Disclaimer: Harry Potter and related characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling. The Lord of the Rings and related mythology belong to the heirs of J. R. R. Tolkien.
A/N OK, Sindarin title. It just means "new news": as in new information revealed. Simple as that.
Chapter 17: Gwain Siniath
"What do you mean by 'summon Morgoth back'?" demanded Harry.
"It means precisely what I said!" said Wormtail, desperately. "He seeks to bring the original lord of darkness back to the spheres of the world."
For a while Harry said nothing before he finally released Anduril's cold blade from Wormtail's throat. Wormtail fell to his knees gasping and panting.
"Talk," said Harry. He had of course heard of Sauron's predecessor, the Valar Melkor who became the original Dark Lord Morgoth. Whom had destroyed the Trees of Light in Valinor and stolen the Simarils, the three greatest jewels of the Elves. But he still felt rather skeptical.
"Some time ago," said Wormtail, "I found an old book in a derelict hobbit home. It was written in the Elvish lettering which I think was called 'Tengwar' or something like that. I used a translation spell on it and discovered that it was a detailed explanation of the three chalices that are hidden within the schools. It explains how the Elves upon discovering that it was Sauron whom had deceived them into creating the Rings of Power, had also tricked them into creating the chalices that would release Morgoth from his imprisonment within the void."
Harry still had a hard time accepting this. "We both know just how power hungry Voldemort is," he said. "Summoniong a partner in Sauron is one thing. Summoning a master in Morgoth... I just don't see him doing that."
"Well I don't know!" wailed Wormtail. "How would I know what He who must not be named is thinking? Maybe Sauron's the one in primary control of their minds or something like that!"
"Perhaps he has a point," said a voice from behind. Harry turned around and was surprised to see Gandalf standing there.
"I thought you had left," said Harry.
"A wizard comes and goes as he pleases. You should know this young Heir of Elessar," said Gandalf. "It has long been Sauron's desire to bring Morgoth back. The implementing of the search for the chalices may suggest that Sauron holds primary dominance in the Dark Lord's mind. However, there's another slim possibility."
"What?" asked Harry.
"Was not the one thing that this Voldemort desired more than anything immortality? It is possible that Voldemort agrees to summon Morgoth in exchange for immortality like that of the Nazgul, without the side affect of becoming a slave to Sauron and his Rings of Power. At most, their union is most likely a temporary thing, only until Morgoth returns whereupon he could grant them two separate, immortal bodies."
"And Voldemort can wait patiently for an eternity to seize power for his own," concluded Harry. "Sounds kind of far-fetched, though."
"Which is why it is a 'slim' possibility," said Gandalf.
"So what do I do now?" asked Harry. "I have to rescue Hermione, but I don't know where to begin."
"I would suggest that think through carefully. You cannot just walk into Azkaban. The fortress prison has a barricade now which will not allow a Numenorean to brake out of it, or even into it," said Gandalf.
Harry was puzzled. "And why is that?"
"Because of its location; modern wizards can sometimes be rather foolish in where they decide to build their structures. Most likely, they built Azkaban there because they must've of found a few preexisting dungeons that had survived the ages."
"What?"
"I am sure you're aware that region known as the North Sea was once that lands of Beleriand. The island where Azkaban is was once the mountain peaks of Thangoroduin and below that, the armory fortress of Angband."
"You've got to be kidding me," said Harry. "How the heck am I supposed to enter there?"
"There is one possibility," said Gandalf. "Shortly before he died, Aragorn entrusted a certain item of his to the Dwarves for safekeeping. Though they never settled Khazud-Dum again, the Dwarves still maintained a treasury somewhere within its deep. Though most of the caverns of Moria no longer exist, I do believe the section where there once was the treasury still lies somewhere below the Swiss Alps; all that is left of the Misty Mountains."
"Great!" said Harry while throwing up his hands, "Now I have to trek through Moria. Most likely I'll just end up getting lost and starving to death."
Wormatil made a sound. "Actually..."
"Actually what?" said Harry, turning on him.
"Actually, I know the way through the caverns below the Alps," said Wormtail. "I hid out there after you spared my life in the Shrieking Shack. I can guide you."
"What? Why would you do this?"
"Because I-I have a debt to repay," said Wormtail, "and I cannot allow to have Morgoth summoned back."
"Fine," snapped Harry. "But try to double-cross the way you double-crossed my parents and Sirius and I will kill you on the spot no questions asked. Do I make myself clear?" Wormatil nodded timidly.
"Well, perhaps I must be going now," said Gandlaf. "There are other matters I must attend to."
Harry turned to Gandalf and said, "Before you go, you were hinting that Voldemort-Sauron had a certain weakness. Will you not tell me this or at least clue me in? Please?"
"Oh, it is rather simple actually," said Gandalf. "Though Voldemort and Sauron have two separate minds but share a single body: Voldemort's body. Sure it may be mny times more powerful than before but it is still Voldemort so in the end, the Dark Lord will still have all of Voldemort's weaknesses."
With that, Gandalf was gone with a flurry of his robes. Harry frowned and said, "That's still not much comfort. Voldemort was ridiculously powerful enough as it was before hand."
* * *
"Moria? Why would you want go there?" asked Angnathron. He was still bedridden in the hospital wing.
Harry raised his eyebrows. "I'm surprised that a Dwarf would refer to Moria as 'there'," he said.
"Aye, there's been nary a Dwarf that's entered Khuzud-dum in millennia," said Angnathron, "which is why I'm curious as to why you have this sudden desire to enter what's left of the mines."
"I have my reasons," said Harry. "All I really need to know is the specific location to the entrance of the mines. I'm sure the Dwarfs at least kept tabs on that."
"We did," said Angnathron. "Still, I cannot see sufficient reason to send one of my students gallivanting around in the caves below the Alps, even if he is the Boy-who-lived or the Heir of Elessar."
"I'm sorry that I can't give you too much information," said Harry. "All I'm asking is that you trust me, just this once if no other time." Harry finished off his request with a simple grin.
Angnathron sighed and grabbed a quill and some parchment. "I'm probably going to regret this," he said as he started scribbling on the parchment.
Harry examined the parchment and found that Angnathron had written a set of coordinates in the latitude-longitude form. He didn't necessarily know how to read them but he decided that wasn't something a little research couldn't help. And there was always the four pointer spell to help him. "Thank you, Professor," he said before leaving the Hospital Wing.
* * *
Later on that night, Harry strode across the Quidditch Pitch. In all the flurry that had happened, Harry had totally forgotten about one key factor: he had no mode of transportation. His Firebolt was still being repaired and he couldn't make a portkey without alerting the authorities in the school that he was sneaking out. Being 17, he was licensed to apparate but Swiss Alps were quite a distance away and Harry dd't yet have the experience to apparate that far; he'd most likely end up splinched. And besides, he couldn't apparate on Hogwarts grounds as Hermione liked to constantly remind him.
Harry was still pacing when he heard a rustle in the nearby bushes. Whipping out his wand, Harry yelled, "Lumos!" to see what was going on. When at first he didn't see anything, he called out, "Who's there?"
Slowly, the majestic form of a large eagle with the horse's hindquarters emerged from the bushes, tall and proud before the young Heir of Elessar. The hippogriff was starring at Harry as if he were complementing something.
"Buckbeak? What are you… oh yeah." Harry, remembering his manners, made a deep bow before Buckbeak. Buckbeak bowed down as well, then to Harry's surprise, crouched all the way to the ground and continued starring at Harry.
"Wait a minute, you're suggesting that I ride you to Moria?" asked a perplexed Harry. If Hippogriffs could speak, Harry was certain Buckbeak would've said yes given the way he was looking at him. Harry would've preferred riding a broom but given that he had no other means of transportation, he decided that the Hippogriff was the way to go.
"OK, said Harry as he hesitantly climbed onto the Hippogriff's back. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about this. Hold on a second."
Harry tied a small bag to Buckbeak's harness. Within that bag, shrunken in form was a dirty, terrified rat with a silver hand. "I'm warning you Pettigrew," said Harry as he tied the bag to Buckbeak's harness, "Any funny business and you'll be history before you even realizes what's hit you. You are my guide through Moria, but remember that I don't necessarily need you. Your guidance will simply make it easier." The terrified rat appeared to nod its head.
Harry turned to Buckbeak and said, "If there's any funny business with the rat, eat him." Buckbeak looked hopeful while the rat positively squeaked in terror.
With a kick to the sides, Buckbeak stood up proud and tall with Harry on his back. Harry looked behind to see Crookshanks and Hedwig in a nearby tree looking toward him. "I'll be back in no time," said Harry with a smile. "Just hand in there till I get back." Then, with a mighty flap of his wings, Buckbeak took off into the air with the Heir of Elessar and one treacherous rat with him.
To be continued...
A/N OK, short chapter. Bit of a filler chapter. Sorry it took so long but its own right difficult to find the time to type when they got you working (for three months as of March 8th) down in the food galleys of the ship. Thankfully, we're in port for a month now so I have a lot of free time to write up the next few chapters.