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

These Broken Wings

Chapter Seven. Playing Dress Ups

Harry was escorted to his rooms by a grim looking Glorfindel, whom he pointedly ignored. By the balrog slayer's disapproving expression he was of the opinion that he had been too harsh with his grandfather. With a sigh of resignation Harry decided that perhaps that was so. But he didn't ask to be ripped away savagely from his home, did he?

In one light Harry felt he probably should be grateful for the timely escape from the Dursleys. His neck was still sore from where Uncle Vernon had been trying to throttle him. But on the other hand he felt like a fish out of water – scrap that. He felt like a foreign fish out of water, or a really outrageous science experiment gone utterly, insanely wrong.

Glorfindel left Harry at his door. Before the warrior elf could leave Harry gave him a small, albeit wobbly, smile in thanks. Glorfindel seemed shocked at first, his eyes hardening for a brief moment before he inclined his head.

"Make peace with your grandfather, for both his peace and your own," Glorfindel said as Harry opened the door to slip inside.

Harry froze and glanced up at the serious warrior who was still appraising him with a practiced eye.

"Lord Elrond has not had an easy journey in this life. You are more alike than you think."

Harry shook his head so that his new long raven locks whipped his pale cheeks. "I have my path; I cannot stay here."

Glorfindel looked up. "That was not what I was asking of you." And then he turned his back and all Harry could do was watch his retreating form.

Harry slipped through the meagre opening of the door and glanced around the room once more. The colour scheme was soft greens of several hues and most of the trims were tinted with gold. Unlike the rooms provided for him by his own family back on Earth it was comfortable. Well, not comfortable, that was a much too plain word to use to describe this unearthly place.

The furniture was carved from wood in twisting patterns akin to something Celtic. The room was more open to the elements than what he was used to at the Dursley's or Hogwarts and Harry assumed this was a deliberate design by the Elves.

Harry padded across the room realising for the first time how his footfalls were so heavy anymore. How strange…

A bowl made from ceramic material was lying on the side bench. Peering inside the bowl Harry saw fragrant water. He sniffed and scrunched up his nose. What was it with these people and flowers! Harry remembered seeing medieval people bathing from bowls like this in some old fashioned movies and so he concluded that was what he was supposed to do with the water.

So Harry washed his face and found a small hand towel to wash in between his grubby toes and gradually made his way up his body. He would have preferred a hot shower but he certainly was not going to embarrass himself by asking the elves exactly how they bathed!

When Harry finished he glanced shyly at the wardrobe which he had purposefully avoiding before deciding it would be best to be clothed before another elf came by to check on him. It was preferable to be wearing clothes than being naked after all!

So it was with a queasy knot of unease that Harry opened the wardrobe and peered inside. Taking out as much as he could so that he could figure out what the numerous different robes were for. He was rather flustered to discover that elves did not wear undies!

Harry was tugging on a pair of tan trousers when there was a knock at the door and…

Harry jumped in shock, fell over tugging up his second pant leg and squealed. "A minute!"

Whoever was at the door was not going to wait a minute. The door started to open with a creak.

Harry was on the floor struggling to pull the pants over his buttocks. With a great effort he tied the tie with his back to the door. "If you are going to knock: wait for permission to enter," Harry growled in annoyance.

"Sorry but we…"

"… thought you might want some help with your wardrobe…"

"And seeing how you can't…"

"… put on a pair of pants without falling like a felled log…"

"… it is a good thing we showed up."

Harry glanced over his shoulder from one twin the other. Both were wearing cheeky smiles.

"What makes you think I can't dress myself?" Harry snarled.

"Judging from the clothes you were wearing…

"… you wouldn't know were to start…"

"We elves like complicated patterns…"

Harry glowered at the pile of clothes on the bed which directed the twins gazes as well.

"Proof, dear Elladan that our dear nephew is completely clueless!" Elrohir brandished his hands wildly at the misshapen pile.

"ARGH! Look at his colour co-ordination…" Elladan cried in response.

"Or the lack of…" Elrohir tsked loudly and shook his head in mock despair.

Elladan grabbed a long sleeved white shirt and dumped it over Harry head. Harry blinked at him slowly and then turned away and slowly did up the buttons – he however shooed Elrohir away as the other twin tried to help him tuck it in. Elladan however was just as fussy to make sure it was tucked in and not bunched in violently or creased.

A long necked, silver under robe came next and Harry had to be showed how to fasten the ties by Elrohir while his brother was searching the cupboard for a long emerald green tie, which he fastened around Harry's waist, leaving the long tasselled ends to drop nearly to his feet.

The last item on their list was a long sleaved over robe of emerald green which did not fasten at the front so the silver under robe was quiet visible.

Harry grimaced at the subconscious choice of colours and prepared himself to be horrified what he saw in the mirror. He was pleasantly surprised. The Slytherin colours suited him quiet well. Although he had to admit – any of his friends who saw him now would not recognise him as Harry Potter, the boy-wonder-who-just-could-not-cark-it.

Ron would probably be jealous that Harry had ended up not being quiet human. And had a Lord for a grandfather and lovely clothes, attention and had the chance to travel. On the other hand Ron would probably freak because he wasn't human. Hermione however would expect him to fully support spew… No. S.P.E.W. But if he was truthful with himself he was still a little angry at that horrible Kreacher for being responsible for Sirius' death. That was a crime that he knew he just could not forgive at the moment.

The twins were now ushering Harry into a chair and shoved a brush into his hand. Harry regarded the wooden instrument with something close to indifference and ripped it through his hair once.

One of the twins winced visibly and reached over to grab the brush out of Harry's hand. "Give me that!"

So Harry relinquished his grip and sat glumly while his now behaving hair was brushed by the twins. Trust Harry's luck – his hair would be easy in some other world!

"There now you look…"

"…like a normal elf."

Harry grunted and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think I'll ever be normal."

HHHHH

Harry watched the elves assemble for dinner feeling somewhat anxious by all the curious gazes he was gaining. He however wisely bit his tongue and refused to make eye contact with anyone through the meal.

Lord Elrond was sitting at the head of the table a twin on either side of him. Harry was sitting next to Elladan (or wasn't it Elrohir) and Glorfindel and facing another dark haired dark eyed elf he half recognised.

"So Elerossë what year would you be in that magic school of yours?" Elladan (or Elrohir) asked turning his head in an attempt to include Harry.

Harry who had been staring into his goblet of wine debating whether or not he should drink it startled and turned abruptly to the grinning twin.

"Seventh."

"Ah, your last year," the dark haired elf commented.

Harry shook his head. "I'm not going back to school."

"Why ever not?" Elladan asked. "Lenwë told us some of the brilliant jokes he pulled of in that place. It must be an exciting place."

Harry shook his head and noticing the table gradually becoming more and more interest in their conversation answered quickly. "The dark lord needs to be stopped."

"Ah – ha. I see." Though it was quite clear that Elladan did not see at all.

Harry felt his cheeks burning as he left a familiar wave of guilt and shame wash over him. His throat tightened so that he could barely swallow or breathe. Scrapping back his chair, Harry excused himself by nodding silently at Lord Elrond before practically running from the banquet hall.

"Here we go again," Elrohir murmured.