasped, taking a step back as he stared at what he feared above all else with wide eyes...
"Isil... Varya ne pilindi o Tilion, I'Telperion, I'telwa loote o I'Telpina Lairelosse o Valar, men mi tinda vene o Tilion ve eä mauya, horta tere menel oiale mori, ve lindoorea o kala aro estel mi I'Palurin nyelle..."
"It is only an illusion," Celeborn assured him, placing a supportive hand on the werewolf's shoulder as his wife continued to work.
The next, and as it were, last ingredient the Elven Lady added was a fine, multi-colored powder that seemed to catch all the light around it before sending it back, in different colored sparkles.
"Uuvea Vala," Galadriel called, raising the goblet up before her, towards the waxing moon. "Tenmen merne ar mauya yana tana kare. I'telwa loote ú-mere na kaure ne voronda o I'kala, anta hon uma notana kaure ta. Fainu-hon osina harwe!"
Thunder rumbled outside, though the sky was still clear. A shaft of moonlight came in through the window, focusing on the Elf Queen and the goblet she held.
The Lady paused again, sharing a look with her husband before continuing. Only this time, Celeborn joined her in prayer.
Remus had learned some Elvish in the last few days here, just like the others, but certainly not enough to follow the chanting royalty. But the words were far too solemn for them to be anything but a prayer, a request for aid from the Valar the people of this world worshipped.
"Anta si merne, cen I'hosse o mane mi luurea luu..." the Elves continued, watching potion. "Mauya ya tana kare--"
They stopped suddenly when Galadriel's Ring began to glow brightly, and a moment later, the room was engulfed in the light that it admitted. But only for a moment, for then it died down quickly, and Galadriel lowered the goblet slightly as the moonlight dissipated, indicating that Tilion was no longer focusing on them.
"Thus it is willed," the Lady of Lorien, the Lady of Light murmured, making her way over to the werewolf. "So mote it be..."
When the Elf stopped in front of him, offering the goblet, Remus could only stare for several moments, eyeing the goblet, which now seemed to be filled with steaming, crystal clear water, uncertainly.
"Dink this, Elu."
Remus blinked, shaking his head to clear it, before reaching up to take the silver goblet with both, trembling hands. He started at it again, but this time managed to pull himself out of it much more quickly, and brought the goblet up to his lips to drain its contents.
Galadriel accepted the goblet with a smile, nodding to his slightly dazed expression. "Now it would be a good idea for you to head to bed, young one. Sleep well."
The werewolf nodded again, still slightly dazed.
The royal pair watched him go, and Celeborn turned to his wife, offering a slightly puzzled smile as he took her hand. "I did not expect that."
"That Nenya would be called upon?" Galadriel inquired, before nodding slightly. "I didn't either... But it does make some semblance of sense." She glanced down at the glitter Ring of Power on her finger, before emitting a soft sigh. "At least it proves some good can still come of its creation..."
Back at campfire
"Now really, we're not going to get anything done simply standing around like this, so please do have a seat..." Seeing that the Fellowship clearly wasn't going to move anytime soon, Harry shook his head before turning his back on them and walking back to his seat, across the fire from Frodo. "Forgive me," he offered a kind smile, "what were we talking about earlier?"
Frodo blinked at him, "Wh-What? Ar-Aren't you going to...to…" he nodded towards the Fellowship, which Harry still had his back to and clearly wasn't concerned by.
The wizard shook his head, offering another soft sigh, "I've found that trying to reason with paranoia is a nearly impossible task, so it's really a better idea to wait for them to overcome it on their own."
"And you that you have a group with some of the best warriors on Middle Earth behind you?"
"They may be among the best, but so are my companions and I, and the members of the Fellowship are currently unarmed... We were talking about my exploits at the Shire some time back, were we not?"
"Yes," the Hobbit nodded, "There's a portrait of you in the Town Hall, in Hobbiton... it bears a very close resemblance, though some of the paint has faded over time..."
"But the story behind it has remained clear?" the wizard guessed, smiling slightly as the Hobbit nodded eagerly... though he might not like fame too much, it was good to see a smile on the face of one who bore such a heavy burden...
"Yes... you saved the Shire when it was attacked by Orcs...centuries ago..." Frodo frowned in thought before nodding slightly towards Harry, though he clearly was referring to the group behind him as well. "Is that how you did it without aid? Magic?"
"Partially," Harry continued to smile gently while his mind turned back to that event of several centuries past. "I do use my magic in combat quite often, but the Elves of Lothlórien made sure that I was very well trained in the arts of war as well... And I did spend a few centuries in Mordor, hunting its populace."
Frodo's eyes widened, "You did? Why?"
Harry shrugged, "It seemed like a good idea at the time... And it made me a legend to the Forces of Darkness, something to be feared above all else." He shook his head, "Fear is a powerful thing...a powerful ally...a powerful weapon if used wisely. For more then a century I hunted the Orcs in their own land, I kept the swell of their numbers down, and their forces concentrated on defending their homeland... I kept the rest of Middle Earth safe."
The Hobbit shook his head, "Well...yes, but... Wasn't it dangerous...? Wasn't it lonely?"
"Of course..." the wizard continued, nodding slightly as his eyes became distant, reminiscent. "Every day was a risk of death, however unlikely. Every day and every night was lonely... but I knew that every Orc, every Troll, every Warg that fell at my hand, was one less threat to my home, to those that I love..." he shook his, clearing it, before looking over at the Ring bearer, his eyes serious. "Those are among the few things that are truly worth fighting for, after all..."
Both were quiet for several moments, Frodo wondering both at the wizard's words, and how much his companions had heard as they slowly kept closer. He wasn't sure what to do as he watched Legolas sneak up, ahead of the others, on the apparently unsuspecting wizard. On one hand, the members of the Fellowship had quickly become trusted friends, and all had sword to protect him. On the other, Harry had saved his people, saved his life, and offered him wisdom, a quiet refuge, and the beginnings of what could be a wonderful friendship...
Before he could decide though, the Elf prince had reached the still distracted wizard, and reached out to quickly secure him in a choke hold, only to find, with a faint popping noise, that his quarry was no longer there, having vanished into thin air.
"Now, that wasn't very nice," the wizard admonished, causing all present to jump as he reappeared beside Frodo, smiling slightly. "So I take it you decided to join us?" he offered, gesturing to the other makeshift seats around the fire, with one eyebrow raised.
That was obviously not what the warriors had come to do, their tense stances, and their wary expressions said that almost as clearly as Gimli's gruff reply did, "And why would we want to join a sorcerer?"
The apparently 'young man' merely raised an eyebrow at him, his deep green eyes almost sparkling. "Why would you not? And besides, I'm not a sorcerer, I'm a wizard. There's a difference." He shuddered, "And while I can manage some sorcery, I have little patience for the blasted arts. What's more, you've been in the company of a wizard for quite some time now, surely showing a small shred of propriety in the presence of another is not completely uncalled for."
"The magic you exercise is not one I am familiar with," Gandalf told him, relaxing slightly as evident curiosity came to the forefront of his mind. This was undoubtedly due to a combination of two things, one; his interest in this foreign character and the powers he wielded, and two; Frodo clearly trusted the him, just as he apparently bore them no ill will, despite the number of threats they'd offered.
"It is not Istari magic," he nodded, "You are right... Though I am certainly practiced in those arts, they are not what I'm accustomed to. My people practice another type of wizardry entirely."
"The kind that you just used against us," Gandalf nodded, eyes speculative.
"The kind that I was just forced to use against you, yes," the other wizard clarified, that peculiar sparkle still present in his remarkable gaze.
Frodo sighed from his place beside Harry, shaking his head as he continued to sip at the steaming tea Harry had offered a short time earlier, "Won't you all just sit down, please? Harry means us no harm. As he said before, he didn't need to save my life. If he met me harm, it would have been much easier for him to have simply left me buried in the snow, to die of either cold, or lack of air."
"Or both," Harry nodded.
"Harry?" Aragorn inquired.
"Harry Potter, my birth name, on my native world."
"And your name here would be?" Gandalf asked, even as he scoured his brain for why that name sounded so familiar.
"Known to you," Harry replied with an amused smile, "though I promised Lord Elrond I'd make you work for it, if ever we met."
"Elrond?" the old wizard frowned, shaking his head as the link continued to elude him. "You are a friend of his?"
"Usually, yes."
"Usually?" Aragorn inquired, frowning slightly at the mention of his foster-father's name.
"When he's helping either set of twins prank me, I can't honestly say I consider him a friend."
Both Aragorn and Gandalf burst out laughing at the mention of Imladris's twin-terrors, but while Legolas also appeared amused, he frowned slightly. "Either set?"
"Yes, his own sons, Elrohir and Elladen," Harry nodded, "or the Míriel twins, who can often be worse."
"Men arya a salpa tana o u-mauya, mellon nin." {We'll choose to take that as a compliment, my friend.} One of the twins offered from somewhere above them, making the members of the Fellowship jump slightly, before looking around for the voice.
"How can you be above us now?!" Gimli demanded, clearly trying to appear undaunted. "You said you'd lose your advantage if we moved out of the trees!"
"To the question: Magic, of course." One replied from a bit to the right of the clearing, though still far from any trees.
"To the accusation," this voice, though identical, came from closer, towards the center, even farther from the trees, "we lied."
Before Gimli or any of the Fellowship could respond to that, Harry chuckled before calling up to the heavens, "You really are enjoying this far too much, mellon nin. Come down and join us, lest you scare our guests off."
There was a pair of faint whooshing sounds before two identical Elven warriors suddenly appeared in the middle of the campsite, taking seats on either side of Harry and Frodo, while setting what appeared to be broomsticks down.
"Rúmil? Camthalion?" Legolas exclaimed, quite clearly shocked.
Both Elves smiled, and nodded in unison before the one on Harry's right replied, "Mae govannen, Legolas. Tana anda luume..." {Well-met, Legolas. It's been a long time...}
"Uma," Legolas nodded, smiling slightly, "Ta na." {Yes, it has.}
"Legolas, you know these two?" Aragorn inquired of his Elven friend, after listening a short while as the other conversed with two Elves he'd never seen before. He hadn't even known that they existed, as he'd always thought that his foster-brothers were the only Elven twins on Middle Earth.
"Uma, this is Camthalion and Rúmil Míriel. They are warriors of the Galadhrim, and have been my friends for many centuries..." The prince told him, before turning back to the pair with a frown. "But I have not seen you in so long, nor heard mention of you... I had thought you'd sailed over the Sea..."
"No," the twin on Frodo's left replied, shaking his head. "It was not to the Undying Lands that we journeyed, but to an entirely different world."
"Different world?" Gandalf murmured, and his eyes widened slightly as the puzzle pieces clicked together, "Ah, I see..."
"See what?" Boromir demanded, looking back and forth between the two wizards in obvious confusion as Harry nodded.
"Would I be correct in assuming that, in this world, you are known as Elerossë Tinehtelë?"
Remus's Dreams/Memories, Lothlórien
"It won't take but a minute, Mum!" the young wizard promised, running across the street to the bookshop before his mother could reply.
"Remus, be careful!" the dark-blonde haired witch called after him, though she didn't appear to be worried, just a bit nervous, as she watched her only child look around the store from her position in the herb vendor's line.
That all change very quickly, though... All it took was a mere moment, the poor fortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, to change that little boy's life, forever...
"Watch out!"
"Werewolf!"
"Run for it!"
"Somebody stun it! Stupe--Ugh!" the wizard was cut off as another wizard ran into him, knocking him to the side of the street even as the werewolf he'd been pointing at launched itself at them. The stunner was terrified to suddenly find himself pinned under both his 'savior', and the werewolf that was now ripping the poor man apart.
"Daddy!" a little girl screamed, only causing to intensify the wizard's terror.
"Becky! Run away! Get out of here!" He screamed towards the child, even as werewolf paused, looking up and over towards the little girl that stood a short distance away, in the middle of the street, watching them with wide, terror-filled eyes. "Becky! Run!!!" he shouted again, now desperately as the werewolf moved off of him and towards his daughter. "NO!!!"
The father's shout were echoed by many others, as the werewolf pounced, souring through the air, towards the little girl, who had yet to move.
Elaine Lupin was one of those spectators, watching the scene in horror, just like all of the others, certain that nothing could make this situation worse... until she saw her eight-year-old son, her only child, running towards the younger witch. "Remus! No! Don't!!!"
Remus Lupin paid his mother's shout no heed, if he even heard it, so focused was he on reaching the endangered six-year-old. He leapt towards her, even as both his mother and the girl's father managed to draw their wands...
Then it all just... happened, so quickly... yet it seemed as though everything had slowed down...
Wands all around them coming up... His mother's among them... The werewolf sailing towards the girl, snarling, only a short distance away now... But he was closer... Just as he'd known he was... And it was attested by the fact that he got there a few seconds earlier, colliding with the girl, pushing her out of the way, towards the side of the street, and rolling to follow her, even as he felt a tremendous pain in his ankle, spreading up through his leg... And spells were fired...
"STUPEFY!" Was undoubtedly the most widely used, as the tremendous wave of red light sailing towards the werewolf and the boy attested, and both were sent to the ground, stunned, after being blasted a few feet apart...
The werewolf appeared uninjured, but Remus's ankle was dripping blood...
Then a different curse rang through out the street, "Avada Kedavra!" sending another waive of light, this one a sickening green, towards the werewolf, engulfing it, ending its existence, even as the other witches and wizards on the street flinched back from the furious Auror that had sent the curse...
"Remus!" he heard his mother calling, though he could not reply as she hurried over to him and turned him over, hugging his stupefied form to her, tears dripping down her face. Then she clearly noticed the state he was in, and moved away slightly, to waive her wand at him. "Finite In--" but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"You really shouldn't do that, ma'am." The Auror that just killed the werewolf told her, looking at her son with sad eyes, then glancing at his bloodied ankle before meeting her tearful gaze. "Best to take him to St. Mungo's, and let them handle it... He'll undoubtedly be in quite a bit of pain if you release him now..."
Remus barely remembered that trip to the English Wizarding Hospital... but he did know what he'd been told... If this had occurred only a few years later, he might not have been forced to endure the curse that was a result of his heroic, very Gryffindor-like, deed. The fact that he'd been stupefied almost immediately after he was bitten meant that the power had not yet had a chance to flood his body... It was trapped in the bite on his ankle, like a poison that had yet to spread.
He could still feel that power now, especially near the full moon. It ran though him; tremendous, decadent, and unchecked... like ordinary magic in a young witch or wizard's body, only much, much stronger...
From then on, from when that power had entered his system, his life had completely changed.
He couldn't be a carefree little boy anymore, no matter how much his parents encouraged him to be...
He couldn't play with the other little witches and wizards in their neighborhood, no matter how much he wanted to...
He might hurt them...
He wasn't like them...
They didn't spend four nights of the month locked in a cage in the basement.
It had been comfortable... It always was, in the beginning. His parents always used charms and transfiguration to make it comfortable. They used some charms and transfiguration to fix it up, after every night. Some charms were to make sure that one; he couldn't escape, for he'd surely be killed, and two; the place was at least somewhat habitable even while he was in wolf form. And his mother had to use all of her abilities as a medi-witch to care for him those four terrible, terrible days that followed the horrible nights when the full moon ruled the sky.
They had never thought he'd be able to receive formal schooling. Remus's parents had more then enough trouble with the Ministry to know that they wouldn't take kindly to the idea of having a teenage-werewolf near the other children...
So it had come as quite a shock when the Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, himself, had come calling on them, only to try to persuade Remus to come attend the school the following autumn...
"I assure you, we would be quite happy to have Remus attend. It's as much his right as anyone else's." the old wizard assured all three Lupins.
"But..." Mrs. Lupin shook her head, her eyes sad. "What about the full moon?"
"We've devised a solution to that," Grindelwald's defeater replied, before looking over at the eleven-year-old he'd come to invite to his school. "You regularly imprison yourself, every full moon, correct?"
"Y-yes..." Remus replied shakily, nodding slightly.
"Well, then we can simply do the same at Hogwarts. A teacher will escort you to the place every evening, and bring you to the Hospital Wing every morning. It may make it difficult, to keep up with your schoolwork, but I'm sure you'll manage. And your teachers won't have any problems with tutoring you, should you need the help..."
"So..." Remus shook his head, his eyes wide, shining with long-suppressed hope. "So you mean, this is for real? I can really come to Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Of course."
Since being bitten, three years earlier, Remus had slowly begun to realize that he'd sacrificed his chance at a normal, happy life when he'd saved the other child's life. He didn't regret doing it, but he often cursed the Fates for cursing him with such a burden...
Often asked, why him?
Why did everything have to change?
Why did everyone hate him?
His kind?
He was only a werewolf four nights of a month... the rest of the time, he was just a young wizard, wishing he could live a normal life, play with other children, be accepted for what he was...
This was the first time he'd seen unreserved acceptance.
His parents still loved him, he knew. But each full moon had made them draw away from him a little more. Had made them draw into themselves, denying reality...
Headmaster Dumbledore wasn't afraid of him. He could see it in his eyes...
He accepted him...
And for a long time, that was enough.
There wasn't much Dumbledore could do for him. He'd already fought the board members, fought tooth and nail to get him admitted as a student. He'd already sworn the few other students that knew of his curse to secrecy... but that didn't keep them from avoiding him, for watching him with scared eyes, from keeping their friends away from him...
No, it wasn't until his roommates, two of whom were the most popular boys in the school, had invited them into their group, asked him to help them with a prank, to become a Marauder, so that they wouldn't have to bother sneaking out of their room anymore, that he'd really begun to feel a change.
He'd desperately tried to keep them from discovering his dark, terrible secret. And, for a few years, it worked. Until their brains had developed and they'd studied werewolves in Defense Against the Dark Arts, one of the few lessons that he's, very pointedly, kept from participating in. And one that the teacher, also very pointedly hadn't called him, one of the brightest, if not the brightest of his year.
It had been lonely... Those nights in the shack, all by himself...
He was accustomed to it, yes... but that didn't mean he'd ever grow used to it, and certainly not like it... Those long hours after being escorted to and secured in the stronghold the teacher's had made just for him, where he waited for the moon to rise, and the painful transformation to begin... Those hours were far worse, far more painful then the transformation itself... Almost as bad as when it ended... And when he woke up in the Hospital Wing, a bloody, torn up mess, reminded, once again, of why he couldn't open up to his friends...
But they had figured it out. And of his utter shock, they hadn't minded. They hadn't abandoned him... Instead, they'd covered for him. And two years later, they told him that they wanted to help; and they'd found a way to.
Werewolves were only dangerous to humans. Humans were the only creatures a werewolf considered a natural enemy, to be slain on sight. But other animals, as long as they didn't threaten the creature, were fine.
So they became Animagi...
He still remembered that night, one of the few nights that ranked high in his past as emotional roller coasters... He hadn't known what to think.
At first, he'd been elated that his friends cared that much for him. That they wanted to help him, and hadn't been lying the last two years, when they said that his curse didn't bother them. It was just that, a curse, and not at all his fault.
But then he'd realized how selfish he was being, and how utterly stupid it was for them to take this risk...
The process of becoming an Animagus was supposed to be very closely watched by an expert of some sort for a reason. It was dangerous; very, very dangerous.
So many things could go wrong...
He had no right to let his friends risk themselves for him! Not only was he betraying his friendship with them, but he was also betraying Dumbledore, and the trust the Headmaster had placed in him!
"We want to do this, Remus," James insisted, when the werewolf objected again...
Any further protests he might have offered were silenced by his other best friend, "That's right, Moony. We all want nicknames too, you know! And I can't very well be Padfoot without at least trying to obtain my animagus form!"
"Well, perhaps, but--"
"No buts, Remus," the old son of the Potter house shook his head, his warm hazel eyes serious. "It's our choice to make, and we've already made it." He glanced at the cauldron their most inhibited friend had been hovering over for the last hour. "Wormtail?"
The slightly overweight teenager looked up a moment later, while still stirring the potion. "It's ready..."
"Good," Sirius nodded, before pointing his wand at the flames under the cauldron, ""
The flames went out, and the room went dark, offset only slightly by the potion's strange, barely noticeable silvery-blue glow.
All were silent for a moment, until the renegade Black muttered a slightly embarrassed, "Oops?" before lighting the room with another spell, "Lumos."
The strange, magical light that blossomed from the end of his wand didn't leave any part of the room untouched, and therefore easily offered scrutiny to the emotions their faces bore. As all of them were pureblood wizards, and had therefore grown up surrounded by magic, at ease with the idea that it was flowing through their veins, things like the strange light of illumination spell had never bothered them before. But it did now. At moments like these, it was all too easy to see why so many muggle-borns found it...uncomfortable...revealing...
After several moments, James placed a compassionate hand on the werewolf's shoulder, "Don't worry, Moony. We'll be fine." Then he turned back to Peter Pettigrew, accepting the goblet that he was offered, and watched as Sirius accepted his and Peter filled one for himself. "All right, on three..." he nodded, looking around a moment before continuing. "One..."
"Two..." Sirius joined him.
"Three!" All three of them shouted, as Remus looked on silently, with mounting fear as his only real friends raised the goblets their lips and drained them, quickly taking the hazardous concoction in.
After a moment of tense silence, all four of them released the breath they'd been holding, and the three who'd used the goblets quickly set them down on a side table, before turning to each other, each reading the questioning looks on the others faces, aided by the light that still came, steadily, from Sirius's wand.
"What'd you think happened?" Sirius asked, looking around. "I don't feel anything..."
"I don't either..." James agreed, his tone voicing clear disappointment. "Maybe we missed something in the directions...Maybe we didn't--"
"No!" Peter shouted angrily, drawing his friends' surprised attention. "No! I know I did everything right. I planned everything! I followed all of the directions in the book! I--"
"I don't doubt you did, W--Peter," James offered a sad smile, shaking his head. "But maybe there's more to it then that... The Ministry might have something kept out of the books, so that you have to register with them, or something of the sor--" he stopped his eyes widening before he suddenly wrapped both his arms around his middle, gasping for breath.
"Wh-What's wrong?!" Remus demanded, hurrying over to his side, stopping when he saw Sirius and Peter suddenly start gasping as well, collapsing to the floor a few feet away. "James? Sirius? Peter? What's wrong?!"
None of his friends answered, apparently too consumed by whatever it was that pained them.
After several moments of staring at his friends in horror, the young werewolf leapt to his feet, running towards the trapdoor that led from the Shrieking Shack to the secret passageway into the school, which Dumbledore had created just last year, for his convenience. "I'll get the Headmaster!" he shouted over his shoulder to them, trying to block their moans of pain out as he opened the trap door. He dropped down into the underground passage, only to freeze as painfully familiar sounds met his sensitive ears. He quickly turned around and stuck his head back up, into the room, to watch.
He watched, and winced, as he heard and saw his friends bones cracking, painfully submitting to the changes their Animagus forms required. Their muscles either stretched or shrunk depending upon which way they needed to go.
James's body was stretched at odd angles, which finally took on the shape of stag, so that his flesh could reform, taking its place over it. Fine, golden hairs erupted all over his new form, covering it, even as he collapsed on the four legs that lacked the strength to carry him.
Sirius's body was pulled in different directions, and enlarged only slightly as his hands and feet became massive paws, his jaw stretched so that a snout could form where his mouth was, even as his skull crackled, also changing. Long, dark furs, as black as night, erupted around his body as he too collapsed to the floor in exhaustion.
Peter's transformation, though distinctly different, looked no less painful. His muscles spasm-ed repeatedly as they grew smaller, contracting, to find the skeletal frame that had disappeared, to become twenty times smaller. He didn't rise from the floor after his transformation either.
It had been lucky that they'd decided to do that on the first night of holiday break. They didn't have classes for several weeks, so that gave them time to recover from the transformation, to transform back, and to grow used to the ability.
Remus spent the first week of that break nursing his friends, all of whom could barely move, and had to almost be force-fed the first few days.
But by the time Christmas came around, they were better again, though still tired. And that morning was one of the best ones Remus had ever experienced, as he was gifted with the realization those weary four nights each month, when the dreaded full moon hung high in the sky, didn't need to be spent alone, in solitude, any more...
What's more, it meant that he wasn't a danger to his friends anymore. They weren't prey while in their Animagus forms. And, if he ever bit them, they wouldn't be turned! The last was one of the reasons he'd agreed to try doing this. An interesting little fact that James had come across while reading up on Animagi, and one that gave Remus a new sense of hope.
The last four years of school had been wonderful; full of numerous trials and tribulations, but overflowing with fun, laughter and joy. So it was a changed person that graduated at the end of that seventh year, after having served as a Gryffindor Prefect for the last three years, one of which had been under his best friend and soon-to-be wife, for James had in fact, finally found the courage to propose to his girlfriend of two years, and the wedding was only a few short weeks after graduation.
Another one of the days that ranked high up in his life was undoubtedly the day his best friend's son was born; July 31st 1980. James' had taken him aside earlier, so he hadn't been at all pained when Sirius had received the title of godfather to the boy, assured that their next child would be his godchild.
Harry was a delightful baby. A source of light and hope for all of the Marauders, as the Wizarding world darkened, overshadowed by war.
Harry's second Halloween though, October 31st, 1981, wasn't a day Remus could ever look on without pain. He'd lost everything that night. Everything.
Knowing Voldemort considered Harry the one that the Prophecy spoke of, James and Lily had hidden themselves and their son under the Fidelius Charm, which would have kept them safe, if their childhood friend, one of the Marauders themselves, hadn't been a traitor.
Peter's betrayal had hurt even more then Sirius's supposed betrayal, undoubtedly because it made him realize that he'd turned his back on a friend who hadn't done anything to deserve it.
The following full moon...
It was worse then all of its predecessors. As a child, his parents had always been there, before it happened, and when he woke up the next morning. As a teenager and a young adult, he'd always had at least one friend by his side...
But after that Halloween... He was alone.
His father had died while he was in his sixth year at school.
Death Eaters had killed his mother a few months before Harry was born, in one of their terror attacks on Diagon Alley.
Peter was (supposedly) dead, killed by his traitorous best friend.
James and Lily were dead, betrayed by a childhood friend, and murdered by the Dark Lord.
Sirius was sent to rot in Azkaban for numerous crimes... Which they'd later find out he'd never committed.
And Harry...sweet, little Harry, was off to live with relatives that so clearly hated him. Remus knew that they did. He'd met the Dursleys twice before, and they were, without a doubt, the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. And Harry would spend the next decade with him; his childhood. And there was nothing Remus could do about it, thanks to his curse. The Ministry would never let a werewolf take custody of the famous Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter...
Yes... That was a lonely moon... as were all of the ones that followed, for the next thirteen years. His life had been little more then a search for a job, struggling to keep a roof over his head, clothes on his back, and food on his plate. Pacifistically fighting against massive, unyielding prejudices...
And then, the job offer from Dumbledore had come...A new chance. The opportunity to not only have a steady income and whatnot, but also the opportunity to meet all that was left of the happiest days of his life, his best friend's son.
Woodlands in the foothills of Caradhas
The members of the Fellowship simply blinked at their Istari guide, companion and friend, quite clearly lost at the turn the conversation had taken.
Not all of them though, two of them were quickly pulled back into a fairly recent, shared memory, of a conversation heard the night before they'd set out on this quest, leaving the relative safety of Lord Elrond's haven behind.
Flashback
"I miss them, Father…" Arwen's melodious and presently mournful voice drifted through the quiet night over the nearby fountain's pleasant fall.
"Of course you do, my child," the Elf Lord replied softly, his tone kind. "We always miss those who have passed on that were dear to us."
"But we may never see them again," the princess continued quietly, after a moments pause. "What reason do I have to go to Valinor when no one I truly care for dwells there? I love you, truly, ada, but you would be the only one I have, if…if mother did not make it…"
This pained comment deserved a longer pause, in which Aragorn and Legolas had both stopped; deciding now probably wasn't a good time to interrupt the Lord of Imladris and his daughter.
"You have friends, and family there, even without us... But I don't. My dearest friend left for another world altogether many centuries past--"
"Ránëwén, Elerossë, and the Míriel Twins would not want you to throw away your right to cross the Sea simply because they cannot."
The lady's reply was even quieter than before, "And do you want me to throw away my chance at true happiness?"
The Elf Lord's reply was long-delayed in coming, but it did nonetheless, "It is, of course, your choice to make..."
"Hannon le, ada..."
This appeared to be the end of the conversation, so Aragorn and Legolas moved forward once again, swiftly coming around the corner in companionable silence that belied their puzzlement.
"Ah, Legolas, my young friend," Lord Elrond stood with a smile from where he'd been sitting on the edge of the fountain, his daughter quickly following his lead, offering both of them a smile. "Welcome to Imladris, I do apologize for not greeting you properly, earlier--"
"You were busy, my lord," Legolas interrupted, smiling as he shook his head. "It is of little concern by comparison to all that is going on around us."
"Indeed..." the Elf Lord nodded, shaking his head slightly. "Speaking of which, the two of you should probably be abed by now, should you not?"
"We both felt drawn to the gardens, my lord. But I do plan on heading back soon."
"As do I," Aragorn nodded.
"Good, good," Elrond nodded again, with a pleasant smile still in place. "I will bid you a good night then."
"As shall I," Arwen offered both of them a smile.
"Good night, my lord, my lady," Both offered, watching as the two Imladris Elves made their way towards the gardens nearest exit, which happened to be in sight of this fountain.
Once the pair had passed through it, well out of hearing range, Aragorn turned to his friend. "Do you...?"
Legolas frowned, shaking his head. "I knew Rúmil and Camthalion Míriel in my youth, but I thought they'd journeyed to the Undying Lands long ago. I have not seen them in many centuries."
"And the other two?"
Here, the Elf Prince's frown deepened. "The only elf-maiden I know by that name would be Ránëwén Galathil, Haldir of Lothlórien's niece, and the Míriel twins' cousin. Her parents died in the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim's service, and she was brought up alongside Arwen... I had thought that she too had gone to the Undying Lands..."
"And Elerossë?"
Legolas thought for several moments before shaking his head and sighing. "It is not a name I recognize..."
End of Flashback
So this was the 'Eleross' of whom the Imladrins' had spoken so highly of, accompanied by two of the other three they'd mentioned. Everything was suddenly quite a bit clearer at that realization, though there were still many questions left unanswered.
Arwen had indicated that the four of them had gone to another world entirely, as well, rather then the shores of Valinor...
But where was the fourth member of that party? The March Warden of Lothlórien's fair niece?
End Chapter 16: Mae Govannen
Translations:
- Mae Govannen - Welcome (Well-met)
- Abeo - to change things/to disappear
- Aliquantulum - small/a little
- "Neen... Anna o Ulmos, Osse ar Uinen, vene o kuile, kolindo o estel..." - "Water... Gift of Ulmo, Ossë and Uinen, vessel of life, bringer of hope..."
- "Mori... luume o titta kala, men ilya loo mi fuine..." - "Night...a time of little light, placing all within its domain in deep shadows..."
- "Silme... Anna o Varda an I'Palurin, ya man anta Estanesse mere ana laise, ar veela palurin Vali anta..." - "Starlight...Varda's gift to the world, that which gave the first born the desire to live, and explore the world the Valar offered..."
- "Isil... Varya ne pilindi o Tilion, I'Telperion, I'telwa loote o I'Telpina Lairelosse o Valar, men mi tinda vene o Tilion ve eä mauya, horta (ter/tere) menel oiale mori, ve lindoorea o kala aro estel mi I'Palurin nyelle..." - "The Moon... Protected by Tilion's arrows, the Telperion, the last flower of the Silver Tree of the Valar, placed in a silver vessel with Tilion as its guiding spirit, sent through the heavens each night, as a source of light and of hope in the world below..."
- "Uuvea Vala, tenmen merne ar mauya yana tana kare. I'telwa loote ú-mere na kaure ne voronda o I'kala, anta hon uma notana kaure ta. Fainu-hon osina harwe!" - "Great Valar, hear our prayer and will that it be done. The last flower shouldn't be feared by those of the Light, so give him no reason to fear it. Free him of this curse!"
- "Anta si merne, cen I'hosse o mane mi luurea luu..." - "Grant this request, aid the forces of good in these dark times..."
- "Mauya ya tana kare--" - "Will that it be done--"
Response to Reviews:
Jeni Black - Hi Jeni!
Cool. Some of my friends and I do that to, but we have different tastes, so it doesn't always work out.
LOL, I know. That's why I had to stop there! :-P
Sigh Yes, the last chapter was pretty bad, wasn't it? I'm trying to cut back.
Ruel? Really? Cool. John Ronald Ruel Tolkien... Do you think I should put that in the disclaimers instead?
Eugh. Church choir? Yes, very boring... That's the main reason I didn't join my high school chorus this year. Last year was terribly boring, it was ALL religious music! (Why does it have to be so BORING?) Attractive guy? That's always fun.
Tara-Yo - No, I'll still finish the story. But if it's below 50 I don't really have an incentive to focus on this story. I have several other stories that I haven't updated in a long time. If the reviewing drops down to around where some of those are (high 30s), then it makes more sense to focus on the story that hasn't been updated lately. I'm not trying to guilt-trip people into reviewing, I'm just stating facts. That's just the way my brain works.
LOL, your welcome. And thank you.
SlytherinSupreme - Yes, a very vicious cycle... yet an oddly satisfying one. May it continue for many chapters to come... OK that looked better in my head, but... shrugs
Nimohtar - Hmm, you're right he probably would... But that's still a ways in the future... I will probably put out a question like that later though. Who should stay on Middle Earth, who should go to Valinor, who should go back to Earth, etc.?
LOL... That's the way pairing usually work for me. They just naturally fall into place...
Violet was actually a method of getting around a writers block that developed into half of a beautiful pair. So, shrugs, you win some, you lose some.
Thank you, I try. Though crossovers tend to be what I focus on. If you look at my bio, I think I only have one fic that isn't a crossover.
Smirks Yes, they would come in handy, wouldn't they?
Veggie's Brat - Yes. Sorry... Nope, evilness is all from my own wicked little mind. :-P
Your welcome. Do you want any more help with it? If you do, just email me ), I'd be glad to help.
Yes, avoiding cliffhangers kinda goes against my nature. Sorry. :-P
Metropolis-Rising - Thanks!
Yes, that I understand. But, according to , nearly three-thousand-people have read the chapter before this one, so far. I know, some people re-visit it. I always go though it at least once. But... Say every person that reads it has to go there three times for some reason or another. That's still at least a thousand people. Asking a thousand people for 50 reviews isn't that bad, I think…
Admittedly, when I wrote the AN for reviews I was feeling a little down on it... I'd just read a fic (I don't even remember the name) that was rather awful, bad plot line, almost all dialogue, and not very good dialogue at that, etc. And that fic, with 15 chapters had over a thousand reviews. Maybe they were all flames, but I tend to notice numbers like that... And sometimes they bother me. Shrugs Sorry, I didn't mean to take it out on you guys, but I guess I did.
LOL, don't worry though. The next chapter's almost all done anyway. It was supposed to be part of this chapter, but I decided to break it off and throw it into the next one. So the next one's almost done.
Hoshi-tachi - LOL, true.
Thank you, I love understating things.
And yes, I thought Frodo meeting Harry first was a good idea...
You are still there, aren't you? Still alive, reading and kicking?... Right?.….right? pouts
Wytil - Sigh, I honestly wasn't talking to people like you, who kindly review on a semi-regular basis. Like I told Metropolis-Rising, I was talking to the hundreds of other people, who according to , read and never review.
Thank you.
Ghost123 - LOL, I suppose. I was really just trying to see how many people cared enough to review. You don't have to review every single chapter, but I do appreciate a comment every now and then. Thank you.
Dadaiiro - LOL, yes that chapter was pretty short, wasn't it? I think this one was a little better.
Yes, Harry did a lot of things in his 'youth', while on Middle Earth... smirks
No, remember, Legolas and Aragorn have only heard of him. They overheard Elrond and Arwen, and that was the one name Legolas didn't recognize. And Harry'd left Middle Earth long before Aragorn was born.
Rogue1615 - LOL, of course. Why do you think I stopped there? :-P
I know, that was really why I did that. I wanted to make sure that that didn't happen here.
Cloudednine - Thanx.
LOL, yes, that is an amusing image isn't it? Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf and Boromir being afraid of, as you said, "something with the word bluebell in" its name...
Oh no, sidetracking is good. And I agree, it usually is small details that give stories their depth.
Musicstarlover - CHOCOLATE!!! runs towards pile, trips on crack in the floor, falls into pile of chocolate... looks around... shrugs...attacks chocolate
... Comes back several minutes later...
Of course, Harry is Elerossë, after all.
Shoot them? No, that wouldn't work. How would they review then? ... Though you're right. They are mean. turns towards them :-P
Sigh Most of the Elvish I use is from my own list, which has accumulated to somewhere around 80 pages in length, through hundreds of searches and years of fan fics. I'm afraid I can't offer much help with finding it.
YAY! YAY! I'm a fave! :-D
Taggerung - ...oops...Sorry, I ate them all. I'm afraid I like cherries too. pouts pathetically
Glad to hear that, thank you.
LOL, as many have said already, and I've admitted to: I'm evil, intentionally.
This chapter was longer, wasn't it? I think it was actually over 20 pages... And I tried to cut back on the review responses, but I did ask for the reviews, so... shrugs
Snizzle - Walks over to large rock. Struggles to life it. Finally manages a few inches. Snaps fingers. Printed copy of There and Back Again appears. Drops rock. Pile holds rock slightly off the ground. Crouches down to look under rock. Hello? I updated! Do you want to come out? Upon receiving no response, stands up, walks away a few feet, stops, snaps fingers again (something I actually can't do), and the new chapter appears. It's over here if you want it. Looks around as wind starts to blow a bit. You might want to hurry though...it could blow away. Walks off.
Thanx for reviewing!
Chris - LOL, yes, you are terrible. But thank you for the compliment.
I know, I've never really understood why people can't read though their own work. Admittedly, I make mistake, and sometimes I miss them several times, that's why Shadowsong beta's these chapters, but still... If you spend hours, days, weeks, or even months or years writing something, wouldn't you think it'd be a good idea to proof-read?
Thanks for reviewing! :-D
Mmb1 - Yeah, they are, aren't they? But then again, most crossovers tend to be. They require a bit more outlining, thinking and all-together working then one-dimension fics, and most authors don't seem to want to give that.
Sigh I don't know what happened there... I think took some of the things out, I'll have to go back and edit... joy...
Mystress Tate - Thank you, glad to hear it!
Yeah, I'll have to go back and edit some of that, some of the changes put in did something when I was updating. Shakes head I'll take care of it soon, as soon as I manage to get out of my lazy-phase. Thanx again!
Christiane - LOL, you're welcome. True. And yes, Bean and Wenham were wonderful, weren't they? ... I'm not sure if I prefer dark-haired Orlando or fair-haired, but I absolutely adore all of the characters he's played, so I'm fine saying I'm just a crazy fan, no matter what the hair color... Hmm, you're right, I don't remember hearing Legolas's hair color mentioned in the book... well, that's interesting/reassuring. I hate going against cannon on a lot of things, but I will occasionally.… And yes, it would have been nice to see more of Elladan and Elrohir, I really like them. I think they were in Fellowship of the Ring, though. Remember, at the Council? I think Elrond was sitting in between them. They have a few more seconds on screen in the extended edition, but not much, and you don't hear what they say, as the only time they talk at all is when everyone jumps and starts arguing.
Umm hmm, you're right, Harry isn't an elf, and you can only learn and adapt to so much, so that did need to be pointed out. It's one of the things that can destroy HP-elf-fics.
LOL, serious/Sirius distractions. Good one!
2nd review - LOL, I think doesn't like multiple zeros or something like that. It wasn't a typo, it's happened several times before in reviews... As to the Elvish, I translate it myself. I'm sure the grammar's terribly off, but it's the best I can do. Thanx again!
Once again, thank you. Observations, analyses and compliments are always appreciated. :-D
Nyoko - LOL, glad to be of service. Where'd you go? How was it?
Yup... There was supposed to be more interaction between Harry and the rest of the Fellowship, but I decided to move that to the next chapter. Sorry. pouts
Sorry about the wait for this chapter too. It was difficult.
And you're right, school shouldn't be necessary after a certain point... Or maybe we should just get to jump to the college format earlier. I don't think I'd mind school as much if I could pick the classes I take.
Thanks for the compliments and the review!
Kitlite - I'm glad you like it. Sigh Sorry about the long wait on those... I'm having a rather large case of writers block with most of my stories. :-(
Tonnocal - Yeah he does, doesn't he? I don't know, I might mention it, but I can't really say their closely related. Harry isn't native to Middle Earth, after all, not by birth. LOL, hey, Percy has his good points! :-P
Mebririth - Hi.
Australia? That sounds pretty cool. I'd like to go to Australia... And Hawaii and Greece. I know, odd combination, but those are the three places in the world I'd really like to go to sometime soon... I have a friend in Australia. We met on a Carribean cruise and were pen pals for a few years, but we stopped writing after a while... She moved. :-(
Well, it's nice to know someone else appreciates it. I love the Elvish, but I probably won't go into major conversations with it anymore. I'll probably use italics for conversations from now on. I don't know, we'll see...
Sigh No, the scene change thing wasn't deliberate. I didn't always clearly mark the change in viewpoints of people in the same area (the Fellowship), but other then that, 's new formatting's been giving me trouble. Sorry. pouts
Teal's great. I got to baby-site a few days ago... She slept almost the entire time, but it was still fun. She was soooo adorable! And I got to feed her a bottle! ... She's cute now, really cute, but you're right. I can't wait until she's a bit older. I especially can't wait until she's old enough to appreciate being spoiled. I know I won't be the only one, but I hope I can be close to her when she's older. I don't see much of my own aunts, but she lives closer to us then they do, so I should be able to visit a lot. Thank you.
CrAyOnS tAstE LIkE pUrple - Thanx.
Sigh Sorry, I don't use a site. I translate everything myself, and I'm pretty sure I'm not completely accurate, but I try. Sorry :-( , I've really just been using my own list of Elvish words and phrases, compliled from multiple searches online and years of fan fics.
LOL, I know, I'm evil, aren't I?
I'm the Green Fariy - LOL, don't worry, I'm not going to stop now. I'd have to hit a fairly large writers block for that to happen.
1.... Sorry, you'll have and see.
2. Most of the HP characters will be getting bigger parts later on. Draco should be too.
Thank you.
Iluvschool - blinkblink You know, seeing that name while on summer break kinda scares me...
Hey, I think it's time for you to write another chappy! I wanna see how Harry gets along with the fellowship!
Asdf - Yeessss! Summer! A wonderful, wonderful, thing! :-D
Thanks to: Heala, Athenakitty, Maxennce, The Red Dragons Order, Horsecrzy - LOL, don't we all? , Fate, Lady Urquentha - :-D , GODSPEEDNIGHT, E, Apraxas, Edy, ANON - LOL, Wren Truesong, DOG-SEJR, Elisa K.B.C., Rayna - nods :-D, The Mystical Elf, Sirob, DeFox, Aensland - :-P, Silver Sparklze, Hiyala-a, Malach, Monk121, Fiery Pheonix, Angua, Rain - , Evil Elven Ice Queen, Tifenn, Calen, Kairi-725, Gaul1, Tim, Heather-Hezzer-and-Honaluki - , Mel, RandomInsaneElfStalker89, Insanechildfanfic, Eriee, Amy - :-D, Fanatic, Crissy Potter, Aensland, Lord Nomad, Toras, Silverwolf22 - , Alababa, Lazy1 - , Silver-Entrantress-Elf, Prisilha, ArwenMGranger - LOL, , Vera C.D, Left Enthusiasm, Genvessel - , Lasse Petersen, Hermes09, & Judith
AN: Wow guys, 85 reviews, I really am impressed! Sorry about the wait. I didn't mean to leave you hanging for so long, but I just couldn't seem to finish this chapter. It isn't really even done yet, there was supposed to be at least ten more scenes, but I decided to break the chapter up more, so that it wouldn't be too long for 's downloading process (I've actually done that before. On a different fan fic, I had to post one chapter as three separate updates because couldn't handle it all as one!) and you wouldn't have to wait another week...
I think I'll be able to get the next chapter out sooner, within the next week or so. I don't know, depends on how much I have to work next week. They've kinda been running me ragged.
Anyway, I'll just restate a few of the things I said in my earlier replies.
1. As I told Tara-Yo, Metropolis-Rising and a few others, I didn't mean I need a minimum of 50 reviews per chapter before I update. If I finish the chapter before the previous one has 50 reviews I'll still (probably) update. I won't be happy, and I probably won't make a tremendous amount effort to get the following chapter out anytime soon, but I would put it up anyway.
If the reviewing dropped down a lot, say into the 30s or 20s, I'd probably turn to a different story and work on that for a while. A few of my stories get around that number of reviews per chapter, so it would only make sense to switch to one that hasn't been updated in a while.
I'm not trying to guilt trip you guys, I'm just telling you how my brain works. Reviews really do influence me, and I thought that I should point that out.
Plus, according to nearly three thousand people read the last chapter of this fic. Even if everyone of them read it 2, 3, 4, 5 or more times, that's still a lot of people that are reading and never reviewing. And I've watched the count go up before. After I update a chapter I'll check it ever few minutes or so, or maybe every half hour, and I've noticed that a review usually doesn't come in until well after a hundred people have gone to the chapter.
As I said, I know its not perfect, and I'm not trying to guilt trip, but reviews ARE the only form of payment that fan fiction authors get, and I think it'd be nice for people to remember that everyone once and a while. Besides, say the count was closer to two thousand, and the rest were just error-clicks or something. Is a ratio of fifty to two thousand; one out of forty people, really asking much? I don't think so. I apologize if you disagree, but it probably won't change my opinion, especially considering that you guys managed to reach a count of 50 in a few days after the update. The extra 35 came up well after that, some of them explained, others not... And that's all I'll say on that for now.
2. A lot of people have been asking me about the Elvish that I use in my fan fics. Honestly, it's just from a list that's compiled from years of reading fan fics and running searches online, and a LOT of artistic license. I'm sure my grammar's horrible. I haven't taken an extensive course in it, partially because I know it wouldn't be purely-Tolkien Elvish. Tolkien didn't make a complete language, he developed it and made a lot up, but he only really wrote down what he needed. Therefore, yes, I know what I write is far from perfect, but I work with what I have and try to make it presentable. I apologize if that offends people but really, if that's all it takes to make you hate a story; 1) you shouldn't be reading this, and 2) get a life! (That explains why I used "titta" for little, small, etc., even though it means "tiny". "Tiny", by definition, is something small, and is therefore a synonym for similar words. That's what I've had to do for a lot of the words, and realistically, it still makes sense. If you look up a word in French, Spanish, or any other human language, you'll find that most of them have more then one meaning when translated to English. Why is that? Because the languages were developed to be translated into other languages, they just were, for talking and usage, then someone used made up the art of translation to bridge the language gap.)
...Sorry, I had to get that off my system.
3) On further note, I'd like to thank whomever it was that nominated me for the Best-Unfinished Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter fan fic at the Crossover Awards. They didn't tell me who it was, so this is the best I can do.
4) I've also started a Mailing List for this fic at , you're all welcome to join if you want to. There isn't much on it yet, I'm still trying to develop a picture for the main page, and then I'll be uploading some files, but... shrugs, it's there. As it says on the opening page, it's not just for updates, I'd also like to use it as a message board, but it needs members for that. All are welcome… Well, not all, but most. Spammers and Professional Flamers aren't welcome, but most of you don't fit the second category and Spammers will just be kicked off. (I have it set so that I have to approve all members, but all you really have to do is say who you are and why you want to join (probably because you read this note and are reading the story), and I'll approve you. I'm just trying to avoid spammers posting on the site...)
5) And, last but not least, does anyone whose reading this like to draw fan art and whatnot? Because I'd be curious to see what your impression of some of the characters/situations are, if you do, and would like to post them on the new site.
Well, that's all for now! See you later!
REVIEW PLEASE!!! Makes puppy-dog face
Bye!
Jess S