Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
**Speaking through the mind: Bold Italics.
Chapter 15:
Piercing blue eyes, striking yet soft, proceeded with its alert watch, barely blinking and unmoving from that of the immobile form of the dark stranger who had yet to stir from his tormented comatose state.
Ever since his detection nearly a fortnight ago by the borders of Rivendell, the stranger persisted in a permanent slumber not even the adept healing of Lord Elrond could remedy. The mysterious stranger of the Race of Men was alive, but barely, imprisoned in an odd, inexplicable limbo between life and death, and dwelling in a state of constant agony, as determined by Elrond. Wholly failing to restore the man to a conscious, or at least, a semi-conscious state, Elrond was left with no other choice but to resort to ósanwe and skillfully enter his mind – only to recoil backward at the onslaught of arrant pain, pain that the man was no doubt suffering through, and therefore, had promptly abandoned the effort and had regrettably ascertained the man's grim lurgy.
Him having been the one to discover the man unconscious by Rivendell's borders during a leisure parameter check – a task purely driven by spontaneity and the need to keep himself occupied – he stationed himself in the second healing quarters and stood vigil by his bedside, unable to depart his side until his awakening – if he ever did awaken, that is.
He had found him, and therefore, he felt duty-bound to the dark-haired man whose face looked anything but serene, instead, overcrowded with lines of unbearable pain, and for some confounding reason, the man's somber condition deeply affected him; which was immediately ratiocinated as a sense of obligation for having been the one to locate him and shepherd him through the walls of Rivendell.
"Glorfindel!"
Thick strands of golden fanned the air as he was abruptly shaken from his contemplations and hastened to pirouette on his heels to confront the unexpected intruder. Brows knitted together in confusion for a split-second before he correctly construed the franticness showcasing his friend's usually mirthful appearance, his jocular mood morphed into utmost panic.
"Elladan, what is it?" Glorfindel rushed forward, turning his back on the stranger to gauge the gravity of his friend's behavior, concerned at the circumstances that brought him to these quarters that had been barred to all but himself, Elrond and the elleth assigned to maintain the stranger's hygienic needs.
"Vilya notified us about a disturbance with the wards. Father has asked for your presence while he identifies the trespassers," Elladan breathlessly disclosed.
Glorfindel's mood dropped at hearing the disturbing tidings Elladan bore with him. His stance instantly altered to that of a warrior's; his face was no longer full of joy, but taking the resemblance of carved stone, his brows set with determination and his hand gripping his mighty sword, Laurë. "Then let us make haste."
The two elves departed at a frenetic pace, their retreating fluid footsteps maintaining the prolonged silence in the room, interrupted by the shallow breaths of its solitary inhabitant. However, precisely a full minute after their departure, a sharp intake of coarse breath resonated, ensued by two pools of grey, the color of gathering storm clouds, forcefully snapping open. A cracked voice strained from dehydration let out a cry of distress, "Lux-Vita!" before a shield of eyelashes fluttered and the haunted pools of grey drifted shut once more.
***Lux-Vita Laelynn Jamie Potter***
All eyes morbidly fixated on the deteriorating form of the ruby-haired girl as one last uneven breath was pulled from her lungs and the soothing rise and fall movement of her chest came to an abrupt stop; her complexion and her loose articles of clothing completely drenched in an ominous crimson, the crude hilt of a knife sticking out from her chest. Ron and Luna's constant pleas went unheard and their combined efforts to jolt her awake were futile as Lux-Vita remained unmoving and unresponsive, her head lolling lifelessly in a sickeningly display.
The squadron was closing the distance between them, but Luna paid them no heed as she broke down and dropped to her knees, murmuring over and over in a mantra that it wasn't supposed to end this way and that she hadn't seen it…
"No," a voice, hoarse from endlessly screaming, whispered. Ron, who had yet to cease his hopeless attempt of shaking Lux-Vita conscious, briefly paused, blue eyes thick with moisture watched as Hermione, her limbs trembling, crawled the short distance. She felt the blood soak her already bloody shirt upon achieving tactile contact with the first friend she ever had, her sister. "Don't leave me! …Lux-Vita Laelynn Jamie Potter! I mean it!" she kept shouting as she yanked out the serrated knife and frantically applied pressure to the wound.
"Rennervate!" Luna changed tactics, using the magic that coursed through her veins in their disposal since all their manual attempts ended with fruitless results, but the immobile body simply absorbed the brilliant red light.
Despair was thick in the air and the hooded vale of death hung threateningly over the Haven. The blood flowed thickly from Lux-Vita's body and in the bright light of the Valley, it was indecently red; her vivid ruby hair moved in the breeze and her shirt billowed – the rest of her utterly still.
Gasps of horror permeated the air, and the fugitives found themselves surrounded by the most peculiar-looking people in various shapes and sizes, all of them exclaiming expletives and demands. However, protuberant silver-blue orbs, thick with tears, only had eyes for one person in particular, her desperate gaze colliding with eyes that struck a sense of familiarity in her, intense grey eyes that seemed to be thousands of years old but were now mirroring her grief. Eyes that were familiar, yet unfamiliar.
"Dumbledore! Please, help her!" Luna cried out, beseeching the wizened man whose soul she had recognized almost instantly.
If Ron or Hermione overheard her, they didn't show any indication whatsoever as they continued weeping over their best friend's fallen form. Their audience however, all but Elrond, Elrohir, and the approaching Elladan and Glorfindel gaped at the distressed, dotty-looking blonde in shocked confusion at the incorrect name used to address Gandalf.
If the situation weren't as grave, Gandalf's reaction to Luna's uncanny intelligence wouldn't be to bark out orders at the weeping children to make way for him and Elrond, but unfortunately, current circumstances didn't allow room for explanations.
"She's gone, Gandalf," Elrond sighed forlornly the moment he placed a healing touch over the stab wound. "There's nothing I can do."
While Fíli, Kíli, Ori, Bilbo, Bofur, Bombur and Balin shed a constant stream of tears at the grisly sight and the remaining members of the Company stared in wide-eyed shock, Thorin felt a numbness overtake him as he simply stared at the immobile form of the girl he had mistreated so cruelly, he had loathed unjustly, and he had viewed upon with contempt, the girl he constantly remarked to be naught but a burden and a weakling, the girl he had recently discovered to be the embodiment of light and good. Disbelief etched itself onto his prominent features and turmoil struck within him. Thorin Oakenshield prepared himself for the onslaught of emotions ranging from guilt, denial and grief, but a phantom icy hand squeezing his heart in a painfully tight grip that rendered him with the inability to breathe, that he wasn't prepared for, and the aching sensation confused him. Something was destroying him from the inside and the Elf-Lord's declaration cemented a sense of heartbreak so potent, the idea of recovery seemed impossible.
"Mithrandir, you must hurry…the window of opportunity cannot stay open for long."
For the first time in millennia, Gandalf physically jolted out of shock at hearing the Lady Galadriel's voice reverberate in the recess of his mind. His confusion was too great that assembling his thoughts into words proved an unnecessary exertion.
"Glorfindel shall come to understand…Hurry!"
Curious, he spared a quick glance toward Glorfindel, who he saw had his hands quite full with the stubborn Ms. Granger as she adamantly refused to have her wounds treated or even taken to the healing quarters until her friend had been revived. Meeting Elrond's mournful gaze, Gandalf emphatically shook his head and gruffly disproved his previous verdict, "You can and you will, Elrond! Lady Galadriel has reassured me of Lux-Vita's survival, but only if you act now. Quickly!"
Vehemently taken aback by the Wizard's certainty, Elrond looked back down at the dead girl, confused in regards to her importance to the Lady of the Wood. Nevertheless, despite his hesitance in resurrecting the girl, Elrond knew that doubting Galadriel's wisdom would be a huge error on his part. No longer hesitating, he placed both hands over her wound, closed his eyes, and began chanting an elvish healing hymn to the Valar.
The air surrounding them was thick with Elrond's voice as it turned echoing and all-encompassing, and even the dwarves couldn't help but be mesmerized by the elvish healing, Óin in particular. As a glow of the brightest silvery-blue radiated from Elrond's palm into Lux-Vita's wound, two things occurred simultaneously: a rattling breath that sounded excruciatingly painful was expelled from the ruby-haired girl's lips, and Glorfindel's lips parted in shock, his wide eyes intense as he stared at her in utmost shock.
"Lux, my girl. Oh thank Eru!" Gandalf breathed out in relief, a small smile pulling at his lips.
Elrond, for his part, stared down at her as though he had seen a ghost as he managed to capture a brief glimpse of the girl as her eyelids lifted, rare emerald gems staring right at him before they rolled over and she succumbed to the darkness of unconsciousness.
***Lux-Vita Laelynn Jamie Potter***
Shortly after, Lux-Vita and Hermione were given neighboring beds in the healing quarters. Bellatrix had left many scars on Hermione, prolonged exposure under the Cruciatus Curse and most horrifying, a parting 'gift' on her forearm, 'MUDBLOOD' carved in deep jagged slashes. If that weren't enough, as it turned out, the knife favored by the unhinged witch that was used on both Hermione and Lux-Vita, was tainted with dark magic and if Hermione hadn't been in Middle Earth, the crude words would be permanently emblazoned on her forearm. Combining elvish medicine and athelas erased the words forevermore much to Ron's relief.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" Hermione abruptly snapped, squarely meeting the dwarf's unblinking stare with a positively lethal glare. The bushy-haired witch had many irritations piling up; not only was she concerned for her best friend, who had yet to awaken since expelling that horridly painful breath a couple hours back, but Elrond had confined her to the room, treating her like an invalid on bed rest. To top things off, the group of dwarves continued to linger, concerned over Lux-Vita which in Hermione and Ron's personal opinion, they had no right after their abysmal treatment of her.
The dwarf in question flushed at being caught. "I just couldn't help but notice…Your tremors are similar to Lux-Vita's when she, when she first arrived here…" he trailed off nervously and it was the innocent curiosity in his voice that prompted Hermione's expression to relax considerably, recognizing him to be one of the few dwarves that appreciated her best friend and treated her with kindness.
"You're Kíli," overlooking the brunette's shock, Hermione's gaze abruptly flickered to the handsome blonde with intense blue eyes that bristled in what could only be described as overprotectiveness at Hermione's initially hostile tone. The bushy-haired witch smiled fondly, "I presume that would make you Fíli."
Dumbstruck, the brothers blinked, gaping at Hermione which elicited an amused snort from Ron and a secretive smile from Luna. "How did you-, how did you know?" Fíli stammered, his glare losing its potency.
"The inability to suppress your curiosity was a dead giveaway," she bluntly responded, grinning at Kíli before meeting Fíli's shocked gaze, "and you? The way you were just about ready to bite my head off for my harsh tone was a reaction only an older, overprotective brother could pull off. Besides-" her whiskey-colored eyes twinkled, "-Lux-Vita speaks of you two fondly. We've heard quite a lot about you."
The Princes of Durin flushed profusely at Hermione's statement before they allowed their gazes to linger at Lux-Vita's unconscious and still pale form, longing clear in their eyes, the emotion prompting a heavy scowl on Thorin's visage.
Ron glared daggers at the King Under the Mountain, "You on the other hand-" a hand was swiftly placed over his mouth, muffling the litany of expletives and threats he was about to emit. Ron shifted his glare to Luna who simply stared back coolly, unaffected. Her whimsical tone seemed to have made a reappearance now that Lux-Vita wasn't at Death's Door anymore, "You'll have plenty of time to yell at him for his cruel treatment to Lux-Vita. At all of them-" her protuberant silver-blue orbs passed through every single dwarf that had mistreated the ruby-haired witch, her gaze disapproving, "-but for now, Lux-Vita needs a peaceful environment to recover."
Grumbling, Ron acquiesced, though he looked severely unhappy, as did Hermione. Luna smiled and her hand retreated.
The silence ensued in the room, each person lost in their own thoughts except for Thorin, who was staring between Ron and Hermione with a mixture of wariness and indignation.
Suddenly, Hermione spoke up, breaking the silence, her inquisitive gaze fixated on Luna and her expression bewildered as she recalled a particular piece of crucial information she had purposely ignored previously due to her distressed state. "Luna… before, when we were outside, you- you called Gandalf Dumbledore."
Ron's eyes widened in remembrance and he too, stared at Luna in confusion.
"I did," Luna simply responded, unfazed.
"Uh, Luna," Ron awkwardly scratched his forehead, unlike Lux-Vita, he had yet to get used to Luna's quirks. "Dumbledore's dead. And even if he didn't die… that's not him."
Luna's gaze was quite unnerving as she stared at them, her next statement confusing them further, ignoring the bewildered dwarves and the lone hobbit in the process, "Yes, Ronald. Albus Dumbledore is dead. But Gandalf is Dumbledore."
Ron spluttered, unable to come up with an acceptable term for crazy without insulting her or hurting her feelings. Hermione merely sighed and rolled her eyes, believing that Luna was simply being Luna.
Elsewhere in Rivendell, three powerful beings had sequestered themselves in Elrond's study as they discussed the afternoon's excitement.
"It makes sense now," Elrond murmured to himself. He had taken to pacing around his study, working on compartmentalizing his chaotic thoughts, mulling over the astounding discovery that transpired. He paused to meet Gandalf's gaze. The Grey Wizard comfortably sat on an armchair in silence, patiently waiting for his two companions to recover from the afternoon's many surprises. "I wondered at first, why Galadriel is invested in a human girl… it just, it cannot be!" he breathed out, the slight denial that laced his words was combined with wonder.
"But it is Elrond… you know it to be true. She is a descendant."
"Why have you not warned me of her arrival?" Elrond inquired curiously, disregarding Gandalf's knowing expression. A loud sigh emanated from Galadriel's end. "I knew it was only a matter of time before she crossed path with you…Just like I have foreseen her path crossing with him."
"You cannot inform him, my Lord Elrond. You do know that," Gandalf stated once Elrond pulled out of his trance, signaling that Lady Galadriel had taken leave of their mental conversation. Upon being on the receiving end of the Elf-Lord's incredulous stare, the wandering wizard elucidated, supporting his claim, "You know more than I, that he shall not believe you. Not until the proof is staring right at him. It is of great import that you allow fate to unravel on its own."
The Elf-Lord grimaced, comprehending, though grudgingly, the veracity of Gandalf's words. Turning to their third companion, he frowned in concern, "Why so silent, Glorfindel? What ails you so?"
Sharp eyes of the purest blue flickered between the two before settling on Elrond, "The human girl. You didn't heal her, Elrond. Nor did you resurrect her." Gandalf slowly stood on his feet, his expression wary as he gazed upon the Valar's emissary. Elrond, too, appeared shocked at his words, though he maintained his silence, waiting for Glorfindel to divulge his reasoning. "She was dead. There is only one way forward once your life comes to end. And yet, according to Mithrandir, this isn't the first time she perished in Arda."
"What are you implying, Glorfindel?" Gandalf warily inquired.
Glorfindel squarely met the Wizard's stare, a determined glint in his eyes. "I am not implying anything, Mithrandir. I am telling you… that girl, the aura of Death clings to her like a second skin. I could sense him, the very moment Elrond began his hymn, the presence of Mandos was…overpowering. Mandos barred the girl from his Halls; Mandos is the one responsible for her resurrection. He, for some reason that confounds me greatly, favors her," he assuredly related, his flawless features developing lines of deep contemplation. "Permitting the dead a second chance is rare. But a third? Tis unheard of."
Elrond and Gandalf exchanged knowing glances, understanding why the girl's resurrection greatly bothered Glorfindel; upon his death, he was re-embodied by the Valar with the purpose of acting as an emissary, and yet, that was after spending years in the Halls of Mandos. Therefore, the anomaly of an inconsequential human girl he knew nothing of, personally restored by Mandos mere minutes after her death, baffled him.
The Grey Wizard sighed, shaking his head at the golden-haired elf, "Have you yet to decipher Lux-Vita's identity, Glorfindel?"
Seeing his shock multiply, Elrond softly revealed, a wistful note in his mellifluous tone. "I caught a short glimpse of her eyes before the darkness enveloped her once more. Her eyes…they were the glimmering color of emerald…and they, they sparkled in the light of the afternoon sun like," he smiled sadly, a distant look in his grey eyes.
"Like a fresh sheen of morning dew," Glorfindel breathlessly finished, his expression taking one of awe. "A descendant of Laelynn…" he trailed off anxiously, looking at Gandalf for confirmation.
A nod of the head was the only requirement needed, but Gandalf enlightened them further, "Her full name, given to her at birth by her late parents, is Lux-Vita Laelynn Jamie Potter. However, the fact that she has inherited the duties of the Keeper of the Realm should be proof enough."
Processing the influx of staggering information, Glorfindel shook his head in amusement, his usual mirthful countenance emerging tenfold, "Well, this changes everything. Things in Arda are going to be much more interesting from hereon."
***Lux-Vita Laelynn Jamie Potter***
When Lux-Vita eventually stirred, the bright morning ray fanned her face and she groggily blinked her eyes open, cautiously shifting herself so that she could prop herself on her elbows and take in her surroundings. Her perusal however, was cut short when a hand twitched over hers and she realized that a messy head of orange hair was slowly lifting up.
"Hey Ronnie," Lux-Vita rasped, her attempt of a smile cut off by her sudden coughing fit. Ron instantly snapped out of his sleepy haze and jumped up, quickly reaching out for a glass of water and carefully helping her down it, clearing her airways. "Thanks-oof!"
Ron had wrapped her in a tight embrace, wordlessly expressing his joy.
"LUX!" Hermione cried in relief, beaming at her from her respective bed while Luna tackled the ruby-haired witch in a hug the moment Ron had pulled away. Lux-Vita laughed at their infectious exuberance and listened intently as they tearfully conveyed their fears of having lost her. "Come on, you guys. If I'm going down, it won't be by Bellatrix's hand."
Hermione threw her a deadpanned stare, "Was that supposed to be comforting? Honestly, Lux-Vita!"
At that exact moment, the door swung open and a handsome dark-haired man with an ivory complexion and piercing grey eyes stepped in, closely followed by a man with otherworldly features, his golden hair a halo on his head and inquisitive bright blue eyes boring into her unique gems. Snapping out of her speechless state, Lux-Vita narrowed her eyes, confident that those two breathtaking men were elves like the Lady Galadriel, but before she could utter a word, the door opened once more and a familiar wizened man all decked out in grey walked straight toward her, eyes observing her intently, and a soft smile gracing his face, a painfully familiar smile that had always been reserved for her.
Ignoring the audience in the room, Lux-Vita intensely met his eyes, "How long have I been in here?"
"Oh, just a day," he smiled, disregarding the armchair and depositing himself on the edge of her bed. "We have all been extremely worried."
Inhaling a shuddering breath, Lux-Vita sat forward, paying no attention to the dark-haired elf's warning about upsetting her healing wound. "I'm going to ask you something and, I need you to be completely honest with me. No riddles. No witty remarks. No skirting around the truth." Receiving a compliant nod, Lux-Vita let out in one breath, "You're Gandalf the Grey but…but you also go by another name. I mean, of course you go by other names, I've heard the dwarves call you Tharkûn, and Lady Galadriel called you Mithrandir, but-"
Gandalf jovially chuckled, cutting into her nervous ramblings, "My dear girl, you are getting sidetracked."
"Right, well…" Steeling herself, Lux-Vita point-blank asked, "Are you Dumbledore?"
Hermione gasped, staring at Lux-Vita appalled as though she had betrayed her by unknowingly repeating Luna's insane drivel, "Lux! How can you ask something like that?"
"Blimey, you sound like Luna," Ron eloquently blurted out.
But before Lux-Vita or Luna could come up with a snappish retort, Gandalf beamed and happily inquired, "And how, may I ask, did you arrive at such a conclusion?"
A radiant smile colored Lux-Vita's face when she didn't hear an outright denial, or a sympathetic smile, and confidently said, "For starters, Gandalf's eyes never twinkled as much. That's classic Dumbledore. And the way you're smiling at me right now? It's a smile a grandfather reserves for his granddaughter. The curious Wandering Wizard who found me in the middle of the woods never smiled at me that way. But most of all, Gandalf never called me Lux. Always Lux-Vita." As Gandalf's eyes twinkled merrily, Lux-Vita's lips pulled into a smile that could put the sun to shame. "Please don't tell me it's just wishful thinking and it's my grief talking, or that my mind's playing tricks on me. You're him. Aren't you?" a desperate plea was palpably detected in her tone.
A stark silence descended upon the room as all but the two elves waited on tenterhooks for Gandalf's response. Finally, a fond chuckle escaped his lips and he inclined his head, "Yes, Lux, my girl. I suppose I am Dumbledore, or well, Dumbledore is me."
"Blasted riddles," the redhead mumbled prompting a giggle out of Luna, which was quickly drowned out by Ron and Hermione's loud spluttering, both of them gasping, "What?" in shocked disbelief.
Shaking out of her stupor, Hermione firmly shook her head, "How is that possible? We saw your- Dumbledore's body, we were at his funeral."
Once more, Gandalf inclined his head in agreement, "You are correct, Ms. Granger."
The bushy-haired witch recoiled at the uncanny similarity to Dumbledore. She may be in denial and would never be able to believe such ludicrous claims without valid proof to back them up, but she wasn't a dimwit. Other than Lux-Vita, she was one of the smartest witches of their age, and she clearly heard the familiarity in his tone when speaking to her, almost as though he were the venerable wizard that had known her for six years.
"Ms. Lovegood, would you care to explain how you knew my identity earlier?" Gandalf smiled benignly at the dotty witch. Ron was still opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, unable to contribute to the conversation.
Luna looked ecstatic and dreamily uttered four words that always had the ability to drive Ron and most especially Hermione, insane, "The nargles told me."
"Luna!" the two aforementioned groaned.
Elrond slowly approached them, intense eyes fixated on Luna, and there was comprehension and awe alight on his features, which greatly confused the Golden Trio. "And what exactly did the nargles inform you of?"
"That Dumbledore and Gandalf share the same soul," she matter-of-factly supplied, her smile never wavering. This time, Glorfindel intervened, bright blue eyes glittering with amazement as he whispered, "Magnificent."
Gandalf cleared his throat, grey eyes piercing Hermione knowingly as he recognized the telltale sign that she was about to demand answers. Blushing, the witch looked down, though inwardly, she was frustrated at how much the Grey Wizard resembled Dumbledore, in not only his looks, but his personality. Only those closest to her could effortlessly get a read on her.
"Allow me to recite the tale of Albus Dumbledore's birth," Gandalf serenely stated, and hearing him refer to himself in the third person was extremely freaky in Lux-Vita's opinion. "I was born before the shaping of Arda and all its creation within, and was christened Olórin. The Valar, the Powers of Arda, decided to send a group of Istari down to Middle Earth and I was chosen, and after a few millenniums, I was rechristened Gandalf. But then, one fateful day, there was a great upheaval in Middle Earth. The Keeper of the Realm bloodline became extinct."
All eyes were now focused on Lux-Vita who had been raptly listening to the information regarding her ancestors and eagerly devouring every word Gandalf emitted.
"Generally, a Keeper of the Realm residing in Earth would not cause reason for worry or uproar, as over the millennia, many descended from that bloodline would odyssey between worlds at their own leisure. One important detail you should know, Lux-Vita, is that the Keeper of the Realm inheritance is only passed on from mother to daughter, therefore if your mother bore a son, he wouldn't inherit the ability to travel between worlds."
Lux-Vita looked taken aback but nevertheless, she automatically slapped a hand over Ron's mouth, having foreseen the sexist comment that was making its way out. Hermione rolled her eyes fondly and Luna muffled her laughter.
Gandalf's eyes twinkled, "It is not a matter of prejudice, Mr. Weasley. Manwë and Varda, the King and Queen of the Valar and of Arda, cherished one out of thousands and bequeathed her the mighty title, and since then, it has been inherent in all her daughters." He clapped his hands together and interlaced his fingers, "Such a powerfully complex and influential title comes with many responsibilities and even more burdens, and therefore, tutelage is of utmost priority."
"I was never tutored," Lux-Vita pointlessly remarked. Gandalf adopted a grave expression and he somberly nodded, "And the outcome could be catastrophic. You see, Lux, my dear girl, neither was the sole remaining Keeper of the Realm when she disappeared from Arda. She had yet to reach the age of maturity when she tapped into her innate powers… hmm, around…" he trailed off in contemplation, mentally calculating.
"TA 170," Elrond supplied in a hush. "Two-thousand-seven-hundred-and-seventy-one years ago."
The Golden Trio and Luna blinked in shock, "Woah!"
"That's-" Hermione's eyes widened in comprehension, having been given a quick summary by the kind hobbit last night regarding the different species in Middle Earth, which comprised of the elves' immortality, along with the prejudice between the Race of Elves and Dwarves much to her disapproval.
"Yes. Over two millennia ago she vanished," Gandalf sadly concluded. "Unfortunately, as she had yet to receive tutelage due to her age, her existence was a danger to both worlds as she could be easily swayed, be corrupted by evil, or even perchance, she remains ineffably good, but unknowingly taps into her powers again and risk exposure to those with unsavory intentions. To that end, the Valar agreed that a Guide must be sent to Earth, and since I am accounted as the wisest of the Maiar, I was appointed the task of the Keeper of the Realm's Guide."
When Gandalf paused for a breather, Glorfindel decided to take over for a while, giving the grateful Wizard a short respite. "While chosen, Mithrandir couldn't abandon his duties in Arda; it was too much of a risk. So the Valar sundered his soul-"
Horrified gasps resonated in the room as the four Earth dwellers adopted expressions of pure disgust.
"You mean like, like a Horcrux?" Lux-Vita spat out, her orbs flaring at the discovery.
The two elves exchanged flummoxed looks, but an equally disgusted Gandalf quickly appeased them, "No. Definitely not. The Valar's technique and Tom's are disparate. The Valar took a small portion of my soul and molded it into Kendra Dumbledore's womb, bringing Albus into existence. We are both one of the same, yet two different entities."
Ron groaned and buried his face into his palms, "I'm getting a bloody headache. Am I the only one confused here?" Receiving no response, he peeked through his fingers to get a better look at the three girls and his eyes widened, "You actually understood all that?"
"Sort of," Lux-Vita shrugged.
Impatient, Hermione huffed, eyes rolling aggressively in their sockets, "Oh Ronald, what he means is, Albus Dumbledore combined with Gandalf's soul gained extra qualities. But if Albus was born without Gandalf's soul, then he would be a completely different person. He probably would never have become a transfiguration professor at Hogwarts or the Headmaster or even the leader of the Light. The Order of the Phoenix might not have been created at all!"
"Quite astute of you, Ms. Granger," Gandalf beamed, a fond glint passing through his eyes.
Lux-Vita cocked her head in confusion, "What I don't get, though, is how come you didn't recognize me when I first teleported myself in Middle Earth? Come to think of it, why were you so amazed when I described Hogwarts to you?"
"I was completely reborn, Lux-Vita. I was born anew. I had no memories of Arda, of the Valar, of my fellow Maiar. Albus gained a few traits of mine that transformed him into the Albus Dumbledore you all knew. Likewise, I knew nothing of Earth, Hogwarts, or even yourself."
Rubbing her temples, Lux-Vita leaned over to whisper in Ron's ears, "It's not just you. I've getting a headache too."
"Tell me about it," Ron grumbled.
"So you were stationed in Earth to look over the Keeper of the Realm?" Luna probed, eyes wider than usual. Hermione however, noticed a fault in the entire task, "But how could you guide her without your memories?"
Gandalf nodded pleasantly. "Excellent question! I knew nothing of her identity. I knew not of her existence. But the Valar ensured I was to be reborn in a body that would one day cross paths with her. I wasn't supposed to interfere, simply protect her and let fate run its course and in the end, it all worked out. For Lux-Vita is getting acquainted with her responsibilities," he happily concluded.
"No pressure," Lux-Vita muttered, prompting a sharp elbow to her stomach courtesy of Hermione who didn't appear to be as amused as Ron or Luna, or even Glorfindel. "You've got absolutely no sense of humor, Mione. Anyways," she quickly changed the subject before Hermione could initiate a one-hour rant, "according to Sirius, my mother had no idea about her powers, but he did sense there was something special about her."
Elrond couldn't quite conceal the glimmer of hope from his eyes, "Your mother. What is her name?"
"Lily…" Lux-Vita stared, confused at Elrond when his face dropped. "What?"
Glorfindel sighed, his expression mirroring Elrond's, "We were quite expecting her name to be Laelynn as it happens to be one of your middle names."
"But that's preposterous!" Too wrapped up in the onslaught of knowledge, Hermione unconsciously adopted her bossy, know-it-all accent. "If you're implying Laelynn is the same girl that disappeared over two-thousand-years ago, then she was born thousands of years before Dumbledore! Before Hogwarts even!"
Her shrill exclamation, while receiving three perplexed nods of agreement from Lux-Vita, Ron and Luna, it merely elicited a smile on Elrond's face and chuckles from Glorfindel and Gandalf.
"Dear girl, time has no meaning when one travels between worlds," Glorfindel provided, his eyes dancing with mischief when he noticed the human boy bristle enviously at the term of endearment. Gandalf nodded, swiftly taking over, "Did you not wonder why when Lux-Vita spent over a month here in Middle Earth, only two hours passed in Earth? Time is simply immaterial. Why, if Lux wishes to, she could transport herself a thousand years into the future, or even backwards to the Founders' Era."
Lux-Vita immediately backed away from Hermione and shoved Ron between them as the bookworm began bouncing, hands desperately trying to reach out to the redhead as she found herself unable to contain her enthusiasm, "Oh Lux! Let's go, please, please, please! I would do anything to meet Rowena Ravenclaw in person. Anything!"
"Oi!" Ron stared at her as though she had committed blasphemy. "You're a sad excuse of a Gryffindor, you are."
"Just because I'm more partial to brain over brawn doesn't mean I don't belong in Gryffindor, Ronald!"
"Brawn?! You just insulted yourself!"
"Oh honestly-"
"Hey! Zip it you two!" Lux-Vita yelled, her raised volume causing Thorin bloody Oakenshield and his merry Company to barge in, much to her irritation. The redhead stubbornly avoided their gaze to glare at her two sheepish best friends, "You two can have your marital spat later, on your own time, in the privacy of your rooms!" She turned back to an amused Gandalf, "And don't think I haven't realized that you know more than you're willing to share, old man."
Her cheekiness had him bursting into a fit of jovial laughter. Once his laughter subsided, he enveloped his favorite student and adopted granddaughter in a warm embrace, "I never believed even for a second that I managed to fool you, Lux, my dear girl. However, you are not ready to know everything. In time, everything will come to light."
Releasing him, Lux-Vita smiled bitterly and shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, we've been down that road before, and an ugly, life-changing prophecy ended up hiding in the back of the closet. So… reluctantly I understand where you're coming from. But," she raised an accusing finger much to his amusement, "don't take too long or I'll keep pestering you."
"Or she'll just solve it herself and get us all into trouble as usual," Ron added in exasperation, receiving two slaps to the head from Lux-Vita and Hermione. "Ow! Women! Hold your hippogriffs!"
Lux-Vita didn't even have to think of a way to prolong the inevitable confrontation with the dwarves as the exuberant mood came to an abrupt end with the arrival of an elleth, her expression frantic.
"My Lord! You must come quickly. The stranger has awakened and he's yelling in distress, screaming one name over and over!" she breathlessly exclaimed.
Though her words were addressed to Elrond, it was Glorfindel who stepped forward, confused over the reason behind his eagerness, "Who?"
"Lux-Vita."
A/N: Da-Da-Dum! Was that another cliffhanger? If so, I'm sorry. I really don't ALWAYS do them on purpose…
First of all, I'd like to apologize for the delay. Honestly, this chapter was murder for me! And no, I'm not exaggerating. I honestly do not know HOW I manage to hit writer's block for this story when I've got everything all planned out until the end of the Battle of the Five Armies. It's really annoying me! My head is killing me! Because of my writer's block, it took me THREE whole DAYS to finish this chapter, so I'm kind of worried that it wasn't a good chapter. Therefore, if it's no bother, I'd really appreciate it if you could give me some feedback 'cause I'm really paranoid and it's bugging me! I hate writing a bad chapter (is it bad?) so I'm kinda pissed off.
Anyways, enough with my personal ranting. This chapter was meant to be an introduction to Rivendell because this section of Lux-Vita's adventures will be split into maybe 3 to 4 chapters. I introduced Glorfindel and a mysterious stranger… I wonder who? ;)
I finally put your curiosity to rest regarding the whole Gandalf-Dumbledore debate && I provided a little insight to Lux-Vita… it won't be explained fully for a while so I'm sorry, it had to happen. I couldn't spill all the beans otherwise it would've completely ruined the ENTIRE plotline…
Anywhoo, I'll try and get the next chapter out in a week or two, tops!
Hope this chapter didn't disappoint… *fingers crossed*
R&R.