A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

"How many people are coming?" Bilbo asked, sounding somewhat weary.

“Prepare for the worst.” Aaron patted him on the shoulder. “For example, filling this room to the brim.”

However, one thing I'm pretty sure of is that everyone who comes is a dwarf, except for Gandalf.

As soon as he finished speaking, the doorbell rang again.

"Should I open the door again this time?" Aaron placed Phil and Kili's weapons in the corner and was about to walk towards the door when Bilbo cut in front of him.

He walked away aggressively, cursing as he went.

"Nobody's home, go bother others, there are already too many dwarfs here."

What idiot came up with this joke? Haha, it's so tasteless!

Bilbo yanked the door open, ready to show the dwarf outside the door the wrath of an honest man.

However, as soon as the door opened, a bunch of dwarves uncontrollably tumbled in through the doorway.

"Ow!"

"Get up, you fatso."

After silently comparing the numbers, Bilbo swallowed back the words he was about to say.

At that moment, a pair of blue eyes appeared before them, and Gandalf was bending over and peering into the bottom of Bag.

“Gandalf,” Bilbo said, looking at him angrily.

Aaron gave a standard fake smile. "Grey-robed mage, I think we need an explanation."

“An explanation will be given, but before that, could you please ask the owner of this cave to entertain our guests who have come from afar?” Gandalf said with an embarrassed smile. “After all, I went to great lengths to organize this adventure.”

“We have no problem with you organizing risky operations, but why should we meet at Mr. Bilbo Baggins’ house?”

It's one thing to meet at Mr. Baggins' house, but why wasn't he told us in advance? We weren't prepared at all.

Of course, these aren't major issues; for the hospitable hobbits, a few unpleasant days will pass, as long as you haven't added us to the adventurer list.

“Well…” Gandalf hesitated for a moment, “I will respect your own wishes; it is up to you whether you go or not.”

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Bilbo beside him. "Mr. Baggins, I can only help you gain some initiative, but the things that need to be done still need to be done."

“I understand.” Bilbo glanced at the dwarves who were gradually gathering in the room where Dvarin was, and said somewhat wearily, “The hobbits will take good care of these visitors.”

"No, you don't understand. You need to be prepared for a huge hemorrhage; they'll probably throw a party at your house."

If possible, I'd like you to fill a bottle for me, because the barrel will likely be emptied very soon.

“Children shouldn’t drink alcohol,” Bilbo said bluntly, then realized, “It’s not that serious, is it?”

“It’s always good to be prepared,” Aaron said with some sympathy. “I suggest you write down your losses on paper and then ask Gandalf for reimbursement. In some ways, he’s the real culprit.”

Gandalf: ......

Chapter 234 Slaying the Dragon? That'll put me awake!

"That's mine... Don't touch my wine... Put it back... Put it back... Don't touch my jam..."

As it turned out, Bilbo underestimated the dwarves.

Despite being somewhat prepared, he still felt a pang of grief and indignation as he watched his food cupboard being emptied by one dwarf after another, and was powerless to stop it.

Especially when a chubby dwarf walked past him carrying three large pieces of cheese weighing a total of fifteen kilograms, he felt as if a shadow had been cast over his perception.

“That’s Grandfather Mongo’s chair…and this one too, put it back…”

That's an antique, not something to sit on...

That's a book, not a coaster. Put the map back...

After the food, some antique furniture also fell into their clutches. The dwarves treated the place as their own home, meticulously using everything to prepare for tonight's party.

“Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf, would you like a cup of chamomile tea?” asked a dwarf carrying a tea set.

"Thank you, Dori, just some red wine will do."

Gandalf helped tidy the table and then went to the foyer, counting on his fingers, "Philip, Chili, Oin... Groin, Dwarin, Balin... Bever, Buffon, Pombre... Doli, Noli, Oli..."

“Stop counting, there are twelve dwarves,” Aaron interjected. “But it looks like not everyone has arrived yet.”

"They're still not all here?" Bilbo felt his heart was about to give way, fearing he might hear the doorbell ring again.

“No.” Aaron shook his head firmly. “These dwarves include young, middle-aged, and old people, and they may have different professions, but they all have one thing in common.”

"Greedy?"

"Of course not, it was a man, and he was armed."

He was a warrior, a warrior of the dwarves.

Moreover, there is no difference in their status, but since this is an adventure group, what they need is a leader.

“Indeed, we are missing a dwarf,” Gandalf said with some concern.

“He’s just late,” said Dvalin, leaning against the doorframe, his tone brimming with unquestionable confidence. “He’ll be here after the clan gathering in the north.”

Then he walked up to Aaron and said, “Gandalf said he needed to add someone at the last minute. I was reluctant at first, but you and I have slightly different ideas.”

Aaron forced a smile. "It's better if you're unwilling. I have no intention of going. Gandalf didn't even discuss it with me."

"It doesn't matter. One more or less won't make a difference to you."

Aaron: ......

Who are you looking down on?

"Mr. Gandalf, here's your small glass of red wine." Dolly came over with two glasses of red wine. "It has a very strong fruity aroma."

Just as Gandalf was about to take the glass, Aaron beat him to it and downed the entire glass of red wine in one gulp.

"Not bad." Aaron smacked his lips, seemingly still wanting more. "Bilbo, did you brew this yourself?"

Bilbo nodded subconsciously, but soon he looked at Aaron with an annoyance, "Children shouldn't drink alcohol."

"Don't worry about it so much!" Aaron shrugged. "At least I'm a proper guest, right?"

Bilbo was speechless. Compared to the dwarves, Aaron was practically the most dazzling presence among the visitors.

Soon, the table was filled with a variety of delicious foods.

Gandalf sat with the twelve dwarves, enjoying the food and wine to their hearts' content.

The sounds of chewing food, accompanied by the dwarves' cheerful laughter, unexpectedly created a beautiful scene.

Bilbo watched this scene from outside the door and helplessly turned his face away.

Out of sight out of mind.

However, as soon as he turned around, he saw a messy food cabinet, as if it had been ravaged by an army of locusts, which made him even more upset.

"Want a drink?" Aaron handed him a glass of ale. "Drowning your sorrows in alcohol is a good way to cope."

"Thank you!" Bilbo fumed and took a big gulp. "Damn dwarves, it's one thing to eat my food and use my things, but to make such a mess of my house is just too much."

“To correct you, it wasn’t the dwarves who were damned, it was Gandalf,” Aaron said in a serious tone. “That old bastard borrowed your Bag End and your food to entertain his dwarf friends.”

I utterly abhor this kind of generosity at other people's expense, and we should strongly protest against it.

“That’s right,” Bilbo nodded in agreement. “But they have a lot of people.”

Aaron snapped his fingers and took out a piece of parchment. "Take a look at this first."

Bilbo was puzzled, but when he saw it, his expression instantly became incredibly interesting.

"An IOU? That's not appropriate, is it?"

"Why is it inappropriate? Paying for a meal is a matter of course."

This list is something I wrote down item by item. I wouldn't say it's completely accurate, but it can minimize your losses.

At least you'll feel a little better.

“Let’s forget it.” Bilbo paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. “Gandalf is my elder after all; I’ve known him since I was a child.”

Moreover, the Baggins family had some connections with him; old Tuk loved his fireworks, and my mother held him in high esteem.

"Well... fine, whatever makes you happy."

......

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the dwarves gradually emerged from the dining room.

Bilbo blocked Gandalf's path, his annoyance clearly visible on his face.

Why are you so angry?

“You know perfectly well what I’m asking.” Aaron handed the list to Gandalf. “Mr. Baggins has decided not to let you compensate him for his losses, but you should at least give him an explanation.”

“Yes.” Bilbo nodded hastily. “What were they doing in my house?”

"Once you get used to it, they're quite fun."

“I don’t want to get used to it.” Bilbo tugged at Gandalf’s sleeve and pointed to the floor. “Look at my kitchen, the carpet is all mud, the pantry is empty, and the bathroom is a mess.”

“And my guest room too,” Aaron said wearily. “They took the only set of table and chairs from the room.”

"That's not so bad. They used my tablecloth as a rag. It's a knitted, handmade piece."

"Excuse me, excuse me for interrupting, but where should we put the plate?" Ollie asked, holding the plate.

Aaron shook his head, rubbing his forehead. "Just put it back where you got it!"

Oli was stunned for a moment. They had taken at least a hundred plates, and they couldn't possibly remember that many.

"Here, Ollie, give me the plate."

A dwarf walked over and casually tossed the plate out of Ori's hand. Kili caught it at the door and then threw it into the room. Fili, with his back to the door, took it and quickly washed it clean.

“That’s my mother’s antique porcelain, it’s over a hundred years old!” Bilbo shouted.

However, the dwarves acted as if they hadn't heard anything, continuing to pass and wash the tableware in their own way.

The sound of knives and forks clashing together, combined with the impromptu rap, surprisingly created a melody that felt perfectly natural.

"Forget it! We can't stop it," Aaron comforted. "If anything really breaks, I'll fix it for you."