Gandalf would have preferred a hero. But they were all busy fighting elsewhere.
The hobbit Bilbo Baggins, mainly, although he had an awful lot of help along the way.
Gandalf understood Hobbits and he knew that Bilbo would never refuse one or two Dwarf guests. Once they were in, he would be unable to refuse members of their party because that would have been rude. Introducing all the dwarves at once would give Bilbo the right to refuse because there were too many.
vb
Grey. Hence, "Gandalf the Grey." -sam-is-my-hero-
FRODO BAGGINS (hobbit) SAMWISE "SAM" GAMGEE (hobbit) MERIADOC "MERRY" BRANDYBUCK (hobbit) PEREGRIN "PIPPIN" TOOK (hobbit) GANDALF THE GREY / GANDALF THE WHITE (wizard) ARAGORN SON OF ARATHORN (man) LEGOLAS GREENLEAF (elf) GIMLI SON OF GLOIN (dwarf) BOROMIR OF GONDOR (man) ELROND (elf) GALADRIEL (elf-woman) ARWEN EVENSTAR (elf-woman) BILBO BAGGINS (hobbit) GOLLUM / SMEAGOL (was once a hobbit-like creature) KING THEODEN (man) EOWYN (woman) EOMER (man) GRIMA WORMTONGUE (man) DENETHOR (man) FARAMIR OF GONDOR (man) SARUMAN THE WHITE (wizard) SAURON (in either the shape of a Great Eye or a huge man-like armored monster; is literally Satan) RINGWRAITHS (hooded and cloaked men on horseback) I think that's all the main ones! -sam-is-my-hero-
Bilbo Baggins is the real leader in The Hobbit because he does a veritety of things to make him hero like. For example: Bilbo saves the dwarves from the spiders; he goes partway down the tunnel to Smaug even though its Thorin's treasure; and he even brightens the mood when everyone is feeling down before the go after Smaug by telling them that they can do it. Bilbo is the most mature one and that's why I think he deserves the real hero and the actual leader of the quest in The Hobbit.
bilbo becomes a hero in the end.
In the Hobbit is is Bilbo Baggins and in LOTR technically it is Frodo Baggins.
The first item would be to outline the hero's journey. Then match up the phases with the story of The Hobbit. There should be a pretty good match up, including the key milestones of leaving, losing and gaining.
I believe The Hobbit's moral of the story was the word "YOLO". Why is because if you deeply think about it you can see why...see Bilbo was 50 and did nothing with his life but sit around draink beer and eat cake but when gandalf came it all changed. He went out of his Hobbit hole and risked it all, his respect from hobbits, and his life! Coming back with little to no respect but he was a hero for all he did. You know you only live once and Bilbo realized that!
The wood elves capture the dwarves for trespassing in their lands without permission. They would have captured Bilbo too, if not for the fact that he was wearing a magical ring that made him invisible.
Bilbo Baggins of Bag-end, Hobbiton, The Shire.