Editing Gandalf (section)

=== Middle-earth ===

The wizards arrived in [[Middle-earth]] separately, early in the [[Third Age]]; Gandalf was the last, landing in the Havens of Mithlond. He seemed the oldest and least in stature, but [[Círdan]] the Shipwright felt that he was the greatest on their first meeting in the Havens, and gave him [[Narya]], the Ring of Fire. [[Saruman]], the chief Wizard, learned of the gift and resented it. Gandalf hid the ring well.<ref name="Istari" group=T/> His relationship with Saruman was strained. The Wizards were forbidden to use force to dominate, though Saruman increasingly disregarded this.<ref name="Istari" group=T/>

==== The White Council ====

{{redirect|White Council|the unreleased video game|The Lord of the Rings: The White Council|other uses}}

Gandalf suspected early on that an evil presence, the [[Sauron#The Necromancer of Dol Guldur|Necromancer of Dol Guldur]], was Sauron. He went to [[Dol Guldur]]<ref name="AppB" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=Appendix B}}</ref> to discover the truth, but the Necromancer withdrew, only to return with greater force,<ref name="AppB" group=T/> and the White Council was formed in response.<ref name="AppB" group=T/> [[Galadriel]] had hoped Gandalf would lead the council, but he refused, declining to be bound by any but the Valar who had sent him. Saruman was chosen instead, as the most knowledgeable about Sauron's work in the [[Second Age]].<ref name="Of the Rings of Power" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977|loc="Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"}}</ref><ref name="Istari" group=T/>

Gandalf returned to Dol Guldur "at great peril" and learned that the Necromancer was indeed Sauron. The following year a White Council was held, and Gandalf urged that Sauron be driven out.<ref name="AppB" group=T/> Saruman, however, reassured the Council that Sauron's evident effort to find the [[One Ring]] would fail, as the Ring would long since have been carried by the river [[Anduin]] to the Sea; and the matter was allowed to rest. But Saruman began actively seeking the Ring near the [[Gladden Fields]] where [[Isildur]] had been killed.<ref name="Of the Rings of Power" group=T/><ref name="Istari" group=T/>

==== The Quest of Erebor ====

"[[The Quest of Erebor]]" in ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' elaborates upon the story behind ''[[The Hobbit]]''. It tells of a chance meeting between Gandalf and [[Thorin Oakenshield]], a [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|Dwarf]]-king in exile, in the ''Prancing Pony'' inn at [[Bree (Middle-earth)|Bree]]. Gandalf had for some time foreseen the coming war with [[Sauron]], and knew that the North was especially vulnerable. If [[Rivendell]] were to be attacked, the [[Dragon (Middle-earth)|dragon]] [[Smaug]] could cause great devastation. He persuaded Thorin that he could help him regain his lost territory of [[Erebor]] from Smaug, and so the quest was born.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980|loc=part 3, 3, "[[The Quest of Erebor]]"}}</ref>