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

Just as Dui was beginning to be captivated by the staff.

Gandalf, however, made the request first: "Duir, please grant my request and make me a wand."

Duy was somewhat surprised and asked, puzzled, "Gandalf, you already have a staff, why do you need another wand?"

"A wizard always needs a backup plan, right?" Gandalf winked mischievously at Duy. "In case I ever lose my staff, having a wand in hand will always be safer."

"Of course, in exchange, I'll also make you a staff of your own. How about it?"

That would be wonderful! Dui thought to himself.

Dui agreed without hesitation, after all, he was the one who benefited. Compared to wands, which were simple to make, staves required a very precious magic gem as their core.

So Gandalf had prepared Dui in advance, saying, "Magic gems are hard to find; they're mostly collected by ancient elves or dwarven royalty. So I'm afraid we won't be able to make you a staff in the short term. I hope you can understand."

Duy, of course, had no objection. "I know the staff is not easy to make, and I'm not in a hurry to have one. So Gandalf, please don't worry too much about me. Let things take their course."

In the time that followed, Gandalf told Bilbo and Duy about the various landscapes and people he had encountered in Middle-earth, including the beautiful Rivendell, the mysterious golden forest of Lorian, the deep Mirkwood, the dangerous Misty Mountains, and the elves, dwarves, and humans.

Bilbo and Duy listened with rapt attention, as if they were witnessing those scenes firsthand through Gandalf's vivid descriptions.

However, unlike Bilbo, Dui was thinking about what kind of gains he would get from signing in at these places.

Seeing the longing in Bilbo and Duy's eyes, Gandalf smiled and extended the invitation once again.

"Duir, Bilbo, I've returned not only to deliver King Therain II's relics to his son, but also to organize a team to investigate the dragon Smaug at Lonely Mountain. I'd like to invite you to join me on this adventure!"

"Adventure? No, I'm not going on any adventures!" Bilbo immediately backed down, shaking his head in refusal. "Adventure is not for a hobbit like me. Gandalf, you can find someone else. I just want to stay in Bag End and enjoy a peaceful life every day."

Gandalf didn't give up and continued to persuade him: "Bilbo, put aside your resistance and think about what you really think. Aren't you curious about the outside world? Whenever you read those adventure books, haven't you ever thought about experiencing them yourself? Don't forget that you have the adventurous blood of the Turks flowing in your veins. Your ancestors had legendary adventures. Don't you want to inherit their spirit?"

Bilbo was somewhat tempted by what he heard, feeling his blood boil and a surge of adventurous courage welling up inside him.

Dui, who was standing to the side, seemed to sense something as well, and his gaze inadvertently swept over Gandalf's hand.

Although he couldn't see anything, he guessed that Gandalf had just used the power of the Ring of Fire, Naya.

According to his limited understanding, this Elf Ring, in addition to being able to control the fire element, also has the ability to inspire courage in people, making it an extremely precious and powerful artifact.

In order to rule Middle-earth, the Dark Lord Sauron disguised himself as Anantha, the "Gift Master," and used his beautiful appearance and superb forging skills to gain the trust of the Elves. He then guided them in forging the Rings of Power, namely the Seven Rings for the Dwarves and the Nine Rings for Men, and secretly infused them with the power of darkness and corruption.

He then secretly forged the One Ring at Mount Doom to control other powers.

Unbeknownst to him, the elven craftsman Celebrimbor, using the knowledge imparted to him by Sauron, single-handedly forged the three elven rings: the Ring of Water, Nangya; the Ring of Air, Vya; and the Ring of Fire, Naya.

Ultimately, they fell into the hands of Galadriel, Lady of Lorean in the Golden Forest; Elrond, Lord of Rivendell in the Valley; and Gandalf.

Because the Three Rings of the Elves were not forged by Sauron, they were not tainted by his dark power.

However, because the rings were crafted using the same techniques as Sauron, they were inherently controlled by the One Ring. Without knowing what kind of influence Sauron would have on the rings, the owners of the Three Rings of the Elves refrained from using the rings' power to avoid attracting Sauron's attention.

Even so, the Three Rings of the Elves are still considered divine artifacts.

Galadriel, the owner of the Ring of Water, used its power to erect a magical barrier for the golden forest of Lorian, making it spring-like all year round and protecting it from the invasion of dark forces from the outside world.

Elrond, the owner of the Ring of Air, used its power to build Rivendell, the last refuge of the elves, and became the best healer in Middle-earth.

As for Gandalf, needless to say, he inspired the people of Middle-earth with the Ring of Fire, Naja, to fight against darkness, and guided and defeated Sauron and his minions.

If these rings weren't all owned by powerful individuals, Dui would have been tempted.

He would love to see the Three Rings of the Elves if given the chance.

That said, the Ring of Fire, Naya, can indeed inspire courage.

However, when faced with Bilbo, who was able to hold the One Ring for decades without being corrupted, the power of the Ring of Fire was greatly diminished.

Bilbo's desire for tranquility ultimately prevailed over the courage that had been stirred within him. He shook his head and refused, saying, "That adventure was back in the time of my great-great-great-great-uncle, a long time ago. I am now just an ordinary Baggins, living a peaceful life, and have no interest in adventure!"

Gandalf was somewhat surprised to see that Bilbo was unaffected by the power of the Ring of Fire. Seeing Bilbo's resistance, he temporarily gave up trying to persuade him and turned to look at Dui.

"Duir, what's your opinion? Would you like to join the adventure?"

Dui hadn't expected to be invited so easily. Although he was happy, he didn't immediately agree. Instead, he asked, "Gandalf, what do you want me to do by inviting me to join your party?"

Seeing that Dui was somewhat interested, Gandalf immediately explained seriously, "This expedition will pass through many dangerous areas, and I would like to ask you to protect the team and ensure their safe arrival at Lonely Mountain while I am away."

"When you're not here? Gandalf, aren't you going to stay with the group?" Dui looked at Gandalf in surprise.

Gandalf shook his head, his expression turning grave. "When I returned this time, I stayed in the Misty Mountains for a few months. I discovered that the number of orcs there had suddenly surged, and they were very orderly, clearly indicating the birth of a new king. Moreover, there are rumors of frequent necromancer activity around Dorgudu. I suspect that a powerful evil force is secretly growing and orchestrating all of this."

"To prevent the orcs and the dragons of Lonely Mountain from joining forces and posing an even greater threat, I'm planning to organize an expedition to Lonely Mountain to investigate the dragons' whereabouts. Once the team is organized, I may need to go to the Misty Mountains and the Dorgudu area to scout the situation. I'll need you to protect the team then."

Upon hearing Gandalf's words, Dui's expression turned serious. "Alright, I'm willing to join the team!"

Gandalf smiled immediately upon hearing this. "Welcome to the Lonely Mountain Expedition!"