A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

Aaron opened the compass, glanced at the unmoving pointer, and managed a weak smile.

With this treasure, the chances of fulfilling the contract can be increased by at least 30%.

Once the system task is completed, his magic points will become four digits, and he won't have to be so stingy with his spending like he is now.

After putting away the compass, Aaron shifted to a more comfortable position and prepared to sleep.

But when he turned over, he happened to see Bilbo playing with a gold ring.

"what is that?"

Bilbo was startled and immediately clutched the ring to his palm.

"nothing."

“I saw it all, a gold ring.”

“I said it was nothing.” Bilbo’s tone became more serious, then he looked at Aaron sheepishly, “I’m sorry, I… this…”

Aaron frowned. "Can I take a look?"

Bilbo's expression changed slightly, and he hesitated for a while before taking out the ring.

However, he was extremely reluctant to hand it over to Aaron, as if he were giving up half of his life.

Aaron picked up the ring, a sudden surge of possessiveness rising within him, but he quickly suppressed it.

"A magic ring?"

“Thanks to it, I escaped from the orc city,” Bilbo said excitedly. “It can make me invisible.”

Aaron shook his head and returned the ring to Bilbo.

"A thief who can turn invisible is definitely a top-tier thief."

However, this ring's function is definitely not limited to invisibility; it possesses incredibly powerful magic, and even I felt a sense of oppression from it.

As a friend, I'll give you some advice: if you want to keep this ring, don't let anyone else know you own it.

"What does it mean?"

Aaron snorted. "This ring has a bewitching power. Most people who see it will subconsciously want to possess it, and might even do anything for it."

“No way!” Bilbo said in surprise. “Didn’t you give the ring back to me? And I was willing to show it to you.”

"That's because my mind is specially protected, and the magic on the ring has almost no effect on me."

And you are no ordinary person either. Bilbo Baggins's mind was much purer than that of ordinary people, which is why he was able to resist its temptations.

But you should avoid using this ring if possible, otherwise you'll eventually become its slave, and might even suffer a mental breakdown or develop a split personality.

Bilbo swallowed hard, thinking that the ring's original owner, Gollum, was indeed eccentric, talking to himself, sometimes good and sometimes bad, and he believed his words about 90% of the time.

"Perhaps we should tell Gandalf!"

"That's your decision, I won't interfere," Aaron said meaningfully. "But if even the Grey Wizard can't resist the ring's temptation, then I suggest you keep it, or... just destroy it."

......

The next morning.

The members of the expedition team gradually woke up from their sleep.

The owner of this house, Bion, transformed into human form, a hairy middle-aged man who looked somewhat like a bear.

He wasn't angry that people were staying at his house without permission; instead, he prepared a hearty breakfast for them.

“You are Thorin Oakenshield. Tell me why Azog the Destroyer is hunting you down.”

“Because of the arm.” Aaron took a big gulp of milk. “Thorin cut off Azog’s left arm in a terrible war.”

“Is that so?” Bion pondered. “You should cut off his head.”

“I thought so too, but he was running too fast,” Thorin said angrily, then looked at Bion, “How did you know about Azog?”

"My people were the first to live in the mountains until the Orks (half-orcs) attacked from the north. Azog killed most of my family, and some became his slaves."

It's not for him to work, you understand? It's for entertainment.

He found pleasure in locking up and torturing the skin-transfer victims.

"Villains are usually this twisted; it would be abnormal if he were to treat you to good food and drink," Aaron said, scoffing. "Logically, your people shouldn't be weak, so why are the orcs able to..."

“They outnumbered me and were skilled in scheming and trickery, otherwise I wouldn’t be the only one left among the skin-changing people.”

"I understand. Evil people are often ruthless in achieving their goals."

“You need to get to Lonely Mountain before the end of autumn; there’s not much time left.”

“So we must go through the dark, dense forest,” Gandalf said. “That’s the fastest way.”

"Darkness enveloped the grove, and decay spread beneath the trees."

The Orks of Moria and the mages of Dolgodor have formed an alliance; I won't take that risk unless absolutely necessary.

"Let's take the Elf Avenue; that road is still safe."

“Safe?” Bion was skeptical of the word. “The wood elves of Mirkwood are different from their kin; they are not as wise, but they are more dangerous.”

Hearing this, Aaron looked at Thorin, "The elves he's talking about... could they be..."

“They are the ones who stand idly by while the dwarves suffer,” Thorin said coldly.

"Heh!" Aaron's lips twitched, and he looked at Gandalf with an awkward smile. "Excuse me, but could we take a detour?"

I didn't mean anything by it; I just wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict.

"Gaius, what do you mean by this?" Thorin said unhappily.

You know the answer in your heart.

"You haven't shown much respect to Elrond either. If you encounter the elves in the forest, who knows if you'll fight them?"

"No, I won't," Thorin said through gritted teeth. "I can still tell what's important and what's not."

Aaron rolled his eyes speechlessly. He had witnessed Thorin's stubbornness along the way; once he got stuck in a rut, he couldn't get out. The credibility of his words was less than 50%.

"I personally still suggest taking a detour."

“I would like to if I could!” Gandalf said helplessly, “but taking the detour would add at least two hundred kilometers to the north, or twice the distance to the south.”

Hearing this, Aaron was speechless. "So that means there's no other choice."

"You can say that."

“Even if we don’t take the detour, it’s pointless. This area is full of Orks, and their numbers are increasing. You’ll never reach that forest alive just by walking.” Bion said, standing up. “I don’t like dwarves. They are greedy, blind, and always ignore those they consider inferior to themselves.”

But I hate Oak even more. What do you need?

The group looked at each other, and all of them thought of the dozen or so horses outside.

We can't get to that forest on foot, but riding a horse should do!

Bion did not refuse their request and generously lent them his horse. He even transformed into a black bear and escorted them all the way to the dark forest.

They rode horses for hundreds of kilometers before finally reaching the dark forest before nightfall.

“The Elven Gate,” Gandalf said. “This is the path through Mirkwood.”

“We’re lucky there are no Orks around,” Devalin said.

“It’s not that we’re lucky, it’s that we have protection.” Aaron looked at the black bear on the distant mountain peak. “If it weren’t for Bion, our journey would have been much more difficult.”

"Release the ponies! Let them go back to their owners."

Gandalf walked into the dark forest, parted a patch of vines, and saw a red mark.

"Are we going to Rudolph Hill?" Gandalf murmured, hurrying out of the woods. "Leave my horse behind; I still have a use for it."

"You're not going to leave us, are you?" Bilbo asked with some concern.

"I wouldn't do this unless absolutely necessary."

"You've changed, Bilbo Baggins." Gandalf looked at him with satisfaction. "You're no longer the hobbit who left the Shire."

“I have to tell you, I found something in the Orc tunnels.” Bilbo said, reaching into his pocket to take out the ring, but considering the potential dangers ahead, he decided to leave it behind for the time being.

"what have you found?"

"My courage."

“Great.” Gandalf raised an eyebrow. “You’ll need it.”

"Aaron, would you be interested in coming with me to the tomb of the Witch King of Angmar?"

Aaron's heart skipped a beat. He recalled the somber expressions on Elrond's face when he and his companions saw the Witch-King of Angmar's sword in Rivendell. He immediately refused, saying, "I would rather die than go, Baggins."

“Kill Baggins? I knew you’d say that,” Gandalf said speechlessly. “Then I’ll ask you to protect them.”

"Do your best."

"We can't do our best. There are other things in this forest besides elves."

I don't know why you've been hiding your magic, but we're nearing Lonely Mountain and will soon be facing the dragon. You can't hide it forever.

If it really comes to that point, I hope you...

“I will intervene,” Aaron said thoughtfully, “but I can only guarantee it will be within my capabilities.”

"Thank you." Gandalf breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Thorin. "I will wait for you at the watchtower of Irubor ahead. Be careful to keep the map and key safe. Do not enter the Lonely Mountain without me."

Furthermore, this is not just a green forest; the air in the forest is so murky and intoxicating that it can invade your consciousness and lead you astray.

You must stay on the road and not take any detours, for if you go astray, you will never find the way again.

Chapter 249 Split into Two Groups, Guardian Raven

Gandalf's parting advice was: whatever happens, stay on the road.

However, not long after entering the dark forest, the expedition team took a wrong turn and wandered aimlessly along the narrow paths.

"Air, I need air," Ou Yin said weakly. "What happened?"

“Keep going,” Thorin said.

“We can’t go any further.” Nori pointed blankly at the cliff in front of him. “The road has disappeared.”