Chapter Text
Magnus Rasmodius was a perfectly normal wizard from Stardew Valley, thank you very much. He would wake up every morning to the birds twittering in the tree branches. Then he would cook and eat a simple breakfast, and take a stroll through Cindersap Forest to clear his mind. This was usually followed by writing magical research papers, alchemical experiments, or the invention of some minor new enchantment.
Magnus had very few friends, and rarely went out to see them. To the people living in Pelican Town east of his tower, he simply did not exist. His tower appeared to them as an abandoned, overgrown ruin. Only other magical folk, and a very small number of non-magical people, knew of him. Magnus was happy with this arrangement. He liked to live alone, and he did not tolerate unexpected visitors.
There was one exception, however, that baffled even Magnus himself.
An unpredictable, talkative, and downright infuriating incarnation of chaos and questionable ethics.
One who had once been known as Hermes, the swift messenger, trickster, and protector of merchants and thieves.
One who had recently decided on a whim to take on a human-like form and call himself Mr Qi.
And one that had somehow become the wizard's best friend.
Well, what could Magnus do? You can't just refuse a god's friendship, right? Especially when you secretly appreciate the disruptions it brings into your otherwise repetitive routine.
Magnus did not know it at the time, but one such disruption would soon change his life forever.
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The wizard was working on a particularly delicate potion, while Hermes - no, Qi - lounged on his sofa and distracted him with his musings.
“I’m getting bored again,” the blue entity announced. Why he had made this form blue, only the god knew. Likely it was just for fun, or to make himself stand out.
“You could help me measure out these ingredients, instead of lounging about,” Magnus suggested. “Might help with the boredom.”
“No, no, I don't mean bored right now,” Qi waved the idea away. “I mean in general. This world has been so peaceful lately. So… Predictable. Your valley is the perfect example. Not enough excitement. Don't you agree?”
Qi peered at him over his dark round glasses. Magnus carefully avoided eye contact. His friend’s eyes were like windows into the depths of the cosmos. One could see glimpses of distant stars in their darkness, and almost feel the cold of that space. Mortals were not meant to gaze into a god's eyes for long, and Magnus, however powerful, was still a mortal.
“I admit, I am a bit bored as well,” the wizard grumbled. “The people here like their routines. They live by the seasons, and they don't care much for big mysteries. It does get pretty lonely, too.”
Ugh, it was impossible to lie to Qi. So much for Magnus's aloof self-image.
“How long has it been since Diana left, again?” Qi asked curiously.
“Five years or so,” the wizard shrugged. “That's all in the past though. Di seems pretty happy over in Castle Town. I don't think it's about the lack of a wife, anyway… It's more like… The lack of a good apprentice. I haven't found anyone in town with enough magical talent to be able to teach them.”
“Hmm… I see…” Qi turned his gaze away to stare up at the ceiling through his lenses. “I'll have to give this some thought... Anyway, enjoy your potion-making. I'm off to go check on some things.”
The god simply vanished, as was his habit. Magnus sighed, and went back to sorting the ingredients. It was a relief to have no distractions, but the tower felt suddenly too empty, as well. Living alone certainly had both its perks and drawbacks.
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Hermes floated in the Space Between, peering into a few universes that caught his interest.
Here was one where four nations were rebuilding a harmonious world. Some people here had the ability to bend water, fire, air, and earth to their will. Very intriguing, indeed, though not quite what he was looking for.
Here was a world that had once been flat, but became round and separated from a sacred land. Many epic wars and heroic adventures had taken place here, and humans lived alongside beautiful elves and other beings. Once again, very intriguing, but not what Hermes had in mind.
Ah. Here was something interesting. A world where witches and wizards, much like his friend Magnus, lived secretly side-by-side with those that had no magical talent. Their customs were, admittedly, rather different from those of the mages in Ferngill Republic. Consider the magical schooling, for one thing. This world had large boarding schools, not one-on-one apprenticeships. One such school was called Hogwarts, and something about it caught the god's attention.
There was a thread of fate here. Major events were tied to this school and the country it was in.
Hermes gathered his divine power, and channeled it into foresight. Yes, a war had already taken place in this world, instigated by a dark wizard. That wizard had been defeated by nothing more than a baby, not much more than one year old. Or at least… Temporarily stopped. The dark wizard would return, another war would begin… Until finally, that same child would defeat him for good.
Quite the traditional story of good and evil, Hermes pondered. Good conquers evil, and everyone lives happily ever after. So why does something still feel off?
He then looked closer at the path that this universe had set the child on. An unhappy childhood… Finding a home at his boarding school, yet having to return to the place that hurt him every summer… Discovering that a piece of the dark wizard's soul was attached to him, of all the dreadful possibilities… Self-sacrifice… And after… A life where he never truly found healing or contentment. And where was the freedom? The adventure? Hermes did not sense much happiness in that potential future for the little human.
Why does this bother me so much? Hermes wondered. It's just one human life…
Then the connection dawned on him. A delightful, chaotic idea. Well, why not? Existence without chaos would be so awfully boring.
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Hermes vanished from the Space Between, and appeared on a quiet street among neat rows of houses.
The sign on one of them read, Number Four, Privet Drive. Exactly where he needed to be.
The god adjusted his appearance to look more commonplace. Just a businessman in a suit, carrying a briefcase. The dark glasses stayed, however. For one thing, there was no way for him to change his eyes, and they tended to frighten mortals out of their wits. For another, those particular glasses were a treasured gift, and no one could make Hermes part with them.
He rang the doorbell of Number Four. A man and a woman opened the door, looking at him in confusion. These were the Dursleys - the cause of the child's misery. What wretched creatures.
“Good morning,” the god tipped his hat to them. “My name is Mr Qi. I am looking for Mrs Petunia Dursley. It is an important matter concerning the young Harry James Potter.”
The Dursleys flinched visibly at the sound of the child's name. They did, however, let Hermes into the house, and even served him tea. His confident tone and business-like attire certainly helped in this case.
“What's this about now?” Vernon Dursley frowned. “You aren't one of those freaks yourself, are you?”
“No, Mr Dursley,” Hermes smiled. “I am only a messenger, here to tell your wife about her sister's will, and to prevent a catastrophic misunderstanding.”
The Dursleys visibly perked up at the word ‘will’. Because that could mean money, Hermes guessed. And not a sign of sorrow for the deceased Lily Potter or her husband. The god detested the Dursleys more and more with each interaction.
“Here is the document,” he cut to the chase, taking the papers out of his briefcase. “As you can see, Lily Potter fully intended a close friend of hers to adopt her son. The headmaster of Hogwarts, however, had his own ideas, and manipulated the situation such that Harry Potter ended up in your care instead.”
The Dursleys read over the document, and their expressions changed from confusion to happiness.
“You mean… We don't have to raise him?” Petunia Dursley looked at Hermes in disbelief.
“Hah! I knew that Dumbledore was a crackpot old fool!” Mr Dursley exclaimed. “What an idea, to leave that little hellspawn on our doorstep! Not a single official document from him, mind you. Just a letter full of threats!”
“Indeed,” Hermes nodded. “Now, may I see the child for myself, please?”
Mrs Dursley led him up the stairs, to where two babies were just starting to wake up and cry.
“Oh, shut up!” the woman snapped at the black-haired one, which made him cry even more.
She picked up the other child immediately, cooing and setting him into a high chair to offer him breakfast.
“Do you see that, Mr Qi?” she scoffed. “Poor Dudley can't have any peace with this other child around.”
Hermes scooped up the black-haired baby, who stopped crying and looked up at him in surprise. Time to get him out of that horrible house.
“I will take him right away, if you don't mind, Mrs Dursley,” he said. “Show Professor Dumbledore the documents I gave you, should he have questions.”
The Dursleys had zero objections. Hermes simply left their house, holding Harry Potter, and teleported away with him once they were out of sight.
“Now this is an example of questionable ethics, kid,” Hermes told little Harry as he took him through the Space Between. “Technically speaking, I just kidnapped a baby. You, that is. But if you knew what sort of future I saved you from by doing so, you would likely agree that I made a good choice. Also, you don't actually belong to anyone just now, you know. Your parents have died, and your relatives did not agree to adopt you. So…”
Here they arrived at a door, which Hermes pushed open, revealing a dimly lit corridor. Sounds of conversation, the clinking of poker chips, and the hum of slot machines could be heard from the end of this passageway.
“So, the question becomes: who will be the one to raise you, future Chosen One?” Hermes continued. “I'm no good for that, I'm afraid. I know too little about what human children require. Fortunately for you, there is someone in this universe who is just right for the job, and you will meet him soon.”
All the while, little Harry was watching the god and their surroundings with wide eyes. He seemed to have forgotten that crying was even an option.
They came out into a spacious room. People gathered here to play games of chance, and to have important confidential meetings. Although, ‘people’ would not be a very accurate term. The entities that looked like people were, in fact, gods, demigods, nymphs, sprites… All of them were welcome here.
A group sitting at a card table looked over at Hermes curiously. The child he was holding caused quite the commotion in the casino. Some of the gods protested, saying that humans were not supposed to be there. Others hurried to get little Harry some food, seeing as he had finally remembered what crying was for, and demanded to be fed. The food was, of course, nectar. The baby had no idea what a precious gift he was given in the form of that food, which is seldom given to mortals.
“Take care of the kid for me for a while, okay?” Hermes addressed the group of card players. “I need to obtain a father for him, but that might take some time.”
“Don't you worry, Herm… I mean, Mr Qi,” said a young woman with silver hair and equally silver eyes.
She took the child from Hermes. Little Harry quickly fell asleep in her arms.
“Thank you, Sel,” the god tipped his hat to her and the others. “See you soon, everyone!”
And in a moment, he was off to his next destination. Back to the tower of the wizard Magnus Rasmodius.