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Endings and New Beginnings
(Part One of Hellethil Series)
Planet Earth, Year XXXX
Place: Unplottable – named ‘The Eternal Forest’
Helena Peverell walked through the forest cautiously. She and the other creatures of the forest had felt a strange kind of force disturbing the forest grounds a few days ago. It was getting stronger and stronger every day and she feared that something that’s not supposed to be here in the first place will be coming to their forest.
“Shh shh, my sweet. I know. Something is coming isn’t it?” Helena soothed the elder female unicorn that accompanied her in her daily walks around the forest. “I’ll see what I can do about the strange magic. Now, go back to your herd. They’ll miss you if you don’t get back to them soon.”
The elder unicorn neighed in agreement before it galloped away towards to where her herd was. Helena sighed as she continued on her way to the edge of the forest. She barely noticed as her long red hair caught against the branches among the forest. As she walked, her green eyes went slightly cloudy with the memories of her past.
The feeling of this unknown force and its power felt somewhat familiar to her. Like the feeling of the wizarding kind’s magic before it was lost to Earth except for her own magic. She did not know how much time has passed, it feels like centuries or even millenniums have passed since the last of the wizards and witches died. All of them died because of an incurable disease that eats away at the core of their magic, making them frail and weak before they die.
Helena, who was immortal because of her title as Mistress of Death, had to watch as all of her friends descendants, whom she had pledge to look after, die one after another. She was helpless to help them even as she tried everything to find some way save them all. But all of her efforts are for nothing as they still died in the end.
After the witches and wizards died, many of the wizarding creatures started to die off too. And a plague swept across the world causing the muggles and its mundane creatures to sicken and die off as well. It seems as if the whole earth has fallen ill, causing its occupants to be infected and to die off one after another.
Helena searched franticly for some way to save the world and soon, she found something in an ancient scroll that could be used to prevent or pause the spread of sickness. The spell was called ‘Eternal Timeless Space’. The spell warps space and time on a chosen area or place, making that area to be timeless and never ending. It would freeze the time in that area and as long as someone powers its grounding stone, that area would forever be timeless.
She made the decision to do the spell over a forested area with a running water supply and it even has a waterfall. By the time she finished the spell, the humans were all dead as well. The only things left in the world are just a few magical and mundane creatures as well as herself, an immortal witch who was the Mistress of Death. She moved all her things and what was left of the still living creatures into the area and built a home for them there. She eventually called their forest ‘The Eternal Forest’.
It had been so long since she and her creature friends had moved into Eternal Forest. And Helena was still trying to find some way to save the dying world. She tried to find something with time travel but everything she researched about told her it was dangerous to meddle with time if she wanted to go back further than a specific amount of time. And add to that, she still hasn’t found out why the earth was dying in the first place. And now, some strange force was disturbing the home.
Thu-thump
Thu-thump
Thu-thump
It’s getting faster, she thought worriedly. Helena hurried to where she felt the source might be and stopped suddenly when she saw a pulsing sphere of light near the edge of Eternal Forest. She slowly hid behind a tree and waited. She knew that it wouldn’t be long before something happens and pulled out her Gryffindor sword just in case the thing that she might encounter would be the unfriendly sort.
A few seconds later, a piercing ball of bright light filled the area causing Helena to close her eyes. A loud thump and a pained groan can be heard later. She peeked out from her spot behind the tree and was startled to see a long haired blond man (who somewhat reminds her of the Malfoys) with a face that was heavily scarred on its left side and possibly blind in his left eye. What was strange was that the man had pointed ears, was wearing fine robes and something like a crown of twigs on his head.
A high elf? But that’s impossible! The high elves had moved away from Earth during the ancient Celtic times.
“Who’s there?! Show yourself!” demanded the high elf in the same haughty tone that the Malfoys would use. (She and the Malfoys became friend after Lucius died and the Malfoys descendants were considered one of the few lines that she promised to look after but failed when everyone started dying.)
Helena reluctantly left her hiding spot behind the tree. The high elf watched her closely, running his blue eyes up and down her form. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her sword but dismissed it as he focused on her face.
“Who are you and where am I?”
“…”
“Answer me!”
“I am Helena Peverell and this is my home, the Eternal Forest.”
“The Eternal Forest? I have never heard of such forest before in Middle Earth.”
“No, you’re not in Middle Earth. This is just Earth.”
“…”
“Who are you might I ask?”
“King Thranduil, Elvenking of the Woodland Realm in Middle Earth.”
The high elf looked around them with a wary and puzzled expression on his face. He moved around slowly, touching the trees and bushes near him while still keeping an eye on her. He didn’t expect to bump into an invisible barrier where the edge of the forest ends.
“What is this sorcery?!”
“That is the barrier which separates us from a sicken world. In here is that only place that anything can live,” Helena warily explained to the elvenking, not wanting to upset the being.
“What do you mean a sicken world?! Explain to me everything! I need to know why and how I come about to be here!” demanded Thrandruil.
“Why don’t we move to my house? It’s a very long explanation and it’s better to talk it over some food and water.”
Thranduil reluctantly agreed to follow the woman called Helena to her house. He had no other choice but to follow her since he did not know where he was right now. He was not even in Middle Earth anymore if what she said was true.
It was truly a mystery on how he ended up being here in the first place. It was just a few years after the Battle of Dagorlad and he was patrolling their forest with some of his men to make sure that their forest was safe when he felt a powerful force pulling at him. He didn’t even have time to react before he was thrown to the ground and ended up here with this Helena woman. As Thranduil followed the woman silently through the forest, he wonders what will happen to him next.
..*..*..*..
Helena stirred the pot of chicken soup and went to check on the buns that were cooking in her oven. She was making dinner as she kept an eye on the elvenking as he read some of her books using her translation glasses. After they arrived at her small house, she explained everything about the situation on Earth to him, hoping he could help her in some way. Now, the elvenking was reviewing her research as well as the books to find a way to get him home as well as help her if he can.
Setting the table for two, she called out to Thranduil that dinner was ready. They ate dinner silently while she occasionally stared at the elvenking because he was the first person she had contact with in a very long time and him eating his dinner quietly as with his mind full of thoughts.
Thranduil reminds her so much of Draco Malfoy, her ex-enemy and ex-lover. Very proud and quick to anger if provoked but also very passionate and loyal to those he calls family. Since Helena knew how to handle Draco at his best and at his worse during their time together as lover, she knew she could handle Thranduil.
After dinner, she told Thranduil to use her bed as she had a spare sofa bed in her study room which she could use. So they parted ways, her going to her study room for more research before bedtime and him reading some books before heading off to sleep.
..*..*..*..
Days passed into weeks and Thranduil still haven’t found anything that could help him get him back to Middle Earth. Well, Helena have thousands of books in her library trunks so he wasn’t so worried as they still have plenty of time and books to find some answers from.
Anyway, things between him and Helena have settled down into a routine of sorts. Helena would wake up first and shower before making them some breakfast. Then he would wake up and use the shower before they both eat breakfast together.
After breakfast, they would do simple house chores together (even if Thranduil was unfamiliar with doing common chores, he still does it none the less since he doesn’t want Helena to think less of him) like him feeding the farm animals that Helena kept near the house while she does the dishes and laundry before helping him out with the animals by collecting milk from the cows and eggs from the chicken.
After lunch, they spend their time researching and reading the books that might help them in their research. Even Thranduil now has his own notebook to keep records of what he thought might help him in his research. After that, they will have dinner together and do some reading/research before going to bed.
After three days of research, Helena would have a one day off from research to walk around the forest and rest her brain. The first time he joined her, he was surprised and amazed at the few magical creatures that were in the forest, especially the unicorns.
Their life at Eternal Forest was not perfect but it was satisfying for now.
++ Hobbit x HP..xXx..Part One..xXx..HP x Hobbit ++
One year later..
Helena and Thranduil didn’t know when their relationship changed into something deeper than friendship. It might be that time when Helena healed Thranduil’s face and restored his eye to what it was before it was scarred. It might have been when they helped wake each other up and comforted each other when their dreams turned to nightmares. Helena’s nightmares of everyone she loved blaming her for their deaths and Thranduil’s nightmares of dragon fire, battles and deaths of his kin.
Their relationship now could be compared to a pair of old time couple who are comfortable in each other’s presence. Each of them knew what the other wants before they could ask for it and provided it without being asked. It should have been weird to them but somehow, it just felt right to both Helena and Thranduil.
One night when they were just relaxing under the stars outside the house, Thranduil made a move to tuck a stray fringe from Helena’s hair behind her ear. Helena turned towards him at the unexpected action and their eyes caught each other. Thranduil moved to caress her soft cheeks before moving in to kiss her lips. That was when their relationship changed to something more physical.
..*..*..*..
A few months later..
“What are we going to do Thranduil?” Helena asked worriedly, looking away from Thranduil’s shocked still form. Thranduil had not moved an inch or said anything after her unexpected announcement. He just sat there looking dazed.
“What did you just say?” said Thranduil faintly. He thought that his ears were deceiving him. Helena couldn’t have said what he thought she had said.
“I’m pregnant Thranduil. What are we going to do?” Helena all but wailed. How could this have happened? How careless of her and of Thranduil to forget to use any form of protection. And now they are paying the price of their carelessness. Now they have to add her being pregnant with a child to the mix of them having to solve their problems of either saving the world in her case or going back home to Middle Earth in Thranduil’s case.
Thranduil shook out from his daze and went to hug the one woman he had come to love during their time together. “We’ll figure it out together Helena. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out together.”
..*..*..*..
The pregnancy and birth went rather well, considering that there was only the two of them to figure out what they need to do for the whole pregnancy thing and that Thranduil had to be the mid-wife for Helena who was in pain because of the labour.
Helena gave birth to a son with blond hair, blue eyes and pointed ears and she had a feeling that her son would grow to look just like his father. Thranduil looked so proud to be holding his son in his arms. He named him, Legolas before handing his newborn son to his mother to hold. The three of them spent the week after the birth, getting used to one another, with Helena and Thranduil taking care of Legolas’s needs and Legolas getting to know his parents as they care for him.
Legolas was spoiled by Thranduil and Helena. They both liked to hold him wherever they went, be it just reading a book, doing chores or a walk around the forest. Legolas come to know his parents really well and loved being held. Helena would love sing to Legolas to sleep and Thranduil would hum and tell him stories of the Woodland Realm and tales of great elves in elven language. He even taught Helena the language so that she would understand what he taught to their son.
It was when their son was in his toddler age that they found something that could return Thranduil back to Middle Earth. Actually it was their son who accidentally found the book by knocking over some pile of books when he tried to ‘help’ them with their research (luckily he wasn’t hurt by said pile of books). It was one of the old books that had no title on its book cover.
When Thranduil went to pick up the books, he saw one of the books was open and it has elven writings that were different yet similar to his race’s writing on it. He was quick to pick up that book and read its contents. The book was actually a journal of an Earth elf who found a pair of elven twin children not from Earth. The elven children, Princes Eluréd and Elurín were the twin sons of King Dior Eluchîl and Queen Nimloth from the Kingdom of Doriath in Middle Earth. Even for the Earth elves, their elven children were cherished.
So the Earth elves used their knowledge and research about ways of finding a way to send the children home back to their worried parents. In one of the pages, there was a drawing of a circle filled with ancient runes was on one of the pages with an explanation about the Circle in the other.
The elf explained that it would take a specific time of the year with a lot of power from the Earth elves to power up the Circle to take the children home to Middle Earth. The last entry of the journal said that the elven children did not want to leave the Earth elves because they were scared that they will be killed if they go back home. So Eluréd and Elurín lived their life on earth and when the Earth elves left earth, they went with them.
The journal was left on earth with a trusted friend of the Earth elves so that if by any chance that someone from the Middle Earth happened to crossover to Earth, then this journal should help them find their way home. Thranduil and Helena was lucky to find the journal by accident with the help of their son. It would have taken them forever to find the journal by reading all of the books that Helena owned.
And now that they have some answers as to how to send Thranduil back to Middle Earth, they would just have to research on the Circle so as to make sure that the Circle is truly a portal to Middle Earth and not some other realm altogether. It took them years to fully research the Circle and know if it was indeed safe to travel through.
And during those years, a lot of things happened. Helena magically bonded with Thranduil to make their relationship more permanent. Helena was now Queen and Consort to King Thranduil, Elvenking of the Woodland Realm in Middle Earth. She now has an elven name given to her by Thranduil. He gave her the name Hellethil, meaning 'Hiding Flower' for she is the flower hiding among the Eternal Forest.
When they bonded, Thranduil told her that he was glad that she was an immortal, even if she disliked her immortality and her title as Mistress of Death. Thranduil said that because of it that they were able to meet and fall in love with one another.
But soon after her bonding, she encountered a disastrous problem within Eternal Forest that could mean the end of the Earth. The Eternal Forest was dying, just like the rest of the Earth. It seems that not even the spell she casted over the Eternal Forest could hold back whatever sickness that was affecting Earth. The trees and animals in the forest are starting to die one by one and Helena was at a lost on what to do.
++ Hobbit x HP..xXx..Part One..xXx..HP x Hobbit ++
Thranduil watched as his love cried silently because she can’t save the dying female Unicorn in front of her. Beside them was the Unicorn’s young foal, also crying for his dying mother. It was such a sad sight to see. After the female Unicorn died, Hellethil sat there patting the distress foal gently to calm it down even as her tears continued to fall from her eyes.
“Thranduil.. What should I do? Eternal Forest is dying and I still haven’t found any answers yet. What should I do?!” sobbed Hellethil.
“Hellethil, why don’t you come with me to Middle Earth?” Thranduil said gently. “After the many years of searching and still no answer, I think it’s time to stop. Come with me to Middle Earth. Legolas would like his mother to be with him as well when we return to the Woodland Realm. And I don’t want to lose you. So please, come with us to Middle Earth..”
Hellethil looked up to him with tearful eyes. “I.. I guess I will come with you. There is nothing else for me here. This young unicorn foal is the only animal left here in Eternal Forest except for us.”
“Come on, let’s go and pack. The circle is already ready for us to use. I’m sure Legolas is packing his stuff right now. We’ll bring the unicorn foal with us to Middle Earth.”
Thranduil helped Hellethil stand up and help her gather up the dead unicorn remains. She said that the unicorn gave its permission to harvest her horn, hair and blood after she died in return of taking care of her young foal. After that, she, Thranduil and the young foal went back to her house to pack.
..*..*..*..
They packed everything in the house into the extra multi-compartment trunks that Hellethil has on hand for emergency storage. All of the trunks were then shrunk and placed into her backpack which has an Undetectable Extension Charm and Feather-light Charm on it.
After they finished packing, they all stood before the Circle drawn beforehand with Thranduil’s blood since they want to go to where his home is. Thranduil was holding Legolas (who looks like a five year old in human age) and Hellethil was holding the young unicorn foal that was drugged asleep so that it would not panic when they travel over to Middle Earth.
Hellethil theorised that they need a higher level of power than hers to power up the Circle. During her time researching for how to come up with the power to power up the Circle, she dreamt that Death visited her in her dreams to tell her that He could help her power up the Circle but the help comes with a price. Death said that He would help her and those with her travel safely to Middle Earth if she gives up the Deathly Hollows and her title as Mistress of Death.
Hellethil was reluctant to agree but Death told her that she would keep her immortality as she had magically bonded with her partner and she would still be able keep her magic. Death told her to call Him if she wanted His help before disappearing from her dream. Hellethil discussed the dream with Thranduil and since they knew that there was no other way they could power the Circle, they both reluctantly agreed to call upon Death for help.
And now was the time for them to summon Death.
Hellethil looked at her Thranduil and her son. She gave them a kiss each, Legolas was kissed gently on the forehead and she give Thranduil a short but sweet kiss on his lips, before she summon Death. She closed her eyes and focused on her connection with the Deathly Hallows and called Death to her.
‘Death, I agree to your help for our safe journey to Middle Earth and in return I will give back the Deathly Hallows and my title of Mistress of Death.’
A large hooded figure covered in shadows appeared opposite of them. Thranduil and Legolas shivered as they felt something unnatural appeared before them but they couldn’t see it. Only Hellethil could see Death in His true form.
‘Mistress.. I see that you had finally chosen to use my help after all.’
‘Yes, we need your help in powering the Circle. Do you promise to get us all safely to Middle Earth with my immortality and my magic intact in return for the Deathly Hallows and my title as Mistress of Death?’
‘Yes, the Deathly Hallows and your title as Mistress of Death in return for the safe travel to Middle Earth for you and yours with your immortality and magic intact.’
‘Alright. Let’s do this then.’
Hellethil put the Cloak of Invisibility, the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone in front of her before it slowly disappeared from her sight. She knew that it was Death’s doing and He was taking back the power of the Deathly Hallows as well as her title as Mistress of Death.
‘Now that you have fulfil your part, it is my turn. Before I send you to Middle Earth, I have something to tell you. Since you are not of that realm, I was able to contact with the beings called the Valar, who are the powers that ruled the fates of Middle Earth to let you live there with your bonded. They the ones that you will have to answer to now are Vairë the Weaver and her husband, Mandos, Judge of the Dead. They would contact you if they desire so. Now stand in the Circle and I’ll send you off.’
As Hellethil told Thranduil to step into the Circle she thought of Death’s last words to her. She would take Death’s words about her new god and goddess? guardian spirits? or whatever they are to heart. From the way that Death told her about Vairë and Mandos, she could see that it was meant as some kind of warning. That the two beings of Valar would be watching her actions and that she should be prepared for them to contact her at any time without warning.
After they entered the Circle, the runes in the Circle started to glow bright. Just as Hellethil felt something pull at her whole being, she heard Death say something to her.
‘Good luck in beginning your new life in Middle Earth, former Mistress of mine.’
++ Hobbit x HP..xXx.. T.B.C ..xXx..HP x Hobbit ++