Disclaimers: See Chapter 1 for more info.
Acknowledgements: To TooLazyToLogin for giving me the original idea for this series. To DoctorWhovian18, for being my beta-writer/reader for this series, 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, I know that Merry and Pippin are going to pull a prank on DoctorWhovian18 and LOTCR, to get back at them for their prank on these two hobbits, but this chapter, same as last chapter, I'm going to attempt to get all four authoresses into the chapter. Plus, we will get back to Frodo. I just hope that when we do skip ahead in time once again, it will go smoothly. Okay, let's get going with this chapter. :)
Saturday morning was slower than a steeler. The four authoresses of Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin – whose pen names were Aria Breuer, ValueMyHeart, LOTCR, and DoctorWhovian18 – walked down the lonely corridor on the sixth-floor corridor. They were enjoying their conversations about fandoms and writing, unaware that behind a stone pillar, Merry and Pippin were watching the four girls.
Pippin whispered in Merry's ear, "Merry, I thought we were supposed to get Amy and Abigail alone."
"This is better yet, Pippin. Watch," said Merry. Pulling out a small handheld device with a big red button, Merry pressed it. Using some hand magic that Frodo helped teach him, Merry was able to pull the prank off with ease.
Abigail flushed with embarrassment. She thought she made a raspberry sound.
Amy chuckled, as did Anne. Amy told Abigail, "Abigail, was that you?"
Abigail flushed even redder. Merry pressed the red button again, making Pippin chuckle a bit in whispers. This time, Amy was affected. Aria said nothing, but was about to burst into laughter.
Amy admitted, truthfully, "I know I didn't fart."
Merry pressed the button again.
Anne let out a loud chuckle. Aria flushed red, her laughter fading. The raspberries continued, making Anne, Amy, and Abigail laugh their heads off. While Aria couldn't help herself laughing, the scene was a bit too obvious to have been someone's accident. She knew she was hearing the raspberry sound from somewhere. Checking her robe pockets, Aria at last found a fart machine. She alerted the other three authoresses to do the same. Just as Anne, Abigail and Amy pulled out three more fart machines from their robe pockets, Merry pressed the button, making all four fart machines go off in unison. More laughter was heard from Anne, Amy, and Abigail. While Aria tried to keep her composure, the second Merry and Pippin came out from behind the stone pillar, with Folco coming out after them, all but Aria cheered and clapped at them.
"I could do better," said Abigail, testing the three hobbits.
"Oh, I'm sure we'll come up with something, Abigail," said Amy, "to get our three hobbits back."
"Well done, guys," said Anne. As she handed, Merry back the fart machine, Merry blasted the red button, making her crack up laughing.
"Where's Frodo?" asked Aria, curious. "He's not into this, is he?"
"Actually, I instigated this comeback prank," said Frodo, moving away from the stone pillar. He said, chipper, "I knew you'd get into a joking mood. You have it in you."
Filch shouted from close to the corner, "STUDENTS IN THE CORRIDOR!"
"It's Filch," said Pippin, not wanting to get into trouble.
"Snape is one thing, but we definitely need to get Filch back," said Anne.
"Let's mock him next!" said Abigail, keeping her voice low.
"Let's go," said Frodo, leading the way and dragging Aria with him.
The others followed after Frodo back to the Grand Staircase. When they thought that Filch wasn't anywhere nearby, Frodo led them down to the second-floor corridor. At last, they made it safely back and were fine. Well…
"HEHEHE HA!" shouted Peeves, making everyone jump.
Anne called to him, "Peeves, don't do that!"
Peeves picked on the group, "Ooh, lookie, lookie, ickle firsties! Don't want to get caughtsies. Better tell Filch!" He vanished in a puff of smoke.
Frodo explained the plan, "Look, I'll take Aria with me back to the Ravenclaw Common Room. The rest of you go on. We don't want to get caught by Filch."
"Good luck, Frodo," said Amy.
"We'll see you later," said Merry.
As soon as they went their separate ways, Aria told Frodo, "But I was hoping to explore-"
"Not with Filch around," said Frodo.
"But Frodo…"
Frodo looked at her. Although he wanted to agree with her, Frodo led Aria up the stairs to the seventh floor landing. From there, Frodo engaged in a conversation with Aria, "So, how was that?"
"What?" asked Aria.
"The prank Merry, Pippin, Folco and I pulled. See? You can joke around," said Frodo.
"I didn't know I had it in me," said Aria.
"Well, you do," said Frodo. "You seem happier now."
"Yeah, I just freaked out yesterday," admitted Aria. "But the truth is I do live at the Authors' House, so obviously I would know something about there."
"I figured you did," said Frodo, grinning at her.
"Yeah, so have you figured out how to get to Dumbledore's office?" asked Aria.
"I don't even know where Dumbledore's office is," admitted Frodo.
"Well, maybe you should ask him at the feast tonight, about the book, or whenever you want," said Aria.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Frodo. "So…"
Peeves interrupted their conversation. He about had enough. "Oh, that's not fair!"
"Maybe next time, you shouldn't send Filch," said Frodo.
Peeves said, "Bagsey should be more careful, wouldn't want to be in places he shouldn't. HEHEHE!" He vanished soon afterwards.
Aria shook her head. She admitted to Frodo, "And there are some pranksters I do find annoying."
"Well, that's Peeves for you," said Frodo.
Aria paused. She had to agree with him. "No doubt there." She corrected herself, "Okay, so some pranksters, like yourself, are all right, but others can prove they're annoying, like Peeves."
"Well with Peeves, we have to watch out for him. He doesn't like first years, so for sure he'll try to prank us any chance he gets," admitted Frodo.
"Good point," said Aria.
Frodo suggested, calmly, "But I know, from what I saw, is that you do have a humorous side."
"Yeah, maybe," said Aria, sheepish.
Frodo said, "I know you do."
Aria glanced back at him for a moment. Frodo shrugged his shoulders in such a casual way that Aria couldn't help blushing with excitement. She nearly laughed because of this and almost lost her balance. Frodo grabbed her arm, shocking them both. The moment passed as Frodo helped Aria regain her balance, while doing his best not to lose his balance.
The two first years made it back to the Ravenclaw Common Room in one piece. And although Frodo wanted to find out what Professor Dumbledore knew about The Hobbit book, he found himself frightened to even approach the Headmaster. It was more out of respect than just being afraid. Adults had that way about them that Frodo was still frightened of, yet he felt as if he should be braver in order to face Dumbledore. But when and how remained to be seen.
o-o-o
The rest of January passed without much delay. While the weather was still cold and wet, the atmosphere in the castle about Gryffindor's upcoming match against Hufflepuff proved more of a sight than what would transpire between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Only Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, the hobbits and the authoresses gave Frodo encouragement, even though Frodo wasn't as swamped in Quidditch practice as Harry was. Ned Timbers, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, found Frodo a natural and even though Frodo didn't work as long during Quidditch practice, every moment counted. He didn't want to be bested by the Slytherin Seeker, Terence Higgs. That would be bad for Ravenclaw's reputation and Frodo didn't want his house to suffer, like they had against Hufflepuff.
Although it was Amy's/DoctorWhovian18's idea, the prank war between Amy and Abigail/LOTCR versus Merry and Pippin grew steadily. Amy and Abigail, in their own right, used their tomgirl skills to devise good pranks that would not only impress Merry and Pippin, but encourage them to prank them in return. While Pippin willingly wanted to get back at the two girls on every occasion, Merry wondered if girls truly acted this way, instead of behaving how girls, as he recalled at the Shire, were supposed to behave. This did lead to Merry being pranked worse by Amy than neither Pippin nor Abigail expected. Abigail, on every occasion, checked to see if Merry was all right, which sometimes led Merry to groan in agony. Why then was Abigail fussing over him so much? She wasn't Estella and he knew that. Still, the prank war continued without delay throughout those last two weeks in January.
As for Frodo and Aria, their friendship continued to grow much more smoothly. Frodo found Aria a good companion during meal times and breaks, especially when the day was done and the common room was empty. Although Aria was not much of a companion for pranks, Frodo did find her quite a humorous sort, which fit with his current demeanor. But if there was one thing he and Aria shared most, it was their love for adventures. However, Frodo still found the need to delve into the Sorcerer's Stone with Harry, Ron and Hermione, since Aria was much more of a rule-keeper than Hermione, who Frodo found a good companion nowadays with this sort of trouble. Aria still hadn't gotten out of her uptight, rule-setting behavior, which unnerved Frodo at times, making him feel mildly annoyed at her.
"Frodo, rules are important as is school. I get that you're a smart, intelligent hobbit, but don't you ever wonder if you'd just stop breaking the rules?" Aria asked one day, fed up already by Frodo's impulsive behavior. She was behaving much more mature than Frodo realized.
Ticked off, Frodo made a cheeky comeback, "Don't you tire of bossing people around?" This was not a good time to start another argument.
"I like sticking to the rules. It keeps me in line," said Aria. She didn't really want to begin an argument with him either. But she was growing used to Frodo's cheeky side, especially in this instance, when it annoyed Frodo most.
"It keeps you bound. The teachers respect me, except for Snape, but he can-"
"Frodo!" said Aria, surprised at him for almost swearing. "I told you: I don't like swearing."
"Yeah, you never swear or curse," said Frodo, suspicious. "Why is that?"
Aria told him, very serious, "Frodo, swearing irks me and it's not polite. Besides, there are plenty of other words in the dictionary to use that does not involve swearing."
Frodo was amazed. Aria's vast knowledge was impressive. "Wow."
Aria was confused. "Wow what?"
"It's just… you know so much, and yet you spend so much of your time alone," said Frodo, still impressed by her.
Aria retaliated, keeping her voice the same, "And you are a prankster, but you are intelligent. How do you contradict yourself?*"
"Aria, please, you are just as much of a contradiction as I am," said Frodo. Naturally, his conversation with Aria, one of many, continued well into the evening; Frodo found Aria a great conversationalist when she wanted to be, which was probably worth it in his mind. He found her so impressive, but there were still plenty of things he wanted to work on with her, even if she wouldn't agree to them all at first.
o-o-o
The first day of February began with not much activity that early morning. However, when Frodo awoke and after he dressed, he found on a table in the Ravenclaw Common Room a wrapped parcel addressed to him. Aria was seated on the cushioned blue chair, right next to the table, when she saw Frodo approach.
Pointing to the sky blue package, Aria told Frodo, "This arrived in my dorm just this morning. I didn't see anyone, but it was on my desk, addressed to you. Do you have an admirer? Why then was it given to me?"
"I don't know. To confuse us," spoke Frodo.
Aria handed Frodo the package. "Well, it's for you."
"Thank you, Aria," said Frodo. Taking off the folded parchment from the parcel, Frodo asked her, "Did you have a good sleep?"
Aria nodded, brimming with excitement. "I had rather exciting dream this morning. There was this castle in the clouds and I was one of the royalty… well, I was a princess and it was peaceful. You were in there, too, crowned a prince. But it was a splendid dream."
"I think we shared the same dream. I remember feeling refreshed and ready to go this morning…" Frodo's attention turned to the note, which read:
I remember hearing about your fiasco
with finding the author of 'The Hobbit'.
Here is something that should assist you
on your journey. I hope it helps in your
expedition for greater knowledge.
Don't wander too far.
There was no name, which left Frodo in dire confusion. Frodo showed the note to Aria, who read it to herself. Unsure who the author of the note was, Aria shook her head.
She told Frodo, "I'm not sure… Dumbledore, maybe."
Frodo shrugged. "Beats me." As Aria held onto the note for him, Frodo unwrapped the delicate paper. Inside, Frodo found a thin brown box with gold designs on the front.
Before Frodo could speak to Aria, Aria told him, warily, "You know, if you don't want anyone to see what you have, you might want to take it to your room. I mean no offense, but don't you think this is your quest." She handed Frodo the note. "Please. We'll talk some more after you've finished. I just figured this was a private matter and you needed your privacy."
"Wouldn't someone want to know?" Frodo started.
Aria explained, "Frodo, you were the one that asked me these questions. This is your quest. I just didn't want you to think-"
Frodo huffed. "I don't want to do this alone. You understand, don't you?"
Aria paused. The last thing she wanted was to see Frodo frustrated. She apologized at once, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you go in alone. I guess I'm used to going it alone."
"Well, you don't need to be this way in front of me," said Frodo. He extended his hand for the note, which Aria returned to him. Before Frodo returned to his dorm, Aria helped him with the paper and the rope, and then she followed him up the stairs to the Boys' Dormitory. Frodo asked her, "Why can't I visit your dorm?"
"Boys aren't allowed into the Girls' Dormitory," said Aria. "Besides, it would be embarrassing having a boy in the dorms."
"I suppose," said Frodo, grinning at the thought and imagining what it would be like for him to be in a Girls' Dormitory. However, when he looked Aria's way, she glared at him. Hoping to resolve the matter, Frodo changed the subject, "So, what do you think Dumbledore sent me?"
"I don't know. It must be important, otherwise this box wouldn't have been sent in the first place," said Aria.
"Good point," said Frodo.
Entering the Boys' Dormitory, Frodo set the box on his bed alongside the note, while Aria set the wrappings and the rope on the bed next to the box. Taking a deep breath, Frodo opened the box's lid. The lid opened with ease, allowing Frodo to set it on his pillow. Peering inside, Frodo found a leather hardbound book, which had the title on the front in bold letters: The Observing Writer: A Guide for the Keen of Mind Interested in Time Travel. Below that was the author's name which said: by Arthur Kettleburn.
Well, for starters, I don't know how in-character ValueMyHeart, DoctorWhovian18 and LOTCR are in this chapter. All I know is I did my best, but I know if they spot anything OOC, these three authoresses/fanfic writers will let me know. We did some skipping around, but I hope it's a lot smoother than it has been. I will continue skipping ahead, since there are a few events I want to cover in February. For now, please leave me a review to tell me what you think of this chapter. It's not that hard to review. Okay, bye. :)
Footnotes:
*Well, if anyone caught this little reference from the Drew Barrymore movie "Ever After", then I am impressed. If not, I'll still explain anyway why this happened during this conversation: yes, sometimes I end up mixing up lines from movies and games unintentionally. It's not something that often occurs, but this little reference is one conversation I've always enjoyed. I am grateful in a way to include it a bit in the story, even if they are not the same contradictions and trust me, they're not. These two contradictions about me and Frodo's characters are our own and not related to the film in any way.