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 A bit of a tough one actually but this title is Sindarin for "darkness shudders". The idea is that something is happening among those of dark nature and the times are being set in motion. Well that's the idea anyway. Don't know if it'll be any good.
Chapter 7: Doldas Girith
Anybody who knew anything about the Gryffindors knew that Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were the local gossips of the group. Sure they were brave like all Gryffindors but they were also rather flirty and somewhat superficial. Thus, it was no wonder that Hermione shuddered a little bit when the "gossip twins" as Lavender and Parvati were known as cornered her at the Gryffindor Table during breakfast.
"OK, talk!" said Parvati.
"Talk about what?" asked Hermione as she picked up an eclair to eat.
"We know Harry came back earlier this morning," said Lavender. "And we also know that you had gone out this morning to see him."
"So talk now Hermione," demanded Parvati. "Where has Harry been these past few days and what has he been doing?"
Hermione spluttered. "W-well what do you want to know?" she asked. "He just came back and I..." Suddenly a single thought started running through Hermione's head nonstop: 'I kissed Harry! I kissed Harry! I kissed Harry! I kissed Harry...'
The memory of feeling Harry's sweet lips upon her own suddenly brought Hermione's face to a bright red color and she even felt like steam was issuing from her face. At least it certainly felt that way when Parvati cried, "Oh my God! She's getting hard-boiled!"
"Dump cold water on her! Dump cold water on her!" screamed Lavender.
'Oh my God!' thought Hermione, her face still bright red. 'I really kissed Harry! Why did I have to do that? Oh, I hope I didn't shock him too much. What if he never wants to speak to me again? What if he just wants to remain friends? I guess that's going to be better than not speaking to me again but I really want to be more than friends with him. What am I saying, I can't spring this on him at this time! But I already did spring this on him. I'm the one who kissed him. Oh, what am I going to do? What am I going to do?'
Fortunately, Luna Lovegood sauntered near the Gryffindor Table before Lavender could dump cold water all over Hermione.
"Hello girls did you hear?" she said in her usual dreamy voice. "Harry's been attacked by Nargles."
"Nargles?" said Lavender and Parvati at once. "What brought you to that conclusion?" asked Parvati.
Luna looked thoughtful as she started recalling. "Well, I was walking by the Gryffindor Common Room when...
* * *
"What's the matter with him?" asked Ginny as she made her way through the crowd in the Gryffindor Common Room.
"No idea," said Ron. "Apparently, Angnathron found him outside in this state and brought him back here. He's been like this ever since, just staring into space."
The 'he' Ron was referring to was of course Harry whom was seated on a sofa in front of the fireplace simply starring at nothing, his eyes glassy and his body making no motion whatsoever save breathing.
"He's been like this for hours," said Ron. "A guy leaves for a couple of days only to return practically as a vegetable. Can't get any info out of him in this state."
"I hope he snaps out of it soon," said Ginny. "There's no reserve seeker for the Quidditch match coming up."
"I may have to use drastic measures," said Ron. Before Ginny could stop him, Rom hit the back of Harry's head sending him crashing to the floor.
"Hey!" exclaimed Harry, leaping to his feet. "Why did you do that for?"
Ron let a jubilant cry of "It worked!"
Confused, Harry said, "What work..." before a single thought shot through his head. 'Hermione kissed me! Hermione kissed me! Hermione kissed me...' He once again sank down onto the sofa the glassy eyed daze look returning to his face.
"Its hopeless," said Ron and Ginny.
* * *
... and that's pretty much the gist of it," finished Luna.
'Oh no,' thought Hermione, her face brightening red again. 'I really gave him a bad shock.'
"Suspicious," whispered Lavender.
"Very suspicious," concurred Parvati.
"Something happened between those two," said Lavender. "And I can't wait to find out the details."
"Wait til I tell Padma," said Parvati.
"Oh by the way Hermione," said Luna. "I've got a message from Professor Angnathron. He wants you to meet with him by the lake with Hagrid. Ronald and Harry as well."
* * *
Hermione made her way over to the section of the lake not too far from Hagrid's hut. As she was looking for Angnathron however she was startled when she came across Ron who was dragging a still dazed Harry.
"Hermione," said Ron. That instantly snapped Harry out of his daze.
"Hermione?" asked Harry.
Hermione turned bright red and said, "Um... Hi."
"Hi," said Harry, also turning red. An awkward silence descended upon them as Harry and Hermione tried to look at anything but each other. This started to irrate Ron.
"All right! What in Merlin's name is up with you two?" he snapped.
Harry and Hermione immediately turned their focus to Ron. Harry gulped and started saying, "Well you see... we... uh..." as Hermione continued fidgeting. It wasn't easy to explain anything, especially with Ron glaring at them, clearly suspicious. Fortunately, the tense moment was broken by the sound of a rock skidding along the lake's surface.
The three looked toward the lake to see the Hogwarts Groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures Instructor, Rubeus Hagrid throwing stones across the lake, all the while muttering.
"Hagrid?" asked Harry as the three stepped up closer to the 12 foot tall half-giant.
Hagrid didn't seem to have noticed his young friends as he continued muttering, "Prejudice... tha' what it is... prejudice. They don' care abou' any crime! Jus' wan' ta lock up any ole giant. The Ministry and there ways. Couldn' help 'im. Jus' couldn' help 'im." Hagrid tossed another stone over the lake. It skipped away quite a distance before the tentacle of the giant squid came out of the surface of the lake and caught the skipping stone.
"He's been like that for hours now." Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned around to see Angnathron sitting on top of a boulder smoking his pipe. Right next to Angnathron was the hippogriff, Buckbeak whom had been returned to Hagrid's custody after Sirius Black's death: he was pawing on the ground looking for food. "Ever since the poor laddie heard the news. Heart broken, the poor soul," Angnathron said. "I've been trying to convince him to join me for an ale at the Hogs Head but he hasn't given much heed to me."
"What happened?" asked Hermione.
Hagrid answered with a wail: "The Ministry took Grawp to Azkaban Prison!"
"They can take giants to Azkaban?" exclaimed Ron. Hermione gave him an icy glare.
"Azkaban is designed for all manner of living beings," said Angnathron. "There are cells in Azkaban for centaurs, House Elves, goblins, vampires, and giants, though mostly only the human cells get used."
"But why did the Ministry take Grawp to Azkaban?" asked Harry.
"The Ministry is growing nervous in light of the recent developments of the war," said Angnathron. "They may not know the exact details of Voldemort's union with Sauron but they're definitely noticing that things are changing for the worse. So they decided they didn't want any giants wandering around the Hogwarts Grounds, let alone any giants in the British isles period."
"Grawp's harmless! I haf ta tell 'em tha'" wailed Hagrid. Angnathron walked to him and handed Hagrid a napkin which Hagrid took and blew his nose on.
"What the bloody hell is he talking about? You-know-who and this sour-what union?" asked a confused Ron.
Harry ignored Ron and said, "Exactly what are these 'changes' that the Ministry is noticing?"
"Its mostly in the Dark Creatures," said Angnathron. "In particular, Europe is now devoid of the majority of its troll population: they all seem to be heading east to the Forbidden Zone."
"Trolls?" said Hermione. "You mean Voldemort's summoning trolls to his aid."
"Not just trolls lassie," said Angnathron. "The vampires appear to be heading east as well though most of their population lived toward the east anyway. The centaurs are quite nervous but the goblins, they seem to especially know what's happening and our outright terrified. I've never seen goblins terrified before. The forests have become completely empty of acromantula, the giant spiders."
"Well good riddance to that," said Ron.
"I would not be to ready to dismiss the disappearance of the acromantula," said a new voice. Those present turned around to see Rauthoron emerge from the forest. "The movement of the spiders has always been something to keep in mind. Griffins are particular mindful of spider movement since it sometimes hints the presence of our mortal enemy, the basilisk."
"Whoa!" said Ron, completely stunned by the griffin. Hermione was also speechless as she grabbed Harry's arm.
"Blimey!" exclaimed Hagrid, his grief over Grawp's apprehension momentarily forgotten. "A griffin! Good 'eavens 'es a beaut!"
If griffins could blush, Rauthoron would've. "Why thank you, I suppose."
"'es so large! And so magnificen'! I've never seen a griffin before but I summat wished I had one," said Hagrid as he circled Rauthoron, examining every inch of him.
"Griffins are not owned by wizards," said Rauthoron. His attention was then turned to the hippogriff, Buckbeak who meandered over to Rauthoron looking him straight in the eye. For a few seconds, Buckbeak kept eye contact with the griffin whom was over twice his size. Then, to Harry and Hermione's surprise, Buckbeak bowed down before Rauthoron.
"There is no need to humble yourself cousin," said Rauthoron. "For as far as I am concerned, a part griffin is a griffin: I do not adhere to any purity of blood nonsense. We griffins may be an enemy of horses and they our food, but I must admit I personally am a hopeless romantic at heart."
"So do you actually think this is all Voldemort's work?" asked Harry.
"He is gathering an army most likely," said Rauthoron. "He will strike soon. Very soon. I guarantee it."
* * *
"Ah, Hogwarts is always the best around spring isn't it?" said Nymphadora Tonks. Her hair was a shortish blonde color that day. "Always makes me feel like I'm turning into a pudding of nostalgia."
"Pudding? I've never heard it described as that," said one of her two companions Remus John Lupin. "I'd say the castle is more like a sweet piece of chocolate." He waved to a few students greeting him as they ran passed them in the hallways.
Their third companion, Alastar "Mad-Eye" Moody starred at the two of them with his magical eye and snapped, "You two aren't being vigilant enough! In case you've forgotten, we're here to add to the security of the castle, not go gallivanting around reveling in nostalgia!"
"Oh lighten up Mad-Eye," said Tonks as she started walking down a flight of stairs. "Even Aurors have the right to sit down and.... YAAAAH!!!"
"AAAAAH!!!" Tonks was suddenly pushed over by a certain force and crashed into another hapless student, the two of them tumbling down the stairs and falling to the floor with a thud. The unmistakable laugh of a poltergeist echoed around as Peeves sped away.
"Looks like Peeves is still enjoying his time here," said Lupin as he walked to the bottom of the stairs and helped both Tonks and the student up. "You OK, Nymphadora?"
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" snapped Tonks.
Lupin ignored her as he turned his attention to the hapless student that had been bowled over along with Tonks. "Neville! How have you been?"
Over the years, Neville Longbottom had grown into a handsome, powerful, confident young man, though he remained as clumsy as ever and was still a tad forgetful. "Er, quite alright Professor Lupin," he said as he rubbed his aching rear end.
"I'm not your professor anymore. Just call me Remus," said Lupin. "So, where were you headed before you unfortunately ran into Peeves and this," he pointed at Tonks who stuck her tongue out at him, "raving nutter?"
"Actually I was about to go visit my parents in the hospital wing," said Neville.
"Frank and Alice?" said Moody. "I thought they were at St. Mungo's Hospital." Very few people knew that former Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom had been tortured into madness by a group of Death Eaters led by Bellatrix Lestrange, searching for the exiled Voldemort.
"They were sir," said Neville, "But Professor Dumbledore, I think he's worried something is going to happen so he arranged for them to be moved to the castle. Gran was against the idea but Professor Dumbledore managed to convince her."
"Ah, always ready to help, Dumbledore," said Moody. "Well what are you waiting for boy? Take us to the Hospital Wing. I'd like to see your parents again."
To be continued...
A/N This is really a filler chapter, sorry about that. But there are some important stuff in this chapter that builds up to the major plot that happens soon. Unfortunately, there is still just ONE more introductory chapter of this fic before the main plot finally starts. Plus, I've been wanting to write a Quidditch Match for a while, coming next chapter. I also wonder how many people recognized the small sequence I borrowed from Flame of Recca.