Chapter 3: An Unexpected Party
Over the next two hours Gandalf, Harry and Luna talked about the adventure Gandalf had planned. He decided he could trust them with the truth. He told them about Sauron, and his suspicions about his being the Necromancer. He told them that Sauron was getting stronger and that the main reason for helping out the dwarves was to hopefully deal with the dragon of the Lonely Mountain, before the war that he saw coming, started. He was afraid of what Sauron could do with the dragon. Harry had asked him why he didn't just take care of the dragon himself and he confessed that he wasn't allowed to, that his mission in Middle Earth was to inspire the peoples here to act for themselves, and that while he was in fact a very powerful wizard himself, he was forbidden for the most part from using his magic to directly help.
He also told them of the other Wizards that were in Middle Earth. Of Saruman the White, and Radagast the Brown, as well as the High Elves that were also on the Council, Galadriel and her consort Celeborn, as well as Elrond of Rivendell, who they would meet on their trip. If they went with them that is.
He told them of the White Council which was headed by Saruman, and with which he had a meeting with after he saw the dwarves and Bilbo off.
He said they (the council) were going to try and drive the Necromancer away from his stronghold of Dol Guldur.
To Harry, this sounded like another Voldemort, and this was the last thing he wanted to get involved with. One dark lord was enough for a lifetime, and when he told Gandalf this, the old wizard surprisingly agreed. The Necromancer was their problem he told them. If they could help eliminate the dragon, that would be more than help enough.
Harry and Luna didn't commit to anything, instead telling the old wizard that they would give him their answer after hearing the dwarves story in Bagend, and hearing what Mr. Baggins wanted to do. To this Gandalf reluctantly agreed. He knew it was a risk telling them the whole truth, but he also sensed that they would know if he hadn't.
-=ooo000ooo=-
Meanwhile, in Hobbiton, at number 3 Bagshot Row, Mr. Bilbo Baggins was having a bad day. It had started out pleasantly enough. Upon waking he had made breakfast for himself, his first of two he had planned that day, and was just sitting down to a cup of tea when his doorbell rang.
Instantly he remembered. The wizard Gandalf! He had invited him to tea today, and he's forgotten. Why did he do that? He didn't want anything to do with the old man's adventure, and he certainly didn't want him here to have tea, but he'd been so flustered the other day when he had shown up at his door, telling him that he was going to let him go on the adventure he had planned, like he was going to do him some great favor, that he had invited him to tea today without thinking about it. He had just been happy that the wizard had left. Now he was here, and Bilbo wasn't ready. He immediately set out another cup and saucer, and a few cakes to have with tea, and ran to the door.
"I am so sorry to keep you waiting!" he started to say as he opened the door, but he saw that it wasn't Gandalf standing there when he opened it, but a Dwarf. The first of many Dwarves. Nine of them in fact. Named Dwalin, Balin, (they were brothers) Kili, Fili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin. All of them had come in like they had been expected and were now seated around his table eating and drinking, talking about gold and dragons and other things Bilbo didn't understand, and didn't want to understand. He was just starting to think that an adventure had walked into his home all by itself when there was a loud pounding at his door. Like someone knocking on it with a big stick.
Bilbo rushed to his front door, very angry and opened it with a jerk. They all fell in, one on top of the other. There were more dwarves. Four of them in fact. And there was Gandalf standing there, leaning on his staff. Next to him were two other big people. Much younger than Gandalf. A young man and woman.
"Carefully! Carefully!" Gandalf said. "It is not like you, Bilbo, to keep friends waiting at your door, and then open it like a pop-gun! Let me introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and especially Thorin! Also, this is Harry and Luna." He said indicating the two big people.
Thorin, as it turned out, was an enormously important dwarf, in fact none other than the great Thorin Oakenshield himself, and who was less than pleased at falling flat on Bilbo's mat with Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur landing on top of him.
Looking at the row of nine hoods already hung up, Gandalf said, "Ah, good, we're all here then. Quite a merry gathering! I do hope there is something left for the late-comers to eat and drink!"
The dwarves all gave their orders to Bilbo. Everything from seed cakes and mince pies, to cold chicken and hard boiled eggs. Poor Mr. Baggins was run ragged, having to keep going back and forth from the table to the kitchen to get a new plate, to his larder, and finally back to the table again so as to keep his guests happy.
Luna looked at him sadly, feeling sorry for the little fellow, who didn't seem to have a clue what was going on. She and Harry had satisfied themselves with just tea. Not wanting to make things any more difficult for the Hobbit than they already were.
The dwarves ate and ate, and talked and talked, while Harry and Luna merely listened. At last the dwarves pushed their chairs back, and Bilbo made a move to collect the plates and glasses, But Luna said. "Oh let me do it Mr. Baggins. You've done enough for tonight, and I can get all of this cleaned up before you know it." Then with a wave of her wand, all the plates, cups, and all the crockery flew up in the air and out to the kitchen, where to the amazement of Mr. Baggins, they all started cleaning and drying themselves. In less than 10 minutes, everything was washed, dried and put away in the proper place.
When Bilbo went back into his living room, he found the dwarves, Gandalf and Harry sitting and listening to music. The dwarves had brought out different instruments and were all playing and singing.
The music seemed to awaken something Tookish in Mr. Baggins, and he wished to go and see the great mountains they were singing about, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and where one went about wearing a sword instead of a carrying a walking-stick.
Suddenly he found that the music and the singing had stopped, and they were all looking at him. "Where are you going?" asked Thorin, when he saw that the hobbit had gotten up.
"What about a little light?" asked Bilbo.
"We like the dark," said the dwarves. "Dark for dark business!
"Of course!" said Bilbo, and sat down. But in his haste, he knocked over the poker and shovel next to his fireplace. It landed with a loud crash.
"Hush!" said Gandalf. "Let Thorin speak!" And Thorin began.
"Gandalf, dwarves, Mr. Baggins, Mr. Potter, and Miss Lovegood! We are all together in the house of our friend and fellow conspirator, this most excellent and audacious hobbit-may the hair on his toes never fall out! On behalf of us all I want to thank you for your most excellent hospitality." He raised his glass to Bilbo.
"We are met here to discuss our plans, policy and devices. We shall soon before the break of day start on our long journey, a journey from which some of us, or perhaps all of us may never return.
Our object is, I take it, well known to us all. To the estimable Mr. Baggins, and perhaps to Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood for instance), the exact situation at the moment may require a little brief explanation-"
Thorin was all set to continue, but he was interrupted. Poor Bilbo couldn't bear it any longer. At may never return he began to feel a shriek coming up inside, and it soon it burst out like the whistle on a kettle. All the dwarves sprang up knocking over the table.
Gandalf struck a blue light on the end of his magic staff, and in its glare the poor little hobbit could be seen kneeling on the rug, shaking like a jelly that was melting.
"Excitable little fellow," said Gandalf, as they sat down again. "Gets funny
queer fits, but he is one of the best-as fierce as a dragon in a pinch."
Oh yes Gandalf. Harry thought. He's as fierce as a dragon all right. In fact, if he gets any fiercer, he's going to shit himself!
"Humph!" said Gloin. "It's all very well for Gandalf to talk about this hobbit being fierce, but one shriek like that in a moment of excitement would be enough to wake the dragon, and kill the lot of us. As soon as I clapped eyes on the little fellow bobbing and puffing on the mat, I had my doubts. He looks more like a grocer-than a burglar!"
Bilbo, upon hearing this comment, suddenly felt he would go without bed and breakfast to be thought fierce. The Took side of him had won out. As for little fellow bobbing on the mat it almost made him really fierce. There was many a time afterwards, when cold and hungry, the Baggins part regretted what he did now, and he said to himself: "Bilbo, you bloody fool; you walked right in and put your foot in it."
"You seem to think I'm no good. Well tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the end of Middle Earth and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert. I had a great-great-great-granduncle once, Bullroarer Took, and —"
"Yes, yes, but that was long ago," said Gloin. "I was talking about you. Gandalf told us that there was a man of the sort we need in these parts looking for a job at once. You can call yourself an Expert Treasure-hunter instead of Burglar if you like. Some do. It doesn't matter to us."
"Yes, and you asked me to find you a fourteenth man for your expedition, and I not only chose Mr. Baggins for you, but I also asked Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood to go alone as well." Said Gandalf. "Just let anyone say I chose the wrong people, and you can stop at thirteen and have all the bad luck you like, or go back to digging coal and being poor.
Now, let's have no more argument. I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you. If I say he is a Burglar, a Burglar he is, or will be when the time comes. There is a lot more in him, in all three of them in fact than you guess. You may possibly all live to thank me. Now Bilbo, my boy, fetch the lamp, and let's have little light on this!"
After Bilbo had brought him a lamp, Gandalf spread out a piece of parchment. "This was made by Thror, your grandfather, Thorin, he said in answer to the dwarves' excited questions. "It is a plan of the Mountain, and it shows a hidden passage to the Lower Halls."
Also," went on Gandalf, "I forgot to mention that with the map went a key, here it is!" he said, and handed to Thorin a key with a long barrel. "Keep it safe!"
"Now things begin to look more hopeful." Said Thorin. "This map and key will make things easier. We had had no clear idea what to do. We thought of going East, as quiet and careful as we could, as far as the Long Lake. After that the trouble would begin.
We thought about going up along the River Running," went on Thorin, "and so to the ruins of Dale, under the shadow of the Mountain. But we none of us liked the idea of the Front Gate. The river runs right out of it through the great cliff South of the Mountain."
"That would be no good," said the wizard, "not without a mighty Warrior,
even a Hero. I tried to find one; but warriors are busy fighting one another in
distant lands, and in this neighborhood heroes are scarce, or simply not to be
found. That is why I originally settled on burglary-especially when I
remembered the existence of a Side-door, and it is only because of some extraordinary luck that I came across Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood here. So now let's get on and make some plans."
But Thorin interrupted him before he could continue. "Yes, about them. I don't mean to be rude, but they don't look old enough to be involved in something like this. In fact Miss Lovegood, besides being a female, doesn't look more than sixteen years of age, if she's even that."
"Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood are more than capably of taking care of them selves Thorin. In fact…" But this time it was Harry who interrupted him.
"Gandalf, we can both speak for ourselves." Then turning to Thorin he said. "First of all Thorin Oakenshield, neither Luna or myself have agreed to come on this expedition yet. We told Gandalf that we would listen to what you had to say and then decide. Luna is a very powerful witch, and I'm an even more powerful wizard. Also, both of us are heavily trained in combat magic." Harry paused to let that part sink in a bit. "Now from what I've heard tonight in your songs, this dragon drove out and killed most of your people from this mountain on the map, and took all your treasure, correct?"
"It is." Thorin said.
"Alright, so the most dangerous part will be the dragon itself, and I've faced a dragon twice already, and lived to talk about it. I've also fought and killed one of the most powerful dark wizards ever seen in our world, as well as many of his followers. And Luna, despite her gentle nature, defeated his second in command, one of the most powerful dark witches alive. So between the two of us, I think we can handle a dragon."
Thorin wasn't used to being put in his place, and he didn't like it. But for the moment, he didn't say anything. "And what do the two of you want for your services?" he finally asked.
A light clicked in Harry's mind. "So that's what this is all about? You're afraid your share of the profits will be less if you have to share them with two extra people?"
Thorin didn't answer, but Harry and Luna saw right away that he was right.
"I already have more gold than I'll be able to spend in ten life times. I don't need any more. In fact we only agreed to consider helping you as a favor to Gandalf. But if you don't want us there, that's fine with us. Good luck to you."
Harry and Luna both got up and started towards the door. It was Bilbo however that stopped them. "If they're not going then neither am I. I'm a burglar, not a dragon hunter." He said, the Tookish side of him in full control.
"Wait," Thorin said. "Please don't leave." Then looking like he was in great pain, he added. "We dwarves are a very proud people. We are raised to solve our own problems by ourselves, and we don't like to ask others for help. Even when we know we need it. I'm sorry if I sounded…haughty just now, but I'm supposed to be a King to my people, a warrior, and a King is supposed to be strong for his people all the time. To ask for help from outsiders, is not something I am used to. I hope you can understand this."
Harry and Luna looked at him, and it was Luna that spoke. "Actually we do understand. More than you'll ever know. Nobody likes to admit they need help to do something, especially when they have others that they're responsible for."
"Will you go with us, and help us to get our Kingdom back?" Thorin asked.
But neither Harry nor Luna answered him. Instead Luna said to Harry. "Will you come outside with me so we can discuss this Harry?"
"Of course Luna." and then said to the group. "We'll be back after we've talked about it, and we'll give you our answer." And the two left.
-=ooo000ooo=-
Outside in Bilbo's garden, Harry was looking up at the night sky. "It's amazing you know Luna, the stars you can see at night when there's no light pollution from the cities."
"Yes it is beautiful isn't it." She answered, looking up at the stars. "You want to help them don't you?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I think we should. If we don't, it'll be a bloodbath when they face the dragon. We're the only ones here that have the power to stop it. But I don't want you to go just because of what I think. We're in this together, and unless we both agree, I won't go."
Looking thoughtful, Luna replied, "Someone once told me "With great power, goes great responsibility." I think we should help them as well. I can't bear the thought of that poor little hobbit getting killed. He really has no idea what he's gotten himself into does he?"
"Not a bloody clue." Harry said with a laugh. "By the way Luna, who told you that thing about power and responsibility?"
"Professor Dumbledore." She said with a smile.
"Oh way to go helping me make up my mind Luna." Harry said, trying to keep a fake scowl on his face, and not succeeding. "And speaking of Dumbledore, isn't it weird how much he and Gandalf look alike, right down to the garish clothes?"
"I've been wondering about that as well. I wonder if the Headmaster ever came to this world when he was younger, and met Gandalf?"
"I wonder. It's something we'll have to ask Gandalf about during the trip. You think we've let them stew long enough?"
"I think so. But I don't really want to go back in. It's too beautiful out here."
"I know what you mean. I was thinking when we were walking along the road that I could live here you know. Build a house, find a wife and start a family. I could be happy here."
"I could as well. Maybe we can discuss that later." And with that Luna turned and stated back to the Hobbit hole. "You coming?" she asked, looking over her shoulder and seeing Harry standing there with his mouth open, but no sound coming out. Luna turned and continued back to the hole, a smile on her face and thinking. Too easy.
-=ooo000ooo=-
When Harry and Luna re-entered Bilbo's living room, every eye turned to face them.
"We talked about it," Harry began. "And we'll go with you and do what we can to help get your Kingdom back." Luna finished.
Thorin, as well as Gandalf, seemed to sag with relief. "So we'll divide the treasure sixteen ways when and if we get it. If that's acceptable?" Thorin asked.
"No." Harry said. "I meant what I said before Thorin. I don't need any more gold. But I do want to make sure Bilbo gets his fair share."
"He'll get it." Thorin assured him. "But are you sure? You're turning down a great deal of treasure."
"I'm sure." Harry replied. "But if you want, you can give us each something small to remember the trip by. Do we have an Agreement?"
"We do." Thorin replied. "Thank you."
Thorin got up and made his way over to Bilbo. "Mr. Baggins, again, I think you for your hospitality tonight. Well take our leave of you now and we'll meet you at the Green Dragon Inn at nine tomorrow morning if that is acceptable?"
"That will be fine." Bilbo replied, still not too sure what he had gotten himself into.
"Mr. Baggins," Harry began. "Would it be alright if we stayed here with you tonight? If you have the room that is?"
"I have one guest room, if you and Miss Lovegood don't mind sharing it." Bilbo replied.
"No, that's okay." Harry managed to stammer out. "Luna can have the room and I'll just conjure something to sleep on out here. I can change it back in the morning." Bilbo nodded and went off to get the guest room ready
"You sure Harry? I don't mind sharing a room with you." She said innocently.
"I've been told I snore Luna. I'd just keep you awake."
"Well if you're sure. I'll see you in the morning then." And before he could do anything she stretched out and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight." and then went off to find Bilbo.
Harry sat down with a thump. "Merlin help me." He said.