Aníron

AN: Thanks goes out to the beautiful and talented, Minako, my beta. “You are a ray of sunshine… on a cloudy day!” –House M.D. Translations will be listed below. Credit to Dragon Flame Sindarin program and Arwen-Undomiel(dot)com. The link to the featured song will be below…

*=translations and explanations below

******* = change in perspective

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own or make any profit from either the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings franchises/characters... All respective rights to Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and all respective rights to Lord of the Rings belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. I’m just the lowly wannabe writer mooching off their greatness… Commence…


Chapter 2- Heartbreak and the Transfigured World

"Arwen's Song"

With a sigh you turn away
With a deepening heart no more words to say
You will find that the world has changed forever
And the trees are now turning from green to gold
And the sun is now fading
I wish I could hold you closer

-Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
(The Houses of Healing)
-Fran Walsh
Preformed by: Liv Tyler

Tathar’s eyes grew wide fearing that this man would bring her harm. What more would she have to endure? Wasn’t one traumatic experience enough for one day? She edged away from the man until her back hit the trunk of a tree. It seemed she was cornered again with no chance of escape. If the man should choose to use his weapon against her she would have no way to fight him off or stop him. She clutched at the tree’s rough bark. Tears began to fall from her eyes completely uncontrolled.

“It’s ok, I won’t hurt you, and I’m here to help you.” He drawled in an almost bored voice, as if finding her in this state was a burden. Tathar would have felt insulted if she could think of anything else besides how this man could hurt her.

“Your name is Willow correct?” he asked.

Tathar’s tears slowly stopped falling. What? She thought. She stared blankly at him, her panic slowly fading. He knew her name? Admittedly in the language of Westron*, but it was her name none the less.

“Is it Willow or not?” he snapped.

“Mae. Iston le?” *

*************

The man pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Here he was in the middle of Merlin knows where trying to console a young girl who can’t even speak English. It was bad enough he had to deal with the brats he taught back at school. Now he had to figure out a way to lure this girl back with him to the manor without causing a scene. Alerting the surrounding muggles would not be a good idea at the moment.

He could see just how broken down she was, her face all scratched up, smudged with dirt, and her hair sticking out here and there, the silver tiara she wore was tangled in her tresses. Her dress was torn, one of the straps hanging off of her shoulder. She looked a right mess, but when she peered out at him almost pleading and he saw those grey stormy eyes he understood why his master would be interested.
Instead, the man decided to try a different approach. He offered his hand out to her, trying to be as gentle as he could. If she would just take his hand he could apparate back to Spinner’s End since Malfoy Manor had anti-apparition wards placed upon it.

“Come on it’s ok,” he said, “I won’t harm you, but we must hurry.” He shook his hand slightly letting her know of his impatience. He was starting to get nervous. It would do no good if he could not get the girl to trust him enough to follow him.

“You won’t hurt me?” she asked.

“So you do speak English?”

“Yes, is that what you call it here? Where am I? I was attacked, I was in Lothlorien with a friend, and then there was a man with a stick like yours and he…” Her voice sputtered for a few moments until finally she said “I think he killed my friend. Oh God!”

The sobs started again, she was visibly shaking now. Her legs gave out beneath her. The wizard caught her before she hit the ground and used the opportunity to apparate back to his home. The dizziness hit her again when they landed feet upright this time, in a small dark gloomy room. It was warm despite the dreariness of the place.

“What just happened? How did you do that?” she gasped.

“Magic,” He snapped, “Now sit while I tend to your wounds.”

***********

Tathar sat willingly on an old couch that was fraying around the corners. She looked at her surroundings suspiciously. The walls were a dark green color, the bookcases packed with worn books and odd knick knacks. Every table space was cluttered with parchment; in fact the whole room was cluttered.

God, this place gives me the creeps. At least I’m out of the cold and he doesn’t seem to want to hurt me.

She was so weary when he returned into the room with a bowl of hot water. She stared blankly into the fireplace as if in a trance, the warmth of the fire keeping her calm. Breaking her trance he raised his wand to Tathar’s face. She shrank back instinctively not knowing what to anticipate.
The man sighed.

“I’m going to heal you now,” he said sounding annoyed. “Stay still. Ferula.”

Several bandages were produced from his wand and she sat quietly, allowing him to tend to her wounds. The silence was starting to become awkward, well, to her at least. She had so many questions that she needed answered. In a moment of bravery she asked her first question.

“Who are you and how did you find me?” she asked quickly.

“My name is Severus. I am a wizard.” He answered. “Surely you know what a wizard is, correct?” He said all this simply. Almost as if he believed she was too dumb to understand him.

“Yes,” she answered, too tired for indignity. “Are you like that other wizard? The man who sent me here? I was in Lorien* with my brothers and my friend when he…I think he killed my friend Rian. ” Her voice dropped off quietly unable to really come to terms with her friend’s death.

“No, is that how you ended up in the park?” the greasy haired man replied. “A wizard apparated you there?”

“What’s apparate? He said something in a language I didn’t know and a light came out of that stick he was holding. I felt like I was in a cyclone and when I opened my eyes I was alone. Then you found me. That is all I know.”

“Amazing,” Severus pondered. “That he knew just when and where to find you. Wait. Did you just say Lorien*, as in Lothlorien?” he asked.

“Yes, we were there visiting.”

“Impossible,” he scoffed. He had finished wrapping her wounds and stood away from her. “That place doesn’t exist; it’s just a myth. An old myth at that. Maybe he was right?” Severus wondered aloud.

“Who was right?” Tathar asked.

Severus began to pace the room with his eyebrows knit together and his arms crossed over his chest.

“The Dark Lord, of course. He sent me out to fetch you. It seems he knew just when and where you would be, and that you would be in need of some…assistance.” The greasy man said this with some disdain, and slowly Tathar had an urge to confront him. Not enough to actually do so, however, but she wanted to know more. She decided quickly that her being perceived as difficult would get her less answers.

A Dark Lord? Oh, this cannot be good. She felt her heartbeat speed up when what the man said began to sink in.

She could hear the blood rushing through her ears.

“But, Sauron* is gone, banished.” She stammered. “My ancestors defeated him.”

“Sauron? What on Earth are you talking about? That is just a legend.” The greasy man took a moment to appraise her.

“Or perhaps not,” he asked with the faintest trait of awe. “Could it be that you are from back then? From the beginning?” The greasy man, after appraising her for any stray wounds, swept away any trace of the tools he’d conjured with a flick of his wand.

“I think I have a lot of things to explain to you,” he said, “before I take you to the manor. It would be best if you are not so lost before I present you to the Dark Lord.”

Severus sat down next to her on the dingy couch. Tathar listened to his clarifications. The whole time she grew ever more wary of how her future would unfold.

**********

Tathar and Severus spent the early hours of the morning talking about her situation. How she got here, what his theories were, all about the Wizarding World and its history. Tathar was perplexed by it all. She had skipped forward thousands of years. To say she had missed a lot was an understatement. It dawned on Severus that Tathar hadn’t just apparated from one place to another, but that she had shifted through time itself. The Dark Lord had told him this already, of course, but Severus had been quick to dismiss the notion as nonsensical. Whoever that wizard was back in the time of Middle Earth must have been extremely knowledgeable about magic. However, Severus believed that the time travel was just a mishap, and probably not intentional on the wizards part.

He couldn’t fathom, after all, why any wizard in his right mind would try to harm the girl. She looked harmless enough. Her eyes, deeply sullen grey, shone with an almost ethereal glow to them. It was also plainly obvious that she was no mere muggle, let alone fully human. The Dark Lord had described the girl’s appearance meticulously, down to the tempestuous grey color of her eyes, to the long chestnut hair with side-swept bangs. The Dark Lord had wanted no confusion on her appearance when he knew that Severus had to locate her. How the Dark Lord had even known when and where to find the girl still confounded him. Was he a seer now too? That would be disastrous. He made a mental note to inform Albus about this new development in his rapidly regaining powers.

“How do I get back?” asked Tathar, interrupting his thoughts.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Severus said, “You’re too far into the future. Although we can transport ourselves back in time it is rare that we can go back for more than just a few days time. Time travel is unstable as it is. It would be too dangerous for you to try. Who knows when and where you would end up? You’re much safer here with people who can assist you.” He spoke solemnly.

“You mean I’ll be stuck here….forever. I don’t know anyone here, what will I do, I don’t have anyone or anything. My home, my people, they’re all just gone, extinct? My family, friends, they’re dead now, I’m lost and alone here.”

“It is going to be alright, things have already been arranged for you,” Severus tried to console her. “You’ll be well taken care of. You will be provided for and educated in magic. You’re about four or five years behind in your schooling. You have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Magic? But I don’t know the first thing about what you wizards do.” She seethed.

“Are you not a descendant of the elves themselves?”

“Yes but…” she stammered.

“Then you have magic flowing through you. You just don’t know how to unleash it or control it for that manner. Haven’t you been able to do things that you realized no one else could?”
Tathar thought for a few moments.

“Yes, I can speak to the animals and the trees. My Mother used to tell me that I inherited that idiosyncrasy from my Great-Great-Great-Grandmother, Galadriel*. I can move things without touching them. Sometimes I close my eyes and can see things before they pass. The visions can be quite startling at times. Wait, I thought wizards were different from the elves.”

“We are. History states that we modern day wizards were humans that the elves felt special enough to gift them with the magic of the Valor. So it would seem that you have that gift as well, but ten-fold.” He drew his lips to a thin line and looked at her, his inquiring mind working slower than usual.

“Did you just say that you’re a seer? You have the second sight, but you didn’t see this coming?” he questioned cynically.

“Well, the visions are subjective. I don’t choose what I see or when. They just come to me, usually at the worst times. It’s a little embarrassing when I’m trying to have a conversation and I just kind of zone out. Many people well, they kind of freak out a bit, they say it’s unnatural, or they just think I’m a little strange and joke at how eccentric I am. Again, embarrassing.”

He looked at her, not knowing what to make of the slight girl in front of him. She was obviously magical, and to have so much of it exhibited without proper training, not to mention the amount of control she already possessed, was impressive to say the least.

“Yes, that’s the look I get from people when I tell them what I can do.” She said sheepishly.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He wasn’t sure how to respond, what an empty existence. He could not imagine how if felt to have the ability to perform magic, but to have no mentor to guide and teach you on how to liberate those gifts. Yes, sad indeed.

“Come, I think it’s time we head to the Manor. The Dark Lord is waiting and it isn’t in our best interest to keep him waiting. He has a short temper. ” Severus tried changing the subject.

**********

At this Tathar’s head dropped down defeated. She did not wish to meet this Dark Lord, to be appraised by him. What if she displeased him? What would he do? Kill her? Although Tathar was a lot older than she looked, she still wasn’t ready to die. She felt her life was just beginning, uncertain now maybe, but she felt she hadn’t had the chance yet to really live. Now that she was trapped in a different time. She had no inkling on what to do with herself.

Although the land was logically the same it had been altered so much by the passage of time that she couldn’t recognize it. The landscapes themselves had shifted, continents moved across the seas. Where were the rolling plains of Rohan? Where were the sweet, earthy scents of the Shire and its little inhabitants that had once amused her so? The majesty of her home, the Kingdom of Gondor and its capitol Minas Tirith; where was it now? Tears rolled down her face as she thought of these things. If this is where Lothlorien once stood then this era is a sad and dreary one indeed. She wondered if back in time somewhere along her long journey if another Dark Force had corrupted the world or if it was her fellow race of man who did this to the Earth themselves. A melancholy vision indeed.

“They’ve violated it.” She thought out loud in a daze.

“Excuse me. Who’s violated what? ” The professor asked.

“Arda, the Earth, it has been ravaged! What have men done to this world?” she cried out jumping to her feet.

The daze over her was broken by the greasy man’s question.

“I know that everything must still be such a shock to you, but we must hurry or we will both regret not going sooner.” He looked at her as if she was slightly deranged. Her mood swings catching him off guard.

“What does this Dur Hir* want with me,” she demanded. “How did he even know I was coming? Did he send that crazy man after me?” She was suddenly livid at the idea of a Dark Lord sending her to this forsaken and dreary time period.

“I’m not entirely sure to be honest, but whatever the reason is, he is the one who is offering assistance to you. It would be foolish to not accept it!” He snapped at her, growing impatient.

“Fine!” She snapped back.

**********

He offered his outstretched arm, waiting for her to grab unto him to side apparate her to the Manor where his master was sure to be waiting. He knew the Dark Lord was waiting for her presence and he was not over exaggerating about his temper. He hated delays and was quick to deliver any number of curses to the poor lackeys who might fail him. Severus had seen his fair share of crucios and avada kadavras over the years since he had been recruited as a Death Eater. Severus Snape does not disappoint. He would hand her over as his master asked, without a second thought.

She had expected the dizzy whirl of colors this time as they apparated to the outskirts of Malfoy Manor. She swayed only slightly as they touched solid ground. She noticed the nausea seemed to be absent after this trip as well.

“It gets easier every time,” she said.

He looked down at those grey almond shaped eyes and smirked slightly.

“Yes it does. Now let’s hurry. We’ll have to walk the rest of the way. There are protection wards all over the place.” He eyed the area cautiously.

**********

He turned and led the way; up a darkened and deserted lane. High neat hedges boarded the lane. At this point Tathar had only been misplaced for a few hours and the night had not passed into daylight yet. The lane led up to a huge set of intricately patterned iron gates. The roses and vines of the iron twisting into a large letter “M”. He called this place Malfoy Manor, she thought, what an odd name. When they reached the gates her companion pulled back his left sleeve and pressed his wand into the strange mark that was spread across his arm. She was about to ask what the mark represented, but caught herself before doing so. Perhaps she didn’t want to know. With a loud creak the gates slowly started to open.

When they crossed over the barrier of the wards that were set up the gates crashed closed with a deafening bang. Tathar shot into the air, startled.

“Jumpy are we?” Severus droned.

“Wouldn’t you be?” she retorted with a huff while crossing her arms.

“And the day isn’t over I’m afraid. The worst is coming still. If you want a word of advice I would do my best to stay calm and speak only when addressed. Do not beg or cry. He doesn’t like weakness. Do whatever he says and do not dawdle. Try to hold your own, but try not to come across as defiant. I think you’ll be just fine though. Why would he send me all the way to Hampstead Heath Park to fetch you if he didn’t expect to keep you around?”

He didn’t know what the Dark Lord had planned for her. The Dark Lord was a secretive being. Severus, however, was certain there weren’t plans to harm her though. Why would the Dark Lord go through all the trouble to attain, and confine her like a precious jewel just to toss her aside later.
Severus caught her in his peripheral vision. She looked ashen. She was worried no doubt. Her eyes wide in fear or apprehension. He had the strangest compulsion to comfort her, but that wasn’t his place. He had been given strict orders to pick up the package and deliver it to his Lord safely. The feeling was fleeting anyhow. She looked for the most part unharmed, the cuts on her face fading rapidly, even without further magical aid.

It must be the Elvish in her. Severus thought.

How remarkable. Severus was pondering on the details he could remember about the history of the elvish species and whether it would be worth the time and effort to do some research on the subject, his forte was the dark arts and potions not magical history, but the girl roused some curiosity in him.

**********

They followed a sidewalk for what seemed like an eternity. Until reaching another set of gates with no wards or protective spells of any kind blocking their entrance. Severus pried the gate open and waited for Tathar to pass. When she looked upwards she was met with an amazing sight. A large manor, the architecture strange to her eyes was spotted across rolling grasses, in the front, lush gardens were blooming. The colors as diverse as a rainbow. She stared in wonder. Is this where the Dark Lord lives, it looks too beautiful a place for an evil entity to reside in.

“Is this the where the Dark Lord lives?” she asked Severus.

“Yes, for now, but the house and land belong to the Malfoys. They are a very old and powerful pureblood magical family who has been loyal to the Dark Lord for many years. It is their hospitality that will be of assistance to you most.

“Lucius is the master of the manor, his wife Narcissa its mistress. They have a teenage son, Draco, who happens to be my Godson. He is at a boarding school in Scotland now though, where I teach. I took a short leave of absence to find you. Now try to be polite, they don’t stand disrespect.” He drawled.

“What do you take me for, a peasant girl?” Tathar finally snapped, tired of the implications of her inability to act cordially. “I am royalty and you should be wise to remember it. I certainly know how to be a gracious guest!” The night was beginning to weigh down on her. Her exhaustion was seriously screwing with her moods.

His eyebrows arched up. “Forgive me Princess. You seem to have forgotten the place and time we’re in at the moment. No one will regard you as royalty here, so you would be wise to fasten it!” He snapped sarcastically right back at her.

She stopped and faced him, remorse written on her face. Here she was barking at the man who had rescued her from being totally lost and alone. She regretted her words immediately. He had been nothing if not kind to her. She had always been a strong willed child growing up and her mouth had a tendency to run away with itself. Looking up at him, her expression chagrined she started to stammer.

“I’m sorry.” She said sheepishly. “I’ve had a very strenuous day, and my nerves are shot. I’m weary and hungry. Please accept my apologies.”

*********

Severus looked down at the girl and saw the blush crawling across her cheeks. He chuckled. He was amused the first time since, well, since he could remember. The girl had a temper, a witty one too. It reminded him of someone.

“It’s fine. In fact I probably should have offered you something to eat back at my home, and for that I apologize. You, however, are forgiven. I believe I would be a little snappy too if I was under the duress of your situation.” He replied.

“Le Hannon.*,” she said gratefully.

They finally reached the gigantic doors of the manor. There was stained glass covering the windows, but, before anyone had a chance to knock on the door to announce their presence, there was a loud crack as a tiny creature appeared before them.

**********

“Ack!” peeped Tathar; her heart jumping into her throat. She jumped to Severus’s side and gripped his arm even harder. If that was at all possible. She felt jittery, it seemed to her that this night would never cease to end. She was starting to grow weary of all the strain being put on her.

“Greetings Master Snape, Mistress.” The house-elf bowed deeply, her large nose almost touching the ground.

“The Master and Mistress Malfoy are expecting you in the foyer. Would you like me to escort you?”

“No, I think we can find our way.” Severus said dismissively. Tathar pulled herself tightly to Severus’ side. The little creature had looked so frightening; it resembled a malnourished and shrunken looking orc that may have taken a great deal of abuse.

They walked into the hallway Tathar shuffling her feet along the way. Leaning close to Severus with her hand gripped tightly to his forearm she whispered…

“What in the world that is all holy was that creepy looking creature?”

“A house-elf. Servants to wizards.” he replied stonily.

“Oh, why were you so rude to it? It was only trying to be hospitable to us,” she asked, confused. Surely wizards didn’t treat their servants in that manner. She was always taught to treat the servants in her home at Minas Tirith* with respect and kindness.

Severus rolled his eyes and could only think of one other person in the whole world who would bother to worry over such foul little creatures. He shook his head and his lips curled into a small crooked smirk.

Great we have another SPEW supporter. That sufferable know-it-all Granger isn’t alone in this world after all.

***************

The silence pressed on as they were walking. Tathar, realizing that he had no desire to answer her, turned her attention to all that was around her. The manor was huge and garishly decorated. The rich hues of the carpet and tapestries enthralled her. When they walked into the room before the foyer she spotted several portraits, ancestors to the owners of the property probably. When she examined them closer she jumped back, startled.

“What the…,” she shouted astonished. “Those paintings are moving!”

“Of course they are. Don’t shout,” Severus whispered. “They’re sleeping and I don’t think they would appreciate you waking them.”

Paintings sleep? Now I know I’m going mad! This has got to be a dream or a very demented nightmare. Please wake up! Tathar please wake up!

She clenched her eyes shut; trying to will herself awake. To escape from this strange and surrealistic dream that she was convinced she was having. She prayed that when she opened her eyes again that she would be back in Lothlorien surrounded by golden leaves, that she would be safe.

It’s just a bad dream.

“Now before we go into the foyer remember what I told you, keep a cool and leveled head, do whatever is asked of you, and don’t whine.” He prompted.

She slowly opened her eyes hearing Severus speaking to her.

Well, I had to try; next time I should just pinch myself.

“I promise.” she spat out scathingly.

What does he take me for? An ignorant orc? She thought with ire.

“Good now let’s greet our hosts.” He said pulling her along by her sleeve. They reached the door to the foyer. The doorway was obscenely ornate. Tathar thought it was rather tacky, to flaunt one’s wealth in this way. She knew of better uses for one’s wealth and it certainly didn’t consist of gilded doorways.
The foyer was a spacious room, warm and inviting, the rich neutral colors of the walls were calming and the fireplace radiated warmth. She didn’t realize just how cold she felt until stepping into the room. She assumed that this was a living area of some type to relax in, a family room maybe? Couches lined the wall providing comfortable seating. The rugs underneath had intricate patterns of green and silver. Now that she considered it, the whole house seemed to have a green and silver color scheme. Maybe those are their family colors?

A couple was seated at on one of the plush couches; they looked very much alike from afar. The man stood from his seat and swept across the room, his velvet grey robes trailing behind him. She could tell that this was a man of prominence; he was immaculately groomed, his long locks falling down his back and he held himself confidently. His disposition silently commanded respect. She deduced that this must be the master of the manor. He must be Malfoy. She stepped back and let the man address Severus first. They shook hands and moved towards the fireplace.

“Severus, so good to see you again, my dear friend. I see you had no problem in locating her.” The tall man, with long golden locks so pale they looked like a silver halo in the firelight, said. “Did everything go smoothly?”

“Yes, she was for the most part cooperative; a little traumatized by the lengthy apparition, but physically sound.” Severus drawled.

The man faced Tathar, and extended his hand out to her. Grasping it tightly he finally addressed her. While they shook hands she bowed her head slightly as a show of respect and greeting. It was the way she was properly taught to greet a man of importance.

“Princess, we, my wife and I are so very honored to have you in our humble abode. Whatever we may assist you with, you must only ask.” He said in a sugary-sweet voice. His pale cornflower blue eyes gripping hers.

“I am Lucius Malfoy, and this is my wife Narcissa.” He gestured toward one of the couches.

A woman stood up from the couch she was seated on and approached the group. She had the same straight blonde locks as her husband and was undoubtedly beautiful. She looked far too young to have any teenage son that was certain. Then again Tathar could barely pass for a teenager herself, although she was far older. This woman emanated grace and a quiet nobility. Her robes were pristine and cut in all the right places; they displayed her slender figure perfectly. She greeted Tathar first, seeing as how the men had started a conversation about the girl’s short visit to Spinner’s End. Tathar tipped her head slightly in greeting.

“Hello. As my husband said our home is yours. Anything you need please just let me know.” She smiled at Tathar. It was a warm and pleasant smile, devoid of any malice. The woman reminded Tathar of her own mother, a warm and sweet woman, who was always there with a calming embrace and wise words when they were least expected.

Not expecting such acceptance and hospitality from these apparent Dark Lord supporters, she floundered not knowing how she should respond.

“Le Hannon… oh, I mean thank you, sorry.” She squeaked, smiling bashfully at the kind witch’s face.

A sharp ticking noise started coming from behind Tathar, like the sound of someone clicking their tongue in annoyance. The noise interrupted the blonde witch from responding; instead Narcissa turned her attention towards the noise.

“How precious, the Dark Lord’s new pet has arrived, I wonder if she’s house trained. Can the little twit even speak English correctly, her accent is atrocious.” A scathing voice pierced Tathar from behind; every word from her mouth dripping with venom. Narcissa scowled in the direction of the voice, displeased by the insult directed at her new guest.

Tathar spun on her heels to face the hateful words spoken to her, a defiant glare plastered on her face. There was a woman leaning against the doorframe, a devious grin starting to spread across her face. Her hair was wild with black curls, dark robes that were far too revealing, and long filthy fingernails tapping against the wood. She looked absolutely feral. The way this untamed woman appraised Tathar was giving her a chill up her spine. This is what she had expected from a Dark Lord minion. Turning towards Narcissa, her expression livid, she answered.

“It seems I may not be welcomed after all.”
Narcissa rolled her eyes and wrapped her arm around the girl’s shoulders.

“Nonsense, that’s just my sister, Bellatrix. Pay no mind to her, changes upset her is all. She’ll come around soon enough. Now let’s get you in the room we have set up for you and get you cleaned up, your dress could use a little mending as well.” She eyed the sapphire blue dress, trying to decide the best way to repair the rips and tears.

Blushing at the disarray of her clothing, her modesty finally kicking in, Tathar said her farewells to the men. When she peeked back towards the doorway she noticed that the cruel woman named Bellatrix had slipped out. She walked out of the foyer and followed Narcissa up a flight of stairs on what she presumed was the east wing of the manor. They stopped when they reached a large bedroom, the colors a calming cerulean, her favorite color. So maybe the whole house wasn’t filled up with green after all? The blue comforter on the large bed looked so inviting. All of the adrenaline was draining out of her system, she felt exhausted.

“This will be your room; there is an adjoining bathroom to the side. My son, Draco, has the room at the end of the corridor. He’s at school right now so he won’t be any bother to you. Feel free to go ahead and shower, you look chilled. I also need to look over you for any injuries that Severus may have overlooked while healing you.”

Taking this as a cue that she should disrobe Tathar started to slowly peel away her dress, her shoulder were still tender from her earlier fall in the woods. Noticing the marks Narcissa exclaimed, “My goodness, what did those brutes do to you my dear?” She pointed out the fading bruises across Tathar’s shoulders.

“I was attacked before I was sent here, I think I fell somewhere along the way. They should be gone in the morning. I heal pretty fast.” Tathar admitted shyly.

Tathar started to recount the events of her day, every last minuscule detail until she started sobbing earnestly. The reality of the events that had taken place less than eight hours ago finally hitting Tathar; well technically it was thousands of years ago. The magnitude of her grief consumed her. Narcissa rocked her soothingly while she cried, knowing she would feel better once she had exhausted her tears.

“Shhhhh dear, it will be ok, you’ll see. Maybe not at first, but someday you’ll move on from this; and we’ll be here for you until you do.” Narcissa whispered into her hair as the girl sobbed.

“You’re so nice, I wasn’t expecting such kindness.” Tathar sniffled. Narcissa continued to rub small soothing circles across her shoulders, to help ease her pain.

“Nonsense, you’re in good hands now. We’ve sworn to protect you, so no more tears for now. Let’s get you into that shower, get some food in you and a good night’s, well dawn is close, so a good morning’s rest. You need to look respectable in the Dark Lord’s presence when you meet with him tomorrow evening.”

At this reminder of why she was here Tathar instantly sobered, her tears falling only silently the hiccupping sobs halted.

“Is he as dreadful as he sounds?” Tathar implored her eyes wide with trepidation.

“He can be at times, just do as he asks and you’ll be fine.” Narcissa reassured the girl.

“Does he have a name?” Tathar timidly asked not knowing whether the question was appropriate or not.

“Yes, but we do not speak it out loud, in reverence to him.”

Tathar eyed the witch sitting across the bed her gaze probing, knowing that the subject would not be dropped; Narcissa leaned into her ear and whispered solemnly…

“The Dark Lord’s name is Lord Voldemort.”

“And what does that mean?” Tathar asked bewildered.

“Let’s pray you never have to find out child.”


AN: So what do you think? Next up; the POV of the Heir of Slytherin, himself. If you have any questions feel free to ask away, I know not everyone has read LOTR but I figured if you watched Peter Jackson’s movies you would be pretty safe. Just to remind you yes this is a Tom Riddle Jr. fic. not a LOTR fic., it will just take a few chapters to get there. I would much rather have a long story than a too short story. Have patience and all will be revealed.

Here are the links to “Houses of Healing” from The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Complete Recordings. It includes the beautifully sung “Arwen’s song” performed by Miss Arwen ( Liv Tyler) herself. I have also included a link to just “Arwen’s Song” as well, but the quality isn’t as good. Credit goes out to Arwen-Undomiel.com for the excerpt of “Arwen’s Song.” Enjoy.

“The Houses of Healing"
Composed by: Howard Shore
Performed by: Liv Tyler

http://www.mediafire.com/?ky0mymunz3z


“Arwen’s Song (excerpt)”
http://www.mediafire.com/?xnmjnyqannl


Disclaimer:
The RIAA dictates that all music downloaded should be removed after previewing for twenty-four hours. What you do with the music you collect here is your own responsibility.


Translations:
“Mae. Iston le?” = Yes. Do I know you?

Westron= the language of (human) men or better known as the “common speech” in LOTR.

Lorien= Elven realm west of the river Anduin, also known as Lothlorien, the elves that resided there were called the elves of Lorien or Galadrim. It was a land of golden woods. It was Galadriel’s (Willow’s great-great-great grandmother.) domain.

Sauron- Dark Lord during the time of the War of the Ring. Master of Mordor (dark realm) and maker of the “One Ring”.

Galadriel= Noldorin princess (wisest and deepest elf); queen of Lothlorien and the ruler of the Galadrim (Lorien elves). Willow’s Great-great-great-grandmother. Grandmother to the original Arwen Evenstar. She owned one of the three Elven rings. She was said to have the gift of divination.

Dur Hir = Dark Lord

“Le Hannon” = Thank You

Minas Tirith= Chief city and capitol of Gondor. Where the King of Gondor resided. Willow’s home.