Diclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter
Pippin gazed around the room full of Big People, who were all staring at him as if he were Gollum or some foul orc. He knew that he was safe but that didn't make him any less nervous. Merry was also nervous, but after seeing how calm his oldest cousin was he relaxed.
Gandalf looked around the room, which appeared to be a living room, only to hear Pippin whispering loudly to Frodo. He said, "Frodo, do you think they're going to poke us to death with those sticks?" as he stared at the wizards' wands. "If they are, my sword can do more damage."
Frodo just sighed and reached down to stop Pippin from drawing his sword so he was not perceived as a threat. Then he said, "As long as Gandalf is here nothing will go wrong. He is, after all, the strongest wizard known to Middle Earth."
Sirius approached Gandalf and the hobbits as one would a wild hippogriff and asked "Who are you?"
Gandalf, being as wise as he was, said, "I am known as Gandalf the White and, before you ask, I'm from Middle Earth. I made a promise that I would visit Albus Dumbledore on this day."
Sirius looked around the room gauging reactions to see if any knew if he was expected. Mad Eye Moody was intently staring at the Little People wondering why two of these small creatures carried knives. Arthur Weasley was staring in shock at the man that looked like Dumbledore and the Little People. His wife was more concerned about the Little People, whom she thought to be mere children. Remus, Fred, and George just stared with fascination, and everybody noted how this wizard carried a sword and a staff.
Dumbledore walked swiftly into the living room after hearing a commotion. As he saw one of the four who stood in the room he was in awe. It was Gandalf the Grey, who had promised to visit him over fifty years ago. He didn't look a day older than he had when they met at a wizarding conference. After they met Dumbledore had assumed they would see more of each other but Gandalf had business to attend to back home and realized the only way they would meet is if they arranged a time.
Dumbledore spoke with a tremor in his voice "Gandalf the Grey, you were due fifty years ago. What happened?"
Gandalf spoke with mirth "No, I'm right on time, but I'm known as Gandalf the White now. You said it would 300 years for me, which means 50 years of your time. Your miscalculation is understandable; you were but a boy of 64. You are still but a boy."
Dumbledore eyes widened slightly, "You're right. I miscalculated. But, if you don't mind my asking, how old are?"
Gandalf calculated in his head before saying "over 2000." The Order was shocked to hear this, including Dumbledore, who had suspected that Gandalf was at least four hundred years old, but would never have guessed two thousand. While everybody was busy being shocked, a question occurred to Pippin. Pippin asked with all seriousness "Since when can wizards be young? Can I be a wizard?"
Merry groaned and put his face in his hands, trying not to look interested in the answer until he heard a laugh from Frodo and decided the question was worth asking. Gandalf rubbed his temples and said "It's different in Middle Earth. Wizards came to Middle Earth from a far off land, and we have never been young. As for you, no fool of a Took should ever have the ability to use magic... and that includes Brandybuck's that have Took blood in them... Of course, there is a certain Baggins that could make a fine wizard."
Merry looked just as shocked as Pippin did to hear him slander their family line, but he was even more upset that Frodo, who already had the fame of destroying the ring, would be a better candidate. Merry retorted, "Frodo has Took blood in him too. He's Pippin's second and third cousin once removed."
Pippin looked astonished to hear Merry slander his family name openly and said back, just as quickly, "Frodo is also your first and third cousin removed."
During this explanation of how they were related Sirius found himself groaning at the confusing tree that must have contained even more incest than his own family tree. He soon found himself grinning at the thought there was a family out there that was more inbred than his. Later on he, would be sure to discuss this subject further.
Frodo looked slightly irritated at his cousin's antics and calmly stated "I would rather not be a wizard if I could help it. I've had more than enough adventures. If anybody deserves to be a wizard, it's Sam. Perhaps its better neither of you should be wizards, as you'll soon be a Mayor and a Thain."
Pippin looked horrified at what thought he implied: That his dear cousin was not worthy of learning magic. He quickly corrected himself by saying "Of course you deserve to become a wizard if you want to! You're Frodo of the Nine Fingers!"
Frodo seemed quite weary and even sad to hear the nickname. He decided to distract from the comment by introducing himself as any proper hobbit would. He turned to the Big People and said, "Frodo Baggins, at your service."
Merry took the cue to introduce himself to the crowd. Of course his was much more extravagant than the oldest hobbits' introduction. He said "Merridoc Brandybuck, Esquire of Rohan, Future Mayor of Buckland, at your service."
Pippin, being the last, started grandly to out due his cousins, even if Merry was the only serious competition. "Peregrin Took, Guard of the Citadel, Knight of Gondor, and Future Thain of the Shire, at your service."
Dumbledore laughed at the greetings with blue twinkles in his eyes. Gandalf, on the other hand, looked ready to jump into the dark abyss of Moria where he wouldn't have to deal with certain hobbits. Frodo had mirthful look on his face as he said "You should have seen Merry when he was in his tweens and Pippin was just a young lad. They were more of a handful then they are now."
Dumbledore looked on with curiosity at the group before him before realizing these were the creatures of myth that the wizarding world had dismissed as being children's stories. From the pointy ears to the hairy feet they matched the description. Despite the shock of seeing them, he introduced himself again, as the hobbits missed it, and the rest of the Big People followed.
Sirius stepped forward and said, "Sirius Black, escaped convict of Azkaban, murderer of twelve, right hand man of the Dark Lord, and betrayer of friends, at your service... If you believe my criminal record, that is."
As he watched their faces he saw Gandalf's look at him as if he knew the truth and with pity of some unknown evil. The Little People had varying reactions. Frodo seemed uneasy and his eyes clouded over while he clutched a chain at his neck. Merry, who was slightly nervous, just stepped closer to his cousin and put his arm around him as if to protect him. Pippin, on the other hand, looked a bit afraid and he asked, "You mean Sauron?"
Sirius' only response was "Who?" and that was when Pippin decided that he'd found a new friend. Sirius grew slightly afraid at the look on the Pippins face and the piteous look Gandalf was giving him.
Molly bristled at the greeting Sirius gave and promptly chided him. "What are you thinking? You're scaring the children! Look at the poor dears huddled together. Apologize."
Sirius once again spoke and said, "Sorry. Just having a little fun." After that, Frodo and Merry relaxed and Pippin seemed a little disappointed at hearing this.
With that Molly was satisfied and introduced herself. "My name is Molly Weasley. It's nice to meet you. If you need anything, just let me know."
Pippin, being the brave lad he was, decided to test this by asking the ultimate question. "We haven't had our second dinner. Could you possibly provide us a second dinner? You see, Frodo is so weak with age that he needs more energy and if he loses anymore weight I fear people won't know he's a hobbit."
Molly agreed to make the food. She couldn't fathom how anybody would need two dinners, but she didn't say a word to the guests. Before she set out to make the food, she introduced her husband Arthur to the visitors. Arthur admitted that had one question. "Are you muggles?"
Merry decided to educate his cousin on what he guessed a muggle to be. "It must be a breed of the Big People. Like how Strider is a Man of the West and will live longer than regular men."
Arthur gave him a look that was confused before correcting him. "Muggles are non magic humans." Merry was affronted by the assumption that hobbits could not learn magic. Gandalf, luckily, intervened by saying "There has never been any sign of magic in the Shire, aside from myself. I suppose it could happen but, as long as I'm around it will not."
The hobbits decided let the jest past as they knew his word was final. After all, you never mess with affair of wizards, no matter how much they mess with yours.
As the food was brought out, Pippin turned to Gandalf and exclaimed "Thank you! I love this place, even if it's a little dull. I forgive you, but chances are Merry won't. It's the Brandybuck in him." Merry whacked him on the head with a look of displeasure and Frodo chided him for being rude to the hosts and for slandering his family's name. Pippin apologized and looked down to down to show he was sorry and to avoid another smack from Merry. On the table lay a grand site by hobbit standards: food. Four bowls of stew and Sheppard pie called to them.
Pippin inched toward the food knowing that his cruel old cousins would make him wait until introductions were over. Then an idea came to him. He turned to Molly and spoke. "The food looks delicious if only I didn't have to wait to try it," earning him a dirty glare from Merry.
Molly took the bait and told him if he was hungry he should eat while it's warm. The minute she said it he dashed across the room and was eating. He even warned that if Frodo, Merry and Gandalf didn't it would be gone before they had any. Merry started across the room until he saw that Frodo wasn't coming. He then decided he had no choice but to honor the promise Pippin and Merry had made to Sam. Sam was so distressed that Frodo was so skinny and wasn't eating much that if they were ever with him during a meal it was their duty to make him eat.
Merry crossed the room back to Frodo and gave him a stern glare that one would give to a young child before saying with authority "Frodo, you have to eat or Sam will be very displeased with all of us. If you don't eat, I will tell him and he will force you to make up for lost meals in the Shire. It's your choice."
Frodo then realized that this was why Sam had gone to visit Merry and Pippin without telling him. He couldn't stop the irritated smile at how Sam kept mothering even when he was not there physically. At the same time, he was very much touched by the fact that Sam cared enough to go through all this trouble. Before he went off to eat he said to Gandalf with a tired smile, "This is why I'm glad to see you. You're the only person who isn't treating me as if I were fragile."
Gandalf spoke sharply to him, "If I had known you weren't eating and getting weak I would have done as your friends have." Gandalf of course realized the hobbit was tired of behavior like this but he knew he would be more receptive of it if it came from an older friend.
Frodo raised his hands in defeat as he walked to join his cousins for food on a table that had not been there until now. He just assumed that he must have missed it and let it go. Once he was settled at the table Merry sat next to him all the while giving weird looks as Pippin tried to discreetly sit next to Sirius carrying a bowl of stew and Sheppard's pie. He must have been pretending not to notice as everybody couldn't help but glance at the scene.
Remus Lupin spoke up next "Hello. I'm Remus Lupin. It's nice to meet you." A feel of dread filled the room as the twins introduced themselves. Fred and/or George greeted them with "Hello! Nice to meet you, mates. I'm Fred and he's George or maybe it's the other way around." By this time they had approached Pippin and ruffled his hair and called him a "Good boy," but before they tried to slip the Wonder Witch love potion in his food they thought he still had. Of course the food by this time had disappeared as if by magic, though no spells were cast. They also realized this Little Person was more interested in pestering Sirius, who was still pretending to ignore him, much to Pippin's irritation.
The twins thought about putting it in Frodo's food but saw that Gandalf was keeping an eye on him and they had no desire to mess with a wizard who claimed to be older than Dumbledore. They soon realized there only option was Merry, who seemed to be watching them as if they were guilty of something. Even if they would be guilty soon enough, they felt like they were being wrongly judged. To get closer to their prey they stood on both sides of him and started a pleasant conversation. "So, hobbits are similar to elves, right?"
Merry responded with a jolly laugh "Of course not! Elves are far fairer than any hobbit." Fred and/or George shared a confused look. "Don't be so down on yourself, mate. I'm sure there are plenty of women who wouldn't mind the foot business."
Frodo laughed at the confusion and realized this was one of the differences of their worlds. Merry turned to him to have him explain why he was laughing. Frodo said, "We must have different elves then. The elves we know are the fairest of all earthly creatures." At this Fred and/or George could not help but doubt him as they elves they knew were everything but fair. Before Frodo spoke they slipped the potion in Merry's food. When he looked to his cousin as he began to explain Merry felt something come over him and he saw Frodo in a new light.
Author's Note: No food was harmed in the making of this story. Hobbits may have been, but it was nothing too serious.
