Harry Potter and the Fellowship of the Ring

Chapter 10

Still, every time he was in this sort of situation his magic surged within him with frustration. Why hadn't he deemed it necessary to learn wandless magic?

Oh right. He'd been trying not to die. That was why.

He missed Hermione and her determination to study even when the world was in danger. Maybe she'd be able to pull something out of that brain of hers that he couldn't.

Suddenly, he heard was able to make out a frantic shout from Gandalf, "It's Saruman!"

Something shook the ground, and his eyes widened before he jumped out of the way. A massive black mass, a boulder, skimmed past his face before disappearing along with the snow into a chasm of grey matter. Then he heard it hit the ground with a solid thunk! If it had been sharper, it would have taken off his hair; it had come close enough. Merlin knew he secretly wanted a haircut, elfy customs aside.

Aragorn had seized hold of Frodo and his elbow. "He's trying to bring down the mountain!" he fought the wind to get his message out. "Gandalf! We must turn back!"

Now, he didn't have a problem with getting out of the cold. But he could see many problems with that statement. First, they would encounter just as many problems with Saruman trying to go back the way they came. If they wanted to leave the pass, they'd have to find a closer path. Second, Gandalf was one of those "for the greater good" types. He'd be willing to freeze their arms off if it meant getting Frodo a path away from the dark forces of Sauron for as long as possible. He'd be willing to die for it, just as Dumbledore had.

He wasn't surprised when Gandalf yelled, not at Aragorn or anyone, but what seemed to be fate itself, "No!" He drew himself out of the ditch, on top of the snow with Legolas and started chanting at the top of his lungs in Sindarin, commanding the mountain to sleep. "Losto Caradhras, Sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!"

He was sort of amazed that Gandalf and Saruman could battle it out at such great a distance. However, Saruman had the upper hand, since he'd been chanting his spell for far longer than Gandalf had. This time, he managed to hear Saruman's voice carried by the wind, tormenting him in Quenya, an ancient elven language he did not know. Gandalf and Saruman's battle was a battle of the elder days and the age of middle earth. Unfortunately for them, the great pile of snow that fell on their heads meant that the memories of the elder days still held true for the mountain of Caradhras.

Gandalf and Legolas tensed. Aragorn and Boromir braced themselves. Gimli roared indignantly. The hobbits sighed in terror (Pippin started muttering "I dun wunna die!" at top speed). Ellerosse watched it fall with a strange sort of calm before it fell on top of their group. He heard Bill neigh indignantly, frightened before all sound was cut off.

For a moment, he stayed still, unable to even shiver and the pendant around his neck the only source of heat. Suddenly, he was seventeen again, and he was immersed in the cold with Slytherin's locket choking him, and Ron would come--his blazing, brilliant knight--to save him. He shook off this distant memory to fight the snow, using his limber limbs to burrow through it like some bizarre mole.

Legolas had surfaced before him, no surprise there, and the two of them exchanged a worried glance before moving to grab the hands protruding from the offending pile of white. As Ellerosse pulled Boromir to his feet, the man got a determined expression on his face.

"We must get off the mountain!" the Gondorian shouted over the wind. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!"

Goodness, the ring did have quite the grip on Boromir, didn't it?

Aragorn remained the voice of reason, and he shouted right back to him, "the Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!"

"If we cannot pass over the mountain," Gimli piped in, "let us go under it! Let us go through the mines of Moria!"

Ellerosse thought a moment. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a bad idea. The mines, according to Gimli, were friendly territory. And he had always wanted to see the dwarven kingdom that even the dwarves of Erebor praised so highly.

And, well, he'd like to get out of this cold as soon as possible.

"I would not mind warm blankets and good food," stated Ellerosse.

"Ah!" Gimli seemed excited that someone was appreciative of his idea. "You will be treated most excellently, Master Ellerosse, if you have such excellent taste and such appreciation for my people."

"Let the Ringbearer decide," Gandalf conceded. All attempted conversations ceased, and everyone looked to Frodo.

What will you do, Harry?

"We will go through the mines," Frodo said, and he might have missed the words if not for his enhanced hearing.

Ellerosse didn't think this was a bad choice for obvious reasons, but he couldn't help feeling an ominous pressure when Gandalf looked as if Frodo had declared that they were to walk through Angband itself. Forlornly, Gandalf stated, "so be it."