Harry shuffled his feet as he stormed off, muttering about friendships and betrayals. He had been searching for a Horcrux with Hermione and Ron -- their sources had led them to believe there was one secreted away in the forest that was part of Malfoy Manor -- when Hermione, the ever-so-smart-one of the Trio, had suggested they split up. Good idea, when they were on the property of an once-high-ranking Death Eater, when they were in the middle of a War. Brilliant idea for the prophesized Savior of the Wizarding World to be left alone while his two best friend were off snogging one another senseless. He had recognized the look in Hermione's eyes and suspected she had doubled back to meet Ron as soon as Harry was out of sight.
Still grumbling to himself, Harry froze when he felt a wave of magic wash over him. He looked around and noticed that the forest suddenly seemed brighter, far more alive. There was a shimmery curtain of air behind him, visible but giving off an impression of intangibility. Harry reached out to touch it, and his hand passed through, disappearing from his sight. He jerked his hand back in surprise, cradling it to his chest. What in the name of Merlin was going on?
He was about to go back the way he had came and call for his friends, when a noise behind him drew his interest. He walked cautiously until he reached the edge of a small clearing and peered around the leaves. He was startled to see two small men -- they couldn't have been more than three foot tall -- and a raggedy creature (it looked like Kreacher on a bad day) sitting off to the side. He wondered if he was hallucinating, if this was some new trick of Voldemort's to make him think he was going as batshit insane as everyone already thought he was.
The two... whatever they were looked up as Harry approached, and Harry grudgingly admired the fact that they both held their ground even thought they looked like they wanted to run and hide.
"Who are you?" the chubbier one demanded belligerently.
Harry had to bite back a laugh. The little man reminded me Harry of one of those yappy, ankle-biter dogs who thought they were tough. "I'm Harry Potter," he answered. What the hell, if he was already losing it, talking to his visions couldn't really make things worse, could it? "I'm a wizard."
"Are you a good wizard or a bad wizard?" the other little fellow asked.
"A good wizard." Harry laughed. "And what about you? Are you going to tell me your names?"
"I'm Frodo," the smaller one said, "and this is Sam. We're hobbits."
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both." Harry shook each of their hands and looked around. "And who -- or what -- is that?" He indicated the creature who was still sitting off to the side, staring at them all balefully. Harry was sure to keep his wand close at hand.
"That's Gollum," Frodo explained. "He's our guide."
"He looks like a demented house-elf," Harry muttered before raising his voice. "So, this is a nice little camp you have set up here; mind if I sit down? It's about time for lunch."
Frodo gestured for Harry to sit and then took a seat on the log across from Harry.
"I'm afraid we don't have much to offer for lunch," Sam said apologetically, moving towards their supplies. "Master Frodo and I have been traveling for quite a long time now, and all we have left is some lembas bread. We do have some berries that we picked this morning, but not many."
"That's okay," Harry said, taking off his backpack. "Why don't we share the lunch I brought with me, and you can tell me why you're traveling with so few provisions." He opened the pack and shook his head when he peered into it. "Mrs. Weasley packed enough to feed an army." He started unloading the food from the magically-enhanced pack. He laughed as the hobbits' eyes grew ever-wider with each new dish he produced.
No one spoke for a while as Frodo and Sam feasted on the food, Harry settling for just a sandwich as he watched them in amazement. Maybe it wasn't enough food for an army; it looked to be barely enough for two hungry hobbits. Finally, Frodo slowed down and started to tell Harry about the journey he and Sam were on to destroy what was apparently a cursed ring.
"One ring?" Harry asked incredulously. "He poured all of his soul into one ring?" He shook his head. "Well, he's not a very intelligent madman, then, is he? At least ol' Tommy Boy split his soul into seven parts!" This, of course, led to Harry having to explain about Lord Voldemort and the search for the Horcruxes. They spent most of the afternoon discussing various aspects of their own Wars, and Harry finally decided he should try to get back home. He left the hobbits what food was left in his pack and wished them luck on their journey. Walking off, he kept thinking about the fact that they had to throw the ring into the fire of Mount Doom -- the parallel there between the ring's creation and destruction. What if it was the same way with the Horcruxes? They were created by death; could they be destroyed by the creation of life? There had to be something he was missing, another element... Fire? What kind of fire could create life and at the same time destroy the Horcruxes?
As Harry passed through the shimmering curtain of air that had brought him upon the hobbits in the first place, the idea struck him. Phoenix fire! He took off running towards the spot where he was to meet Hermione and Ron. Maybe Hermione wasn't always the smart one after all.
***Note: I can't claim credit for the idea that phoenix fire can destroy Horcruxes; that's something that stuck with me after reading copperbadge's Cartographer's Craft.
Still grumbling to himself, Harry froze when he felt a wave of magic wash over him. He looked around and noticed that the forest suddenly seemed brighter, far more alive. There was a shimmery curtain of air behind him, visible but giving off an impression of intangibility. Harry reached out to touch it, and his hand passed through, disappearing from his sight. He jerked his hand back in surprise, cradling it to his chest. What in the name of Merlin was going on?
He was about to go back the way he had came and call for his friends, when a noise behind him drew his interest. He walked cautiously until he reached the edge of a small clearing and peered around the leaves. He was startled to see two small men -- they couldn't have been more than three foot tall -- and a raggedy creature (it looked like Kreacher on a bad day) sitting off to the side. He wondered if he was hallucinating, if this was some new trick of Voldemort's to make him think he was going as batshit insane as everyone already thought he was.
The two... whatever they were looked up as Harry approached, and Harry grudgingly admired the fact that they both held their ground even thought they looked like they wanted to run and hide.
"Who are you?" the chubbier one demanded belligerently.
Harry had to bite back a laugh. The little man reminded me Harry of one of those yappy, ankle-biter dogs who thought they were tough. "I'm Harry Potter," he answered. What the hell, if he was already losing it, talking to his visions couldn't really make things worse, could it? "I'm a wizard."
"Are you a good wizard or a bad wizard?" the other little fellow asked.
"A good wizard." Harry laughed. "And what about you? Are you going to tell me your names?"
"I'm Frodo," the smaller one said, "and this is Sam. We're hobbits."
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both." Harry shook each of their hands and looked around. "And who -- or what -- is that?" He indicated the creature who was still sitting off to the side, staring at them all balefully. Harry was sure to keep his wand close at hand.
"That's Gollum," Frodo explained. "He's our guide."
"He looks like a demented house-elf," Harry muttered before raising his voice. "So, this is a nice little camp you have set up here; mind if I sit down? It's about time for lunch."
Frodo gestured for Harry to sit and then took a seat on the log across from Harry.
"I'm afraid we don't have much to offer for lunch," Sam said apologetically, moving towards their supplies. "Master Frodo and I have been traveling for quite a long time now, and all we have left is some lembas bread. We do have some berries that we picked this morning, but not many."
"That's okay," Harry said, taking off his backpack. "Why don't we share the lunch I brought with me, and you can tell me why you're traveling with so few provisions." He opened the pack and shook his head when he peered into it. "Mrs. Weasley packed enough to feed an army." He started unloading the food from the magically-enhanced pack. He laughed as the hobbits' eyes grew ever-wider with each new dish he produced.
No one spoke for a while as Frodo and Sam feasted on the food, Harry settling for just a sandwich as he watched them in amazement. Maybe it wasn't enough food for an army; it looked to be barely enough for two hungry hobbits. Finally, Frodo slowed down and started to tell Harry about the journey he and Sam were on to destroy what was apparently a cursed ring.
"One ring?" Harry asked incredulously. "He poured all of his soul into one ring?" He shook his head. "Well, he's not a very intelligent madman, then, is he? At least ol' Tommy Boy split his soul into seven parts!" This, of course, led to Harry having to explain about Lord Voldemort and the search for the Horcruxes. They spent most of the afternoon discussing various aspects of their own Wars, and Harry finally decided he should try to get back home. He left the hobbits what food was left in his pack and wished them luck on their journey. Walking off, he kept thinking about the fact that they had to throw the ring into the fire of Mount Doom -- the parallel there between the ring's creation and destruction. What if it was the same way with the Horcruxes? They were created by death; could they be destroyed by the creation of life? There had to be something he was missing, another element... Fire? What kind of fire could create life and at the same time destroy the Horcruxes?
As Harry passed through the shimmering curtain of air that had brought him upon the hobbits in the first place, the idea struck him. Phoenix fire! He took off running towards the spot where he was to meet Hermione and Ron. Maybe Hermione wasn't always the smart one after all.
***Note: I can't claim credit for the idea that phoenix fire can destroy Horcruxes; that's something that stuck with me after reading copperbadge's Cartographer's Craft.