I apologize for the lateness of this update. I was promoted about a week or two ago and am now a Supervisor at the store I work at, ergo, I have a lot more hours to work and the days off are full of things that I need to do. Also, with the holidays coming up I need to finish working on the presents I'm making, doing a bit of clean up around the place, laundry, and all sorts of other things. The unfortunate part is that typing/writing is becoming a pleasure that doesn't take a lot of priority. I'm not giving up, especially since we are nearing the end of this story, but it is getting a bit difficult to keep up.

Now, the next story that is in the lead on the poll of the next story to be updated is Harry becomes a DADA teacher, in his fifth year. It's in the lead by at least 70 some odd votes so if that's not the story you wanted, better pummel the vote button, or PM me to cast an extra vote or two, I'll keep a tally on them so you can get your favorite story in a little sooner. The votes do carry over from one voting session to another so any story you wanted but didn't win will still keep their votes. However, the new story won't come about till after Struggle to Salvation is over due to time constraints.

I don't own Harry Potter or The Hobbit

Finally came the day that Harry was given a full released from Madam Pomfrey's care and he subsequently disappeared from the castle. He had joined them all for a lunch out on the eastern balcony, but then he was nowhere to be found afterwards.

After a long three hours of worry and frantic searching, Sirius sighed with a hopeful smile on his lips. "I think I know where he is, he might be in that one room with no door."

"Room with no door? What room has no door?" asked Hermione.

"I'm not sure what's all in there, but Harry used to spend most of his time in there, and frankly only he can come and go from that room. We'll have to wait for him to come back if he's in there."

"And if he's not in there?" Moody asked, his eye spinning in it's socket, the dwarves and some of the younger wizards and witches turned away with green tinged faces.

Sirius sighed, "And from what you told me the other day, you can't see through much here…can you?"

Moody shook his head.

Sirius swallowed. "Let's go have one more quick look around, but I really hope he's there."

"Could he be back in Arda?" asked Hermione quietly.

"That…might be another possibility…though I would have preferred that he at least tell someone he was going there…not that if something were to happen to him we could do much…" said Sirius, swiftly working himself into a bit of a worried frenzy.

"Like you said," interjected Thorin. "let's go have another look."

Hours later, it was Ron who found Harry down in the kitchens, clothes filthy, singed, face bruised, blackened by what looked like soot and trying to nurse several burns on his hands by holding them under a flow of cold water.

"Mate! Where the bloody hell were you? We've looked all over for you!" shouted Ron rushing over to Harry and grabbing him by the shoulder roughly, pulling back when he saw Harry wince in pain.

"Just had to do some stuff…." croaked Harry, hissing as the water hit a particularly sore spot. Barely a moment passed when Ron and latched a hand on top of Harry's wrist, still trying to be as gentle as he could.

"You know, mate, you used to tell me and Hermione everything…well…it took you a few days or hours sometimes, but you talked to us. Now…I think anyone is lucky if you told anything at any point. Dumbledore reckons its because you had to quietly plan out everything as you were on the move. Said something about he understood that more than he could say…whatever that's supposed to mean."

"And you? What do you and Hermione reckon?" asked Harry taking a small jar of burn cream from a nearby house-elf and applying it gingerly to the worse of the burns.

"For a bit, I just thought you were stressed, Hermione thinks Dumbledore's on the mark. So…yeah."

Harry quirked a smile. "I wouldn't say that it's not a bit of both…also…wasn't I…you know…injured? Can't talk much with Madam Pomfrey threatening to tie me down and lock the door till she's done, can I?"

Ron chuckled, "No…guess you can't. So…do we have to wait to hear this story? Or do you want to keep it to yourself and hope no one calls her again?"

Harry watched his hand twitch painfully for a bit and then looked at Ron. "Would you believe me if I told you?"

"Mate, look where we are now…what else could possible happen that's more out of the normal."

Harry relayed what he had done and how he had gotten the injuries he acquired, Ron stared at him with his mouth hung open.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"See…I told you."

Wearing thick gloves till he could slowly and completely heal himself (his stamina was still lacking and couldn't heal himself as fast) he led the dwarves, Ron, Hermione and a few other curious onlookers to the armory.

The armory itself was quite close to both Harry's office and bedroom, the door was a large oaken masterpiece of a door, with various carvings etched into the wood along with a few runes adorning the top of the entry.

"What does that mean?" asked Ron pointing to the symbols.

"'Beware all ye who enter here…" said Fred in a mock somber tone.

"'For we are full of sharp and pointy things.'" added George.

Fili and KIili snorted as Thorin rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Mahal, give me strength, I have two sets to deal with."

"I believe it says: Royal Armory, erected by King Magus, reign of thirteen twenty-four to fourteen thirty-five." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Fili frowned. "Why so short a reign?"

"We don't live as long as you do. I think I'll be lucky to be around for perhaps another seventy years or so." said Harry chuckling to himself.

"Not something to joke about." said Thorin.

"Being honest…" said Harry shrugging slightly. He opened the door and walked in as the rest of them all stood in awe. There were far less suits of armor compared the entirety of Hogwarts, but each one of the suits had a different sort of armor style to it, varying from one end of earth's history to the present and even incorporated different Middle Earth armors. Thorin, Kili and Fili stared at the different dwarvish armor that lined the walls and then the different dwarvish weapons that surrounded them, all surrounded by what looked like protective glass.

"It's like a museum." said Hermione with an awed expression as she looked down into the case full of various jeweled, goblin made blades. "It's…beautiful."

"And how are you to get any of these weapons out to use them?" asked Thorin.

"My castle…" said Harry with a smile. He waved his hand and the glass surrounding a diamond studded dagger disappeared and the weapon flew into his hand. "my weapons. You can't get to them, but I surely can. In fact, I could possibly order the castle to seize and confine any weapon that comes past the gates."

He walked over to where Thorin was standing, ancient dwarvish weapons kept safe behind the case. "Want to take a guess what's keeping those weapons in there?"

"Glass…isn't it?" asked Ron.

Harry shook his head, with a bright smile to Thorin. "How well can you tell rock, sand and gemstones, again?"

Thorin raised a brow and looked at the young man with a confused look. "I was taught how to recognize the quality of both rock and stone at the age of forty."

"So…just learned it?" asked Ron out loud.

Thorin turned slowly and stared at Ron as Kili and Fili snickered.

"Uncle Thorin isn't forty…" said Kili with a gleeful smile.

"Anyway…" said Harry loudly, "Is this glass or is this something else?"

"Like plastic?" asked Hermione.

"Plas...?" started Ron as Thorin leaned over the case and placed a careful hand on it, he bent over further and peered inside intently and then leaned back slowly.

"This…this is impossible, there should be no way for that to be in there."

"What is it Uncle?" asked Kili.

"This…this is pure diamond." said Thorin in a hushed tone as he touched the case tenderly.

"That cannot be…" said Fili rushing over and touching a similar case in awe.

"Before you ask, I didn't make the cases, they were here when I got here…" said Harry. "But I did discover something pretty interesting a few weeks ago." he placed his hands on the clear surface of the case, before their eyes, they saw his hand seemingly dip right through.

"Saves on me trying to smash my way in." said Harry. "Especially when I want to get my sword right away, or a dagger, no one else can get a weapon, but I sure can."

"And hopefully your guardsmen…" said Thorin.

"Can't say that I'd fancy filing through how many applications for guardsmen when I can simply just use magic to do it for me." said Harry, "But knowing what Moody will say," he added with a pointed look towards the Auror. "I'd better have someone other than Sirius wandering around."

"Nice to know I'm what you have to settle for." sneered Sirius.

"And that you listen to me." snickered Moody.

"And our weapons? They're in similar cases?" asked Thorin.

Harry walked a little further down in the armory and stopped in front of a trio of short statues, each one had a different sort of armor and weapon, much like the others, but these three statues were sporting items that the three dwarves recognized immediately.

"Fili, I've never seen you look so handsome." said Kili with a gleeful smile on his face as he looked at the blank, metal face of the statue wearing his brother's garb.

"After I'm done, you'll only wish you could look like that." said Fili pointing at the statue that held his brother's items.

Harry waved his hands and the cases that surrounded the suits of armor melted away into thin air, allowing the dwarves to retrieve what was removed from them. As they suited up, Ron placed a hand on the case holding Verlairion, "If you're opening all the weapons up, can we take them out and try them, you know…duel a bit."

"Ron! It's too dangerous!" scolded his mother.

"I agree with your mother, if you want to spar, you'd better start with wooden weapons." said Thorin as he turned the axe around in his hand, trying hard to not miss the feel of Orcrist in his hand. "There are some staffs in the corner that will do…I also hope that you are prepared get a few bruises."

For a few hours, Kili and Fili taught any of the people of Harry's world a bit of offensive and defensive moves while Thorin and Harry sparred. Thanks to Harry's sparring practice with Bilbo, (not to mention the practice he went through with Gimli and the adventures he went through) he was holding his own against Thorin. Though, to be honest, he could see that Thorin himself was holding back quite a bit and even struck him on the backside with the flat side of his blade when he would get behind him.

"You need to watch were I go after I'm done striking you." said Thorin smirking at the young man as he rubbed his sore rear.

"Yeah, yeah…" said Harry turning around and facing Thorin again.

Hermione watched the two of them fixedly, she winced when he was close to being hurt and gasped when he was struck.

"You alright, Hermione? I mean, I'm watching all three sessions, but I'm not freaking out like you are." said Ginny sitting down and looking at the sparring sessions with an eager smile. "Wish some of the blokes at Hogwarts were built like them."

Hermione continued to watch Thorin and Harry. "I can see why Harry didn't want to take us, if there was more than just the four of them to fight…it's so easy to get hurt…"

"I think just getting hurt would be a lucky thing." said Ginny quietly. "And without magic…we'd have to be just as competent at fighting as Harry, but even he had some magic and a lot of time to train up."

The bookish girl heaved a great sigh. "How do you think Harry managed to do all this and stay safe?"

Ginny shrugged as she watched the younger dwarves turn on each other and start to spar furiously. "That doesn't make me feel any better, if they have to fight that fast, Harry's not nearly as quick with his sword…"

"Oh no?" came Kili's voice as he nodded over to Harry and Thorin.

The girls both watched Harry and Thorin and for suddenly even they began to go faster. "How…how is Harry able to keep up?"

"I think he's cheating…" said Fili turning to look at the other two sparrers. "You know, using magic…"

"I believe you're right, even we can't keep up with Uncle when he's going that fast, and we've trained with him for years." said Kili.

Despite whatever means Harry was using, he still managed to be disarmed in the end and had his side swatted with the blunt side of Thorin's sword again.

After everyone, that had wanted to, sparred with the dwarves, they all gathered in the dining room to have a farewell party for the dwarves. With Harry, Mrs. Weasley and the house-elves, (Harry decided that perhaps showing Thorin the elves of his world wouldn't quite be a good idea, the last thing he wanted was to give Thorin the chance to perhaps put the poor elves through a lot of unnecessary hoops) they made a whole feast of different foods. The elves made the foods that were of the magical world, (cooked with simple ingredients so that they didn't make the dwarves sick) while Harry took on different dishes that he had learned from Middle Earth, that way they all could try a sample of both.

Meanwhile, the dwarves and the other inhabitants of the castle were having some final chats with each other if they so wanted it, taking bits of food from the tables that would change their food items every so often. Thorin this time had allowed himself to be pulled away by Dumbledore while the youngsters grabbed onto Kili and Fili to show them various pictures of the world from books in the expansive library.

"I take it, that you will be Fainas'…Harry's advisor?" asked Thorin, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Dumbledore smiled. "I will certainly offer my opinion if Harry should ask for it, and as for the name 'Fainas', I don't think he would be averse to being referred to that name when it comes to you, Kili and Fili. "

"If he asks you for your opinion? Fainas needs an advisor, a king, especially as young as he is needs to have someone to guide him at first…. I know that Balin has lent his wisdom in many of my decisions." said Thorin firmly.

"And have you listened to him in every instance?" said Dumbledore with a twinkling smile.

"…Not in all matters…no…" said Thorin frowning.

"Well, I've known Harry for many years, if he is out of his depth he is not afraid to ask for help. Alas, that doesn't mean he asks for help when there is danger afoot, he leans towards solving the matter on his own…even if he is over his head." said Dumbledore kindly.

"I've seen that." said Thorin looking at the rest of the people in the dining room, "Have they seen it as well?"

"Oh, they are all too well-aware of it." said Dumbledore as he gazed around the room with a fondness. "I would like to believe that Harry knows full well that if he has any questions or needs any sort of assistance, he has his veritable pick of whom to ask."

"So…not a conventional council then…."

"Oh, he has one, we just have not had a real chance to hold a meeting." said Dumbledore. "Now, why don't we go and find out what delectable treats Harry has secured for us."

"No chance on them staying a little longer, huh?" said Ron quietly to Hermione. The dwarves were adjusting their belongings, preparing to go back to Middle Earth. "I mean, they could have a little journey around…Upper Earth."

Harry snapped his fingers and to the dwarves utter amazement, a circle of multi colored lights slowly revolved his head twinkling slowly.

"Is that...?" said Kili staring at the twinkling lights in awe. "Is that your crown?"

"It most certainly is." said Dumbledore with a kind smile.

Thorin came up and gazed intently at all the different colored lights.

"Can you see them?" asked Harry soft tone.

"I was able to see them for a while now….it wasn't often, but they did appear briefly every morning just before you woke." said Thorin. "So…those are the stones…remarkable, the legends were true, these stones are not of middle earth."

"King Meandenbor's legend? But aren't they sapphires, rubies and…" asked Kili.

"There are many different stones, but the styles and cuts are not of any I've ever seen back in Arda. I may be mostly trained in blacksmithing, but every dwarf has been taught the different cuts of stones done by different jewelers and prominent families."

"Different cuts?" asked Hermione.

"We didn't have…the resources to give Kili and Fili the complete lessons, only theory and drawings, but each dwarvish kingdom as well as each family has their own specific slight cut. Less chance of someone…like Nori…taking someone's family jewels and selling them off to a dwarvish jeweler."

"A jeweler will know if they can be bought or not?" asked Ron.

"If a jewel has markings that don't match the seller and the seller doesn't have the appropriate paper works, they can't buy them…not legally anyway." said Fili.

"If any dwarf jeweler is in possession of stolen jewels, they and the criminal could be arrested and possibly lose a few braids, if it's very serious, they could be shaved completely and cast out of whatever kingdom they're from." said Kili. "And with how we take hair seriously, it's one of the worst punishments you could be given."

"These stones are from our world, not sure where exactly, all I know is that they were taken from the royal treasury." said Harry.

"Royal…?" started Thorin.

"Oh, no, we are not going in there…" said Harry firmly with a wagging finger. "Last time you…" he stopped, his face looking uncomfortable.

Thorin also slightly shared in his misery, but instead of showing emotion, he put his hand in his pocket. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly a large flash of light came shooting out of a far tower. The light then curved down amazingly crashed into the ground, solidifying slightly into a large glittering shaft of light.

"Looks like it found the time and everything else I wanted it to do." said Harry turning around and looking at the shaft of light, his lips curled into a sad smile. "It's time to go."

Hands were shook, arms embraced, snacks were given and fond farewells were exchanged and the dwarves turned towards the light.

"Where are we going, Uncle?" asked Kili.

"Arda…where…or when I do not know." Thorin responded as he looked up at the light.

Thanks for reading! Once again, sorry for the delay in updating!