The Queen of Middle-Earth | Aragorn & Hermione

Chapter 12

We forge the chains we wear in life. - unknown

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Hermione's expression changed from being sorrowful to being angry the instant the last horse had left the hilly landscape. They had left her all alone. How wonderful. What were they thinking? That she would be safe being alone, wandering around Middle-Earth searching for Helm's Deep? She stomped angrily into the ground, grumbling to herself. Her tent was still standing next to a lake, so she chose to take it down and put it back into her magical bag. She wouldn't stay here alone, she wanted to help. Ron and Harry were her friends and they would do the same for her. When the witch had packed her belongings she was standing on the hill, looking at the horizon. The others had left to save the wizards, but they were an army, with at least a few hundred soldiers - including four hobbits, an elf and a dwarf - they were extremely conspicuous. The wizards would see them coming from miles away, they would never get so close, since they were probably guarding the wizards more carefully, after they had saved her. Maybe she could take it as an advantage. She could get into the tower, without getting noticed, while the fellowship with Théoden's troops would distract the three bearded man. "Fine I will save them myself then." she muttered. Her mind was set, she would try it and she would apparate into the tower, since she already knew where she could find them, although she truly hoped, that she would not run into the wizards. She turned around, taking one last look at the hills, before vanishing in thin air.

The next thing the witch saw was the room in which Wormtongue had been trying to assault her. Hermione shuddered. She tried not to remind herself of this horrifying and disgusting moment, so she chose to focus on her plan. Wormtongue had taken their wands before he had sent the boys to the dungeon. Where could he have put them? She searched the whole room, every cupboard and drawer she could find. Sadly without any luck. Then she found a little box, hiding behind an armoire, with a drawing of serpents on it. She opened it hopefully, bursting in luck, when her and the boy's wands came into sight.

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"Could you please stop that!" an annoyed Harry growled, after Ron had been throwing pebbles against the stone walls for at least one hour. "It makes me go insane."

"What else should I do?" the redhead asked, while continuing shamelessly. "I'm bored."

"I don't care, as long as you do it quietly." Harry's head was aching, he hadn't been really sleeping nor eating since they had been captured, which felt like a long time ago. He felt the tiredness coming upon him. "It's been days. Do you think we will ever get out of her?" he asked feeling unsure.

"I don't know." Ron replied, holding a pebble in his hand, playing with it between his fingers. "I hope Hermione is fine though, I haven't heard anything from her since that scream." The wizard sighed. "I am worried they killed her."

"Me too." Harry nodded sorrily.

"I miss my family." On Ron's face was a sad frown.

Harry looked at him caring. He felt sorry for his best friend. "You will see them again. Don't worry about them, they have survived worse, they will be fine." He tried to comfort him. "And Hermione is strong and she can defend herself. I am sure she's still alive." He knew Ron saw his doubts, but he wanted to believe it as well.

"I hope-"

"Sh!" Harry interrupted the other wizard. "Someone's coming!"

It was the Orc, who had been bringing them food the last couple of days. The bearded wizards were generous enough to give them one slice of bread and one cup of water a day. Just enough to not starve to death, but not enough to get the minerals they needed. But this time the Orc didn't make it to his daily routine. He opened the door and just before he could give the two wizards their food he got petrified and fell to the floor like a plank in front of them.
Harry and Ron changed bewildered glances. "Who did that?" Harry asked, looking from the Orc, that lay on the floor to the stairs, that lead to another room.