Disclaimer: I don't own Harry's Wonderful World or Middle Earth. They unfortunately belong to their rightful inventors.
Previously in: These Broken Wings:
"Elerossë, it is a pleasure to meet your acquittance," the old wizard offered his hand in friendship. Harry hesitated before offering his own. "I'm Gandalf the Grey."
Chapter Ten. New Resolve
"Pleased to meet you, master elf," Gandalf repeated as he saw Harry's stunned expression. He extended his hand with that damnable 'Dumbledore'- like twinkle so that Harry was tempted to ask him if he was a relative of some sort of the now deceased Headmaster.
Harry stared at the shrivelled hand before him with a mixture of incredulity and hilarity. He questioned the prospect of the noble elves shaking hands. What was the elvish custom for greeting? His discomfort was soon conquered, however when he made the decision to take the old man's hand in his own.
Elrond's eyebrows rose at an alarming rating almost touching the tips of his immaculate fringe as Gandalf heartily pumped Harry's hand none too gently. "Charmed," Harry said dryly in his very best imitation of the Malfoy drawl, which would have made even Professor Snape proud.
"Likewise it is not everyday that one meets another Istari."
"Istari?" The word was foreign on Harry's tongue.
"Wizards. Maiar. Spirits who have been sent by the Valar from the Undying Lands," Gandalf supplied. "There are not many in this world. But enough of me. How is Minerva?"
Harry paused to think, while Gandalf took his elbow and was leading him to the table. It took a few long moments for the full impact of the older wizard's comment to hit.
"You know McGonagall?"
"Professor McGonagall."
Harry could have sworn that the twinkle had returned with a vengeance in the old blue eyes of the wizard before him. But when he glanced back the twinkle had vanished as if it had truly not existed at all.
Harry took a long moment to sit. Gandalf took great pains to sit to his left so that they could continue their conversation. Elrohir and Elladan sat respectively by Harry's side, opting to hear the conversation in peace instead of joining Glorfindel and Erestor's side.
"She's Headmistress now," Harry returned without glancing up. He picked up some random fruit and stared at it as if it had greatly offended him. He gathered Gandalf was intelligent enough to understand of what he was speaking about so it didn't bother to elaborate his statement.
"Yes, Albus' death was such a pity."
Harry bristled at the old man's comment and was severely tempted to throw a tantrum and storm out. He applied the quieter and less embarrassing approach. "Pity I didn't bring that Slytherin bastard to his knees."
Gandalf took a bite from his fruit, crunching and munching noisily. "Good fruit as always," he commented nodding his head in Elrond's direction. The Elven Lord may have seemed distracted but both Harry and Gandalf were fully aware Elrond had been watching the conversation. Elrond nodded gracefully and frowned pointedly at Gandalf, who smiled and waved the warning to one side.
Harry continued to stare at his plate in sullen silence, grinding his teeth together when either twin dared to address him. Other than that he pointedly ignored everyone about him, a skill he learned to proficiently in the Dursley household. When he was able to leave without offending anyone he left without a word.
"Congratulations Gandalf, you have known my grandson for less than five minutes before angering him," Elrond said sternly, indicating loftily with his long elegant hand at Harry's quickly retreating form.
Gandalf looked up from his plate. "Anger in itself is not evil. You should not fear that emotion," he countered unconcernedly. "Better he is angry with me than with you, Elrond."
"Let's hope he doesn't summon a sword through your path," Elladan muttered darkly glancing at his brother.
"He's been known for doing strange things," Elrohir added helpfully. "Especially when he is very vexed."
Gandalf looked a little wry.
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Glorfindel found Harry, not where Elladan predicted: sulking in his rooms, but leaning over the edge of the bridge which linked Imladris to the outside world. He was only a length away when Harry spoke: his head bowed and his green eyes unfocused on the river below.
"I have to go back." Harry swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and forced his voice to continue. "I cannot stay here."
"I am not arguing with you," Glorfindel pointed out.
Instead of lifting his head Harry seemed to droop where he stood. "I know what I have to do. Save the world and all that jazz."
"Jazz?" Glorfindel shook his golden mane as if to remove the new word physically from his mind and concentrate on other matters.
"Hmm," Harry supplied. "Save the world, rid man kind of evil and staying alive is optional."
Glorfindel's lips twitched with morbid humour. "If you die we will have to implore Mandos to return you."
For the first time during the conversation Harry lifted his head. Glorfindel could clearly see the tear tracks that ran down the younger elf's pale cheeks. Harry wiped his face inelegantly with the back of his hand and sniffed.
"Who is Mandos? What does he have to do with anything?"
Glorfindel was torn between grinning like an idiot drunk on King Thandruil's best wine and returning a grim stare.
Harry tilted his head to the side indicating he was still waiting for an answer.
Glorfindel opted using his dry humour, which Harry alone seemed to be able to appreciate. "Someday I will tell you a story."
"I suppose that's the only answer I'm likely to get." Harry stood to his full height and walked over to the other side of the bridge.
"For now, yes," Glorfindel conceded. "Don't let Lord Elrond catch you speaking of your death in seriousness or in jest. His lectures can tend to lean on the lethal side of the scale."
Harry snorted indifferently.
"On the other hand grievously injured you grandfather can fix."
"Lucky me," Harry drawled with the roll of his eyes, he had learnt that, that trick annoyed Erestor to the point of mental breakdown.
"You're much too puny," Glorfindel said after a long moment in which he regarded Harry.
Harry looked down upon himself and shrugged. "Want to fix it?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows.
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"Move your feet!" Glorfindel snapped for the fortieth time – forty one, Harry corrected. It was Glorfindel's catch phrase.
Some instructs said 'um' or 'ah' or a combination. But Glorfindel shouted 'move your feet,' at just about every opportunity he had. Harry had been counting every time Glorfindel's favourite reared its ugly head since he realised it for what it was. Actually it was quite distracting.
Both elves had been duelling for the last hour and a half. Their upper torsos were gleaming in sweat.
In retrospect the twins had been easy on him, Harry realised with a jolt. For Glorfindel was a hard task master and a stern teacher. His elvish blade sung through the air narrowly missing Harry several times by a hairs breath.
"Move your feet!"
"I swear if you say that one more time I'll…," Harry growled menacingly spinning around on his heels and found himself hip to hip with the blonde elf.
"Move your feet!"
"Tarantallegra!"
Much to Harry's amazement and delight Glorfindel's feet took a life of their own. Glorfindel however seemed mortified that he had no control over his body.
Harry stepped back a pace or two, lowering his own blade grinning widely at Glorfindel's predicament. The dance seemed to be a mixture of a heathen war dance, a ballet and a tap dance from Broadway.
For a moment longer Harry held his composure stifling his laughter behind his hands. Tears of laughter pricked in the corners of his emerald orb before Harry lost control and laughed!
"What's happening here?"
The noise must have disturbed some elves for two blonde new comers were staring at Glorfindel in utter disbelief. There twin blue eyes wide with shock and awe. The younger of the pair, Harry wasn't sure how he could tell, looked mildly impressed while the older seemed torn between a stern expression and a tight lipped smile.
A moment later Harry spotted trouble and a signal that the fun was about to end. Lord Elrond was standing a pace or two looking very demure.
"He bewitched me!" Glorfindel cried, puffing quite loudly. His cheeks were now a crimson red. "I can't stop dancing!"
Harry decided that it was best to submit to the inevitable. For Elrond's expression clearly communicated trouble.
"Finate Intercorum."
Glorfindel fell to the ground in relief of being released.
"If Your Majesties will excuse me. It seems I have some civil matters to attend to," Elrond said with a slight inclination of his head to the two blonde elves. "Elerossë, with me."
This was not good.
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Sorry if there are any mistakes. It's late and I just finished 12 hour day at uni. I will keep updating when I can. Very busy semester. Thanks for your continued support.