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

Dui hesitated when this was mentioned.

He had a large piece of willow heartwood that he could use to make the staff, but willow heartwood was only the most suitable magical wood he had found so far, and not the best material for the staff.

Now that he possesses such a precious magical gem as the Elf Gem, he naturally wants to find the tree with the strongest magical properties and then forge a powerful staff.

In that case, the willow heartwood would seem rather ordinary.

"Gandalf, you are very knowledgeable. Do you have any recommendations for the materials used for the staff?"

Gandalf pondered for a moment and said, "As far as I know, the trees with the strongest magical properties on Middle-earth are the Ents. They are the tree shepherds created by the plant goddess Yavanna. Even the Huorn in the Old Forest are under the control of the Ents."

"Darigast has a good relationship with the treants of Fangon Forest. Perhaps we can ask him to help us get a branch from one of the treants to make a staff."

"Secondly, there is the Mauron Tree of Lothlorion, a sacred tree that grows in the western holy land of Valinor. They are descendants of the sacred trees created by the plant goddess Yavanna in imitation of the Golden Tree, one of the two sacred trees, and contain powerful magic."

"Lady Galadriel brought Mauron seeds to Lorien and planted them, which is why the Golden Forest is so famous. If you wish to craft a staff from Mauron branches, you will need to travel to Lorien and obtain Lady Galadriel's permission."

"There is another tree that is even harder to find. It is called the White Tree, a descendant of the Silver Tree, one of the two sacred trees. It is also a symbol of the Númenóreans and Gondor. There was a White Tree growing in Minas Tirith, the holy city of Gondor in the south, but it has withered away."

Upon hearing Gandalf's words, Duy also began to ponder.

Aside from the fact that the Holy White Tree is hard to find and should be ruled out, the other two are worth considering.

However, compared to that, the Mauron Tree in Loreen seems easier to obtain, since Galadriel had already invited him to Loreen and promised to make a wand for Alvin.

As for the Fangon Forest, I've heard that the tree people there aren't very good-tempered, especially since I have a conflict with their close relative, Hu Aon of the Old Forest. I wonder if that will affect me.

Never mind, we'll see when the time comes!

Dui decided to consider this matter after the trip to Lonely Mountain.

However, when it comes to wands, Duy also promised to make one for Gandalf.

The wand's shaft is now complete; only the core remains.

Lady Galadriel gave him five strands of hair, which contained magic and the radiance of the Two Trees, possessing incredible power and being the best material to make the core of the staff.

Three of them belonged to Elrohir, Elladan, and Arwen. One of the remaining two was originally intended to be used as the core of Gandalf's wand, but it turned out to be incompatible with Gandalf.

Just like the Elven Rings they each wore, Gandalf was of fire, while Galadriel was of water, and their magic did not mix.

So Dui could only smile regretfully as he pocketed the remaining two strands of hair.

Galadriel's hair carries her blessing, containing the power to ward off darkness and protect the soul.

What's most terrifying about Sauron, the Dark Lord, isn't his destructive power, but his ability to corrupt hearts and lead people astray. The Nine Ringwraiths were originally kings of men, but Sauron corrupted their hearts through the Nine Rings, ultimately turning them into his most loyal servants.

Even Gandalf, a Maiar, dared not touch the One Ring.

With Dui's current strength and willpower, he would be unable to resist the spiritual erosion of the dark forces if he were to face Sauron directly.

But with Galadriel's hair, he wouldn't have to worry about his mind being corrupted and twisted.

Guided by the Crystal of Knowledge, Duy and Gandalf made their way toward the high pass of the Misty Mountains.

We encountered a thunderstorm halfway there.

"Waterproof and moisture-proof!" Dui cast a spell on himself and Gandalf, and even in the pouring rain, the two of them remained clean and without getting a single drop of rain on them.

"Thank goodness for your magic," Gandalf said with a laugh, "but Thorin and the others are in a terrible state; they're probably soaked to the bone by now."

But looking at the thunder and rain in the mountains and the huge rumbling sounds, he looked towards the high pass with some worry.

"It's said that rock giants roam around here. Let's just hope they don't encounter them, or the earth will really collapse and their lives will be in danger!"

"Gandalf, are you sure you don't have the talent for prophecy?" Dui looked at him with a complicated expression, then handed him the Crystal of Knowledge, gesturing for him to look at its contents.

Gandalf sensed something was wrong upon hearing this and quickly looked into the crystal sphere.

The scene showed several rock giants, as tall as mountains, playing and throwing boulders at each other, resembling a scene of landslides and earthquakes.

Thorin and his companions, like ants, hid in the crevices of the rocks, trembling as they dodged the various boulders that came crashing down on them.

In this situation, it's fortunate that they have the luck of protagonists; so far, none of them have been killed by the falling objects.

Seeing this, Gandalf couldn't sit still any longer.

The rock giants mostly slept, and even if someone passed by, they would just mistake them for a mountain, but now they were unlucky enough to run into them.

"Duir, hurry! We have to get there before they get crushed to death!"

Without delay, Dui cast a spell on Gandalf and his own legs, allowing them to float swiftly towards the High Pass.

With Gandalf's Ring of Fire eliminating their fatigue, the two moved at high speed with almost no rest.

After running for several hours, the two finally arrived at the high pass.

Seeing the rock giant up close is even more impactful. The rock giant is over a thousand feet tall, taller and larger than the tower on the top of Fengyun Peak, with its upper body disappearing directly into the clouds.

It is these giant rocks that stir up the clouds, creating thunderstorms.

Fortunately, these rock giants prefer to stay in the mountains and even more so to sleep for hundreds or thousands of years. Moreover, they are neutral and do not participate in the conflicts of Middle-earth.

Otherwise, it would be a disaster for either side.

"Armor for protection!"

Countless huge boulders hurtled towards Dui and Gandalf, but were blocked by a magical barrier.

Facing a sky full of rubble, Dui and Gandalf struggled forward.

Seeing the giant rocks still happily throwing stones, Gandalf said angrily, "These naughty creatures don't care at all whether there's life under their feet, they're always playing by themselves."

With that, he raised his staff and struck it heavily, unleashing a dazzling light. His voice boomed like thunder: "Quiet down, you naughty brats! Stop playing!"

The giant rocks, drawn by the dazzling light, stopped what they were doing, curiously lowered their heads, and looked at Gandalf.

"Stop playing the slingshot game! Look what you've done to this place!" Gandalf shouted sternly, adopting the demeanor of a headmaster.

Dui looked up at the rock giant in the sky, then glanced at the imposing Gandalf in front of him.

Dui was intimidated by Gandalf's imposing presence, but looking at the motionless rock giant above, he sensed something was wrong and asked in a low voice, "Uh, Gandalf, are you sure this will really work?"

"I don't know, I'm just trying," Gandalf said in a low voice, his posture upright and expression unchanged.

What? Dui stared at him in disbelief, his eyes wide.

The next second, the rock giant above moved.

He picked up the boulder in his hand and hurled it at Dui and his men.