The Rivendell Council Hall.
Representatives of the Free Peoples from all over Middle-earth gathered here.
The Elves included Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, Glorfindel, Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien, Galdor, the representative secretary of the Grey Havens, and Legolas, the representative of Mirkwood.
The Men included Boromir, son of the Regent of Gondor; Théodred, son of Théoden, King of Rohan; Bain, Lord of Dale (son of Bard); Grimbeorn, son of the Lord of the Anduin Valley (son of Beorn); and Aragorn, Chieftain of the Northern Dúnedain.
The Dwarves included Glóin and his son Gimli, representing the Kingdom under the Mountain; Blin, son of Balin, representing Moria; and Thorin III Stonehelm, son of Dáin Ironfoot, representing the Iron Hills.
The hobbits included Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins.
The Wizards included Gandalf the Grey Wizard, Radagast the Brown Wizard, Morleda the Blue Wizard, and Luke.
The ability for so many people to quickly gather in Rivendell for the Council was thanks to the full support of the Department of Magical Transportation under Luke's Ministry of Magic, which established a Floo Network covering all factions, allowing them to arrive in Rivendell via fireplace.
Before the Council officially began, everyone exchanged greetings and got acquainted.
Glóin, the Dwarf representing Erebor, happily raised his voice and gave Luke and Bilbo a big hug as soon as he saw them.
"Long time no see! Bilbo, Luke, I never expected to see you again here!"
Glóin was one of the thirteen Dwarves who participated in the Quest of Erebor, and Bilbo was very happy to see his old friend here.
Even though Luke and Thorin Oakenshield had some past disagreements, time had passed, and everyone felt a sense of joyful reunion, letting bygones be bygones.
"It's good to see you again, Glóin," Luke said, smiling as he looked him up and down. "You look like you've been doing well these past few years; your belly is more than a little rounder."
Glóin laughed, patted his large stomach, and his grey beard shook continuously. He sighed, "I can't compare to you two. I am old now, but you both look exactly as you did before. It's truly amazing!"
He then turned and pulled forward a Dwarf carrying a broad axe behind him, proudly introducing him: "Let me introduce you to my son, Gimli. He is one of the most outstanding Dwarves of the younger generation!"
Then he slapped his son hard on the back of the head. "Come on, Gimli, meet Bilbo and Luke. They are old friends from our expedition team!"
That slap made both Luke and Bilbo wince; wasn't he afraid of knocking him senseless?
Gimli, called forward by Glóin, wore a Dwarf helmet, and his face was almost completely obscured by his reddish-brown beard, making it impossible to discern his age.
His expression was somewhat earnest, but his darting eyes revealed a hint of shrewdness. He gave a simple greeting: "Hello, I am Gimli, son of Glóin. It is a pleasure to meet you!"
Luke looked at Gimli with great interest in his eyes. Was this Gimli the Dwarf, one of the Nine Walkers of the ring?
He recalled that in the original timeline, this young Dwarf was brave in battle, achieving many merits in crucial conflicts like the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and even broke the inherent prejudice Dwarves held against Elves, forming a deep friendship with Legolas the Elf.
After the war, he led some of his kin to settle and build a territory in the Glittering Caves, becoming the King of the Glittering Caves.
Furthermore, he was an extremely rare Dwarf in the history of Middle-earth who was able to sail west to Valinor, finally journeying west by ship with his Elven close friend Legolas.
"Hello, Gimli, it's a pleasure to meet you." Luke adopted the demeanor of an elder, then flipped his hand and produced a brooch. "Since this is our first meeting, I'll give you this magic Brooch. It can help you withstand three fatal attacks. I hope it helps you."
Gimli's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this. Having no concept of politeness, he immediately took the brooch, eagerly pinned it to his chest, and patted it happily.
"Hehe, thank you, Lord Luke!"
Glóin couldn't help but be happy when he saw his son receive such a gift. He slapped his grinning son on the head. "What a lucky fool! Thank you, Luke!"
As an old friend who had worked with Luke, Glóin naturally knew how precious this gift was. However, Glóin couldn't bear to refuse a treasure that could save a life three times, so he simply noted the favor.
Subsequently, Boromir, Prince Regent of Gondor, Théodred, Prince of Rohan, Bain, Lord of Dale, and Grimbeorn of the Anduin Valley all proactively came forward to exchange greetings with Luke.
Their fathers or grandfathers all knew Luke, so these individuals could almost all be considered the younger generation.
Especially Boromir and Grimbeorn, who chose more affectionate titles, calling Luke headmaster or Professor Luke.
Because Boromir, as a Dúnedain, and Grimbeorn, as a Skin-changer, both possessed magical talent, they had previously received Owl Post and studied magic at Hogwarts for seven years.
Therefore, besides their personal weapons, they all carried a wand.
Luke was generous in rewarding the descendants of his former friends, gifting protective magic trinkets wholesale.
Although these magic trinkets could only withstand ordinary spells three times, they could indeed serve a life-saving purpose when defending against ordinary weapons like swords.
After the greetings concluded, everyone sat around the round table, and the council officially began its discussions.
Elrond, as the Host of the council, should have been the one to speak about the ring.
But because the Fidelius Charm had been cast previously, no one except the Secret Keeper, Luke, could speak of the matter.
Previously, when Elrond invited everyone, he had not specified the exact content, only stating the seriousness of the matter concerning the fate of Middle-earth.
Therefore, some of the attendees were unaware of the matter concerning the ring.
Under the surprised gazes of everyone, Elrond yielded the position of Host, allowing Luke to take charge of explaining the council's agenda.
Luke did not refuse. He slowly stood up and addressed the crowd: "Before you all arrived, some of you were unclear about the content of this council. Because of the secrecy magic involved, Lord Elrond and the others cannot easily speak of it, so I will explain the situation to you."
"You all must have heard the rumors of the the one ring. In the War of the Last Alliance long ago, Isildur cut off the finger of the Dark Lord Sauron, who was wearing the the one ring, ultimately achieving victory. That the one ring became Isildur's spoil of war, but Isildur later died in an Orc ambush, and the ring vanished without a trace—"
"But now, this ring has reappeared, and was accidentally acquired by Bilbo Baggins decades ago. To ensure its safety, we entrusted it to 'The Oldest'—Tom Bombadil—for safekeeping over the years, until recently, when the ring's power became increasingly active—"
Luke slowly recounted the situation regarding the ring, explaining everything to those present.
Upon hearing the news of the one ring, everyone present was greatly shocked and began to discuss amongst themselves.
"So, Lord Luke, do you mean that if this one ring is destroyed, the Dark Lord will be completely eliminated?" asked Bain, the Lord of Dale.
Luke nodded, "When the one ring was forged, Sauron poured most of his soul and power into it. They are in a symbiotic relationship. When the ring leaves its master, Sauron loses his form and most of his power; but if the ring returns to its master's hand, Sauron will regain his power, once again stir up war, and intend to rule the entire world!"
"Only by completely destroying the one ring will Sauron truly perish and never be resurrected! At that time, his dark forces will no longer pose a threat to Middle-earth."
At this point, Luke looked at Frodo.
Frodo, receiving Luke's signal, walked to the stone table in the center under everyone's gaze, pulled out the box containing the ring from his spatial pocket, and placed it on the table.
Opening the box, only a shallow layer of basilisk venom remained inside, just enough to submerge the ring.
Frodo gently picked out the ring with a dagger and placed it on the tabletop.
The moment the ring appeared, the sensitive elves immediately felt as if they were facing a great enemy, retreating as if from a snake or scorpion.
Only Elrond and Galadriel did not retreat, but they watched the ring on the table with solemn expressions.
"Its power has grown even stronger!" Galadriel said in a hushed tone, her words carrying a double meaning.
Only Elrond, Gandalf, and Luke understood the other meaning in Galadriel's words.
It meant both that the ring's power had grown stronger, and that its master, Sauron, had also become more dangerous and powerful.
The unobstructed ring emitted a powerful temptation, beginning to try and lure the surrounding people.
First were the ordinary humans, Rohan Prince Théodred and Lake-Town Lord Bain, whose expressions became conflicted as they were affected by the ring's power.
Then, Boromir, the Regent Prince of Gondor, and Grim Beorn of the Anduin Valley, among others, were also gradually affected, their eyes turning covetous as they looked at the ring.
Only the strong-willed Aragorn, Legolas, and others had not yet been affected, but they were also using their utmost willpower to resist this temptation.
Perhaps due to the inherent nature of dwarves being different from other races, the ring's temptation was merely a buzzing noise in Gimli's mind. Annoyed by the influence, Gimli directly grabbed his broad axe, let out a roar, and forcefully chopped down towards the ring on the table.
With a loud bang, Gimli was thrown backward by the immense recoil, and his broad axe, mixed with mithril, was directly torn into Diffindo, leaving only the handle.
The stone table also cracked under the immense force, teetering precariously.
Only the ring remained unharmed, without even a single scratch from the blow.
Gimli's loud commotion successfully sobered everyone who had been enchanted by the ring.
While shocked by the ring's indestructibility, they also retreated with lingering fear and apprehension, not daring to approach the ring, fearing another temptation.
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"Alright, Frodo, put the ring away!" Luke said.
Frodo nodded and immediately scurried to the shattered stone table, picked up the ring with his bare hands, and then placed it into the silver box containing basilisk venom.
Seeing that there wasn't much basilisk venom left in the box, he took out a bottle of basilisk venom that Luke had given him, poured it into the box, completely submerging the ring.
Instantly, the ring's tempting power seemed to be cut off, completely silent.
He then closed the box tightly and put it back into his spatial bag, placing it alongside the light of eärendil.
The ring's temptation completely vanished.
Everyone present saw Frodo touch the ring with his bare hands, and their expressions grew even more astonished and disbelieving.
They had all been at a certain distance from the ring, yet they were still affected by it.
But this seemingly ordinary hobbit dared to touch it with his hand, and he appeared completely unaffected by its temptation.
This situation greatly shocked many of those present.
Seeing that everyone had a different attitude towards Frodo, Luke and Gandalf exchanged a knowing glance.
Then Luke spoke again, drawing everyone's attention to himself: "Now everyone has seen the situation with the ring. Its temptation is incredibly powerful; even the most strong-willed individuals can hardly escape its allure, ultimately becoming its puppet.
Only the unique hobbit race has a resistance to the ring far exceeding other races. Therefore, to ensure that the ring-bearer would not be tempted by the ring, we chose Frodo Baggins as the ring's holder."
"But the problem now is that as time passes, the ring's power grows stronger and stronger. Anyone living near the ring can easily be deluded and influenced by it.
Moreover, the connection between the ring and Sauron will deepen until they can finally sense each other. At that time, Sauron will undoubtedly reclaim the ring at all costs."
"So the theme of this meeting is to discuss how to deal with the ring?" Luke scanned everyone and said, "Now please state your opinions!"
Upon hearing this, the conference room fell into a brief silence, followed by a low murmur of discussion.
Boromir, the Regent Prince of Gondor, stood up and asked, "Professor Luke, since you said earlier that destroying the ring would eliminate the Dark Lord, is there a way to destroy the ring once and for all?"
Luke looked at Gandalf, who answered for Luke, "the one ring was forged by Sauron in Mount Doom and is indestructible. No blade or fire in the world, not even the flames of a dragon, can destroy the ring. Only in Mount Doom, where it was forged, can it be completely destroyed."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a surge of hope.
Especially Gondor and Rohan, which bordered Mordor and had always suffered from its threats. If Sauron could be completely eliminated, the two kingdoms would no longer have to worry about the threat from the East.
Thus, Boromir and Théodred could no longer sit still and quickly stood up simultaneously.
Boromir said, "Since Mount Doom can destroy the ring, we can form an allied army to attack Mordor, and then send a small unit with the ring to Mount Doom to destroy it!"
Théodred also said firmly, "As long as the ring can be completely destroyed, we in Rohan will give our full support!"
Bain, the Lord of Dale, also supported, "For the peace of Middle-earth, we in Lake-Town are also willing to do our part!"
"And us, the Anduin Valley!" Grim Beorn also said.
"Don't forget us dwarves!" Gimli shouted defiantly, "We'll march straight into Mordor, drag that coward hiding in Barad-dûr out, and let him taste my axe!"
Gróin slapped the back of his son's head, "Idiot, your axe is already shattered, how will you chop now?"
Seeing everyone grow excited and ready to support an attack on Mordor,
Gandalf, however, poured cold water on their enthusiasm, sighing, "But Mordor is Sauron's stronghold. It is shrouded in dark power, and Sauron's strength there will be at its peak. When we enter, not only will our power be suppressed, but our vitality will also drain away, making us weak.
Even if we form an allied army to attack Mordor, the losses would likely be heavy. Moreover, the moment the ring enters Mordor, Sauron will detect it, and then we would be delivering the ring into his hands!
And once the ring falls into Sauron's hands, his power will become even greater, and then no one will be able to stop him!"
Hearing Gandalf's words, the atmosphere immediately became somber.
"Then what should we do? Is there no way to destroy the ring?" Boromir asked with a frown, disappointed.
"Perhaps we can choose another path; it may not be necessary to send the ring to Mount Doom to be destroyed," said Glorfindel, the Lord of the Golden Flower.
Everyone else's attention was drawn by Glorfindel's words.
"Lord Glorfindel has a better suggestion?" Gandalf inquired.
"Perhaps the ring can be taken to the Blessed Realm in the West, where there are Valar far more powerful than Sauron. With the power of the Valar, perhaps the ring could be destroyed," Glorfindel suggested.
At Glorfindel's words, most of those present lit up with hope.
If the Ring could be sent west to Valinor and placed in the hands of the Valar, they could end Sauron without war and at the smallest possible cost.
Every gaze then turned to Galdor, Secretary to the Shipwright Círdan.
"Secretary Galdor, when will Lord Círdan return from the West?" someone asked.
Círdan had not attended the council; he had put to sea again, ferrying another company of Elves westward, and had sent his Secretary in his stead.
Under the weight of their hopeful eyes, Galdor answered, "By past reckoning, Lord Círdan will return to the Grey Havens with the spring rains borne on the western winds."
The answer lifted their spirits further.
Prince Théodred of Rohan spoke joyfully: "There is ample time. We need only wait half a year more; once Círdan's ships are back in harbor we can sail the Ring to the Blessed Realm."
"Then the Dark Lord will never touch it again. When the Valar destroy the Ring, the Dark Lord himself will vanish and Middle-earth will know long peace!"
Most shared his view—if Sauron could be beaten so cheaply, why refuse?
Only Elrond frowned, uneasy. "But the plan has one great flaw: how do we carry the Ring safely to Valinor?"
"Remember the Ring's peril," he warned. "It tempts every mortal heart, and the voyage west lasts many moons. Months aboard one ship with the Ring—who can swear the crew will not succumb? The very journey may fail."
His words cooled their ardour; brows knitted around the circle.
A promising scheme had run at once into a wall.
They had tasted the Ring's lure only moments earlier.
In mere minutes they had nearly fallen; to sail beside it for months seemed impossible.
"Then is our only road still the fires of Mount Doom?" someone sighed.
That path seemed even harder, and none felt sure of success.
One mis-step could deliver the Ring straight back to Sauron.
Shipping it west sounded safer—if only they could keep the crew untempted across the sea.
As gloom settled, Gandalf exchanged a look with Luke; Luke gave a slight nod and rose. "My lords!"
Every head turned toward him.
"Delivering the Ring safely to Valinor is not impossible," Luke said. "You saw how its power waned when steeped in venom, and the casket further dulls its peril."
"I can also teach a spell—Occlumency—that shields the mind. When Círdan returns we may choose steadfast Elven mariners and train them. Kept from direct contact, they can endure the Ring's lure and complete the voyage."
"As bearer I still name Frodo Baggins. Let him sail west with the Ring and place it in Valarin hands. What say you?"
A murmur of interest ran through the council.
"But only Elves may set foot in Valinor; can a Halfling endure the journey?" another asked.
Luke looked to Gandalf, who stood. "No matter—Frodo goes only to deliver the Ring and will sail home again when the deed is done."
Gandalf's word carried weight; none questioned further.
Instead they fell to lively talk of escorts, timetables, and defences.
All agreed Sauron would strike the moment he guessed their intent.
The half-year before Círdan's return would be perilous indeed.
Sauron might assail the West with open war—or come himself to reclaim the Ring.
Even after Círdan's homecoming the westward voyage would be perilous.
Sauron's corsairs watched every shore and strait; the "safe" sea-road could turn into a gauntlet and end in loss of the Ring.
While they debated, Gandalf—supported by Luke, Elrond, Galadriel and others—proposed forming a Fellowship.
Its outward task: guard the Ring and escort it aboard ship for Valinor.
Yet this was only a tale meant for Sauron's ears—a feint spun by Gandalf, Luke, Elrond, Galadriel and Glorfindel.
Hence Glorfindel first raised the "sail west" plan, and the others chimed in as rehearsed.
In truth, none of them had ever meant to send the Ring to Valinor.
Gandalf had said the Valar would not directly govern Middle-earth; even the Maiar, setting out, were cloaked in mortal flesh and forbidden to wield full might.
The Ring was an evil born in Middle-earth; its people must solve it themselves if they would truly own their fate and peace.
Had they asked, the Valar would likely have refused the Ring anyway.
Still, the chance to sail for the Blessed Realm drew many volunteers.
In the end, to bind all races, nine companions were chosen.
For Rivendell and the line of kings: Aragorn; for Gondor: Boromir; for the Elves: Legolas; for the Dwarves: Gimli; and at their heart the Ring-bearer, Frodo.
Sam, Meryl and Pippin begged to go; at Frodo's plea they too were admitted.
Last came Gandalf, leader of the Fellowship, to guide their road.
He had wished Luke to walk with them, but Luke declined.
Luke must stay at Hogwarts, marshalling strength to aid Rivendell, Lothlórien, Gondor, Rohan and the Havens against Mordor.
Once the "sail west" tale spread, the Grey Havens would become a target.
Mordor would strike by land and sea to stop the Ring's westward voyage.
Any overland assault on the westernmost Havens must cross Luke's lands—war was certain.
Sauron himself might take the field.
Empowered by Morgoth, the Dark Lord's strength had soared; perhaps he had regained bodily form.
When battle came it would be grim, and all Middle-earth might feel its tremors.