Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or the Hobbit. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Note: Congrats to everyone that got the Trigun reference in the last chapter. It was a little bit random I'll admit but it was just a fun flight of fancy to toss it in there.

Chapter Twelve - A Judgement And Laketown

The next morning saw Harry waking to a veil of moonlit gold covering his vision. For a moment he was confused, until he focused and saw the additional visage of Galadriel's smiling face looking down at him. It was her hair that was shading his view.

Without any further preamble she said, "I like her."

The vampire blinked dumbly at that. "Ugh…. okay?"

Rolling her eyes, the high elf clarified, "Tauriel. She is absolutely perfect for you. A strong female presence to hold down your usual irresponsibility and craziness."

"Hey!"

"Those were Luna's words, dear, I just agree with them."

Harry deflated at once as Luna herself popped back into his head, agreeing vehemently. "Alright then."

"Yes, she is strong, capable, intelligent, beautiful, and competitive. Why, she seems almost like a younger me."

"A bit of self aggrandizing there then, Galadriel?"

"Perhaps. But the fact remains that Tauriel is definitely good for you. Luna and I are in agreement that you have been alone for far too long."

"What are you talking about? I've been traveling with Thorin constantly for over ten years."

"It's not the same and you know it. Please, Harry, try not to mess this up."

"I resent that. Why do you think 'I' would mess it up?"

All he received was an upside down raised brow of sarcasm, and it was enough. "Fine, fine. You've made your point. But I'll be heading out today if all goes well. Any tips for how to convince her to come with? You're not the only one that 'likes' her after all.'

Galadriel laughed heartily, a sound reminiscent of tinkling bells, and replied, "Just be honest and open with her. She wants to feel desired by you as much as you desire her continued company. Perhaps appeal to her competitive nature in some way? I will also advise that you push her a bit while you are on this quest. She's used to the pace of elven courting and I don't think waiting twenty years to actually bed or marry her will work for you or me."

"You?!"

"You think Luna and I don't want to see little Harry's running around? I want godchildren already!"

"Who said I'd name you godmother?"

The Lady of Lorien, and Luna, both gave him deadpan looks (the second spectral in nature but still coming through clearly), and like any true man he caved under the weight of such rampant female haughtiness. "Alright, fine, you'd obviously be the godmother. Now can you please let me up so we can go kick Thranduil's ass?"

Galadriel smiled serenely and nodded. "Now that your better sense has prevailed, of course I can." She leaned back up and as Luna continued giggling inside his head at the turn of events Harry followed.

Together they entered the hall outside his room, and as if he'd been waiting by the door for just that, Elrond exited his own room to follow. Then came Thorin, Tauriel, the other dwarves, Legolas, and the former elf prisoners. As a group they left the Top of the Hill and marched down the main streets to the central keep where Thranduil held court. Of course they didn't go unchallenged. Crowds of woodland elves left their homes to watch the strange procession, and guards lined the thoroughfares. It seemed they'd learned their lesson from the piled bodies of their comrades however, as they took one look at the vampire in the lead and backed away, letting the group pass without issue.

The crowd themselves followed behind them, increasing the entourage of their force with every step until finally they reached the throne room, blocked by closed doors. Harry and Galadriel shared a look before the obstruction and together, reared back, and drove their heels into the wooden portal. A sharp crack erupted into the air on contact and the doors flew back off their hinges to crash into the far wall.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Thranduil was seated in his throne, as expected, and he was pissed at the interruption, again as expected. The crowd entered and filled the space before his dias and for the first time since Harry's arrival in the subterranean kingdom, actual worry seemed to be crossing the ruler's face. Especially when the sweet, melodic, and incredibly angry voice of Galadriel pierced the air to reach him.

"How dare you, Thranduil son of Oropher! Ignoring your sworn duties, imprisoning your own kind, and putting enslavement collars on innocent travelers! You are a disgrace to our kind!"

"I am a king!" Thranduil defended, "And I will do as I will within my own domain."

The Lady of Lorien sighed with clear sadness at his remark and turned to her younger friend. "Harry, I had hoped your story was in some way exaggerated, but that is clearly not the case. Please, do not think less of me for what you are about to see."

"Galadriel, I will remind you that I eat people. If that doesn't throw you off then how could anything you do be any worse?"

"Do not ignore me in my own hall!" Thranduil roared, earning an eye-roll from Elrond in the process.

"Just get on with it, Galadriel. The White Council stands behind this punishment."

"Punish-" The elf king began, only to be cut off as Galadriel stepped forth before the mob and raised her right hand high. Upon the middle finger of said hand sat a ring of interlaced silver strands with a bright stone of white embedded in the center, and before their very eyes it began to glow.

All around them the room grew dark and full of shadow, and the Lady of Lorien's skin began to glow with deep, arcane, light. Her voice, once akin to music on the wind, took on a haunting, percussive, quality. "This is Nenya, the ring of preservation, and I am its bearer, Galadriel daughter of Finarfin, the Lady of Lorien, and sitting head of the White Council. By this authority and right do I stand here and pass judgment upon you, Thranduil son of Oropher. For the crimes we have spoken of, ignoring your duties, committing depravities upon your own kind, and the horror that is attempted subjugation of free will with those collars, I sentence you to a fate worse than death."

Her ring flashed with the power of creation itself, and at the same time Harry felt a draw on his own magical reserves. {Do not worry, Harry. Galadriel is only using your more versatile magic to shape the intent behind her own.} At Luna's words Harry calmed and simply watched as Nenya began to pulse in a pattern reminiscent of a heartbeat.

"You have been given the chance to change. Many have come to you with honorable council, and all have been rejected. No hope is left for your rule. Your fate will be to experience a mortal life that you so despise. You will live out your days watching the realm you used to rule be led by another. All power, magic, and prestige you once held to your name will be forfeit as well. I take from you now the grace of our ancestors and your immortality. So mote it be!"

A final pulse of the ring absolutely consumed the room, shaking it to its foundations, and when it faded, Galadriel was back to normal, albeit leaning heavily on Elrond's shoulder. Thranduil, however... Was crumpled on the floor before the throne. His once lustrous silver hair had turned a dirty brown, and his former glamor was nowhere to be seen, displaying his burn scarred, half-blind, visage to all. He was groaning in a clear mixture of pain and weakness.

"Well, that was certainly interesting." Harry noted to much grumbling at his lack of decorum. "Legolas, that seat looks empty. Why don't you head up there and show your people who the boss is now?"

For his part, the elf prince was still coming to terms with the fact that his father had had his immortality literally stripped away from him. He'd not known such a thing was possible! But nevertheless he heard his Overlord's words and acted on them. After giving the vampire a respectful bow he mounted the steps to the tree hewn symbol of elven power, and took his father's seat. As the elves cheered his name, Legolas could only stare at the crumpled form of his sire and lament the fact that he'd made this act necessary. That he'd refused to bend before he'd been made to break.

"Now come the days of King Legolas of Mirkwood." Galadriel spoke loudly above the crowd. "May they be blessed beyond those of his father."

Fresh cheers arose at that and Harry marveled at the change such a proclamation created. Perhaps Thranduil hadn't been as accepted amongst his own people as he'd believed. Nevertheless this cluster had all the makings of an epic party and who was he to deny that. He quickly compressed the air to create the themes of a full orchestra, conjured a massive punch bowl, and began upending his flask into it. "Party Time!"

The celebrations went on for three straight hours but by the end everyone was ready to head back their own ways. Galadriel and Elrond returned through their coins to their own realms, The second in the company of his rescued elves though the former had taken a great interest in Thranduil's stag. When Harry had told her what its name was she had absolutely gushed and insisted on taking him home with her to Lorien. For his part, the stag was just as excited by the prospect. The silver lady had promised to take him out for exercise every day! Thorin's company was gearing up to leave the city and continue on their way as well, but there was one thing that still needed to be accomplished first.

Harry found her in the stables, saddling a horse, and just decided to come out with it. "Tauriel, would you join me on my quest?"

"Do you really want me to come with you, or are you asking simply because I am your mate and you think you should?"

Was that a hint of insecurity Harry heard in her voice? He decided honesty was the best policy here, as Galadriel had advised. "I'm asking because I want you near me. Tauriel, I admit I was a bit skeptical about this whole 'mating bond' thing we have at first, but in the time we've been together I've come to genuinely enjoy your company and insight, and I would honestly love to learn more about you. To become closer." He stepped into her personal space and took her hands in his own. "There have not been a large number of good things in my life. I think you are one and I don't want to let you go."

Tauriel smiled warmly at those words. "I think you are a good thing in my life as well." She leaned in toward his larger form and he did the same, letting their lips inch ever closer until finally, contact was made. The kiss was soft, sweet, and it lit absolute fireworks in each of their minds. As one they deepened the embrace, introducing tongue and moans, and wandering hands until at last Tauriel came up for air, and worked to still both of their racing hearts.

"T-The bond is still strong it seems." 'No wonder mother said most elves pace themselves while courting.'

"That wasn't the bond for me." Harry ran his hand up her face to tuck a loose strand of red hair behind her pointed ear. "I've wanted to do that since you first sat in the pool with me." Resting his forehead against her own he added, "There is something strong between us Tauriel, and we cannot blame the bond for it. Please come with me, so we can see where it leads us."

The Silvan elf smiled into his face and leaned down to lightly kiss his neck. "This thing between us is moving very fast, faster than any elven mating I've heard of but…. I kind of like that. Yes, Harry, I will come with you. I even have my horse ready." She gestured to the beast and Harry groaned with embarrassment.

"You were already planning on coming?" She nodded. "So I didn't need to give that speech?"

"No, but I'm glad you did." She took his hand in one of her own and grabbed the reins with the other. "It means a great deal to hear that you feel as I do. Now let us go to the gate to await the others." After a while of happy walking she asked, "If that speech didn't work what was your next plan to get me to accompany you?"

"Hm? Oh I was going to let you know we plan to fight and kill a dragon. How many other elves I wonder could claim to have had a part in felling such a mighty beast?" He chuckled delightedly at the excited gleam in his mate's eyes those words inspired and together they continued on their way. Harry had already left some basic orders for what he expected of Legolas' rule, so there really was nothing else holding them up.

Gandalf and the dwarves were waiting as cued on their ponies and horse, and it was only a short thing for Harry to free his own from his marbled state. True to form, the beast immediately tried to move over and bite the gray wizard.

"Hey! Harry transfigured you, not me!" The pointy hat wearing sage groused, only to get a chuff of annoyance from the equine mount before he cantered peacefully back to his master to mount. He climbed on and moved into line next to the red haired elf and fell into the procession. They had a path to follow and a lake to cross.

Without the need to follow the established trails exclusively, and also without the fear of giant spiders curtailing them, the company made great time, and in only a couple of hours set at a brisk pace they reached the great lake. A giant swath of crystal clear water stretching into a fog filled horizon, topped by the ascendant spike of the Lonely Mountain. According to Balin, crossing it was the only way to reach the mountain on time. Sure, even with their brief stop in Mirkwood, they were still ahead of schedule, but the time it would take to go around the vast expanse of water would still leave them overdue for the necessary arrival date regardless.

"Are there any boats or canoes the elves use along the banks?" Harry asked his mate as they followed the beach.

"Sadly no." She answered. "We were never allowed to cross ourselves, and all of our trade from Laketown was brought to us by the boatmen that lived there."

"So we need to find a boatman then?"

"No," Balin grinned ahead, and when the others followed his gaze they saw a barge lined up on a nearby dock, "passage to the town is controlled by its master. We need to find a smuggler."

Those words proved prophetic as the company suddenly found their path blocked by the sudden appearance of a long black arrow in the dirt. The horses and ponies whinnied with distress at the clearly deadly instrument, and the dwarves drew weapons as they looked for the source.

"Put the weapons down!" Harry ordered, cantering his horse to the head of the group beside Thorin. "Swords and axes won't do shit against an archer at range."

Thorin heartily agreed and as the two of them stopped before the dock he called out, "Ho there! We are peaceful dwarves on pilgrimage to the Iron Hills. We seek no violence, only passage across the lake."

A second arrow blurred from out of sight and passed swiftly through the dwarf prince's hair to splash into the water behind them. Harry followed the trajectory back to a loose set of bushes while Thorin raised his hands in the air. "We can pay!"

Silence was the only answer for several seconds until a serious voice spoke into the air, "Can you pay double?"

Harry smirked, thinking of the literal trove of wealth hidden within the pockets of his coat, "We can pay triple. Looking at the state of your boots you probably need it."

Exactly where he'd looked, a tall man with dark hair stepped into their line of sight. A longbow of black wood was held ready with an arrow nocked in case of trouble. "Let me see the gold."

Harry gladly reached into his pockets and pulled out a handful. "Satisfied?"

The man nodded and crossed the way to the dock, never quivering his arrow, nor taking his eyes off the travelers. "What exactly is it that you'll be needing?"

"Passage to Laketwon, lodging for a night or two, and provisions for our journey after."

"Hm." The man was clearly still on the fence, so Gandalf decided to step in.

"Good bargeman, would a troop of suspicious dwarves up to no good be traveling with two humans and an elf? We are simple travelers who simply do not wish to wait for approval from your master or pay his exorbitant entry rates."

At that, the man harrumphed with approval and finally stowed his arrow in a hip quiver and his bow over his shoulder. "That's the good sense of any man. Very well then, I'll take half payment up front and the rest when we reach the town's waters."

Thorin blinked warily at that. "The town's waters? Not the town itself?"

"You're asking for a smuggler. Hence, I'll need to 'smuggle' you in. There are likely to be costs to smooth things over."

"Agreed." Gandalf said, shooting the others in the company a stern look to halt any objections. They were fortunate in the extreme to find a barge so class in their time of need and he was not going to let the legendary dwarven cheapness ruin it. To his eye, Harry seemed to agree as he handed over the desired amount readily enough (after figuring out exactly how much half of a triple rate actually was.).

Following that handoff the younger wizard shrunk their horses once more (to the great shock of their smuggler) and the entire company loaded themselves up onto the craft and pushed off. The bargeman, who Bilbo learned was named Bard, took his place at the tiller as the sail caught the wind, and the others took up seats around the edge of the hull. Thorin at the head, his nephews on either side. Dwalin curled up for a nap by their packs and his brother Balin started smoking a pipe by the mast. Harry and Tauriel, meanwhile, cuddled together under a conjured blanket to keep out the chill. The vampire had discovered that while his red haired mate wasn't quick to initiate affectionate contact (likely because of her elven heritage), she was always delighted to accept it from him.

So as he sat against the right side of the craft, his arm around her shoulders, Harry raised her chin to look into her eyes. "Thank you, Tauriel. For being here." He tilted her chin once more to look ahead to a sight that had Thorin and the others practically weeping. "And for sharing this sight with me." He grinned at the small gasp she released and turned to share in her awe as the fog cleared, displaying finally the full visage of the Lonely Mountain in all its splendor to their sight. It was so close now, the end of the journey within grabbing distance. It took them all a long time to reclaim reason and look away. Even Gandalf seemed to feel the importance of that moment, letting out a pleased hum that was heard by all.

It wasn't long however before the bargeman came up on swift feet and demanded the rest of the money. "We're approaching the Laketown border, which means customs and border patrols. I need to pay people to look the other way."

Harry smirked at the nervous man and pushed his companions against the far wall. "Worry not, Bard. I can hide us all. Just concern yourself with getting us the rest of the way through."

"I hardly think-" Bard cut himself off as the strange group of humans, dwarves, and elf seemed to blink away from sight. No… wait… if he forced himself to look at their position they were still there, if a bit hazy in form, but otherwise his gaze just seemed to pass over them as if nothing were ary. Like… nothing of any importance was there."

The archer grumbled a bit as he made his way to the tiller once more. "After the horses shrank it was clear one of you was a wizard. You might have mentioned he could do that before I had to worry."

The unseen chuckles of a hearty group were his only reply. And a good thing that was, as it was not long before he reached the first checkpoint and had to show his barge license and travel papers. Thrice more this occurred before they reached his usual dock, and surprise surprise his craft was boarded by city watch guards… and Alfrid Fucking Lickspittle. That last was not his true family name of course, but it was what he was known by to the entirety of the town.

"Long journey, Bard?" The sleazy man commented as he ran an annoyingly possessive hand over the rail of the craft. It was all the long haired man could do not to punch his teeth out at that very moment. "If I recall correctly you were contracted to retrieve and return the wine barrels from King Thranduil of Mirkwood."

"I was." Bard forced an easy posture, leaning back near his tiller, projecting the most nonthreatening view he could imagine with his nonverbals. "However, no barrels came down the stream at the appointed time. I waited two hours past it just to make sure, but it seems the elves are not yet ready to return them for use. Perhaps they have not yet finished with the wine?"

"Hm. Perhaps not." The oily man looked very much as if he didn't quite believe Bard, but he also clearly could not think of any reason for the man to lie. It wasn't as if there was a black market for stolen barrels of all things. So he stepped back onto his own waiting craft and had his rowers push off. "Carry on, Bard, but don't get too comfortable. The Master's eyes are on you."

When he was finally out of sight, Harry dropped the notice-me-not glamor and eyed his driver curiously. "What did he mean by that?"

The bargeman shrugged and started throwing lines onto the dock to secure his craft. "Alfrid likes to talk big, makes him feel more important than he really is. Other than that, well, the Master takes issue with anyone that has a smidgen of popularity that isn't himself. Makes him nervous that someone is going to try a power grab. So the fat bastard likes to let those of us who actually work to help the town know that he could send the guard after us at any time."

"Sounds like it would be… beneficial, if he were to disappear?"

The unchanged look on the man's face at those words made it clear he wasn't really grasping the implications of the vampire's words. "Well, yes. He has a stranglehold on our economy and forces all of our trade to go through the elves. Makes it really hard to repair the town, buy tools to properly expand, or pay farmers when we only really get income from one source. Coincidentally, the Master owns the only vineyards near the lake so the majority of the profits all go to him."

"Good to know." Harry's grin was dark and full of teeth, and beside him Tauriel (who seemed to instinctively grasp his intent) was nodding with agreement. Bard, however, saw none of this as he was too focused on finishing the knot that would keep his main source of income secure. "Say, Bard, why don't you lead our group on to your home as promised, and I'll catch up with you later."

At this the bargeman did look up again. "I'm not sure I like the sound of you wandering around the town unsupervised. I've told you how watched the populace is by the guard. You could be jailed for acting even the slightest bit suspicious. And then questions will be asked about how you got here without a pass."

"Oh don't worry, Bard. No one will see me." So saying, the man seemed to fall backward into space and a second later all that remained was a shadow where he'd just been standing.

"What just happened here?" Bard addressed Tauriel, and when he received no response, he turned to the clear wizard of the group (it was the pointy hat, always a dead giveaway).

For his part, Gandalf merely cleared his throat and replied, "I believe Master Potter has simply gone to perform his duties as a scout. Have no fear, he's the best at what he does, and shall return to us forthwith."

"I'm not worried about him returning or not." Bard grumbled. "I'm worried about what he'll do when I'm not there to tell him no."

Across the deck Thorin laughed merrily at his plight. "Bard, I've been having that problem for the last ten years. Trust me, it never goes away with that one."