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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 1
Chapter 1
As Harry settled into life in Rivendell, he discovered his body was indeed changing as Death had proclaimed. With every passing day, he could move a bit faster and lift a bit heavier. His stamina and endurance also improved remarkably and his skin toughened magically. Once, he stepped on a shard of broken glass, and to his great surprise, the glass simply broke into powder under his foot without piercing it at all.
"That's useful," muttered Harry, when one day he realised that ordinary swords and arrows also could no longer pierce his skin, although mithril blades still affected him. "Glorfindel is in for a surprise next sword training session."
The elves of Rivendell were quite taken by him, and not just because of the strange and wondrous things he could do with his magic. More than that, they loved the new songs and tales Harry brought from his home. And so, even if Lord Elrond hadn't instructed them, most elves would have been delighted to teach the human kid archery or sword-fighting or horse-riding or tracking or any other such useful skill that came as second nature to elves. And for his part, Harry was never shy of learning and was always grateful for the time and effort anyone took with him.
And yet, he always kept the earliest hours of the morning free for his magic lessons. Only Elrond and Celebrian knew the true nature of his Hat, and so the others thought Harry simply liked to spend mornings by himself, but in truth, he would wander out to an isolated spot and learn some new magic spells from the Hat.
Whatever Death had done to the Hat, it had become somewhat of an advisor to Harry, often chiming in with words of wisdom or a useful spell. But when it came to daily lessons, the Hat had refused to simply teach spells in random, and instead, they had decided to follow the Hogwarts curriculum and then, depending on the areas of magic in which Harry showed the most promise, carry on with more advanced stuff. The Hat had also insisted on recapping everything Harry had learnt in his first two years, and Harry realised that he hadn't actually mastered those old spells – at least not in a way that would satisfy the Hat.
"You call that an Incendio!" the Hat mocked when Harry sent out a stream of fire.
"I conjured fire, didn't I?" Harry argued back. "What more do you want?"
"Can you conjure a ring of fire? Can you conjure a ring of fire of the right size to surround any given target? Can you conjure a fire whip? Can you conjure fire balls to fling at an enemy? Can you conjure just a tiny spark to light a camp-fire? Can you incinerate an arrow fired at you fast enough to avoid being incinerated? Not until you can do all of that and much more, will you have truly mastered Incendio."
So began Harry's re-education in magic with a teacher who wouldn't settle for anything but perfection and had no other care but Harry's education. They relearnt every spell Harry had thought he already knew, including Lumos.
"Can you conjure light of a specific colour and intensity of your choice?"
"Who cares if you can turn a match into a needle? Can you turn a wooden twig into a fork or knife? Can you turn a wooden branch into a sword? Can you do the reverse, that is, transform a knife thrown at you into wood and incinerate it before it reaches you?"
"What's the point of a disarming spell that will summon a sword straight to impale your heart? Learn summoning and banishing charms instead. Once you master them as well as levitation and descent charms perfectly, you will be able to move objects around as if you have invisible hands doing it for you."
"No wizard is complete until he learns at least one basic and one advanced charm for each element."
"No wizard is worth his wand until he learns how to create, detect and destroy at least three different kinds of wards: concealment, defensive and offensive."
"Enough!" Harry grabbed the Hat and removed it from his head. He knew he would regret doing so the next time he put it back on. The Hat didn't take kindly to such rude interruptions in their lessons, but Harry was getting late for his meeting with Lord Elrond.
He moved swiftly through the hallway. Nearly two years had passed since he had first arrived in Middle-Earth, and during this time, Harry had spent a few hours every other day with Lord Elrond learning more about the history of this new world and the cultures of the various peoples who inhabited it. Perhaps it was another side-effect of the venom and tears, but he was able to pick up the various languages very swiftly and was no longer dependent on translation spells. He was surprised when he saw Glorfindel and Celebrian were also with Elrond. They appeared to be looking over a map.
"Come here, Galen-Galad," said Elrond, and Harry raised an eyebrow at the use of his elvish name. Elrond, unlike most of the other elves preferred to call him Harry, and only reserved the use of this other name for formal occasions. "Lady Celebrian will be undertaking a journey to Lothlorien together with our sons."
"I received word from my mother," said Celebrian, when Harry frowned at the news. "She would like to see her grandsons and also let them grow for a few years in the Golden Woods."
"With a heavy heart, I have agreed to this," said Elrond. "Orcs have been sighted not too far from Rivendell and we intend to storm their strongholds; Rivendell will be left defenceless while we are at battle, so it would be best if the elflings are taken south to Lothlorien. It would give me great peace of mind if you would escort Lady Celebrian in her journey."
"Lord Elrond," Harry argued. "I can aid you in fighting the orcs."
"I have no doubt you could be of great assistance in the battle," said Elrond. "However, I would rather have you use your magic to protect the twins. Please, Harry, I beg this of you."
Harry looked slightly flustered and inclined his head. "Of course, my lord. You do not ever have to beg anything from me. I will do everything in my power to keep the twins safe." Even as he said that, he couldn't shake off the feeling that Elrond was sending him south to keep him safe as well. Part of him, the Gryffindor lion roared against it, but the serpent could see the logic behind Elrond's actions. Despite his abilities, Harry was an untested warrior in the eyes of the elves. Moreover, the road south would not be without its own dangers and hardships and the best way to prove himself to Elrond was by diligently accomplishing the small things that he was asked to do.
"Glorfindel and five others will be part of your escort," finished Elrond. "You will take boats down the Bruinen, and then after a couple of days walk across the ruins of Eregion, you will take the pass through the kingdom of Khazad-Dum. The dwarves are our allies and have agreed to host the elvish company and provide an escort to the edges of Lothlorien."
"Can you sing another song, Harry?" asked Celebrian, as the boat made a sudden jerk and woke up the toddlers who immediately started crying. "The boys love the sound of your voice."
"I find that very surprising," said one of the elves named Lindir who himself was renowned for his musical talent. "I have heard many a man sing before and while they make good merriment, they are nowhere close to an elf in singing. And now the good Lady Celebrian would rather have a human child sing instead of the elves of her own halls. How is it possible that you are far superior not just to your own kind but also to the rest of the eldar?"
Harry grinned cheekily. "Magic, my good Lindir." The truth was when he first sang a song from his world at the request of the elves, he had felt a fire within him. A pure sacred flame that reminded him of Fawkes and the first note he uttered was laced with the peace and warmth of a phoenix song.
Lindir smiled in amusement. "I will not argue that there is something magical about your voice, child. By the grace of Elbereth, may we long get to spend our evenings listening to you sing."
Harry started singing an elvish song, and as Celebrian had expected, the boys stopped crying despite the choppy waters.
"The Lay of Leithian," Glorfindel remarked when Harry finished. He was the last person sharing their boat. "The tale of true love between a mortal man and an immortal elf. Could it be that some elven lass at Rivendell has taken young Galen-Galad's fancy?"
Harry laughed at the elf who had taught him how to wield a sword and a bow. "If that ever happens, you will be the first to know, Master Glorfindel. I promise you."
Lindir joined in the merriment. "However, I rather doubt you will face the same problems that Beren and Luthien faced, given your lifespan, young Harry."
Harry blushed slightly. "Can we talk about something else please?"
Celebrian took pity on the boy. "Have you finished the gift you were making for the king of the dwarves?"
Harry removed something from a sack. Under the tutelage of the Hat, he had started learning how to make magical artefacts with simple enchantments. It had started with his desire to create a flying broom. The Hat had refused outright, saying he had to learn how to walk before he attempted how to fly. If he desired to become an artificer, they would begin with simple enchantments before attempting something as intricate as a flying broom. The sack itself was one such artefact, enchanted to be bigger on the inside, feather-light in weight even if filled with stones, and when he stuck his hand inside and thought of an item within it, it would come to the top on its own. A very handy tool for a travelling wizard, according to the Hat, and Harry wholeheartedly agreed.
"For King Durin, the Fourth," Harry removed a pair of gauntlets. He had picked up a broken pair of gauntlets from the armoury and repaired it using magic. He had then enchanted it with two basic charms. As if to prove his point, he placed the gauntlet over Elladan's hands and the metal shrunk in size until it became a perfect fit for the baby. "It will shrink or grow in size to perfectly fit the hands of whosoever holds it. But that's not all. The ruby encrusted on it is enchanted with the Flame-Freezing Charm, which means the person wearing this will be immune to fire."
"Impressive," said Glorfindel. "How long will the magic last?"
"It is powered by runes as well as the magical core," said Harry. He had used a strand of his own hair and inserted it within the gauntlet before repairing it. "I do not know how long it will last. A few hundred years; maybe a few thousand if we're lucky. I really do not know."
Lindir tried on the gauntlets and observed it with interest. "The dwarves are a proud folk –" he began before he was interrupted.
"Even prouder than elves?" Harry feigned astonishment.
Lindir threw him a mock glare while the others laughed. "This might be very magical but it looks rather elvish in design and make. If your magic allows it, I would suggest making it look a bit less elvish."
The Hat agreed with the elf's suggestion, and that then became Harry's next task. The Hat sent him a mental image of the armour used by Godric Gryffindor. Harry started reshaping and redesigning the metal, changing its colour to golden with a deep red hammer striking anvil, representing the dwarves' incessant ability to rebuild, recreate and reforge despite their sufferings.
"Now, that looks like a gift worthy of a king," said Lindir approvingly.
"Tell me more about Eregion," said Harry. "Why did the elves abandon that realm?"
Glorfindel sighed. In a heavyset voice, he responded. "T'was an age ago, when Sauron the Deceiver under the guise of Annatar the Giver of Gifts befriended Celebrimbor, the last of the House of Feanor, and forged the rings of power. When the deception was discovered, Celebrimbor tried to stop the rings of power falling within the control of Sauron, but he could only save the three elven rings. In retaliation, Sauron attacked Eregion and destroyed the realm of elves. Some went east and found refuge in Lothlorien, while the rest of us followed Lord Elrond and founded Rivendell. Now, all that remains of that glorious realm are ruins and holly trees."
"Holly," Harry was surprised. "That wood is very conducive to magic. If you don't mind, can we stop to collect a few branches?"
"We will have ample time to do so, young Harry," said Glorfindel.
Harry bowed regardless of the rather stiff postures of the rest of the male elves next to him as they inclined their heads ever so slightly. He knew elves and dwarves had somewhat tricky relations and this alliance between the dwarves of Khazad-Dum and the elves of Lorien was forged out of having a common enemy rather than any real feelings of kinship. However, having walked through the great halls of stone, with mithril shining everywhere in glory, Harry was left in awe at the skill of the dwarves.
King Durin IV sat on a throne that was carved into the stone itself and its back extended for hundreds of feet above his head. Hundreds of dwarves were observing the visitors from various levels around the hall of the king. The king raised a hand and all whispers subsided at once. "Welcome, travellers, to the Halls of Durin."
Celebrian stepped forward. "We thank you for your kind hospitality, your majesty. It has been a long time since I last passed through your majestic hallways and it gives me great joy to see its splendour has increased even more."
The king laughed. "Indeed, my lady. My people work tirelessly day and night, for nothing gives us more pleasure than to find more mithril."
"I would urge caution, your majesty," said Glorfindel and immediately the dwarves became somewhat restless and a hostile air descended upon the king. "These caves are ancient, hallowed. Who knows what nameless creatures from an age long forgotten might still be slumbering in the depths of the stone."
"By what right do you seek to caution the House of Durin, Master Elf?" the king said scornfully. "My people have been mining here for thousands of years. If there was any creature slumbering in the mines, then we would have already encountered it."
"I apologise if I misspoke out of concern for our allies and their wellbeing," said Glorfindel, although his voice contained not even an ounce of humility or apology.
Celebrian cut in before the tension could get any worse. "Your majesty, please may I present Harry son of James, also known as Galen-Galad. He is our ward and has a gift he would like to present to the House of Durin. A very special gift which he has made with his own hands and the skills bestowed upon him."
"A gift," the king stroked his massive beard and observed the child with interest. "Come closer, gift bringer. Do not be shy."
Harry was not shy but he was conscious of all the dwarves staring at him. "Thank you," he said, and when the Hat prompted him, he quickly added, "your majesty." Some of the dwarves tittered in amusement. He presented the gauntlet to the king, who accepted it graciously.
"This is indeed fine craftsmanship," said the king. "It is clearly of elvish origin but has been remade in an outlandish fashion which is rather pleasing to the eye." He gasped in surprise. "Do my eyes betray me or did it just change in size?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, your majesty. These aren't ordinary gauntlets. I have enchanted it so it would fit the person holding it and also make the wearer immune to fire."
There was complete silence as the king put on the gauntlets and stood up. He walked to a lit torch and moved a hand through it quickly. Raising an eyebrow, he did so again, but a bit slower. With a grin on his face, he did it a third time and left his hand resting on the flames.
"I can feel a little heat but the fire does not affect me at all; not even the part of my hand that is not covered by the gauntlet," he announced. "Such a wondrous thing should have its own name. What do you name it, gift bringer?"
Harry hesitated. He hadn't thought of any name and shuffled through his memories for something appropriate. "Ravenclaw," he said finally, without any better suggestion in his mind.
"This is a kingly gift, Harry son of James. The House of Durin accepts it with utmost gratitude and assures you it will be treasured among the greatest of our heirlooms."
Harry turned a little red at the proclamation and the dwarves started cheering.
"Now, in return, all I can humbly offer you is mithril," said King Durin. "Enough mithril to fill that empty sack you carry."
Harry was about to explain that his sack was not empty; it was instead enchanted to be bigger on the inside and had the capacity of a large chamber while charmed to be feather light. But then he grinned mischievously. "Okay," he said, and handed the sack to the king, who grabbed a handful of mithril jewels and threw it in, and then more, and more, and finally, he started filling it with raw mithril ore lying about.
At one point, the king finally realised there was something enchanted about the sack. He stared inside the sack and then scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"It's not full yet, your majesty," Harry pointed out.
The king turned to Harry with a narrowed expression but then he chuckled. "Alas, outwitted by a child," he sighed. "But a king's word cannot be broken. You," he pointed at a nearby dwarf, "fill this sack with mithril for the gift bringer." He walked to Harry. "Come," the king said. "The feast is ready. You will sit beside me and we will talk until our bellies our full and we can drink no more ale."
"Your majesty," Celebrian added hastily. "I don't think Harry is old enough to drink ale."
"No?" the king stroked his beard and looked at Harry eagerly. "In that case, there will be honeyed mead, the kind dwarf children are sometimes allowed to drink. You think you can handle a bit of dwarvish mead, gift bringer?"
Harry sent a defiant look at Celebrian who sighed in resignation at the stubbornness of men and then nodded at the dwarf king. "Yes, your majesty."
In retrospect, that was a very bad idea. One drink had already made him lose all inhibitions, and after a second one, Harry was already jumping on the table and giving a live display of how he had once jumped on a troll and shoved a wooden stick up its nose.
Glorfindel face-palmed but the dwarves were loving it.
"You have a dwarvish spirit," said one of the dwarves who raised a hand to support Harry when he tripped and nearly fell.
"We called it Gryffindor spirit back home," said Harry with a slur as he returned to his seat as if nothing untoward had happened. "We Gryffindors are as brave as lions." He looked at the dwarf who had helped him. "Your beard looks like a lion's mane. Can you roar like a lion?"
"Can I roar like a lion, he asks," said the dwarf cheerfully, as he finished his ale in one go and let out a massive roar, and the dwarf next to him then followed suit. Before he knew it, dwarves were finishing their drinks and roaring like lions left, right and centre. Harry licked his lips and raised his glass to do the same and several of the elves groaned whilst trying not to smile at the foolhardy boy.
"Your majesty," Celebrian turned to the king. "If I may have your leave, I should retire for the night and look after my boys." She glanced at Harry, who was trying to roar as loud as he could. "Or at least those of my boys you haven't corrupted yet." Immediately, the other elves stood up as well. "Glorfindel, I know Harry will be safe with our gracious hosts, but it will ease my heart if you also stay with him. He may have one more mead but no more."
"Certainly, my lady," said Glorfindel, but it was obvious he was less than delighted to have to spend more time with the dwarves. "May I suggest not mentioning to Harry that his lembas bread can cure headaches tomorrow morning and let him suffer the consequences of this ill-advised alcoholism?"
Celebrian laughed. "If you think that will be a good lesson for the boy, who am I to argue?"
"Ha," the king intervened. "If the elves are so willing to abandon the gift bringer, then we dwarves will provide him with our own brew to recover in the morning. Granted, it won't work miracles but it shall ease his head somewhat."
"You mean the kind which has even more alcohol in it," Celebrian pointed out.
"Exactly," said the king before turning to one of the dwarves. "Pass the jug of ale, you greedy oaf!"
But to everyone's surprise, Harry was awake even before the elves and was already looking after the twins when Celebrian woke up. "How are you up so early?" she asked after leaning down to kiss the fifteen year old boy's forehead.
"You remember all the herbs and flowers and other stuff I was collecting through Eregion?" Harry asked. "The Hat was making me do it, and he taught me how to make a quick potion to cure hangovers after the tales of the dwarves and how they like to drink so much."
"Hangover?" Celebrian repeated in confusion.
"The headaches you get from alcohol," Harry clarified. "We call that a hangover in my old world. When I told the king about it, he wanted to see me make it and then we all took a small glass to our beds… except Glorfindel. I heard what he said to you and we didn't tell him what we were doing." He finished with a smirk.
Celebrian laughed. "I am glad you have made friends with King Durin and his people. Dwarves are not the easiest of people to befriend but once you have their friendship, you couldn't find anyone more loyal to you."
"Aye, my lady, that is well said," the voice of the king came followed by his own presence. He looked very fresh as well. "You have given us yet another gift, my young friend. The Lion's Roar, as we are calling it, will be a recipe that shall never be forgotten by my people, and long will we raise a glass to the one who shared it with us."
"You are most gracious, your majesty," said Harry.
"Not at all," said the king. "On your return journey, I insist you spend a few weeks with us. I will send my nephew Giri and a royal escort to take you back to Rivendell afterwards." To Celebrian, he explained, "Young Harry has a talent and a real interest in making things, and while we dwarves cannot match his magical abilities, we can certainly teach him how best to shape metal and stone using ordinary tools – how a gentle touch here and a subtle move there could achieve more than several blows by a hammer."
Harry's eyes lit up. The dwarves were a very fun bunch, and while he wasn't certain he could stay up with their lifestyle for more than a few weeks, those few weeks would be a very fun time. "Please, Lady Celebrian," he pleaded.
"Of course," she relented. "But we won't be returning for a year or two. Perhaps, you could make a journey back before then if you tire of the golden woods. I would insist either Glorfindel or Lindir escort you, however."
"Your escort would always be welcome in my halls," said the king, but in a slightly gruff voice as if he didn't think much of Glorfindel or Lindir.
The journey to Lothlorien continued soon after. Giri, the dwarf Harry had said had a beard that resembled a lion's mane volunteered to escort them to the edge of the golden woods. They followed the river Celebrant and the dwarf regaled them with tales of their people and their never ending search for more and more mithril. Once again, Glorfindel looked uneasy when the dwarf mentioned how deep they had dug below Khazad-Dum.
"You look like you want to say something, Master Elf," the dwarf Giri looked at Glorfindel with interest. "This is the second time you have expressed concern over our digging below the mountain. Is there something you are aware of?"
Glorfindel paused to find the correct words. "I have only instincts and those I am reluctant to share for they may give offence to one who had ventured beyond his home to guide us in our journey, Master Dwarf."
Giri laughed. "Though of Durin's line like my uncle king, you will find me a bit more difficult to offend."
"Many forget – and without any fault of their own for most people do not have the longevity of elves," began Glorfindel. "But we remember… we remember evil. Ancient thralls of the dark lord who shall not be named, the one to whom Sauron was a mere servant. We remember the evil he brought into this world. Many were killed but some fled and hid themselves in caverns inaccessible at the roots of the earth. When I stepped into Khazad-Dum, it was as if I felt the void turn its gaze at me."
"And you are worried the deeper we dig the more likely we will find such a cavern," Giri stroked his beard while he spoke but he didn't say much more.
They walked in silence until light faded. Giri was about to set up a camp when suddenly Harry stiffened. His extraordinary senses had been fired up and finally he made sense of something. "I can hear wolves," he said. "They are coming this way." Glorfindel looked at him seriously and then drew his sword. The other elves drew their weapons, some had swords and others bows. "They are coming very fast."
"Wargs," Lindir spat in disgust when they heard a howl in the distance followed by several others. "Good spot, Harry."
Celebrian was horrified. "Lorien is several hours away, and we cannot run, not with the twins."
Glorfindel nodded gravely. "We make a stand here."
"Don't worry, my lady," Harry moved to her side. "I won't let anything happen to the twins or to you. I promise." He felt something hit his head and immediately whipped out the Hat. With incredulous eyes, Harry pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor yet again and took a deep breath. "With this, I slew the serpent." He could feel a fire within him, singing like phoenix song and yet with the fury of a basilisk and the sword shimmered like pale moonlight in his hand.
The wargs attacked. He lost count of their numbers, but there were at least a couple of dozen of them and they descended upon them from the mountains. The archers managed to take down a few and Glorfindel and Lindir stepped ahead to defend Celebrian and Harry while Giri jumped straight into the middle to fight them.
"Incendio," Harry whispered and a whip of fire flew out of his free hand towards the approaching wargs. Harry controlled the whip with his mind, striking at the beasts with fury. "No," Harry's face turned white when he saw a warg was on top of Giri. The dwarf had not tarried behind, he had plunged himself straight into the middle of the attacking wargs and taken down two single-handedly. Out of pure instinct, Harry levitated the warg, making it whimper in fear while the dwarf got back on his feet and chopped its head off with one clean strike of his axe.
"Harry!" Celebrian shot arrows in quick succession. Several wargs had evaded the elves standing in a line before them and were only a few feet from him and the lady. "Look out."
Harry let out a primal scream and struck with his sword. Despite more than a year of training, he was not by any means a very skilled fighter, but he had superhuman abilities and the spirit of a basilisk, and that made all the difference. He ran through the wargs, skilfully dodging them with the reflexes of a star Seeker and his superhuman speed, whilst cutting and hacking at them with the moonlit sword.
"Take that!" he yelled. "And that!" Not until several moments had passed did he realise he had killed the remaining wargs and was hacking at a corpse while the elves and dwarf were staring at him with strange expressions.
Harry froze and looked around. Seven wargs lay dead around his feet. Three others had been burnt by his fire whip. The others had dealt with the rest.
'Godric would be proud' were the last words he heard from the Hat before his stomach turned and he vomited.
A while later, Lady Celebrian was tending to him with much affection and warmth, while the elves had set up a camp and were keeping watch for any other warg attacks.
"You fought as if you were possessed by the spirit of Tulkas himself," said Lindir, still in awe at the child's ferocity in battle. "Faster than the eye could see and without even the slightest fear or hesitation."
"But with terrible technique," Glorfindel added. "I see we need to resume our training at first light tomorrow morning."
Harry groaned, making the elves chuckle.
"I am in your debt," said Giri, kneeling next to the boy wizard. "That warg would have surely feasted on dwarf flesh if not for your timely intervention."
Harry turned red. "You would have done the same for me."
"Aye, I would have tried my best but even I cannot lift a warg ten feet high," said Giri. He looked at the elves and said, "You lot know the route from here. It would be best if I return to the Halls of Durin and let our king know about this. We will lead a dwarf party and drive away any remaining wargs nearby."
Celebrian nodded. "That makes sense. Please thank your king for providing us with a most valiant and courageous guide."
"My lady," the dwarf bowed. Then, he turned to Harry and also bowed, "The elves have a name for you, Master Harry. But after today it would be fitting for you to be given a name by Durin's Folk as well. In the name of King Durin, I bestow upon you the name of Gabilion, the Great Lion, and Dwarf-Friend until the end of Durin's Folk."
"Thank you," said Harry, overcome by the proclamation, "my friend."
Harry was struck with wonder when he first saw Lothlorien. He had read about the mallorn trees that grew in the woods, with golden leaves and silver wood, and yet, he wasn't prepared for the awe and fascination when he first set eyes on them. There was a very powerful presence of magic within the golden wood.
A host of elves were waiting for them. "Welcome home, my lady," the leader of the patrol bowed, and the others followed him.
"Thank you, my old friend," said Celebrian, rushing forward to give the leader a gentle embrace. "I have missed you. You know the others, but these are my sons Elladan and Elrohir and this is young Galen-Galad, our ward."
The Silvan elves looked at Harry with interest but Harry's interest was in something entirely different. The longer he observed the golden woods, the more attuned to its magic he was beginning to get. The Hat agreed with his assessment that there was a powerful magical ward protecting the forest. Lothlorien would be concealed from anyone with malicious intent.
Harry took a step forward and raised a hand, trying to feel the magic ward that was in place. A ripple of energy fizzled through the golden woods at the contact and a number of Lorien elves immediately drew their bows and aimed arrows at Harry. Merely a moment later, the Rivendell elves had drawn their bows at their cousins from Lorien in defence of the human boy they had come to love and admire.
"Enough!" Celebrian yelled, joining Harry and placing an arm around him protectively. "Did you not hear me, Marchwarden Haldir? He is under the protection of Lord Elrond. Surely, that is still worth something to the elves of Lothlorien." All the elves lowered their weapons with a hint of shame.
"I apologise, my lady," Haldir the elf lowered his head. "We felt the shock of Lady Galadriel and were concerned."
Celebrian tried not to smile but her lips quivered. "I suppose mother wasn't expecting another magic-user to be accompanying me."
Harry grabbed Celebrian's hand while they walked, still a bit shaken by the alien magic that was now all around him. "It's like I'm swimming in water," he explained. "Invisible water which isn't making me wet, but it's there nonetheless."
Some of the Silvan elves exchanged glances but no one said a word. And then Harry realised it. Lord Elrond had spoken to him of the lore of the three elven rings that hadn't been corrupted by Sauron, but other than Vilya which was given to Elrond by High King Gil-Galad shortly before his death in the battlefield during the War of the Last Alliance, he hadn't been told the fate of the other two rings. But clearly Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien had one of the other two.
"Nenya," he muttered. The Ring of Adamant had the power to protect, preserve and conceal and was attuned to the element water. That explained the sensation he was feeling; he was sensitive to the magic of the ring.
"We do not speak of it openly," said Celebrian, when some of the elves stiffened again, "for fear that our foes might overhear us and use the information against us in the future. Here, in Lorien, it is unlikely that anyone would overhear us, but I would urge you not to speak of it again. Such things are best left unspoken openly."
"I understand," Harry replied earnestly. "Do you think Lady Galadriel would teach me how to make magical wards so powerful?"
"Perhaps, if you ask her nicely," said Celebrian. As they walked, she started talking to keep Harry's anxiety at meeting another powerful magic-user at bay. "How my heart yearns to see Caras Galadhon again," she began. "It is the heart of the Silvan Elves realm. Three thousand feet from east to west, the city is built in the middle of, on top of, and out of, mallorn trees. In the very centre of the city, on top of the biggest mallorn tree, is the flet of Galadriel and Celeborn, where I lived for many centuries before I met Lord Elrond."
Harry walked in silence, occasionally picking up a golden leaf or a fallen silver branch and putting it in his sack. All the way through Eregion and the kingdom of Khazad-Dum and now Lothlorien, Harry had been collecting stuff that might potentially be useful to him with his magic. He didn't need a magic wand, but even he could sense what a powerful wand could be made using the mallorn wood and mithril. And so, he started a conversation with the Hat as they walked about how best to use the items he had been collecting that his eyes widened in surprise when they reached Caras Galadhon, which was every bit as stunning as Celebrian had described it.
"Such beauty," he muttered, even as Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn descended towards them. The trunk of the massive tree where there home was built had been carved into steps and they walked with even more grace than Harry had come to associate with the elves. His eyes caught a glitter on her hand – at first it shimmered brightly like a star, but after a few moments, his eyes pierced through the magical illusion and he saw the ring. That was when he realised Lady Galadriel was staring at him.
"Welcome home, daughter," said Lord Celeborn, raising his arms and inviting Celebrian to go to him. Galadriel turned her attention from him to her daughter and grandchildren for a few minutes. During this time, Harry and the other elves from Rivendell waited patiently. Harry could see that even Glorfindel and Lindir were somewhat uneasy and the answer came from the Hat.
'The elf-witch tried to enter your mind,' the Hat explained. 'She had been trying to do so all the while since you entered the forest but her attempts became stronger when you were in her presence. I think I can protect your mind while I am on your head, but once you remove me, your mind will be laid bare before her. Be wary of her, for the brief touch I had with her mind, I could sense a very Slytherin presence.'
"I can sense the love my daughter feels for you, stranger, and yet I know nothing of you," said Galadriel, turning her attention once again to Harry.
Harry bowed deeply. "I am Harry son of James of House Potter," he began in the style he had previously been introduced by Elrond to others. "I am a ward of Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian."
Lady Galadriel walked around him in a circle. "I can feel something within you," she said slowly. "Something terrible… something beautiful… and more powerful than anything I have come across before." A look of lust followed by fear crossed her eyes and then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Welcome to Caras Galadhon, son of James. I thank you for the courage you showed in defending my grandchildren from the wargs."
Harry gasped when the Hat admitted she had broken through its defences. 'She is more powerful than I thought,' the Hat declared.
Harry cleared his throat. "My lady, I have a gift for you to thank you for your hospitality."
The elves who had accompanied Harry were surprised. All through the journey, he had spoken of a gift for the dwarves but nothing about something for Lady Galadriel. Galadriel considered him with curiosity, while he pulled out something from his sack. He had made secretly using the holly wood he had picked up from Eregion.
"Activate," he said, and the flute he had pulled out started playing a peaceful melody on its own. He handed it to Galadriel who accepted it with a smile.
"The gift of music," said Galadriel, running her hand over the length of the flute.
Something stirred in Harry's mind, a memory from a life left behind. An image of an old man in purple robes with a white beard wiping a tear from his eye as he proclaimed the beauty of music. "A magic far beyond anything we can do," said Harry, quoting Albus Dumbledore.
"Indeed," said Galadriel. She tapped it once and the music stopped playing and after another tap it resumed with a different melody.
Harry was surprised. He had enchanted it such that one had to say the words 'Activate' and 'De-activate' to start and stop it, but Lady Galadriel had tapped into the magic of the flute and bent it to her will.
"This is a very thoughtful gift and highly appreciated, Galen-Galad, for I see you have made it using wood from our old home west of the Misty Mountains," she said, once again surprising Harry as he didn't recall anyone mentioning his elvish name to her. "Come now, you must be tired from the journey."
Harry hesitated. "I can stay with Glorfindel and the others."
"Do not be ridiculous, child," said Galadriel. "You are my daughter's ward. You will stay in the home of Galadriel and Celeborn while you are here in Lorien."
The next morning Harry woke up early as usual, but this time he saw someone was up even before him. Lady Galadriel was walking by herself in the twilight and he joined her.
"I can teach you much, Galen-Galad," she said, "but understand this well, the magic I wield is poisoned. The power of my ring is subservient to that of Sauron and the One Ring."
"I don't understand," said Harry. "I thought Sauron never touched the Three."
"He did not, but Celebrimbor, the one who made the Three, learnt the art of artificing from Annatar, the guise in which Sauron came before him," she said. "Therefore, even though Sauron cannot control the Three, they were made in a manner that allows the One Ring to dominate them. Should he ever get hold of the One Ring again, he will certainly be able to overcome the power of the Three without any difficulty."
Harry frowned. "What if…" he hesitated. "What if I add a layer of magical ward using my own magic outside yours? That would be something completely alien to Sauron."
"Indeed," said Galadriel. "And that may deter him for a while, but I fear you do not fully comprehend the power of the ainu that is within Sauron."
Harry felt the basilisk stir within him indignantly. "Perhaps, you do not fully comprehend the power of the phoenix and the serpent that is within me."
Galadriel laughed in a musical manner. She reached down and kissed Harry's cheek gently. "Oh, I do, sweet child. You will be a major force to reckon with in a few years, of that I have little doubt. But Sauron has learnt the dark arts from a master who was once no less than a god. Regardless of how much power you have, you will fall short before the darkness of Morgoth that is now fuelling Sauron the Terrible."
Harry had no response to that. "Then, please teach me how to protect the ones I love. I beg you."
"Of course, child," said Galadriel. "Why would I refuse when the ones you wish to protect most are my own family?"
So, Harry finally had a tutor in magic other than the Hat, although Harry did keep the Hat on his head while learning from Galadriel since the Hat could pipe in with useful bits of advice on how to best combine the magic he was learning from Galadriel with the magic from Harry's home. As the days passed, he was able to create wards – simple ones, to begin with, and then some complex ones that detected the intent of the person who came upon it. And all along, the Hat helped him learn Occlumency while Galadriel tested his progress by trying to pierce through his mental shields.
After several months had passed, Harry was beginning to get restless as were some of the elves from Rivendell. They were used to vast open spaces whereas the Sindarin realm of Lorien was a concealed forest from which the elves rarely ventured out without permission from the lord and lady of forest.
"Avis," said Harry, and then plunged his mind into the falcon he had conjured as it flew out of the forest. Even though his eyes were closed, Harry's mind was filled with the falcon's vision. He smiled when he saw the twins running about. Nearly three years old, they were growing fast and were full of energy.
"Hawwy!" one of them yelled pointing at the falcon that was observing them, and the other also joined. Playfully, Harry urged the falcon to go down and fly in a loop over their heads before flying away. After an hour of flying freely in a falcon's mind, Harry released his magic and the bird vanished. He then walked to the chamber where Galadriel and Celeborn used to greet visitors.
"Harry, what can we do for you?" asked Lord Celeborn.
"My lord, would it be okay if I borrowed Glorfindel and Lindir and go out to explore Greenwood? I have heard so many tales of wondrous creatures who inhabit it, some sound very familiar from my home."
Neither of them looked surprised by his request. "The restlessness of youth," Galadriel remarked. "How well I remember it despite the long years."
"Unicorns!" Harry grinned in delight. "Look, my good elves, a sight only the most blessed are ever able to witness: baby unicorns." He pointed at a mother unicorn – silvery-white in colour with three golden baby unicorns next to her.
"Oh no," Harry groaned another day when he saw giant spider webs. "Not Acromantula again. Where's Hagrid when you need him? Guys, I think we should avoid this path."
And so, Harry led the two elves who had accompanied him through a merry adventurous trek across Greenwood the Great. He had wanted to go all the way north to the realm of the woodland elves but that would have taken over a month and Glorfindel was not in support of such a long journey.
"Greenwood reminds me a lot of this forest we had back home. We called it the Forbidden Forest, but I had been in there a few times."
"Why am I not surprised, Master Harry?" Lindir remarked sarcastically.
Ignoring him, Harry continued. "When I am older, I would like to live here for a while, maybe help the unicorns build colonies and protect them with wards to keep Acromantula out." Even as he spoke, he began to feel responsible for the safety of the unicorns. He was a wizard, and so it became his duty to protect the innocent magical creatures of the world from predators. But he couldn't lead the elves to danger. They had no reason to get embroiled in a fight against Acromantula. No, that was his job. The basilisk agreed vehemently within him. Spiders were foes that deserved to be crushed relentlessly.
"Why don't you guys go ahead?" Harry asked casually. "There's no danger from here back to Lothlorien and I'd like to stay here a bit longer… maybe meditate for a while."
"Nice try, Master Harry," said Glorfindel, sighing, as he drew his sword. "I suppose we are going back to kill the spiders in case they hurt those wondrous unicorns."
"Humans," Lindir drew his bow. "You couldn't mask your emotions even if your life depended on it."
Harry grinned. "If you're feeling up to it, you old-timers."
Glorfindel smirked at Harry. "Last one to slay a spider does all the cooking until we return to Lothlorien."
"You're on," said Harry.
Lindir released an arrow and a massive spider dropped dead a few paces in front of them amongst the bushes. "I believe the contest is between the two of you now."
Harry held the Sword of Gryffindor in one hand while the other was raised to cast magic. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Accio Spider," he called out, while keeping his sword extended in front. And his eyes widened in shock as half a dozen giant Acromantula came flying towards him. "Fuck," he cursed. He had hoped to summon one and impale it with his sword. "Incendio!" he managed to call out in time to create a wall of fire before him and the Acromantula screamed in agony as they burnt while they crossed through the fire. Part of him felt sickened at the screams of the giant arachnids, but the basilisk within him relished it. Spiders were foes and he was crushing them relentlessly.
He heard the sound of an arrow fly by him and kill a spider that was writhing in the ground. He turned to Glorfindel who was looking at him with a cheeky expression. Harry was about to object when he realised none of the spiders he had burnt had been killed yet and so Glorfindel did manage to slay one before him.
"Not fair," he called out petulantly. "I had him down already."
"Down, but not out," said Glorfindel. "Now, did you say their silk is of great value? I will go collect what I can find while you, Master Harry, prepare lunch."
Grumbling about evil elves, Harry waved his hand to summon a few twigs and snapped his fingers to light a fire before he started cooking. Looking up with a mischievous smile, Harry flicked his fingers and a small twig went flying towards the back of Glorfindel's head.
"I know it was you, Harry!" Glorfindel's voice yelled from the distance.
As Harry leaned against a tree peacefully, the Hat spoke to him again. Acromantula silk was one of the most prized materials for making robes. The silk was one of the strongest yet very light naturally occurring material that kept a person warm during cold weather and cool during hot weather. Once Glorfindel and Lindir had gathered enough of it, Harry started working on it. Not for the first time, he wondered if he should take the dwarves up on their offer and learn how to craft things properly, instead of the trial and error method he used with the Hat's instructions. With a lot of spells and Transfigurations, Harry finally ended up with seven sets of robes.
"Try it on," Harry urged the two elves, who after some initial surprise and hesitation, put on the robes. "Perfect. Hang on, give it a few seconds to adjust to your size." He had used the same enchantment he had used on the gauntlets he had given to King Durin IV.
"This is… extremely comfortable," said Glorfindel in surprise.
"You will not need another layer over this even when it snows," said Harry. "And it will still be perfectly comfortable in scorching hot weather."
"Perhaps, you should give this to the lord and lady of Lothlorien instead of us," said Lindir in a quiet voice. "This is much too precious for me."
"Nonsense," said Harry. "You're my friend and I want you to have it. I have made separate ones for Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, Lady Celebrian and the twins."
"What about you?" asked Glorfindel. "You have seven robes only, and if you give to each of them and to us, you will not have any left for yourself."
Harry shook his head. "I cannot wear this. The spirit of the serpent inside me hates the feel of spider silk. But it was very fun to work with it."
"May I suggest a small improvement," said Lindir. "Perhaps, using the silver wood of mallorn trees to shape buttons and the golden leaf as a fastening would be a nice touch."
And so Harry set to work again.
"The dwarves were right," said Glorfindel. "You really love making things; you should learn from their smiths."
"I get the hint. You are missing the dwarves and their feasts already, good Glorfindel, and want to escort me back to their halls," Harry teased and Glorfindel glared at him.
When they returned to Lorien, it was already dark and Harry felt the presence of Galadriel in his mind. "You guys go ahead," he said. "Lady Galadriel wishes to see me. I think she's that-a-way." He parted from the other elves and walked a strange path he hadn't taken before, allowing his instincts to take over. Several minutes later, he found Galadriel standing on a raised dais which held a silver basin.
"Will you take a look?" she asked.
"What will I see?" Harry replied with a hint of nervousness. The basin was laced with a strange magic that was alien to him. Another power of Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, he assumed.
"That depends on the strength of your will," said Galadriel. "To some, the mirror shows things that were, to others, things that are, and to the very rare few, things that yet may be."
Harry took a deep breath. He stepped closer and then looked into the mirror. Immediately, the mirror rippled with magic and showed him visions. It began with a simple memory of him flying on his Nimbus 2000, chasing the Golden Snitch, and then the ripples changed and he saw peaceful Rivendell where Lord Elrond was returning from a victorious campaign in the north. More ripples. And he gasped in horror as the mirror showed fire and shadow and a terrible figure. A hideous beast, with wings of shadow and columns of fire. As it emerged, Harry felt the creature could sense his presence as well despite being a mere image in a mirror.
Harry pulled back from the mirror and stared at Galadriel in horror. The basilisk within him hissed in fear; and Harry knew that this was one of those very few beings in all of reality that Death had said would have the power to kill him. "What was that?"
Galadriel was also shocked and horrified by the vision in the mirror. "A forgotten enemy," she whispered. "Scourges of fire… demons of terror… Morgoth's oldest servants. Clearly, at least one survived the War of Wrath."
"Balrogs," Harry finally recognised from the lore he had studied with Elrond. "What does it mean? Will one rise again? Where will it come? The mirror didn't show any details."
Galadriel gave a weak smile. "The vision of the mirror is subtle. For all we know, the balrog may not awaken until long after our time. We should be ever vigilant, yes, but we must not allow a vision of horror to rule over our lives."
"How –" Harry began uncertainly. "How can I forget what I just saw?"
"I am not asking you to forget it," said Galadriel. "But push it back in some dark corner of your mind. Train yourself in every possible way you can so that if a day comes when you face this creature, you will be as prepared as possible, but do not let this vision rule over your heart and mind."
Harry was quiet.
"May I?" she raised her hand.
Harry frowned for a moment and then he realised she was asking for the Hat. He was slightly reluctant but then he handed it to her. "I am not sure if you will be able to communicate with it."
Galadriel smiled at him and placed the Hat on her head. Her eyes shined in a silver colour and an aura of power surrounded her instantly. After several moments, she removed the Hat breathlessly. "Thank you, Boy-Who-Lived, for giving me a glimpse of a different universe and a taste of the power that you possess." She raised a finger and a stone levitated up for a moment but that seemed to have exerted her tremendously and she grabbed to the side of the basin for support as her knees buckled. "Very fascinating and versatile, this magic you possess but it is not for me or any other person in middle earth to wield." She then turned to Harry. "You may not realise it yet, but you have the potential to be one of the most powerful persons in this world, and if you so desired, you could even become the most powerful person."
"Thank you," said Harry. Hesitating, he added, "There was a mirror back in my old world as well. It showed a person their heart's deepest desire."
"I know," said Galadriel, looking at him kindly. "I know what you saw on that mirror. I have glimpsed into your mind and seen what lies in your heart."
"Then, you know how much it means to me that Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian have accepted me as part of their family," he said. "And you and Lord Celeborn as well."
"I know that too," said Galadriel, stepping closer and embracing the boy. She kissed his forehead. "You are much loved, do not forget that."
"May I ask a question?" asked Harry trying not to blush at her words, when she let him go.
"I have a feeling I know what you want to ask," said Galadriel. "You want to know what I see in the mirror."
Hesitating, Harry nodded. "Only if it has anything to do with me."
"It does indeed," said Galadriel, with a smile. "A much happier vision than what you saw, and yet, I would rather not tell you in case my doing so would keep it from coming true."
"A hint?" Harry pleaded.
"You will learn the meaning of love and of hate, of happiness and of suffering, but ultimately, the evening star shines brightly in your future," she said and would say no more.
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