And the story continues. One note that I feel I need to add...Harry/Tegalad's age. A reviewer made a good note that I'm not very clear in his age from my past story. Harry is 17 years old but looks like a 7 year old. I've decided that for every 10 years elves age, their bodies only age 5 years. Once their bodies look like they're 20, so they're 40 years old, they stop aging for around 3000 years before slowly getting older. Even then it'll take another few thousand years before getting any grey hairs, if any at all.

In my story, elven children grow quickly even though they are considered children for a long time. Half-elves, like Aragorn and Arwen's children, grow quicker but still stop ageing at 20. They're not immortal but will live for longer than humans do.

I hope that makes everything clearer but if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them.

On with the story...

Warnings: Some flashbacks, nightmares, death...

The Immortal Hero

Chapter 4

He was in the Great Hall again. The bodies were still on the ground and blood had stained the floor red. Lifeless eyes stared up at him, expressions twisted in horror, betrayal and fear. He recognised the faces. They were his friends, his family, and his enemies.

Ron and Hermione cuddled together, even in death. They were looking back at him in shock. Neville had a table leg through his chest, his eyes closed and his expression pained. Luna was spread serenely on the ground, her pale eyes wide as if she had finally realised something significant.

Remus was holding his throat, silver flowing through his veins, highlighting them in death. His teachers were scattered throughout the Hall, all of them glaring at him. Albus Dumbledore was in his chair, blue eyes twinkle-less and staring at him in something akin to disappointment.

Sirius looked like he had been through a meat grinder, his face the only unblemished part of his body. His grey-blue eyes were blank, just like all the others, but he knew that had there been life in those eyes, he would have been glaring at him. Ginny, his girlfriend, the only girl he had loved, was half submerged in a pool of blood, her expression lost and disappointed.

He looked around, recognising several more faces. Draco Malfoy, Colin Creevy, the Weasley twins…Hagrid. Every single face was staring at him, haunting him.

"Ah, Harry Potter, welcome back."

He turned around quickly and instantly recognised the pale features and red eyes of the man who had destroyed his life.

"Harry, Harry, Harry…do you see what you've done? They looked to you to save them, to bring them peace, but you didn't. They died because of you. Because you were too slow, because you gave up."

"You were supposed to save us Harry," Neville stated, standing from his horizontal position, ignoring the table leg in his chest. "You let us down."

"You're nothing more than a glory seeker," Remus added. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"Your father would have saved us," Sirius continued. "He wouldn't have let us die like you did."

"No, no, no," Harry chanted to himself. "This isn't real."

"It's not real that you killed us?" Ron asked furiously. "Of course it's real."

"It wasn't me," Harry protested. "Voldemort killed you."

"Only because you were too slow Harry," Hermione rebutted. "Had you been quicker, had you not given up, we wouldn't have died."

"See Harry?" Voldemort said as he walked to stand beside the dead. "You are responsible. Their safety was in your hands and you let them down. Nothing you say will convince us otherwise."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. He watched as his former friends and classmates stood to surround him. "It should have been me."

"It should have."

The agreement caused Harry to turn and sink to his knees. Ginny stood before him like an angel of darkness. Her expression was blank but her red hair flared out behind her as if disturbed by a powerful wind.

"I loved you Harry," Ginny continued. "I trusted you to save us, even if that meant you were to die. I would have survived and moved on. But now I can't. Because of you."

"I trained you Harry," Dumbledore continued from behind Harry. "I gave you everything I could but still you failed. I have never been more disappointed in anyone than I am in you."

Harry felt tears fall from his eyes and he shook his head furiously.

"We're here for you Harry," Voldemort said softly. His cold, dead hand wrapped around Harry's arm painfully. "We're here to take you with us."

"But I'm not Harry anymore," Harry murmured tearfully. "I'm Tegalad."

"And what makes you think that the Fellowship will look after you, that you won't kill them too?" Voldemort asked. "Take a look."

Harry turned to where Voldemort was indicating and gasped as he recognised the dead bodies of the Fellowship.

The Halflings appeared to be bound up, their bodies charred as if they'd been in the fire for a long time. Gimli was missing his head. Boromir had become a pincushion for arrows. Legolas had a sword sticking out of his chest, obviously he had been caught from behind. Gandalf looked like he had been ripped to pieces, his body cut and burnt.

But it was Aragorn that had Harry screaming denials. He had a deep gash across his chest from a sword and his right shoulder looked crushed. He was limping as he walked closer, his voice harsh.

"After everything I did for you, you got us all killed. Because of you Middle Earth will be destroyed and havoc will have free rein across the universe. You have destroyed everything."

"No!" Harry, Tegalad, protested. "No! No! No!"

"Tegalad."

"Tegalad."

"Tegalad."

The whisper of his name echoed all around him and he struggled against the sudden binds holding him.

"No, no, no! No, please, I'm sorry, stop it."

"Tegalad! It's all right! You're safe, I'm not going to hurt you, calm down. It's just a nightmare. Please wake up."

Tegalad opened his eyes to find himself back with the Fellowship and they were all looking at him in concern and slight fear. Tegalad found himself in Aragorn's arms, the man trying to keep him from thrashing.

"Aragorn?" he asked frightened.

"It's me Little One," Aragorn replied, relief clear in his voice. "You're safe."

Tegalad wrapped his arms around Aragorn's neck and started to cry. The stress of being a prisoner, to watching his friends die and finding himself in a strange place all alone had left him emotionally unstable. He didn't want to be brave anymore, he wanted to be looked after, to let someone else be the leader.

Aragorn held him as he cried, concerned that while he knew Tegalad was crying, he didn't make that much noise, almost like he had trained himself to cry silently. He rocked the small child and held him close, staring at the others who were watching Tegalad in concern.

"It's alright Little One," he murmured. "You're safe, I won't let anyone hurt you."

"But what about you?" Tegalad asked. "Will you be safe?"

Aragorn looked at the boy on his lap in sudden understanding. He tightened his grip and lightly kissed the top of his head.

"I'm safe," he promised. "My friends and I protect each other. We're a team. We're all safe. You're nightmare was just that, a nightmare. Nothing bad will happen. I promise."

"Promise?" Tegalad asked timidly.

"I promise," Aragorn whispered. "Now relax, go back to sleep. I'll look after you."

Tegalad tightened his grip on Aragorn's shirt. Aragorn continued to sooth him, convincing him to go to sleep. Shadow's familiar warmth returned to his side and he heard Hedwig's distinctive hoot. His grip never slackened but his body relaxed as he was lulled back into sleep.

Tegalad slept without nightmares for several hours. When he woke up, Aragorn was once again carrying him and he was wrapped up in a thick blanket. His hands were still clenched in Aragorn's shirt so he slowly loosened them. His movements alerted Aragorn to his return to consciousness as his gait hesitated so he could look down at him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. Tegalad shrugged his shoulders and burrowed deeper into the blanket. He was cold and knew that his injuries needed to be treated properly so that they wouldn't become infected.

"Gandalf believes that we'll get out of here today, or tomorrow at the latest," Aragorn started, seeing that his charge wasn't going to speak. "Once we're out we'll probably head towards Lothlorien. The elves there are natural healers and will be able to help you."

Tegalad's head had shot up when Aragorn had mentioned Lothlorien and was overjoyed that he'd soon be safe, though he was also sad as it would mean leaving Aragorn. He'd never really felt safe around adults in his life but being around Aragorn gave him that safety, despite the situation they were in. He dismissed the thought quickly, he didn't want to be a part of another war so soon after escaping from the last one.

"After you're healed we'll have to find you somewhere to stay," Aragorn continued. "I don't know what the elves will do but they won't turn you away."

Of course they won't turn me away, Tegalad thought with an inward snort. I'm probably going to be like the second coming of Merlin to them.

"But I promise you this, I will make sure that you will be safe," Aragorn vowed. "I won't leave you somewhere where I wasn't sure about your safety."

"I know," Tegalad whispered. "I trust you." And he was surprised at the truth of the statement. Very few adults, if any at all, had gained his complete trust. There was just something about Aragorn that encouraged him to trust him.

Tegalad looked forward, his head still nestled on Aragorn's shoulder, and his eyes widened at the steep staircase before them. The Halflings were staring up at it, the tone of their voices clearly showing their reluctance to climb such a slope. Tegalad looked to where Shadow was prowling and wondered how he would get up.

"Tegalad, I need you to hang onto my back alright?" Aragorn's voice said breaking into his thoughts. "I'm going to need both hands to climb this thing."

Tegalad nodded and allowed himself to be swung around until his legs were wrapped around Aragorn's waist and his arms around Aragorn's neck. He was slightly off centre as Aragorn had his quiver of arrows strapped on the back of his pack. He was uncomfortable, but he wasn't sure that his feet would be able to hold him up while they were injured.

When they started climbing Tegalad hid his face in Aragorn's hair. It wasn't that he disliked heights, his years as the best Seeker Gryffindor had ever had was testimony to that. It was just that if something were to happen, and Aragorn were to slip, he would be unable to do anything to help. He was helpless. He only looked occasionally to see where Shadow was, and was happy to see that the wolf was climbing the stairs by using flat rocks, and leaping up a few stairs when it was too steep.

By the time they reached the top, everyone was hot and tired and in need of a good rest. Shadow had made it up the long staircase with difficulty but perseverance and determination won out and everyone made it.

At the top of the staircase were three gateways. Gandalf hesitated in front of them before admitting something to the others Tegalad couldn't understand. He did understand however that they were taking a break when the Fellowship set their bags down and stretched out gratefully on the ground. Tegalad was put on a rock while Aragorn pulled off his own bag before sitting next to him.

"Gandalf is trying to find his way, he's the only one who's been inside the Mines before, though he came from the direction we're heading to. Once he remembers where to go, we'll get back up and continue."

"Why are you travelling together?" Tegalad asked, wanting to know the story they were going by. They could hardly go around saying that they were going to destroy the One Ring.

"A war is on the horizon, and we have in our possession something that could turn the tide," Aragorn explained carefully. "This group, the Fellowship, is a group of different races, representatives of different societies, who are all working together to achieve the same result."

"How'd you get involved?"

"I know the lands very well," the man answered. "I've been a Ranger for the past several years and my knowledge with a sword and a bow is bound to come in useful. Everyone here has their own talents, some not quite so extravagant as others but significant in their own way. How'd you get to the Wall? It's a long way from any civilization."

"I had to get away," Tegalad answered thinking quickly. "They couldn't find me again. I wouldn't let them."

"You have a strong will Tegalad," Aragorn murmured. "It's best if you don't lose that."

Tegalad nodded and rubbed Shadow's head as he rested on the ground next to them. Hedwig sat on his shoulder, attempting to straighten his messy hair but not succeeding very well.

The group fell silent as they relaxed and waited for Gandalf to make his decision. Frodo was very jumpy and before too long went to talk with the Istari. They whispered quietly for several minutes, both looking to a spot down the path they had come from. Tegalad turned to where they were looking and spotted a pair of large blue eyes that appeared to glow in the dark. Shadow was still at his side and Hedwig was motionless on his shoulder, both of them knew that they were being followed.

Tegalad started when a piece of bread was shoved under his nose and stared at Aragorn pleadingly. Aragorn didn't waver so Tegalad reluctantly took the bread and started to eat it. The piece was small and Tegalad was amazed that he had been able to finish it. Aragorn was grinning proudly at him which caused Tegalad to flush in embarrassment. He drank some water to moisten his mouth before he looked to where Gandalf was standing up in triumph.

Aragorn grinned at whatever the Istari was saying before picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Tegalad stood on his own feet, wobbling slightly from not having walked at all for the previous few days.

"I don't think so," Aragorn muttered and lifted him off the ground.

"I can walk," Tegalad protested.

"Maybe, but your feet have been injured very badly and I don't want to have those cuts infected. If it gets bad enough you could lose your feet."

Tegalad swallowed with difficulty. He hadn't even considered the possibility of having a body part amputated and wasn't keen to experience the act. He sagged on Aragorn's shoulder, not tired but not eager to remain tense throughout the journey.

Now that he was awake he spent his time studying the walls of the Mines. While most of it was rubble, the structure was very sturdy and opened the caverns expressively. Doors and archways were carved carefully and it was easy to see that a great deal of work had been done to achieve its standard of elegance.

"The dwarves built these Mines," Aragorn explained, spotting Tegalad's roaming eyes. "This place actually falls under the rule of Gimli's cousin Balin, though something tells me that Balin is no longer the Lord of Moria."

Tegalad looked at the Ranger in confusion but stayed silent. He wasn't stupid, he knew that Aragorn thought Balin was dead, and Tegalad could agree with the theory as he stared at the halls that probably used to be full of life, laughter and entertainment.

The hall they were in widened out considerably into another cavern, this one easily ten times the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and as many times as tall. Massive columns that were at least three metres in diameter were evenly spaced and stretched all the way to the ceiling. Tegalad craned his head back, holding onto his hood, to look at the roof, or the dark smudge he assumed was the roof, it was too far away for him to know for certain.

Gimli's shout caused him to bring his head back down to stare at the dwarf, only to find that he had run off into a small room off to the side of the cavern. The rest of the Fellowship followed him, Gandalf calling after him.

Tegalad looked around the small room with a shiver. It was pretty much a tomb, complete with spider webs, dust and skeletons. Gimli was crying over a white tomb in the centre of the room, reminding Harry of Albus Dumbledore's tomb back before he was captured and tortured.

Aragorn sat Tegalad down at the back of the room where Shadow immediately snuggled up next to him. Tegalad remained where he was placed, slouching slightly against his wolf companion. His injuries were hurting him more than previous days, he assumed that it was because of how much he had been jostled by Aragorn when they were walking. His eyes closed as his body tried to relax but the sudden clash of sound had him sitting straight up and staring wide eyed at the Halfling Peregrin Took, who had knocked something down the well.

Gandalf spoke harshly with the Halfling before snatching his staff and hat from the stunned boy's grip. Tegalad consciously decided to calm down his breathing but when the echo of a drum moved around them he found it difficult to concentrate. Another set of drums replied to the first and another beat started up.

Must be some form of Morse Code, Tegalad thought briefly. They'd need something like that to communicate from one side of the Mine to the other.

Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas rushed to the door to shut it, locking it with the weapons of the dead skeletons surrounding them. Shadow started to growl while Hedwig flew to the roof out of danger. Tegalad wished he could follow her but as a small elfling knew he wouldn't get very far. He instead watched as the Halflings drew their own weapons and focused on the door.

The beat of the drums continued but now there was also the sound of moving bodies and war screams over the top of it. The door started to shake as force was applied to the other side of it. Aragorn and Legolas fired arrows at it, adding screams to the mesh of sound. Tegalad shivered where he was huddled, he didn't want to be in the middle of another battle.

But when have I ever gotten anything I wanted? Tegalad thought sadly. He stood up and hid behind the column he had been next to. Shadow kept growling, his claws extended and teeth barred.

The door cracked open, the wood splintering to allow hunched over pale skinned…beings carrying bulky swords and hammers. Their eyes were wide and crazed in their small heads and they screamed wordlessly. The Fellowship darted forward to clash blades with the creatures, their own war cries adding to the noise.

Tegalad watched as the Fellowship was separated, the Halflings moving to the back of the room where only a few of the creatures could get to them. Shadow attacked any creature that got close enough but his actions drew the attention of the creatures and Tegalad knew that Shadow would be overcome if he didn't do anything.

He stared around the edge of the column and gathered what little there was left of his Gryffindor recklessness. When one of the creatures was about to attack he threw himself forward, tackling it to the ground. The creature fell back on a rock, its neck breaking on impact. Tegalad rolled off it and dodged a sword swing from another creature.

Adrenaline raced through his body and fire flickered over his skin. He summoned his sword, a blade adorned with rubies and engraved with his ancestor's name, Godric Gryffindor. The blade sung as it cut through flimsy armor and fire coursed over the blade, burning all it touched.

He found himself backed up to where Frodo was fighting. The Halfling was staring at him in amazement as he pushed back the creatures that got close enough. Tegalad pushed his hood back in annoyance, he doubted anyone would be looking at his ears at a time like this. His head snapped to the door, or what was left of it, when the fighting seemed to falter.

A giant troll, easily twice as big as the one he'd faced in First Year, barged in, swinging its spear and knocking aside creatures carelessly. Tegalad gulped at it before focusing on the creatures that looked like they were trying to sneak up in them. He noticed that Frodo's blade glowed a pale blue around the small creatures and mentally noted it to ask about it later.

Frodo's startled cry caused his attention to focus on the incoming troll. He grabbed Frodo's arm and pulled him behind another column. Frodo followed willingly and the two of them moved to hide behind it as the troll kept moving to see them. Tegalad cried out when the troll screamed at them, they not being fast enough to hide. He and Frodo stumbled backwards, Frodo calling out to the others.

Aragorn leapt in front of them but the troll batted him aside with its spear. Tegalad cried out in horror and ran to where the man had fallen. He was still breathing but he was unconscious. Frodo's scream pulled him back to the fight in time to see the troll aiming his spear at the Halfling.

He analysed the situation in under a second. He knew that if Frodo were to die then the quest would fail, and if that were to happen then the end of the world would come about. He also knew that if he were to jump in front of the spear, he, and Frodo behind him, would die. But he could push Frodo to the side, he'd probably die but Frodo wouldn't.

Knowing that it wasn't the smartest idea he had ever had, Tegalad threw himself towards the Halfling and pushed him out of the way, in time to feel the shaft of the spear scrape against his stomach, drawing blood and sending him to his knees. His sword dropped from his hand and vanished in a cloud of smoke, the fire surrounding it dying away.

Screams increased around him and Shadow's frantic barking caused him a moment of guilt. He hadn't thought about Shadow and Hedwig when he had made his decision. He wondered what would happen now, the woman had promised him he wouldn't have to fight, but he supposed it was his own stupidity that had gotten him in this position.

"Tegalad! No! Don't do this!"

Tegalad heard the panicked yell and was surprised to find that the fighting had stopped. He felt someone turn him onto his back and press against his stomach wound, causing him to groan pitifully. He felt someone's hands brush against his ears and his eyes opened in surprise, looking to who had spotted them. Legolas was looking at him in surprise, his hand still resting on his ear.

"You're an elfling," he murmured. "The elves have been looking for you and you've been with us the entire time."

Tegalad didn't know what he was talking about, he was in too much pain. He heard Aragorn talking to Legolas before more pressure was put on his wound. He imagined that they were binding it quickly so that they could get out and was grateful that they weren't going to just leave him behind and save themselves. He was lifted into the air easily and cradled against a broad chest.

He knew that Aragorn was running but his eyes had drifted closed and was unable to see what was happening. He heard someone telling him to stay awake but he was just so tired. Aragorn stopped running abruptly and his grip tightened. Tegalad reached up to tangle his fingers in the man's shirt, a movement that didn't go unnoticed.

All too soon the sound around him dropped, the drums having finally been silenced. Tegalad shivered as he felt the touch of a cold fire.

His elemental ability over fire allowed him to sense when there was fire close by or being manipulated. He was good at sensing fiendfyre before he was captured, but had never been able to control it. The cold brush of shadow and fire made him want to run. His powers were for open air, not masked in darkness as the being coming closer had been.

Aragorn was soon running, the footsteps of the Fellowship echoing in the heavy silence. Tegalad lost track of time, only opening his eyes every so often when Aragorn ordered him to. The pain in his stomach had dulled, but so had feeling in the rest of his body.

The last time that he opened his eyes he was staring across a wide chasm, breached only by a thin bridge, a bridge that Gandalf was standing in the middle of. The rest of the Fellowship was staring at the scene, but Harry's attention was drawn to the giant shadow/fire monster. He imagined that if he were to go to hell, the monster he saw now was what he believed Satan would look like.

Gandalf was yelling at the top of his lungs as he stabbed his staff into the ground. Tegalad could feel the magic in the air and wasn't that surprised when the bridge broke under the weight of the monster. He was surprised however when Gandalf was tripped up by the whip the monster had carried, and almost fell to his death. Frodo was screaming what sounded like denials but Gandalf merely looked at him, said something softly, and let go.

He blinked a few times in shock, oblivious to the stunned screams around him. He knew Aragorn was running again but that was only from the air brushing against his face. His eyesight grew dark and his grip loosened on Aragorn's shirt. It was as the rays of the sun hit his face that Tegalad realised that they were outside. He gave a small smile before allowing his eyes to close one final time, his thoughts becoming blank and his body limp…

...Review... :)