Chapter 367: Merry and Pippin
Bilbo did not give Kael an immediate answer about going to Hogwarts as a caretaker.
For now, while he still had strength in his legs, he meant to wander again: to Rivendell, the vale of the Anduin, Mirkwood, Dale, the Lonely Mountain; and further south to Fangorn, Isengard, Rohan, and Gondor.
With the Floo Network in place, he no longer needed to tramp every mile on foot. In a single day, he could step through fire and arrive hundreds of leagues away.
All that, though, was still only half‑formed in his mind. What mattered most tonight was his eleventy‑first birthday.
Following the winding path down from the Hill, Bilbo walked with Kael and Gandalf towards the Party Field. In less than half an hour they reached it.
The Party Field was a broad green below Hobbiton, centred on a great tree the Hobbits called the Party Tree.
Here, the folk of Hobbiton held feasts, celebrations and storytelling. Lanterns and streamers hung from the branches year‑round.
Now a vast pavilion had been raised there, and almost every Hobbit in Hobbiton had come.
Families had dragged out their own tables, benches, and crockery, joining them together into long rows of trestles covered in bright cloths. Platters of Hobbit fare crowded the boards, along with delicacies from beyond the Shire.
Outside the tent, a banner had been strung up in bold, bright letters: "In celebration of Mr Bilbo Baggins' 111th Birthday!"
The scale of the feast was no small matter, even by Shire standards. All the ale from the Green Dragon on the hill, and a day's worth of loaves, cakes, biscuits, and fruit from half the village, had been bought up for the party.
Many Hobbits quietly marvelled at such extravagance, but to a hobbit who owned a mountain of gold, it was hardly worth mentioning.
Music filled the field. Lively country tunes set young Hobbits whirling together in dance.
The women bustled to keep the food and drink flowing, while the elders sat on benches, puffing pipes and discussing the splendour of the party—and guessing, as always, at the true size of Bilbo's hoard.
Elthir and Elroth, who had arrived first with Frodo and Sam, quickly became the centre of attention.
Most Hobbits had never seen an Elf in the flesh, let alone a pair of Elven children.
The fair folk of song and story had always seemed distant and unreal. Now, as the two half‑Elves stepped among them, curiosity swept the field. The noisy crowd fell briefly quiet.
Then whispers began to ripple everywhere. Hobbits stole sidelong glances, thinking themselves subtle, as they tried to decide who these visitors were and marvelled that Bilbo Baggins should have such friends.
The twins, whose senses were far sharper than any Hobbit guessed, heard every murmur and felt every furtive stare.
But they were long since used to being stared at, and took it easily. With Frodo there to introduce them, they soon met two more of his companions: the irrepressible Merry and Pippin.
"Wow! Are you Elves?" Pippin breathed, staring at them in open wonder. "You're just like the songs say—absolutely marvellous!"
His boundless curiosity and restless energy would have been tiresome in most, but there was nothing in his eyes except simple admiration and delight. Elthir and Elroth could not dislike him.
Shaking his head with a small smile, Elthir introduced himself. "I am Elthir Black, son of Kael, lord of Hogwarts. This is my sister, Elroth Black. We are half‑Elven, not wholly of the Eldar."
"Your father is that Kael?" Merry burst out, eyes shining. "The wizard‑lord who tamed a dragon? Does Hogwarts really have a dragon? What is he like? How big is he? Does he breathe fire?"
"Merry, slow down," Frodo cut in hurriedly. "If you ask so many questions at once, how are they meant to answer?"
Elthir and Elroth only laughed and shook their heads.
"It's all right," Elroth said, grinning. "Hogwarts does have a dragon. His name is Smaug, and he is Father's mount. He likes to sleep on treasure in the vaults, and he can breathe such fierce dragonfire that even the hardest steel will melt.
"As for how big he is…" She frowned in mock thought. "We've never measured him properly, but he must be over a thousand feet from nose to tail. He's taller than most of the castle towers, at any rate."
"Woooah…" Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin all gaped at her.
Try as they might, none of them could truly picture a creature so vast. The idea alone left them breathless.
"I heard Hogwarts is a school," Pippin said next, unable to hold back. "Is it true there are lots of wizards there, learning magic?"
Elthir and Elroth answered their questions freely, taking turns to satisfy every scrap of Hobbit curiosity.
They spoke of Hogwarts' classes and studies, of its towers and grounds, of the thunderbird Solondo and the great squid Kraken in the lake, and of many other wonders.
By the end, all four Hobbits wore looks of open longing.
Most of all, Merry and Pippin. Mischief burned in both their hearts, and they made up their minds on the spot that one day they would see Hogwarts with their own eyes, and all the marvellous beasts and places the twins had described.
Among the Brandybucks and Tooks, the blood of adventure had always run strong. Courage and recklessness came as naturally to them as breathing.
There were already plenty of Hobbits from those clans living and trading in Kael's lands—Bree and Hogsmeade in particular.
Even Frodo's heart stirred.
In his veins, the Baggins' love of comfort, optimism, and steady strength mingled with Brandybuck daring.
He lacked Merry and Pippin's headlong impetuousness, but he was no coward. He would not bolt at the first hint of discomfort, nor would he rush blindly into danger.
In many ways, he was another Bilbo—not that it was any wonder the two had become so close.
As Elthir and Elroth went on with their tales, the five of them quickly warmed to one another.
The twins took a liking to these honest, good‑hearted Hobbits.
Frodo and his cousins, in turn, were charmed by the twins' grace, kindness, and unassuming manner.
Merry and Pippin, never ones to sit still, eagerly began describing Shire customs and sights in return.
It was this cheerful little knot of youngsters that Kael, Bilbo and Gandalf found when they arrived.
"They seem to be getting on wonderfully," Gandalf said, his beard twitching with amusement.
Bilbo's face lit with pride. "Elthir and Elroth are very good children. No one with sense could help but like them."
Pleased to hear his children praised, Kael smiled. "Frodo and his friends are fine youngsters as well. Elthir and Elroth would not have taken to them so quickly otherwise."
The two "parents" traded compliments until they were quite satisfied, then made their way over to join the circle of laughing youths.