Disclaimers: See Chapter 1 for more info.
Acknowledgements: To TooLazyToLogin for giving me the original idea for this series. To DoctorWhovian18, for her ideas on pranking, ideas on other things about the story, her advice and helpfulness, and the list go on. To LOTCR, for her ideas for this story. I'd also like to thank ValueMyHeart for reviewing, following, and favoriting this story. To all my readers who are favoriting, following, and reviewing this story. And I'd also like to thank Frodo and the hobbits for their help with this story as well. Yes, that sounds crazy to the normal readers, but I'm still thanking Frodo and his friends anyway.
Okay, with the previous chapter, I accidentally got DoctorWhovian18 a bit OOC. This was not my intent. Hopefully, this time I can get both of them right as I have had to ask what their reactions would be. I know I got them right the first time, but not so much the previous chapter, which I am apologizing for. But the reason why DoctorWhovian18 is a bit OOC is because I may have spoofed her character a bit.
As for this chapter, we're skipping ahead to the next day. If I still said the second week of January, I meant the third week, but anything that still says the second week is inaccurate according to the calendar, but we did enter the second week a couple of chapters back.
Ideas for this chapter came from DoctorWhovian18, LOTCR and Frodo. I know ValueMyHeart is usually on this site, but she hasn't reviewed since the beginning of this story. So, it would be nice to read another review from her. Okay, let's get started. :) Fair warning about this chapter: I kind of freaked out when I was writing this, and it's not the best I've done, hopefully next chapter can resolve this.
Frodo awoke feeling refreshed, yet his mind wandered to The Hobbit book. The previous day may have settled his mind that he didn't want to know more, the yearning to find out the truth and some explanations needed to be answered. He would have to address Aria about these issues, see what she knew.
As soon as he was dressed, Frodo charged down the stairs to the Ravenclaw Common Room. There, to his surprise, Frodo found Aria sitting on one of the cushioned chairs. The reason he knew this was because Aria craned her head to him.
Frodo approached her, curious, "What are you doing over there?"
"Just thinking," said Aria.
"About what?" asked Frodo.
"It's not important," said Aria. She changed the subject, "You're a little late. I've already looked on the notice board. You can, too."
"I doubt I'm late, Aria," said Frodo. He got straight to the point, "But I came to ask you about 'The Hobbit' book, and there's so much I need to ask." He received a nod from Aria. "Well, firstly, why did Tolkien go about writing about Bilbo? I mean… how would J.R.R. Tolkien know about Bilbo and his adventures? Surely Bilbo told him, unless J.R.R. Tolkien was actually there."
Aria replied, "I'm sorry. I don't know the answer."
"But it seems very accurate, what's in the book and Bilbo's stories. Isn't there a reason for that?" asked Frodo, hoping to get a proper answer from her.
But all Aria did say was, "Frodo, I don't know. This is all over my head."
"But you knew about the Authors' House and the chamber…"
"Only because I was told," said Aria. She answered, calmer, "Look, I'm sorry, Frodo. I can't help you with this."
"But you have those books. Surely you know…"
"Frodo, I'm not an expert in this. There are things even I don't fully understand. If I did, I would be as smart as Hermione or Dumbledore, but I'm not like them. I'm me," said Aria. "That's not going to change."
"But you know about the Authors' House," repeated Frodo.
Aria too repeated, "Only from what I've been told. Otherwise, I don't really have any answers to your questions about 'The Hobbit'. This was before my time."
"What about the book trilogy about me?" asked Frodo, still hoping for an answer.
But all Aria could tell him was, "Before my time. I'm sorry, Frodo. I can't really help you there. But if you still want to talk about 'The Hobbit' book, I'm sure I'll listen."
Frodo fell silent, unsure what to say. Remembering, Frodo moved away from Aria and approached the notice board. Aria watched him, wondering if they would come down to the Great Hall together for breakfast. Even though she had been thinking some things over, and have mental meltdowns in the process, Aria wondered if Frodo was up for eating food. Frodo, after looking at the notice board and finding out which classes he had for the day, gestured to Aria. Aria bolted towards him in an effort to get to the Great Hall on time. Frodo, while he wasn't as speedy as Aria, was also eager to eat breakfast. He hoped his friends would be there that morning, but of course they would be. They were staying at Hogwarts until the middle of June.
o-o-o
In the Great Hall, Sam was engulfed by an article in the Daily Prophet. However, his reverie was broken by Anne/ValueMyHeart, who sat down next to him at the Hufflepuff table. Sam, unlike Frodo, did not mind having a girl sit next to him. He had sisters and he loved them, so even though Anne broke him out of his reading, Sam figured he should be polite and talk to this authoress.
"Miss Anne, I'm glad you came. What brings you here?" asked Sam, a bit shy.
Anne had the book ready, which she journaled Sam's activities. She asked him, "Sam, how are you doing this morning? And how goes your friendship with Frodo?"
"It's goin' steady. But Mr. Frodo spends much of his time with Miss Aria, it just…"
"Sam, they're in the same house," said Anne, as if the statement were obvious.
"I know, I know. And I respect him for that. Miss Aria is very shy," said Sam. "But how are you doin'?"
"I'm doing well," said Anne, jotting notes down in the journal. "How much time do you spend with Frodo, Merry, Pippin and your other friends?"
"Mostly between classes, but Mr. Frodo has Quidditch practice on top of school work. He's busy all the time," said Sam.
"You sound worried," said Anne.
"I am," said Sam. "You're not going to tell him about this, are you?"
"Only if you don't want me to," said Anne. She finished jotting down her notes, before ending their conversation there. "Thank you, Sam."
"Thank you, but I didn't do anything," admitted Sam.
Anne said, "I know you didn't, but I have to record the events of your life in this book. That's all. It's nothing against you, Sam."
"All right," said Sam. "Are you heading out?"
"Yeah. I'm going to meet SweetDarkSilence later, plus I have classes. We'll speak soon, Sam," said Anne. Leaving their conversation there, and since Sam didn't stop her, Anne walked out of the Great Hall.
Over at the Gryffindor table, Amy Collins/DoctorWhovian18 was encouraged by Abigail/LOTCR to approach Hermione Granger. Amy was nervous about meeting Hermione. After all, Amy recognized Hermione from the Harry Potter book series, so it explained her nervousness. Still, she knew the fangirl side of her, which she was very proud of, would come out. Finally gathering the courage she needed, Amy approached Hermione and tried to speak. The issue was she was frozen on the spot.
Hermione, hoping to break the awkward silence, asked Amy, "Can I help you?"
"She's a fan, Hermione," said Ron, unsurprised.
Hermione told him, "Ron." She looked at Amy and told her, politely, "What is it you want to tell me?"
Amy said, elated, "I can't believe I'm finally meeting you in person! Well, I know you from talking to Frodo, but I am so excited to meet you, Hermione Granger! You're my favorite in the Harry Potter books."
"Who wrote about me?" asked Harry, confused.
Amy, realizing the error she made, recovered, "No one."
"O-kay," said Harry, giving the same confused look Frodo gave.
Hermione asked Amy, surprised she had a fan, "So, you want my autograph?"
Amy nodded several times. "Yes please…" She recovered fast, taking a seat right next to Hermione. "What I really want to ask you is all these questions. I have so many that need to be answered about you."
"Wouldn't you like to tell Harry these questions?" asked Hermione.
"I think they're your questions, Hermione," said Harry, not wanting to be involved in another fan fiasco.
Hermione, realizing she had to be herself, asked Amy, making sure not to frighten the girl, "What sort of questions do you have for me?"
Amy asked first, feeling a little more confident, "Okay. If you weren't a witch, what Muggle career path would you be interested in?"
Hermione answered, "Education. I love school."
"We know," said Harry and Ron at the same time.
Amy asked further to Hermione, as if they were in their own little world, "Oh, what field?"
Hermione answered right away, "Well, I would begin at a teaching career and then work my way up to principal."
"You belong in school," said Ron.
Ignoring Ron's remark, Amy asked Hermione next, "Alright. Now I want to ask you, since I know you've read 'Hogwarts: A History' back to front, how long have Authors and Authoresses been coming to Hogwarts? Did they ever write for Men, not hobbits?"
Hermione explained, doing her best to keep it short and sweet due to the breakfast hour, "Well, Men, like your race, were among the first to be wrote about by the Authors and Authoresses. The other races were Elves and Dwarves. Hobbits didn't come into the picture until later, especially during Bilbo's time, when the Authors and Authoresses were obsessed with hobbits."
"We still are," said Amy, not liking to be accused. She asked Hermione, excited, "So, what was it like for the Authors and Authoresses to write about Men?"
"Well back when Hogwarts was first founded, the first Authors and Authoresses at this castle used to write for Elves and Men from Middle-earth. It was a different time. The first Authors and Authoresses used to write for witches and wizards, too, before the time in which the Wizardry World became a secret world, hidden from Muggles," Hermione explained.
"And what were they like?" asked Amy.
"Oh they were…"
Ron whispered to Harry, "They're just going to keep talking, aren't they?"
"Definitely," said Harry. "Shall we talk about Quidditch?"
"I think that's a good idea," said Ron, thinking of a topic to discuss.
Over at the Ravenclaw table, Frodo noticed Aria's silence. Aria was too busy eating to really say anything, but she had a lot on her mind. Concerned for his friend, Frodo decided it was time to find out what was bothering her.
"So, you don't know much about 'The Hobbit'," said Frodo, starting their conversation.
Aria gave him a look that would curdle milk. "No. Why do you ask?"
Frodo admitted, taken aback, "No reason. What's up with you? You've hardly said two words to me."
Folco asked at random, "Should I get involved?"
Frodo told him, "No, I'm sure I can get to the bottom of this."
Aria started, "Look, it's not important. Even if I wanted to say it, others would…"
"Aria, what have you to hide? We're your friends, not your enemies," said Frodo.
"Well…" Aria was scared. Should she admit what she was keeping quiet? It was hard. "I can't."
"What's bothering you?" asked Frodo.
"I don't want to tell you," said Aria.
"Aria, if you can't trust me, then…"
"Then what?" asked Aria. This was the moment she feared.
All Frodo could tell her, calmly, "Aria, you need to learn to trust me. If something's on your mind, say it."
Now Aria was afraid. Unable to get any words out, she returned to her meal.
Understanding Aria wasn't going to admit whatever was on her mind, Frodo nodded and told her, "All right, keep quiet. But we will talk."
Oh great. Aria looked up for a moment, lost in her own thoughts, and then returned to her meal. Frodo had to find a way to get Aria out of her shell and admit things to him. He had to try something… then it came to him, something that maybe Aria would be interested in doing. Maybe if he got his hobbit friends involved and their authoresses, things would turn out for the better. Well, he would wait and see sometime before lunch or during the lunch period.
o-o-o
Aria walked down the fourth-floor corridor, eager to get to her next class. As she did, she noticed a rather large group of four hobbits and three authoresses talking about their teachers. There was laughter, too. Recognizing the four hobbits as Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Folco, and the authoresses as Amy, Abigail, and Anne, who was about ready to depart, Aria approached the group with a cautious gaze. However, as she approached them, Frodo dragged her over. Frodo was at the end of the group.
Aria asked him, serious, "What are you doing?"
"Discussing teachers and making fun of them. Actually, it's a good thing you came to join us, we could use another authoress," said Frodo.
Anne was ready to leave. She told the seven friends, "Well, this has been fun. And if we do this again, let's go after Filch. And I know a few teachers from the Authors and Authoress' Chamber that we can make fun of."
"Yay!" said Abigail, a bit too eager.
Amy told Anne, "It was nice meeting you, Anne."
"You too," said Anne. She told Frodo, "Frodo, why don't you show Aria how it's done. I'll see you all later. I've got to get to class." She darted off as everyone said farewell to her.
Aria asked the group of seven, "Mocking Filch? Okay, while I'm all right with that, I just don't think…"
"Fraidy cat?" asked Abigail.
"Come on, Aria. Lighten up a bit and have some fun," said Amy.
"Your definition of fun is not the same as mine," said Aria, a little hotly.
"Aria, apologize. Amy's only having fun," said Amy.
"I can have fun," said Aria. She received disapproving looks from the others. "Come on. I know how to have fun on my own time. It's not the same as yours."
Amy admitted, "You do have a point."
Frodo explained to Aria, "Aria, I figured you needed to come out of your shell more. Joke around, laugh. It's better than being your serious, mopey self."
"I'm not mopey," whined Aria.
"You're acting a little immature," admitted Pippin.
"You are, too," said Merry, directed at Pippin.
Frodo told Aria, trying to encourage her, "Come on, Aria. Lighten up. Enjoy yourself."
Aria repeated a little different, "Your method of having fun is not the same as me-"
Frodo interrupted her, "Aria, please."
Aria ended their conversation there, "I have to go to class."
"Aria-"
"I have to go to class. I'm sorry, Frodo. This isn't what I do. I don't make fun of people," said Aria. Not wanting to make a recovery, Aria darted away from Frodo.
Frodo was astonished. What had gotten into Aria? He felt sure that by breaking her out of her shell, she would agree to make fun of Snape, at least, or Filch… well, she was agreeing to make fun of Filch. However, Frodo didn't get his chance. Something was off about her. This wasn't like Aria. He expected the sweet, kind, shy girl who was humorous… but then, he hardly saw her comedic side, if she had one.
And it was only going to get better… or worse.
Amy asked Frodo, "What's up with her?"
"I don't know. I'll ask her when I get back to the Ravenclaw Common Room," said Frodo. "Maybe I'm missing something."
"Maybe she's not telling you the whole story," said Merry.
Frodo nodded. That was it! She hadn't even admitted what was bothering her… Aria…
Professor McGonagall interrupted Frodo's reverie. She told him and his friends, "Mr. Baggins, what are you and your friends doing lollygagging about?"
The two authoresses and the hobbits said, Frodo a little quieter, "Nothing, Professor McGonagall."
Professor McGonagall glared at Amy and Abigail, "Miss Collins, Miss Abigail, I expected better of you. Now don't poke about, get moving or I shall deduct house points from Gryffindor!"
"We'll see you later, Frodo," said Amy, before she dragged Abigail away from the sight.
Once the two authoresses were gone, Professor McGonagall turned to the four hobbits, "Now, what's this all about and why are you just standing there? Speak, or I will deduct further house points from Gyffindor and Ravenclaw. Yes, Mr. Boffin, I do mean Ravenclaw."
Frodo spoke up, interrupting Folco, "We're sorry, professor. We'll get out of your way."
In a mad dash, the four hobbits scattered away from Professor McGonagall. McGonagall had expected Frodo to be in class. There were high expectations for him, expectations he had yet to discover. Frodo glanced back at her once, before following Folco to their next class.
o-o-o
Frodo arrived at the Ravenclaw Common Room for the last time that evening. After the feast, Frodo found Aria at long last. She had been ducking him. Only when he found her, Aria looked fearful and teary-eyed.
Concerned, Frodo approached her. "Aria, look, I know something's up with you. You haven't told me the truth all day." He sat down on the couch next to her. "If something's bugging you, spill. Don't leave it in the dark. It's not wise to bottle something up."
"Have you ever felt overlooked, overshadowed by everyone?" asked Aria.
"What?" asked Frodo, confused. Then he understood. He replied with, "Yeah, sometimes; mainly due to the height. Why do you ask?"
"That's what it's like for me. Also, people expect me to change, but they don't do anything after I've done that. My friends in my Muggle school did it to me, and that time someone stood up for me. Now I'm on my own and you're trying to change me. But you aren't in my shoes. I have to change me, no one else can do it. I know you want to help, but these things have to come on their own time, natural," explained Aria, feeling a little better.
Frodo fell silent for a several moments.
Realizing her error, Aria apologized, kindly, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to upset you-"
"Aria, you didn't upset me. You surprised me," said Frodo, reassuring her. "I didn't realize how tough it's been for you."
"Well…" Aria gave up on what she wanted to say. She didn't want to sound vicious. She knew what anger looked like.
Pitying her, Frodo told her, "Aria, you have friends, a family that loves you. And you're right: people can only change themselves. But I won't stop encouraging you or helping you to be better. You're a very shy girl and uptight, like Hermione."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't…"
Frodo raised a hand. "Aria, there's no need to apologize. You can tell me anything."
"You think I can improve?" asked Aria, curious.
"Well, you admitted you want to change. It's a start," said Frodo, grinning her way. "Now, about the jokes and 'The Hobbit' book."
"I told you, I don't know any more than you do." Aria told the truth, "The book was given to me by Dumbledore before I watched 'The Fellowship of the Ring'…" Aria regretted even saying the title. She was spilling too much.
Frodo asked her, curious, "What's that?"
"No, I've spoken too much. Look, if you want answers, go to Dumbledore. I'm sure he can give you some," admitted Aria.
Frodo nodded. "Then I'll go see Dumbledore." He admitted to Aria, "I'm glad we're still friends."
"Me too," said Aria, grinning his way.
Frodo and Aria spent the evening talking and catching up. Frodo learned a little more about Anne, Amy and Abigail before going to bed that night. He slept peacefully and by the time he was in the Great Hall for breakfast, Frodo found Aria speaking with her authoress friends once again. Aria was having a good conversation with them, which was definitely a good sign and hope for her. Frodo couldn't have been gladder to see Aria filled with such joy, as it should be.
Honestly, this chapter I'm not grateful for, but I'll post it anyway because I didn't want to disappoint ValueMyHeart, DoctorWhovian18, LOTCR and my readers because this chapter was good. I just hope it didn't sound too much like me freaking out, that wasn't intentional. I kind of freaked out during the day. I know I sound strange in this chapter, as a self-insert, but obviously I blame it on stress. Besides, I feel like skipping ahead, since I have this feeling this story really wants to end. So, I'll do better with the skipping ahead part, and make sure we still have certain days that are important. Where we'll be next chapter I don't know yet. I just hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though Frodo's idea didn't work out the way he planned. Okay, bye. :)