Over the course of the next two years, under the tutelage and protection of Gandalf and Lord Elrond of Rivendell (whom she was often left in the care of during the wizard's longer and more perilous journeys), Hannah learned much about the world of Arda and the history and cultures of the many races who inhabited it. However, not only was she no closer to finding a way home, but a dark Shadow was growing in fair Middle-earth; and it was spreading steadily at a rate that greatly troubled her Istar guardian.

Gandalf had grown very troubled and anxious of late, for upon investigating the Necromancer in Dol Guldur he had discovered the villain's true identity was in fact Sauron. He knew the Dark Lord had arisen again and would soon declare himself, and he knew that he was preparing for another great war. But how would he begin? Would he try first to re-occupy Mordor, or would he first attack the chief strongholds of his enemies? Gandalf suspected his plan was to attack Lórien and Rivendell as soon as he was strong enough. The state of things in the North was very bad. The Kingdom under the Mountain and the strong Men of Dale were no more. To resist any force that Sauron might send to regain the northern passes in the mountains and the old lands of Angmar there were only the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, and behind them lay a desolation and a Dragon named Smaug. The Dragon Sauron might use with terrible effect.

Of course none of this was ever told directly to Hannah who, having only just turned fourteen-years-old, was still viewed by the ancient beings around her as a child to be protected. But Hannah was more perceptive than most, and she was able to piece the puzzle together for herself using bits and pieces of information she had garnered from certain conversations she happened to overhear, and Gandalf's mumbled musings while lost in thought. In fact, it was one of these instances that became the cause of Hannah finally being drawn into his conspiracy one evening.

"I must find some means of dealing with Smaug. But a direct stroke against Dol Guldur is needed still more. We must disturb Sauron's plans. I must make the Council see that," the Wizard muttered to himself as he smoked his pipe by the fire in the Hall of Fire. So deep in thought was he that he had forgotten Hannah was also there, studying a scroll by the firelight, until she spoke.

"Yes, I don't understand why Saruman is being so stiff-necked about all of this," she said, startling him back to awareness. "Knowing how dangerous this Sauron is and what he's capable of, weakened or not, wouldn't it be better to stop him now before he's able to regain his former strength? My Grandfather (on my mother's side) used to say the best defense was a good offense."

"In this case I would have to agree with him," said Gandalf, looking at his clever young ward with renewed interest. "But the question is, how to go about it?"

"Well, we could try to force his hand before he's ready. That way he would have to reveal himself, and even Saruman would have to face the facts. I don't like war, but a it seems to me a small one would be preferable to a great one. If you put it off any longer, it sounds like it could turn into a terrible war involving the whole of this world. I don't want to see something like that happen, not again," she answered grimly, remembering all the pain and suffering in her world she had seen caused by the second Great War.

"We?" asked Gandalf. She had the right idea; in fact, he had already begun to take steps to do just that.

"Yes, we. I want to help," said Hannah determinedly. "I know you think I'm just a child, and I know I'm an outsider, but I've grown very fond of this world, and I'd hate to see it ruined."

"No, it's too dangerous," said Gandalf. For they had become as fond of her as she of them. "There's no need for you to risk your life."

"Mr. Gandalf, you're forgetting I came from a very troubled and war-torn world. No one was safe. You step outside, you risk your life. You stay at home, you risk your life. We didn't have a choice. I learned the only thing I could choose was what to risk it for. And if I can help save lives, that's reason enough for me. I don't want this world to end up like mine."

The wizard stared at her for a long moment before letting out a sigh of resignation. He knew that look in her eyes. If he tried to leave without her she would just end up following after him on her own, regardless of whether or not she had his blessing.

And then, to her surprise, he laughed. "My dear, Hannah. You never cease to amaze me. Yes, I suppose I shall have to bring you along now. At any rate, you will finally get a chance to see more of the world you're so curious about, and I have often found that most effective way of educating yourself is to go on an adventure." With that decided, the wizard found he felt that he was finally ready to act. "Go and pack your things. We leave on the morrow."

"Where are we going?" she asked so she would know what to bring.

"A place that is very dear to my heart," answered Gandalf with a small smile.

"Might I inquire as to where you are setting of to?" asked Elrond curiously when he encountered the two of them on their way out the next morning. He knew they were up to something because they were both dressed for travel, and Hannah was outfitted with her short bow and a full quiver of arrows.

"Oh, well, it occurred to me that I had been neglecting Hannah as of late, so I thought I might take her on a little journey to the Shire," Gandalf replied casually.

"I see," said Elrond with a tone that implied he didn't believe that was the whole story. But he did not question them nor did he try to stop them. Instead the elf-lord told them to take care and bid them farewell. And with that, the wizard and his ward were off.

As they traveled Gandalf confirmed what she thought she had already known and told her of his plan to have the Dwarves retake the Lonely Mountain so that it would be occupied by potential allies rather than a sure enemy. Thorin Oakenshield, who had been living in exile with his people ever since they were forced from their homeland by Smaug, was troubled too. So troubled that he had actually asked the wizard for his advice. Thorin's heart was hot with broodings on his wrongs, and the loss of the treasure of his forefathers, and burdened also with the duty of revenge upon Smaug that he had inherited. Apparently Dwarves take such duties very seriously.

Gandalf had promised to help him if he could since he was as eager to see the end of Smaug as the Dwarf, but Thorin was all for plans of battle and war, as if he were already King Thorin the Second, and Gandalf could see no hope in that. So he had left him and went off to the Shire with the thought that if he put these troubles out of his mind for a while he might perhaps find a way of dealing with them. He was not able to put them out of his mind, but he was able to pick up the threads of what he thought was some hopeful news. He had been away from the Shire for more than twenty years, and in that time a young hobbit that he had been fond of had come of age and was, according to the local gossip, still just as curious about the outside world as ever.

Both his parents had died early for Shire-folk, at about eighty; and he had never married. He was already growing a bit queer, they said, and went off for days by himself. He could be seen talking to strangers, even Dwarves. Upon hearing that, suddenly in the old wizard's mind these three things came together: the great Dragon with his lust, and his keen hearing and scent; the sturdy heavy-booted Dwarves with their old burning grudge; and the quick, soft-footed Hobbit, sick at heart (he guessed) for a sight of the wide world. Gandalf had laughed at himself; but he went off at once to have a look at this Bilbo Baggins, to see what twenty years had done to him, and whether he was as promising as gossip seemed to make out. But Bilbo was not at home.

They shook their heads in Hobbiton when Gandalf asked after him. "Off again," said one Hobbit. "Off again. He'll go right off one of these days, if he isn't careful. Why I asked him where he was going, and when he would be back, and 'I don't know' he says; and then he looks at me queerly. 'It depends if I meet any, Holman,' he says. 'It's the Elves' New Year tomorrow!' A pity, and him so kind a body. You wouldn't find a better from the Downs to the River." Better and Better! Gandalf had thought. I think I shall risk it. Time was getting short. He had to be with the White Council in August at the latest, or Saruman would have his way and nothing would be done. And quite apart from greater matters, that might prove fatal to the quest: the power in Dol Guldur would not leave any attempt on Erebor unhindered, unless he had something else to deal with.

So the Wizard rode off back to Thorin with haste and somehow managed to accomplish the difficult task of persuading the Dwarf to put aside his lofty designs and go secretly—and to take Bilbo with him. Without seeing Bilbo first. Which was why they were now on their way to pay the Hobbit a visit.

Hannah found she quite liked the Shire. The rolling green hills, dirt paths, woods, little streams, and gardens all reminded her of the English countryside. And Hobbiton gave the impression of being much more peaceful and cozier than Bree, which was practically medieval in all its sights, sounds, and smells. The hobbits themselves were a bit peculiar-looking with their short build, odd ears, and wooly feet; but they seemed pleasant enough despite the wary glances many of the adults kept casting their way as they walked to Bag End. Gandalf had warned her ahead of time that they were shy of strangers.

Fortunately, they found that Bilbo was home that day. He was sitting on a bench in his lovely little Garden at Bag End, enjoying a smoke. Hannah smiled slightly in amusement when Gandalf reshaped the hobbit's smoke ring into a butterfly, and it fluttered back into his face. The pleasantly plump hobbit coughed and blinked as he looked around, a bit confused and flustered by the sudden influx of smoke, for his eyes had been closed, and he had not at all been expecting it.

From Bilbo's point of view, it had been so long since he last saw the Wizard that he had quite forgotten what he looked like. All that the unsuspecting hobbit saw that morning was an old man with a staff and a young girl. The old man had a tall pointed blue-grey hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which a light grey beard hung down almost to his waist, and immense black boots. The girl wore her dark curly hair in two thick plaits that hung down over her shoulders, practical traveling clothes that were pale green-blue and brown in a mix of the styles of Elves and Men, a bow and arrows, sturdy brown boots, and a very unusual eye-color. For a moment Bilbo thought she might be a young Elf, for he had never seen anyone with violet eyes before and had not even thought such a thing was possible, but he quickly realized that couldn't be the case because she didn't have pointed ears.

"Good morning," Bilbo said, wondering what they were doing in front of his home.

"What do you mean?" asked Gandalf. "Do you wish us a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether we want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?" Hannah subtly cast her mentor a somewhat wry and humorous expression.

"All of them at once, I suppose," said Bilbo, glancing between the two strangers. "Can I help you?"

"That remains to be seen," said Gandalf. "We are looking for someone to share in an adventure." Bilbo nearly dropped his pipe.

"An adventure?" the hobbit asked, looking troubled as he furrowed his brow. "No, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them," he said with a nervous laugh as he got up and removed his morning letters from the mailbox, and began to read, pretending to take no more notice of the old man and his young companion. He had decided that they were not quite his sort and wanted them to go away. But they did not move. Instead they stood there and continued to gaze at the hobbit without saying anything, till Bilbo got quite uncomfortable and even a little cross.

"Good morning!" said Bilbo at last as he turned away from them, clearly meaning to end the uncomfortable conversation.

"What a lot of things you use good morning for!" remarked Hannah. "Now he means to get rid of us, and it won't be good till we move off."

"Hmm. To think that I should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I was selling buttons at the door!" Gandalf huffed with disappointment. "You have changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" asked Bilbo.

"Well, you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I am Gandalf. And Gandalf means... me," said the Wizard. "Ah, yes, and my young companion here is Hannah Hayes," he added upon realizing he had almost forgotten to introduce her. Hannah bowed her head politely to Bilbo, but he was too surprised to react. Her name was strange to the hobbit, but he recognized her mentor's almost at once.

"Gandalf? Good gracious me! Not Gandalf the wandering wizard that gave Old Took a pair of magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered? Not the fellow who used to tell such wonderful tales at parties, about dragons and goblins and giants and the rescue of princesses and the unexpected luck of widows' sons? Not the man that used to make such particularly excellent fireworks! I remember those! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve. Splendid! They used to go up like great lilies and snapdragons and laburnums of fire and hang in the twilight all evening! Life used to be quite inter—" Bilbo said with a laugh, before he remembered himself, clearing his throat. "I mean, you used to upset things quite badly in these parts once upon a time. I had no idea you were still in business."

"And where else should I be?" asked Gandalf a bit crossly, not liking his tone.

"Where else—?" Bilbo began, but wisely stopped before he got himself into more trouble and stuck his pipe back in his mouth, taking a few nervous puffs.

"Well, I am pleased to find you remember something about me... even if it is only my fireworks," said Gandalf. "Well, I suppose this means you're not completely beyond hope. Indeed, for your old grandfather Took's sake, and for the sake of poor Belladonna, I will give you what asked for."

"I beg your pardon, I haven't asked for anything!" said Bilbo.

"Yes, you have! Twice now," said Gandalf. "It's decided. I'm sending you on this adventure. It will be very good for you—and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others. Come along, Hannah."

"Inform the who? What? No. No. No—Wait!" said Bilbo. "We do not want any adventures here, thank you. Not today. Good Morning! But please come to tea—any time you like! Why not tomorrow? Come tomorrow! Good-bye!" With that the hobbit scuttled inside his round green door, and shut it as quickly as he dared, not to seem rude. Wizards are Wizards after all.

"What on earth did I ask them to tea for!" he said to himself, as he locked the door and went to the pantry. He had only just had breakfast, but he thought a cake or two might do him good after his fright.

Gandalf and Hannah in the meantime were still standing outside the door.

"I think that went rather well, don't you?" Gandald asked her as he stepped up, and began scratching a rune on the beautiful green door with the spike of his staff. Hannah raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head.

"You're terrible," she told him with a smile. Then they strode away to let the Dwarves know the game was afoot, just about the time when Bilbo was finishing his second cake and beginning to think that he had escaped adventures very well.