Saturday morning. The sky was gloomy and overcast.
Rove got up very early.
Or rather, he hadn't really slept at all.
When the first ray of gray morning light filtered through the round window, he was already sitting in the armchair by the fireplace, clutching a freshly delivered copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Rove?"
Harry and Ron crawled through the portrait hole (they had arranged to visit Hagrid today). Seeing Rove's state, both of them jumped.
"You... you look like you're going to war," Ron said.
"Not 'going to'," Rove said, pinching the edge of the newspaper. "The war has already begun."
He threw the newspaper onto the table.
The front page featured a black-and-white photo, with a headline in massive bold letters: LATEST INVESTIGATION INTO GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN.
> [System Intelligence Analyzing...]
> [Source: Gringotts Wizarding Bank -> Mines of Moria]
> [Event: Vault 713 forcibly opened -> Lonely Mountain Secret Chamber breached]
> [Conclusion: Defense line fallen. Dark forces have infiltrated the core zone.]
"Listen, recruits." Rove stood up, his eyes as deep as a pool. "Dwarven fortifications are the strongest in the world. If even that place has been breached, it means... the object has been moved."
"What object?" Harry asked subconsciously.
"Unknown. But it must be something crucial to the Dark Lord." Rove lowered his voice. "Perhaps the Arkenstone, or maybe another Ring of Power. Whatever it is, it is now at Hogwarts."
Harry shivered. He remembered the grubby little package Hagrid had retrieved from Gringotts.
"Stop trying to scare us, Rove," Ron tried to lighten the mood. "Maybe it was just an ordinary thief."
"Ordinary thief?" Rove sneered. "Evading Dragons (Fire Drakes) and Goblins (Orcs) guards? That is a feat only the Witch-king of Angmar could achieve."
He grabbed his backpack. "Let's go. We're going to see the Ranger. Perhaps he knows something."
...
Hagrid's hut was located on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Through Rove's System Filter, this wasn't just a wooden hut; it was a massive fortress. The pumpkin patch nearby was marked as a Giant's Garden, and the pitch-black forest beyond was Mirkwood, radiating an aura of corruption.
Harry knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal Hagrid's massive, hairy face.
"Harry! Ron!" Hagrid shouted happily, then looked down to see the fully armed Rove. "Oh, and... Mr. Baggins?"
"Salutations, King of the Forest, Skin-Changer Beorn." Rove took a step back, pressed his right hand to his chest, and performed an ancient, primal salute. "May your Bear Spirit remain forever strong."
Hagrid froze for a moment, then burst into thunderous laughter. "Haha! This kid is funny! 'King of the Forest'? I like that title! Come in, come on in!"
Just then, a gigantic black boarhound lunged from behind Hagrid, heading straight for Harry.
"Fang!" Harry cried out.
But in Rove's eyes, that was a drooling, red-eyed Warg.
"BACK!"
Rove drew his wand instantly, stepping in front of Harry and assuming a standard defensive stance.
"HOLD! This beast has not been tamed!"
Fang was startled by Rove's intensity. He whimpered, tucked his tail between his legs, and hid behind Hagrid.
"Don't be scared, Rove," Hagrid laughed. "Fang's just a coward."
Rove didn't relax. He kept his eyes locked on the "Warg" until Hagrid pinned it to the floor. Only then did he slowly sheath his wand.
"Never turn your back on a beast," Rove whispered to Harry. "That is the first rule of surviving the night in the wild."
...
Inside the hut, it was sweltering; the fire was roaring.
Hagrid served them tea and a large plate of something that looked as hard as rocks.
"Rock cakes," Hagrid said proudly. "Fresh out of the oven."
Harry picked one up and tried to take a bite.
CRACK.
He felt like his teeth were about to snap.
"This..." Harry clutched his jaw, tears welling in his eyes.
Ron wisely didn't touch them, pretending to sip his tea instead.
Only Rove.
He picked up a rock cake and examined it closely.
> [Item Appraisal: Rock Cake]
> [True Name: Dwarven Marching Ration]
> [Attributes: Hardness 10 (Granite Level), Satiety +50, Palatability -100]
> [Description: High-compression dry rations used by Dwarves during long marches. It is said one piece can sustain an adult Dwarf for a whole day. Can also be used as a throwing weapon.]
"Good stuff," Rove praised.
Hagrid's eyes lit up. "You like 'em too?"
"This is true warrior food," Rove said with a serious face. "Only the softest Elves eat fluffy bread. This food hones the will and strengthens the body."
Saying this, he snapped the rock cake in half and dunked it into the scalding tea.
"Watch, Harry," Rove demonstrated. "You must first soften the outer shell with hot water, allowing the aroma of the tea to penetrate."
He waited ten seconds, then fished out the slightly softened cake and took a bite.
Although still very hard, it was chewable.
> [Buff Acquired: Stamina Recovery (Minor)]
> [Experience Gained: Endurance +1]
"Mmm..." Rove chewed vigorously, making loud crunching noises. "The taste is pure. Full of the power of the earth."
Harry and Ron stared, dumbfounded.
They copied Rove, dunking their cakes in their tea.
"It's actually edible," Harry said in surprise. "Still hard on the teeth, but... I feel like an explorer."
"Exactly!" Hagrid rubbed his hands together in delight. "Finally, someone who knows their stuff! Eat up, Rove, I've got a whole barrel!"
"A barrel?" Rove's eyes shone. "Can I get that to go? Strategic supplies like this are hard to come by in the castle."
"Of course! Take it all!"
...
When they left Hagrid's hut, Rove's backpack was stuffed with rock cakes.
His mood had improved slightly. With these reserve rations, he could survive for three to five days even if trapped in the Mines of Moria.
"Rove," Harry said suddenly, clutching the copy of the Daily Prophet. "About the war you mentioned earlier. Are you serious?"
Rove stopped walking.
He looked back at the castle behind them.
"Look at that." Rove pointed toward the highest tower of the castle.
There was nothing there, just a few crows circling.
But in Rove's System Filter, a flame was burning atop that tower, and a gigantic, lidless eye was slowly opening.
"The darkness is gathering, Harry," Rove said softly. "Gringotts was just the beginning. The thief didn't find what he wanted. So he will come here. He will come for you."
Harry's heart skipped a beat.
"For me?"
"You are the Ring-Bearer." Rove looked into Harry's eyes (or rather, at the lightning scar). "Though you may not know yet what you carry, fate has already made its choice."
He patted Harry on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. The Fellowship will protect you. As long as my sword is in my hand, as long as my frying pan remains unbroken..."
Rove's voice was carried away by a sudden gust of cold wind.
"No one will be able to harm you. Not even the Dark Lord himself."