Harry Potter and the Dwarves of Erebor

Chapter 7 The Misty Mountains

When Haraldur woke up he knew something was different. Instead of waking on the ground in his bedroll, he was on a nice soft bed. He sat up cautiously reaching automatically in his trousers for his wand. Looking around he noticed how lovely the room was, but it disturbed him greatly that he was there in the first place. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep next to Thorin, where was Thorin and the Company? He quickly threw the covers off, put on his boots and rushed out of the room heading for the balcony where the Dwarves had been camped out.

When he got there, there was no trace of them, like they had never been there at all. Haraldur begins to panic, he goes running to the dining hall, maybe they are having an early breakfast. There is no one there, he runs down to the practice arena, empty. Running back up to the balcony, he looks around suddenly he feels a hand on his shoulder, whipping around with a smile thinking that it's Thorin, his face falls when he sees that it's only Gandalf.

"They have gone, Little One." Gandalf tells him, patting his shoulder sympathetically.

"Haraldur, backs away from Gandalf, shaking his head, "No, Thorin would never leave me behind."

"I'm afraid he did, he has left you in the care of the Elves. Once the quest is over, if they are successful, he will come back to retrieve you."

That's when it dawned on Haraldur, that's why he was spending so much time with the Elves, to get used to them. Thorin had betrayed him, had tossed him aside like he was nothing. Like everyone else had in his life, anger began to fill the little Dwarfling.

"I know what your thinking, my boy, he did not betray you. Thorin did what he thought was best for you. This journey is no place for a child, there will be many perils along the way, not to mention the dragon itself."

"But I can help with the dragon, I am a Wizard like you."

"Yes you are a Wizard, but you are also only a child of, how old are you?

"Twenty."

"See still so young, barely out of toddler age." Gandalf explains, he knows at this age, the Dwarfling would try to prove he's not a baby anymore, "Though you are a big boy, you are still not old enough for such a journey. Fili and Kili are barely old enough and they are in their seventies.

"No, no, I am old enough, I want to be with Thorin! I don't want to be here, I belong with Thorin and the others!" Haraldur begins to get louder.

He makes a mad dash past Gandalf, but Gandalf is quick and catches him, the little boy begins screaming.

No, let me go, I have catch up, I have to be with the other, no!" Still struggling he continues to scream tears running down his face, "THORIN, THORIN!"

Finally Haraldur's struggles become less, until he goes limp. The poor lad has cried himself to sleep. At that point Galadriel comes out of the shadows.

"This poor Dwarfling has suffered greatly in his short life, he fears he will never see Thorin again and rightly so, for he has lost everyone he has ever loved and he loves Thorin with all his heart."

Galadriel effortlessly picks up Haraldur, and takes him back to his room. He lays him down and tucks him in, running her fingers through his hair she tries to calm him.

"Sleep, little one, and dream of happier things. Your life in this world will be far better than the one you came from." She whispers, she stays with him for a few minutes then leaves. 'He will need his rest.' She thinks as she shuts the door.

A few hours later, Haraldur wakes up, he is a little disoriented but finally remembers what happened that morning. He leaps out of bed looks around the room trying to locate his pack and bedroll. Packing everything up, he carefully opens the door to his room and sneaks out, going straight to the kitchens. Haraldur packs enough bread and fruits to last him at least two weeks, hoping by then he would have caught up with the Company.