A.N: Argh! I'm so, so sorry that it's taken so long. Writer's block and a new project have halted my progress with this. Damn. Luckily I now have ideas, so things definitely shouldn't be so bad. Lots of thanks to all readers and reviewers of this story!

There were times, Harry knew. when time seemed to slow to the point it almost stopped. This wasn't one of those times though it wasn't through lack of wishing. The troll was advancing at a slow -but terrifying- pace. It moved as fast as thick cement, but one of its strides matched three of a human's.

And no one could do anything about it. The width of the ruin was such that anyone who made an attempt on it would die a valiant -but pointless- martyr's death. It was for that reason that the remaining group was being forced to take many, increasingly reluctant steps back every time it took one. Reluctant, because being sent to the next life by a glorified piece of wood was a fairly ignominious way to go for anyone.

Harry, as he stepped back, realised he had been in a situation like this before. 'Tournament? No, that was dragons...Chamber? Nope. Basilisk. First year? Troll!' Desperately he suddenly stopped retreating and stuck out his wand. This action prevented his plan coming to a premature end.

The troll had never seen anyone with a wand before. It had never actually come against someone stupid enough to willingly stand still in front of it. It paused and regarded him thoughtfully. Harry's shout of "Wingardium Leviosa!" shattered its trance, but when it made to swing at him, its paw missed by a metre.

It barely had time to register something was missing before the club found it again by knocking it out cold. Aragon staggered forward and knelt beside it to search for a pulse. In the several trolls he'd ever searched, he had never yet found one. But his reasoning was that if the troll lay still long enough for him to look, it wasn't getting up any time soon.

Harry, meanwhile, had noticed something. "Where's Ginny?" he demanded, causing Ron to do a passable imitation of a bloodhound which had just caught a scent. "Her-hermione and Idrial aren't here either." Elegost remarked, glance sweeping the room. Harry started guiltily.

Ron was stalking off in a completely random direction when a loud stream of -non magical- curses and a shriek of "Protego!" alerted them to the correct one. Ron bolted out of the building, and the others followed quickly.

Ginny, Hermione and Idrial had found the source of the 'scuffling' in an even more dilapidated ruin. It was really just a glorified wall. Ginny was the one who had cursed, and she had done so because she was trapped behind Hermione's shield. It was all that was stopping the three rogue wizards from seriously harming them.

Hermione uttered a low curse through clenched teeth, startling Ginny. She noted with some worry that her friend was beginning to sweat heavily, breath harder and generally look fatigued. It was both good and bad news then that the rest of the group burst in.

Idrial saw this, and with some alarm brought them to a halt using some frantic signals. She appeared to have a definite talent. The wizards noticed none of this, busy as they were attacking the shield with any potentially lethal spell they could think of.

Silently, Aragon, Legolas and Gimli unsheathed their swords and simultaneously aimed a blow at each wizard who promptly crumpled. Hermione let the shield go with a little gasp and her legs went from beneath her.

To Ron's chagrin, Legolas stepped forward quickly and caught her. Harry ran past her, and swept Ginny into a tight hug that Ron suffered to happen. Gandlaf leaned forward on his staff and examined the city outside.

"We must leave this place now." he said to the group at large. "Where?" Aragon demanded wearily. "I will not go to Gondor so long as Denethor is there." This was enthusiastically seconded by the natives of Middle Earth.

Gandalf treated them to a half-hearted glare. He agreed completely. "We shall got to Rohan." he said severely. "Theodore will welcome us. He requires help; Rohan is the worst affected." Aragon looked slightly more pleased at this. He and the rest of the group headed to the camp. They had preparations to take care of.