Chapter 9: All That We Are

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings; I am just messing about with the respective authors' worlds xD

oOoOo

A dark cloaked figure appeared in the busy streets of Knockturn Alley. His hood shadowed his face, but two red orbs blazed from beneath. They didn't react when cloaked figures wearing masks appeared at his side, their wands drawn, and he turned to glance at each of them in turn. 'You all know what to do,' the figure hissed, sounding like a snake.

'Yes, my Lord,' the followers answered, and they took off through the narrow, winding, labyrinthine streets making up Knockturn Alley. Though, this was not their destination. Their objective was the main shopping centre in Wizarding London: Diagon Alley.

The Dark Lord smirked, taking the hand of another cloaked figure who came to a stop beside him. 'I believe this war has begun, my dear,' he whispered to her, in an affectionate tone, and he reached up to pull down her hood, revealing a beautiful blonde woman with shocking blue eyes. The only strange thing about this woman was her pointy ears.

'Yes, my Lord, it appears so,' she answered, her voice soft like honey.

'And your brethren?' he asked her.

'They are ready to follow you, my Lord, as am I,' she answered, bowing her head to him in respect.

An explosion from the direction of Diagon Alley caught their attention. 'Excellent,' the figure muttered in response, and he led her towards where his followers were causing the devastation. 'Will we join this party then, Calianya?' he asked the woman.

'Of course, my Lord, nothing would please me more,' Calianya answered, her eyes glowing, and the figure smirked, kissing her hand before unsheathing his wand, and heading into Diagon Alley with his companion.

All around the shopping centre were bodies strewn about, both enemy and innocent. Debris lay on the ground everywhere from destroyed buildings. Lord Voldemort smirked, raising his wand at Gringotts, and fired a spell. The Wizarding Bank erupted in an explosion, shaking the ground…

oOoOo

Legolas' eyes snapped open, and he sat up in his bed, clutching the pendant around his neck where it was burning his skin. Without putting his tunic on, he left his room to find Harry and Hermione sitting in the Common Room going over one of their essays. He frowned, wondering what disturbed him from his slumber, and strode over to them.

Hermione's eyes widened while she took in the toned, muscular body of the Elf, and her mouth went dry. She quickly averted her eyes, trying to hide the blush appearing on her cheeks.

Legolas didn't notice and came to a stop beside their table. 'Something has happened,' he told them, and the two Gryffindor's stared back curiously. 'Though, I am not sure what it is,' he finished, his frown deepening.

'How do you know?' Harry questioned, though his hand did go up to his scar, which had started stinging in the last few hours.

'I can sense it, a deep pain and suffering awoke my pendant,' he answered, gesturing to the silver chain holding an emerald leaf. His father gave it to him, but it wasn't just a pendant, it was also a talisman with many unique abilities.

'You can sense this from your pendant?' Hermione asked him curiously.

His eyes locked with hers, and he replied, 'It is a talisman, and was also a link to my brethren.'

Hermione looked away, glancing at Harry when she observed him rubbing his scar. 'Have you had any nightmares?' she asked him.

Harry shook his head. 'No, but it has been burning for a while now. I think he's pleased with something,' he responded, and lowered his hand, inspecting it to find blood on his fingertips. His eyes widened in shock while blood trickled down his head.

Hermione grabbed his head, moving his hair back to reveal the scar, which was bleeding. 'How hard were you rubbing it? Harry, your scar is bleeding!' she yelped in horror, before grabbing his hand and leading him towards the portrait hole. Harry went through first, but Hermione hesitated, turning back to gaze at Legolas. 'Are you coming?' she invited.

Legolas smiled. 'I should dress more aptly first, but I will follow. Are you going to see the Headmaster?' he asked her, and after receiving a nod, he withdrew back into his room to dress. He thought about alerting Haldir though he wasn't sure where his friend was.

oOoOo

'Sir!' Hermione said, bursting into Dumbledore's office to find the Headmaster talking to the Minister. She and Harry stopped, taking in the many Aurors crowded into the room.

'Miss Granger? What has happened?' he asked her, glancing at Harry who was holding his head, blood dripping from between his fingertips.

'I don't know, sir, but Harry's scar is bleeding,' she told the Headmaster whose eyes widened.

He came around the desk and over to Harry, pulling the boy's hand away gently. 'Let me see,' he said softly, and Harry lifted his head. 'Has this ever happened before?' he asked Harry, gesturing for one of the Aurors to bring him a wet cloth in a bowl.

The Auror rinsed it out before taking it over to Dumbledore and handing it to him. He held it to Harry's scar while the boy replied, 'No, this is the first time this has happened.'

Just then, Legolas entered the room. 'Albus…' he trailed off, taking in Harry's pale form and the continued flow of blood from his scar.

'Ah, I was just about to call for you Legolas,' Dumbledore declared with a smile. 'I think it is time. We cannot wait any longer. Will you follow through with what we discussed?' he asked him.

Legolas nodded. 'Of course, sir,' he answered, turning to leave the room. Just before he left, he turned back to Dumbledore. 'Where would the best place be?' he asked the old Headmaster.

'The Astronomy Tower,' Dumbledore replied, receiving a nod from the Elf.

Legolas glanced at Hermione who was gazing at him with interest. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face, and then he beckoned her to follow him. 'Sir, would you permit Miss Granger to accompany me? I may need some assistance. Mr Potter may not be in the best position to be helpful at the moment,' he requested, surprising Hermione, and she gazed at him from where she was now standing next to him, wondering what exactly was going on.

Dumbledore nodded. 'Yes, that is a good idea. Miss Granger, please go with Legolas. He will explain things on the way I am sure,' he answered with a smile, and he turned away from them, indicating to Snape who was standing in the corner. 'Severus, please take Mr Potter to the Hospital Wing. I will be along shortly to find out what happened,' he said, and Snape nodded, taking the boy's arm and leading him out of the office. Dumbledore turned back to Legolas. 'See it is done,' he said mysteriously.

Legolas nodded, taking Hermione's arm. 'Come with me,' he whispered, leading her out of the office.

They walked up the hall, Hermione trying to keep up with Legolas's fast pace. 'What's going on?' she asked, descending a set of stairs leading to the room of moving staircases.

'The war has begun, Hermione. We are now in critical need of solid preparation. Dumbledore has given me a task, and it is now this will come to fruition,' he answered her.

'How do you know the war has begun?' she asked curiously.

'While in his office, Dumbledore used Legilimency, speaking to me in my mind, and he told me of the reason the Minister was there. He attacked Diagon Alley earlier this night,' he answered, pausing and turning to her. 'He wishes for the DA to start up now. It is time,' he finished, turning to walk again.

'What about Haldir? Was he given a task as well?' Hermione questioned.

'Yes, though his task is separate,' he replied.

'Okay, so what's your task?'

Legolas stopped walking again, clutching his pendant. 'I am to call for aid. The Elves, if they can still hear, will answer my call. This pendant will allow me to do this.'

'Do you think it will work?' Hermione asked, examining the beautiful pendant.

'I do not know, but I will try,' he replied, leading her up some more stairs to another corridor which would take them to the Astronomy Tower. They ascended the spiral staircase, and out onto the tower, and Legolas moved over to the wall.

'What's going to happen?' she asked interestedly.

Legolas unclasped the pendant, laying it on the wall. 'Just watch,' Legolas whispered to her, and Hermione looked on in wonder when the pendant started glowing…

oOoOo

Haldir opened his eyes, jumping out of the tree he was sitting in quietly thinking about his options, and he gazed across the lake, wondering where Legolas disappeared to. He wanted to talk to him about a few things, but he hadn't seen him since the day before, and he wasn't sure if this should concern him or not.

Haldir shook his head, knowing wherever Legolas was, the Elf was quite capable of looking after himself. Plus, he had a feeling Legolas was with Hermione somewhere. He observed them getting closer over the last few weeks, but he still worried about what impact this would have on his friend.

He frowned when the lake water rippled, noticing a reflection of light mirroring on the water's surface, and he turned to look up at the Astronomy Tower to see a bright green light resonating out like a beacon. Alarmed, he sprinted towards the castle, realising something must have happened.

Legolas was sending out the signal.

'It has begun…' he whispered, running up the stairs towards Dumbledore's office.

oOoOo

Hermione shielded her eyes from the light which was brighter than anything she had ever seen. Gazing over at Legolas, she could see he had his eyes closed, his facial features scrunched up in concentration, and it astonished her when he started singing. He had such a beautiful voice, but it sounded almost detached while it carried out onto the air. Her eyes drifted closed, letting the beautiful melody of his voice carry her into a stupor. Without realising, she lost her balance, falling to the ground unconscious.

Legolas, oblivious that Hermione had fallen, continued to sing until he heard a distant answering song from the North. He stopped singing, opening his eyes, and a smile formed on his lips.

Legolas glanced over to where Hermione was standing and knelt upon realising she collapsed. 'It is my fault,' he whispered, moving the hair from her face, and gazing down at her. Without thinking, he leaned down towards her, but the door opened…

'Legolas?' came the voice of his companion, and Legolas glanced up at him innocently, schooling his features. 'What happened?' Haldir questioned, taking in Hermione's still frame.

'She fainted. Mortal ears are not strong enough to withstand the magic in our songs. She was standing right next to me, and I overlooked this may happen,' Legolas replied, frowning when he looked back at Hermione.

Haldir nodded distractedly. 'So, you have summoned them?' he asked.

'Yes, I received an answer,' he replied, not taking his eyes off Hermione, and her forehead creased in a sign she was stirring.

Haldir closed his eyes in relief, surveying the horizon. 'They are coming then…' he said, which was more of a proclamation, than an enquiry.

Legolas nodded, a smile forming when Hermione opened her eyes…

oOoOo

Draco roamed through the halls, curiosity clear in his countenance, while he wondered what was going on. He saw the Headmaster running past in a rush, and he saw Snape taking Potter into the Hospital Wing with a bleeding head.

This interested him, as was his disposition.

It was a while since this happened, but Draco still wondered what was up with Potter, and who attacked him. Typically, people don't walk around with bleeding heads for no reason.

When enquiring about it, he only received strange looks or answers like "why should you care?". Particularly from his fellow Slytherin's.

He paused when a reverberating echo reached his ears, and he looked around to see where it was coming from. It almost sounded like… marching? Was Voldemort's army heading this way for an attack? He ran to the nearest window, peering out, and dread settled in his chest upon comprehending there was an army heading in the direction of Hogwarts.

He sprinted towards the Headmaster's office, and once he got off the spiral staircase, he didn't even knock before entering the room. He halted upon seeing Legolas, Haldir, and Hermione standing at Dumbledore's desk, and they looked up at his panic-stricken expression.

Dumbledore stood. 'There seems to be a trend establishing with panicked students running into my office,' he declared, shaking his head. 'What is the matter, Mr Malfoy?' he asked him, a note of seriousness in his voice.

Draco coughed, trying to regain his breath. 'There is… an army heading… towards us, sir,' he gasped out.

Dumbledore's eyes widened. 'This does not bode well. If it is Voldemort, we do not stand a chance now of defeating him,' Dumbledore responded with a grimace.

Haldir moved to the window, and Legolas called to him in Elvish. 'Haldir, what do your Elf eyes see?'

Haldir smiled proudly. 'That is no army to fear, my friends,' he replied.

Legolas moved over to the window. 'It is them,' he alleged with a broad smile.

oOoOo

Dumbledore and Hermione followed the two Elves, running out onto the grounds to meet the vast army of people lined up at the gates of Hogwarts. Dumbledore opened the gates for them, and Hermione observed in amazement when hundreds of Elves filed onto the grounds of Hogwarts, lining up in front of Legolas and Haldir.

'So many of our brethren have come,' Haldir whispered to Legolas.

One Elf, with dark hair tied similarly to Legolas and Haldir's, and blue eyes, stepped forward. Hermione assumed he must be the leader. 'We answered a call,' he hailed to them.

'Yes, we executed a summons,' Legolas countered, standing to his full height.

The Elf scrutinised him with distrust for a moment before responding, 'Only an Elf Aristocrat, Prince, or King may summon us. We have come only to take you into incarceration for contravening our laws.'

Legolas pulled out his pendant, unclasped it, and offered it to the Elf to see. 'Do you know what this is?' Legolas questioned when he took it, examining it carefully.

The Prince of Mirkwood, Hermione thought, and she could see the royalty showing through in his actions.

The Elf looked at the pendant in astonishment, before looking back at him in awe. 'My Lord, please forgive me, I did not know your kind still roamed this earth,' he said reverentially, bowing his head.

Legolas reached forward, placing his hand on the Elf's head. 'Do not let it burden you. You were not to know,' he answered, pulling his hand back.

'Is it King Thranduil?' the Elf queried.

Legolas smiled. 'No, I am not he. I am his son, Legolas,' he replied.

The Elf bowed his head. 'Prince Legolas, we did not recognise you. You have much of your father's looks about you,' he told him, looking at the Elf Prince searchingly. 'What brings you here, your Highness, and what commanded the summons?'

Legolas held up his hand. 'There will be time for explanations later. First, I must know what happened to fair Valinor?' he entreated of the Elf.

The Elf nodded. 'Valinor was assaulted, the Valar unconstrained the boats, and we fled back into the mortal world. It was the Moriquendi Elves, the dark ones, who condemned us. We were not resilient enough to hold them off this time,' he paused, glancing between Legolas and Haldir. 'They have joined an influential Dark Lord, and we witnessed much devastation while we journeyed here…' he trailed off, closing his eyes in sorrow.

Legolas grasped the Elf's shoulder. 'What is your name?' he asked.

'Eragrean,' the Elf answered.

Legolas nodded. 'Are you the leader?'

'No, but I am the voice of our leader. He was almost killed in the attack, and is incapable of speaking,' Eragrean answered while another Elf carried the leader forward on a stretcher.

'Lord Elrond!?' Haldir said in distress, kneeling beside the Elf on the stretcher.

Legolas kneeled also, and Elrond touched a hand to each of their heads before gazing at Eragrean evocatively. 'Lord Elrond is comforted both of you are well,' he told them.

Legolas stared at the Elf Lord in reverence. 'We thought you faded with your beloved Rivendell,' he assumed.

'The dark ones razed Rivendell, and Lord Elrond absconded on the last boat to Valinor. It vexed him to find Haldir and yourself were not on the boat…' he trailed off.

'It left without us,' Haldir retorted, an irate undercurrent in his voice.

Dumbledore and Hermione had held back, watching the reunification with wide eyes. Dumbledore beamed at them all. 'I bid you all welcome, and I am thankful you have chosen to give your aid to Legolas and Haldir. I will set up a place for you all to stay as soon as conceivable. Until then, please follow me to the Great Hall, and we will begin negotiations,' he announced to them.

Legolas and Haldir nodded to Eragrean when he looked like he was about to argue, letting him know Dumbledore was to be listened to, and his orders were to be carried out. Eragrean nodded back, although a little adversely. 'Yes, we will follow you, mortal,' he said, nodding his head at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled, bowing his head to them. 'Excellent. Please accept my hospitality,' he told them, receiving a nod back from the young Elf. He led the army towards Hogwarts and the Great Hall.