After decades of not meeting, Bilbo had a lot to talk about. They chatted from dusk till night, from night till dawn.
Eventually, he couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep while they were talking.
Using the Levitation Charm, Ino moved Bilbo to his bed and then walked out of Bag End.
...
The night in the Shire was serene, with the moon shining brightly and stars scattered across the sky.
Taking advantage of the moonlight, Ino walked to a grapevine as thick as a bowl.
In front of him, a solitary mound of earth rose up.
The mound was covered in sturdy plantain weeds, which, despite their tenacious growth, could not conceal the weight of time.
Each plantain had a small white flower, gently swaying in the night breeze.
This swaying wasn't like a joyful dance but carried a faint sorrow, as if telling a forgotten story.
"Aunt Julia! I'm back. The oil lamp lit the way home for me."
Time, as always, flowed mercilessly.
Ino quietly sat in front of the mound, sometimes speaking, sometimes silent.
It wasn't until the dawn marked the eastern horizon that he silently returned to Bag End.
Seeing Bilbo sleeping soundly, he didn't make a sound to disturb him. Instead, he walked toward the guest room.
Although many things had changed, many things had not.
One change was Lily, the once thin and weak little girl, who now had her own home in a nearby human village.
According to Bilbo, Lily was now a mother of three children and might even become a grandmother next year.
He didn't plan to visit Lily openly, maybe just a secret visit, but he wouldn't show himself.
Some memories, once erased by time, don't need to be made clear again.
Clarity often comes with pain.
...
In the guest room of Bag End.
Ino opened his suitcase, and the room instantly flashed with two blues and one black.
The inky black boggart quickly merged into his shadow, while Fide joyfully stood on the wooden beam of Bag End.
Ino acted as if he didn't see it, instead turning to look at the table.
"It's the year 3015 of the Third Age. Frodo has already set off with the One Ring. I'm not sure how long I'll stay this time, but some things need to be planned."
"What are you thinking of getting?" Lina, now a three-inch miniature Acromantula, looked somewhat endearing.
"Not me! It's you!" Ino said helplessly.
Since his first entry into a fantasy story, he had never deliberately planned anything, let alone in such an epic large world.
"Me? I don't belong here?" Lina gently retorted.
"You do, but the Acromantulas clan needs a place to settle, right? You need to leave some capital."
Can Middle-earth accommodate outsiders? The answer is undoubtedly yes.
This world is not just one continent of Middle-earth. Both the western Aman and the eastern lands of the Sun Continent have vast lands.
"Why leave the Acromantulas? I told you, you don't need to worry about me. Just follow your own plans."
Facing Lina's repeated insistence, Ino said no more.
Being a legendary witch, she certainly wasn't foolish. Moreover, after understanding the story background and spending a whole year in the restricted section of the Hogwarts library, she must have reasonable plans for herself.
"Alright, since that's the case, I'll respect your choice," Ino said softly.
With no need to worry about Lina, many things needed to be re-planned.
First was to determine how long to stay. Although Frodo left the Shire, the story seemed tight and short, but in fact, the journey from the Shire to Mordor took almost ten years.
The story didn't truly end until the year 3021 of the Third Age.
In the guest room, after reviewing the plot again, Ino reached an inevitable conclusion.
There was nothing to do now.
He originally planned to join the Battle of Helm's Deep in Rohan, but that wouldn't happen until 3019 of the Third Age, four years later.
He wanted to join not only because of his friendship with the young Théoden but also because of his connection with the fantasy world's tone.
Previously, he lacked the power to change anything, so playing dumb to protect himself was understandable. But now that he had power, standing by would make him an accomplice.
Seeing the orcs' slaughter and not stopping it—after a few more times, he might not even be able to summon his Patronus.
He knew this was an exaggerated statement, but many things started small.
Just like in that book, The Techniques of the Killing Curse, it clearly stated that for safety, practice should be limited to three times a week.
...
"You already have an idea?"
Seeing Ino's expression becoming calmer, Lina finally asked.
"Yes! I'll stay quietly for a while. If it's confirmed that I won't return until the whole story ends, then I'll join the siege battle, lest future tales depict wizards only fighting close-quarters with swords."
Ino expressed his thoughts, and such a choice had an underlying intention.
To impress Gandalf in person and leave some favors for Lina.
Hearing this plan, Lina said in an unchanged tone:
"I thought you would choose to go to that country of Rohan and save the enthralled king."
"Confront Saruman?" Ino raised his head in surprise.
"I know more dark magic than white magic now. Besides the Patronus Charm, I can't think of a way to dispel Saruman's influence."
According to the story, Théoden would eventually be freed from Saruman's influence with Gandalf's help, just a matter of time.
Moreover, nothing too excessive happened while he was enthralled, the worst being the dispersal of soldiers. As a nation on horseback, Rohan dispersing soldiers? It looked like they were just going out to graze.
"Do as you see fit," Lina said indifferently.
"Don't worry. At worst, we'll switch to another world. It's no big deal," Ino reassured.
...
Bag End.
In his sleep, Bilbo had a long dream. In the dream, the old friend who once saved his life, the human wizard Ino, came to visit him again.
Forty-five years had passed, and the other still looked the same as when he left, maybe a bit taller.
Opening his eyes, Bilbo was still reminiscing about the dream. They seemed to have talked a lot, chatting deep into the night.
"Wake up and get up! You haven't told me Lily's address yet."
Outside the room, a familiar voice rang out again.
Bilbo jumped up, and the memories of last night became clear again.
"Hahaha, this is not a dream! I'll take you there in a bit! I have nothing else to do, we can visit Lily together, and oh, her three kids too."
Despite being a centenarian, Bilbo still nimbly jumped out of bed and happily walked out of the room.
Back to Middle-earth again, this time it's both a new beginning and the conclusion of the whole Middle-earth story.