Fic: Happiness is a Broken Wand [Part 18]
Title: Happiness is a Broken Wand
Chapter: 18/?
Author: Embracing Madness
Summary: Severus Snape just wants a new, peaceful life in Middle Earth, but with a vicious war arising and a new Dark Lord gunning for him, he'll have to fight to get that wish. Magic and battles, familiars and friends. Slytherinesque cunning shall always prevail.
Word Count: 1948 for this part [total so far: 35, 066]
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings belong to J.K Rowling and J.R.R Tolkien, all the copyrights associated with HP and LOTR belongs to them. Only the ideas contained within this story are the property of the author. No profit is being earned by the writer of this story.
color:black">"...and so it is vitally important that he be rescued," Gandalf was exceedingly proud to say that none of his frustration leaked into his voice. Truly, the Steward could try the patience of an Ent! And Gandalf, well, even on a good day Gandalf had trouble being patient. That day, indeed, that entire week had not been good to the poor Istari. First having to deal with Saruman, and now with Denethor - Nienna save him from obdurate, snobbish leaders! Indeed, in some ways, Denethor was worse than Saruman...
color:black">Stop thinking about Saruman. Talking to Denethor requires all the concentration you have.
color:black">"Oh? And yet, you state no clear reason for this Man's vital importance," the biting sarcasm Denethor put into those two words was impossible to mistake. "Pray tell, why should I risk my men to retrieve this crow-traveler just to complete a quest which you were meant to undertake?"
color:black">For a moment, Gandalf entertained a wistful fantasy of dunking Denethor's head into a pail of good beer. That would either cool him down or get him drunk, and at this point, Gandalf would welcome either alternative as an improvement. Truly, Denethor had no need for guards or weapons - that acid tongue of his could send many a Man into tears! Gandalf could swear that it rivalled Saruman's in obnoxiousness - a miraculous feat, as Saruman had had centuries to hone his wit. And at least Saruman was a friend, and so Gandalf was perfectly justified in having more tolerance for his obnoxiousness - stop thinking about Saruman, Gandalf, and answer the Steward!
color:black">"Because this is potentially a problem which could affect us all. Indeed, the situation is already changing. Increased Orc attacks, mass Crebain nesting all over the countryside, dark winds sweeping out from Mordor...all evil portents of events yet to come, with the crow-traveler as the clear instigator!"
color:black">"Clear to your eyes, perhaps. Less clear to mere mortals like me. After all, we have not the guidance of the Valar that you purportedly claim to enjoy. Surely, you must understand," Denethor spread his hands in a mocking gesture of supplication, "that all those signs you refer to as evil portents heralding the crow-traveler's arrival are, to us, signs to fortify the city's defense and gather every able-bodied warrior here, rather than send them out on suicidal quests to rescue suspicious men."
color:black">"I understand your concern," said Gandalf, smiling through clenched teeth. Annoying, obnoxious, rude, Saruman-like... "However, surely the wishes of the Valar take precedence. There is too much that is unknown about this Man to leave him in the clutches of the Dark Power. Indeed," he added in a burst of inspiration, "I commend the two Rangers currently in pursuit of him for their recognition of the gravity of the situation. Their long association over the past few weeks with him has clearly impressed upon them his importance and-"
color:black">"Of course," Denethor's smile was just as false as Gandalf's. "I, too, admire their...initiative. Though, I do wonder at their defiance against Ranger Addroc's order to return to Minas Tirith. Clearly, some disciplinary action is in order," Blinking in dismay, Gandalf tried to interrupt, but Denethor just raised his voice and steamrollered on. "After all, it is to their own benefit that they learn to not risk their lives and that of those around them. Truly, they should understand that, except for certain egotistic parties, there are many here who would value their lives over that of an insignificant outsider. They should also understand that their duty is, first and foremost, to Gondor itself! Unlike certain travelers, who only visit Gondor when they are in need of my aid, we are always..."
color:black">Oh Nienna. Gandalf groaned silently as he recognized all the warning signs of an impending rant of Denethorian proportions, which was sure to be liberally sprinkled with sneers and mocking remarks about Gandalf himself. Shaking his head, he settled in to wait, letting the unpleasant words wash over him like mud off a rock. It was the only thing to do; indeed, it was the safest thing he could do, as his blunt tongue and excitable temper could not parry in kind. Gandalf had, so far, been trying to be polite - though he suspected he'd mostly came across as stuffy - but the hostile diplomacy that Denethor so excelled at, with its subtle dance of insults and nuances, had never been Gandalf's forte. Though, indeed, he defied any diplomat to keep his temper in the face of the Obnoxious Irritation that was Denethor. Not even Saruman could do so and why was he thinking about Saruman again?
color:black">Oh, but who was he fooling? Worry for Saruman had plagued him since he left Isengard, rendering him far more short-tempered and too distracted to properly deal with Denethor. Though Saruman had insisted that he was well on the road to recovery, Gandalf knew that he was not speaking the complete truth. Lying in the large white bed as he insisted - nay, practically forced Gandalf to leave, Saruman had looked frail and old and disturbingly vulnerable.
color:black">Gandalf had to admit, that it was at times like those that Saruman's infernal pride irritated him to no end. I could easily lend my powers to healing him quicker before I left, if he would just accept my help! But no, Saruman the White was too prideful to admit to his pains, talk about what had happened, or even show a smidgen of gratitude to Gandalf for abandoning his quest willy-nilly just to tend to Saruman!
color:black">Thinking of his quest again brought an even deeper frown to his wrinkled face. Gandalf couldn't really blame Denethor for refusing his request, not when Gandalf himself knew next to nothing about the crow-traveler. Lady Nienna's message to him regarding the man he was supposed to rescue from the Enemy had been unusually vague and confusing. A traveler, headed to Minas Tirith, who reared Crebain as pets? Was he an ally of the Dark? And if that was the case, surely Saruman would have been a better candidate for the mission rather than Gandalf? After all, Isengard was closer to Minas Tirith than was the Shire. Also, Saruman was level-headed and self-possessed, unlike Gandalf who positively loathed the Dark with a deep, burning hatred and had no qualms about making his hostility known.
color:black">However, Gandalf had known that it was not his place to question the Valar, and thus, he could only hope for the best and set out immediately for Gondor. And it was good that he did, for when Saruman was attacked, Gandalf had just reached Fangorn and so could rush to Saruman's aid with a mere two days of travel. Had Gandalf not been there, Radagast, whose dwelling was the closest to Saruman's, would probably have been the wizard tasked with travelling to Isengard. And. Well. Gandalf held deep affection for Radagast, but he knew just how little interest the other wizard had for anything which wasn't a plant or an animal. Poor Saruman, fitting into neither category, would have been fared ill in the absent-minded Brown Wizard's hands.
color:black">Of course, technically, Gandalf was not at liberties to rush to Isengard. He was on a Valar-sent quest, after all! And perhaps, Gandalf would have forcibly set aside his affection and worry for his old friend, and continued his quest - had his instincts not told him that he needed to help Saruman.
color:black">For Gandalf, more than any of the other wizards, trusted his instincts. This trait was looked on in bewilderment by the other wizards - indeed, Saruman often took him to task for it - but Gandalfknew, that even if he could not predict their consequences until much, much later, his instincts would always turn out to be right. He knew, that even if he couldn't explain his hasty decisions to his skeptical contemporaries, that even if his actions ran counter to every bit of logic that his mind told him to follow, his instincts invariably led him true.
color:black">And so, Gandalf never hesitated to follow his heart. He'd followed it when it'd told him to cultivate the odd little Halfling creatures as acquaintances, and gained the most precious friends he could possibly treasure from that decision. He'd followed it when it'd told him that Sauron had returned, and so had been well-prepared to fight Sauron and chase him out of Dol Guldor. Indeed, the only time he ever considered following his head instead of his heart, was when his instincts told him to ignore the increasingly Dark behavior of Saruman.
color:black">Gandalf couldn't pinpoint the first moments the seeds of suspicion against Saruman had sprouted in his mind. Perhaps it had been when Saruman had shown his opposition to a direct attack against Sauron. Perhaps it had begun even earlier, when Saruman had began studying the dark arts, purportedly to gain better knowledge of Sauron's weaknesses. But no matter the source, Gandalf had begun to wonder, and to suspect that something was amiss.
color:black">Gandalf had begun to fear that Saruman...was slowly being corrupted by the Dark.
color:black">But oh, he held back from questioning Saruman openly, because his instincts told him not to. He just couldn't explain why - after all, logic was, for once, on his side, and every sign he saw was screaming at him to be wary of Saruman. But somehow...he knew, just knew that he was not meant to confront Saruman just yet, if ever. He knew, that he could not be responsible for splitting apart the White Council and weakening its influence. He knew, that Saruman still had a role to play in the grand scheme of things, and for Gandalf to meddle would change things for the worse. And so Gandalf waited, and watched, and concentrated his energies on fighting the clearer evils of the world.
color:black">But now, but now that Saruman had been attacked by the Enemy and nearly killed - indeed, the wounds that Saruman had incurred would have been fatal for most mortal beings - Gandalf began to hope that this was what his instincts had been trying to tell him. He began to hope that Saruman was either innocent, or still redeemable of his sins. He began to believe again that he was right to trust that Saruman would hold true to the Light, and would not betray his fellow Maiar.
color:black">He hoped...he prayed...that he was not wrong in this. For if Gandalf's instincts were right...if his old friend was truly corrupted...it would be more than Gandalf could bear.
color:black">"...appear quite fatigued. Perhaps you will recuperate your strength after a rest. Allow me to summon a servant to lead you to your bedchambers."
color:black">Blinking in surprise, Gandalf roused himself from his thoughts. "Oh? Oh! No. No. I thank you, but there is no need..."
color:black">"Oh no. I insist." The unyielding tone in Denethor's voice brooked no objection. For a moment, Gandalf thought of objecting anyway, for form's sake, but unfortunately, Denethor was right. He didfeel rather tired and sick, to the point that he'd been forced to continue asking for Denethor's help rather than continue his quest himself. Taking care of a patient as unmanageable as Saruman had clearly taken a hard toll on Gandalf; indeed, he'd been so exhausted by the end of it that his last day at Isengard was just a blur. There was a faint niggling sense of something having happened, but Gandalf was having trouble remembering...he grimaced as his headache abruptly sharpened. By the Valar, he definitely needed more rest.
color:black">"Thank you for your hospitality, Steward Denethor. I hope to continue this discussion later," he finally said. Standing up on tired legs, he slowly followed the silent servant out of the throne chamber.
color:black">
Chapter: 18/?
Author: Embracing Madness
Summary: Severus Snape just wants a new, peaceful life in Middle Earth, but with a vicious war arising and a new Dark Lord gunning for him, he'll have to fight to get that wish. Magic and battles, familiars and friends. Slytherinesque cunning shall always prevail.
Word Count: 1948 for this part [total so far: 35, 066]
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings belong to J.K Rowling and J.R.R Tolkien, all the copyrights associated with HP and LOTR belongs to them. Only the ideas contained within this story are the property of the author. No profit is being earned by the writer of this story.
color:black">"...and so it is vitally important that he be rescued," Gandalf was exceedingly proud to say that none of his frustration leaked into his voice. Truly, the Steward could try the patience of an Ent! And Gandalf, well, even on a good day Gandalf had trouble being patient. That day, indeed, that entire week had not been good to the poor Istari. First having to deal with Saruman, and now with Denethor - Nienna save him from obdurate, snobbish leaders! Indeed, in some ways, Denethor was worse than Saruman...
color:black">Stop thinking about Saruman. Talking to Denethor requires all the concentration you have.
color:black">"Oh? And yet, you state no clear reason for this Man's vital importance," the biting sarcasm Denethor put into those two words was impossible to mistake. "Pray tell, why should I risk my men to retrieve this crow-traveler just to complete a quest which you were meant to undertake?"
color:black">For a moment, Gandalf entertained a wistful fantasy of dunking Denethor's head into a pail of good beer. That would either cool him down or get him drunk, and at this point, Gandalf would welcome either alternative as an improvement. Truly, Denethor had no need for guards or weapons - that acid tongue of his could send many a Man into tears! Gandalf could swear that it rivalled Saruman's in obnoxiousness - a miraculous feat, as Saruman had had centuries to hone his wit. And at least Saruman was a friend, and so Gandalf was perfectly justified in having more tolerance for his obnoxiousness - stop thinking about Saruman, Gandalf, and answer the Steward!
color:black">"Because this is potentially a problem which could affect us all. Indeed, the situation is already changing. Increased Orc attacks, mass Crebain nesting all over the countryside, dark winds sweeping out from Mordor...all evil portents of events yet to come, with the crow-traveler as the clear instigator!"
color:black">"Clear to your eyes, perhaps. Less clear to mere mortals like me. After all, we have not the guidance of the Valar that you purportedly claim to enjoy. Surely, you must understand," Denethor spread his hands in a mocking gesture of supplication, "that all those signs you refer to as evil portents heralding the crow-traveler's arrival are, to us, signs to fortify the city's defense and gather every able-bodied warrior here, rather than send them out on suicidal quests to rescue suspicious men."
color:black">"I understand your concern," said Gandalf, smiling through clenched teeth. Annoying, obnoxious, rude, Saruman-like... "However, surely the wishes of the Valar take precedence. There is too much that is unknown about this Man to leave him in the clutches of the Dark Power. Indeed," he added in a burst of inspiration, "I commend the two Rangers currently in pursuit of him for their recognition of the gravity of the situation. Their long association over the past few weeks with him has clearly impressed upon them his importance and-"
color:black">"Of course," Denethor's smile was just as false as Gandalf's. "I, too, admire their...initiative. Though, I do wonder at their defiance against Ranger Addroc's order to return to Minas Tirith. Clearly, some disciplinary action is in order," Blinking in dismay, Gandalf tried to interrupt, but Denethor just raised his voice and steamrollered on. "After all, it is to their own benefit that they learn to not risk their lives and that of those around them. Truly, they should understand that, except for certain egotistic parties, there are many here who would value their lives over that of an insignificant outsider. They should also understand that their duty is, first and foremost, to Gondor itself! Unlike certain travelers, who only visit Gondor when they are in need of my aid, we are always..."
color:black">Oh Nienna. Gandalf groaned silently as he recognized all the warning signs of an impending rant of Denethorian proportions, which was sure to be liberally sprinkled with sneers and mocking remarks about Gandalf himself. Shaking his head, he settled in to wait, letting the unpleasant words wash over him like mud off a rock. It was the only thing to do; indeed, it was the safest thing he could do, as his blunt tongue and excitable temper could not parry in kind. Gandalf had, so far, been trying to be polite - though he suspected he'd mostly came across as stuffy - but the hostile diplomacy that Denethor so excelled at, with its subtle dance of insults and nuances, had never been Gandalf's forte. Though, indeed, he defied any diplomat to keep his temper in the face of the Obnoxious Irritation that was Denethor. Not even Saruman could do so and why was he thinking about Saruman again?
color:black">Oh, but who was he fooling? Worry for Saruman had plagued him since he left Isengard, rendering him far more short-tempered and too distracted to properly deal with Denethor. Though Saruman had insisted that he was well on the road to recovery, Gandalf knew that he was not speaking the complete truth. Lying in the large white bed as he insisted - nay, practically forced Gandalf to leave, Saruman had looked frail and old and disturbingly vulnerable.
color:black">Gandalf had to admit, that it was at times like those that Saruman's infernal pride irritated him to no end. I could easily lend my powers to healing him quicker before I left, if he would just accept my help! But no, Saruman the White was too prideful to admit to his pains, talk about what had happened, or even show a smidgen of gratitude to Gandalf for abandoning his quest willy-nilly just to tend to Saruman!
color:black">Thinking of his quest again brought an even deeper frown to his wrinkled face. Gandalf couldn't really blame Denethor for refusing his request, not when Gandalf himself knew next to nothing about the crow-traveler. Lady Nienna's message to him regarding the man he was supposed to rescue from the Enemy had been unusually vague and confusing. A traveler, headed to Minas Tirith, who reared Crebain as pets? Was he an ally of the Dark? And if that was the case, surely Saruman would have been a better candidate for the mission rather than Gandalf? After all, Isengard was closer to Minas Tirith than was the Shire. Also, Saruman was level-headed and self-possessed, unlike Gandalf who positively loathed the Dark with a deep, burning hatred and had no qualms about making his hostility known.
color:black">However, Gandalf had known that it was not his place to question the Valar, and thus, he could only hope for the best and set out immediately for Gondor. And it was good that he did, for when Saruman was attacked, Gandalf had just reached Fangorn and so could rush to Saruman's aid with a mere two days of travel. Had Gandalf not been there, Radagast, whose dwelling was the closest to Saruman's, would probably have been the wizard tasked with travelling to Isengard. And. Well. Gandalf held deep affection for Radagast, but he knew just how little interest the other wizard had for anything which wasn't a plant or an animal. Poor Saruman, fitting into neither category, would have been fared ill in the absent-minded Brown Wizard's hands.
color:black">Of course, technically, Gandalf was not at liberties to rush to Isengard. He was on a Valar-sent quest, after all! And perhaps, Gandalf would have forcibly set aside his affection and worry for his old friend, and continued his quest - had his instincts not told him that he needed to help Saruman.
color:black">For Gandalf, more than any of the other wizards, trusted his instincts. This trait was looked on in bewilderment by the other wizards - indeed, Saruman often took him to task for it - but Gandalfknew, that even if he could not predict their consequences until much, much later, his instincts would always turn out to be right. He knew, that even if he couldn't explain his hasty decisions to his skeptical contemporaries, that even if his actions ran counter to every bit of logic that his mind told him to follow, his instincts invariably led him true.
color:black">And so, Gandalf never hesitated to follow his heart. He'd followed it when it'd told him to cultivate the odd little Halfling creatures as acquaintances, and gained the most precious friends he could possibly treasure from that decision. He'd followed it when it'd told him that Sauron had returned, and so had been well-prepared to fight Sauron and chase him out of Dol Guldor. Indeed, the only time he ever considered following his head instead of his heart, was when his instincts told him to ignore the increasingly Dark behavior of Saruman.
color:black">Gandalf couldn't pinpoint the first moments the seeds of suspicion against Saruman had sprouted in his mind. Perhaps it had been when Saruman had shown his opposition to a direct attack against Sauron. Perhaps it had begun even earlier, when Saruman had began studying the dark arts, purportedly to gain better knowledge of Sauron's weaknesses. But no matter the source, Gandalf had begun to wonder, and to suspect that something was amiss.
color:black">Gandalf had begun to fear that Saruman...was slowly being corrupted by the Dark.
color:black">But oh, he held back from questioning Saruman openly, because his instincts told him not to. He just couldn't explain why - after all, logic was, for once, on his side, and every sign he saw was screaming at him to be wary of Saruman. But somehow...he knew, just knew that he was not meant to confront Saruman just yet, if ever. He knew, that he could not be responsible for splitting apart the White Council and weakening its influence. He knew, that Saruman still had a role to play in the grand scheme of things, and for Gandalf to meddle would change things for the worse. And so Gandalf waited, and watched, and concentrated his energies on fighting the clearer evils of the world.
color:black">But now, but now that Saruman had been attacked by the Enemy and nearly killed - indeed, the wounds that Saruman had incurred would have been fatal for most mortal beings - Gandalf began to hope that this was what his instincts had been trying to tell him. He began to hope that Saruman was either innocent, or still redeemable of his sins. He began to believe again that he was right to trust that Saruman would hold true to the Light, and would not betray his fellow Maiar.
color:black">He hoped...he prayed...that he was not wrong in this. For if Gandalf's instincts were right...if his old friend was truly corrupted...it would be more than Gandalf could bear.
color:black">"...appear quite fatigued. Perhaps you will recuperate your strength after a rest. Allow me to summon a servant to lead you to your bedchambers."
color:black">Blinking in surprise, Gandalf roused himself from his thoughts. "Oh? Oh! No. No. I thank you, but there is no need..."
color:black">"Oh no. I insist." The unyielding tone in Denethor's voice brooked no objection. For a moment, Gandalf thought of objecting anyway, for form's sake, but unfortunately, Denethor was right. He didfeel rather tired and sick, to the point that he'd been forced to continue asking for Denethor's help rather than continue his quest himself. Taking care of a patient as unmanageable as Saruman had clearly taken a hard toll on Gandalf; indeed, he'd been so exhausted by the end of it that his last day at Isengard was just a blur. There was a faint niggling sense of something having happened, but Gandalf was having trouble remembering...he grimaced as his headache abruptly sharpened. By the Valar, he definitely needed more rest.
color:black">"Thank you for your hospitality, Steward Denethor. I hope to continue this discussion later," he finally said. Standing up on tired legs, he slowly followed the silent servant out of the throne chamber.
color:black">