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The Archmage of Arda by Archmage.Potter
 Harry Potter & Lord of the Rings Xover Rated: T, English, Fantasy, Harry P., Words: 75k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 2k+, Published: Oct 12, 2019 Updated: Oct 29, 2019  684Chapter 2
Chapter 2
On hearing the news, Harry groaned and shot a dark glare at Glorfindel who had a smirk on his face. "Do not say it, Master Elf, or I shall turn you into a toad for the rest of the day." That wiped the smirk from the elf's face, no doubt recalling the last time he had angered the wizard and had been turned into something unnatural. He looked at the worried Celebrian. "Do not worry, my lady. I shall go after the twins. They will come to no harm."
A few hours later, a furious Harry was walking back towards Rivendell with two teenage elves floating behind him in mid-air. "Honestly!" he swore. "Hunting orcs, indeed."
Elladan rushed in an explanation. "We were never really in any danger, what with the never-ending holly-wood quivers you gave us yesterday for our name-day, we were never really in any danger."
"The orcs wouldn't have known what hit them," Elrohir added.
"Besides," Elladan argued. "You went hunting wargs when you were even younger than us."
"Yes, Harry," Elrohir joined in. "It's a coming of age thing which we have to do now that we have seen 18 winters."
"I had a lot more sense than to run out by myself to fight dangerous creatures," Harry scolded them, and he glared at Glorfindel who coughed in a manner that sounded very suspiciously like 'spiders'. "Do you wish to add something, Master Elf?"
Glorfindel shook his head vigorously. "Something stuck in my throat… that's all."
"Good," said Harry, before turning to the errant twins. "Boys, you can't do this. Think about your mother; how would you feel if you woke up one day and heard that she had run away by herself to fight orcs? All alone."
The twins turned pale. "I…"
"And what if something happened to her, how would you feel then?" Harry demanded. "Now, that's exactly what you have put her through this morning."
"We didn't think," said Elrohir sounding miserable.
"Clearly," Harry stated dryly. "You should go and apologise to her and promise you won't go hunting orcs by yourself until you are at least 100 years old."
"But –" Elladan argued. "That's not fair."
"Yeah," Elrohir added. "You have started going on hunts and you're barely 12 years older than us."
Harry glared at them.
"Okay, okay," Elladan reconsidered his position.
"We promise," Elrohir agreed.
Harry watched them flee from his presence before his lips twitched in amusement. "They had barely reached the foothills, Lord Elrond," he said, having felt Elrond's presence some time ago, as the lord of Rivendell came into view. "Err… also, I don't think you need to punish them any further."
Elrond chuckled. "I think I rather pity them for having to suffer your displeasure when you caught up with them."
Harry grinned sheepishly. "I might have turned them into rabbits for a bit and sent wisps of fire at them until they got the point. There should be no lasting damage. And they won't be trying something like this in a hurry again."
Elrond nodded. "Harry, Glorfindel, please come with me." They walked into his inner chambers. "Cirdan the Shipwright has sent a messenger that a ship will be leaving before the end of this year to the west, and a number of our people have expressed their desire to leave."
A wave of sadness passed through Harry's face. He knew it was only a matter of time before all the elves left middle earth and he would be left alone with his immortality.
"He has also requested a meeting with you, Galen-Galad," said Elrond. "I do not need to say that Cirdan is the oldest elf in middle earth and exceedingly wise. If he desires to speak to you, then I daresay it must be concerning something of great importance."
"I will go to him," said Harry. "I suppose you would like me to escort the elf host which goes west."
"Yes, please, both you and Glorfindel," said Elrond. "I do not expect there will be any trouble on the road, but it does not hurt to be cautious. Moreover, this journey will give you a chance to explore the cities of men in the northern kingdom of Arnor." He spread a map in front of them. "If you take the Great East Road to Bree, then turn north, you will have the chance to stop by Annuminas on the way to the Grey Havens, although you may equally prefer to do so on the journey back."
Harry didn't respond but in his heart he knew Elrond was correct. He loved the elves tremendously but he was increasingly getting more curious about the ways of humans in this world. "Thank you, my lord."
Being out on the road again, Harry realised how much he loved travelling and exploring new areas. After his journey to Lothlorien, he had only made two more trips – each time to Khazad-Dum, to spend a few months learning from the dwarvish smiths and craftsmen but time had simply flown by. As the twins grew up, he had been like an older cousin. He had taught them how to fight using a sword together with Glorfindel, he had been the one to get them drunk for the first time, and that took quite some time given the elvish constitution. In many ways, he was a brother or a cousin to them, but at the same time, the age gap meant he was also somewhat of a disciplinarian. That was something Elrond and Celebrian had fostered from an early age, and he often suspected it was something they had encouraged in order to make Harry more responsible as well.
And he had become quite a responsible young man. At thirty years of age, he would ordinarily be considered a man in the prime of his life, but due to his immortality, the elves treated him as they would any other elf. He was still seen as a child by many, and it didn't help that his features had stopped ageing after he hit early 20s. He had resigned to the fact he would never be as tall as the elves but he was no longer puny, and his broad shoulders with his striking features made many an elven lass turn their heads with a shy smile. He had a shapely goatee and moustache, which added some years to his appearance but he still looked like a man in his 20s.
His strength, stamina and speed had continued to improve continually until the day he stopped ageing as well, and though he tried not to show it, if he wanted, he could fell a massive tree with a single push. And he did not even need to use his full strength to do so.
"Why do you think Cirdan wants to see me?" asked Harry when he was on the road with Glorfindel.
"It is said the Shipwright receives not only ships in his harbour but also visions in the night from Ulmo, the Lord of Waters" said Glorfindel. "I expect he has received a vision which has something to do with you."
"I wonder what it could be," Harry muttered. "Care for a spar?"
"Not really," said Glorfindel. "I do not recall the last time I won… it's getting rather old losing to you."
"Not for me," Harry said cheekily, and the elf rolled his eyes.
"Do you miss home?" asked Glorfindel suddenly. "Time has flown by so swiftly, and I cannot reconcile the Harry who has become the greatest of friends with the child who used to get into all kinds of trouble."
Harry was pensive for a few moments. "Home is Rivendell," he began. "But do I miss my old life? Not really. You know I haven't had the happiest of childhood – at least, not until I was adopted into the household of Lord Elrond, so I do not regret the fact I didn't go back there. Do I miss the few friends I had made there? Yes and no. I suppose I did at first, but they were part of such a brief moment of my life, now I can barely remember them." He smiled. "Sweet Hermione… yes, you would like her. She was a worse nag than even you. And Ron… hmm… he was the first person who wanted to be friends with me and for that I will always treasure his memory, but I doubt we would have remained close friends for long as we grew up."
"What if Cirdan offered you a ship that could take you back to your old life?" asked Glorfindel. "I doubt that's possible, but if he could, would you accept it?"
"Absolutely not," said Harry.
"Why not?"
"There is so much to do here," said Harry. "So much to see, so many lands to explore, so many adventures to have. Moreover, I have friends here who care about me and I would do anything for them. Why would I leave?" He frowned. "What is really bothering you, my friend?"
Glorfindel sighed. "The west," he admitted. "It calls on me."
Harry immediately understood and was saddened. "You are tempted to leave with the others."
"I do not know. I believe that is why Lord Elrond has sent me as an escort; to give me the chance to pass on even though I never expressed my desire to him openly," he said. "But you are right. How can I leave Elrond alone to shoulder all his responsibilities on his own?"
"Listen, Glorfindel," said Harry seriously. "You must do what's right for you. If you decide to stay behind, do so because you are still in love with Middle Earth and not out of some lingering sense of duty and self-importance. Lord Elrond will survive just fine without you, and if you stay back out of duty, then a day might come when you will start hating your life, yourself and Lord Elrond. Ask yourself what you want and why you want it."
"When did you become so wise?"
"I don't know," said Harry, feigning horror. "Is there something I can take to get rid of it?"
"Funny," said Glorfindel with a straight face. "Bree is a half hour straight ahead. The elves will cut here and move across Chetwood instead. Remember, do not expect much for this is just a small settlement. Annuminas is a great and ancient city, much bigger and developed than this little town. I expect you will find us on the north road."
"So long as you are within sight of ravens, I will find you and catch up with you," said Harry, and he waved at the elves who started leaving the road and cut in towards the forest. Once they had left, he galloped towards Bree, excitement rapidly rising inside him.
His first thought was one of extreme disappointment. Bree looked more or less like Knockturn Alley; every bit as dark and rough but without the magic. But despite the shanty appearance, the little town was quite busy, being located in what was quite likely the most important crossroads in the west.
"Hello," Harry called out in Westron, although most people simply ignored him. One merchant looked at him with interest from inside his stall.
"Can I interest you with some pipeweed, good sir?" the merchant asked with feigned with delight at seeing Harry. "Only the finest quality, of course."
"No, thanks," said Harry. "Could you direct me to the nearest tavern?"
The merchant's good humour rubbed off and he grumbled something under his breath while jerking his thumb in one direction. Harry raised his hat to thank the man, ignoring his rudeness, and walked in that general direction until he came across the Little Horse Inn. When he stepped in, it was as if nobody cared. The inn was bustling with activity. Scores of people were drinking merrily while one fat innkeeper and his golden-haired daughter were trying their best to keep everyone happy.
"A pint of your strongest brew," said Harry, when the innkeeper's daughter looked at him.
She gave him the once over and winked. "You want to buy a girl a drink? It's nearly my break time."
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, sure," he said.
"Then, you will have to buy her da one too," the fat innkeeper rounded on him immediately with a raised eyebrow.
"And the man who was previously getting attention from the fair lass," another man stepped closer to Harry at the bar.
Harry rolled his eyes but shrugged. "Well, why not then," said Harry, and before he knew it, he was bought drinks for several people he didn't know.
"You're alright," said a man named Laefin, who was one of the freeloaders Harry had bought a drink. "New around here?"
"In fact, I am," said Harry. For some reason, he was drawn more to Laefin than the rest. It was as if his magic was trying to tell him something about Laefin but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "I intend to stay the night and then move on towards Annuminas in the morning."
"Oh, you're staying with us tonight?" the bargirl asked, licking her lips suggestively.
Harry swallowed a mouthful of ale uneasily. "If there is room," he said. "And if I have any gold left with me by the end of the night."
Some of the patrons laughed and the innkeeper let out a loud guffaw.
"So, where do you come from, Master Harry?" asked Laefin. "Your mannerisms are far different from the local folk. Gondor, perhaps?"
"No," said Harry. "I was raised by elves in Rivendell." Suddenly, it was as if the temperature in the room dropped a bit and many of them muttered darkly. "What?"
"Oh, never mind them," said Laefin. "Bree-folk have never taken much to outsiders, which is very odd given the location of Bree brings so many outsiders in contact with them. Up north, you will find Annuminas much more open to elves and other outsiders."
That night, Harry had barely settled into his dusty old bed in the dark and dingy room when the door opened. Freya the bargirl raised a finger to her lips and walked in silently.
"My lady," Harry whispered, making her giggle in amusement.
"Oh, I am most certainly no lady, good sir," she said teasingly. "And we're going to have so much fun tonight."
At first, Harry wasn't very certain but when the girl's lips brushed against his and he inhaled the scent of flowers from her freshly washed hair, he gave in to desire and pulled her on top of him.
The next morning, Harry woke up and was a little disappointed to find the girl had left him. With a wide grin on his face, he put on his clothes and walked downstairs. Freya winked at him with a smile, and if her father suspected anything about what had happened the previous night, he pretended not to.
"Thank you for your hospitality," he said. "Both of you. I will most certainly stop here on my way back."
"I'll look forward to that," said Freya.
Harry had stepped out and was about to conjure a raven to track where Glorfindel and the others had got to when he realised someone was following him. With a swift motion, he drew the Sword of Gryffindor and turned around. "Laefin," he recognised the man from the previous night. "What do you want from me? And is that even your real name?"
The man looked unfazed at the sword. He moved closer, ignoring the blade that followed his movement. "I thought perhaps you could do with some company on your journey for a little while."
Harry frowned.
"I have long desired to meet you, sorcerer supreme," said the man.
Harry's lips thinned. "You have me at a disadvantage," he said, while the Hat urged him to tear into the mind of the man and discover how he knew his secret.
"Pardon me," said the man, with a graceful bow. "I am Eldacar son of Valandil son of Isildur, heir to the throne of Arnor. Sometimes, I travel the realm under assumed names to better understand my people."
"Your highness," Harry said slowly, also bowing. "That still doesn't explain how you know about me."
"I looked at the seeing stone in the tower of Annuminas," said Eldacar, "and it led me to you."
"Seeing stone?" Harry repeated.
"Palantir," said Eldacar. "To most, it only serves as a means of communication with other seeing stones, but to those with the gift, it may give a glimpse of the future." His voice hardened. "It is both a gift and a curse, for I have seen my kingdom grow in might for a thousand years and then fall before a powerful and terrible foe. For long, that was the only vision I saw, but I kept demanding the stone to show me how to save my people. I too saw the green light, Galen-Galad, which led Lord Elrond to you." He raised his hand. "From the House of Isildur, I welcome you to the Kingdom of Arnor."
Harry grinned at him and took his hand. "Tell me more about this foe."
Eldacar shook his head. "We will have plenty of time to talk about dark things and evil sorcerers over the years but let us start this friendship with happier things. Did you really sleep with fair Freya last night?"
Harry blushed. "I don't think I was given a choice."
"Oh, you dog!" Eldacar laughed. "But if you thought she was something, wait until you get to Annuminas. Nothing but the fairest maidens in all of Arnor, and instead of dark and dingy taverns, you shall get to acquaint yourself with the finest ladies in the court of the king."
Harry couldn't help but smile at Eldacar's spirit. "Alas, I have some business further west and perhaps it is best if I focus on that first. But I give you my word, Prince Eldacar, when my business is concluded in the Grey Havens, I shall seek you out in Annuminas and we shall have all the fun two young men can have."
"Young?" Eldacar raised an eyebrow. "I am 62 years old."
Harry's jaws dropped. "Of course, the Dunedain have longer lifespan."
Within a few days, Harry had joined the elvish company again, still slightly shaken by his chance encounter with the prince of Arnor, with whom he had gotten along so well, he was disappointed when they parted ways. But Harry had decided to avoid the temptations of the human cities and carry on with the journey, for he feared if he went there, he might be too tempted to spend a longer time.
"The Grey Havens," said Glorfindel, when the elvish port came into view after nearly two more months of travelling.
Harry took in the sight of the great harbour town. "It astounds me how everything that elves build is so beautiful and serene," he said. "Oh, look, I think that's the great white ship you will be taking."
Many elves smiled at the sight of the ship, though some looked somewhat sad as well.
"Have you thought about what I said, old friend?" he asked Glorfindel.
The elf nodded. "Aye, and I thank you for your wise words. In my heart, I am still in love with middle earth and not ready to depart. Perhaps, a day will come in the future when I too tire of these lands and if I am fortunate, Cirdan would have a ship ready to embark on another journey." He waved at a figure in the distance. "That's Cirdan the Shipwright. We shouldn't keep him waiting."
As Harry walked closer, his eyes flashed with recognition when he sensed a powerful magical resonance coming from the ancient elf. He had discovered the third elvish ring. Cirdan welcomed the elves and his people led them away, while the Shipwright himself turned to Glorfindel and Harry, who were not leaving with the rest.
"You wished to speak to me, Lord Cirdan," Harry said respectfully.
"Just Cirdan, lad," said the old elf. "We will talk after dinner."
After dinner, Cirdan and Harry were sitting by the fireside alone. Glorfindel had realised the Shipwright wished to speak to the wizard in complete privacy and had made himself scarce. The flames in the fire rippled and danced and occasionally changed appearance to resemble that of a great ship sailing in water.
"I see you have recognised that which is in my possession."
"Narya," Harry nodded.
"It is wasted on me," said Cirdan. "Narya is not like the other two rings. It isn't meant for defence or preservation or concealment. The Ring of Fire is meant to be used actively by a great warrior or a leader in doing great things and to inspire others to do equally great things. High King Gil-Galad used its power to unite all of elvendom for the Last Alliance. At first, I had wondered if I should give it to you but now I realise it would be wasted on you as well. The power of Narya pales in comparison to the fire that is already within you."
Harry nodded. The ring was an inferior replacement of the power of the phoenix inside him.
"Others will come from the west, five of them, a long time from now. Wizards, with great abilities. Some will falter and some will fade away, but one will rise above the rest – it is he who will make best use of Narya."
"Did you have a vision about this?" Harry asked curiously.
"A dream," Cirdan corrected him. "Whether it was just a dream or something of substance remains to be seen…"
"Have any of your dream visions involved me?"
"Many," said Cirdan, surprising Harry. "Evil stirs once again in middle earth, though it does so slowly and in secrecy. Hundreds of years will pass before evil begins to reveal itself. Fools, we would be, if we do not make use of this time to also grow in strength and power."
Harry took a deep breath. "Prince Eldacar of Arnor saw the same vision. He requested my aid in protecting his kingdom."
"The evil that looms over the fate of Arnor is but a single head of your nemesis," said Cirdan. "Strike it down, and others will replace it, perhaps not immediately but soon after."
"Tell me, what must I do?"
"Pha," said Cirdan. "You ask that because you do not understand the subtlety of visions. I see things – good and bad, and what if something I say puts you on the track towards the bad…" He trailed off.
"Yet, you summoned me here," said Harry. "That means you do wish to tell me something."
"Yes, yes," said Cirdan. "This is the year 149 of the Third Age. You have many years, many decades, perhaps centuries, I cannot tell how long exactly, before your first challenging enemy will reveal himself. Do not waste this brief respite. Do not fritter away time in idleness. Realise the full potential of your magic and other abilities and learn as much as you can from that wondrous Hat on your head in the coming years for you may not always have its knowledge with you." He paused. "But do not turn away from happiness in the pursuit of power, for that is the first step into the abyss. And that is what I have to say to you, Galen-Galad: you will stare into the abyss and you risk falling deep into it."
"How will I avoid falling into the abyss?" he asked. "How can I stop myself from turning dark?"
"The fact that you are able to ask these questions is sufficient for now, lad. You will overcome the dark because of your love for the brilliant light. So, it is important you do not shut your heart to happiness and love. More, I shan't say."
Harry left the Shipwright with more questions than he had before he went to him. He couldn't dismiss the fact that both Cirdan and Eldacar had warned him that he would be fighting some evil foe. But was it the balrog he had seen in Galadriel's mirror or an entirely different foe? Regardless of all the new questions he had, the talk with Cirdan did change something within him; he started training in magic with a much greater fervour. He learnt spells, even those he didn't deem useful at the moment, but knowledge for knowledge's sake became Harry's newest pursuit. And no longer was he content to just learn the spells that the Hat taught him, but also learn more about the nature of magic and the things he could do in this world.
For instance, the Hat had told him many years ago that Apparition and Portkeys wouldn't work in this world but he now wanted to know why that was so and how he could get around it. And the answer was that back home, magic came from within a wizard, but here, there was living magic in the very air, which interfered with Apparition.
"But I could make runic gateways out of stone," said Harry out loud while sitting on a mound and observing the grey havens by himself.
'As stone is by nature inert, that would work,' said the Hat. 'And each gateway will require a lot of work and magic imbued into it over a period of time. It could take months, if not years, to create a single such gateway.'
"It would be worth it," said Harry. "Imagine, if Lord Cirdan and Lady Galadriel could take a few steps from their homes and be able to join Lord Elrond in counsel through such gateways, wouldn't that be a good thing?"
'But do not forget these gateways work both ways,' cautioned the Hat. 'Suppose one of the realms falls to a foe, then they would have access to all exit points through the gateway.'
"Not if I place wards restricting access," Harry argued back, and the Hat lapsed into silence. "Only with the permission of the gatekeeper on the other side, will one be able to travel through it. But you are right, I shouldn't just make these everywhere but only very select places. For now, I think just connecting the elven strongholds will be sufficient."
And so began the first of Harry's great handiwork in middle earth which began the very next day after his discussion with Cirdan the Shipwright and lasted nearly a decade including travel time in between and periods of respite. The Pillars of Union, he called them. Each gate was a Stonehenge-like construct, massive stones carved in specific patterns and arrayed in a specific runic formation, with magic so ancient and powerful that the very air sizzled around it. He created gateways in each of the Grey Havens, Rivendell and Lothlorien. The stones were covered in runes and imbued with magic. When the correct activation words were said, the stone would open a gateway to one of the other locations.
"To Galen-Galad, the Gate-Builder, who has made this reunion of the eldar possible," Elrond raised a glass. Next to him, Cirdan, Lady Galadrien and Lord Celeborn raised glasses as well.
Harry smiled at them and took a sip of his drink but his mind was already moving on to his next venture. "I wish to travel east," he told Lord Elrond the next morning. "I need to locate a few herbs to make a brew which would give me the ability to turn into an animal that best represents my nature. The Hat thinks the most likely place to find herbs similar to my world would be where magical creatures gather; so Greenwood would be my best bet."
"Very well," said Elrond. "If you do not mind, I would have you take Elladan and Elrohir with you. They are fast growing up and skilled enough to be tested out in the real world. And yet, I would have them be accompanied by one who would look after them well."
Harry hesitated. "I was planning to stay in Greenwood for a while to carry out some new experiments in magic and ensure the unicorn herds are safe."
Elrond was surprised. "How long were you planning to stay away?"
"A few years," said Harry. "And after that, I promised to visit Prince Eldacar of Arnor and I intend to drop by for his 100th name-day."
"In that case, I would suggest taking the twins with you to Greenwood to the halls of Thranduil," said Elrond. "Once there, it would be advisable to build another gateway, so the final stronghold of elves in middle earth is also connected with the Pillars of Union."
"Of course," said Harry. "And then the twins can return to Rivendell through the gateway."
"Where are the orcs, Harry?" asked Elladan, with almost far too much eagerness and anticipation in his voice than Harry cared for.
"Do we have to go through this all over again?" Harry asked, trying to keep a straight face but his lips quivered in amusement. "We are not trying to find orcs, we are manoeuvring around their known settlements to avoid an encounter with them."
"But you never know where they might have moved to since the patrol last scouted the mountains," added Elrohir. "Right?"
"Boys!" Harry said firmly. "I am sure a time will come when you will be sick and tired of fighting orcs, but let it come of its own accord; do not rush into it." He led them through the pass in the mountain. The trek was almost entirely too uneventful. There wasn't a single untoward incident.
"Look," said Harry, pointing at the distance. "The great eagles." He looked in awe at the majestic birds flying in the sky.
'You can breed magical creatures, you know. That could be your next venture in expanding your magical ability,' the Hat said in his mind. 'Hippogriffs, runespoor, thestrals, abraxans, basilisks, well?'
'No basilisks,' Harry said firmly.
'Really?' the Hat wasn't so sure. 'As the only Parselmouth in this land, you would have the serpent's complete loyalty.'
'No,' Harry repeated. 'They are too unpredictable. I cannot control where they look at all the time. What if they accidentally set their eyes on an innocent person? How do you breed hippogriffs?'
'The breeding of hippogriffs is a well-established practice,' said the Hat. 'You need to transfigure an ordinary eagle into a male horse. Once it mates with a mare in that form, the offspring will be born a hippogriff.'
'Something tells me the Great Eagles will not acquiesce to being transfigured by me,' sighed Harry. 'So, I guess we will have to make do with ordinary eagles.' He looked at the twins with a mischievous glint. "Boys, do you want to help me perform something incredible?" When they looked at him eagerly, Harry pointed at the valley. "Out there, you will find many wild horses. I want you to show me how much you have learnt and bring back at least two mares in heat each. Last one to come back cooks dinner."
When the elves had scampered away, Harry looked at the sky. The Great Eagles were not the only avian creatures around there and within minutes, he had summoned two eagles towards him and stunned them.
"Right, I hope I don't mess this up," he muttered. While he had transfigured elves into animals before, the transfigured animal he had chosen had always been something tiny. Now, he was doing the opposite; transfiguring ordinary eagles into much bigger horses. With much concentration, he soon had two large brown horses in place of the eagles.
"Any tips?" Harry asked the Hat.
'Thought you would never ask,' muttered the Hat. 'An eagle's pregnancy lasts 5 to 10 days while a mare is pregnant for 10 months. When you breed a hippogriff like this, the pregnancy lasts somewhere between 1 to 6 months. There are rituals and spells you can cast to make it towards the shorter end.'
By nightfall, each eagle-transfigured-horse had mated with two mares each, much to the elves' confusion, but when Harry explained to them what he was trying to do, they became as excited as him.
"Can we ride these… hippogriffs?" asked Elladan.
"With practice, yes," said Harry. "That's why I wanted four mares. One for each of us and one as a gift to King Thranduil."
"But wouldn't it make sense to keep more than one together?" asked Elrohir. "So, they may give birth to more in the future."
"I can breed more of the same," said Harry. To be honest, he hadn't realised how simple it was to breed magical creatures. But if breeding of approved magical creatures was such a common occupation back in earth, then perhaps it made sense that the magic needed to do so were well within the means of the average wizard, and Harry was anything but average.
They made slow progress across the Anduin valley and into Mirkwood, mainly because they didn't want to exert the pregnant mares and also since Harry would take long detours to locate the herbs he needed.
"I heard mother and father talking a while back," said Elladan out of the blue one day. "They were talking about having another child."
"Really?" Harry was surprised.
"Mother would like to have a daughter and grandmother said there was a very good chance another child would be a girl," said Elladan. "But father was of the mind that they should wait until we were a bit older, so they do not have to worry about us while they take care of the baby."
"But if he thinks we are old enough to go out by ourselves, then perhaps they might already be… you know… doing it again." Elrohir winked.
Harry made a face, which was mirrored by Elladan. "Please," begged Harry. "I really do not need that image in my mind."
"It will be nice to have a baby sister," said Elladan. "We will take good care of her."
Harry grimaced. "I really hope for her sake there are others more mature and responsible taking care of her as well."
"Ha ha," said Elrohir. "We know how to look after a younger sibling, Harry."
"Yes," added Elladan. "We have learnt from the best."
Harry raised an eyebrow and was very touched with their words. "Alright, enough with the soppy emotional stuff. I love you boys too and that's the first and last time you'll hear me say that."
Elladan and Elrohir exchanged mischievous glances. "We were talking about Glorfindel," said Elrohir.
Harry snapped his fingers and both of them turned into little bunny rabbits. "Stew, that's what I want for dinner. Rabbit stew." The bunnies started scampering about in alarm. Harry went through the motion of putting a pot on the fire and when the two transfigured rabbits were actually beginning to fear for their lives and contemplating running away, Harry burst into laughter and transformed them back.
"That wasn't funny!" Elladan complained.
"Not funny at all," added Elrohir.
"I don't know," said Harry. "Depends on your perspective." He stood up. "Well, if you don't want me to cook, then you guys can do the honours. I'm going to look for some more herbs." The reason he had left them was he had sensed something. Some sort of magical distress signal in the air. He followed the magic and soon he came upon the source of the disturbance.
"Aww," Harry said, when he saw the injured unicorn. She appeared to have broken her leg somehow. He walked closer to the unicorn to help her, but suddenly his senses fired up. A rustle of the leaves, the sound of someone breathing, a bow being drawn and an arrow being released.
"Incendio," Harry called out, turning around and raising a hand. The arrow was incinerated and burnt into ash before it reached anywhere near him. "When did it become acceptable for an elf to attack an innocent and unarmed stranger without reason?" he asked coldly.
A female elf stepped out from behind the trees. Unlike most other elves Harry had seen previously, she had red hair and very sharp features. "Innocent?" she retorted, masking the shock at seeing her arrow burnt into crisp. "I think not, stranger, for I can see you have hurt the helpless creatures of this forest."
Harry raised a hand and the unicorn shuffled towards him despite a broken leg and snuggled against him, much to the elf's shock. Harry moved a hand over the unicorn's head and whispered a few soothing words. Then, he touched the broken leg. "Osseo reparo," Harry muttered and a while light covered the broken leg of the unicorn and after a few moments, she stood up and was able to place her body weight on it again. "There, as good as new," he said gently to the unicorn, ignoring the shocked elf. "Be more careful in the future, okay?" The unicorn muzzled against his hand and then turned around and ran away faster than the eye could see, unless you had Harry's superhuman vision.
"How – what –" the elf began. "Who are you?"
"My name is Harry," he said.
"What kind of name is that?"
"It is a wizard's name," he replied. "And you are altogether far too hasty for someone who wields a lethal weapon. What's your name, elf?"
"Tauriel, and I wasn't aiming to kill," she replied, but she lowered her head with a hint of shame. "Someone's been hurting the creatures of this forest. I was finally granted permission by the king to hunt for the culprit, and when I saw you approach her, I thought you were the one."
Harry waved his hand. "Since you were acting out of concern for the unicorns, I will forgive you this time. But remember, dear Tauriel, not everything is as it looks like when you first see it." He smiled at her when he saw she looked very guilty and ashamed. "My companions are making dinner, and though far from being the best cooks I know, they are passable. Come, dine with us and we will put this unpleasantness behind us and never speak of it again."
She walked towards him warily.
"We are on our way to King Thranduil's court," said Harry, making conversation, as he led her back towards the place they had set up camp. "Perhaps, you could lead us there."
She hesitated. "The elves of Greenwood prefer to live in seclusion. I should warn you that our king isn't very open to accommodating outsiders and visitors."
"He will accommodate the sons and ward of Lord Elrond of Rivendell," said Harry, and the elf's eyes widened in surprise.
She immediately went down on her knees and lowered her head. "My lord," she whispered. "Forgive me for my rudeness."
"Please get up," said Harry, placing his arms on her shoulders and helping her rise. "And I'm no lord. We should hurry – or else the twins might finish all the food."
The twins had in fact just started eating and when they saw the guest, they were very polite and gracious and served her with a rather generous serving. Harry frowned slightly, and then he realised it – they were attracted to her.
"You wouldn't happen to have a twin sister, would you?" asked Harry suddenly, halfway through dinner. When Tauriel shook her head, Harry sighed. "Shame." He turned to the twins. "Looks like you boys will have to duel to see who gets to court fair Tauriel first."
Elladan and Elrohir spluttered and threw looks of betrayal at Harry. Tauriel meanwhile had turned red as well. Harry chuckled in amusement; riling up elves was so fun and something he had mastered over the years.
The group of four made their way through the forest. At one point, they took a prolonged break when the mares were no longer able to move, and after a few days, they gave birth to little hippogriff foals. All of them – even Harry – was amazed by the little winged horses with the upper body of an eagle. The first one was silvery-white in colour with wings that had alternate layers of black and white. Two were brown in colour with greyish wings and the final one was pitch black in colour with a white beak and white streaks on each wing.
"You're incredible," muttered Harry, looking at the little things while they were snuggled against their mothers. The Hat told him the mothers would abandon the babies soon, not being able to come to terms with their unusual and different appearances, and that was when they would form the first bonds with a human.
"Which one do you want to give to the king as a gift?" asked Elladan.
Harry turned to Tauriel. "What do you think?"
Tauriel took a deep breath and walked towards the silver-white hippogriff, which looked up at her with fascinated eyes. She raised a hand and the foal moved towards her and placed its head around her, clearly able to sense that the elf woman was more interested in him than the mare that had given birth to him.
"This one," she said with a pleading look.
Harry nodded. "I'll take the dark one, and you boys can pick one of the remaining." He looked at the female elf who had her arms around the little foal now and was smiling with a look of pure bliss. "I guess the king will have to appoint you his hippogriff handler." He picked up the black hippogriff foal easily, with his superhuman strength. "Now, what should I name you, girl?" A name from his past came to his mind and for a moment he felt his heart yearn for his old friend. "Hedwig," he said. "It was once the name of a very beautiful and majestic bird. I know you will be worthy of that name."
"Nimravan," said Tauriel. "White-wings. That is what I name you, little one."
"Dan," said Elladan.
"Roe," said Elrohir.
"Very creative, boys," Harry muttered dryly. "They grow up fast… in a few months, they would be big and strong enough to carry us on their backs."
"Awesome," said Elladan. "We can do hippogriff races."
"I bet Roe and I will beat you and Dan," challenged Elrohir.
Harry closed his eyes. "What have I done?"
The Halls of Thranduil were within a very intricate cave system in the north of Greenwood. Through a passage of bridges over rivers and streams, all hidden amongst trees, they came upon the high and many-columned front gate. Two elves stood outside in guard and Tauriel rushed ahead to speak to them. When Harry and the twins approached them, the guards moved aside to grant them access, although there was no warmth in their expressions. They walked into the main hall where King Thranduil was sitting on his throne.
"Welcome to the Woodland Realm, guests from Rivendell," the king stated in a monotone voice, which one could easily have mistaken for haughtiness but Harry heard behind it the patience and agelessness of one who had lived many thousands of years and was simply dispassionate towards much that happened around him.
"Your majesty," Harry stepped forward and bowed. "May I present the sons of Lord Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir, who have long desired to visit their kin in the Woodland Realm?"
"Welcome, kin," said Thranduil, before setting his eyes on Harry. "And to you, Galen-Galad. I have heard much of you, Gate-Builder."
Harry stood up and gestured at Tauriel who moved closer to the king with the hippogriff. "Please accept this humble gift," he said. "Nimravan, a hippogriff, a creature of magic; one of only four in existence."
The king stood up and took a few steps towards the hippogriff, which instantly became still. He raised a hand swiftly and curled all his fingers except his index finger back. The hippogriff slowly walked towards the king and placed its beak on his outstretched finger. The king then stroked the head of the eagle with his other hand and then he looked up at Harry. Emotion had pierced through his cold mask; he was smiling at Harry.
"I thought long and hard as to what would be an appropriate gift for one who has seen all there is to see under the stars," said Harry. "And the answer was simple: something new, something beautiful."
The king made a motion for Tauriel to take the hippogriff away before moving swiftly towards Harry. "Nimravan shall become the royal mount in due course." He looked at one of the elves standing nearby. "Wine, for our weary guests." He touched Harry's arm and led him to a side. "I imagine you would like to build a gate connecting the Woodland Realm to the rest of elvendom in middle earth."
"Only with your approval, your majesty."
"You do not have it," said Thranduil in his dispassionate voice. "The Woodland Realm joined the Galadhrim and the elves of Lothlorien in the Last Alliance of Men and Elves against the Dark Lord. We suffered greatly. Thousands were killed, including my father, and we are yet to recover from the ravages of war. It will take us long to recover, and we will do so in solitude and the privacy of our realm." He looked at the hippogriff and then back at Harry. "Our cousins are welcome, and you are also most welcome to stay as long as you should like, but I shall not sanction the building of a gate that would one day become a curse upon my people, to answer the call of those who seek war, conflict and expansion more eagerly than we do. Am I clear, Galen-Galad?"
Harry sighed. He didn't agree with Thranduil's point of view but knew enough about the nature of the Silvan elves to know arguing would only antagonise the king and serve no other purpose. "Yes, your majesty, I will certainly not go against your wishes on this matter. However, should a day come when you change your mind and see a gateway as something your people would also benefit from, then I beg you to send a message and I will come to you at my earliest convenience."
Thranduil smiled at Harry's words although the smile did not quite reach his eyes. He raised a hand and an elf walked towards them carrying a tray with several goblets of wine. He picked up two glasses and took one to Harry. "A drink, then, between new friends who understand each other well."
Harry took a sip of the wine and took a deep breath. "This is without doubt the best wine I have ever had," he declared, much to the delight of the nearby elves. "I think I will take you up on your offer and stay here for a while."
"Indeed," said Thranduil. "Tauriel, since you have already befriended our visitors, please look after them during their stay here." He turned to the twins. "My son Legolas was born a few years prior to your birth; he will attend to you when he is done with his lessons today, and I hope the sons of Elrond will become good friends with the son of Thranduil."
Over the next few months, Harry spent time mainly by himself. The Sindarin elves of the Woodland Realm were a lot less friendlier than the elves of Rivendell or Lothlorien, but that was fine with him. He spent the time collecting magical ingredients and experimenting with different potions. Finally, the day came when the Animagus revealing potion was ready.
"Perfect," said Harry, observing the colour and consistency of the potion. It wasn't exactly what the Hat had said it should be but better than what he had hoped for since he had to replace some ingredients with close substitutes from Middle Earth. The potion would place him in a trance-like state during which he would explore the depths of his own personality until he discovered his Animagus form. Once that was done, everything else was relatively easy as it required one to Self-Transfigure himself the first time into his Animagus form and then that form was forever unlocked. Since he had been practicing transfigurations on the elves who annoyed him for several decades now, he was relatively confident he would be able to do that without much issue.
As he entered the trance-like state, Harry started going through facets of his character.
I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you.
Books and cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery.
There is no good or evil: only power and those too weak to seek it.
How will I avoid the abyss? How can I stop myself from turning dark? The fact that you are able to ask these questions is sufficient for now, lad. You will overcome the dark because of your love for the brilliant light.
He was a wizard, and so it became his duty to protect the innocent magical creatures of the world from predators.
Please teach me how to protect the ones I love. I beg you.
I bestow upon you the name of Gabilion, the Great Lion.
Harry heard a roar. He opened his eyes and realised with a start that he was the one making the sound. Somehow, in his trance, he had triggered a Self-Transfiguration and had turned into his Animagus form. The king of the forest… and the king of the skies. He prowled towards the pool of water and stared at his reflection. A massive beak and head of an eagle, which gave way to a majestic mane of reddish-gold hair, the body of a lion. He spread his wings – more than ten feet in length and soared to the skies.
A few minutes of flying, and he realised the four hippogriffs were also soaring up towards him. He steadied his flight and through some psychic connection, realised the four hippogriffs saw the mighty griffin as their natural leader. He descended back to the forest.
"Harry?" Elladan asked uncertainly when the griffin landed. When the hippogriffs had flown off, he had followed their movements and came upon the majestic winged-lion with the head of an eagle. Elrohir, Tauriel and Legolas had also joined him by then.
Harry transformed back into his human form. He took a deep breath. The calm and controlled feeling while he was a griffin was beginning to fade and he realised what he had just done. He had become a griffin – a powerful magical creature.
"I'll be damned," he muttered. "That was fantastic."
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed - do let me know if you enjoyed the story so far or if there's anything you found annoying! Writing is fun in itself but even more so when I hear your views (positing or negative).
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