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Chapter 3

Of Smarter Kinds

Nobody could explain how it happened. One minute, Meriadoc Brandybuck was walking along the road to Frodo's house when suddenly he heard a pop and his hold environment changed.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes thoroughly. One minute he was walking past the rolling road along the grass and gardens of the neighboring hobbits, the next he fins himself in what appears to be. . . a girls bedroom, judging by the light purple wallpaper (though he didn't know how they "made the walls purple", as he would've put it) and four poster bed with a cream colored headboard. Against one wall was a wardrobe and the remaining two, two small bookshelves crammed with books. Besides the bookshelves though, there was a desk (there's no other furniture) also with a couple piles of books stacked on them.

He was just about to start panicking (he's pretty brave) when he heard two voices talking downstairs.

"Hermione, you really need to move all these books off the kitchen table, dear!" It was quite obvious that this voice belonged to a lady.

"Yes, Mum. I'll get them in a minute. Pig just dropped a letter from Ron." A young girl's voice.

"Isn't Ron the redhead?" the woman's voice asked.

"Yes. That's Ron. And you met his parents in Daigon Alley remember?"

"Oh yes. The large family that helped us exchange the money. They seemed nice. Although to be truthful, Mr. Weasley, was it, seemed very. . . over-excited to see us for some reason."

It was clear how the young girl was trying to stifle a laugh from the snort that she let out before quickly muffling. (Yes, it was heard all the way from upstairs she found it so funny.) "He never meets many muggles, Mum. He is very fascinated with everything non-magical."

At the mention of magic, Merry automatically leaned his ear closer to the door.

The woman sighed. "Yes, well. . . have a nice day, Hermione. I have to go back to work (the Dentists' office). Bye."

Hermione, the girl, said a good bye to who was obviously her mother and Merry could hear her walking up the stairs. He hurriedly scrambled behind the door just as the knob turned.

In walked a young girl with very bushy brown hair. She was wearing the most ridiculous clothing he'd ever seen (to him a tank top and jeans would be weird wouldn't it?) and she was carrying so many books that the stack came up to her shoulders.

She steeped in and as she stuck her foot out behind her and nudged the door closed, he automatically backed as close to the wall as possible and tried to quiet his breathing so as not to be seen. (The door is in a corner, thus he is standing in a corner, which happens to be not well lit, even though it was probably around 10 am.)

She didn't look back though. She set the books down on the desk and walked over to the window. She unhooked a latch, opened it, stuck her head out, and called out clearly, "Pig! Get over here, you!"

She pulled her head back in and not a moment later, a tiny little owl zoomed in. She reached out to snatch it a couple of times before she had it and carried it over to the desk. She set the little owl, "Pig", on the table, pulled out the chair, and searched through the stack of books until she found a piece of parchment wedged between one on the History of Magic and Transfiguration: Grade 4. She then opened a small bottle of ink, set it down, unfolded the parchment, and re-read what appeared to have been something earlier written.

After a couple of minutes of furious scratching of the quill, she blew on the parchment, held the quill thoughtfully near her chin, and read whatever she wrote aloud to, what she thought was, herself.

"Dear Ron," she started, reciting from the paper. "I hope you are finishing your homework! I have mine all done and it's already the middle of July. I need something to do, and my mum says she doesn't have time to take me to Daigon Alley until the 15th of August. Could you please send me a book or something? I am very bored. I have fed Pig and gave him a rest. Please reply soon. Hermione."

She paused. "There. That doesn't seem as urgent as it is." She looked at the letter and turned it thoughtfully. Then she tied it to the little owl's claw and carried it over to the window. It took off out of her hands and steadily flew off into the distance.

Merry tried to remain as calm as possible. He was in someone else's room, a GIRL'S room, a STRANGER's room, and he certainly wasn't where he was 10 minutes ago!

He was starting to worry more when suddenly he was nearly scared out of his skin as a large ginger cat with a bottle-brush tail jumped out of what appeared to be nowhere (but in reality was off his space on the bookshelf to Merry's right where the cat was sleeping peacefully until interrupted by a certain panicking Hobbit's silent hyperventilating) and paced out right in front of him. He distinctly saw it give him a watchful look (that clearly said "I'm not stupid. I know you aren't supposed to be in my Mistress's room.") and then it went on and jumped gracefully onto the girl's lap (for she was now sitting on the bed reading another letter (the Hogwarts letter which came early).

Hermione, the girl, looked down at the cat. She appeared to give it a thoughtful look and ask a silent question as she scratched the cat behind his ear.

The cat, as if in some sort of understanding, stopped purring and cast a meaningful glance at the corner where Merry was trying to hide in the shadow by the bookshelf. He sucked in his breath in horror and tried not to panic MORE in fear of giving himself away.

The girl saw his outline however, and quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out an odd sort of stick. She slowly and cautiously started walking towards his hiding spot. He started shaking and slid silently down the wall until he was slightly crouching in fear. She inhaled deeply and muttered something he couldn't hear.

All at once, he reached his hands up to shield his eyes from the bright light that came from her stick ting and she let out a shriek, backed up, and tripped, her foot hitting his shoulder as her feet flew in the air.

"Ow." she said, as she sat up on her elbows, rubbing the back of her head. She took another look at him and he could have sworn he heard her mumble something to herself that sounded like "I guess I'm not a Gryffindor for nothing."

But she then regained her sense, stood up strait, aimed her stick at him as he was covering his head with his hands, and asked clearly, "Who. . .WHAT are you and why are you in my room?"

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I really don't know how I got here, I swear! I was just walking through the Shire to my cousin's house and suddenly I found myself here! I swear, I didn't do anything!"

The girl blinked. "Then you aren't a dark creature?"

It was his turn to blink, although he blinked stupidly as he removed his hands and looked strait up at her. "No." he replied. "I'm a hobbit. Meriadoc Brandybuck" he added, holding out his hand.

She looked at him confusedly but took his hand and shook it briefly. "Hermione Granger. What's a hobbit? I've never heard of them before."

"Oh. Well you probably know me as a halfling then."

She blinked again. "I've never heard of one before, no."

"You know. Halflings. Like in the old songs. I'm from the west. Or maybe east or. . . aw, it all depends on where I am, actually!"

She looked at him oddly again. "Yorkshire (I am pretending, okay?). Britain."

"Where?"

"Yorkshire. Britain." she repeated as if it were obvious where he was by the location given.

He just gave a blankly confused look and tilted his head to one side thinking. "What part of Middle-Earth is this? East? West? North? South? Is it over the sea!? Oh I hope not."

"Middle. . .Earth?" she asked interestedly. "This is Earth, Earth. Just Earth. No Middle to it. Or do you think this is Middle East? Or Mid Continent? Or-"

"NO." he said plainly. "MIDDLE-EARTH."

Hermione blinked. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Unless-" she stopped suddenly and a thoughtful look crossed her face. She started talking to herself wordlessly and it seemed as she forgot he was there at all.

Without thought, he blurted out, "What are YOU exactly?"

She looked back at him. "Human. Well. . .a witch actually, but still human nonetheless."

"A-a witch?" he asked frighteningly.

"Oh," she corrected. "Not an evil witch. Just witch. You know. . . opposite of wizard."

"Oh. . .like Gandalf?"

"Who?"

"Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey. Mithrandir. The wizard."

"Never heard of him in all my long years of reading," she replied. "I have to tell Headmaster Dumbledore about this! I think you're from another world!"

"Uh. . . I guess that would explain things better. Wait. . .this doesn't have to do with the Ring does it!? I thought Frodo destroyed it!"

"Ring? No Ring, I think. Probably some ancient magic of some sort. Who's Frodo?"

"Frodo Baggins. My cousin. The one I was on my way to visit." he replied sadly.

He then proceeded to explain a lot of the details of his life, a certain quest, and a lot about his friends. Hermione seemed to have a lot in common. The way she described them. . . so did her friends.

To Be Continued Soon. . . .