The Eagle King and Gandalf are both under Manwë, so perhaps they are more compatible.
Otherwise, he could only consider the Balrog in the Mines of Moria.
But the Balrog's strength was terrifying; Gandalf could only achieve a mutual destruction with it even with his full power. Luke had no confidence in using its materials to make a staff for Gandalf.
He only hoped that the Eagle King's feathers would be suitable for Gandalf, otherwise Gandalf's staff would be a long way off.
The Eagle King could understand human speech. After hearing Luke's words, he tilted his head, plucked a feather from his tail, and handed it to Gandalf.
Gandalf did not refuse the Eagle King's kindness, smiling as he stroked his head, "Thank you, my friend."
The Eagle King rubbed against Gandalf's hand, then spread his wings again and led the Giant Eagles back to the Misty Mountains.
Gandalf watched the departing Giant Eagles and handed the tail feather in his hand to Luke, "I'll trouble you, Luke."
Luke took the feather, which shimmered with a metallic luster, and felt the rich magic within it. He nodded in satisfaction and asked, "How is it, Gandalf? Is this feather suitable?"
If it wasn't suitable, then they would really need to consider other core materials for the staff.
Gandalf nodded, a smile on his face: "It feels good. It doesn't resist my magic."
"That's good!" Luke breathed a sigh of relief.
"Gandalf, Luke, come quickly!" the Dwarves shouted anxiously, "Come and see Thorin, what's wrong with him?"
Hearing the Dwarves' cries for help, Gandalf and Luke hurried over.
Under the anxious gazes of the Dwarves, Thorin lay there quietly, still showing no signs of waking up.
"Let me see." Gandalf quickly knelt down and, after a careful examination, found Thorin's injuries to be very serious. His expression immediately became grave.
He was about to cast a spell to heal Thorin.
"Gandalf, let me do it." Luke said. He knew Gandalf couldn't easily use magic and didn't want to make it difficult for him.
With that, he pulled out a Potion and handed it to the Dwarf Balin, "I still have Essence of Dittany here, which is perfect for treating external injuries."
"I almost forgot you have Potions, Luke. This is much better than my healing effects." Gandalf's eyes lit up, and he no longer insisted on casting a spell.
Balin and the Dwarves treated it as a treasure, quickly and clumsily applying the Essence of Dittany to Thorin's wounds, even grabbing handfuls and applying it thickly, fearing the effect wouldn't be enough.
This made Luke's heart ache.
These clumsy Dwarves didn't know how to be economical at all.
Essence of Dittany was not easy to make, and they used up more than half a bottle in one go. It was truly like a son selling his father's land without a care!
The healing effect of the Essence of Dittany was rapid. Thorin's wounds recovered instantly, and he opened his eyes and woke up.
When Thorin woke up and heard that Azog had been killed by Luke, he was stunned for a moment.
His grandfather Thrór died at Azog's hands, and the death of his father Thráin II was also related to Azog. It could be said that he and Azog had a deep-seated hatred, wishing to kill each other.
He never expected that this enemy would die like this.
After accepting this fact, Thorin solemnly thanked Luke for killing Azog.
He also expressed his gratitude to Bilbo. If Bilbo hadn't stopped Azog's fatal blow to Thorin, he might have already died.
After waking up, Thorin was less arrogant and stubborn, and the whole team became more harmonious than before.
They descended from Carrock, walked south along the Anduin River, preparing to take the Old Forest Road through Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain.
However, they soon encountered a huge wooden house.
The wooden house was surrounded by a thorny fence, like a city wall, with a tall wooden gate in the fence.
The wooden gate was wide open, revealing many wooden structures, including barns, stables, cattle sheds, and beehives with bell-shaped thatched roofs.
A wide road connected the gate to the innermost wooden house.
The Dwarves looked at the building before them with curiosity and vigilance.
"Gandalf, is the owner of this place a friend or foe?"
Gandalf's expression was somewhat grave as he vigilantly looked around, "Neither."
"He will either help us or kill us."
Everyone was left speechless by Gandalf's nonsensical rhetoric.
The next second, a huge commotion came from the distant forest.
Countless bushes were pushed aside like weeds, as if a behemoth was crashing through the forest.
Accompanied by a deafening roar, a black giant bear, as large as a small mountain, appeared. Its enormous footsteps sounded like heavy drumbeats, and the ground seemed to shake as it ran.
"My goodness!" Everyone's eyes widened, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Run!" Gandalf shouted loudly, immediately turning and running towards the wooden house.
Seeing the menacing Giant Bear in the distance, everyone ran desperately without hesitation.
The Giant Bear roared upon seeing this and chased after them.
In the nick of time, everyone dangerously hid inside the house and closed the door.
However, the Dwarves were still very uneasy, nervously peeking out through the cracks and asking in terror, "Gandalf, this wooden house can't withstand the Giant Bear's strength, what should we do?"
Once inside the house, Gandalf, however, breathed a sigh of relief and said with a relaxed expression, "Don't worry, as long as we're inside the house, we're safe. He won't attack this house."
"He?" Bilbo noticed Gandalf using 'he' to describe the Giant Bear, "Gandalf, you know this Giant Bear?"
"I think this Giant Bear should be the owner of this house," Luke said, "That's why Gandalf said the Giant Bear wouldn't attack the house."
Gandalf smiled and nodded.
"Luke guessed correctly. Although the Giant Bear might be hostile towards us, he would never destroy his own house. So as long as we stay in here, we will always be safe."
Then, as if he were in his own home, he found a spot and sat down.
"Alright, it's getting late. Everyone, get some rest early. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow."
Everyone exchanged glances upon hearing this. After all, there was still a Giant Bear outside, eyeing them menacingly. Who dared to truly relax and sleep soundly?
What surprised everyone even more was that Luke also followed Gandalf, skillfully using Transfiguration to create a sleeping place, and then comfortably lay down to rest.
He seemed to have no pressure at all.
Seeing this, everyone could only temporarily put their worries aside and lie down on the mattress Luke had transformed to rest.
After all, they had experienced so much today, and every one of them was exhausted.
[Hogwarts Sign-in System: Location Beorn's House, do you wish to sign in?]
Luke lay on the soft mattress and, upon seeing the system's response, was immediately delighted.
"Sign in." Luke silently chanted.
[Sign-in successful, congratulations on obtaining Animagus Transfiguration!]
Animagus Transfiguration? Luke's eyes instantly lit up. This sign-in truly brought a surprise.
Animagus is one of the highest achievements of human Transfiguration.
It allows a Wizard to transform into a specific non-magical animal, making it easier to hide one's identity or conduct espionage.
To perform Animagus, one needs to hold a Mandrake leaf under the tongue for an entire month (from full moon to full moon) without swallowing or removing it; if the leaf leaves the mouth, the entire process must start over.
At the second full moon, remove the leaf, fill a small crystal vial with saliva, and immerse the leaf in it, allowing it to receive pure moonlight (if the night is cloudy, a new Mandrake leaf must be found, and the process restarted).
Add a strand of one's own hair and a silver teaspoon of dew to the crystal vial illuminated by moonlight; the dew must be collected from a place that has had no sunlight or human contact for seven full days.
Finally, add a Death's-head Hawkmoth chrysalis, place this mixture in a quiet, dark place, and do not remove it until the next thunderstorm, nor should it be seen or disturbed in the interim.
The entire process involves a significant element of luck, and the waiting period can last for weeks, months, or even years.
Therefore, very few people in the magic world are able to successfully perform Animagus.
However, Luke was very confident in his luck, so after obtaining Animagus, he was very curious about what animal he would be able to transform into?
Luke looked at the full moon in the sky through the skylight, feeling as if luck was on him.
He immediately took out a Mandrake from his spatial bag, plucked its tenderest new leaf, and placed it under his tongue.
Although he felt a bit unaccustomed, it barely affected his speaking and eating.
Then Luke lay down again; after climbing mountains for so long and experiencing several battles, he was so tired he could fall asleep instantly.
As for the giant bear outside, Luke knew he was Beorn, the skin-changer, a righteous character.
So, unlike the Dwarves who were nervous and worried, he, like Gandalf, confidently allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep.
The next day, everyone woke up one after another.
Peeking through the door crack, the giant bear outside was gone, replaced by a very tall man who was wielding an axe to chop firewood.
Seeing this, Gandalf told the Dwarves to stay inside the house for now and to come out two at a time when he gave the signal.
This was because the owner of the place had no fondness for the Dwarf race.
Then, he walked out the door with Luke and Bilbo.
"Gandalf, you seem a bit nervous?"
Bilbo asked in confusion.
"Nonsense, how could I be nervous?"
Gandalf shook his head in denial.
Luke looked at the slightly uncomfortable Gandalf with amusement.
Yesterday, they had forcibly occupied his house and kept the owner outside; now, seeing the owner, they felt awkward.
The three of them slowly approached the three-meter-tall man.
The man was extremely tall, with black hair and a thick black beard, broad shoulders, and a bare upper body; as he swung his giant axe, his robust and developed muscles bulged, splitting a thick log in half with one stroke.
He seemed oblivious to the arrival of Luke, Gandalf, and the other, continuing to chop wood on his own.
"Ahem... Uh, good morning!" Gandalf greeted proactively.
The man did not turn his head, still chopping wood.
"Good morning!" Gandalf raised his voice and shouted again.
This time, the man stopped, turned around with his giant axe in hand, and looked at them coldly, as if ready to chop them like firewood at any moment.
"Who are you?"
"I am Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey."
"This is Black Wizard Luke, and this is Bilbo Baggins."
Gandalf introduced them one by one.
"Never heard of you," the man said coldly, giving no face at all.
Gandalf's throat instantly hitched, and he explained again: "Perhaps you've heard of Radagast? He lives on the western border of Mirkwood."
"What do you want?"
"Just to thank you for your hospitality," Gandalf said without embarrassment. "You may have noticed, we took shelter in your room last night."
"Two Wizards, one Hobbit, what are you doing here?" The man looked at the three with suspicious, scrutinizing eyes.
"Uh, it's a long story, all thanks to the Orc in the mountains; we were entangled by them for a long time, and it's fortunate that Luke killed Azog, allowing us to arrive here smoothly..."
"Who did you say was killed?" The man instantly became agitated, rushing directly in front of Gandalf, ready to grab his collar and interrogate him.
Gandalf quickly stepped back a few paces and put Luke forward.
"You heard right, Mr. Beorn, Azog is dead, killed yesterday by the Black Wizard Luke before you."
Beorn's gaze instantly shifted to Luke, his sharp and wild eyes staring directly at him.
"Is what he says true?"
Luke shrugged, meeting his gaze without flinching, "Such a thing shouldn't be possible to lie about, after all, it's easily exposed, isn't it?"
Beorn stared at him for a good while before retracting his oppressive aura, revealing a not-so-pleasant smile.
"I believe you."
"The Orc have a grudge against me; if you killed the Orc leader, you are my friend!"
And just then, the Dwarves in the house mistakenly thought they had received Gandalf's signal and walked out in pairs.
Beorn, who had been friendly, instantly changed his expression, grabbing his giant axe and looking fiercely at the Dwarves.
"You brought Dwarves too!"
"Uh, I have to confess something... that is, a few of us are actually Dwarves..." Gandalf explained awkwardly.
"You call this group of Dwarves 'a few'?" Beorn questioned.
"Actually, it's only thirteen Dwarves, not many..."
But in the end, Beorn did not lay a hand on the Dwarves.
"I hate Dwarves; they are greedy and blind, but compared to them, I hate Orc more."
"My people were once the earliest inhabitants of the mountains, then the Orc came down from the North, and Azog the Defiler almost killed all my family, leaving only me."
"You are being hunted by the Orc; the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I allow you to stay here."
Everyone was re-invited into the house by Beorn and treated to bread, milk, and honey.
However, compared to the somewhat cool reception the Dwarves received, Beorn's attitude towards Luke was very friendly, and he invited him to sit in the closest position to him, then tirelessly inquired about Luke's account of killing Azog.
To this, Gandalf, sitting on Beorn's other side, occasionally supplemented some details.
Through conversations with Beorn, Luke gradually gained a deeper understanding of him.
Beorn could not only transform into a giant bear but also communicate with animals through growls.
So, in the entire manor, besides him, there were also some animal servants, including four white horses, several grey dogs, a charcoal-black ram, and several snow-white sheep.
Besides these, there were also cows, chickens, mice, bees, and so on, all obeying Beorn's commands, each with their own orderly division of labor.
It was truly like an animal kingdome, everyone was shocked by this scene and Luke was even more envious.
Beorn's abilities were very similar to those of the legendary Druids; he could not only transform into a giant bear but also communicate with animals.
One must know that he currently only mastered one language, Parseltongue, which was far inferior to Beorn's abilities.
More importantly, Luke had already begun practicing Animagus, but even if he succeeded, he would only transform into an ordinary animal.
However, the giant bear Beorn transformed into was not only enormous but also incredibly strong and had stronger defenses, exceeding the abilities of ordinary bears.
If he had the chance, Luke would very much like to study the secret of Beorn's bear transformation.
To see if he could combine it with his own Animagus and become the first Wizard in history to transform into a magical animal?
Of course, the prerequisite was that he first successfully mastered Animagus.
At Beorn's invitation, everyone stayed here for an extra day.
During this time, Luke also began to busy himself with Gandalf's Wizard Wand.
The vine wood for the wand body had already been carved, and the only missing wand core had now been found, in addition to other glues and lacquers that were already prepared.
So, under Gandalf's expectant gaze, Luke carefully processed the Eagle King's tail feather, then used tweezers to carefully and evenly insert it into the hollow hole of the vine wood, and then poured resin into the hole, allowing the wand core and wand body to completely merge into one.
Finally, after polishing and inscribing ancient magic runes on the tail end, a complete wand was fully formed.
At midnight, when the moon reached its zenith, Luke waved the wand, chanting complex and lengthy mystic spells, and moonlight, like silver mist, converged and entered the wand from its tip, completely awakening it.
Feeling as if the wand in his hand had come alive, Luke's face showed a satisfied smile.
He handed the wand to the already impatient Gandalf.
"Twelve inches long, with a vine wood wand body, suitable for wizards with noble pursuits, hidden depths, and foresight beyond ordinary people; and the Eagle King's tail feather as the wand core makes the wizard wand extremely fast in casting spells, very suitable for various offensive or powerful magic, and shows high loyalty to its owner."
"Gandalf, give it a try," Luke urged.
This was his first time making a wizard wand for someone else, and he was very much looking forward to it.
Gandalf took the wand, held it in his hand, his face also full of anticipation.
With a gentle wave, he cast his most proficient Light Spell.
In an instant, a dazzling light shone from the tip of the wand, illuminating Gandalf's smiling face.
"What a wonderful feeling! It's as if my arm has been extended, and casting magic is much simpler and easier!"
Seeing this, a joyful sense of satisfaction welled up in Luke's heart.
He now somewhat understood Ollivander's feelings; seeing a wand he made find its suitable owner always brings a kind of psychological satisfaction of being recognized.
"This wand was made a bit hastily. You can use it for now, and when I have the chance later, I'll make you an even better one."
Luke was not particularly satisfied with the finished wand and promised Gandalf.
From his perspective as a wand maker, while the Eagle King's tail feather could be used, it wasn't the most suitable for Gandalf, and even the vine wood wand body was only sourced from an ordinary Huorn branch, so this wand could only be considered passable.
Luke thought that if he found better magic wood in the future, such as the Holy White Tree, a descendant of the Two Trees, or the Mallorn tree, he could try to make another wand for Gandalf.
As for the wand core, if he were strong enough, he could even consider the Balrog under the Mines of Moria.
After all, they are both fire-attributed, and they are also future mortal enemies, so it might just be a fated wand core for the wand.
Gandalf, however, didn't have so many demands. He played with the wand in his hand and liked it very much.
He happily shook his head, "No need for so much trouble, Luke, this wand is already very good!"
As he spoke, he waved the wand, releasing strong winds, flames, light, lightning, and more.
The more he played, the brighter his eyes became. He happily said in a voice only the two of them could hear, subtly, "Thank you, Luke. I can feel that as long as I use this wand to cast spells, the restraints on me are much less."
Luke understood Gandalf's words and his eyes widened in disbelief, "Are you sure, Gandalf?"
One must know that Gandalf had restrictions from the Valar, so he couldn't use too much magic.
But now, using the wand he made, there was no longer this restriction?
Was the wand he made so magical?
"It's true," Gandalf said with a smile, nodding.
"Although I still can't cast powerful magic, there are no longer restrictions on some ordinary magic."
"Then congratulations, Gandalf," Luke said, genuinely congratulating him after confirming.
He was quite looking forward to seeing Gandalf in the future, wielding a wand in one hand and a sword in the other.
After completing Gandalf's wand, Luke, with Beorn's permission, used magic to connect his fireplace to the Floo Network and gifted him a small bag of Floo Powder, inviting him to visit Weathertop in the future.
Beorn was very surprised by the ability of Floo Powder and gladly accepted Luke's invitation.
Everyone did not stay long here; after breakfast the next day, they set off again.
When bidding farewell, Beorn lent them horses, which would take them to the edge of Mirkwood.
He also told Gandalf some bad news: Orc armies were recently gathering in the Dol Guldur area at the southern end of Mirkwood, and there were even traces of Nazgûl.
Hearing this news, Gandalf's expression became solemn, and he remained silent.
It wasn't until everyone bid farewell to Beorn, rode through the wilderness, and arrived at the edge of Mirkwood.
Gandalf suddenly suggested going somewhere else, wanting to temporarily part ways with them.
Everyone was very surprised and uncomprehending at his words.
Thorin, in particular, frowned deeply, his attitude once again becoming cold.
In his eyes, nothing was more important than reaching the Lonely Mountain, and Gandalf's actions seemed like a betrayal to him.
Luke, however, was not surprised. After all, Gandalf had already mentioned this possibility to him when they set off, and combined with the information provided by Radagast and Beorn, he would have been surprised if Gandalf hadn't left now.
After all, for Gandalf, the purpose of organizing the expedition was to prevent the dragon Smaug and the Orc alliance from affecting the situation in Middle-earth.
Now, with Orcs gathering in Dol Guldur and even Nazgûl appearing there, this situation was far more serious than the Lonely Mountain.
So he had to go to Dol Guldur to investigate thoroughly.
Luke hesitated, wondering whether to tell Gandalf directly that Sauron was there, and had even recovered his power?
He remembered that Gandalf had been trapped, imprisoned, and tortured by Sauron in Dol Guldur during this trip. He was only rescued when members of the White Council came to his aid.
"Gandalf, have you considered that this might be a trap?" Luke hesitated, reminding him, "Orcs are gathering in Dol Guldur, and Nazgûl are active there. Their master behind them is very likely hidden there."
"The enemy is numerous and powerful. If you go alone, you might get trapped there."
"Thank you for your reminder, Luke," Gandalf said with a serious and solemn expression.
"Precisely because it might be a trap, I need to go. If it proves that the Necromancer is Sauron, it will alert the various forces in Middle-earth, allowing them to unite once again and prevent the resurgence of dark forces!"
Then, changing his tone, he winked at Luke.
"So I'd like to invite you to come with me to Dol Guldur."
"I believe with the two of us together, even if we are outmatched, we can safely retreat from there."
"What! Me, with you?"
Luke's eyes widened, suspecting he had misheard.
"That's right," Gandalf nodded, giving an affirmative answer.
"I have a premonition that going with you this time will be much smoother, perhaps even without any major incidents."
Luke was skeptical of Gandalf's premonition.
He knew his own capabilities; even Gandalf was no match for Sauron, and with a weakling like him, weren't they just going to be extra food for the enemy?
"Gandalf, why don't we contact some more helpers, like Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel?"
"There's no time!" Gandalf shook his head.
"Beorn said the Orcs have been gathering at Dol Guldur these past few days, so there must be a big move. We need to investigate the situation immediately and prepare early. We can't wait for Lady Galadriel and the others to arrive."
"No, Gandalf, there's still time," Luke said, revealing a confident smile and taking out a bottle of Floo Powder from his spatial pouch, shaking it. "Did you forget I have this?"
Luke never fought unprepared battles. Since he knew Dol Guldur was dangerous, he didn't want to venture alone, with just him and Gandalf facing the powerful Dark Lord Sauron.
"Beorn's fireplace has already been connected to the Floo Network, leading directly to the fireplace in Rivendell. We can return to Beorn's home right now and use the fireplace to go to Rivendell to request Lord Elrond's reinforcement."
Although Lady Galadriel couldn't be contacted for the time being, inviting Elrond would still be a powerful aid and a source of confidence.
Especially since Rivendell not only had Elrond, a powerful Elf, but also the Golden Flower Lord Glorfindel, whom he had only met once before, whose strength was in no way inferior to Elrond's.
Hearing Luke's words, Gandalf suddenly realized, slapping his head in annoyance.
"I'm getting old, and my mind is becoming rigid. I can't keep up with the flexibility of you young people's thinking."
"However, we don't need to return to Beorn's home. I have an even better idea." Gandalf proposed a better option, "Before heading to Dol Guldur, we still need to visit an old friend. His home is in the southern forest of the Great Greenwood, closer to Dol Guldur. We can perfectly use his fireplace to go to Rivendell."
"Are you talking about Radagast the Brown?"
"It's him."
So Luke accepted Gandalf's invitation, separated from the expedition team, and went with him to Dol Guldur to investigate.
Regarding this, Thorin expressed strong objections.
"I disagree!" Thorin vehemently opposed, looking at Gandalf with angry eyes. "You can leave, but Luke must stay with us!"
"I don't care what Orcs or Necromancers are in Dol Guldur; that has nothing to do with us going to the Lonely Mountain! Our only and most important goal is to reach the Lonely Mountain before Durin's Day, then retrieve the arkenstone, and reclaim the Lonely Mountain!"
Luke felt a bit helpless about the enraged Thorin and patiently explained, "Thorin, I promise you, we will rendezvous with you before you reach the Lonely Mountain."
"Dol Guldur concerns the entire situation in Middle-earth. We need to go and investigate it thoroughly to prevent the dark forces from rising again and to prevent it from affecting your reclamation of the Lonely Mountain."
But Thorin clearly did not accept this explanation, huffing stubbornly, "What Middle-earth situation? Those have nothing to do with us! I just want to get the arkenstone and reclaim my kingdom!"
Then he stared directly at Luke, threatening through clenched teeth, "Luke, are you sure you want to go with him? Don't forget you signed a contract with me. Do you want to break the contract?"
Luke also had a headache with Thorin, who was solely focused on restoring his kingdom.
"Since I promised to help you reclaim the Lonely Mountain, I naturally won't go back on my word. We will rejoin you before Durin's Day and help you defeat the dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain."
Seeing Luke's firm attitude, Thorin's face grew even darker.
"I hope so. If you cannot fulfill the contract, don't expect to get a single copper coin from me!"
The two parties parted unhappily.
Luke and Gandalf headed south towards Dol Guldur, while Thorin and his company prepared to go east through the old Mirkwood path.
Compared to following the Dwarves, Bilbo was more willing to follow Luke and Gandalf.
However, Gandalf persuaded him to continue with the Dwarves.
After separating from the expedition team, Luke and Gandalf rode their horses south along the Anduin River until they reached the southernmost tip of the Great Greenwood, also known as Mirkwood, and stopped.
After releasing their horses, the two walked along a small path into the forest.
They walked to the end of the path, where there was a forest cabin built of stone and wood. The cabin looked as if no one had cleaned it; the thatched roof was overgrown with weeds, the stones were covered with moss, and mushrooms grew on the wood.
If not for the smoke still coming from the chimney, one would have thought it was an abandoned, uninhabited cabin.
The wooden door opened from inside, and Radagast the Brown Wizard walked out of the wooden house, revealing a surprised expression.
"Gandalf! Why have you come?"
"Radagast."
Gandalf greeted him with a smile.
"Luke and I happened to be passing by, so we came to visit you. Are we welcome?"
"Of course, welcome, come in quickly!"
Radagast said enthusiastically, then his gaze fell on Luke, his eyes lighting up.
"I remember you, young Wizard, the one who helped me lure away the Orcs and Wargs last time."
"It's good to see you again." Luke smiled and nodded.
Inviting them both into the cabin, Radagast enthusiastically poured them a pot of tea brewed with unknown roots.
Luke took a sip; it tasted a bit bitter, somewhat similar to traditional Chinese medicine from his previous life.
However, what made his eyes light up was that the tea actually contained magic, which quickly relieved the fatigue of the long journey.
[Hogwarts Sign-in System: Location Mirkwood - Radagast the Brown's Cabin. Do you wish to sign in?]
The system suddenly gave a prompt.
Luke's eyes lit up with joy; he hadn't expected such an unexpected gain here.
"Sign in."
[Sign-in successful! Congratulations on obtaining Professor Sprout's Herbology knowledge!]
Countless pieces of knowledge about the cultivation, planting, harvesting, and production of magical herbs were imprinted in his mind, as if someone had used a Memory Charm to forcibly stuff someone else's knowledge memories into his brain. Once he digested and absorbed it, he would become a master of Herbology.
Luke was ecstatic. He had originally considered, once his Herbology knowledge reached a certain level, to compare the magical herbs from the Harry Potter world with the herbs of this world one by one, to find substitutes with similar effects, and thus create more Potions.
He hadn't expected to achieve it in one go, with Professor Sprout's Herbology knowledge being directly poured into him.
He took another sip of the root-brewed tea, and immediately, the corresponding magical world herbs popped into his mind.
Radagast sensed Luke's joy, thinking he really liked the medicinal tea he brewed. He immediately felt like he had found a kindred spirit and happily poured Luke another full bowl of tea.
Luke, who had drunk traditional medicine in his previous life, considered it a small issue. Under Gandalf's admiring gaze, he very politely drank it all in one gulp, and then even proactively asked what herbs it was made from.
As the Wizard most skilled in herbs among the five Wizards, seeing Luke so interested, he was very forthcoming with information.
Radagast, as a Maia, a lesser god of the goddess Yavanna, knew the properties and effects of various herbs and plants in Middle-earth like the back of his hand. Luke gained a great deal from him.
And Radagast was also very surprised and delighted by Luke. Luke's various ingenious ideas and applications for herbs inspired him greatly, and he quickly considered him a kindred spirit.
The two discussed passionately as if no one else was present, until Gandalf cleared his throat helplessly a few times, interrupting their continued discussion.
"Oh, sorry, I almost forgot you were still here, Gandalf." Radagast said apologetically to his old friend, then remembered to ask, "By the way, did you come here for something?"
"We learned from Beorn that Orcs have recently gathered in Dol Guldur, so we plan to go there and investigate," Gandalf explained.
Hearing Gandalf's words, Radagast looked apprehensive and quickly tried to dissuade him.
"Don't go!"
"I felt a very powerful dark force shrouding that place, making even me feel alarmed. That power has now spread to Mirkwood, attracting countless dark creatures. It has become even more dangerous there!"
"Then we must go even more!" Gandalf said firmly, "Darkness has appeared again. We must know its true nature to awaken the people of Middle-earth and prepare them for another dark invasion."
"Besides, I'm not unprepared. Don't I have helpers?"
"You and Luke? No, no, no, that's too dangerous!" Radagast shook his head frantically, "You don't know how terrifying that dark power is. The two of you together are no match for it!"
"Of course, it's not just us," Gandalf said with a chuckle, "We came here precisely to ask for your help."
"Me? No, no, no, Gandalf, you know me, I don't fight at all. And it's not that I'm boosting the enemy's morale and dampening our own, but even if the three of us teamed up, we might not be able to leave there safely!"
Radagast shook his head, his face full of disapproval.
"Knowing it's a trap and still walking into it is not a wise move, Gandalf."
"Don't be so quick to refuse, my old friend," Gandalf persuaded, "In fact, Luke shares your view, so we plan to find more allies to conquer Dol Guldur together."
"Allies? What other allies?" Radagast asked, puzzled.
Gandalf looked at Luke.
Luke nodded, stood up, and walked towards the fireplace.
"Radagast, may I borrow your fireplace for a moment?"
"Borrow the fireplace?" Radagast was even more confused, but still nodded, "Please do."
With Gandalf's mysterious smile, Radagast watched Luke wave his wand and murmur to the fireplace.
"Alright," Luke put away his wand, then pulled out a glass bottle filled with sparkling powder, and said with a smile to the two of them, "Time is short, we should set off!"
Gandalf was the first to stand up, taking a handful of Floo powder from the bottle. He then walked to the fireplace and threw it into the fire, which instantly turned green.
"Rivendell!"
Gandalf stepped into the green flames, shouting loudly.
The next second, the green fire directly swallowed Gandalf, making him instantly disappear.
Radagast stared wide-eyed at the scene, then quickly ran over, searching meticulously up and down, before looking back at Luke.
"Where's Gandalf? Where did he go?"
"Didn't you hear? Rivendell," Luke replied with a smile, then handed the bottle to him.
"Take a handful."
"Remember to clearly shout the place name when you throw it down, otherwise, it's easy to be transported to another fireplace."
Radagast grabbed a handful of Floo powder, looking at the glittering powder in his hand with great surprise.
If Luke hadn't stopped him in time, he would have tried to taste it.
Finally, under Luke's guidance, he took the Floo powder, walked into the fireplace, threw the Floo powder at his feet, and shouted the name Rivendell.
Watching Radagast disappear into the flames, Luke then followed him into the fireplace, throwing down a handful of Floo powder.
"Rivendell!"
A dizzying sensation, and during the teleportation, Luke even caught a glimpse of the fireplace window at Beorn's house, vaguely seeing Beorn's tall figure in the living room.
Before he could finish his thought, his feet touched solid ground again.
"Pah, pah… Scourgify!" Luke spat out the ash in his mouth and immediately cast a cleaning spell on himself.
This Floo powder teleportation was very stable and convenient; the only drawback was that each teleportation left him covered in ash.
Outside the fireplace stood Gandalf, Radagast, and Elrond, who had been waiting for a long time.
"Luke, clean me and Radagast too," Gandalf said with a chuckle, "Appearing before Lord Elrond covered in ash like this would be truly impolite!"
Luke waved his wand upon hearing this, cleaning him and the somewhat excited Radagast.
Then he nodded in greeting to the smiling Elrond.
"Lord Elrond, long time no see."
"Welcome back to Rivendell, Wizard Luke," Elrond said, his demeanor elegant and noble, his smile gentle, "Time flies. It feels like only yesterday you left, and today we meet again. What a pleasant surprise!"
"I've already heard from Gandalf that you came from Mirkwood, able to travel thousands of miles in an instant. Wizard Luke, your magic truly amazes me!"
"Lord Elrond, you flatter me!"
After some pleasantries, everyone got to the main topic.
Gandalf explained their purpose to Elrond and told him about the current situation in Dol Guldur.
Radagast also supplemented and confirmed from the side.
Hearing the news provided by Gandalf and Radagast, Elrond's expression also became serious and solemn.
He did not have Saruman's stubbornness and prejudice against Gandalf, so he believed Gandalf's words and immediately accepted the invitation to go to Dol Guldur together.
However, before setting off, he still hesitated, saying, "This matter is of great importance. Do we need to send word to Lady Galadriel and Saruman?"
Especially since Saruman was the leader of the White Council, if they didn't explain, it might cause Saruman to be displeased.
Gandalf pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Of course, we need to send word to them."
"But the journey is long, and Saruman doesn't have Floo powder for teleportation like us. It's normal for him to receive the letter only when we arrive at Dol Guldur, right?" Gandalf showed a deliberate smile, his tone innocent.
Elrond could only tacitly agree upon hearing this.
He knew that Saruman and Gandalf did not get along. At the last White Council meeting, Saruman rejected the request to investigate Dol Guldur. He and Galadriel found it difficult to oppose Saruman's decision, but they actually leaned more towards Gandalf's view.
Not to mention, as the owners of the three Elven rings, he, Galadriel, and Gandalf were naturally more closely related.
Luke also offered a suggestion:
"Lord Elrond, not only are there a large number of Orcs gathered in Dol Guldur, but there are also Nazgûl appearing, and their master behind them is very likely hiding there as well.
To be on the safe side, could we invite more people, such as Lord Glorfindel, who resides in Rivendell, to guard against the enemy possessing even greater power?"
"I cannot decide for Glorfindel. This matter requires his opinion."
Elrond did not immediately agree.
Glorfindel, as an Elf who was reborn and sent to Middle-earth by the Valar, held a very special status. Even Elrond, as the Lord of Rivendell, greatly respected him.
To everyone's delight, Glorfindel finally accepted the invitation and decided to go to Dol Guldur together to eliminate the darkness.
Glorfindel's inclusion made everyone more confident in the mission.
Once everyone was assembled, Luke began to distribute Floo powder to everyone and explain how to use it.
"Radagast's Cottage!"
With each rising green flame and each shouted name.
Everyone successively disappeared from the fireplace, teleporting to Radagast's wooden house in Mirkwood.