Harry lay on his bed like a broken toy lies on the floor. His uncle had just left. A broken toy was an accurate way to describe him. He was covered in his own filth-and that of his uncle-and was crying like the world was ending. According to him, it was. What had just happened was the worst event of his life, even worse than Sirius's death. In all honesty, he was just ready to die.

He looked out at the evening sky. The first star had just come out. 'I love the stars,' Harry thought as more started showing their faces. 'It's as if they know what I'm going through and are crying for me.' He breathed a very troubled sigh and a red streak appeared on his cheeks as he wiped the tears away. The stars winked at him in a very sad way. With a shaking hand, Harry got up, walked to the desk, and started to write a letter to Lupin.

Dear Lupin, Everything is fine here at my uncle's house. How are you? I hope all of our friends are all right. I haven't heard from them in a while. Well, I'm pretty tired, so I'll write again in a couple of days.

Best wishes,

Harry Potter

Snape was heading for the Headmaster's office. His hands were balled into tight fists and he had an agitated edge to his stride. He had a horrible feeling that something terrible had just happened. He was too late to achieve his goal. He reached the stone gargoyle and muttered, "Bloodpop." The gargoyle sprang aside and Snape walked up the stairs.

"I'll be with you in a moment, Severus. I'm rather busy right now," Dumbledore said.

"I need to talk to you now, not in a few minutes. It's about Harry," Severus answered. Dumbledore looked up.

"What about Harry?" he asked.

"Well, I'm worried about him. Lupin mentioned his letters have become shorter than usual lately. Usually, he says that Harry writes pretty long letters. But now, his letters are usually between one and five sentences. Even more than that, I just have a feeling that something's terribly wrong. I want to bring him to live with me for the rest of the summer," Snape answered.

"He's safe enough there for now. I want him to stay there," Dumbledore said.

"But what if something is wrong? I would feel better if I at least went to check on him," Snape answered.

"I'm sure if something was wrong, Harry would tell us about it," Dumbledore said. "Besides, I don't think his relatives would appreciate us coming to check on him just because we have a 'bad feeling'," he added with a twinkle in his eye.

"That's what I'm worried about. If they have nothing to hide, they shouldn't mind, if we wear muggle attire," Snape said.

"Now, I'm sure you're overreacting. It's barely two weeks into summer. I'm sure nothing could have happened yet. Besides, with Voldemort back, he needs the protection that only his relatives can give him," Dumbledore answered.

"My house has very ancient protection magic on it, if that's what you're worried about," Snape insisted.

"No, Severus, my mind's made up. We'll see him soon enough when the Weasleys invite him to their house," Dumbledore said with finality in his tone that told Snape he had just lost the argument.

"All right. I'll try not to worry," he said, and left Dumbledor's office.

'Great,' he thought. 'Dumbledore won't listen to me.' Of course, this wasn't going to stop him. He would take Harry to live at his house to live for the rest of the summer anyway. Something WAS wrong, and he would find out what it was. And those muggles would pay if Harry were in any way hurt.

Snape went into his bedroom in the dungeons and changed into Muggle clothing. He should go right away. The sooner that Harry was away from those muggles the better. The hard part would come when he had Harry at his house. How would he explain things to Harry? But he would worry about that when the time came. He left Hogwarts and headed for Hogsmead. From there he would apparate to Private Drive.

When he got there, he walked up to number four and rang the bell. A large, beefy man with lots of mustache and little neck answered. "I wish to speak to Harry Potter. I'm one of his teachers. I've been sent to take him somewhere else for the rest of the summer," Snape told the man.

"Why do you want to see him? He's been writing you," the man answered suspiciously.

"I told you. I'm taking him somewhere else for the summer. Now, can I see him?" Snape answered.

"No. You didn't even bother to write to say you were coming. Leave us alone," the man answered. He made to close the door. Snape was definitely suspicious.

Putting his foot in the way of the door, Snape argued, "If you have nothing to hide, there's no reason for me not to take the boy now. Besides, I was under the impression that you weren't fond of him. It would get him out from under your nose."

The man's eyes narrowed. Snape knew he was caught between a rock and a hard place, if he had harmed Harry. To keep him locked up would look suspicious. But to let him be seen would expose any physical harm done. "Come in," the man said grudgingly. Snape followed him into the living room. "Stay here while I go get Harry." He left the room.

Harry opened his eyes when his uncle started banging on the door. "One of your teachers is here to collect you. And you'd better not let him see anything, boy, or I'll make your life hell," Vernon yelled through the door.

Harry got up, turned on the light, and started looking around for clean clothes. Why was one of his teachers coming to pick him up? Where were they taking him? Maybe they would take him to the Weasley's house. He hoped that they would at least give him news of what the order was doing at the moment. Now, where was something that wouldn't show anything? Harry saw a sweatshirt, grabbed it, and put it on with a pair of jeans. He then put on socks and shoes. He then headed downstairs.

"Professor Snape?" Harry asked, and Snape looked up. Why was Harry wearing a sweatshirt? "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, get your things together. Dumbledore decided it would be a good idea if you went somewhere else," Snape answered. Yes, there was definitely something wrong.

Chapter 2: Rivendell

After Harry got all of his things together, which took about half an hour, he left with Professor Snape. "Where do you live, sir?" he asked hesitantly.

"A long ways away. I'll have to use a portkey or something to get us there, or we'll spend the rest of summer trying to get there," Snape answered. He took his wand out, lighted it, and held it up. A second later, a purple bus appeared out of nowhere. A boy about eighteen years jumped out.

"Welcome to the Knight Buss, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening," he said loudly.

"We want to go to the ministry of magic," Snape said.

"What fer?" Stan asked.

"That's none of your business, is it?" Snape answered with a smirk. They got on the bus. "OK, you can sit here, sir, and you can sit beside him, Harry," Stan said.

"Um, ok," Harry said, looking uncomfortable. After Harry and Snape were sitting down, Harry started timidly asking questions.

"Um, did Dumbledore send you?" Harry asked.

"Yes, he did. He seemed to think you'd be safer with me than with your muggle relatives," Snape answered.

"And why do we have to go to the Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked.

"To get permission to make a portkey. That really would be the best way to get to where we are going since you can't apparate. We should be there in a few hours, one way or another," Snape answered.

Harry stopped talking. He didn't want Snape to get annoyed with him. He was probably already angry with having to live with Harry, and Harry really didn't want to be punished for talking too much. Uncle Vernon . Harry forced that out of his mind. He jumped slightly when Snape touched his arm.

"It's time to go, Harry," Snape said. They gathered Harry's luggage and left.

"You know, Harry, contrary to popular belief, I am not a vampire. I won't bite you," Snape said with humor in his voice to Harry, who was several steps behind him. Harry caught up a few steps, so he was right behind Snape. Snape gently put his hand on Harry's shoulder and guided him forward another step, so they were side by side. Harry flinched at his touch and watched his hand nervously. 'Why is he so nervous?' Snape wondered. 'It's as if he thinks I'm going to hurt him.' He knew those muggles had something to do with it.

When they got to the telephone booth, Snape said what they were there for; they got their badges, and went down into the Ministry of Magic. After pinning the badges to their robes, they made their way down the hall to the front desk. They were directed to level six, and made their way to the lifts. Several witches and wizards were there already. They went down two floors and got out. They found their way to where they control portkeys. "Stay here, Harry. I'll be right back," Snape told Harry. Harry sat down in a nearby chair.

A few hours later, Snape came out. "Come, Harry. We will take a portkey to my house," he said to Harry. They left the Ministry of Magic. When they got back out onto the muggle streets, Harry's trunk was exactly where they had left it with a protective spell on it. Snape grabbed a piece of garbage, said a spell on it, and held it out for Harry. Harry grabbed onto it with one hand, grabbed his trunk with the other, and felt himself being pulled forward. When he landed, he fell forward with a crash.

As Snape helped him up, Harry took his first look around. He gasped. He was standing at the edge of a deep valley that stretched on for miles on either side of him. The whole thing was wooded. There were pine trees at the top of the valley which changed to leafy trees farther down. At the bottom of the valley, he saw a river. On the farther side of the valley, Harry saw hundreds of stone roofs among the trees.

"That, on the farther side, is my house." Snape smiled at Harry's incredulous look. "And yes, it is huge. I have the whole valley to myself. It is called Rivendell. The buildings you see are called Imladris, which means 'the last homely house' in Elvish. Come, Harry."

Harry followed after Snape on a small trail leading down into the valley. After they walked for a while, the trees changing smoothly from pine to leafy, and it getting steadily warmer, they got to the river. "This river is called the Anduin River in Elvish," Snape told Harry. They found a bridge and crossed it. Eventually, they reached a well-paved road that led up to the buildings.

'Snape might call it a house,' Harry thought, 'but I'd call it a city.'

"Now, come, Harry. I'll show you where you'll sleep. Anything you want particularly in your room?" Snape broke into Harry's thoughts.

"Could it have a good view of the valley?" Harry asked. Snape led Harry down several halls. Eventually, he led Harry into a room.

"I think you'll like this room. It has a very good view of the valley. This was the room that Frodo Baggins stayed in when he came to Rivindell. You can read about him, and just about anything else, in the library. I'll teach you a spell to translate the books into English." Snape told Harry as he levitated Harry's trunk down by the dresser. Harry gave him a puzzled look. "You see, Harry, Rivindell is a very magical place. There's so much magic in and around it that the Ministry of Magic can't detect it. Now, like I said, we have the whole valley to ourselves. It will take a while to learn your way around. If you get lost, just stay where you are. If you don't show up by dinnertime, I'll find you. I usually cook dinner around 7:00 in the evening. I cook breakfast at 9:00 in the morning. As for lunch, I'll show you around the storerooms so you can eat whenever you like." Snape paused in his speech and smiled at Harry. "You can do pretty much whatever you like. You can go anywhere in the valley. We can spend the whole time together, or spend almost no time together. I usually can't spend much time here because I can't feel the Dark Mark burn because of the ancient protective magic around this place. But it's my favorite place in the world. Well, you can unpack, and I'll go start dinner." Snape left.

Harry opened his trunk and looked inside. Everything was fairly messy from quick packing. He took out a mess of clothes as he thought about Snape. He suddenly seemed less like the unbefriendable potions professor and more like Dumbledore or Lupin. Harry might actually like this new Snape. Harry continued unpacking, and then flopped down onto the most comfortable bed he had ever lay on.

Just when Harry was dozing off, Snape came to get Harry for dinner. Harry followed him down various passages past the largest dining hall Harry had ever seen and into another large room with a huge fireplace. It had a bright orange fire giving off a few red sparks. Seeing as there was no wood in the fireplace, it was obviously enchanted. A few feet away from the fire, a small table sat between two big, comfy-looking chairs. The table had two bowls, two goblets, two spoons, a loaf of bread with a knife, a pitcher of drink, and a serving bowl of steaming soupe on it.

"I usually don't cook so poorly for guests, but you came on rather short notice. It will be better after tonight, I promise," Snape said as he and Harry sat down. Harry timidly took soupe, bread, and drink. A slightly tense silence stretched between them as they started to eat.

Finally, Harry said in a small voice, "I-I don't mean to b-bother you, sir, but w-when will I get to see D-Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"Ah," Snape said, looking at his feet. "About that, Harry. Um, you see he didn't exactly send me to get you. In fact, he specifically warned me against it."

"Then why did you bring me here?" Harry asked fearfully, shrinking back in his chair. He hoped Snape hadn't brought him for the reason Harry thought he had.

"Well, I was worried about you. Lupin mentioned some things that concerned me. I just had a feeling that something horrible had happened to you. And, from the strange way you're acting, I think I'm right," Snape said. Harry didn't answer. He looked at his hands in his lap. After a few moments of silence, Snape said, "Well, we'd better get some sleep. I'll give you the grand tour tomorrow. Come, I'll take you back to your room."

Harry followed Snape back to his room. Snape left, and Harry got ready for bed. 'Is it true?' Harry wondered. 'Is he actually worried about me? How long can I hide what Uncle Vernon did to me from him? Do I want to? Or do I want to tell him about it?' With no answers to any of these questions, Harry fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Chapter 3: The Next Day

When Harry was asleep, Snape walked into the room. He walked over to Harry's bed and sat down on the edge. For a moment, he just watched Harry sleep. Then, he started talking to him. "What happened to you, Harry? You used to be afraid of nothing," Snape said. "Now, you flinch if I touch you, and you walk in my shadow, as if I'll hurt you if you walk beside me." He breathed a troubled sigh. What had they done to him? Harry was careful to keep a mask on when awake. But now, when he was asleep, the mask had slipped away. Harry looked like the small and lonely child he was. He was curled up, his knees on his chest, and his arms hugging himself. His face gleamed with tears. "I'm sorry for how I've treated you all these years. I have no excuse. I only hope that this summer I can somehow make up to you for that." Snape bent down and gently kissed Harry on the forehead. He watched Harry sleep for a moment more while he ran his fingers through Harry's hair. Then he got up and left. In his sleep, Harry smiled, without really knowing why.

The next morning, Harry woke up, feeling refreshed. He'd had a better night than usual that night. He quickly got dressed and waited for Snape to come get him. While waiting, he took a look around the valley. It was beautiful. Harry's room was filled with late morning sunshine. the whole valley was filled with it, shining on the water and turning the rocks golden. Just then, Snape walked in. "Come, Harry, I have breakfast waiting on the kitchen table," he said, and Harry followed him down various hallways to the dining room.

It was huge, with high ceilings. Great archways opened outside, where the most beautiful garden Harry had ever seen stood. The food sat at the end of a great table. Snape smiled at the look of wonder on Harry's face. "Come, Harry, sit, and we shall talk of what the Order of the Phoenix is up to," he said, and Harry started. Were his thoughts that easy to read? He sat down across the table from Snape and stared down at the table, waiting for Snape to take what he wanted first. "Help yourself," he said, and Harry started taking food.

"So, um, who-what is the Order up t-to?" Harry asked reluctantly.

"Well, first of all, the Dark Lord is in the process of assembling an army of dark creatures. I have been busy keeping up with all the creatures he has. So far, he has the Spiders, the Giants, and the Dementors. He's working on getting the Mountain Trolls to join. They probably will. They use what little brain they have to hurt any living things they possibly can. As for Dumbledore, he's working as hard as possible getting other wizards to join. And we have had quite a few new recruits. Always more, but never enough." He paused, and sighed. "Anyway, Lupin and Hagrid are researching different defense magic for the Dark Arts and dark creatures we think the Dark Lord might try to get. The Ministry is keeping in pretty close contact with the Order. They're making plans of their own. I'm not sure what they are. That's pretty much it. Everyone's preparing, and no one's struck a blow yet. I have a feeling, though, that it won't be long," Snape answered.

"So, not much has changed," Harry commented.

"But there's something else I've noticed about the Dark Lord that troubles me. He keeps talking about a 'great power' that will soon come to him. One that our 'feeble resistance' will be useless against. That's one more reason I wanted to bring you here. I've told Dumbledore about it, and he just says to keep my eyes and ears open," Snape continued.

"Um, no mean t-to be rude, but you have an idea what Voldemort means about this 'great power,' don't you?" Harry asked.

"Don't call him by his name, because I'm not so sure he'll be Voldemort much longer if it's the power I've guessed. Yes, Harry, I know something more about it. I think it has something to do with an ancient evil that departed long ago. If Voldemort tangles with it too much, he'll find himself a slave to a much more powerful Dark Lord. You can read that history in the libraries. That's enough for now. We can talk about it more when you've read the histories kept here." With that, he started to eat.

After the most delicious meal Harry ever had (including dinner the previous night), Snape started to show Harry around his house. "As you see, Harry, this house is very ancient. More so than even Hogwarts. This place has always been a place of great learning, ever since it was founded," Snape told Harry after showing him several libraries.

"W-was there ever magic taught here?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Yes and no," Snape answered. "You see, most people would consider it magic, but to the people who lived here, it was as normal as learning how to speak."

"Oh," answered Harry. He didn't really understand, but didn't want to talk too much. It must have been a different sort than that taught at Hogwarts. As they entered a new hallway, Harry spotted a magnificent painting of a battle. In the middle, a man held up a broken sword agains what Harry knew must be a giant. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "What's this of?"

"That's Isildur when he cut the Ring of Power from the Dark Lord Sauron's hand," Snape answered. "That was a long time ago, before Men had dominion over the land. You'll see various paintings all over the house depicting various happenings in history."

'Wow,' Harry thought. 'I can't wait to read all the histories here. Hermiony will be sooooooooo jealous when I tell her about this. Why can't Snape teach history?' Then, he mentally berated himself. He was SUPPOSED to hate Snape, not want him to teach history. And while on the subject, why was Snape being nice to him?

They went on with the tour. The rest of the house was of the same design as the rooms Harry had already seen. There were lots of arches and openings outside. these were also lots of graceful statues of men and women all around. Some of them looked happy, but others were very sad. All of them were very beautiful. There were also swirling vine patterns decorating walls, archways, and columns. Then, at the end of the tour, they got to the room they had had dinner in the previous night. "This room is the fire room. The fire is kept burning all year round. Like I said yesterday, you can go anywhere you like. You can do whatever you want. This house is big enough that it won't bother me. The only rules are stay in the valley, don't go into my rooms or through my things without asking, and, obviously, no evil magic. The valley itself will punish you for that, say nothing of me.' Of course, as the valley was so large and the libraries were so extensive and Harry could do magic here without the Ministry knowing, this was no real setback.

Chapter 4: Surprizes

Author's note: I promise the LOTR cheractors will be emerging soon. Particularly Elrond. Just hang in there. Be patient, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez! Thanks for all the reviews! **************************************************************************** ********************************

Harry was silent for a full minut. He stared at Snape. "You're JOKING," he said.

"Sorry, Harry, I'm not," Snape replied. Harry glared at Snape.

"No! It's not possible!" Harry said gesturing with his arms. "James Potter is my father. Not YOU. It just isn't possible."

"Harry-" Snape began.

"SHUT UP! THERE'S NO WAY YOU ARE MY FATHER!" Harry shouted. "YOU'VE HATED ME EVER SINCE YOU LAID EYES ON ME!"

"I shouldn't have told you," Snape said, looking down at the table.

"Oh, so now I'm not good enouph to know?" Harry demanded.

"That's not what I meant. I meant that you're reacting -" Snape said, but Harry cut him off.

"Oh, so now I'm not allowd to be upset!" Harry snapped. "So, if YOU'RE my father, then whose my mother? NO WAY would Lily marry someone like YOU."

"I never knew her name, just-" Snape began.

"Oh, great! So my Aunt Marge was right! My parents are a couple of drunk idiots who-" Harry said.

"WILL YOU AT LEAST LISTEN TO ME?" Snape yelled.

"NO! I'M DONE LISTENING TO YOU! JUST SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Harry shouted back. He go up and ran out of the room.

Snape sighed and put his head in his hands. He thought he had been making progress. But now, he was worse than he had ever been. Grief once more poured into his soul at the thought of his own son hating him. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take,' he thought. After all, elves could only take so much grief before it consumed them from the inside out. Already, he could feel the strength leaving his limbs.

Harry ran back to his room and collapsed on his bed. 'How can this be happening? This has to be some type of weird dream,' Harry thought. 'No way can HE be my father. He HATES me!' But deep down he knew Snape told the truth. He cried himself to sleep.

Snape went to what was once his father, Elrond's, study. As he sank into a chair, he let the illusion fall, revealing what he truly looked like. His true name was Elrohir, and he was one of the two sons of Elrond. His brother, Eladan, had already crossed into the west. Elrohir had stayd because there was still a darkness to take care of. There had been evidence that Sauron was somehow involved with Voldemort.

Suddenly, Dumbledore's voice broke into his thoughts. "Severus, I have some fantastic news," Dumbledore said.

"Fire away, Dumbledore," Elrohir answered, the illusion back in place.

"Sirius is alive! He's here at the Order's hedquarters!" Dumbledore said exitedly.

"I'll be right over there. He needs to come and see Harry," Elrohir answered, gesturing with his hands and sounding just as exited.

Dumbledore faded from view and Elrohir immediately apparated over to Grimmauld Place. There was Sirius, sitting at the kitchen table looking bored. He looked up as Elrohir came into the room. "Oh. You're still here, are you?" He asked dissapointedly.

"Nice to see you, too," Elrohir answered sarcasticly. "You need to come see Harry."

"Yes, Dumbledore said you kiddnapped him and hid him away at your mysteriouse house that no one is able to find," Sirius answered.

"Shove it, Black. Something's wrong with him, and he won't tell me what," Snape said.

"Imagin that," Sirius said airily. Elrohir got a dead-cold look on his face.

"Fine. If you don't want to help, don't," he said. He turned on his heel and started to leave.

"Wait," Sirius said, and Elrohir turned. "I would like to help Harry. But I couldn't care less about you."

"Tell me something I DON'T know," Elrohir answered. "How did they find you, anyway?"

"Actually, it was Professor Trelawney. I don't know how she did it, but apparanly she's not the fraud we all took her for," McGonnagle answered.

"Ah. Well, where's something I can use for a portkey?" Elrohir asked.

"Why can't we just use some floo powder?" Sirius asked.

"My house is not connected to the floo network," Elrohir answered.

"How convenient," Sirius said. Elrohir glared at picked up a spoon. After finishing making it, him and Sirius grabbed ahold of it. When they got to where they were going, Elrohir led Sirius down to the house and led him to a room.

"You can sleep here. I'll wake you up for breakfast. You can see Harry then, seeing as he's asleep right now," He told Sirius. When he left, Sirius settled down and fell asleep.

Chapter 5: Troubles

Harry was silent for a full minut. He stared at Snape. "You're JOKING," he said.

"Sorry, Harry, I'm not," Snape replied. Harry glared at Snape.

"No! It's not possible!" Harry said gesturing with his arms. "James Potter is my father. Not YOU. It just isn't possible."

"Harry-" Snape began.

"SHUT UP! THERE'S NO WAY YOU ARE MY FATHER!" Harry shouted. "YOU'VE HATED ME EVER SINCE YOU LAID EYES ON ME!"

"I shouldn't have told you," Snape said, looking down at the table.

"Oh, so now I'm not good enouph to know?" Harry demanded.

"That's not what I meant. I meant that you're reacting -" Snape said, but Harry cut him off.

"Oh, so now I'm not allowd to be upset!" Harry snapped. "So, if YOU'RE my father, then whose my mother? NO WAY would Lily marry someone like YOU."

"I never knew her name, just-" Snape began.

"Oh, great! So my Aunt Marge was right! My parents are a couple of drunk idiots who-" Harry said.

"WILL YOU AT LEAST LISTEN TO ME?" Snape yelled.

"NO! I'M DONE LISTENING TO YOU! JUST SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Harry shouted back. He go up and ran out of the room.

Snape sighed and put his head in his hands. He thought he had been making progress. But now, he was worse than he had ever been. Grief once more poured into his soul at the thought of his own son hating him. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take,' he thought. After all, elves could only take so much grief before it consumed them from the inside out. Already, he could feel the strength leaving his limbs.

Harry ran back to his room and collapsed on his bed. 'How can this be happening? This has to be some type of weird dream,' Harry thought. 'No way can HE be my father. He HATES me!' But deep down he knew Snape told the truth. He cried himself to sleep.

Snape went to what was once his father, Elrond's, study. As he sank into a chair, he let the illusion fall, revealing what he truly looked like. His true name was Elrohir, and he was one of the two sons of Elrond. His brother, Eladan, had already crossed into the west. Elrohir had stayd because there was still a darkness to take care of. There had been evidence that Sauron was somehow involved with Voldemort.

Suddenly, Dumbledore's voice broke into his thoughts. "Severus, I have some fantastic news," Dumbledore said.

"Fire away, Dumbledore," Elrohir answered, the illusion back in place.

"Sirius is alive! He's here at the Order's hedquarters!" Dumbledore said exitedly.

"I'll be right over there. He needs to come and see Harry," Elrohir answered, gesturing with his hands and sounding just as exited.

Dumbledore faded from view and Elrohir immediately apparated over to Grimmauld Place. There was Sirius, sitting at the kitchen table looking bored. He looked up as Elrohir came into the room. "Oh. You're still here, are you?" He asked dissapointedly.

"Nice to see you, too," Elrohir answered sarcasticly. "You need to come see Harry."

"Yes, Dumbledore said you kiddnapped him and hid him away at your mysteriouse house that no one is able to find," Sirius answered.

"Shove it, Black. Something's wrong with him, and he won't tell me what," Snape said.

"Imagin that," Sirius said airily. Elrohir got a dead-cold look on his face.

"Fine. If you don't want to help, don't," he said. He turned on his heel and started to leave.

"Wait," Sirius said, and Elrohir turned. "I would like to help Harry. But I couldn't care less about you."

"Tell me something I DON'T know," Elrohir answered. "How did they find you, anyway?"

"Actually, it was Professor Trelawney. I don't know how she did it, but apparanly she's not the fraud we all took her for," McGonnagle answered.

"Ah. Well, where's something I can use for a portkey?" Elrohir asked.

"Why can't we just use some floo powder?" Sirius asked.

"My house is not connected to the floo network," Elrohir answered.

"How convenient," Sirius said. Elrohir glared at picked up a spoon. After finishing making it, him and Sirius grabbed ahold of it. When they got to where they were going, Elrohir led Sirius down to the house and led him to a room.

"You can sleep here. I'll wake you up for breakfast. You can see Harry then, seeing as he's asleep right now," He told Sirius. When he left, Sirius settled down and fell asleep.

Chapter 6: Sirius

Elrond sat, watching the sun rising in Valinor. He thought of his youngest son, Elrohir. He was slightly worried about him. He hadn't heard from him in a long time. His other son, Eladan, walked in behind him. They were silent for a few moments.

"Have you heard from your brother?" Elrond asked.

"I would have told you if I had," Eladan answered. "It's been so long..." he trailed off.

"He's gone as long as six years without contacting us before, but it'll be seventeen years on July 31st." They were silent for a few more moments.

"I'll ask Mandos to get the Eagles to check up on him. I promise, it won't be twenty years," Eladan answered.

"Yes, as do I," Elrond said. Hand in hand, they continued to watch the sun rise.

Harry, having just woken up, made his way to the dining hall for breakfast. He was eager to get it over with, considering yesterday's events. When he got there, he stopped dead, not daring to believe his eyes. He walked in, stopped, and just stood there, his mouth hanging open.

"Well, are you going to just stand there, or are you going to come and give me a hug?" Sirius asked.

"I-it's realy you?" Harry asked incredulously. He ran over and dove into Sirius' arms.

"Yes, the order has done security checks," Elrohir/Snape said. "You ought to thank Professor Trelawny the next time you see her. I've been told that's who found him."

"Professor Trelawny?! But-how?" Harry asked.

"It's true, Harry. I don't know how she did it, but she somehow got me out of the world of the dead, as she put it," Sirius insisted.

"Thats-wow. I'm glad you're back. I was going out of my mind without you," Harry answered. He hugged Sirius again.

After breakfast, Harry and Sirius walked off to the garden to talk. "So Harry, how have you really been?" Sirius asked.

"I've been better," Harry said.

"Do you want to talk about anything?" Sirius asked. Harry shrugged. "You can tell me anything, you know. I won't criticise you."

"Well, I guess I just really felt like what happened was my fault, because I didn't learn occlumency, and that's been on my mind," Harry said.

"Harry, it wasn't your fault. It was just one of those things. And besides, I'm still alive. If anyone's at fault, it's Bellatrix Lestrang's fault. She's the one who knocked me through the curtain," Sirius answered. "So, how's things at your relatives house?"

"Well, everything's-um, normal," Harry said quickly. He thought of what had really happened, and a wave of guilt and humiliation swept over him. He couldn't tell Sirius.

"They're treating you all right?" Sirius asked.

"As good as they think they should. Everything's-fine there," Harry answered.

"Well, I know Snape was worried about you. He didn't seem to think you'd tell us the truth," Sirius said, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Would everyone stop asking me if I'm all right! I'm fine! Except for annoyance!" he said loudly. Sirius laughed.

"If you say so. Anything else happening?" he asked.

"Is Snape really my father? That's what he said! HOW can it be true?" Harry demanded.

"Well, um. He-he told you that?" Sirius said evasively.

"IS IT TRUE?!" Harry shouted. Sirius gulped.

"Well, um, yes. James-um, adopted you. But I know they both loved you like their own son. Never dobt that, Harry," Sirius said quickly.

"THEN WHY-OH, NEVER MIND! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHATEVER LAME EXCUSE HE HAS!" Harry shouted. He ran out of the clearing.

The next week and a half went by fast. Harry and Sirius spent nearly all their time together. Elrohir/Snape, on the other hand, had to leave to go to Death Eater meetings. A week later, he turned up again, completely exhausted. "I've got to report to the Order for anyone who's interested," he called into the fire room, where Harry and Sirius were reading some books from the numerous libraries. Sirius stood up, putting the books down.

"I should probably be there," he said. "You stay here, Harry."

"I believe this is my house, Sirius," Elrohir/Snape said, glaring. "And he's my son. He can come if he wants to. He's been in all of this from the beginning."

"Yes, I want to come," Harry said exitedly. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

They portkeyd to the Order's headquarters.

When they got there, the rest of the order was already there. Dumbledore stood up. "Ah, you're here. Harry, if you would just wait outside."

"Harry is staying right here, Dumbledore. He deserves to know what's going on. And he's NOT going back to those muggles' house," Elrohir/Snape said. Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Now, Snape, you know it's best for him," Lupin said. Elrohir/Snape's face went cold.

"It's best for him?" he asked in a deadly whisper. He stared at Harry for a moment, and Harry nodded. "I suppose it was best for him then to take him away from me only to have the people looking after him murdered, and send him to people who hated him when he could have a good home?"

"No-one expected that to happen," Dumbledore said. "But that's not the point here. The point is that Harry is not old enough to be here."

"Enough, Dumbledore. Do you want to here my report or not?" Elrohir/Snape asked. Everyone went quiet. "All right. The Dark Lord is in serch of more power. He's enlarging his army. He's got the giants, and he's working on the werewolves and the mountain trolls. I wouldn't be surprised if they join. I'm certain now that he is looking for an ancient artifact. One that could bring him power that you could not begin to imagine. Of course, he doesn't know where to begin, and I know for a fact that it was destroyed a long time ago. The main threat is that he could release the one who made it. I will definately be keeping my eyes on that. If he finds it, make no mistake that he will wast no time in striking."

"Wait a minute," Sirius said. "What do you mean, 'the one who made it?' Are you telling me that someone who was dead a long time ago is more of a threat than the most powerful Dark Lord of all time? Just how powerful is this thing?"

"It was no mere mortal who made it. He was the second most powerful- and second most evil-Dark Lord to EVER exist since the BEGINNING of the world. Comparing Voldemort to him is like comparing mice to basilisks. He has the power to blot out the sun for over a month, and the cunning to corrupt you, Dumbledore, to be more evil than Voldemort could EVER be. If he were returned to this world with his full power and a physical body, we would be defeated before we even knew we were in danger. It would be THE END of the world of men. So, I'll be keeping my eyes on that." Elrohir/Snape smiled at the effect his words had.

Chapter 7: Summer

ja

A.N.: I'm sorry that I haven't updated for so long, but my internet service has been down for a while. Thanks for all the advice. As you will read, I'm trying to follow it. As for how Sirius came back to life, well, that's in another story I've just begun working on. One that's all about Professor Trelawny and how Sirius is alive. I've tried to make this chapter extra long. Pleas tell me what you think! I have a plan for Sirius. And, if i choose the potion idea for Harry's looks, why did JamesLilly do it?

There was a shocked silence around the room. Everyone stared around at each other with wide-eyed looks. Then, Dumbledore slowely asked, "What would we do if that happened?"

"Besides kissing our asses goodby? Well, first, we'd try to get the Death Eaters to work with us." There were shoked gasps. "Yes, the Death Eaters. It probably wouldn't work, but they've already got the beginings of an army. Then, we contact any decent magical creature with fighting abilities, starting with the centars. And we expose ourselves to the muggles and get their help as well. Lastly, we draft any wizard that has come of age into the army. Then, we go from there." Another shocked silence came in Elrohir/Snape's wake.

With that, the meeting ended. As everyone left, Dumbledore said, "Snape, can I have a word with you about Harry?"

"Sure. I'll be so generouse as to give you three. Go to Hell!" Elrohir/Snape said, and walked out of the room. Harry followed in his wake.

"You know, you shouldn't be like that," he said.

"Like what? I didn't say anything he didn't warrent me saying," Elrohir/Snape said.

"You know, it's no wonder no one likes you. You're a total jerk," Harry replied, and went to Sirius. Sirius smirked and turned away.

Harry's tactless jab had hit home. Elrohir/Snape's mind turned back to the night he had lost Harry. "Maby he took him away because you're a total jerk!" Sirius had said. Elrohir/Snape hadn't tried to hide his anger and bitterness since that night.

"Harry! How have you been?" the exited voice of Hermiony rang out across the room.

"I'm great! How about you?" Harry answered mechanically.

"Oh, I'm absolutely shocked about what has happened this summer. With Sirius back, and then you going missing."

"Yeah, you and me both. It sucks being stuck with Snape, but you should see his library. He's got some fascinating books," Harry said. "Most of them date back ten thousand years or more." Just then, Ron walked into the room.

"Hey, Harry. I heard that Snape kidnapped you. Dumbledore was furiouse. He almost force-fed Snape Veritaserum," he greeted.

"Yeah, I can imagin. He didn't exactly look pleased tonight," Harry answered. Then, Dumbledore came into the room.

"Severus, I will allow you to keep Harry, just as long as his godfather goes with him. And since I'm sure he would like to spend some time with his friends, take Ron and Hermiony with you, if Mrs. Weasley approves," he said.

"Oh, sure," she said, and Elrohir/Snape scowled.

"Fine," he answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll make a new portkey." With that, he left.

"Well, I suggest that you to pack," Dumbledore said, and they left with Harry.

When they got to their two seperate rooms, Harry went with Ron to help him pack. Since they had only been there for a week, there wasn't much to pack. Ron and Hermiony dragged their trunks into the hall and down the stairs. Elrohir/Snape was already waiting for them. After Sirius joined them, they got on their way.

When they got to Rivendell, Ron and Hermiony stared in awe. The valley stretched out before them. As they walked to the house, they stared about themselves with wonder. They looked amazed as Harry explained everything they could do.

"You can do all the magic you want here exept dark magic. The Ministry will be none the wiser. And we can go anywhere so long as we stay in the valley. Is that cool, or what?" he said.

After they got to the city and were showed their rooms (they each got their own), Hermiony dragged the other two to a library they had passed.

"But Hermiony!" Ron protested.

"You can practice you're defence or whatever you want. Come to think of it, have you started your homework? Mine's almost done," Hermiony said firmly.

"We've just barely gotten out of school! And you're almost done? AND you want to add to your workload by studying history we'll never need? On the other hand, why am I surprized? You always loved school work," Ron said, and Hermiony glared. She picked up a book and opened it rather forcefully. After translating it, she began to read.

After a few minutes, she exclaimed in amazement, "Wow! Look at this! This tells a complete history of House Elves! I could really use this for S.P.E.W.!"

"Hey, let me see," Ron said and grabbed the book. After a couple of seconds his eyes went wide. "Listen to this! 'Elves are the fairest, wisest, and most long-lived creatures in the universe. However, early in their history some of them were captured by Morgoth. He tourtured and mutilated them with the slow art of cruelty untill he formed two new races: orcs and house-elves.'" He sat down in a chair with the book in his lap.

"And here I thought you weren't interested in studying history we'll never use," Hermiony said with a certaint smugness to her voice.

"I'm not," Ron muttered and shoved the book back to her. Harry chuckled. They didn't nitice the hollowness of his voice.

"Maby that will inspire the two of you to take a more active roll in S.P.E.W.," Hermiony said.

"Here, mate. You might find this one interesting," Harry said, and handed Ron a book.

Ron looked at it. It was entitled, 'The Children of Hurin'. He opened it and started reading. A few pages later, he was captivated. Turin, in some ways, reminded him of himself. He was very poor, like Ron. Ron read with enthusiasm.

For the next month, Harry, Ron, and Hermiony spent a lot of time together exploring, reading, doing homework, and practicing magic. Snape and Sirius were in and out all the time, and occasionally another member of the order came and went. Since the return of Voldemort, Sirius had been prouved innocent. Since then, he was doing things for the order in preperation of the new recruits. Him and Remus worked closely together. At a week till school started, Remus came to see Harry and have a bit of a break.

"Hellow, Harry," he greeted when he got there. He paused. "You look different. I think your hair is longer. And your face looks a lot thinner."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked as he looked in Hermiony's pocket mirror. "Hey-you're right. That's weird. Anyway, it's great to see you, Professor Lupin."

"Oh you can call me Remus or Moony. Exept in class, of course." Remus said nonchalontly. It took a second for the three to catch on.

"Wait a minut-in class?" Ron asked.

"Yep. I'll be teaching again. And guess who's going to be my assistant?" Remus asked.

"Who?" Hermiony asked.

"Sirius. We're both very exited. Imagin! The two of us back at Hogwarts!" Remus answered. He looked very happy.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you. When was it decided?" Harry said.

"Just last night. He'll come over soon and we'll selebrate it along with your belated birthday. And, of course, his new freedom," Remus said.

Harry tried to be happy for them and exited about his first real birthday party, but he found it impossible. Horrible memories of his uncle kept entering his head. Even after nearly two months, he still felt dirty. Not noticing the changes had been easey enough since he hated to look in the mirror. Even looking in it today had made him feel so ashamed. His uncle's voice kept running through his head. "You rotten, no-good little punk! You brought this on yourself!" He had been right.

The next day, everyone worked on the party. It was decided that it would be held at Rivendell, since it was a lot larger. They put up decorations in the fire room, along with a long table. Elrohir/Snape set up a couple portkeys since a lot of Order members were going to come. There was an air of exitement around the place for everyone but Harry.

"So, Harry, you looking forward to your first birthday party?" Remus asked.

"Sure," Harry answered with forced enthusiasm.

"Is there anything wrong? You've been really quiet today," Remus said.

"No, I've just been thinking about the war," Harry lied quickly.

"I understand. Lighten up. It will be all right. And maby you can spend some time with Sirius. And have fun at the party," Remus said.

"Sure," Harry answered. "Well, I think I'll help Ron and Hermiony with the food." They left.

Elrohir watched them leave. Why wasn't Harry opening up to any of his friends? He used to tell them everything. And why didn't his smile ever reach his eyes? This served only to deepen Elrohir's suspicions. Those muggles had to have abused Harry. But how was he going to get Harry to open up to him? He had tried everything. He had gotten him together with everyone that ment most to him. Elrohir could already see too much anguish taking it's toll on Harry.

The next day, the day of the party, everyone but Harry got up early to make some last-minut preperations. Harry, on the other hand, didn't want to get out of bed. It was comfortably dark under the coveres, and that's how he felt safest. He felt more lethargic than ever. He had been feeling more and more so all summer, ever since his uncle...Harry forced that out of his mind and very reluctantly got out of bed. He was beginning to wonder if he should, after all, tell his father what had happened. He was dreading going to school. What if the nurse discovered something? All in all, he was wishing that he could just stay in bed forever.

After Harry had made his entrance, everyone insisted that he, Remus, and Sirius go on a brunch picknick while everyone else arrived and got set up. Elrohir/Snape watched as they went down to the Anduin River. Maby all Harry needed was some time alone with them. Maby he would be all right. Elrohir/Snape hoped that he would.

After that, variouse people started arriving. First, Dumbledore arrived with McGonnagle and Mad-Eye Moody. Then, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived with the twins, Percy, and Charley. (Bill was still in Romania.) Then, Mundungus and Tonks arrived among others.

When everyone had arrived, Elrohir/Snape went down to the river to get the three guests of honor. They follwed him up to the house and into the room of fire. There was a big banner hanging from the celing that read, "Happy Birthday Harry and Congradulations Remus and Sirius!" There were tables laden with soups, meats, sauces, breads, salads, and flagons of drink. The centerpiece was a huge cake with two teirs, one raised on polls off of the bottom one. The top teir read, "Happy Late Birthday, Harry!" The bottom teir read, "Congradulations, Remus and Sirius!" In spite of himself, Harry gave his first genuin smile.

"How do you like it, Harry?" Hermiony asked.

"Yeah, we worked like hell to pull this off. Especially all the food in one afternoon. Snape had almost all of us working with him in the kitchen. Especially when mum arrived. Did you know he made everything from scratch?" Ron started rambling off as they pulled him into the crowd to mingle. McGonnagle looked up and smiled.

"Well, Happy late birthday, Harry!" she said.

"Thanks," Harry replied uncertanly.

"Oh, and I thought I'd deliver your three's letters in person. It has the usual list of supplies, and the results of your O.W.L.s," she said and handed them their respective letters.

Harry opened his and hesitantly looked at his O.W.L. grades. Divination, of course, he failed. Miserably. On charms he got Exeeds Expectations. On history he again failed miserably. On transfiguration he got Exeeds Expectations. On herbology he got Acceptable. On defence against the dark arts he got Outstanding. On care of magical creatures he got Exeeds Expectations. On potions he got Outstanding. He had done better than he thought.

"Well, I did pretty well. How about you two?" he said to Ron and Hermiony.

"I did really well. How about you Ron?" Hermiony said. Ron didn't answere immediately. He was staring dumbly at his grades. "Ron?" Hermiony asked.

"I got an Outstanding on Potions," He replied dumbly.

"Ron, that's exelent! Well done!" Hermiony gushed.

"Hey! That means Harry and I can be aurors together!" Ron said. Harry forced a smile.

"Yes, that would be cool! How about you, Hermiony? What do you want to do?" he said. Hermiony looked thoughtfull for a moment.

"Well, I thought I might be a healer. That way, I would be helping people and doing something worthwile," she answered. "Of course, I'll continue S.P.E.W."

"Well, congradulations all three of you!" McGonnagle said and left. The three went to get food. As they did, they passed a large groupe of people, one of which summoned Harry into the groupe.

"You two go on, I'll catch up in a minut," Harry replied, and joined the groupe.

"Happy Birthday, Harry!" they all said. The groupe consisted of Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Sirius, Mundungus, and Remus.

"So, Harry, enjoying your birthday party?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"A lot, thank you," Harry lied. Even though he was touched at the trouble they had gone to, he still wanted to go back to bed. 'You bastard,' he scolded himself. 'They go to all this trouble for you and you can't even enjoy it. Uncle Vernon was right.'

"Well, Harry, all of us have gifts for you. They're in a pile over here. MAY I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION! THE GUEST OF HONOR IS GOING TO OPEN HIS GIFTS NOW!" Sirius shouted the last sentence to the whole room. He herded Harry over to the fireplace to a pile of presents.

Harry, feeling rather conspicuouse and slightly embarassed, sat down in the armchair provided for him. He opened Hermiony's present, which turned out to be another homework planner. (Harry cringed inside at the thought of school.) Then, he opened one from 'the teachers and staff of Hogwarts' (many of whome had showed up, including, surprizingly, Trelawney). It turned out to be all the books he'd need for the coming year. He continued opening gifts untill he got to the last two. One was from his newfound father; the other was from Sirius. He opened the one from his father first, which turned out to be a beautifull set of new black dress robes with silver embroidery. Harry was stunned. He set them aside after thanking his father and picked up Sirius's gift. He unwrapped it and stared.

It was a pocket knife. Exactly, down to the last detale, like the one Harry's uncle had used on him the first day he got back from school. Harry looked up at Sirius, just barely controlling his panic and horror. "You know, since that other one got destroyd," Sirius said. "Do you like it?"

Do you like it? What kind of horrible question was that? "Yes, it's very nice," Harry answered. He quickly put it down.

After that, they served the cake. Harry picked at his, his small apatite having completely dissapeared. Everyone else (exept his father, Harry noticed) was eating enthusiastically. Harry tried to take a bite, but put it down as soon as he picked it up. He put the plate down.

"Well, Harry, you enjoy yourself?" Sirius asked.

"Yes," Harry answered. Elrohir/Snape wandered over. "Thank you for the robes."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like them. I made them myself," Elrohir/Snape said.

"Yes, I'd expect you to show off like that. You'd be just the one to try to fancy up something completely lame. I mean, I don't know about you, but some spots just never come out," Sirius said.

"Sirius, shut up," Elrohir/Snape interrupted, glancing at Harry.

"Oh, hit a nerve did I? Well, I can't say I dissagree. After all, both that time I showed you Lupin and the time after the DADA final, you finally got put into place. Especially with Lupin," Sirius continued maliciously.

"Well, I'm really pretty tired, I think I'll turn in for the night," Harry said and left. Elrohir/Snape watched him go with trepidation.

"Brilliant, Sirius. Just brilliant. I hope you're proud of yourself," Elrohir/Snape said.

"What? I didn't say anything to upset him. Just you, which I meant," Sirius answered.

"Well, I hope it happens to you sometime. Then you may understand," Elrohir/Snape said.

He left to follow Harry. How could Sirius have said all of that? Now Elrohir was really frightened. Harry was sure to have taken that the wrong way. He was almost certain not to open up to anyone now if Elrohir's guess was right.

Harry was devastated. How did Sirius know? How could he agree with Uncle Vernon? That meant that his uncle was right. All the beatings, all the cuts, and everything, Harry had deserved. Half way to his room, Harry sunk to the floor. He was shaking all over. He didn't know if he'd ever get up. Forcing himself to, he made it to his room and collapsed onto his bed.

"Harry? Are you all right?" His father came into the room.

"F-fine. I'm j-just fine," Harry answered weakly. Elrohir/Snape sat on the end of his bed.

"You looked really upset. I thought you might throw that knife across the room," he said. He sighed. "You are not fine. You look like a wreak. You haven't really talked to anyone, have you?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I've done everything I can do. I've tried to get you to talk to me about what's troubling you, but you just shut me out. I surrounded you with the people that you care about most. You just pretend to them that everything is all right," Elrohir/Snape answered.

"I just don't feel like talking about it. Ok?" Harry answered. "It's nothing very importent."

"I don't believe you. If it weren't very important, you wouldn't be like this. You've been looking more and more...sick almost...all summer," his father answered.

"I've just had a lot going on lately. Now that I don't have to go back to my uncle's, I don't want to go back to school," Harry said.

"Fine. You don't have to. That will give us more time to sort out what's wrong. We'll talk more tomorrow," Elrohir/Snape said and left. He found Dumbledore. "Harry wants to stay with me."

"Fine. His godfather can stay untill he's ready to come to school," Dumbledore answered.

"No. We need time alone together. He's my son. I'm not asking you," Elrohir/Snape said.

"Well, I'd be more comfortable if he told me. I'll just clear it with him tomorrow."

Elrohir nodded and left. He went to his own room and collapsed on his bed. He thought of his own father. How he was still too ashamed to talk to him. But he had needed him. "Father, how can I help him when I can't even help myself?" He asked the night. He thought of his own son. Harry answered. He quickly put it down.

After that, they se€ , I think I'll turn in fo and left. Elrohir/Snape watched him go with trepidation.

"Brilliant, Sirius. Just brilliant. I hope Arial of yourself," Elrohir/Snape said.

"What? I didn't say anything to upset him. Just you, which I meant," Sirius an

Chapter 8: Elrond's Dream

A.N.: This is your last chance to submit ideas about why Harry looked like James. I would really appreciate any more ideas. After reviews for this chapter stop, I will review all ideas and choose my favorite. In the next chapter's A.N., I will announce who's idea I used. Again, why would James and Lilly want to hide Harry's identity if they did it? And YAY! This chap is all about Elrond! AND, also in this chapter, I will mention the Valar. They would be considered gods by our terms, and are very powerful. In Tolkienworld, they helped create the world and live in the Undying Realm with elves.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Elrond bolted out of sleep as he shot up in bed. He hurried to get dressed and went to find Eladan. He found Eladan in his room, asleep. "Hurry, get up! We need to leave now!" Elrond said as he shook his older son awake.

"What-why? What's wrong?" Eladan asked, sleepy and confused.

"I'll tell you on the way. Get ready to leave. I don't know how long we'll be gone," Elrond replied. Eladan hurried out of bed as Elrond went to pack some things for himself.

When they were both ready, Elrond led Eladan down to see the Valar. On the way, he explained. "I just had a dream about your brother. In it, he had a tragic look on his face. He was looking for me. He needed me, but wanted to hide something. He seemed to look right through me. He said, 'Father, how can I help him when I can't even help myself?' His voice was filled with despair and shame. Then, I got a vision from him of a boy around sixteen. He looked enough like your brother to make me wonder at his parentage. He too looked despondent. Then, I woke up."

"What do you think it means?" Eladan asked.

"That's what I'm afraid of. I just hope we're not too late. I wish that for once I'm wrong," Elrond answered. Eladan knew that he rarely was.

"What does it all lead up to?" he asked. Elrond stopped and looked at him.

"He was raped. I could see it in his eyes. The boy is the result of that rape. He fears that the boy too was raped. I feel that something horrible must have happened to the boy for Elrohir to be so worried," Elrond answered. They were both silent for a moment, then resumed walking at a faster pace.

Eladan's mind was reeling. This had to have happened not long after Elrohir had last talked to them. Why hadn't he told them? What was he ashamed about? And what had happened to the boy? He was very young. How could someone have raped a child? He was wishing his father would be wrong too. But a dream like that was born out of more than a father's worry. In his heart, Eladan knew that his father was right.

Elrond was terrified that he would not only lose a son, but a grandson as well. He cursed whatever had made Elrohir too ashamed to tell his own father what had happened. Elrond could only hope that the Valar would get them back to Middle Earth quickly. He had a horrible feeling that more people than just the two rapists were responsible for this.

Chapter 9: Elrohir's story

A.N.: Sorry this took so long. I've been working on other stories. I kind of got out of this one for a while. Well, this is it: the chapter everyone's been waiting for! We get to hear Sev/Elrohir's story, and Harry gets to see that he's not human!

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

After landing, Elrond and Eladan glanced around.

"I'm going to find the boy. You find your brother and go to his room. I'll meet you there soon," Elrond said. Eladan left. Elrond started walking. He had not said it, but he wanted to speak to either Dumbledore or Sirius. He had an uneasy feeling about them.

After searching a few minutes, he found an old human man standing, looking in at the boy. Elrond walked up. "You are Dumbledore?" he asked. The man turned.

"Yes, I am. Who are you? Why are you here?" Dumbledore asked.

Instead of answering, Elrond simply asked, "Who is the boy's father?" Dumbledore looked uneasy. "Is it Severus Snape?"

"Yes," Dumbledore replied.

"I thought so," Elrond said. Dumbledore looked confused.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"The boy's grandfather, apparently," Elrond answered dangerously.

"You're Severus' f-father?" Dumbledore stammered. Elrond smiled humorlessly.

"Yes. And I wonder why he didn't tell me of this," Elrond remarked. He walked into Harry's room. "Wake up," he said to Harry.

"What are you doing?" Dumbledore asked.

"I need to talk to him," Elrond answered. "And I don't want to be interrupted."

"I'm just trying to help them. And I don't think that this is for the best," Dumbledore said.

"Then you don't know my son very well," Elrond answered. "Wake up."

"W-who are you?" Harry asked.

"I'm Elrond, Severus' father. Your grandfather, so I've recently learned," Elrond said. "Come. We need to talk to your father."

"I still don't think he should know," Dumbledore said in a tone of warning. Elrond spun to face him suddenly.

"I know you had something to do with why my son didn't tell me of what happened." Dumbledore stared at him. "It was your eyes that betrayed you. I don't want you interfering again." Elrond led Harry out.

"So, what is your name?" Elrond asked, putting his arm around Harry. He felt Harry flinch. He let Harry go and sighed. "So it is true."

"What's true?" Harry asked uneasily, looking ready to bolt.

"You were raped, weren't you?" Elrond asked.

"How did you know?" Harry asked nervously.

"Your father suspected it. He didn't know how to help you. I suspect he was raped, too. If he wasn't, he would have told me of you. I live too far away to know if he didn't tell me," Elrond said.

"How did you guess?" Harry asked.

"I had a vision from him. It was more than just a dream. It made me uneasy," Elrond answered.

"Oh," Harry said understandingly. "So, you're my grandfather? My name is Harry, by the way. Until recently, I didn't even know that Snape's my father. I thought…someone else was."

Elrond stopped and turned to Harry. "What? He didn't raise you?" he asked.

"No. I was raised my-uncle. Or, who I thought was my-uncle."

"Was it him? The man you thought of as your uncle?" Harry stared at him. "I'm a healer, and very wise when it comes to people. That's why my son didn't tell me. Having you taken away from him would have devastated him. It must have made him think it was his fault. But who…" Elrond mused. "Dumbledore. It MUST have been Dumbledore," he suddenly realized, remembering their conversation.

"So, it was Dumbledore that gave me to that man?" Harry asked.

"I think so. The way he said he thought it was for the best…" Elrond answered. They continued walking down the hall.

When they got to Elrohir's room, both brothers looked up. Elrohir looked at his father. "A-atar?" he whispered. (A.N.: For those who don't know, that's Elvish for father. And yes, it is spelled with an 'r'. I have Tolkien's elvish dictionary.)

Elrond crossed the room and drew his youngest son into an embrace. "I heard you in my dreams. I knew I had to come."

"I'm sorry," Elrohir said.

"None of this was your fault. I came to help you, and your son," Elrond answered.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know how," Elrohir said.

"It's all right. It's not your fault," Elrond said.

"Wait," Harry said. "You're…different."

"We're elves, Harry. If I had been able to raise you, you would have known that. I always hide my true form from humans. My real name is Elrohir," Elrohir answered.

"W-what about my name?" Harry asked.

"Your real name is Elmorfin," Elrohir answered. (A.N.: Hence, the title.) Harry looked away from him, at Eladan. "That's your real uncle. My older twin, Eladan."

"It's very good to meet you, Elmorfin," Eladan said, smiling warmly and clasping his nephew's hand. 'It's weird being called Elmorfin,' (Harry?) Elmorfin thought. Eladan must have guessed what he was thinking, because he said, "Yep, you're going to have to get used to us calling you that, because we're not going to stop."

"But, I'm only half-elven. I'd read that elves were immortal," Harry said.

Elrond started to speak, but Elrohir interjected, "Yes, Elmorfin. You are exactly half elven. You can choose to come with us…or not."

"How is that possible? He should only be 3/8ths elven," Elrond said.

"The one who raped me…was descended…from the kings of Gondor," Elrohir answered reluctantly.

"Tell me the whole story," Elrond said. He and Elmorfin sat down.

"I had just gotten back from battling a large regiment of orks," Elrohir began. "I was wounded, and weak. I…didn't expect to be attacked by who I thought was an ally." He paused. "Do you know that Numenorian spell? The one that-that-" his voice cracked, and tears stared rolling down his face.

"The one that allows a male to bear a child?" Elrond asked hesitantly, a grim expression on his face. Elrohir nodded.

"That night, I-I was giving some information to James that he needed," he began again. Elmorfin's (too many 'el's) eyes went wide as he guessed where this might end. "Remus and Sirius were also there. They-they helped that bastard cast the spell, and they watched him rape me. You see, Lilly couldn't bear children, so they planned to steal one…from my body.

I knew immediately after the baby was born that he was half-elven. Of course, that meant that James had to be descended from the kings of Gondor. So, I named you Elmorfin and planned to raise you here. I had actually planned to tell both of you what had happened. But before I could, Dumbledore found out what had happened. He thought I was 'unfit' to raise a child, so he took my son away. Not only that, but he gave him to the very man who raped me. I might have died then, except I knew that Elmorfin was half-elven. I knew there was a hope that I would get him back, if he chose to be immortal. But after that…I kept thinking, maybe it had been my fault. I had let you down. I hadn't been strong enough.

The next time I saw you, it was your first day of school. And they called out THAT name, and here you came, looking exactly like James. Every time I looked at you, it was a slap in the face, a reminder of what THEY had stolen from me. Obviously, they had done more than I thought they would. There was no way I could tell you the truth then, so I distanced myself from you. Otherwise, I don't know what I would have done. And in the end, I failed again. But so did Dumbledore."

"So, actually, you're my mother," Elmorfin said. "James really is my father."

"Yes," Elrohir responded.

"What happened at that other man's house this summer?" Elrond asked Elmorfin.

"Vernon Dursley raped me. He had started mistreating me as soon as I came home. I mean, more than usual. He was hitting me, pushing me around, and using his belt on me. Then, one night, he just came into my room. Said if I made a sound he would break my neck. All my school stuff was locked in the cupboard beneath the stairs. He was…so much larger and stronger than me. He raped me twice before he left my room." Elmorfin went quiet. His father hugged him and he began crying into his father's shoulder. Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"We need to confront them. Now, how did you think Vernon Dursley was related to you?" Eladan asked.

"He is m-Lily's sister's husband," Elmorfin said.

"And James?" Eladan asked.

"Is dead. He and Lily both were killed by Voldemort the year after I was born because of some prophesy that I'm supposed to kill him.

"Please don't call him by that name. It's SO ridiculous. So long as he doesn't get what's left of the Ring of Power, the human's should be able to defeat him. They will have many casualties, of course. Which means you have a choice to make," Elrohir said.

"What choice?" Elmorfin asked.

"Whether you want to stay and help the humans with the war, or leave, and let them help themselves," Eladan said. "You're already starting to come into your elven power. If you help now, it will be over before it even begins."

"You don't have to decide right now. Just spend some time getting used to things, and don't think about it too much," Elrond said. Elmorfin smiled.

Chapter 10: Confrontations

A.N.: I have to PRY inspiration for this story out of the deepest depths of my brain. Although, inspiration is usually not so hard to find when I actually get started writing. It's getting started that's the problem; that, and the fact that it's been FOREVER since I've actually watched OR read Lord of the Rings. This chapter should be fun to write. I get to bash Dumbledore, HEE HEE. I get to write the characters yelling at him (especially Elmorfin)! PLEASE read and review. And, to everyone who commented on it Eladan is spelled with two L's ONLY in the fanfiction universe. If you look in Tolkien's Elvish Dictionary, you will see it spelled with one L. (I told this to halwen before I realized that more than one person commented on it.)

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dumbledore looked up as four people walked into the room. Glancing from one to the other, he saw that they were all staring at him accusingly through narrowed eyes. "What's going on here?" he demanded, putting more confidence in his voice than he actually felt. He tried not to fidget.

"I was just talking to my family," Elmorfin answered in a cold, quiet voice. "I'm going to be living with them from now on."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea, Harry," he answered. Harry raised his eyebrows, while the rest crossed their arms.

"Worse than sending me to a rapist?" Elmorfin responded in the same cold voice. Dumbledore flinched, his eyes going wide.

"I didn't-" he started, his voice cracking, but Harry cut him off.

"You didn't what? You didn't know? You didn't know that they locked me in my room and never let me out? You didn't know that they whipped me? You didn't know that they sometimes stopped feeding me for over a week?" Elmorfin shouted, suddenly darting forward and grabbing Dumbledore's neck. "I never want to see you again." He let go, and everyone followed him out.

"Snape! Please, you know I was trying to protect him!" Dumbledore called after them. They turned back, and Snape/Elrohir walked forward.

"From what, Dumbledore? From the Dark Lord, or from me?" he demanded, crossing his arms. Dumbledore didn't answer. "That's what I thought."

"I really thought it was best. Why are you punishing me?" Dumbledore whispered. Snape/Elrohir sneered.

"Because you stole something from me. Now you know how it feels," he snapped.

They all entered the fire room, and gathered around Elmorfin as he threw himself into a large cushion on the floor next to the fire. "That was very good, Elmorfin. It couldn't have been easy," Elrohir commented with sympathy.

"It wasn't," Elmorfin agreed. "Up to now, I-I've always admired and looked up to him." He looked down. "Wh-what am I going to do about Sirius?"

"That's mine to deal with," his father answered.

"I'll help you find him," Eladan said, and they got up and left.

"Come on, Ro, it'll be fun," Eladan pleaded, a boyish grin lighting up his face. He looked back to the big black dog that they both knew to be Sirius.

"There's no value in it whatsoever," Elrohir objected, giving his older twin a patronizing look. He crouched further into the bushes where they were hiding.

"Yes there is. It'll be...therapeutic," Eladan exclaimed. He looked back to Elrohir, who was standing beside him. Elrohir looked dubious.

"Yes? And how is that, exactly?" he inquired, giving a sarcastic shake of his head.

"Think about it as...teaching him. Giving him his own medicine. Getting him back for all those times that he got you," Eladan answered in a fake sweet voice, gesturing to his younger twin.

"Yea, and this is even MORE childish and immature," Elrohir huffed. Eladan looked at him pleadingly.

"Oh, come on. This'll be our ONLY chance. If Dumbledore gets to him first, he'll know about me, and he'll NEVER fall for it," Eladan whined, putting a hand on Elrohir's shoulder. Elrohir rolled his eyes.

"Oh, all RIGHT," he gave in, and Eladan suppressed a squeal. "But just to shut you up." Eladan ignored this.

"All right. You go back to the house and wait with Elmorfin. I'll tell him that his godson wants to see him back at the house. I'll take him the long way. His face will be PRICELESS," he explained, and Elrohir rolled his eyes again. With that, he left the small clearing without a sound. Shaking his head, Elrohir headed back to his son.

"Hey, Sirius," Sirius heard, and he turned around. Snape was standing there, watching him, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "Your godson wants to see you."

"Why?" Sirius asked, turning back into a human.

"I'm pretty sure it has something to do with his father," Snape/Eladan answered, putting an emphasis on 'father', his voice thick with sarcasm.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sirius inquired, crossing his own arms, his voice getting angry.

"Oh, I think you know what I'm talking about," Snape/Eladan answered, raising his eyebrows in challenge. He gestured for Sirius to follow him, which Sirius did.

When they walked into the room where the others waited, Sirius came up short. There, standing in the room talking to Harry, was ANOTHER Snape, exactly identical to the one standing next to him. His mind whirled with confusion.

Watching him, everyone in the room bursed out laughing. "Didn't you KNOW that I have a twin brother?" the Snape in the room asked with mirth. "That's Eladan." Elrond gave them both a look.

Trying not to glare, Sirius asked, "Harry, he said that you wanted to talk to me?" The mood turned suddenly grave.

"Actually, I only want to have to say this once. Will you go get Lupin?"

"Okay, sure," Sirius answered, looking confused. He left the room. Everyone was silent as they waited for him to return with Lupin.

When they came back in, Lupin immediately went to Harry. "Is everything all right?" he inquired in a worried voice, walking up to Harry and reaching out to him. Harry jumped back.

"Don't," he snarled. Lupin and Sirius looked confused.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Sirius asked, a worried expression blooming over his face. Harry glared at him.

"Are you really just noticing that something's wrong? I would think that you two, of all people, would have caught it first," he snapped, crossing his arms.

"What do you mean?" Sirius inquired, while both of them looked uncomfortable.

"He means what you did to me," Snape/Elrohir said. "You know, when you cast that spell on me, and watched James rape me. I guess that kind of undid that noble sacrifice he made when he supposedly saved my life."

"Look, it- it was for the best," Lupin said uncomfortably.

"Yes? Then why me? Why couldn't someone else, someone who was WILLING, have been your test subject?" Snape/Elrohir demanded.

"Well, J-James said it was for the best," Lupin insisted. "What does all this have to do with Harry now? He-he seems fine.

"FINE?! Look at me! Do I look like you with your rosy cheeks and your bright eyes?" Harry shouted, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, unease in his voice.

"Since you obviously didn't care to notice, I was raped! That disgusting man that YOU said was my uncle raped me! And you didn't even notice!" Harry yelled. Tears pricked his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I wouldn't have had that happen, if I could have helped it," Lupin said, both of them looking down.

"Don't you expect us to believe all of that," Snape/Elrohir said. "You didn't stop James from raping me."

"But we-" Sirius began.

"Didn't care about me. I know," Snape/Elrohir cut in in an angry voice, his eyes flashing dangerously. "And you 'thought it was best.'"

"Well, you know, I don't think we ever want to see you again, so goodbye," Elmorfin informed them. They all left Sirius and Lupin looking shocked.