A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

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The wooden bridge suddenly swayed, and both ends made creaking sounds at the same time.

An ominous premonition arose in Aaron's heart. He looked down and gasped when he saw that it was an abyss.

"Heh! Next time you kill someone, be more mindful of the occasion." Aaron patted Gandalf on the shoulder, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, then hugged a sturdy log tightly. "Don't just stand there, hold on tight, we're going down this steep slope."

The dwarves were still somewhat confused, but Gandalf reacted quickly, "Hurry up and grab on!"

The next moment, the wooden bridge broke, and the expedition team fell down the bridge along with the people on it.

As the broken bridge fell, it crashed back and forth against the cliffs on both sides. During this process, the wooden planks of the bridge split apart like tofu dregs, and the dwarves screamed in panic.

The bridge was completely destroyed when it collapsed, and the dwarves were buried in the wooden ruins, but fortunately everyone was safe and sound.

Aaron released his hands, jumped off the broken bridge, and casually dusted himself off.

"A close call, but we landed safely."

Gandalf also crawled out, staggering a few steps before barely managing to stand.

“It’s not too bad,” Boff said.

The Orc King's corpse suddenly fell, and its enormous weight made the broken bridge even more unbearable. The pressure on the dwarves also increased significantly, causing them immense suffering.

"Nonsense, you must be joking!" Dvalin said angrily.

"This teaches us not to be too happy too soon," Aaron said with a smile.

The dwarves had barely climbed out, and before they could even catch their breath, a dense cacophony of roars erupted from above.

The orcs chased down the mountainside, their trail stretching as far as the eye could see.

"This is possible?" Aaron exclaimed, his eyes wide.

“They outnumber us and we are no match for them,” Dwarin said.

“The only thing that can save us is the sunlight,” Gandalf said hastily. “Run!”

Gandalf led Aaron and the dwarves on a race along a path, and finally they saw a light in the distance.

These orcs' strength decreases drastically in sunlight, so they don't move during the day. Once they pass through the cave entrance ahead, they're considered safe.

After rushing out of the cave, the group did not stop, but continued to run forward until they were far away from the orc's lair before stopping.

"One, two, three... five, six, seven, eight... Boo, Boo, ten."

"Phil, Chili, twelve, plus Pombre, thirteen." Gandalf counted the number, only then noticing that Bilbo Baggins was missing.

"Where is Bilbo?" Gandalf asked anxiously. "Where is our hobbit?"

“The cursed halfling, now he’s gone,” Dvalin said dismissively. “I thought he was with Dorri.”

"Don't blame me," Dorley said, feeling wronged.

Where was the last place you saw him?

“He managed to escape the first time he was caught,” Nori said.

"and then?"

“Let me tell you what happened,” Thorin said, stepping forward. “Baggins saw an opportunity and ran away. After leaving home, all he thought about was soft beds and fireplaces.”

“Um…” Aaron awkwardly raised his right hand, “Things might not be what you think.”

Bilbo did have thoughts of leaving the team, but that's only natural, I think...

“Gaius,” Gandalf interrupted Aaron, “do you know where our hobbits are?”

Aaron nodded slightly. "If nothing unexpected happens, he should be somewhere underground in our Orc City right now."

Furthermore, I must correct you, he didn't simply run away whenever he saw an opportunity.

“What is that?” Thorin asked. “You knew to come to our rescue when we were captured, but you couldn’t see him anywhere.”

"Uh... he wanted to save you, but he wasn't capable enough."

When I was first captured, I killed the three orcs who were holding me.

My plan was to put Bilbo in a safe place first, but when I went back, I found him fighting an orc and fell off the cliff with him.

But don't worry, I've checked, he's not injured.

The first thing he did after waking up wasn't to run away, but to ask me if you were safe.

Gandalf took a deep breath. "We have to go and get him."

"No need, I left him something that's enough to keep him safe."

“I meant bring him back.” Gandalf tapped the ground a few times with his staff. “Our party needs a hobbit, understand?”

“I completely understand.” Aaron nodded solemnly. “That’s why I gave him the choice.”

Bilbo can come back anytime he wants.

Gandalf was silent for a few seconds, and just as he was about to say something, Bilbo jumped out from behind a tree.

“I really miss my soft bed and fireplace, but I don’t want to leave the expedition yet.”

“Bilbo Baggins.” Gandalf stepped forward with satisfaction. “You are the happiest person I have ever seen in my life.”

Bilbo shrugged, took the bundle off his back, and handed the dark blue blanket to Aaron. "It's better to return this to its rightful owner."

Aaron took it and raised an eyebrow. "How did you get out?"

Bilbo chuckled and quietly slipped the gold ring into his pocket.

How did I get out? It feels like a dream.

He played a guessing game with Gulu, and after several rounds they were evenly matched, so he asked Gulu to guess what he had hidden in his pocket.

Who knew he was so mentally unstable? He lunged at him without warning, forcing him to flee in panic.

During his escape, he accidentally put on the ring, which gave him the ability to become invisible. He also happened to run into members of an expedition who were fleeing from orcs, and that's how he escaped in such a daze.

Chapter 246 Destroyer Azog: Times Have Changed

Gandalf glanced at the golden ring, his expression instantly turning serious, but he quickly recovered and smiled nonchalantly, "That's not important, he's back."

"They won't run away halfway this time, will they?" Aaron asked meaningfully.

"will not."

"I want to know, why did you come back?" Thorin looked at Bilbo with a puzzled expression.

The reason he didn't stop Bilbo from leaving while he was in the cave was because he felt Bilbo wasn't suitable for the expedition, and leaving sooner would be better for both sides.

I believe Bilbo thought the same thing, but his decision to stay is something I don't quite understand.

“I know you’ve always had doubts about me. I miss Bag End, I miss my books, my chair, and my garden—that’s where I belong.”

So I came back, because you have no home.

What has been taken from you, I am willing to help you get it back.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Aaron clapped enthusiastically, then gave Bilbo a big hug. "That was touching. I knew you wouldn't let me down."

Thorin fell silent, and the other dwarves were also filled with mixed emotions, some even feeling touched.

Gandalf smiled with satisfaction as he sensed the positive shift in the atmosphere within the group.

Suddenly, the howling of wolves came from afar, and everyone's heart skipped a beat.

“It must be a dire wolf scout.” Aaron rubbed his head wearily. “I almost forgot, the Orc King spread the news that we had been captured.”

Although the news was outdated, it wasn't too late for Azog.

"It's one problem after another," Gandalf muttered, then shouted for everyone to run away.

The pack of wolves charged down the mountain; the forest was their battlefield, and they caught up in no time.

The group hastily engaged in battle and quickly fled to the edge of the cliff.

Aaron looked at the several huge pine trees on the edge of the cliff and climbed up without saying a word.

The others also demonstrated their agility, quickly climbing to the treetops, even the fattest Pangbo was no exception.

“Wolves can’t climb trees, but orcs certainly can.” Aaron looked at Gandalf with a serious expression. “You have to think of a way. We can’t just sit here and wait to die.”

"Ha!" Gandalf's eye twitched slightly. "Wizards aren't omnipotent. Now we can only improvise and hope Lady Luck is on our side."

Aaron: ......

"Didn't you unleash a powerful spell back in the Orc City? Can't you do it again?"

"Do you think I'd still be in the tree if I thought it would work?" Gandalf countered. "I need time to prepare, and I can't handle so many enemies."

Aaron was speechless. This gray-robed wizard was extremely reliable when he was reliable, but completely unreliable when he was unreliable.

Could it be that we're really going to be exposed this time? But even if we are exposed, he's no match for an army!

Moreover, he has already made his appearance before several big shots on the righteous side. If he then comes into the villains' sights, things will get really messy, and he might be specifically targeted.

Thinking of this, Aaron couldn't help but shudder.

But the current situation left him no choice; he couldn't hesitate to act when the time came. He couldn't just stand by and watch these dwarves perish in the wolf's jaws!

Dozens of dire wolves surrounded several pine trees, but did not rush to attack.

Gandalf saw a butterfly on a tree branch, and his eyes lit up. He used his wand to hook it over.

He whispered to the butterfly, and then released it.

"What are you doing?" Aaron asked, puzzled.

“It’s nothing,” Gandalf shook his head.

"I don't believe it!" Aaron thought to himself. At this moment, Gandalf would never do anything pointless.

"Hopefully, the orcs that came are just lackeys, otherwise we'll be in real danger this time."

"Damn it! Just what I feared has happened."

A white wolf appeared in the distance, with a pale orc on its back.