After the War, Aragorn was crowned King of Gondor.
To strengthen the bond between the realms of Men, he later formed a marriage alliance with Éowyn, Princess of Rohan.
Éowyn was the beloved niece of King Théoden, whom he had raised from childhood as his own daughter. After Aragorn married Éowyn, the alliance between Gondor and Rohan became closer than ever.
Aragorn proved to be a wise and ambitious ruler. Under his reign, Gondor not only reclaimed its lost territories but expanded its borders outward.
To the south, he brought the lands of Harad's former border regions under Gondorian influence.
To the west, he secured vast portions of Eriador, including territories surrounding Hogwarts' domain.
To the north, he restored ancient kingdom Arnor, rebuilding its former capital Annúminas as the northern royal city, where the Dúnedain of the North gathered once more.
Thus, Aragorn became High King of both Gondor and Arnor.
He divided his time between Minas Tirith and Annúminas. During his stay in the North, Aragorn personally visited Hogwarts Castle to consult Sylas.
There, Aragorn swore a binding royal oath:
The central territory surrounding Hogwarts, stretching north to the northern border, south to the southern marches, west to the Old Barrows, and east to the Great Bridge, would remain forever independent.
Thus, Hogwarts' lands became a nation within a nation.
Though never formally declared a kingdom, it came to be known as the Wizarding Realm or Magical World.
In the centuries to come, it would become a sanctuary for free peoples unwilling to live under tyranny.
Of the Guardians of the World Expedition: Legolas became King of the Woodland Realm. Boromir later ruled the eastern kingdom of Anda.
Aragorn ruled Gondor and Arnor.
Gimli returned to the Lonely Mountain, but later led a group of Dwarves south to the White Mountains, carving vast halls beneath the peaks and founding a new Dwarven stronghold in the Star Caves.
Each member achieved their own lasting glory.
Frodo Baggins and Bilbo Baggins both earned the right to sail West, becoming the first Hobbits ever to reach Valinor.
Before that day came:
Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) returned to Buckland and later became its Master.
Peregrin Took (Pippin) inherited the title of Thain, becoming the 32nd leader of the Took family.
Both were appointed advisers to the Northern Kingdom, maintaining diplomatic ties with Hogwarts, Gondor, and Rohan. Because of their shared battles, they remained especially close to Boromir and corresponded frequently.
Samwise Gamgee, once only a gardener, accompanied Frodo to Mount Doom and played an irreplaceable role in the destruction of the Dark Power.
In gratitude for his loyalty, Frodo gave Sam a portion of Bilbo's inheritance, a modest sum, yet enough to make Sam one of the wealthiest Hobbits in the Shire.
Before departing, Galadriel gifted Sam a Mallorn seed and a box of enchanted soil from her own garden.
Sam planted it beside the Shire's meeting hall.
The tree grew.
Though not as mighty as the Mallorns of Lórien, it became the only Mallorn tree in the Shire, its silver bark and golden leaves gleaming in the sun, illuminating Hobbiton with quiet beauty.
Sam married the woman he loved and was elected Mayor of the Shire, serving many terms before finally retiring of his own will.
Because the ship to Grey Havens was not yet ready to sail, Frodo returned to the Shire to settle his affairs.
Bilbo, however, refused to return, choosing instead to remain at Hogwarts and spend his final years in Middle-earth.
When Frodo departed again, he left the majority of his fortune to Bilbo, keeping only what he had already given Sam.
After settling his personal affairs, Frodo Baggins used the remainder of his vast fortune to fund the construction of bridges, roads, and public infrastructure throughout the Shire and surrounding regions. He also established orphanages and homes for the elderly, ensuring that the poor and vulnerable would be cared for long after he left Middle-earth.
Frodo entrusted the management of this enormous wealth to Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took, instructing them to safeguard it and ensure it would always be used for righteous purposes, even after his departure from the world.
Gandalf and Sylas, among others, spoke highly of Frodo's decision. Sylas even proactively offered additional protection, providing a magical contract scroll, once its terms were written and signed, no one could violate it under any circumstances.
After all, Frodo's fortune was truly staggering.
It amounted to nearly one-fourteenth of the treasure hoard of the Lonely Mountain, enough to purchase the entire Shire several times over and still have wealth left to spare. Without safeguards, even the honest and simple-hearted Hobbits might have been tempted.
Time passed swiftly, and before anyone realized it, the date had arrived:
September 29, Third Age 3021.
At the Grey Havens, a colossal silver-white steamship lay moored at the harbor. The vessel was so immense that it nearly filled the entire port.
Its hull, forged from a fusion of silver and steel, gleamed beneath the sun. Graceful, flowing curves ran along its sides, etched with exquisite carvings and ancient runes. A massive chimney continuously released billowing white steam.
This was no ordinary ship.
It was a floating fortress, capable of carrying thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of passengers across the sea.
The ship had been constructed by the master shipwright Círdan, with the aid of countless Elves of the West. It surpassed every vessel he had built before, faster, sturdier, and far safer. Even the fiercest storms of the ocean could not threaten it, and the voyage to Valinor would take less than half the usual time.
From Rivendell, Lothlórien, and other hidden lands, Elves gathered at the harbor, boarding the ship one after another.
Nearby, Sylas and Arwen, accompanied by their two children Elseth and Elroth, were saying their goodbyes to Elrond, Galadriel, Celeborn, Glorfindel, and Gandalf.
Overcome with emotion, Arwen embraced her father Elrond, then her grandparents Galadriel and Celeborn, bidding them farewell.
Sylas stepped forward and embraced Gandalf.
Gandalf showed no sorrow, only joy.
He was no longer clad in gray, but wore a pure white cloak, his hair and beard now completely white. He had become Gandalf the White in both form and spirit.
Perhaps because his return to Valinor was near, the restraints upon Gandalf's power were gradually loosening. A faint yet unmistakable divine aura radiated from him.
Sylas could clearly sense it.