The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 145 Two Different Worlds, Choosing the Order

shelter.

On the snow-covered path, at the two forks in the road, the thin mist had long since dissipated.

A path paved with red maple leaves leads to Mirkwood, the darkest forest of Middle-earth. Beside it, another snowy path leads to a lush, verdant forest.

Ino stood in the middle of the road with his suitcase. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation. He was faced with two options and two different paths, which left him somewhat conflicted.

Although he had a feeling deep down that he could enter both worlds, rather than entering one and closing the other, he was still somewhat conflicted about the order in which they should be entered.

Especially that unknown forest, with its faint shadows and fleeting green silhouettes, always seemed somewhat strange.

Five minutes later.

Ino picked up the dice from the ground and walked straight towards the red maple path in Middle-earth.

……

The year 2971 of the Third Age.

Thirty years have passed since the Battle of the Five Armies.

Deep within the dark Elf Forest, moonlight, like a silver ribbon, spilled down, illuminating a mature and beautiful female elf.

In Middle-earth, all kinds of elves seem to receive endless favor.

Looking at the somewhat unfamiliar female elf beside him, Ino found it hard to believe that this was the same Doris who used to follow him around like a little shadow.

Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, light and flowing. Her tall figure was like a blooming lily, exuding an innate nobility and purity.

Although Doris's eyes were still bright emerald green, unlike thirty years ago, they now held a wisdom and depth, shining like stars and radiant with life.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't come again?" Doris asked, looking at the figure in front of her.

For an ordinary elf, thirty years might feel like yesterday.

But for Doris, that experience thirty years ago was a true childhood play and frolic that she had never experienced in the thousand natural years before she became an adult.

"I really thought I was never coming back! But fate always takes unexpected turns." Ino raised her head slightly and looked at her former friend.

Doris has changed a lot. Even with his height of nearly 1.7 meters, he can only barely look at her at eye level.

On the other side, Doris was also quietly observing her former friend. In the past thirty years, apart from growing a little taller, the other party had not changed much and seemed to be immortal like the elves.

This discovery brought her some joy, after all, Middle-earth was filled with stories of humans and elves, but these stories always ended in tragedy, due to the difference in their lifespans.

Suddenly, her gaze swept to Ino's arm; her smooth wrist was completely bare.

"So what? You threw away the bracelet I gave you?"

Unlike her previous clear and crisp voice, Doris's voice as an adult is full of mature charm, as if it were magnetic.

But at this moment, there was a hint of life in the voice.

"I didn't lose it!" Ino denied it outright, then explained, "That bracelet became a signpost, and it was under its guidance that I was able to come back again."

"Hmm!" Doris said softly, "Will it walk again?"

"I will leave! But I will come back!" Ino didn't hide anything.

He cherished this elven friend quite a bit, after all, no one wants to die of old age after only a few meetings, which is probably the helplessness of long-lived species.

"You still don't lie as much as ever! Come with me, your room is still available," Doris said with a light laugh.

On the other side, Ino was also amazed by this sudden, serene smile.

After all, the first thing he encountered after arriving in Middle-earth was Doris. During their half-hour conversation, she kept a straight face and seemed rather aloof.

And at this moment, the smile has a feeling of a hundred flowers blooming.

……

The Woodland Kingdom.

In the underground palace, Ino met the Elf King Thranduil once again.

There was no other way; as outsiders, entering the elven territory required Thranduil's approval, even though Legolas didn't have that right back then.

Time seemed to have left no trace on the Elf King's face; his beautiful appearance, the crown woven from red maple leaves and berries, everything remained as it was, unchanged.

"Thank you so much for your generosity before you left; those potions saved many soldiers from death! In any case, the Woodland Kingdom welcomes you back, my friend!"

Thranduil's tone also carried a hint of gratitude, after all, those potions had truly saved the lives of countless elves.

"You don't need to be so polite. I was just making good use of them. After all, war and sacrifice are things we don't want to see!"

In response to the Elvenking's gratitude, Ino did not take credit for it. After all, Middle-earth had become a stable world of sanctuary, and maintaining good relations with Thranduil would only bring benefits.

Similarly, he also marveled at how his initial act of kindness had unexpectedly yielded positive results.

"I've already arranged your room. Dolly will take you there later! I'm afraid you two will still have a lot to talk about, so I've postponed the banquet to tomorrow. Get some rest tonight."

As Thranduil spoke, he glanced at Doris with a playful look. Having lived for countless ages, there were some things he knew all too well.

……

Three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

On the outskirts of the dense forest, although the orcs of Lonely Mountain had been wiped out, Sauron still occupied Mount Doom, so this forest, tainted by evil energy, remained as dark as ever.

In a woodland covered with spiderwebs, Ino lay in a hammock woven from blue spiderwebs, surrounded by sharp, piercing sounds from time to time.

Beside him stood Doris, dressed in military attire and holding a short bow.

Before long, the piercing sounds around them gradually dissipated. As the trees swayed, giant eight-eyed spiders, each about three meters long, emerged from the jungle. They moved in unison like well-trained soldiers, gradually converging on this side.

Behind each of these giant spiders trails a long spider silk, the end of which is a silk cocoon of varying sizes, the smaller ones only a little over a meter tall, while the larger ones are about four or five meters long.

The giant spiders lined up and methodically walked towards an open box. In a miraculous turn of events, the small box seemed like a bottomless pit, easily sucking in dozens of giant spiders dragging their prey.

Doris watched the scene with great interest, even though she had seen it many times in the past three months, she still found it amazing.

"I feel like I'm superfluous. His Majesty Thranduil even entrusted me with protecting you..."

Stroking the short bow in her hand, Doris lowered her head and said somewhat shyly.

"How could that be! Without you, I would definitely get lost in this huge forest."

Ino sat up, jumped off the spider silk hammock, walked to the suitcase, and skillfully fastened it.

"But there's something I need to tell you. While I still have time, I plan to travel around. I'll explore the human world, the White City of Gondor, the vast grasslands of Lohan, or the Shire, the homeland of the Hobbits."

Meow, today felt so rushed, like every second was precious. Thankfully, Xiaodi kept her promise and finished before 8:30!

(End of this chapter)