Hogwarts wizards who signed in to Middle-earth...

In Gandalf's eyes, Duir, the young wizard who claimed to be from beyond Middle-earth, was shrouded in mystery.

When he tried to see through the soul of this mysterious young wizard, he was blocked by an incomprehensible force, as if hidden in a mist, making it impossible to see the essence of the soul.

Moreover, he sensed a familiar divine power emanating from him—a blessing from Ilúvatar.

Gandalf was shocked to discover this secret.

As one of the five wizards sent to Middle-earth by the Valar, and the last to arrive, Gandalf was certain that no one else besides the five of them had been sent to Middle-earth by the Valar.

But looking at the young wizard before him, who was favored by Ilúvatar, he was somewhat uncertain.

Or perhaps the Father of all things, who dwells in the eternal palace, intervened and sent down His messengers?

Feeling Gandalf's piercing gaze, Dui felt as if he had been instantly exposed, a chill running down his spine. He forced a smile and asked, puzzled, "Gandalf, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with me?"

Gandalf's thoughts were interrupted by Duy's words, and he instantly snapped back to reality. His gaze towards Duy softened, and he glanced at Bilbo beside him, asking tentatively in a veiled tone, "Wizard Duy, have you come to Middle-earth on a mission?"

Dui's pupils contracted, and his heart churned. Could it be that he had discovered the system on his body?

"Gandalf, I don't understand what you mean?" Dui tried his best to remain calm and not reveal any flaws.

To Duy's surprise, Gandalf gave him a knowing look and didn't press further. Instead, he said, "If Wizard Duy needs anything in the future, you can ask me for help."

"Uh, thank you!" Dui was a little confused. What did this mean? Did they discover the system on him?

Noticing Gandalf's change in attitude, becoming more friendly and proactive, and recalling what had just been said, Duy suddenly had a guess pop into his head.

He looked at Gandalf opposite him in disbelief.

Could this guy be mistaking me for one of their own?

Feeling somewhat guilty, Dui didn't want to continue the conversation and quickly changed the subject, asking, "Gandalf, did you come from the East on some mission?"

Perhaps because he considered Dui one of his own, Gandalf did not hide anything and nodded, saying, "I discovered the shadows of darkness in the Eastern city of Dorgus and met a dwarf king who was imprisoned. He entrusted me with passing on his belongings to his son."

"The imprisoned dwarf king?" Dui exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, he was the previous king of the Durin dwarves, Thrain II. Over a hundred years ago, the dragon Smaug descended upon Lonely Mountain, ravaging the Lonely Mountain dwarf kingdom, forcing the Durin dwarves to flee. Thrain II refused to abandon Lonely Mountain, and on his way to investigate, he was captured by orcs near Mirkwood and imprisoned in the fortress of Dorgod, where he was severely tortured. By the time I went to Dorgod to investigate and found him, he was already on the verge of death."

Gandalf's expression turned somewhat solemn when he mentioned this.

Upon hearing this, Dui also remembered that the Thalyne II, who was imprisoned by the orcs, should be Thorin Oakenshield's father.

Therefore, Gandalf's journey was likely to deliver Thrain II's relics to Thorin Oakenshield, thus initiating the dwarven expedition to Erebor.

So, the expedition to Lonely Mountain is not far off.

He couldn't help but glance at Bilbo beside him. The hobbit, who was listening with great interest, had no idea that he would soon be the main character.

Furthermore, considering Gandalf's special visit to Bilbo's house, it's clear that he had already made arrangements for Bilbo long ago.

Given Gandalf's cunning and shrewdness, this poor hobbit was clearly no match for his scheme.

While Dui sympathizes with this, he will not stop it.

After all, this expedition was an opportunity for Bilbo, and also a chance to find the One Ring.

The One Ring is now in Gollum's hands and is hidden in the Misty Mountains. If it weren't for Bilbo, the chosen one, even the prophet Duy wouldn't have been able to find it.

After finishing their afternoon tea, Bilbo and Gandalf shared some longgrain tobacco. The two old smokers puffed away in a cloud of smoke, choking Duy so much that he had to back away.

Seeing this, Gandalf laughed heartily and even urged Dui to try the taste of tobacco.

Dui politely declined the offer and prepared to go to the glass greenhouse to check on his two mandrake plants.

Gandalf, having heard of the wonders of the mandrake from Bilbo, was also very curious and wanted to go and see it for himself.

Upon entering the glass greenhouse, Gandalf looked at the transparent glass and immediately recognized that it was formed by transformation, yet he still exclaimed in amazement, "What wondrous transformation magic! It has actually changed the form of matter, transforming one thing into another. This is an extremely rare ability!"

Gandalf admitted that he did not have this ability. Although he could use illusions to change things, he could not transform the form of matter like Dui did.

Moreover, he has already seen the enormous potential of this transformation magic. With enough magical power, everything in the world can be transformed. At the highest level, it may even touch upon the transformation of the essence of matter. At that time, turning stone into gold and creating things from the void may also be possible!

Thinking this through, Gandalf became even more convinced of his previous suspicions. After all, even the Valar did not possess such authority and power; who else but Ilúvatar, the Lord of All Things, could bestow such power?

Upon entering the greenhouse, Dui carefully checked the two pots of mandrakes to prevent them from making any sudden noises.

The cries of the nearly mature mandrakes were already extremely dangerous, so the moment Dui removed the glass cover, he cast two petrification spells on them.

If Dui hadn't been unfamiliar with ear-blocking spells or sound-silencing spells, he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble.

Gandalf looked at the human-shaped mandrake root that Dui had pulled up from the basin. Its limbs were complete and its facial features were clear and vivid, which amazed Gandalf. After obtaining Dui's permission, he picked up a mandrake and examined it carefully.

"I sensed a rich magical power and vitality emanating from it. If I didn't know you nurtured it, I would have thought it was a variant of the Treant race!"

Gandalf admired the exercise and enthusiastically imitated Dui, dressing the mandrake in a baby's clothes and then changing its soil.

"I think Darrigaster will have something in common with you. He's another wizard who lives in the forest and always likes to take care of plants and animals. I'll introduce you to him if there's a chance."

Darrigan the Brown Wizard? Duy knew him, a wizard who loved forests and nature. Unlike Gandalf, who traveled to various places to organize the fight against darkness, this Brown Wizard preferred to live with birds and beasts.

Because of his neglect of his duties, he was ultimately unable to obtain the Valar's permission to return to Valinor after the War of the Ring.

However, this might not be unacceptable to the brown-robed wizard. Compared to returning to Valinor, he might prefer to stay in Middle-earth, surrounded by flowers, birds, insects, and fish.