Harry Potter and the Ring of Doom

December had arrived, and was partly through when the messengers and scouts that Elrond had sent forth began to return to Rivendell. Finally, he called the Council again, and announced, "In all the lands that the scouts have visited, there is no sign of the Nine. Therefore, we must have the Fellowship leave soon, lest the worst part of the winter be spent North. The Fellowship shall be Nine, to match the Nine of the Dark Lord's Servants. The four mage halflings must go, and Gandalf has agreed to accompany them. For the Elves, Legolas has agreed to travel with the Fellowship for a time, as has Gimli for the Dwarves. For Men, Aragorn has agreed to travel with you, as has Boromir. You will leave in one week's time."

After it was over, Harry found a moment alone with Gandalf. "Sir, I really appreciate that you're coming with us. Frodo and Professor Dumbledore said a lot about you, and the short time I've gotten to know you, I can see that they were right."

"I appreciate the thought, Harry. Now, that was not all that was on your mind, was it?" Gandalf asked with a smile.

"No, sir. If I'm working the days out properly, today should be the 18^th of December, right?" At Gandalf's nod, he winced. "That gives me a week to find Hermione a Christmas present. Argh."

"Christmas present?" asked Gandalf.

"Um, yeah. Where we come from, December 25^th is a celebration when gifts are given to those you care for. There is a religious meaning to it as well, but not all people practice that religion." He laughed. "They do all seem to practice the gift giving, though."

"Let me speak with a few people, and I think we can work something out. This is quite important to you four, am I correct?"

"It is to me at least, especially now that I have a girlfriend," Harry chuckled again.

A short while later, Harry was approached by Arwen. "Gandalf has spoken to us of your trouble concerning next week. If you come with me, I will introduce you to some of our craftsman, who may be able to help."

"I hope so. I'd love to get Hermione a necklace or something, but I simply don't have the money over here. I have plenty to pay for it back home, but..." He shrugged. "What is it that they say? 'That's the way the cookie crumbles'?"

Arwen smiled. "You and your friends are endeavouring to save our world, when all you truly needed to do was bring the Enemy's tool to us, and leave. None would have stopped you. You risk yourselves for us; so things such as this are truly inconsequential. If it is within our power, it will be done in the time allotted."

"What if we fail?" Harry asked, and then mentally kicked himself.

She smiled quickly, and Harry thought that she'd been spending a great deal of time with Hermione, for that smile to look so familiar on someone so unfamiliar. "If you fail, then giving you these things was not harmful. If you succeed, then giving you these things would not even begin to repay what we would owe you. I do not prophecy these times, for none have the vision to, but I simply believe that the four of you are far too strong together for you, Ring-bearer, to fail."

"Will you help me with a gift for Hermione? You've gotten to know her, and I've always been a bit, well, not good at choosing good gifts." He laughed. "I'd either get her something she'd smile over but be thinking 'What was he thinking?', or I'd give her something that would end up with us engaged to be married, and I'm not quite ready for that step," he finished, shaking his head.

"But you don't find it a frightening idea, from the sound of what you say." Arwen said with a longer smile.

"To be honest, the thought terrifies me, Lady Arwen. I'm only sixteen, and still a child as far our world is concerned. I know I'm not ready for that step. If I can truly understand what love is, then I honestly feel that I love Hermione. It's not the...uhh..." He stopped, realizing that he was about to talk about his sex life, and the fact that he now actually had one, with a woman, and a beautiful one at that. At heart, he was still the Harry Potter that had nearly turned himself inside out over Cho Chang.

Arwen laughed. "I am certainly old enough, Lord Harry, to understand what you decided not to say. I know that you and Hermione are intimate with each other, and that you make her deliriously happy. She also feels unready for such a step, or even to contemplate it. You are aware that this actually bodes well for your relationship? That you are mature enough to know that certain things should be done slowly?' Her eyes twinkled, and Harry was uncomfortably aware that, while they had a certain air of aloofness, Elves were at heart a sensual species, and undoubtedly did not find certain activities unpleasant. And that Arwen had a truly hideous pun going through her head at the moment; one that would make him blush to his roots, undoubtedly.

"Why do you call us Lords? I understand calling Hermione Lady," he said, blushing for no apparent reason. "Ron and I are mere commoners, with no connection to the Royals, and I really don't believe that Draco is from a noble family either."

"You four are anything but common. You may not come from families that are recognized as royalty, but your actions mark you as true lords and ladies."

"Well, lady," Harry laughed.

Arwen's 'Hermione' smile flashed again. "Truly, you are far more deserving of honours than many who gain them merely for an accident of birth. I know that I speak for myself, but I believe that I speak for all in Rivendell when I name you Elendil - Elf-friend." She kissed his forehead, and he felt an odd tingle run through him.

"Indeed, my daughter, you do speak for us all." Elrond approached. "I know not if she has said it, but all in Rivendell appreciate beyond all measure of our capability to express that you would put yourself in danger for our world."

"Well, if you want to be blunt about it, sir, it's protection for ourselves as well. Voldemort tried once to grab this Ring, and if I watch it fall into that volcano with my own eyes, then I know he can't possibly grab it again." He shuddered. "We come from a dangerous place ourselves, sir. I have this scar because my parents gave their lives to protect me. Voldemort tossed a killing curse at me that is supposed to be unblockable. My parents sacrificing themselves saved me. In return, I've lived with a family that hates me because my parents could do magic, but I need to live with them until I'm an adult. My godfather is dead because of my not doing things the way I should have. If it makes me evil to say that I will enjoy the deaths of two very specific people, then so be it. Voldemort must die, if only to pay for leaving me an orphan, and Bellatrix Lestrange, for enjoying when she murdered my godfather."

He shook his head. "I apologize. I shouldn't be dropping my troubles on you. I just worry that I won't successfully kill Voldemort, because our Prophecy says that the only way he can die is at my hand. If he kills me instead... but he's got decades on me, magically." He gripped his head. "I'm doing it again. Please forgive me."

"You needed to unburden your soul, Lord Harry," Elrond replied. "Now, Gandalf tells me of this celebration you call Christmas. Tell me of it..."

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On the night of the 24^th, a banquet was announced, in order to say farewell to the Fellowship, since they would be leaving early in the morning of the 25^th. As it had been exactly two months earlier, there was more than enough food and drink for all. Next, the party moved into another room, and the four were asked to sit at the head table in that room. Elrond spoke.

"Where these four come from, they have a holiday meant for the giving of gifts. Since they are not in their own world, they will miss this joyous time. We have decided to remedy this situation." He pulled back a curtain on the side of the room to expose what appeared to be a small mountain of boxes and gifts.

"What?" Harry asked, shocked. "All I wanted was to..." he stopped as he saw his fellow students looking at him in shock. Sort of shrinking into himself, he said, " I just wanted to get you guys these things," he said, handing over a small box to each of them. "I didn't expect this..."

Hermione leaned over and kissed him, and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to kill you tonight, Harry. I just want you to know that." He smiled weakly and turned slightly green. She opened her package, and as her eyes fell on what was inside, she gasped. "Oh my!" she breathed as she pulled out a necklace with a chain of an interesting brilliant silver-grey metal, a diamond-shaped pendant hanging from it. The four points to the diamond were three ruby and gold settings, with the bottom point being an emerald and white gold setting. "You're still dying tonight, Harry," she whispered, "but at least this time your corpse will have a smile and an interesting case of rigor mortis." The smouldering look she gave him from under her lashes heated the room considerably, at least from his point of view.

Meanwhile, the other two had unwrapped cloak clasps with their house crests on them. This would have been a pleasant surprise, but the fact that Draco's was covered in emeralds, in what was obviously white gold, and Ron's being rubies in gold, made them astonishing. They all looked at him. Harry got up, smiling, and leaned down between Ron and Draco. "I honestly never expected them to make those like that, guys. I know how this sort of thing bothers you, Ron, and believe me when I say..."

Ron was grinning at him. "Chum, the fact that you're worried tells me everything. I appreciate what you were thinking. Don't worry that I'm going to get upset over this. So I have a dress clasp for my dress cloak now!" He laughed.

Draco simply looked up at Harry. "Why?"

"Because you're my friend, that's why." He laughed. "If someone had told me just after I told Professor Snape I was trying to decide what curse to hit you with, that within four months I'd be calling you my friend and meaning it, I'd have asked them what they'd eaten to make them sick. I'm glad that I'd have been wrong." He paused. "Did that make any sense at all?" he laughed.

"No, but what else is new?" Draco laughed back, eyes shining.

They spent the rest of the night unpacking various things that the Elves had chosen to give them. Most of it was extremely practical for the upcoming trip - clothes that could withstand winter. They had only brought fall clothes. "Never thought I'd be glad of clothes for Christmas!" Ron laughed.

The surprises came from Gandalf and Elrond, beyond the party, that is. Gandalf came forward and handed them each a long thin package. As they unwrapped them, they each found a metal wand that appeared to be of the same metal as Hermione's necklace chain. The length of each wand was covered with gentle Elven scrollwork and Elven runes. Harry felt an interesting shock run down his arm, almost one of recognition. "I hope that these will work as well for you as the ones you carry," said Gandalf

"Well, one way to find out," Harry said. Holding the wand point up, he murmured "Orchideous!" The result was a bouquet of flowers fired from the end of his wand, that reached the zenith of their arc roughly thirty feet in the air. "Ummm..." was all he could say as Ron, Draco, and Hermione fell forward laughing,

As one of the Elves watching came forward with the bouquet, Gandalf said, in a rather understated way, "Is it safe to assume that the result was not entirely what you were expecting?" This merely caused the other three students to roll of into another peal of laughter.

Chuckling himself, Harry said, "No sir, it wasn't. What that spell usually does is create a bouquet of flowers to appear at the end of the wand, not create one and fire it across the room." He couldn't help himself; at the description, he found himself laughing harder. When he finally got himself under control, he said, "I'm glad I didn't try a dangerous spell. Probably turn Lumos into a laser beam," he chuckled. Looking at the smiling Gandalf, he said, "Sir, thank you for these wands. I expect these will be absolutely perfect for combat purposes, at our current skill levels." He stood and bowed to Gandalf, who returned it formally.

Elrond walked forward finally. "I must ask the four of you to stand, if you would." As they did so, each of their sword teachers walked forward with a sheath that obviously contained a sword. They were carefully strapped to the students' waists, and then the four stood back, and bid them to unsheathe the swords. As with the wands, there was scrollwork and Elven runes running the length of these blades. "These are built for your carrying; they are balanced to you. They are also designed as orc-killers; you are very likely to encounter that vile species during your travels." Suddenly, the four teachers unsheathed their swords, Aragorn with the newly reforged blade that he had renamed Anduril, the Flame of the West. Teacher and student blades met in salute, and then were resheathed.

The party continued for a while, but eventually everyone separated to their own rooms, to sleep for the next day. As they approached his room, Harry chuckled as he realized what had happened during the past few weeks; somewhere along the line, Hermione's things had all ended up in Harry's room. "Thank you for thinking of this, Harry, but now I feel bad that I didn't remember, and didn't get you anything."

"Hermione, based off when we left, it's what, the middle of October, or November or something? No, the Halloween party is coming up back there. I just happened to remember what Gandalf told me when I awoke, and I guess my internal clock reset." He smiled. "Besides, you already gave me the best gift you could have, after you came back and found me blowing up furniture." She blushed demurely at him. "Now let's get to bed; we have an early day tomorrow."

#####

He found out the next day that he had misunderstood the time they were to leave; the plan was for dusk, to take advantage of the night to hide from prying eyes. Needless to say, the students took the time to catch some extra sleep, and in Ron and Draco's cases, certain goodbyes were made.

When they finally gathered some short time before dusk, they saw that the Company bore little in the way of weaponry and armor. Aragorn carried only Anduril, and was dressed in greens and browns, as befitted a Ranger. Boromir carried a sword similar to Anduril, and he wore a shield and his war horn.

"Loud and clear it sounds in the valley of the hills," he said, "and then let all the foes of Gondor flee!" Putting it to his lips he blew a blast, and the echoes leapt from rock to rock. All that heard it in Rivendell leapt to their feet.

"Slow should you be to wind that horn again, Boromir," cautioned Elrond, "until you stand once more on the borders of your land, and dire need is on you."

"Maybe," said Boromir. "But I have always sounded my horn at the outset of travel, and even though thereafter we walk in shadows only, I shall not go forth as a thief in the night."

Only Gimli openly wore armor. Legolas carried only his short bow and Elven knife. The Hogwarts crew were clad in warm clothing, with both their regular wands and the new ones easily available. Hermione and Harry had awakened earlier to discover that they now matched Ron, as someone had created matching cloak clasps in the Gryffindor crest.

Their goodbyes had been said in the great hall, by the fire, but now they stood outside, waiting for Gandalf, who was still inside with Elrond. Bilbo, while they were inside, had asked, somewhat embarrassed, if they might keep journals of the journey, so that he might keep his book up to date. "No need to, of course; just if you've a mind to is all." He had smiled and excused himself, but not before the four had agreed to do what they could.

Gandalf exited the hall finally with Elrond, who called the Company to him. "This is my last word," he said in a low voice. "The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid: neither to cast away the Ring, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then in gravest need. The others may go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside to other paths as chance allows. The further you go, the harder it will be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will, for you do not know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road."

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens," said Gimli.

"Maybe," said Elrond, "but let him not vow to walk in the dark who has not seen the nightfall."

"Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart," replied Gimli.

"Or break it," answered Elrond. "Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts! Farewell, and may the blessings of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you. May the stars shine upon your faces!"

Ron's eyes unfocused for a moment and he then murmured, "May the road rise up to meet you; may the wind be always at your back; may the sunshine warm your face, and soft rains fall upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand." He focused again to see the others looking at him. "What? That's an Irish blessing for just such an occasion. With hair like mine, you think I wouldn't know it?" he laughed.

"An excellent sentiment, Master Weasley," Elrond said. "Fare you well."

The Company headed to the Fords of Bruinen, left the Road, and began heading southwards.