Note: The lines spoken by Frodo and Gandalf are from the movie, not the book. So while it is close to the book wording, it isn't quite the same. And the archway inscription is from the book, meaning "One ring to rule them all".

World Passageways

Location: On Christmas Holiday in New Zealand
Year: 1

Fred and George wandered around the pristine New Zealand countryside, currently engaged in mountain-climbing. Their dad had won a vacation for the whole family, and now here they were. Fred breathed in a gulp of air and sighed. He sat down on a rock and looked at George. "So, pretty good view up here, then?" he asked his brother.

George inspected the view critically. "Yes, I suppose...hey, what's that?" he said, startled, catching sight of a strange stone archway. It was hidden behind a large, overgrown bush to the side of the path. George walked over cautiously and pulled aside a branch. The arch was revealed in full, and Fred bounded over to look.

"What is it?" Fred wondered, gazing in awe at the archway. The air framed by the stone shimmered slightly, almost as if a slight fog had been captured in that one spot. In ornate script around the top of the arch were the words: "Ash nazg durbatulûk".

"Dunno," George replied. "Wonder what it does." Almost as if drawn by the mystery of the stone and its strange inscription, the twins stepped forward until their feet touched the fog. There was a rushing sound, the world began to spin, and snatches of words whipped by..."Frankly, my dear, I don't..."..."...the Kraken sleepeth..."..."Forward, the Light Brigade!"...until finally they stopped, and, as the world spun into focus, a phrase was stated in its entirety: "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them..." And Fred and George fell flat on their faces into the study of a hobbit.

"Amidst the screams, they discerned two words: Shire, and Baggins," Gandalf said grimly.

"Shire! Baggins! But that would lead them here!" Frodo cried. Then he caught sight of the two new arrivals. "Erm...who're you?" The whole dramatic effect was completely ruined.

"I'm Fred. That's George," Fred explained hastily. "Not certain what happened, one second we were in New Zealand, outside this funny archway, the next we were here."

"Are you wizards?" Gandalf asked with interest. "I happen to be one myself."

"Um, funny you should say that, because in fact, so are we," George managed.

"Really! How intriguing! Where in Middle-Earth are you from again?" Gandalf queried.

"Er...Middle-Earth?" Fred echoed. "We're from England, but we're on vacation in New Zealand."

"Ah! The passageways between worlds have opened!" Gandalf exclaimed. "You are not from our world, are you?"

"Honestly?" Fred asked. "No, definitely not. And what do you mean, passageways between worlds?"

Gandalf gestured to a few chairs. Frodo, who was still looking upset that his dramatic line had been ruined, sat down in one. Fred and George occupied two more. Sitting down heavily in a comfy armchair, Gandalf took out his pipe and lit it, before beginning an explanation. "In many legends, the people found ways to travel between worlds. They found ways into books, and other legends, and made-up places. One particular time, a girl, no more than fourteen, took a book and set out through many worlds, writing rules in her book as she went. She claimed to be a witch when she came here, and asked about Sauron, Aragorn, and the Ring. Asked about everyone, in fact. And then she left. No one here knows what became of her and her book of rules," Gandalf shrugged. "For all we know, the legend wasn't real."

"This...book of rules," Fred said cautiously. "Does your legend say what it was called?"

"Oh, yes," Gandalf answered, blowing a smoke ring. "The Inofficial Rulebook of Hogwarts, or some such nonsense. It was meant as a way to bring the different worlds together in their time of need. The idea was that people would travel between the worlds, helping each other finish their problems. For example, we have Sauron, the Dark Lord, who is returning to power. Already the Nazgûl have set out from Minas Morgol to find the Ring of Power, which is right here." Gandalf nodded at Frodo, who was holding a small golden ring.

"Would you like to come with us back to our world, then?" George asked. "We can regroup and find out a way to help you."

"That would be very kind of you," Gandalf smiled. He put out his pipe and took his staff in hand. "If, indeed, the ability to travel between worlds has appeared once more, than I believe I know an incantation that will take us back to your world. Where are you from?"

"New Zealand, on Earth, in the year 2011," Fred said promptly.

Gandalf nodded and drew a complex symbol on the floor of the house. "Come on then, Frodo. You may be needed," the old wizard muttered a few words over the symbol and the air around it began to shimmer with a slight fog.

The four residents, two from one world, two from another, stepped into the fog together. The air rushed by and the world spun. Snatches of different worlds came through, and finally a single phrase was revealed: "There was nothing about the starry sky that night that suggested that stange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country..."...and the world spun into focus. Fred, George, Gandalf, and Frodo stumbled out of the stone archway and back into New Zealand.

Blinking, Frodo looked around. "This doesn't look much different from the mountains of Middle-Earth, at least the way Bilbo describes them," he added.

"Strange," Gandalf muttered. "You have the Ring?" By way of answer, Frodo held up the shiny object. "Good, good. So, where to, Fred and George?"

"Down the mountain, I suppose," Fred decided. "This is going to take ages to explain to mum."