Hermione -
It's going to be hard adjusting to having the Dursleys hanging around. Mr. Dursley jumps whenever someone has a wand, the Slytherins keep hexing Dudley, and Mrs. Dursley cries alot.
Dumbledore tries his best to make them comfortable, but really, I don't think anything he can do will make it better for them. They are Muggles, after all, Muggles who know the magic exists and doesn't want anything to do with it.
Of course, having to restrain Ron from hexing Dudley every time he sees him is starting to wear me down.
Harry's taking it remarkable well. He avoids them at whatever cost. If he sees any of them, he immediately turns around and heads in the opposite direction. I'm just glad Fred and George aren't here this year. They would never have left Dudley alone, and they might have given Mr. Dursley a few things to think about as well.
"We're going into the Forbidden Forest for Care of Magical Creatures," Ron tells me.
Harry grins. "There might be spiders," he says, and makes crawling motions with his hands up Ron's arm.
Ron slaps his hands away and glares. "Hagrid wouldn't do that!" he says. "...Would he?"
"Yes," I say.
"Definitely," Harry adds. He's still grinning.
It's nice to see Harry smile. It's been a very, VERY long time since anyone saw Harry smile so freely. But I suppose even the Boy Who Lived is allowed to wake up in a good mood, even if he usually doesn't.
We all gather around Hagrid at the beginning of class. I'm paying more attention to Harry and Ron - especially Ron, I suppose I can admit that to myself even if I would rather die than admit it to anyone else - than the class. It's a good thing I don't bring THAT up to anyone else, especially those two. They'd never believe me. They think class is what my life revolves around.
They're wrong, you know. I mean, I do care a great deal about class, and learning new things is always wonderful. I'm a very big believer in that you can never have too much knowledge. Ron would argue with that, saying that eventually, you COULD know too much, that there's no possible way you could remember it all and that eventually it would just leak out your ears. Harry would argue with it as well, saying it's the pursuit of knowledge that made Voldemort what he is. Harry's point is actually much better than Ron's.
We follow as Hagrid leads into the Forest. Harry and Ron are still talking excitedly about some Quidditch play, Harry saying that he read about it in some book. I suppose I should be grateful that at least Quidditch gets them reading.
And honestly, I don't know why they don't think that reading can prepare them for things! Reading about how other people reacted in situations is a wonderful way to learn how to react yourself, or at least learn from their mistakes! Honestly. BOYS. They just don't UNDERSTAND.
Of course, I really don't think anything could have prepared us for what's happening now, as we are being threatened by two strange men with bows.
If you want to call them men. I don't think they are, really. I think they're Elves, like Legolas. Only not blond.
And they were arguing, apparently, before they stuck arrows in Hagrid's face. Well, chest. Hagrid's a lot taller than them.
The one on the left tilts his head back. "Well. You are a tall one, aren't you?"
The other one groans. I notice - for the first time, that's simply SHAMEFUL, my brain must be asleep - that they look exactly alike. His twin ignores him, still smiling pleasantly at Hagrid. "I don't suppose you know the way to our home, would you?" he asks, still pleasant as pie.
Hagrid just gapes at him for a moment. "Who're ye?" he demands.
Harry clears his throat. "Um, Hagrid? I think I might know."
Both of the strangers turn to look at him. "Really?" says the one who hasn't spoken yet, in a polite tone that manages to convey worlds of sarcasm without being impolite. Now THAT is diplomacy.
His twin elbows him. And then the sarcastic one rounds on him, eyes blazing - I didn't even know eyes COULD blaze - and looks ready to deck him.
"You're Elladan and Elrohir, aren't you?" Harry says.
They both turn back to him, at the same time, literally identical expressions of shock on their faces. "How do you know that?" one of them asks.
"We've never seen you before," says the other one.
We, not I. That's a peculiar concept.
"So how do you know US, young one, if WE don't know you?"
Harry looks a little nervous. I would, too. They seem...inexplicably, incredibly, out-there SCARY. And old. And very, very wise.
"Um, Kayli mentioned you."
Both faces light up at the mention of her name. God, these two can't be in love with her too, can they? Some girls have all the luck, really. I can't make Ron LOOK at me twice, and she has blokes falling all over her. That's just not fair.
"She's here?" one of them asks.
"You mean -"
"That she left Middle-Earth -"
"- and she landed HERE -"
" - probably the same way we did -"
" - I TOLD you not to play with that thing -"
" - you know, 'Ro, if it wasn't for me -"
" - I'd never have any fun, yes, I know -"
" - And Legolas! I bet Legolas is here too -"
" - of COURSE he is, where else would he be?"
"Those two are rather attached, aren't they?"
"At the hips."
There's a moment of silence.
"Did anyone follow that?" Malfoy asks after a moment.
"I did," Ron says. Everyone turns to stare at him. He shrugs. "Fred and George."
It's sad when it only takes two names to explain something. Of course, those two names explain half of the really strange and frightening things at Hogwarts. There's still a bit of that swamp they put up for Umbridge roped off on the third floor.
"Can we see them?" one of them says.
"We'd really, really like to see them."
"Very much."
"Yes."
They stare at Hagrid for a second. Hagrid just looks stunned.
"Um, Hagrid?" Ron says. "We can take them back up to the castle. I think Kayli and Legolas would really like to see them as well."
"Um, well, yes, yes," Hagrid says. "Harry, Hermione, Ron, take them up to the castle." He pauses, then eyes thier weapons. "But ye can go only on the condition that ye leave those wi' me."
The two of them exchange a look. It lasts a moment. It's almost like they're...communicating, somehow. Without words. Or maybe there ARE words, and none of us can hear them. Ron elbows me gently. "Stop that," he whispers. "This isn't the time to be havin' deep and meaningful thoughts, 'Mione."
I smirk. I feel like Malfoy for one uncomfortable second, but then I get over it. At least I'm not a ferret. "Sorry, Ron. I'll try to keep it down."
He grins at me.
At the exact same moment, both men - Elves - whatever they are - hold out their bows, arrows, and swords. "Take them."
"We don't need them."
"We will want them back, however."
"Yes, yes," Hagrid says. "All right, go with those three," he gestures at us. "And do whatever they tell ya to do. They'll hex ya if ye don't."
They exchange another look. One of them mouths the words 'hex'; the other one shrugs. Apparently, hexes aren't big in Middle-Earth. They walk over to us, looking at us with interest. Like we're some sort of strange and interesting new life form.
"Um, hi," Harry says. "I"m Harry Potter, this is Ron Weasley, and this is Hermione Granger. And...uh, which one of you is which?"
"I'm Elladan, this is Elrohir," says one of them. I really don't see any difference.
"Kayli calls us Ellahir. It works," says the other one.
"We both answer."
Harry grins.
"Just like Fred and George," Ron mutters.
Harry's smile turns slightly nervous. "Well, the castle is up this way," he says and gestures.
One twin bows. "Lead on, m'Lord."
Harry -
They remind me, very strangely, of Fred and George. I suppose that's not too odd, since Fred and George - or Gred and Forge, as they called themselves once - are the only other twins I know.
"So, uh, you two are...Elves?" Ron says after awhile.
Hermione immediately perks up. She always does that when she thinks she might be learning something.
"In a way," says the one on the left - Elrohir, I think.
"How can you be Elves in a way?" Ron asks curiously.
One of them - the more serious one, I'm guessing - gives him a curious look, like he's wondering why we want to know. Hey, we're kids. We're naturally curious.
"We have human blood," he explains. "It's a while back, a few generations, but it's enough so that we don't qualify as full Elves."
We all stare at them. They both shrug. In time with each other. It's kinda cool, in a disturbing kind of way.
"So...if you're not Elves, and you're not men, then what are you?" I ask.
"Well, if you mean men as in male, then we definitely are," says the more light-hearted one. "But if you mean Men as in HUMAN, we're not that either. The technical term is 'Peredhil' meaning half-Elf."
"But you're NOT half-Elves," Hermione says. She's got that little wrinkle between her brows that means she's thinking and that Ron's always staring at like it's the best thing he's ever seen. He probably just thinks it's adorable. He thinks a lot of the stuff she does is adorable. It's kind of disgusting. "If the human blood is a few generations back, then you would be closer to full-blooded Elves than Men."
One twin taps the other on the arm. "YOU explain it, 'Ro," he says. "I'll fall asleep."
So Hermione and the one Elf immediately fall into a deep conversation about genetics. The other twin looks at us and shrugs. He jerks a thumb back over his shoulder at his twin. "He's the more intelligent of the two of us," he says, like it explains everything. And, hey, to him, maybe it does. "He knows more about history and family and all that stuff than I do."
Ron and I exchange glances. "You must be Elladan," I say, dredging through my memories of what I was told about the twins. "Kayli says you're the one with the sense of humor, and Elrohir's the practical one."
"Infinitely true, though a little mundane on the description," he replies. "I am the one with a light-hearted look on life, the ability to see humor in all situations, or to create humor where there is none. HE, on the other hand," again the thumb-over-the-shoulder bit, "is a dry, humorless, pessimistic stick-in-the-mud who insists on practicality and ruining my fun."
The other twin makes a hand gesture that's probably very rude. But he doesn't break the stride of his conversation. Elladan blows him a kiss.
And then his expression turns serious. Probably not a good sign on someone, who, in his own words, 'creates humor where there is none.' Note to self: Never, ever let him meet Fred and George.
"Are they all right? Legolas and Kayli, I mean."
Ron and I both nod. "They're fine. They want to go home, and Kayli...well, Kayli's going a little stir-crazy."
The Elf smiles fondly. "She doesn't like standing still," he explains, like we hadn't already figured this part out. "She CONSTANTLY has to be doing something. Even when the Quest stopped and relaxed in 'Lorien, the way I understand things she didn't stop moving once."
Ron laughs. "Yeah, but ain't she kind of soft-hearted? Harry's already managed to con her into teaching him how to fight."
Elladan's eyes go wide. "But he's too young!"
At the same time, I say "I didn't con her!"
Elladan shakes his head. "Kayli is not one to be tricked into anything," he says firmly. "She is one of the most cynical people I have ever met. And I'm including my own brother in this. She would not agree to do such a thing unless she knew the whys, all the reasons, no matter how small."
I make face. She certainly did need to have all the reasons. Ron nods slowly. "I wish Mum would let her teach me," he says. He says this in the way he says all things that disappoint him. Like it's horrible, and it crushes his entire world. If he wasn't my best mate, I'd think he was a girl.
I did not just say that. Or think it. Well, I did, but I didn't mean it. I don't know why he's so bloody disappointed, anyway. It's a dangerous thing to learn, and I feel much better knowing that Ron and Hermione and the others don't have to learn something like it.
"Why do you wish to learn?" Elladan asks.
Ron's expression goes from glum to determined. "Harry's my best mate," he says. "He doesn't need to go fight the Dark Lord alone."
Elladan stops in his tracks and goes pale. "...Dark Lord? He wouldn't happen to be a giant flaming eyeball, would he?"
Me and Ron exchange another glance. This world is mighty strange, for people to ask questions like that and not consider them strange. "Um...no."
He sighs. "Thank Elbereth."
Ron shakes his head, and we try to catch up to Hermione and Elrohir, who didn't even stop talking long enough to notice we'd stopped moving. "Is it really that strange in your world, where you can ask questions like that and not think they're strange."
He smiles wryly. "I'm sure your world will seem as strange to me as mine seems to you, my friend."
TBC...
OK, here it is, the review-reply section is back up and running.
Nota Lone - Um, ow. Do you need aspirin, or something? That had to hurt.
Hael - Looks like you were right! Who else but the twins?
Sylvia Viridian - Nothing would make me happier. And I greatly - GREATLY - recommend Good Omens. It is seriously one of the funniest bloody books ever written. Even my MOTHER agrees, and Mum ain't real big on humor books. And your insights would be treasured, just as your insights on these two have been treasured.
Ebon Oleander Wenham - Thank you. There has to be SOMETHING going on back in ME, I thought. And there were some requests for this (I think that might've been you, actually.)
crazyroninchick - Thank you. I do feel sorry for Boromir. Actually, that came about when I was wondering 'Hey, now, what about the folks back home?'
A note - In a previous chapter, the 'Adult Resignation Form' was mentioned. This actually exists, and is as cute as hell. If anybody wants to see it, tell me and I'll email it to you.
A further note - I have posted another fic in the Good Omens section. If you aren't familiar with that particular peice of literary genuis, you should be. It's an awesome, awesome book. And then you can read my fic. Um...Please?
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. I love you all, very much, and everything you say is greatly appreciated.