Unexpected Addition
It was an, almost, ordinary day. One thing to note was the ninth birthday of the young Sage Baggins. What nobody in The Shire knew, is that on this day the youngest member of a small, by hobbit standards, family remembered one name. Minerva McGonagall. This one innocent name changed the course of the future, if not the world's, then at least Middle Earth's. So, on this otherwise ordinary, fair-weathered, and quite warm midsummer’s day, the second life of the former transfiguration professor truly began.
It was a sunny start to the day, thirty years after that fateful morning. While Sage, formerly known as Minerva, was traveling home after visiting her Took cousins, Bilbo was sitting in front of Bag End, smoking. Unbeknownst to our dear Minnie, but on that particular morning, Gandalf The Grey had visited their home and tried to convince her brother to come on an adventure. Of course, he refused, he was a Baggins after all! At first, Bilbo didn't remember who was standing in front of him, but he did remember his fireworks. It is quite funny, how Gandalf was a tad offended that it was the only thing Bilbo didn't forget about him.
So, while Sage was still on the road and the sun had set, the company of Thorin Oakenshield gathered in her family's smial. They were sitting around a table, and Bilbo stood there, still incredibly confused about everything. A few candles bashed the room in soft, golden light. Gandalf, as always, smoked his pipe. Thorin couldn't yet believe that he had the map of the Lonely Mountain and the key to the hidden door. Others felt optimistic about this quest, even if some believed it to be a fool's hope. They had been talking about it, then round green doors opened, and in walked one Sage Baggins.
She was dressed in traveler's clothes, black trousers, and a dark green shirt with a brown cloak, which had a hood. Sage also wore a black leather belt with a dagger. On her back, she had a bow and a quiver as well as a pack, big enough to hold about a week's worth of supplies.
"I didn't know we had guests." You see, dwarves have some sense of self-preservation, but not enough, since they decided to ignore Sage's particular tone. One of her eyebrows almost reached the ceiling, screaming danger far better than the dragon.
"Ah, young Sage Baggins! I was wondering when you would come, my dear girl." Gandalf, it seemed, was quite pleased with the new development. Bilbo, on the other hand, began to worry about the outcome of this evening more than before. He knew his sister's temper very well, after spending thirty-nine years trying to get her out of trouble. Don't let this fool you, until the Fell Winter the eldest child of Bungo and Belladonna's Baggins was just as mischievous as his younger sister.
"I should have known it was you, Gandalf. Am I to assume that you came to whisk my brother away to one of your schemes?" Her tone sounds disapproving, but secretly, she is pleased. Looks like something interesting is about to happen. She missed her lions, who always got into many, many messes. Need I remind you, that the Marauders and The Golden Trio were her favorite students? Not even mentioning the Demon Twins!
The grey wizard spluttered at her accusation.
"Schemes? My dear girl, I believe I have no idea what you mean!"
Sage on the other hand was deeply unimpressed. The least he should do is admit when he is caught. Granted, she has dealt with a certain old, long-bearded, wizard who thought he knew best and never said anything important, for decades before. She had practice.
Said practice sounded like this – ignore 'em and do your job. Unless the world is ending – you can listen then. So, following her advice, Sage Baggins turned to her... guests.
"So? Are you going to introduce yourselves or not?" This tone always worked on her first-year cubs. It proved to be as effective on young dwarves since the younger members sheepishly nodded or smiled.
Introductions began with Thorin, who was very regal and majestic when saying his name, and ended with Bombur, who was far quieter. Because it's McGonagall we are talking about, she remembered every single one of them, no problem. She had been head of Gryffindor’s house and a transfiguration professor for decades, she was expected to have a good memory for things such as names. Minerva believed that without knowing their names, she wouldn't be able to teach, protect and help them.
Nothing else important happened. The dwarves sang, Bilbo started having doubts about his refusal and Sage went to bed. Rest, finally, even if she suspected this to be her last night at home before a new adventure. Well, no one, besides Sage herself, actually knew at the time, but this was the start of Minerva's return to her gryffindorish days. Meaning – adventure after adventure. Honestly, if Harry or the Marauders knew what she had done in her youth... they would have respected her even more, and Sirius with those demon twins would have probably worshiped the ground she walked on. Everybody always seems to forget that even if she likes green robes, she is a Gryffindor.
Sage was roused from her slumber by loud noises coming from the other rooms.
"Damn those dwarves and damn the wizard. If they are getting anywhere near my biscuits, I will turn them into bloody chickens. Let's see how mother's old friend likes that." Suffice it to say, Sage was annoyed. Can't sleep in her own home. The gall!
Slowly, the former transfiguration professor rose from her bed and went to see just who was making this ruckus. Now, you should understand that a respectable gentle-hobbit would never, under any circumstances, sprint around their smial searching, muttering to himself and throwing things in a... is that mother's travel bag? It was also a fairly early morning after a long day and late night, so it is perfectly understandable why Minerva, now Sage, reacted as she did.
"What in the name of Merlin's thrice damned pointy hat is going on here?!" Sage almost never said something connected to her past life as a witch, unless she was extremely stressed or angry. Or she was messing with her brother.
Anyway, one of the main reasons why said gentle-hobbit stopped immediately and looked like a spooked bunny, is because first – who is Merlin, second – why does he have a pointy hat like Gandalf, and what does that have to do with anything, and thirdly, his sister is going to kill him.
"A-ah, S-sage!" Curse my shuttering, if I was one shuttering, that is, poor fellow. "You are awake!"
"Obviously." That drawl right there? Yeah, Snape would be either proud or jealous, but he's a slytherin, I hear they rather favor green. Anyway, you can tell, cat-human is not, in fact, in a good mood. She prefers going straight to the point. Thats probably the lioness in her. "Bilbo. What are you doing?"
"I-I..." Bilbo lad, get a grip. How are you going to burglar a dragon if you cannot talk without shaking? Granted, you are talking to Minerva McGonagall...
"Yes?"
"I want to go on an adventure! This may be my only chance! I will not let you stop me!" That isn't the best choice of words. Honestly, as if Sage would try to stop him.
It was a scary moment for Bilbo since Sage didn't react. Bilbo feared what will happen next. Well, he hadn't exactly expected that.
"Oh, this is my punishment, isn't it? Of course, I forgot how impulsive and adventurous I and my lions are! Of course, my brother, whom I thought to be an eagle, is a lion! If that is not The Longbottom Ruse, then I don't know what is!" Fortunately for Sage, Bilbo decided not to comment on her confusing choice of words. He did sometimes hear strange things his sister said. He is kind of used to it by now. What he doesn't know, although strongly suspects it, is that she is doing it on purpose, just to confuse him. "Fine! We are going on this quest to defeat a dragon, and I will pack your things for you. Yavanna knows you will do something as foolish as not taking any traveling clothes."
While muttering all the way, Sage took all the things she knew they would need. And even if she did use a little magic to fit all they couldn't carry or put in their bags while her brother was in the kitchen drinking tea and writing letters to the Thain and other Very Important Hobbits, no one needed to know. The siblings were finally ready, with a contract in hand they walked out of their smial. While Bilbo ran to catch up with the company, Sage asked a few faunts to deliver the letters. She had no reason to hurry, she knew the roads of the Shire better than anyone. So, riding her pony Willow, she should see Bilbo and the rest soon enough.
Ever since Minerva, well Sage, had remembered her past life on her ninth birthday, she started practicing. She took her wand, which apparently, she could summon in her hand whenever she wished so, and did every bit of magic she had known, just to be sure that she still could do it. The former head of Gryffindor even tried to turn into her animagus form. It is worth mentioning that she succeeded.
Barely an hour after Bilbo had joined the company, they heard and soon saw another pony, who had Sage on its back.
"What are you doing here?" Thorin barked that question. It wasn't a good idea.
"Traveling with you of course. Did you think I would leave my brother to burglar a dragon alone?" She also just longed for an adventure. These trips around the Shire and neighboring places, even if with the Dunedain, grew to be a little bit boring.
"I will not let a dame join our company!"
All other dwarves agreed with Thorin. You have to understand, even if we and Minerva take it one way, they didn't mean to insult. See dwarves, or dwarrow, actually treasure their females and children far more than any gold or gem or even mithril. Dwarrowdams are rare, it is simply unheard of for them to travel. Well, except when they assume male identity for safety reasons. That's where that rumor of dwarrow having no females came from. And the beards. I cannot forget their magnificent beards. But unfortunately for Thorin and his company, Sage did not know this tidbit of information.
"What. Is. That. Supposed. To. Mean?" Her voice became clipped, tight. Both eyebrows furrowed a bit, her lips pressed in a thin line, eyes narrowed. After all, she did live in a time, when women didn't have a right to vote. Back in England, she was part of every protest, action and whatever have you, doesn't matter that Minerva mostly lived in the Wizarding world. She despises any kind of prejudice based on a person's gender.
"Now, now, my dear girl. They mean no harm. It's just a cultural norm for traveling women to introduce themselves as male. Perhaps you will do so too? To put their minds at ease?"
"I will not. If they object, fine. I will travel to Erebor alone." And she could do it. Sage is a witch, for Eru's sake!
"You can't do that! It's too dangerous! One person alone cannot make that journey!"
Some of the company began protesting, saying similar things. You can see how their eyes widened, mouths open in shock or to tell something, how they clenched their hands, how they tensed.
"Then I suppose I have to travel with you?" Again with an eyebrow of yours, Minerva? Should have known, you will never change.
Silence. Such a nice thing. I prefer music but to each their own.
"Do we have a problem?" McGonagall questioned them after they proceeded not to answer.
Low murmurs of no, and shakes of the head were everything Sage needed. And just like that, another hobbit joined them on this adventure.
Bombur was cooking over the campfire, Fili and Kili tenting to ponies, and others mostly talking, in Thorin's case – brooding. Bilbo, Gandalf, and Sage were sitting together and talking if you could call that talking, and not some form of interrogation.
"Sage, why did you come?" The Istari felt tired. It was bad enough that he dragged Bilbo into a quest with such a small chance of success. Now Sage, only a few short years after her coming of age, was going along. She was still a child in some sense, it doesn't matter, that when hers and Bilbo's mother started accompanying him on small adventures here and there was of similar age as dear Sage is now. Gandalf knows very well how some of those adventures ended. He really shouldn't have come to Bag End and asked Bilbo to travel with him, but he honestly didn't know who else to ask.
"I thought I made it clear. I won't leave my brother to deal with a dragon alone." And I won't be sitting home while you are in all the danger, was what she didn't add. Even decades later, she still felt guilty for letting Harry, Ron, and Hermione hunt those things on their own. She did protect her students, but that includes them all.
"But how can you help?" Right now, Gandalf was just searching for excuses.
"If you visited more often, you would know." Sage disliked Gandalf, just a little bit, for very rarely seeing their mother, who considered him a dear friend, not coming to her funeral. Minerva knew Gandalf was very busy... But nothing. She just didn't like how the last time she saw him, it was even before she remembered being Minerva, and now, almost forty years later, he comes and expects Bilbo to throw everything away and accompany him on an adventure. To be fair, he almost did. Thank Death for Minnie being there, am I right?
"Well, perhaps you could still tell me?" Everyone, who listened, could hear guilt and also regret in the greybeard's voice, and a bit of shame.
Sage looked at him and sighed.
"Very well. I trained under northern rangers after the Fell Winter." That's true. "I might have an idea of how to deal with Smaug, but I cannot be sure until I see him" That's only partly true. She was planning to use her magic, the cat animagus simply wasn't sure which spells would work best. And even if he could be affected by them. So really, it was more a wish than an idea.
"And what would that be?"
"I am my mother's daughter," Sage said with a half a smile. Well, she implied that she would use poison since her mother was named Belladonna. Alas, we know the truth, but not Gandalf, who hoped this adventure and a hobbit lass wouldn't end how the last one almost did.
That night the company rested peacefully, unfortunately, the morning rain was quick to visit them. Rain isn't bad, per se, but this time, definitely unpleasant.
"Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori was not the only one who wanted an answer to this question.
"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until it is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, find yourself another Wizard." The Grey was a bit annoyed, can't see why, I thought it a very valid question. Perhaps he doesn't practice weather magic?
"Are there any?" Now Bilbo's inquiry caught Sage's attention.
"What?"
"Other wizards?" This information would be quite useful to Sage, to know who else here could use magic. But taking into account what she has seen Gandalf do, the cat animagus doubted that their magic was the same. Nonetheless, as Rowena Ravenclaw probably said at some point, or maybe that was Slytherin? Anyway, Knowledge is Power.
"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman the White. Then there are two Blue Wizards. Do you know, I've quite forgotten their names." That isn't very nice greybeard, how could you forget their names? They are your colleagues, that's so rude!
"And who is the fifth?" Yes, the fifth. The one who loves, ahem, mushrooms?
"Well, that would be Radagast the Brown." Interesting name. Is the brown for the trees he cares for?
"Is he a great Wizard? Or is he more like you?" At this, Sage began laughing, quite loudly too.
"I think he is a very great Wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east. And it's a good thing too. For evil always seeks to find a foothold in this world."
With those words, part of Minerva's good mood disappeared. She had known very well what evil was capable of, she had to, after surviving two magical wars. The animagus only hoped that this darkness wouldn't spread even more and wasn't as powerful as what she had already battled.