Hey, thanks for enjoying this story. I think I'm going to have fun with this one.

The Small, Mysterious Creature at Hogwarts

The Hobbit quitted out of the brush and saw the castle. It looked marvelous, gleaming in the moonlight, and he could see that it was occupied by the shadows through the windows.

The building in the darkness appeared to have been made by dark grey bricks which were atrophied by years of rain. There was golden light emanating from its pane glass windows and he noticed that as if part of it was a canteen room.

Bilbo hiked up the hill up to what he presumed was the entrance door. He saw that it was made of dark oak planks attached together with a black iron. There were two door knockers positioned high up on the door but Bilbo smartly decided not to rap on it.

He twitched his nose, fixed his coat on his shoulders and his cuffs before he sat down on the ground against the door. He listened to the chirping of the birds and pulled his coat closer to himself.

He was startled when he heard a loud din of noise coming from his right, where the canteen building was. It quieted down for a few minutes before it grew louder again.

Bilbo got up and quietly, silently, walked to the windows. His eyes barely came over the windowsill but he stood on his tiptoes and looked through the glass.

Warmth. Warmth. The golden light was molten. The Hobbit's eyes reflected and gleamed of gold. There were children of men bathed in the light. They appeared to be young of age and were separated into four tables. On the Hobbit's left, there was a long table with older men and women. They all were wearing very interesting styles of dressing accompanied with pointy hats. It was extremely bizarre.

The children were eating delicious looking food and the Hobbit felt a rumble go through his stomach. They'd been in Mirkwood for a few days and had, surprisingly, been running out of rations. Nevertheless, the food looked as if it was homemade and Bilbo thought it looked like his mom's cooking.

A child unexpectedly looked up out the window and Bilbo couched. He shut his hand over his mouth and he slowly creeped back to the main entrance.

When he tiptoed over, he felt a light tap on his head. Then another. And it began to rain. The rain pattered against the window and Bilbo's curly hair was getting wet.

He pressed his back against the door as he looked out into the forest. He was cold and the warmth seduced him.

Bilbo squeezed through the oak door and shut it behind him. He entered into a long elongated hallway with a door on the left and several turns on the right. He took measured steps, touching the right wall with his hand as he cautiously walked.

"H-Hello?" he quietly asked.

Garbled laughter from the canteen echoed through the corridor.

"Meow."

Bilbo jumped, looked down, and unconsciously put his hand into his ring pocket.

"H-Hi," Bilbo responded with a tenuous smile.

It was a cat. While not uncommon where he was from, they generally weren't as… malnourished as this one, but then again Hobbits ate seven meals a day and pushed their cats to eat a lot as well. He hadn't seen a cat since he left on his journey.

The Hobbit was just about to crouch down and scratch its cheek when he heard heavy steps pounding the ground. Eyes growing wide, he put his ring on.

The cat kept his gaze as he turned invisible. Bilbo froze still as he saw a dilapidated man wearing ragged clothing turn the corner.

"Mrs. Norris?" he said, "what did you find?"

"Meow," the female cat responded.

Argus Filch grimaced and furrowed his eyebrows, he looked up and saw nothing.

"Someone's sneaking around during dinner? Are they?" he spat.

Bilbo slowly moved back against the wall. The cat moved with him. Argus watched with glee in his cat's accomplishments.

Bilbo had his hand on his mouth to squelch his breathing as his back pressed on the cold stone. The cat sat down in front of him and pawed at his foot hairs and he grew pink.

"There's something there, Mrs. Norris." was the statement.

Argus slowly reached his hand down before he snapped like a mouse trap just while Bilbo pulled up his foot and barely avoided that ghostly grey hand.

Bilbo saw the misty face of the man and he knew, he knew that it would not be good if he was caught. He turned and stepped out of the situation. Filch watched the cat follow and wag its tail.

Bilbo wished to shoo away the pesky animal but had to get away. He took another quick step and another before he broke out into a full-out sprint away.

"I'll get you! I'll swear to it I'll get you!" Argus's threat echoed through the halls and Bilbo looked left and right for an escape route. He saw black and white paintings as he came up upon a staircase and a cube room.

He stopped for a moment, astounded, before he looked back over his left shoulder. It appeared that he wasn't being followed anymore.

Bilbo immediately doubled over and put his hands on his knees, heaving for a breath.

'W-What is this place really? A small kingdom? But there's no other buildings…' Bilbo was very confused.

Bilbo sat down on to the steps with a sigh. He placed his head into his arms before he realized his posture and sat up straight. He cleared his throat and he just sat there before he realized that the paintings were moving.

He stood in awe as he saw the grey figures move in their scenes. He walked closer and clasped his hands behind his back.

He looked at a painting of a rag clothed female who was sitting on a windowsill from a tower with a knight in shining armor riding atop a white horse.

"It seems like someone's sneaking through the castle," the armored man spoke to the lady.

"Really? On the first day? When did you hear that?"

"Romulus said that Filch was screaming around the halls, and Nancy said that she saw the main door open."

Bilbo frowned and put his head down for a moment. He swiftly turned his back to the portrait and he began to pace back and forth.

Perhaps he was just seeing and hearing things. The ring he was wearing did change the colors in which he saw so it probably could make still portraits move… but that hadn't happened before, even when…

Bilbo looked up the stairs. And continued to look up. There were more and more stairs, it seemed like a hundred. Then he noticed that they, too, were moving.

'H-How?'

Bilbo dropped his train of thought when he realized that there was a plethora of footsteps coming towards him. He looked around for a place to hide but find none other than the wall. He pushed himself against it and just hoped for the best.

The Hobbit looked across his right shoulder and saw a few taller girls and boys lead smaller children. He wished to follow them, climbing the stairs, but when he looked where they had come from, he saw grey.

It was an older man wearing a grey cloak who looked exactly like Gandalf. But how could he be here?

Bilbo felt saved and ran towards Gandalf but hadn't been closing the distance like he'd hoped. His strides weren't nearly as long as the wizard's, but Bilbo ran on after him. He didn't realize or focus in on his surroundings when he fervently followed - leading to him tripping on a step.

Gandalf slowed down when he came to a straight corridor that led to an eagle-like creature. Bilbo hid behind a pillar as he watched the bird statue spin and a staircase appear. When the wizard stepped onto it, Bilbo sprung into action and ran after it. He jumped onto the steps with little room to spare.

The stairs moved on without his prompting and he only needed to take a small step to get to Gandalf. Bilbo took a left and right glance when he entered and saw his wizard sitting behind a desk in the middle of the circular room.

When he was just about to speak, he heard a rumbling sound coming from behind him. In fear, Bilbo hid behind a dresser.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I'm sorry to disturb you," Argus began. "There seems to be someone sneaking through the castle."

"Really?" the Gandalf look-alike responded, eyes shifting to Bilbo.

"During dinner service, they were invisible."

"Hmm." His eyes twinkled. "I suppose it won't be a problem. It is the first day afterall."

"But-"

"But nothing, Argus," he interrupted. "Everyone should be given a first chance."

Filch groaned and garbled underneath his breath, "Next time they'll be down in the dungeons…"

"Good day." And Filch left.

Bilbo froze. 'Good day?' his mind muddled. 'Good day?'

~"What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"~

'This is not Gandalf.'

"May I ask," the imposter spoke, standing up from his chair and walking to the dresser where Bilbo hid behind, "to whom I am speaking to?"

"I-I am from under the hill," Bilbo responded. "And over hill and under tree my path has led."

"You needn't speak in riddles. I do not bite."

The elder was now a few feet away from him but stopped. It was a slightly comfortable distance away. He reached into his arm sleeve and pulled out a stick.

Bilbo hid his entire body except for his head behind the dresser.

"D-Don't come any closer," Bilbo shakily warned, losing all of his word's integrity.

The imposter put his stick onto a table and he crouched down. "I will not hurt you, please reveal yourself."

Bilbo thought of his chances. There was absolutely no way for him to get out alive. This was not his domain and he was too fatigued after all this running. Bilbo quivered and took a deep breath before he slowly pulled his ring off his finger. Instantly he saw the world in color again and he was not invisible anymore.

The elder blinked and pushed his half-moon glasses up his nose. "A child?" he asked.

Bilbo snorted and stepped out into the light. "I'm a hobbit."

"A hobbit?" he questioned, getting up and walking around his room in a circular pattern. "I don't believe I've ever heard of those."

Bilbo felt something deflate inside them.

"We were created by Yavanna. We live in the Shire and have the rangers protect our lands. We live a happy life in our smials and-"

"Where do you come from?"

"What?" the hobbit responded curtly.

"What land?"

"Middle Earth."

"Well, little hobbit, it seems that you are not where you should be."

"Yes, I-I already noticed that."

They paused for a few moments.

"Do you perhaps… know anything about magic?"

"Magic? Why, yes, of course."

"Well, that will make this much easier."

"Make what much easier?"

"Getting you home."

And so they talked and talked.

"Why did you follow me to my office?"

"You looked like my dear friend Gandalf."

"Really? I bet he's a handsome fellow indeed."

Yes, oh my goodness, this sounds so good. I'm very pleased with myself.

I hope you have a nice day, morning, afternoon, and night.

Bye.