Chapter 267: Middle-earth’s Hogwarts Academy (Part Two)

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Back when the elves migrated westward, Thingol chose to stay in Middle-earth, captivated by the Maia Melian, the guardian of the forests. There, he established the kingdom of the Grey Elves.

His younger brother, King Olwë of Alqualondë, took on the responsibility of leading the majority of their people to Valinor, where they became the Teleri, the Sea Elves who dwelled along the shores of Aman.

Thus, the Grey Elves and the Sea Elves were of the same lineage, with their respective High Kings being blood-related brothers.

Moreover, the third prince of the Noldor had married the eldest princess of the Sea Elves, and together they had children, including Finrod.

By this connection, Finrod, Angrod, Aegnor, and Galadriel's mother was actually Thingol's niece, making their familial ties quite close.

Because of this, when the Noldor returned to Middle-earth, Thingol had been overjoyed. He hosted grand feasts in the kingdom of the Grey Elves, inviting all the Noldor as honored guests—especially Finrod and his siblings, to whom he was related by blood.

However, when he later learned that Fëanor's kin had murdered his own brother and slaughtered much of the Sea Elves, he flew into a rage. He expelled all the Noldor from his kingdom and swore that he would never aid Fëanor's descendants in reclaiming the Silmarils.

Still, he remained on good terms with Fingolfin's lineage and with Finrod and his siblings, as they had not participated in the massacre.

Galadriel, in particular, spent much of her time in the Grey Elven kingdom, learning wisdom and magic from the Maia Melian to expand her knowledge and power.

Now, with the eastern defenses broken and the Balrog-led army rampaging through Middle-earth, this was no longer merely a matter of Fëanor's vengeance. It was a crisis that concerned the entire continent and all its living beings.

Finrod was confident that Thingol would send troops to help contain the Balrog army.

"I have another proposal."

As the meeting neared its conclusion, George suddenly spoke.

At his words, everyone turned their attention to him.

"Morgoth continues to use his power to create new creatures. If he can create a single dragon, then he may be capable of creating an entire brood—or even more terrifying monsters.

If we remain purely on the defensive, we might hold out for a century, but there's no guarantee we'll endure for a thousand years—or ten thousand."

"You're suggesting we go on the offensive and attack Angband?"

Fingon shook his head.

"Angband is shrouded in Morgoth's power, filled with black smoke and poisonous mists. Most elves would struggle to withstand its influence. If we launched an attack, we would lose half our forces before even reaching the battlefield."

There was a reason why they had chosen to fortify their defenses rather than press their advantage and storm Angband after a victory.

For ordinary elves of light, stepping into Angband meant having their strength severely suppressed, making it nearly impossible to challenge Morgoth.

Just as orcs, when leaving Angband, suffered from exposure to sunlight and moonlight—weakening them or even killing them outright—elves entering Morgoth's domain would find themselves similarly disadvantaged.

"No, I understand that attacking Angband now isn't realistic," George said with a smile. "What I mean is that we should focus on strengthening both elves and humans as a whole."

A look of confusion appeared on everyone's faces.

"Strengthen elves and humans?"

"Yes. What do you all think of my magic?" George asked.

"It's incredibly powerful. If not for your magic, we would never have been able to repel Morgoth's armies."

Finrod's voice was full of admiration.

George's magic might not be as effective against top-tier enemies like Sauron or dragons, but against ordinary orcs, it was a devastating weapon.

The key was its wide area of effect, versatility, and terrifying efficiency in battle.

Even if all the elven princes present combined their efforts, their ability to eliminate enemies on the battlefield likely wouldn't come close to matching George's magic.

Finrod genuinely believed that this human's magic was extraordinary.

"What I'm saying is—what if all elves and humans could learn my magic? Wouldn't we then have the power to attack Angband?"

George stood up, his voice filled with enthusiasm as he explained,

"So here's my proposal: we establish an academy in this elven city in the central lands. Both humans and elves will teach and learn from each other—magic, combat techniques, archery, and more.

This way, all elves and humans will have the opportunity to train and improve themselves.

As a result, the overall strength of our people will grow exponentially, and Morgoth's armies will no longer pose a threat!"

George had two main reasons for making this proposal.

The first was genuine—he truly wanted to help both humans and elves become stronger. The Elves of Light were born with considerable magical potential and had exceptional learning abilities. If they could master his magic, they would combine archery, swordsmanship, and spellcraft into a single, formidable fighting style.

Humans, too, would benefit immensely. A battlefield lined with human mages casting spells from a distance would be far more efficient than sending them into direct combat.

Even in close-quarters battle, they could use Giant Magic to enhance their physical abilities before engaging in melee.

If both races significantly increased their power, the possibility of storming Angband and killing Morgoth would rise dramatically.

Moreover, spreading magical knowledge and helping defeat Morgoth's dark armies would undoubtedly be seen as a great achievement in the eyes of the gods—perhaps even granting him a chance to live and study in Valinor.

The second reason was more personal: if an academy were truly established, many of the greatest elven warriors and spellcasters would come to teach there.

This included future legends like Galadriel, the Elven Queen, and Lúthien, who could put Morgoth into an enchanted slumber.

With such figures gathering at the academy, George wouldn't have to travel from one elven realm to another in search of magical knowledge. He could simply learn directly from these masters in a structured and efficient environment.

As George passionately outlined the academy's benefits and the bright future it could bring, the elven princes seemed to envision it unfolding before their eyes—a world where elves and humans, wielding radiant arrows and colossal spells, annihilated orcs and reduced Angband to rubble.

When it came to military strategy, troop deployment, and logistics, George admittedly had little expertise. In his previous life, he had never been a military strategist.

But when it came to selling a dream? That was something he had experience with.

After all, back in his old life, he had been fed endless empty promises by his bosses at work. Even in the Harry Potter world, he had managed to string along the diary-bound Voldemort with grand visions of the future.

At this point in history, both elves and humans were still relatively straightforward in their thinking. When George painted them a grand vision, they immediately bought into it.

Without hesitation, they all raised their hands in unanimous agreement, eagerly insisting that preparations begin as soon as possible.

Elves and humans weren't unintelligent—far from it. Their intellect was remarkably high. But intelligence didn't necessarily mean they couldn't be persuaded, as evidenced by the fact that Sauron would one day trick them with the Rings of Power.

Of course, George's plan wasn't a deception. If carried out properly, it could very well become the reality they envisioned.

"George, since this was your idea, you should be the one to name the academy," Finrod said excitedly.

George thought for a moment and then grinned.

"Let's call it Middle-earth Hogwarts Academy!"

(End of Chapter)