Disclaimer: I don't own Harry's Wonderful World or Middle Earth. They unfortunately belong to their rightful inventors.

These Broken Wings

Chapter Six. You Can't Catch Me I'm the Gingerbread Man

Harry stomped as heavily and noisily as he possibly could. He found that it was more difficult now that he had an elf's delicate gait but he also discovered how much it annoyed the twins.

"Enough already…"

"You wake all the orcs to Mordor…"

"And back…"

Harry ignored the twins' plea and continued. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. STOMP! Harry found himself in a terrible mood. He didn't have enough fingers on his two hands to count all his problems on… He checked his hands to see if they still had the correct amount of attachments and was relieve that each hand had four fingers and a thumb. The last thing the boy-who-found-himself-in-Middle- Earth needed was some other distinguishable feature that labelled him, unusual… or abnormal.

Harry followed the path with his head bowed. He did not take notice of the winding road or the many twists and turns that they took. His brief escape from Imladris seemed such a short time – yet the arduous journey back seemed to last forever.

With his head bowed forward Harry did not realise that he had left the path and….

THUMP!

He ran headlong into a tree. He reeled backwards landing a regally as an elf can on his backside. Harry wisely chose to ignore the identical sniggering and stared angrily at the offending tree.

"Why must everything go wrong for me?" Harry cried in desperation. "Why can't I be normal?"

"Define normal," a twin suggested unhelpfully.

"There is no logical definition," his brother rejoined.

"You are you… and nothing more. Nothing less."

Harry stared hatefully up at the twins. No. No matter what they told him. Finding himself stranded in a strange world as a immortal being, with pointy ears was a far cry from normal.

"I want to die," Harry murmured throwing himself backwards onto the forest floor.

"Don't say that," one twin stood over him so that he could no longer see the sky.

"Why not?" Harry snarled feeling vindictive.

"Life is giving to us by the grace of Ilúvatar and the Valar."

"Can I have that in English?"

The twins rolled their eyes at each other. "Don't you know anything?"

Harry stared at them clearly unimpressed. "Nope. Not a clue in Hades what you are on about. Completely in the dark. Confused. Baffled. Muddled. Bewildered. And insanely lost to boot."

"You are going to drive Ada nuts."

'

'

'

Elrond watched from one of the many balconies as the twins led young Elerossë across the courtyard. Observing unseen he saw clearly his sons were looking particularly hot and bothered and stealing glances at each other in regular intervals.

Elerossë was walking with his regal head held up high, his chin up as if running away in a night shirt and being escorted back was a perfectly rational act. Elrond chuckled to himself. Elerossë was as proud as his father and just as temperamental.

The three young elves stopped the twins saying something hurriedly to Elerossë who stubbornly shook his head and snapped a quick reply. The twins unusually looked completely taken aback and to Elrond's amusement seemed insanely lost for words. There were firsts for everything it seemed.

While Elladan and Elrohir were exchanging hushed words ignoring Elerossë. Elerossë was making the best of the distraction and was very carefully edging away.

Elrond leaned closer. Surely Elerossë would not bolt again…

"Elerossë!" Lord Elrond cried from up high. The elvish lord watched at the youngster's head snapped up spying him. The twins' heads suddenly snapped up also realising too late what Elerossë was planning to do. "STAY!"

Elrond could have sworn he saw a flash of defiance in the young one's eyes before he turned and fled straight into Glorfindel's waiting arms. The belrog slayer had crept upon the three elves recognising the young one he had rescued the other day…

"What have we here?" Glorfindel asked lightly.

Harry stamped on his foot. Hard. "Let me go!"

Glorfindel just held Harry tighter and glanced up where Lord Elrond had revealed himself. "What do you want to do with him, Milord Elrond?"

"Take him to my personal study," Elrond called over the balcony, "we need to have a serious talk. Elladan, Elrohir take a bath I will see you at dinner with a hopefully subdued Elerossë."

Harry snarled and snapped as Glorfindel ushered him struggling down the hall. The tall blonde elf hardly took any notice of Harry's futile protests and insults which were becoming quite inventive.

Finally Glorfindel reached Elrond's personal study door which he kicked open, (gracefully of course!).

Elrond was already waiting and indicated to a seat which Glorfindel gladly dumped Harry on.

"I'll wait outside," Glorfidnel murmured giving Harry a doubtful look before he exited swiftly.

Elrond surveyed Harry critically for a long moment. In this time Harry refused to look at the Imladris lord.

"You are not to leave Imladris without my permission or an armed escort," Elrond stated firmly.

"I shall not…"

"You are not to leave Imladris without my permission or an armed escort."

"You have no…"

"You are not to leave Imladris without my permission or an armed escort."

Harry shook his head in disbelief speechless. Elrond internally smiled – it was a technique that he had often used on the twins.

"You cannot keep me prisoner," Harry protested.

"Elerossë there is good reason for my command," Elrond said holding his hand up for silence from the younger elf. When Harry opened his mouth to continue his protests he continued, "Yes I command you to stay safely in Imladris as lord of this city. I do not do this to slight you or…"

"I need to get back to the real world."

"This world is real Elerossë," Elrond said taking a seat behind his desk and staring at the dishevelled elfling before him.

"Who will vanquish the dark lord, if not I?" Harry demanded. "Who will hunt for the dark lord's souls to destroy him?"

"You are but a child."

Harry bristled in annoyance. "There is no one but me that can! I must get home, immediately…"

Elrond gave the look. Harry had the odd sense of sitting opposite Dumbledore as he stared unblinkingly over the rim of his glasses. Except Elrond wasn't Dumbledore, he wasn't ancient to look at and had perfect eyesight hence no glasses. But it was still the horrid look.

Harry squirmed in his seat and raised his chin a little as he fought a valiant battle for composure. "I cannot leave my friends to die."

"Can you leave the only remaining family you have, Elerossë?"

"My. Name. Is. Harry," Harry hissed through clenched teeth.

"While the question remains unanswered," Elrond returned.

"My family is dead," Harry replied in a clipped tone. He immediately regretted his harsh words as hurt fluttered across Elrond's face. It disappeared a moment later but somehow it lingered in gentle grey eyes.

"My only hope lies with my friends and the wizarding world. We are not broken yet and I refuse to give up hope even though it seems futile; as if evil is destined to win. I cannot; I will not abandon my home."

Unable to stand the hurt, sad grey eyes Harry reverted, his gaze to the window and the lush green of the protected valley outside. Newly keen ears heard the rustling of Elrond's robes as he stood almost silently.

"Then I shall not ask that of you," Elrond murmured distractedly. Harry head shot up to stare a his not human grandfather, who had opened his mouth to say more. "I'll have someone show you back to your quarters and I'll see you at dinner."

With the barest of a nod, Harry had been dismissed.