Harry Potter and the Fellowship of the Ring (HP and LotR Crossover) Wattys2016

Chapter 3 Nazgúl, Walking and The Weathertop

The doorman sat in his little alcove by the Gate of Bree smoking a pipe, he was quite peaceful sitting there blowing smoke out of his nostrils until there was a loud bang on the door which made the wooden planks that formed it shake. He picked up a lantern and opened to the top shutter then wham! The whole door fell down on top of him pushing him to the floor and if that didn't kill him the five terrifying men sitting astride jet black horses galloping over the fallen door did.
The Black Riders galloped through the wet streets, stirring up a cloud of gravel and spray behind them, the hoofbeats of the horses echoed through the silent village. The horses whinnied loudly and halted at a sign that read The Prancing Pony, the five men swung off the horses, their metallic armour clinking under their black robes. The shhhung of the men drawing their large wickedly sharp swords rang out down the street as they kicked down the door of the inn.
Inside the lights had been put out and was dark and silent as the Black Riders entered, the terrified barman hid behind his counter as the Black Riders kicked over chairs and tables, looking for something or someone.
The quiet snores of four hobbits and one man filled one of the small rooms above the bar, the door was opened silently by an armoured hand as the Black Riders slowly snuck into the small room. They each made their ways silently towards the little beds that lined the walls, each of them stood over a bed adjusting their swords so they pointed down at the centre of the body shaped lumps. One of the hobbits snorted in his dreams before his eyes flashed opened and widened as the sword of a Black Rider penetrated the bed. The five Riders stabbed the lumps over and over again, not sure which was their target but they didn't care, they ripped the sheets off of the beds to look at their dead victims but found only a pile of mutilated pillows in each bed. Wails of outrage echoed down the stairs from the room as the Black Riders kicked the beds over and as the banging sounds escaped from the room, one of the Black Rider's horses whinnied in the street below as the faces of Strider and Harry Potter watched it through a window.
Three Hobbits woke up, their eyes full of terror as Frodo Baggins sat on the edge of one of the beds looking worried, Harry and Strider were sitting in a corner glaring out of the window at the horses. "What are they?" Asked Frodo quietly.
Strider turned his head towards Frodo "They were once men," he said gravely "Great Kings of men, then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power, blinded by their greed they took them without question, one by one falling to darkness." He said inclining his head towards the window as the Black Riders left the Inn and mounted their horses, still howling with rage. "Now they are slaves to his will," he turned his head back to Frodo "They are the Nazgûl or Ringwraiths, neither living or dead, at all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you," he finished.
They left early the next morning refreshed after the night's events and with enough food and water for a few weeks. As they were leaving the village Harry built up the courage to ask "Strider? Where are you taking us?"
Strider didn't turn round to face him as he replied gruffly "Into the wild," as he lead his horse by the reins up the hill they were climbing.
They walked for a long time in silence before Merry whispered "How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf," as they walked.
"I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler," whispered Frodo back.
"He wouldn't of told us of the Nazgûl if he was," whispered Harry turning and stopping to face the four hobbits who were lugging behind him and Strider.
"He's foul enough," Merry muttered, still unconvinced.
"We have no choice but to trust him," said Frodo stiffly.
"Where's he leading us?" Asked Sam, tugging on the reins of Strider's very reluctant horse.
"To Rivendell Master Gamgee," Strider replied "To the House of Elrond."
"Did you 'ear that, Rivendell," Sam said excitedly "We're going to see the Elves."
They walked on at a quicker pace, the hobbits actually catching up to Harry and Aragorn, spurred on in hopes of meeting the elves and Elrond.
About two hours later they stopped to rest and Harry turned round to see that the four hobbits had started taking things out of Strider's horse's saddlebags such as: a frying-pan, firewood, a rod of flint and steel and so much else. "What are you doing?" Harry asked tiredly, sitting on his bag next to a gorse bush. The hobbits took no notice and Harry put his pack back on and walked over to Stirider "Strider," he whispered "Are we meant to be stopping?"
"No," he said as he turned round to face Harry when he caught sight of the hobbits "Gentleman," he said, the hobbits looked up "We do not stop till nightfall."
"But what about breakfast?" Asked Pippin looking very surprised.
"You've already had it," said Harry.
"We've had one, yes but what about second breakfast?" Pippin smirked.
Strider sighed and turned round and kept walking, swiftly followed by Harry. "I don't think they know about second breakfast Pip." Merry said in a loud whisper that Harry could hear.
"Well what about elevenses?" Asked Pippin frantically as they repacked the saddlebags "Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? They know about them, don't they?"
"I wouldn't count on it."
Harry was getting tired of their whining so he threw two apples over his shoulder to Merry and Pippin. He was very surprised when Merry caught his apple with the skill of a Seeker but wasn't surprised when Pippin missed the apple and was hit on the forehead, stumbled and picked it up. He looked up at the sky dopily, wondering where the Apple had came from before he was shook to his senses when Merry called him.
Soon they were wading through swamp water as they crossed the Midgewater Marshes, mosquitos buzzed round their head biting them which caused a great deal of annoyance. "What do they eat," said Merry slapping a mosquito that was on his cheek "When they can't get hobbit? Argh!" As Pippin fell over into a particularly deep puddle and came up spluttering.
Later that night they stopped in a clearing and had a tasty deer Strider had caught for supper that night, once they all were asleep except Harry and Frodo who were pretending to be asleep heard Strider sing a wonderful song while he was smoking his pipe. "Who is she?" Frodo asked suddenly, making Harry and Strider jump "This woman you sing of."
"Tis the lady of Lúthien," he said "The Elf Maiden who gave her love to Beren, a mortal."
"What happened to her?" Asked Harry.
"She died," Strider said gravely, "Now get some sleep Frodo, you too Harry."
Harry pulled a sheet over him and closed his eyes, he was convinced that Strider wasn't being truthful but it was a rather personal question he and Frodo had asked him.
They walked very far and fast the next day, stopping at the ruin of an old building at twilight which was perched on the edge of a steep cliff. "This was the great watchtower of Amon Sûl," he said staring at the ruin before turning to face Harry and the hobbits "We shall rest here tonight."
A little while later they had climbed to up to the ruins and found an overhang which was where they would rest, they dropped their bags and sat down, Pippin sighing with relief as he lay down after hours of walking. The sun had fully set when Strider took a brown lump out of his pack and dumped it on the floor before unrolling the brown cover, revealing five scabbarded swords. "These are for you," he said as he threw a sword to each one of them "Keep them close, I'm going to have a look around," he said, getting up as Harry marvelled at the silver weapon he had unsheathed like his companions were doing "Stay here," Strider warned before he left them.
Harry dreamt of strange things that night, a tall man with a grey beard and grey hair, wearing grey robes was staring at a man in white robes who studied him cautiously "Tell me... friend..." Grey man said "When did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?" The white man who seemed to be called Saruman's eyes widened before he shouted and Grey flew backwards, his withered frame crashing against a wall. Saruman walked forward pointing his long staff at Grey before pulling it back and Grey dropped to the floor, Grey thrust his staff forward and Saruman was pulled over as if by some powerful force. He groaned before performing the same act on Grey, Grey thrust his staff forwards and Saruman flew backwards and Grey performed the movement again and Saruman slammed into the wall. Saruman waved his staff flipping Grey in midair before dropping him to the floor, Saruman got up and began to ragdoll Grey, throwing him this way and that, Grey returned an attack blowing Saruman through a pair of doors. The white wizard picked himself up and clenched his had, Grey's staff flew towards him and then he threw Grey back before slowly advancing forward, both staves pointed at Grey. "I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly..." He growled spinning grey in circles "But you have elected the way of pain!"
Harry suddenly woke up and sat bolt upright before hearing the sound of a sound of a crackling fire and voices. "My tomato's burst," one said.
"Could I have some bacon?" Another said.
"Want a tomato, Sam?" Another added.
Harry looked up and saw Sam, Merry, Frodo and Pippin hunched over a fire holding plates, "What are you doing?!" He yelled.
"Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon." Said Merry cheerfully.
"We saved some for you, Hadrid," Frodo said holding out a plate.
Harry scampered to his feet and ran towards the makeshift fire "Put it out, you fools!" He yelped jumping on the flames "Put it out!"
"That's nice!" Pippin crowed "Ash on my tomatoes!" Before he could complain again an ear splitting shriek filled the air.
"Nazgûl!" Harry whispered as he looked down the cliff face and five figures holding swords emerged from the trees and approached the foot of the cliff.
"Go!" Shouted Harry and Frodo, who drew their swords , an action mirrored by their companions as they rushed away from their camp, scampered up the stairs before arriving in the centre of the grounds. Harry, Merry, Pippin and Sam instinctively formed a protective ring around Frodo, their swords at the ready. Harry turned round and watched in terror as a dark shape emerged from behind one of the darkened columns, the Nazgûl gripped the hilt of his sword with his armoured fingers it he stepped out of the darkness, its armoured feet clanked on the floor attracting the rest of the group's attention. More Nazgûl emerged from different places until the five Nazgûl surrounded the four hobbits and man. They walked forwards ominously slowly as they slowly backed the company towards the cliff face, they lowered their swords until they were at chest level.
"Back you Devils!" Shouted Sam attacking the closest Nazgûl with his sword only to be tossed aside like a doll. Harry, Merry and Pippin tightened their circle around Frodo just to be tossed aside like Sam did, Frodo was alone against five killing machines. Frodo adjusted his feet into a fighting stance but slipped on the damp floor and fell over, his sword skittered across the cobbles and out of his reach he quickly reached into his pocket and without thinking pulled out the Ring. The tallest Nazgûl turned his head achingly slowly towards the hobbit, who had just realised his big mistake. The Nazgûl who had turned walked forward in front of the other Nazgûl and towards Frodo, who was hastily scrambling backwards from the Nazgûl's sword. Frodo kept going back until he felt stone against his back, he was cornered, the Nazgûl raised his sword and Frodo did the thing Harry dreaded he would do, Frodo put on the Ring.

Sorry another cliffhanger but still, please comment on my story thanks.